"Then let the Twelve Apostles and Elders of Israel observe this key, and be wise: Ye are not sent out to be taught, but to teach.
"Let every man be sober, be vigilant, and let all his words be seasoned with grace, and keep in mind it is a day of warning, and not of many words.
"Act honestly before God and man; beware of sophistry, such as bowing and scraping unto men in whom you have no confidence. Be honest, open, and frank in all your intercourse with mankind.
"I wish to say to the Twelve and all the Saints, to profit by this important key, that in all your trials, troubles, temptations, afflictions, bonds, imprisonments and deaths, see to it that you do not betray Jesus Christ, that you do not betray the revelations of God, whether in the Bible, Book of Mormon, or Doctrine and Covenants, or any of the words of God.
"Yea, in all your troubles, see that you do not this thing, lest innocent blood be found upon your skirts, and ye go down to hell.
"We may ever know by this sign that there is danger of our being led to a fall and apostasy when we give way to the devil, so as to neglect the first known duty; but whatever you do, do not betray your friend."
The foregoing are some of the instructions given to the Twelve by the Prophet Joseph, before they started upon their missions.
Inasmuch as the devil had been in a measure thwarted by the Twelve going to Far West, and returning without harm, it seemed as though the destroyer was determined to make some other attempt upon us to hinder us from performing our missions; for it seemed that as soon as any one of the Apostles began to prepare for starting, he was smitten with chills and fever or sickness of some kind.
Nearly all of the quorum of the Twelve or their families began to be sick, so it still required the exercise of a good deal of faith and perseverance to start off on a mission.
On the 25th of July, for the first time in my life, I was attacked with chills and fever; and this I had every other day, and, whenever attacked, I was laid prostrate.