{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_16534/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_16534","id":"gutenberg_16534","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/16534","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: History - Religious","Children's Religion","Christianity","Latter Day Saint churches","Latter Day Saints"],"text":"Produced by Kevin Handy, Josephine Paolucci and the Online\nDistributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net\n\n\n\n\n\n[Transcriber's note: Minor typos in text corrected and footnotes moved to\nend of text.]\n\n[Illustration: JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET.]\n\n[Illustration: HYRUM SMITH, THE PATRIARCH.]\n\n\n\n\nA Young Folks' History\n\nOF THE\n\nCHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS\n\nBy NEPHI ANDERSON\n\n\n    \"_We have heard with our ears, O God, our fathers have told us,\n    what Work thou didst in their days, in the time of old_\"--_Psalm\n    xliv:1_.\n\nPublished by the\nDESERET SUNDAY SCHOOL UNION\nSalt Lake City. Utah\n1916\n\n_Copyright, 1889,\nBy Nephi Anderson\n\nCopyright, 1916,\nBy Joseph F. Smith,\nFor the Deseret Sunday School Union_.\n\n\n\n\nTo Parents and Teachers.\n\n\nStudying the history of our country creates patriotism and engenders\nloyalty. For the same reason, a study of the history of the Church of Jesus\nChrist of Latter-day Saints will implant in our boys and girls a love for\nits heroes, a loyalty to its principles, and an appreciation of its\nachievements. By a knowledge of the history of the Church, our young people\nwill prize more highly that heritage given them of God and preserved for\nthem by the sweat and blood of their fathers.\n\nThe teacher using this little book will understand that it is not\nexhaustive, but rather suggestive. The teacher should be in possession of\nmuch more history than is given here. He should fill in much of the\nundercurrent of heroism, faith, and devotion exhibited by the characters of\nthe history, very little of which can be given in the text. The importance\nof this larger knowledge on the part of the teacher will be understood by\nan examination of the review and questions at the end of each chapter. The\naim in these questions is not only to review the facts of the lesson, but\nby suggestions and reference to bring out more fully deductions and\nprinciples.\n\nIt is believed that by combining the topical and the question methods the\nbest results may be obtained. The topics are to be assigned certain pupils\nfor treatment. Questions should not be limited to those in the book. The\nteacher should find many more to ask.\n\nSpecial attention is called to the maps. Have pupils locate each important\nplace. Quite a number of dates are found in the text. It is not intended\nthat the pupils should memorize them all. Most of them should be used\nmerely in fixing the relative time between events. It is suggested that the\npupils be encouraged to refer to the Church works and other books mentioned\nin the text.\n\nFor further preparation the teacher is referred to \"The History of the\nChurch,\" \"Cannon's Life of Joseph Smith,\" \"Whitney's History of Utah.\" The\n\"Faith Promoting Series,\" Evan's \"Hundred Years of Mormonism,\" etc., will\ngive much interesting and valuable information.\n\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\n\nTo Parents and Teachers\n\nCHAPTER I.\nA Parable\n\nCHAPTER II.\nThe First Vision\n\nCHAPTER III.\nThe Angel Moroni\n\nCHAPTER IV.\nThe Sacred Plates\n\nCHAPTER V.\nThe Book of Mormon\n\nCHAPTER VI.\nThe Three Witnesses\n\nCHAPTER VII.\nThe Priesthood Restored\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\nOrganization of the Church\n\nCHAPTER IX.\nPersecution of Joseph\n\nCHAPTER X.\nThe Mission to the Indians\n\nCHAPTER XI.\nRemoval to Ohio\n\nCHAPTER XII.\nThe Land of Zion\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\nPersecution in Jackson County\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\nExpulsion from Jackson County\n\nCHAPTER XV.\nZion's Camp\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\nThe Church at Kirtland\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\nThe Twelve Apostles--The Seventies--Kirtland Temple\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\nThe Mission to England\n\nCHAPTER XIX.\nFar West\n\nCHAPTER XX.\nHaun's Mill Massacre\n\nCHAPTER XXI.\nDriven from Missouri\n\nCHAPTER XXII.\nIn Missouri Prisons\n\nCHAPTER XXIII.\nNauvoo\n\nCHAPTER XXIV.\nThe Martyrdom\n\nCHAPTER XXV.\nExpulsion from Illinois\n\nCHAPTER XXVI.\nThe Battle of Nauvoo\n\nCHAPTER XXVII.\nWestward\n\nCHAPTER XXVIII.\nThe Mormon Battalion\n\nCHAPTER XXIX.\nThe Pioneers\n\nCHAPTER XXX.\nGreat Salt Lake City\n\nCHAPTER XXXI.\nGrowth of Utah and the Church\n\nCHAPTER XXXII.\nThe \"Utah War\"\n\nCHAPTER XXXIII.\nThe \"Utah War\" (Concluded)\n\nCHAPTER XXXIV.\nProsperity\n\nCHAPTER XXXV.\nThe \"Crusade\"\n\nCHAPTER XXXVI.\nThe Presidency of Wilford Woodruff\n\nCHAPTER XXXVII.\nTemple Building\n\nCHAPTER XXXVIII.\nThe Presidency of Lorenzo Snow\n\nCHAPTER XXXIX.\nThe Presidency of Joseph F. Smith\n\nAPPENDIX.\n\nFirst Presidencies of the Church\nList of Twelve Apostles\n\nMAPS.\nFayette and Kirtland\nMissouri and Illinois\nRoutes of Mormon Battalion and Pioneers\n\nILLUSTRATIONS.\nJoseph Smith, the Prophet\nHyrum Smith the Patriarch\nBrigham Young\nThe Hill Cumorah\nThe Three Witnesses\nSidney Rigdon\nPresident Brigham Young\nThe Kirtland Temple\nPresident Heber C. Kimball\nHaun's Mill\nThe Nauvoo House\nThe Nauvoo Mansion\nCarthage Jail\nA Pioneer Train\nSalt Lake Valley in 1847\nThe Old Fort\nSalt Lake Tabernacle (Interior)\nSalt Lake Tabernacle (Exterior)\nPresident John Taylor\nPresident Wilford Woodruff\nThe Pioneer Monument\nSalt Lake Temple and Grounds\nPresident Lorenzo Snow\nThe First Presidency, 1916\nJoseph Smith Monument and Memorial Cottage\nChurch Office Building\n\n\n\n\nA YOUNG FOLKS' HISTORY\n\nOF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nA PARABLE.\n\n\nOnce upon a time the owner of a very large garden planted therein a tree,\nthe fruit of which was very precious and of great value to all who ate of\nit. For a time, the tree grew and bore much good fruit. But the owner of\nthe garden had an enemy who went about secretly sowing seeds of weeds and\nall manner of briers and brush, that they might spread all over the garden\nand kill out the good tree which the master had planted. The enemy also\npersuaded many of the workmen in the garden to neglect the good tree, and\nlet the briers and weeds grow up around it and so prevent its growth. Thus\nin time the once precious fruit of the good tree became wild and scrubby,\nno better than the enemy's trees which grew around it.\n\nYears passed, and the master, grieving that the precious fruit should have\nbecome so worthless, determined to plant the good tree once more in the\ngarden. He did not try to clear away a spot for it amid the old, overgrown\nparts of the land, but he called upon certain workers to go to a distant\npart of the garden where nothing had been planted for a long time, and\nthere prepare the ground for the planting of the tree.\n\nThese workers were faithful to their master and did as they were told. Very\nfew of the enemy's noxious weeds were growing in the new soil, so it was\nnot such hard work to clear the ground and prepare a place for the master\nto plant his tree.\n\nTo be better protected against the enemy, the master told his workmen to\nbuild a high, strong wall about that part of the garden. This was all done;\nand then one beautiful spring day the owner came with his servants. They\nhad with them the precious tree taken from some other garden where it had\ngrown without hindrance from weeds. The tree was planted and put in charge\nof other servants to tend it. The warm sun shone on it, the rains came from\nheaven to water it, and the tree took firm root and grew.\n\nNow all the boys and girls who read this book will understand that the\nlittle story I have just told is what is called a _Parable_, meant to make\nplainer some facts and truths. I can not tell you all about that tree here,\nhow it grew and bore fruit, and how many people came and ate of its\ndelicious fruit, notwithstanding the enemy came again and tried to check\nits growth. I say, I cannot tell it to you in the form of a parable, but\nwill tell it as it actually happened. You may, if you like, imagine in your\nown minds the rest of the parable, but the real story you will find more\ninteresting than any made-up tale can be.\n\nFirst, let me explain to you the meaning of the parable.\n\nThe garden means the earth, and the owner is the Lord, who came to the\nearth about nineteen hundred years ago to die for the sins of the world. He\nalso planted the good tree, that is, He brought the gospel and taught it\nto his followers. The enemy is the evil one, the devil, who stirred up men\nto work against the gospel and to kill those who obeyed it. He also mixed\nhis lies with Christ's truths, until in time the pure gospel was not to be\nfound on the earth.\n\nThis was the condition of the world for hundreds of years. Then the Lord\nwished to restore the true gospel and again establish his Church on the\nearth. He therefore chose a place where all would have the right to believe\nthe truth and be protected in that liberty. The Lord, therefore, moved upon\nColumbus to discover this land of America.\n\nThe servants spoken of, whom the Lord sent to prepare the land for the\nplanting, were all those great and good men whom you have read about in\nyour American history: Washington, Jefferson, Franklin, and many others.\nYou will remember how these men loved right and liberty, and how they\nworked so hard for it; and in reading the history of these men we can\nplainly see that the Lord was with them and helped them. These men built\nthe high wall, which means that they made just laws that would protect the\npeople and let them worship God in any way they thought right.\n\nThus was the way prepared for the gospel to be restored again to the earth;\nand the Lord himself came from heaven, also his servants Moroni, Peter,\nJames, and John to bring the glad tidings to all who live on the earth.\n\nThen the Lord called some more servants to preach the gospel to the world\nand build up his Church. The first and greatest of these servants is known\nby the name of Joseph Smith, the Prophet. How the Lord called him to this\ngreat work and delivered to him the gospel will be told you in the next\nchapter.\n\nTopics.--1. The Parable. 2. Explanation.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Name some of Christ's first disciples. 2: Tell\nhow some of them were killed. 3. How long was the world without the gospel?\n4. Tell how Columbus discovered America. 5. Who were the Pilgrims? 6. What\nwas the Revolutionary war about? 7. What is the Constitution of the United\nStates? 8. Find out what it says about religious liberty. 9. Why is America\nthe \"Land of liberty?\"\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nTHE FIRST VISION.\n\n\nAt the time when Thomas Jefferson was president of the United States, there\nwas born among the Green Mountains of Vermont a boy who was to become the\ngreat prophet of the last days. The hills and valleys of Vermont look\nbeautiful in the summer, but at the time here spoken of they were no doubt\ncovered with snow, for it was the 23rd of December, 1805, in the town of\nSharon, Windsor county, that Joseph Smith first saw the light of the world.\n\nJoseph was named after his father, whose name was Joseph. His mother's\nmaiden name was Lucy Mack. Joseph had five brothers and three sisters whose\nnames were Alvin, Hyrum, (then Joseph), Samuel, William, Don Carlos,\nSophronia, Catherine and Lucy; so you see that there was a large family for\nthe father and mother to take care of. Joseph's parents were poor and had\nto work hard for a living, so when the boys were old enough they had to\nhelp on the farm; this they willingly, did. For this reason Joseph did not\ngo to school much, but he learned to read, to write fairly well, and to\nwork some examples in arithmetic. Though Joseph did not get much of an\neducation at school, yet he was a great student; and then God became his\nteacher, so that before he died, as you will see, he became one of the most\nlearned men in the world.\n\nWhen Joseph was ten years old they all moved from Vermont to Palmyra, in\nthe western part of the state of New York. Four years later they moved\nagain to the small town of Manchester, in Ontario, now Wayne County, New\nYork.\n\nWhile the family was living at Manchester there arose a great religious\nexcitement all through the country. The different religious sects held many\nmeetings and tried to get people to join them. Joseph was now in his\nfifteenth year and he also became interested, as his parents had always\ntaught him to believe in God and the Bible. Joseph thought he would like to\njoin the true church of Christ, but what troubled him was to know which of\nall these sects was the true church. He could see that all of them could\nnot be true, as God surely would not have a great many churches, one\nstriving against the other; also, no doubt, he had read in the Bible that\nthere was but \"one Lord, one faith, one baptism,\" etc., which the Lord\naccepted. Joseph went first to one meeting, then to another. His mother and\nsome of his brothers and sisters had joined the Presbyterians, but Joseph\ncould not make up his mind what to do.\n\nBut there is a way by which anyone may find out which is the true church\nand therefore which to join, and every boy and girl that reads this book\nshould remember it. It is this: Ask God. Joseph did not know this until one\nday while reading in his Testament he came to the fifth verse in the first\nchapter of James, which reads as follows:\n\n    \"If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all\n    men liberally and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.\"\n\nThis was just the thing. God had surely led him to read that verse. Joseph\ncertainly lacked wisdom, and here was a way to find out what he wanted to\nknow about the sects. The Lord would tell him. All he had to do was to ask.\nHow simple it was!\n\nOn a beautiful morning in the spring of the year 1820, Joseph decided to\nask the Lord for wisdom. He went out into a grove near his father's house,\nand after looking around to make sure that he was alone, he kneeled down on\nthe grass under the trees and began to pray. No sooner had he begun than\nsome awful power which he could not see took hold of him and made it nearly\nimpossible for him to speak. It soon became dark around the boy, and Joseph\nthought the unseen power would kill him; but he struggled hard and tried to\npray to God for help.\n\nJust at that moment Joseph saw a great light coming down from above, and\nthen the evil power left him. The light was brighter than the sun, and as\nit came down and touched the tops of the trees, Joseph wondered why it did\nnot burn them. Then it shone all around him, and in the light, standing in\nthe air above him, he saw two persons who looked like men, only they were\nshining with a glory that can not be described. One of them, pointing to\nthe other, said to the boy:\n\n\"_Joseph, this is my Beloved Son; hear him_.\"\n\nJoseph then asked which of all the religions was right, and great was his\nsurprise when he was told that none was right; that they all had gone\nastray from the truth; and that he must join none of them. Joseph was told\nmany other things, among which was that some day the true gospel would be\nmade known to him. Then they left him alone in the woods.\n\nWhat a wonderful thing! God the Father and his Son Jesus Christ had\nactually come to Joseph. He had seen them and they had spoken to him. That\nsame Jesus of whom he had read in his Bible had come from heaven and his\nFather had come with him to introduce him to the boy praying in the woods!\n\nThis was the first vision and the beginning of the gospel in our day; and\nby thinking carefully about this vision, we may see that it teaches us many\nthings. First, that God has a body like unto man's. Second, that the Father\nand the Son are two persons, not one, as many in the world believe. Third,\nthat the many religions which man has made are not accepted by God. Fourth,\nthat God has not ceased to give revelations to men on the earth.\n\nTopics.--1. Joseph's Boyhood. 2. The Vision. 3. What may be learned from\nthe vision.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. When and where was Joseph Smith born? 2. To\nwhat places did Joseph move? 3. What led Joseph to ask God for wisdom? 4.\nRepeat James I:5. 5. Why can not all the sects in the world be right? 6.\nDid the Father and the Son come to Joseph solely because of this prayer?[1]\n7. Why did the evil one try to destroy Joseph? 8. What may we learn from\nthis vision?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nTHE ANGEL MORONI.\n\n\nWhen Joseph told of his vision to some of his friends he was surprised to\nfind that they did not believe him, but made fun of what he said. The\nstrangest thing to the boy was that the preachers of religion, instead of\nbeing glad at such glorious news, told him it was from the devil, and that\nGod did not give any more revelations from heaven. All such things had\nceased with the apostles of old, they said. Another strange thing was that\nthese preachers began to tell untruths about him, and seemed to hate him\nfor what he told. Still Joseph would not deny his story. \"I have actually\nseen a vision,\" he said again and again. \"I know it, and I know that God\nknows it, and I dare not deny it.\"\n\nSo three years went by.\n\nOn the evening of September 21, 1823, after Joseph had retired to his room,\nhe prayed earnestly that the Lord would forgive him his sins and show him\nif he was yet accepted of him. While he was yet praying a very bright light\ncame into the room, and immediately a person stood in the air by his\nbedside. As this person was an angel--a being who had died and had been\nresurrected with an immortal body--it is interesting to know how he looked.\n\nJoseph describes him as a man having on a robe whiter than anything he had\never seen. His hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above the\nwrists. His feet were also bare a little above the ankles. His head and\nneck were also bare. Not only was his robe very white but his whole person\nshone with great glory. The room was very light, but not so bright as\nclose around the angel's person.\n\nThe angel called Joseph by name, and said that he was a messenger sent from\nGod to him, and that his name was Moroni. He told Joseph that God had a\nwork for him to do, and because of this work, good and evil would be spoken\nabout his name in all nations. The angel then told him of a record written\non gold plates which were hidden in a hill not far away. This record was a\nhistory of the peoples who had lived on this continent, of whom the Indians\nwere a part. With the plates was an instrument called the Urim and Thummim,\nwhich God had prepared for the translating of the records. After a time\nthese things would be given to Joseph, but he must take great care of them\nand show them to no one except those to whom the Lord would direct. Then\nMoroni showed Joseph, by a vision, the place, where the plates were hidden.\n\nAfter giving much other instruction, the light in the room began to gather\nin towards the person of the angel, leaving the room again in darkness,\nexcept just around the heavenly visitor, who soon disappeared in a shining\npath into heaven.\n\nThree times that same night Moroni visited Joseph and told him nearly the\nsame things over again. About the plates Joseph was further told that he\nwould be tempted to get them for the purpose of getting rich, as the plates\nwere of great value; but he must not yield to that spirit as they were\nsacred, and he must have no other purpose in view than to do the will of\nGod and build up his kingdom; otherwise he would not get them. At the close\nof the third visit it was morning, and then Joseph knew that he had been\ntalking with the angel nearly all the night.\n\nThat morning Joseph went as usual with his father to work in the field,\nbut he was so weak that he could do but little. His father, seeing this,\ntold him to go home.\n\nOn the way, as he was climbing over a fence, Joseph fell helpless to the\nground. After that the first thing he knew was that some one was calling\nhim by name. Looking up he again saw the angel Moroni, who once more told\nhim all that he had related the night before. He then told Joseph to go\nback to the field and tell his father of the vision and the commandments\nwhich he had received.\n\nJoseph obeyed at once, and went back and told all he had seen and heard.\nHis father believed all he said, and told Joseph to obey the angel, as the\nteachings and commandments were surely from the Lord.\n\nTopics.--1. Beginning of persecution. 2. Visit of the angel Moroni. 3.\nWhat Moroni told Joseph.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. What did people say of Joseph's first vision?\n2. Why did people persecute a young boy like Joseph? 3. Name the date of\nMoroni's visit. 4. What is an angel? (See Doc. and Cov. Sec. 129, also Key\nto Theology, Chap. 12.) 5. Describe the Angel Moroni. 6. Why did the angel\nrepeat so often his instructions to Joseph? 7. How old was Joseph at this\ntime?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nTHE SACRED PLATES.\n\n\nAbout two miles south of Joseph's home, in Manchester, is a large hill, the\nhighest in that part of the country. To this place Joseph went on the\nmorning after the angel's visit, as this was the spot he had seen in his\nvision. On the west side of this hill, not far from the top, Joseph found\na large, rounded stone, nearly covered with earth. Prying this up, he found\nit to be the lid of a stone box which was buried in the earth. Raising the\nlid, he looked in, and there indeed were the sacred treasures about which\nthe angel had told him. As he stood looking at them in wonder, the angel\nMoroni came to his side, and Joseph was taught many things about the\nfuture. He was shown in a vision the glory of the good and the darkness of\nthe evil.\n\n[Illustration: THE HILL CUMORAH.]\n\nJoseph was about to take the plates from the box, when the angel forbade\nhim, telling him the time had not yet arrived, but that he should come to\nthe hill in one year from that date when the angel would meet him. This he\nmust do for four years, at the end of which time, if Joseph was faithful,\nthe plates would be given to him to translate and publish to the world.\n\nTrue to the angel's instructions, Joseph went to the hill Cumorah on the\n22nd day of September of each year, at which time Moroni appeared to him\nand gave him many teachings about the word of God.\n\nDuring all this time Joseph had to labor hard on the farm, sometimes hiring\nout to work for others. In October, 1825, he worked for a man by the name\nof Josiah Stoal, who took Joseph to the State of Pennsylvania, and set him\nwith other men, digging for a silver mine which he thought he could find.\nAfter working at it for some time, Joseph persuaded his employer to give it\nup. It was from this incident that Joseph's enemies sometimes called him a\n\"money digger.\"\n\nWhile working for Mr. Stoal, Joseph boarded for some time with the family\nof Isaac Hale. Here he met Emma Hale who became his wife, they being\nmarried in the year 1827.\n\nThe four years were now passed. On the 22nd of September, 1827, Joseph went\non his fifth visit to the sacred hill, and on that day the angel Moroni\ndelivered to him the plates and the Urim and Thummim. He was told to take\ngood care of them as evil men would try to take them from him; but if he,\nJoseph, would do all he could to preserve them, the Lord would come to his\nassistance when it would be needed.\n\nThe records which Joseph received consisted of a great many gold plates\nnearly as thick as common tin. They were about seven by eight inches in\nsize, and were bound together by three rings running through holes, in the\nedges of the plates. This made the plates like a book, so that they might\nbe turned as the leaves of a book are turned. On each side of every plate\nwere engraved beautiful letters, in a language which Joseph could not read.\nThe book was about six inches thick. A part of it was sealed, and Joseph\nwas told not to open it, as the time had not yet come for that part to be\nmade known to the world.\n\nThe Urim and Thummim consisted of two transparent stones, clear as crystal,\nset in two rims of a bow. It was used in ancient times by the seers, and\nthrough it they received revelations of things past and future. You may\nread about this instrument in the Bible, in Exodus, 28: 30; and Ezra 2: 63.\n\nAs soon as it was known that Joseph had the plates, many evil-minded\npersons tried to get them from him, and he had to hide them in different\nplaces to keep them safe. Mobs began to surround his house, men tried to\ncatch him on the roads or in the fields, and he was even shot at a number\nof times. Joseph now saw how timely the angel's warning was.\n\nLiving thus in constant fear, Joseph could not do anything towards\ntranslating the records; so he moved, with his wife, to her old home in\nPennsylvania. While on the way an officer overtook him and searched his\nwagon for the plates, but could not find them. They were there, however,\nsafely hidden in a barrel of beans.\n\nArriving in Harmony, where his father-in-law lived, Joseph began to\ntranslate some of the writings on the plates. As Joseph was a slow writer\nhe did not make much progress, and so he asked the Lord to send someone to\nhelp him. In answer to this request a man by the name of Martin Harris came\nto him from Palmyra, New York. Now the work went better. Martin wrote while\nJoseph translated.\n\nThey had translated one hundred and sixteen written pages, when Martin\nasked Joseph to let him take the writings and show them to some of his\nfriends. Joseph asked the Lord about it, and the answer was that he must\nnot; but Martin kept on teasing Joseph till at last the Lord permitted him\nto show them to certain persons. But Martin showed them to others, and the\nwritings were lost. The Lord was displeased at this, and told Joseph not to\ntranslate the same over again, but to write from another part of the plates\nwhich told about the same events. However, the Urim and Thummim was taken\nfrom Joseph for a short time, and when he received it again, his wife Emma\nwrote a little for him.\n\nNow the Lord sent another helper to Joseph. He was a young school teacher,\nnamed Oliver Cowdery, and these two men worked hard at the translation. You\nwill remember that Joseph was poor, and it seemed they would have to stop\ntranslating and find other work whereby to earn means to live. They were\nnow also again annoyed by evil men and mobs.\n\nIn the midst of this trouble the Lord sent aid again. A man named Joseph\nKnight came to them with provisions, and soon after Joseph was visited by a\nyoung man named David Whitmer, who came to invite them to his father's\nhouse in Fayette, Seneca county, New York. This invitation was gladly\naccepted, and Joseph and Oliver went back with him.\n\nAt the Whitmers' they lived and labored in peace until the work was\ncompleted. David, John, and Peter, sons of Peter Whitmer, Sen., helped all\nthey could, and soon the book was ready to be printed. Martin Harris also\nhelped Joseph in getting out the work. The first edition of five thousand\ncopies was printed in Palmyra, in 1830. Since then the book has been\nprinted in many languages and read by many thousands of people. It is\ncalled THE BOOK OF MORMON. The next chapter will tell you why it is so\ncalled, and a little of what it contains.\n\nTopics.--1. Joseph's visits to Cumorah. 2. Joseph in Pennsylvania. 3.\nDescription of the plates and Urim and Thummim. 4. The translation.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Where is the hill Cumorah? 2. What did Joseph\nfind there? 3. Why did not Joseph carry away the plates the first time? 4.\nHow many visits did he make to Cumorah? 5. Where did Joseph go to work? 6.\nWhom did he marry? 7. When did Joseph get the plates? 8. Describe the\nplates. 9. What was the Urim and Thummim? 10. Who first helped Joseph to\ntranslate? 11. Who was Oliver Cowdery? 12. What help did the Whitmers give\nJoseph? 13. When was the Book of Mormon published?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nTHE BOOK OF MORMON.\n\n\nYou will all be interested in knowing what was written on the plates which\nthe prophet Joseph Smith received from the angel Moroni, so in this chapter\nI will tell you very briefly. Some time you will want to read the whole\nbook, which of course is the better way.\n\nYou have read in your histories and geographies that ruins of great cities\nhave been found in many places in America, showing that at one time there\nwere people here more civilized than the Indians. The writings on these\nplates told the history of these peoples.\n\nSix hundred years before Christ was born, there lived in the city of\nJerusalem a prophet by the name of Lehi. He had at that time four sons,\nLaman, Lemuel, Sam, and Nephi. The Lord told Lehi that because of the\nwickedness of the city, it would soon be destroyed, and if he wished to be\nsaved he must take his family and travel into the wilderness. This Lehi\ndid. They went south-eastward until they got to the sea where they built a\nship in which to cross to a promised land. While camping in the wilderness\nLehi sent his sons back to Jerusalem to get some records of their\nforefathers, and it was through the faithfulness of Nephi that this was\ndone.\n\nAfter many days of sailing, they at last landed on the west coast of South\nAmerica in what is now called Chili.\n\nThe two older boys, Laman and Lemuel were often disobedient to their\nfather, and many times they brought trouble to the little company. They\nalso treated their younger brother, Nephi, badly because he would not agree\nwith them but tried to do as his father told him.\n\nWhen Lehi died, Nephi was chosen their leader, but soon Laman and Lemuel\nbecame dissatisfied and again began making trouble. The Lord then told\nNephi to take all who would listen to him and leave the other brothers and\nthose who upheld them in their evil deeds.\n\nIn this way there became two peoples in the land. Those who went with Nephi\nwere called Nephites, and those who remained with Laman became Lamanites.\nThe Nephites built houses, planted fields, and lived as civilized people,\nand the Lord often revealed his will to them through prophets and holy men.\nThe Lamanites became lazy, lived in tents in the forests, and killed wild\nanimals for their food. Their skins also became dark.\n\nThe greater part of the Book of Mormon is about these two peoples, their\nwars with each other, etc. The Nephites ought to have remained a good\npeople, because the Lord blessed them so much: yet they often did wrong.\nThe Lord would prosper them until they became rich; then they would become\nproud and at last wicked. Then the Lord would allow the Lamanites to come\nupon them, and there would be bloody wars. So the story goes for hundreds\nof years.\n\nBoth nations became very large and occupied the greater part of North and\nSouth America.\n\nAt times the Lord would raise up prophets who would preach to the wicked.\nUsually these teachers were Nephites, but sometimes they were Lamanites.\nSometimes great numbers of Lamanites were converted to the Lord, and when\nthey once accepted the truth, they did not fall away so easily as their\nNephite brethren. At one time two thousand young men whose parents were\nconverted Lamanites did valiant service for their country and their\nreligion. There isn't room to tell you about the story here; but you may\nread about it in the Book of Mormon, beginning with the 53rd chapter of\nAlma.\n\nWhen Nephi separated from his brethren, he went north and settled in a\nplace they called the Land of Nephi; but after a time the Lamanites again\nannoyed them so much that the Lord told Mosiah, who was their leader then\nto take the more faithful part of the people and again go northward. This\nthey did, and found a city called Zarahemla which had been built by a\npeople who had also come from Jerusalem at the time that city was\ndestroyed. The Nephites joined with the people of Zarahemla, and for a long\ntime this city was the capital of the Nephite people.\n\nIn time the Lamanites occupied all of South America except a small part in\nthe north, on which the Nephites lived. The Nephites' land also extended\nfar up into North America.\n\nA little over six hundred years after Lehi landed on this continent, Jesus\nappeared unto some of the righteous. Before this, however, there had been a\ngreat storm all over the land, and many of the wicked had been destroyed.\nJesus had been crucified at Jerusalem, had risen from the dead, and now he\ncame to the Nephites with his resurrected body. He taught them the same\ngospel that he had taught in Palestine and chose twelve disciples to preach\nand build up his church. For nearly two hundred years the people all\nbelonged to the Church of Christ, and peace was over all the land. Then\nthey became wicked again. The Lamanites kept driving the Nephites further\nnorth, until they reached what is now the United States. Around a hill in\nthe western part of the State of New York, then called Cumorah, what was\nleft of the Nephites gathered for the last struggle. The Lamanites met\nthem, and there was a great battle in which all but a very few of the\nNephites were killed. Thus ended the Nephite nation, not quite four hundred\nyears after Christ, and the Lamanites or Indians have lived here ever\nsince.\n\nDuring all this time the Lord had some good men keep a record of what\nhappened among the people. In those days they did not write on paper, so\nthese histories were recorded on plates of metal. These plates were handed\nfrom one man to another, until about the time of the last great battle, a\nprophet by the name of Mormon had all the records. He wrote a short account\nfrom them called an abridgment. What he took from each man's record he\ncalled after the writer's name, as the Book of Alma, Book of Helaman, etc.,\nwhich we might call names of chapters in Mormon's book. Mormon gave all his\nwritings to his son Moroni, who wrote a little more on the plates. Moroni\nalso made a short account of another people who had lived in America before\nthe Nephites. They were called the Jaredites. Their history is told in the\nBook of Ether.\n\nAfter Moroni had seen his people destroyed he hid all the records in the\nhill Cumorah.\n\nTopics.--1. What history and geography prove regarding the Book of\nMormon. 2. The Lamanites. 3. The Nephites. 4. Mormon. 5. Moroni.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Who was Lehi? 2. Name his sons. (Jacob and\nJoseph were born after he left Jerusalem.) 3. Tell about Laman and Lemuel.\n4. What kind of boy was Nephi? 5. Why did they leave Jerusalem? 6. Why did\nLehi want the records of his forefathers? 7. Who were the Lamanites? 8.\nDescribe them. 9. Tell about the Nephites. 10. In what land did these\npeople live? 11. Why were the Nephites destroyed? 12. What is the Book of\nMormon? 13. Who wrote it? 14. Who had charge of the plates? 15. Where were\nthey hidden? 16. Who translated them into the English language?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nTHE THREE WITNESSES.\n\n\nAll who read this book ought to turn to one of the first pages of the Book\nof Moromon and read a paragraph signed by three men whose names are Oliver\nCowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Harris. You will notice in that\nparagraph that these men bear a most solemn witness that the book is true;\nthat an angel of God came to them with the plates and laid them before\ntheir eyes; and that they were translated by the gift and power of God.\n\nThe three names signed to this testimony are so important that I wish to\ntell you something about these men. You have learned a little about them\nalready, but here is a good place to tell you something more about their\nlives.\n\n[Illustration: THE THREE WITNESSES.]\n\nMartin Harris was a farmer who became acquainted with Joseph about the time\nhe received the plates. You will remember that Martin visited Joseph in\nPennsylvania and did some writing for him. Martin Harris was the man who\ntook some of the writings copied from the plates, with their translation,\nto the city of New York, and showed them to a learned man named Professor\nAnthon. The professor seemed pleased with what was shown him, and gave\nMartin a certificate that the writings were true characters. He also\noffered to assist in translating the plates, but when Martin told him that\nan angel had given Joseph the plates, and that part of the book was sealed,\nhe took back the certificate and tore it up, saying \"I can not read a\nsealed book.\"\n\nIf you wish to read something in the Bible that will remind you of this\nincident you may find it in Isaiah, 29th chapter, beginning at the 10th\nverse.\n\nOliver Cowdery became acquainted with Joseph's family, while he boarded\nwith them one winter when he was teaching school. Hearing of Joseph in\nPennsylvania and the work he was there doing, Oliver prayed to the Lord for\nlight regarding the matter. Receiving a testimony that it was true, Oliver\nwent to visit Joseph, and there, as we have seen, he wrote for him.\n\nDavid Whitmer was a friend of Oliver's, and the latter told David many\nthings regarding Joseph. While he was in Pennsylvania, Oliver wrote to\nDavid telling him to come down and see them. David came, found everything\nas had been told him, and took the two young men back to his father's home.\n\nWhile translating the plates, Joseph came to the passage where it says that\nthere should be three witnesses to these things. (Book of Mormon, II Nephi\n11:3; also 27:12.) On learning this Oliver, David, and Martin asked Joseph\nto enquire of the Lord if they might be these witnesses. Joseph did so, and\ntheir request was granted. They, with Joseph then went out into the woods\nand prayed so earnestly that an angel came and showed them the sacred\ntreasure exactly as they have testified.\n\nFor some years these three men continued to take a prominent part in the\naffairs of the Church as you will see in future chapters.\n\nIn April, 1838, Oliver Cowdery was cut off from the Church for a number of\nthings that a Latter-day Saint should not do. He became a lawyer, and went\nto Michigan. For ten years he remained away from the Church; but during all\nthat time he never once denied his testimony that the Book of Mormon is\ntrue. Often men tried to have him deny it, but he stood firm to that truth.\n\nAt a meeting held in Kanesville, Iowa, October 21, 1848, Oliver Cowdery\nspoke and bore a strong testimony to the truth of the Book of Mormon and\nthe work of God. Shortly after he asked to be baptized into the Church\nagain. He did not ask for position or honor, he wanted simply to be a\nmember of the Church. His wish was granted and he was baptized.\n\nWhile on his way to Utah, Oliver stopped at Richmond, Missouri, to visit\nhis friends, the Whitmers. While here he died. David Whitmer said of the\nevent:\n\n    \"Oliver died the happiest man I ever saw. After shaking hands with\n    the family, and kissing his wife and daughter, he said, 'Now I lay\n    me down for the last time; I am going to my Savior;' and he died\n    immediately with a smile on his face.\"\n\nMartin Harris also left the Church. He was rejected at Kirtland, in 1837,\nand remained away from the Church for over thirty years; but all this time\nhe testified to the truth of the Book of Mormon. In 1870, through the\nlabors of Elder Edward Stevenson, Martin Harris came to Utah and was again\nbaptized into the Church of Christ. For five years he continued to tell of\nthe truth of the work of God in the meetings of the Saints in Utah. He died\nJuly 10th, 1875, at Clarkston, Cache county, Utah. On the afternoon of his\ndeath, he sat propped up in his bed with a Book of Mormon in his hand\nbearing his testimony to its truth to those around him.\n\nDavid Whitmer, after being with the Saints until 1838, apostatized in\nMissouri. He moved to Richmond, Ray county, and lived there to the day of\nhis death, January 25, 1888. He never rejoined the Church; but he always\nbore a strong testimony that the Book of Mormon is true. On his death bed\nhe said to those around him:\n\n    \"I want to say to you all that the Bible and the record of the\n    Nephites (Book of Mormon) are true, so that you can say that you\n    heard me bear my testimony on my death-bed. God bless you all. My\n    trust is in Christ forever, worlds without end. Amen.\"\n\nThe world can not deny these three men's testimony. Though they left the\nChurch and in their darkness they opposed the prophet of the Lord, yet\nnever did they deny what the angel had shown them. On the same page that\nthe testimony of the three witnesses is recorded, you will also find the\nnames of eight others who testify to having seen the plates from which the\nBook of Mormon was translated.\n\nTopics.--1. The testimony of the three witnesses. 2. Martin Harris. 3.\nOliver Cowdery. 4. David Whitmer. 5. The eight witnesses.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Where is the testimony of the three witnesses\nfound? 2. What does that testimony say? 3. What other testimony is found in\nthe Book of Mormon? 4. How did the three get their testimony? 5. Tell of\nMartin Harris. 6. Of Oliver Cowdery. 7. Of David Whitmer. 8. Name some\nthings that make their testimony strong. 9. Name the eight witnesses.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nTHE PRIESTHOOD RESTORED.\n\n\nWhen Joseph and Oliver were engaged in translating the Book of Mormon they\ncame to a passage which told of baptism in water for the remission of sins.\nThis was not quite plain to them. They knew, of course, something of the\nmany kinds of baptism practiced by the various sects of the day, but if the\nreligions on the earth at that time were not accepted of the Lord as Joseph\nhad been told, none of the ministers would have a right to baptize;\nbesides, the passage in the Book of Mormon said that baptism was for the\nremission of sins. The preachers did not teach it this way, though they\ncould read that it was taught in the same manner by the apostles in\nChrist's time. (Acts 2:38.)\n\nThis right or authority to do things in the name of the Lord is called\nPriesthood. The apostles and prophets of old had it, but where were they to\nlook for this power now?\n\nSo Joseph and Oliver on the 15th day of May, 1829, went into the woods to\nask the Lord about it. Their prayer was answered by an angel who told them\nthat his name was John, called John the Baptist, who had baptized Jesus in\nthe river Jordan. He said he had come to restore a portion of the holy\nPriesthood, even that part which would give them power to baptize for the\nremission of sins, but not to lay on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost.\nHe promised them that if they were faithful this other power would be\ngiven them later.\n\nThe angel then laid his hands on their heads and ordained them to the\nAaronic Priesthood. He told Joseph to baptize Oliver, after which Oliver\nwas to baptize Joseph. Then Joseph was to ordain Oliver and Oliver to do\nthe same to Joseph. All this they gladly did, and immediately they were\nfilled with great joy.\n\nThus was the power to baptize for the remission of sins again given to the\nearth. Think what a great event it was! None in all the world had this\npower, save two unknown young men in the woods of Pennsylvania. Great\nthings often have small beginnings. Now there are thousands who have this\nblessed power, and no doubt the elder that baptized each of you can trace\nhis ordination which gave him the authority to do so back to Joseph or\nOliver and from them to John the baptist.\n\nSometime in June, 1829, the promise which John made to the young men was\nfulfilled. The ancient apostles Peter, James, and John, who held the keys\nof this higher power came to Joseph and Oliver and ordained them to the\nMelchizedek Priesthood. This gave them the power to lay on hands for the\ngift of the Holy Ghost, and also to go forth and administer in the\nordinances of the gospel.\n\nTopics.--1. Priesthood. 2. Visit of John the Baptist. 3. Visit of Peter,\nJames, and John.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. What led Joseph and Oliver to ask the Lord\nabout baptism? 2. What is baptism for? 3. How is it performed? 4. How did\nJoseph and Oliver get the authority to baptize? 5. Who was John the\nBaptist? 6. What is Priesthood? 7. Name the two grades of Priesthood. 8.\nWho baptized you? 9. How did he get the authority to baptize? 10. Who were\nPeter, James, and John? 11. What did they do? 12. Give the date of John's\nvisit.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH.\n\n\nBy this time many people came to Joseph, some out of curiosity, some to be\ntaught of the wonderful truths which he had received, and some, I am sorry\nto say, came to do him harm. As Joseph and Oliver now had power to baptize,\na number of those who believed were baptized by them.\n\nThe time had now come to organize the Church and the Lord revealed to\nJoseph that it should be done on the 6th day of April, 1830. Accordingly on\nthat day six men who had been baptized met at the house of Peter Whitmer,\nSen., at Fayette, Seneca county, state of New York. Their names were Joseph\nSmith, Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, Peter Whitmer, Jr., Samuel H. Smith,\nand David Whitmer.\n\nJoseph tells us what was done at this meeting as follows:\n\n\"Having opened the meeting by solemn prayer to our Heavenly Father, we\nproceeded to call on our brethren to know whether they accepted us as their\nteachers in the things of the kingdom of God and whether they were\nsatisfied that we should proceed and be organized as a Church according to\nthe commandments we had received. To this they all consented. I then laid\nmy hands upon Oliver Cowdery and ordained him an elder of the Church of\nJesus Christ; after which he ordained me also to the office of an elder of\nsaid Church. We then took bread, blessed it, and broke it with them; also\nwine, blessed it, and drank it with them. We then laid our hands on each\nmember of the Church present, that they might receive the gift of the Holy\nGhost and be confirmed members of the Church of Christ. The Holy Ghost was\npoured out upon us to a very great degree--some prophesied, whilst we all\npraised the Lord and rejoiced exceedingly.\"\n\nThus was the true Church of Christ again on the earth. During the hundreds\nof years when the world had lain in darkness, not a man could have been\nfound who had the authority to confirm a member of the church; but now\nthere was a beginning, a very small beginning it is true, but the promise\nis that it will grow and increase until it shall fill the whole earth.\n\nThe first public meeting after the Church was organized was held five days\nlater at the same place. At this meeting Oliver Cowdery preached the first\npublic discourse. He explained the principles of the gospel, and quite a\nnumber believed and were baptized.\n\nShortly after this time Joseph went to a town called Colesville, in Broome\ncounty, N.Y., not far from Pennsylvania to visit his friend Joseph Knight\nwho had aided him when he was at work on the Book of Mormon. Joseph held a\nnumber of meetings in this place and made some friends. Among those who\nattended these meetings was Newel Knight, son of Joseph Knight. This young\nman had many talks with Joseph about the gospel, but still he kept putting\noff doing his duty in being baptized. Because of this the evil one got\npower over him and treated him so badly that the prophet was sent for. When\nJoseph arrived he found his friend Newel acting strangely. His face and\nbody twisted in an awful manner and at last he was actually caught up from\nthe floor and tossed about. Many of the neighbors now came in, but they\ncould do nothing to help the suffering man.\n\n[Illustration: Map of Fayette and Kirtland]\n\nWhen Joseph managed to get hold of Newel's hand, he became still and spoke\nto Joseph, asking him to cast the devil from him.\n\n\"If you know that I can, it shall be done,\" replied Joseph, whereupon he\ncommanded the evil one in the name of Jesus Christ to depart. Newel became\nall right again at once, and was greatly blessed by the Spirit of God. The\npeople present wondered greatly at what they had seen, and many of them\nafterwards joined the Church.\n\nThis was the first miracle performed in the Church. Jesus had said to his\napostles in his day: \"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved. * *\n* And these signs shall follow them that believe: in my name shall they\ncast out devils,\" etc. Thus we see the same signs following the believer in\nour day the same as in the days of the first apostles.\n\nOn the first of June, 1830, the first conference, of the Church was held in\nFayette. There were about thirty members present besides many others who\ncame to hear. The Spirit of God was greatly enjoyed at this meeting. Many\nprophesied, while others had beautiful visions of the heavens opened to\ntheir eyes.\n\nTopics.--1. Organization of the Church. 2. First meeting, sermon and\nconference. 3. First miracle.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. When and where was the Church of Jesus Christ\nof Latter-day Saints organized? 2. Name the first six members. 3. What was\ndone at that meeting? 4. How many members are there in the Church today? 5.\nHow did you become a member of the Church? 6. Describe the first miracle.\n7. How was the evil one cast out in former days? (See Acts 16: 16, 18.) 8.\nWhat proof was given that Joseph and his brethren were true believers. (See\nMark 16: 16, 17.) 9. When was the first conference of the Church held?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nPERSECUTION OF JOSEPH.\n\n\nBy this time you will see that when the Lord set his hand to begin the\ngreat latter-day work, the evil one was also present, trying to hinder its\nprogress. At the very beginning there were only Joseph and a few friends to\nwork against, but now the Church was fast becoming established in the land,\nand if it were to be stopped some strong effort would have to be made. So\nthe evil one inspired men to gather in large crowds or mobs to annoy and do\nharm to the members of the Church and their friends.\n\nShortly after the conference mentioned in the last chapter, Joseph and a\nnumber of other elders went to Colesville to hold meetings and baptize some\nbelievers. The brethren built a dam in a creek on Saturday where they were\nto baptize on Sunday, but during the night a mob tore the dam away.\nHowever, meeting was held on Sunday, and early on Monday morning the dam\nwas repaired and the baptisms were attended to; but before they were\nthrough, the mob gathered and followed the Saints to their homes, making\nall kinds of threats. That evening as they were going to hold a meeting, a\nconstable arrested Joseph Smith on the charge of making disorder, setting\nthe country in an uproar by preaching the Book of Mormon, etc.\n\nThe constable was a good man, and told Joseph that the mob was going to try\nto take him and perhaps kill him; but he would protect Joseph. In driving\nto another town where the court was to be held, the mob lay in waiting by\nthe road, but the constable whipped up his horse and they got away.\n\nThe next day when Joseph was called to be tried, there was a large crowd\nand much excitement as many wished to see and hear the young prophet. The\ntrial commenced and many persons who knew Joseph were called to tell\nsomething about him. Among the number was Mr. Stoal, for whom Joseph had\nworked.\n\n\"Did not the prisoner, Joseph Smith, have a horse of you?\" was asked of Mr.\nStoal.\n\n\"Yes, sir,\" was the answer.\n\n\"Did not he go to you and tell you that an angel had appeared unto him and\ntold him to get the horse from you?\"\n\n\"No; he told me no such story.\"\n\n\"Well, how had he the horse of you?\"\n\n\"He bought him of me as another man would do?\"\n\n\"Have you had your pay?\"\n\n\"That is not your business.\"\n\nThe same question was asked again.\n\n\"I hold his note for the price of the horse,\" replied Mr. Stoal, \"which I\nconsider as good as the pay, for I am well acquainted with Joseph Smith,\nJr., and know him to be an honest man, and if he wishes, I am ready to let\nhim have another horse on the same terms.\"\n\nMany other witnesses were called, but the above is a fair sample of the\nquestions and the answers received. Nothing wrong was proved against Joseph\nand he was discharged.\n\nBut no sooner was Joseph released than another constable appeared and\narrested him again. This officer mistreated Joseph shamefully. He would\ngive him nothing to eat, and he allowed a crowd of men to spit upon him and\notherwise abuse him.\n\nThe next day Joseph was tried again, this time at Colesville. His friends\nagain gathered around to protect him while his enemies tried harder than\never to have him convicted of some crime. Many witnesses were called who\ntold untrue stories of Joseph, but when they were questioned they\ncontradicted each other so that everybody, including the court, could see\nthey were not telling the truth.\n\nNewel Knight was called as a witness.\n\n\"Did the prisoner, Joseph Smith, Jr., cast the devil out of you?\" asked the\nlawyer who was against Joseph.\n\n\"No, sir,\" was the reply.\n\n\"Why, have you not had the devil cast out of you?\"\n\n\"Yes, sir.\"\n\n\"And had not Joe Smith some hand in its being done\"\n\n\"Yes, sir.\"\n\n\"And did he not cast him out of you?\"\n\n\"No, sir; it was done by the power of God, and Joseph Smith was the\ninstrument in the hands of God to do it. He commanded him out of me in the\nname of Jesus Christ.\"\n\nThe lawyer could make nothing out of him or the others who were called to\ntell of some supposed wrong Joseph had done. Nothing could be found against\nhim that would send him to prison, and I suppose the judge thought that\neven casting the devil out of a man was not such a great crime. So Joseph\nwas once more released and a free man.\n\nBut of course the mob was not satisfied, so they laid a plan to capture\nJoseph and tar and feather him; but now the constable who had treated him\nso badly, saw by the trial that he was innocent, and came to Joseph and\nasked his forgiveness. He told the prophet of the mob's intentions and\nhelped Joseph to get safely away home.\n\nSo the Lord was with his servants and helped them out of the hands of those\nwho would harm them. The Lord was also kind to the Saints and gave the\nChurch many revelations which you may find in the book called \"Doctrine and\nCovenants,\" which contains the revelations given to the Church through\nJoseph the Prophet.\n\nTopics.--1. Persecution of the Saints. 2. The arrests and trials of\nJoseph. 3. The Doctrine and Covenants.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. What did Jesus say about persecution? (See St.\nMatthew 5:10, 12.) 2. Where is Colesville? 3. What was Joseph's errand in\nColesville? 4. What did the mob do? 5. For what was Joseph arrested? 6.\nTell about his first trial. 7. Who testified at the second trial? 8. After\nhis discharge what did the mob intend to do to Joseph? 9. Who helped him to\nescape? 10. What is the Doctrine and Covenants?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nTHE MISSION TO THE INDIANS.\n\n\nIn the month of September, 1830, a young man came to the house of Joseph\nSmith, at Fayette, and asked to see the prophet. As Joseph was absent, he\nwas referred to his brother Hyrum who explained to him what he wanted to\nknow about the Book of Mormon, the revelations of the Lord to his brother,\nand the establishing of the Church. The young man was a preacher of the\nsect called Campbellites, and his name was Parley P. Pratt. On his journey\nfrom his home in Ohio to New York he had obtained a copy of the Book of\nMormon, had read it, and had been deeply impressed with its beautiful\ntruths. Wishing to know more about this new revelation of God, he had\nsought out Joseph.\n\nParley P. Pratt joined the Church and soon became one of its leading men,\nworking with Joseph and his brethren with great energy. He became one of\nthe Twelve Apostles, traveled in many parts of the earth preaching the\ngospel, wrote many fine books, and at last was killed by a wicked man in\nthe state of Arkansas.\n\nSome day you will want to read a full account of this great man's history\nas he wrote it himself, but here I will give you but a few of these\ninteresting events, because they have much to do with the Church at this\npoint of our history.\n\nYou will remember that the Book of Mormon tells about the early history of\nthe Indians. In this book it is predicted that some day the gospel should\nbe preached to them, and the record of their forefathers should also be\nbrought to their knowledge. At the second conference of the Church held in\nFayette, September 1st, Oliver Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt, Ziba Peterson and\nPeter Whitmer, Jr., were called to go on a mission to the Indians. They\nwere to go into the wilderness through the western states and into the\nIndian Territory, preaching by the way whenever a chance afforded.\n\nIt was late in October when these four elders started on this the first\nimportant mission of the Church. They preached to some Indians near the\ncity of Buffalo, presented them with the Book of Mormon, and proceeded on\ntheir journey into the state of Ohio. In the northeastern part of this\nstate is the town of Kirtland where Elder Pratt had some friends. They\nstopped here for some time and preached the gospel to the people. Great\ninterest was aroused, many believed and were baptized. Among these was\nElder Pratt's former teacher, Sidney Rigdon, who also became one of the\nChurch's leading men. Others who joined the Church at this time were Edward\nPartridge who became the first bishop in the Church, Newel K. Whitney who\nbecame the second, Lyman Wight who became an apostle, and many others. In a\nfew weeks the missionaries had raised up a large branch of the Church at\nKirtland.\n\nHaving done this good work, the elders went on their way westward. One\nevening they were stopping at the house of one Simeon Carter not far from\nBrother Pratt's old home. They were just about to read to him from the Book\nof Mormon when an officer entered and arrested Elder Pratt. The elders left\ntheir book with Mr. Carter and went with the officer to a sort of court,\nwhere Brother Pratt was ordered to pay a large sum of money or go to\nprison. The prisoner paid no attention to these demands, which made his\npersecutors very angry. It was now about midnight, but the elders took it\nquietly and sang a hymn or two. Then Elder Pratt said that if the witnesses\nwho had told false things about them and the judge who had abused and\ninsulted them, would repent of their evil words and acts and would all\nkneel down together he would pray that God might forgive them.\n\n\"My big bull-dog pray for me!\" said the judge.\n\n\"The devil help us!\" cried another.\n\nNext morning as Elder Pratt and the man placed to guard him were walking in\nthe road, the elder asked the officer if he was good at a race.\n\n\"No!\" was the reply, \"but my big dog is. I have trained him and he will\ntake any man down at my bidding.\"\n\n\"Well,\" continued Bro. Pratt, \"you have given me a chance to preach and\nhave given me lodging and breakfast. I thank you for your kindness, but I\nmust be going. Good-day, sir.\"\n\nWith that Elder Pratt left the man and his dog, and had got quite a\ndistance before the officer had recovered from his surprise. Then he came\nrunning after him, clapping his hands and shouting to his dog.\n\n\"Stu--boy, stu--boy, take him Watch, lay hold of him! Down with him!\" At\nthe same time pointing in the direction of the fleeing elder. Just as the\nfierce animal was about to overtake him, Elder Pratt began clapping his\nhands and shouting like the officer, pointing into the woods just ahead.\nThe dog bounded past him and was soon lost to sight in the forest, while\nthe missionary got safely away.\n\nMr. Carter read the Book of Mormon the elders had left. He believed, went\nfifty miles to Kirtland, was baptized, returned home, began to preach, and\nsoon there was a branch of sixty members in that place.\n\nIn western Ohio the missionaries found another tribe of Indians with whom\nthey stayed a few days. They then went to Cincinnati and from that city to\nthe mouth of the Ohio river by boat. It was now very cold, and the river\nwas so blocked with ice that the boat could go no farther. The missionaries\ntherefore walked the rest of the distance to St. Louis and from there\nacross the state of Missouri to its western boundary.\n\nThe snow was deep, there were no beaten roads, the houses were few and far\nbetween, and the wind blew fierce and cold. For days they had nothing to\neat but corn bread and frozen pork; but at last they reached the town of\nIndependence, in Jackson county, Missouri, which was then near to the\nIndian country.\n\nThe elders now took up their labors among the Indians. They were kindly\nreceived, and the chief called a council which Oliver Cowdery addressed.\nThe Book of Mormon was presented to them and explained, and they became\nvery much interested. The sectarian preachers heard about this and\ncomplained to the Indian agent, who ordered the elders off the Indian\nlands. So after but a few days of preaching the elders had to leave. They\nwent back to Jackson county and preached to the white settlers, some of\nwhom believed the word of God and were added to the Church. Four of the\nelders remained at Independence, while Bro. Pratt was sent back to Kirtland\nto report their labors.\n\nTopics.--1. Parley P. Pratt. 2. The first mission to the Indians. 3. At\nKirtland. 4. Journey to Independence and preaching to Indians.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Who was Parley P. Pratt? 2. Name some of the\nbooks he wrote. 3. Give a brief sketch of his life. 4. Name those who went\non the first mission for the Church. 5. What was the special object of this\nmission? 6. About how far is it from Fayette to Independence, Mo.? 7. Where\nis Kirtland? 8. What leading men were converted there? 9. How did Bro.\nPratt escape from the officer? 10. How did people travel in those days? 11.\nWhy were the missionaries forbidden to preach among the Indians?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\nREMOVAL TO OHIO.\n\n\nThe scriptures often speak of a time in the latter days when the people of\nGod shall be gathered together to build up the Lord's kingdom and prepare\nfor his second coming. The gospel should be preached to all the world, and\nthose who would believe should go out from Babylon, or the wicked world,\nand came together with the people of the Lord. Every elder who has been on\na mission will tell you that as soon as persons accept the gospel, a desire\ncomes to them to gather with the main body of the Saints. Thus the Lord\nputs the spirit of gathering into the hearts of the believers, and his\npurposes are fulfilled.\n\nThe Lord told the prophet Joseph that the time for this gathering had come,\nand that the central gathering place for the Saints on this land was\nsomewhere in the West, though at first the exact location was not told him.\n\nIn December, 1830, the word of the Lord came to Joseph that the Saints\nshould gather to Ohio. This was westward and in the proper direction. The\nwestern missionaries had raised up large branches in Ohio, so it was not\nlike going into a new place. The Church was growing steadily, and many\nrevelations were given to the Saints. We might say the Lord was assigning\nlessons for us, which we have not yet learned very well.\n\nPreparations were made for this removal by holding the third conference of\nthe Church at Fayette and setting its affairs in order.\n\nOne day, about the 1st of February, 1831, a sleigh containing two men and\ntwo women, drove through the streets of Kirtland, Ohio, and stopped at the\ndoor of Gilbert and Whitney's store. One of the men alighted, and springing\nup the steps, walked into the store where one of the owners was standing.\n\n\"Newel K. Whitney, thou art the man!\" exclaimed the visitor, extending his\nhand as to an old friend.\n\n\"You have the advantage of me,\" replied the storekeeper, \"I could not call\nyou by name as you have me.\"\n\n\"I am Joseph, the prophet,\" said the stranger, smiling. \"You've prayed me\nhere; now what do you want of me?\"\n\nMr. Whitney, you will remember, had joined the Church sometime before, and\nof course he was delighted to see the prophet. Joseph and his wife, Emma,\nstayed at Brother Whitney's house for some time. Shortly after this, Newel\nK. Whitney was called to be bishop at Kirtland, and later he became the\nsecond presiding bishop of the Church.\n\nEarly next spring, 1831, the Saints from New York began to come to Ohio,\nbuying land in and around the town of Kirtland.\n\nBefore leaving Fayette, Joseph had been visited by a young man who had\nwalked two hundred miles to see him and have the prophet tell him what his\nduty was. This young man was Orson Pratt, brother of Parley P. Pratt.\nJoseph received a revelation in which Orson was called to preach the gospel\nto the world; and this duty Orson Pratt did all his life.\n\n[Illustration: SIDNEY RIGDON.]\n\nElder Pratt became one of the Twelve Apostles. He went on a great many\nmissions in this country and to Europe, during which time he crossed the\nocean sixteen times. He became one of the most learned men in the Church,\nand wrote many books on gospel subjects. Read the title, or first page of\nthe Book of Mormon and the book of Doctrine and Covenants and see what they\nsay of Orson Pratt. Elder Pratt was one of the pioneers, he and Erastus\nSnow being the first two men of that company to enter Salt Lake Valley.\n\nAnother man who came to see Joseph while yet at Fayette was Sidney Rigdon,\na former Campbellite preacher whom Parley P. Pratt had baptized at\nKirtland. Elder Rigdon also became a prominent man in the Church, being\nfirst counselor to President Joseph Smith during the life time of the\nprophet. He took an active part in all the affairs of the Church up to\nwithin a few months of the prophet's death. He was greatly disappointed\nbecause he was not chosen to succeed Joseph as the leader of the Church,\nand soon after apostatized. He died outside the Church.\n\nThomas B. Marsh was the name of a man who came to Kirtland with the Church.\nHe became a leader among the Saints and was president of the first quorum\nof Twelve Apostles. Elder Marsh did much missionary work and suffered with\nthe Saints in their persecution; but in 1838 he became dissatisfied and did\nsome wicked things against his brethren. He was therefore cut off from the\nChurch. Nineteen years after he came back and was baptized again. He came\nto Utah and lived at Ogden, where he died, a poor, broken-down man.\n\nTopics.--1. The gathering. 2. The move to Ohio. 3. Orson Pratt. 4. Sidney\nRigdon. 5. Thomas B. Marsh.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. What is meant by the gathering? 2. Quote some\nscriptural passage on the gathering. 3. Where was the first gathering\nplace? 4. Locate Kirtland. 5. Tell about Joseph's first visit to Kirtland.\n6. Who was Newel K. Whitney? 7. When did most of the Saints move to\nKirtland? 8. Tell what you can about Orson Pratt? 9. Name some of his\nbooks. 10. What high position did Sidney Rigdon hold? 11. Why did he leave\nthe Church? 12. Tell about Thomas B. Marsh.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\nTHE LAND OF ZION.\n\n\nThe Book of Mormon (13th chapter of Ether) tells us that this land of\nAmerica is a \"choice land above all other lands;\" and the Lord has said\nthat the people who lived here must serve him or in time be destroyed. This\nyou will remember was proved so often in the history of the Nephites.\n\nStrictly speaking, the whole of America is the land of Zion, but the Lord\nrevealed to Joseph that there should be a \"center place,\" where a great\ncity should be build which should be called the city of Zion, or the New\nJerusalem. This city will be the capital or in the center of a large\ndistrict of country full of people who serve the Lord. A grand temple will\nbe built in the central city, and the glory of the Lord will rest upon it\nby day and by night. Then shall there be peace in the earth for a thousand\nyears, and the Saints will be busy working to save all the people who live\nor have ever lived on the earth. Jesus with his angels will no doubt visit\nthe earth from time to time to look after his work at this glorious period.\n\nNow all this was to have a beginning, one of these small beginnings we have\nspoken about.\n\nJune 7th, 1831, the Prophet Joseph received a revelation instructing him\nand twenty-eight other elders to go on missions. They were to travel two\nand two by different routes through the Western states, preaching the\ngospel and building up the Church on the way. They were to meet in the\nstate of Missouri about a thousand miles from Kirtland and there hold a\nconference. At this time, if they were faithful, the Lord would reveal to\nthem the location of the central place and the spot where the temple should\nsometime stand.\n\nThe brethren went on their missions as they had been instructed, and Joseph\nand his party arrived at Independence, Missouri, about the middle of July,\n1831. Oliver Cowdery and the other brethren who had been sent on the\nmission to the Indians, you will recollect, stopped at Independence. They\nwere very glad to meet Joseph and his companions again.\n\nShortly after the prophet's arrival, the Lord made known the exact spot for\nthe city of Zion. It is where the town of Independence is located, in\nJackson County, Missouri, and the site for the temple was pointed out as\nlying westward on a lot not far from the court house.\n\nSome of the Saints now moved to Jackson county, the first to arrive being\nwhat was called the Colesville Branch of the Church. These Saints had come\nfrom Colesville, State of New York, having stopped but a short time near\nKirtland.\n\nThe first step towards the founding of Zion was taken on the 2nd day of\nAugust, 1831. On that day twelve men, of which Joseph was one, carried and\nplaced the first log for the first house. This was in Kaw township, twelve\nmiles west of Independence, where the Colesville branch was locating.\nSidney Rigdon then dedicated the land. The next day eight of the brethren\nwent to the temple lot, and Joseph dedicated that sacred spot.\n\nShortly after, Joseph with some of the other brethren went to Kirtland.\n\nThe Saints were now instructed to buy land in the region around that they\nmight possess it for an inheritance. At that time Missouri was not thickly\nsettled. There was much government land which could be bought for one\ndollar and twenty-five cents per acre. Sidney Gilbert was appointed an\nagent to receive money and purchase land, and Bishop Edward Partridge was\nchosen to divide the land among the Saints. The rich were told to divide\nwith the poor that all might have land.\n\nThe Saints were especially warned that they must keep all the commandments\nwhich the Lord gave to them or they would not be allowed to remain and\nbuild up Zion at that time, but they first would have to go through much\ntribulation, and be \"scourged from city to city.\" You will see presently\nhow this prediction was fulfilled.\n\nThe first winter the Saints were not very comfortably housed, as they had\narrived too late to raise crops or build good houses. The next spring,\nhowever, many Saints arrived, and they soon had growing fields and gardens.\nThe Prophet visited them again early in the spring, held meetings, and\ngreatly encouraged the Saints. In June, 1832, the first paper published by\nthe Latter-day Saints was begun at Independence. It was called _The Evening\nand Morning Star_, and was the only paper in that part of the country.\n\nThus the Saints prospered; but a time of persecution, long and fierce, was\nbefore them.\n\nTopics.--1. The center place of Zion. 2. Gathering to Missouri.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Where is the land of Zion? 2. What is said in\nthe Book of Mormon about this land? 3. Where is Jackson county? 4. What\nplace is now nearly the center of the United States? 5. What river flows by\nJackson county? 6. Where will the New Jerusalem be built? 7. What kind of\ncity will it be? 8. When, where, and how was the foundation of Zion laid?\n9. Where is the temple lot? 10. Who dedicated it? 11. What was the\nColesville Branch? 12. How were the Saints to obtain the land of Zion? 13.\nWhat were the duties of Sidney Gilbert and Edward Partridge? 14. When did\nJoseph visit Jackson county the second time?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\nPERSECUTION IN JACKSON COUNTY.\n\n\nA great many of the old settlers of Jackson county, meaning those who were\nthere before the Saints, were of a shiftless, ignorant class from the\nSouthern States. They made but little improvement in their homes, being\ncontent to live in small, log huts, many of them without windows or board\nfloors. They all believed it right to have negro slaves. They were also\neager to hold public office.\n\nAt that time there were also many persons in western Missouri who had fled\nfrom the east on account of crimes which they had committed. Being near the\nboundary line of the United States, these persons would need only to cross\nthe line into Mexico to be safe if an officer should come after them.\n\nYou will readily see by this what kind of neighbors the new settlers had.\nOf course the Saints could not join with these wicked people in their horse\nracing, Sabbath breaking, idleness, drunkenness, and other things which the\nMissourians took delight in. Most of the Saints were from the Eastern and\nNorthern States and did not believe in slavery. They worked hard, and as\nthe land produced good crops, they were soon prospering, while their idle\nneighbors remained in poverty.\n\nAll this naturally led the Missourians to hate the \"Mormons,\" and as early\nas the spring of 1832 they began to molest them by throwing stones into\ntheir houses, etc. That same fall mobs began to come against the Saints,\nburning some of their hay and shooting into their houses.\n\nIn April, 1833, the mobbers held a meeting at Independence to discuss plans\nwhereby they could rid the county of the \"Mormons.\" However, the meeting\nbroke up in a row. July 20th, they held another meeting which was more\nsuccessful. An address was read to the people wherein the Saints were\nfalsely accused of all manner of wrong doings. It also set forth that no\nmore \"Mormons\" must settle in Jackson county; that the \"Mormons\" already\nthere should be given a reasonable time to sell their property and then\nremove; that the printing of their paper must cease; that the stores of the\nSaints must close up their business as soon as possible; and that the\nleading brethren should use their influence to have the Saints comply with\nthese requests. The meeting agreed to all this and a committee was\nappointed to wait on the leaders of the Saints to see what they would do\nabout it. When the committee called, the brethren asked for time to\nconsider the matter, but fifteen minutes only were given them. Nothing\ncould be done in that short time, so the committee went back to the meeting\nand reported.\n\nThe mob then broke loose, yelling like a band of wild Indians. They went to\nthe house and printing office of W.W. Phelps, forced Mrs. Phelps and the\nchildren, one of whom was sick, out of the house and threw the furniture\nout in the street. They then destroyed the printing press and tore the\noffice down. Then they went through the town hunting for the leading\nbrethren. They caught Bishop Edward Partridge and Charles Allen, dragged\nthem to the public square, stripped most of their clothes off, and then\nsmeared tar all over their bodies. This ended that day's work, and the\nfrightened women and children who had fled to the woods came back to their\nhomes.\n\nThe third day after this a mob of five hundred men came into Independence.\nThey were armed with guns, knives, and whips, and they swore they would\nkill or whip all who would not agree to leave. The leading brethren, seeing\nthat it was no longer of any use to plead or resist, made an agreement with\nthe mob that they with their families would leave the county by the first\nof January, and that they would use their influence in trying to induce the\nrest of the Saints to leave, one-half by January 1st, the rest by April\n1st, 1834. They were also to use all the means they could to prevent more\nof the Saints from settling in the county. The mob for their part agreed\nnot to persecute the Saints while this was being done.\n\nThe mob, however, did not keep this promise, but daily broke into houses\nand abused the inmates.\n\nThe Saints now appealed to the highest officer of the state, Governor\nDunklin, for protection. He told them that the laws were able to protect\neverybody in their rights, and advised the Saints to have those arrested\nwho threatened them, and have them tried in court for their misdeeds.\n\nThis, seemingly, was very good advice, and would have worked all right\nunder other circumstances; but when it is remembered that the very\nofficers--the constable who would have to do the arresting, the judge who\nwould try the cases, and in fact all concerned--were men who were\nthemselves leaders of the mob, you will see how useless such a course would\nbe. However, the Saints engaged four lawyers to protect them in the courts.\n\nThis made the mobbers more angry than ever, and they made preparation for\nfurther action against the Saints.\n\n\"We will rid Jackson county of the \"Mormons\",\" they said, \"peaceably if we\ncan, forcibly if we must. If they will not go without, we will whip and\nkill the men; we will destroy the children, and abuse their women.\"\n\nThe Saints now resolved to defend themselves, and the men gathered in small\nbodies, armed with guns.\n\nOn the night of October 31, 1833, a mob marched to the Whitmer settlement\nof the Saints where they whipped several of the brethren to death, drove\nthe women and children into the woods, and tore the roofs from about a\ndozen houses.\n\nThe next night an attack was made upon the Saints living at Independence. A\nparty of brethren went to the aid of the Saints, and found a mob tearing\ndown the store of Gilbert, Whitney & Co. The mobbers fled, but the brethren\ncaptured one of them in the act of throwing brick-bats through the window.\nThey brought him to a justice of the peace to have papers made out for the\nmobber's arrest. The justice would not do it, so the man was released.\nThree days after, this same mobber had the brethren arrested. It was no\ntrouble for him to get papers from the same justice. As one of the brethren\nremarked at the time, \"Although we could not obtain a warrant against him\nfor breaking open the store, he had gotten one for us for catching him at\nit!\"\n\nTopics.--1. The character of the early Missourians. 2. Mobbers' meetings\nin Independence. 3. Work of the mob.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. From what sections did most of the early\nsettlers of Missouri come? 2. From what section did the Saints come? 3.\nWhat difference of opinion existed between the people of the north and the\npeople of the south? 4. Why did the Missourians hate the \"Mormons?\" 5. Why\ndid many outlaws come to Missouri? 6. What did the mobbers want the Saints\nto promise? 7. What advice did Governor Dunklin give? 8. Why did the law\nnot protect the Saints? 9. How was Bishop Partridge abused? 10. Tell about\nthe arrest of the four brethren.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\nEXPULSION FROM JACKSON COUNTY.\n\n\nIn this small history, an account of all that happened in Missouri during\nthose cruel times can not be given; but enough can be told to show you what\nthe Saints had to endure in the early days of the Church. If you will but\nthink of the sufferings the boys and girls must have gone through when the\nmobs tore the roofs from their houses, drove them out on the prairies to go\nhungry and cold, and killed or whipped their fathers, you may then\nappreciate God's blessings to you who live in peace and comfort.\n\nThe persecutions, which began in earnest October 31st, 1833, continued day\nafter day. On November 2nd a mob attacked a settlement on Big Blue River.\nThey unroofed one house and were beating a brother by the name of Bennett,\nwho was sick in bed, when a party of brethren came to the rescue. There was\nsome firing of guns between them, and a mobber was wounded in the leg.\n\nOn November 4th as a band of mobbers started out to make a raid on the\nSaints, word was sent to the brethren, and thirty of them soon gathered to\nwithstand the mob. A battle ensued in which two of the mobbers were killed.\nOne of the brethren was so badly wounded that he died the next day. Brother\nPhilo Dibble was shot and severely wounded, but he was administered to and\nsoon got well.\n\nThe whole country was now aroused. Word was sent broadcast that the\n\"Mormons\" had got the Indians to help them, and that they had taken the\ntown of Independence.\n\nNext morning people flocked into the town and there was great excitement.\n\nAnd now we must name one of the most cruel and wicked men of that time,\nLilburn W. Boggs. He was lieutenant-governor, which is next to the\ngovernor, the highest officer in the state. Boggs permitted the mob to\norganize themselves into a militia and thereby become regular soldiers of\nthe state. The mob leaders seeing that the Saints had decided to protect\nthemselves and fight if necessary, raised this militia so that if the\nSaints opposed them that they could be classed as law breakers.\n\nThe branches of the Church west of Independence having heard that the mob\nwas going to kill some of the brethren in that town, raised about one\nhundred men to go to their rescue. While on the way they heard that there\nwas no immediate danger, and that the militia had been called out. At this\nthey were going back to their homes; but just then the militia came up, led\nby Colonel Pitcher. He demanded that the \"Mormons\" give up their arms, but\nthey would not unless the mob, or militia as it was called, would do the\nsame. This Colonel Pitcher agreed to have done, and then the brethren gave\nup their arms, consisting of fifty-nine guns and one pistol.\n\nNo sooner was this done than the most awful scene took place. The mob did\nnot give up a gun, but bands of them roamed over the country searching for\nthe Saints. Houses were torn down and burned, men were tied up and whipped,\nwomen and children were driven out into the fields and forests. Many of the\ncounty's leading men took part in these crimes, and even ministers,\npreachers of the gospel as they called themselves, were seen leading mobs\nfrom place to place.\n\nThe cold winter was now coming on, it being the month of November. At one\nplace a company of one hundred and ninety--all being women and children\nexcepting three old men--was driven thirty miles across a burnt prairie,\nthe ground being coated with sleet. Their trail could be easily followed by\nthe blood which flowed from their feet.\n\nYou will see by the map that Clay county lies north of Jackson, just across\nthe Missouri river. As the Saints were driven from their homes, most of\nthem made their way to Clay county whose people received them kindly. Soon\nthe shores of the river were lined with men, women and children, goods,\nboxes, wagons, etc; The ferrymen were kept busy taking them over the river.\nAt night the place had a strange appearance. Hundreds of people could be\nseen in every direction; some in tents and some in the open air around the\nfires. The rain descended in torrents. Husbands were asking for their wives\nand wives for their husbands, parents for children and children for\nparents. Some had managed to escape with a little provisions; many had lost\nall their goods.\n\nThere were at this time about twelve hundred Saints in Jackson county, so\nit took many days for them all to get away. Some of the poorest of the\nSaints who could not get away at first were driven out during the cold\nstorms of that winter.\n\nEarly next spring when nearly all the Saints had left, the mob set fire to\nthe deserted homes. One of the brethren reported that two hundred and three\ndwellings and one grist mill were destroyed.\n\nTopics.--1. Contrast between present conditions and past. 2. Mobbing\ncontinued. 3. Saints driven from Jackson county.\n\n[Illustration: Map of Missouri and Illinois]\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. What experiences did the Latter-day Saint boys\nand girls of Jackson county pass through? (Read the story, \"Grandmother's\nRocking Chair,\" in the Contributor, Vol. 11, page 242.) 2. What happened in\nNovember, 1833? 3. What is the state militia? 4. Why was the Jackson county\nmilitia raised? 5. What happened after the brethren had given up their\narms? 6. Tell about the scene on the banks of the Missouri river. 7. Where\nis Clay county? 8. What happened in the spring of 1834?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nZION'S CAMP.\n\n\nIn the spring of 1834 Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight were sent as\nmessengers from the Saints in Clay county to Kirtland to tell the Prophet\nwhat had happened and to ask for further advice. Joseph, you may be sure,\nwas very grieved to hear about the sufferings of the Saints, and he\nenquired of the Lord what should be done. In answer, a revelation was given\ninstructing Joseph to gather the young and middle aged men of the Church\nand organize them into a company which was to march to Missouri to bring\naid to the Saints and to assist them to again get possession of their\nhomes. Five hundred men were to be obtained, but one hundred would do if no\nmore could be raised.\n\nAccordingly, Joseph and seven other brethren went two and two through the\nvarious branches in the east asking for means and volunteers for this\nmission.\n\nNew Portage, a village about sixty miles south-west from Kirtland was\nselected as a gathering place, and from this point on the 8th of May, 1834,\none hundred and fifty men started for Missouri. They were organized in\nregular army order, having officers to see that everything on the march\nwas done properly. Joseph was the leader.\n\nThe distance from Kirtland to Missouri is one thousand miles. That long\njourney was not an easy one. The wagons were heavily loaded, and as the\nroads were poor there was very little riding. Often the men would have to\nhelp drag the loads over the bad places. Every Sunday the camp rested and\nheld meetings. Sometimes the people, suspecting they were \"Mormons\" would\nannoy them, so that guards had to be placed around the camp. People were\nalso curious to know what this strange company of men was and where it was\ngoing. Spies followed the company for many miles. There were some boys in\ncamp, and the inquisitive people thought it an easy matter to find out\neverything from the boys.\n\n\"My boy, where are you from?\" they would ask.\n\n\"From the east,\" was the answer.\n\n\"Where are you going?\"\n\n\"To the west.\"\n\n\"What for?\"\n\n\"To see where we can get land cheapest and best.\"\n\n\"Who leads the camp?\"\n\n\"Sometimes one, sometimes another.\"\n\n\"What name?\"\n\n\"Captain Wallace, Major Bruce,\" etc.\n\nThe Prophet Joseph believed in being kind to all animals, and he instructed\nhis brethren in Zion's camp to kill none except for food. Man must first\nbecome peaceful, before animals will lose their fierceness. Not long after\nthis instruction had been given, a brother became very tired by traveling\nand lay down on the ground to sleep. When he awoke, what should he see but\na rattlesnake coiled up not more than a foot away from his head. Just then\nsome of the brethren came up and wanted to kill the snake; but the brother\nsaid, \"No, I'll protect him, for he and I have had a good nap together.\" He\nremembered what Joseph had said.\n\nOn June 7th the company having crossed the Mississippi river, camped on\nSalt river in Missouri. More of the brethren had joined the company on the\nway, and now it numbered two hundred and five men. From this point Parley\nP. Pratt and Orson Hyde were sent to Governor Dunklin at Jefferson city,\nasking him to use his power as the highest officer in the state to have the\nSaints brought back to their homes in Jackson county. The governor said he\nthought it right that the Saints should get back their lands, yet he was\nafraid if they tried to go back or if he called out soldiers to help them\nget their homes, there would be a terrible war and many people killed. So\nthe governor would do nothing to help them.\n\nWhile Zion's camp was making its way to the Saints in Clay county, a\nmeeting was held in Liberty where some mobbers from Jackson county tried to\narouse the people against the Saints. Nothing being done at this meeting, a\nparty of fifteen men started for Independence to raise an army large enough\nto destroy Joseph and the camp.\n\nOne of the leaders of this band was James Campbell. As he pushed his\npistols into the holsters before starting, he said with an oath: \"The\neagles and turkey buzzards shall eat my flesh if I do not fix Joe Smith and\nhis army so that their skins will not hold shucks before two days are\npassed!\" As he and his companions were crossing the Missouri river their\nboat sank. Seven of them were drowned and among them was Campbell. What was\nleft of his body was found three weeks after lodged on a pile of drift\nwood. The \"eagles and turkey buzzards\" had eaten the flesh from his bones.\n\nOn the 19th the camp passed through Richmond. They expected to reach Clay\ncounty that night, but were so greatly hindered by accidents that they\ncamped for the night between two forks of Fishing river. A large mob had\ngathered, bent on destroying the camp. A boat containing forty mobbers had\nbeen sent over the river, when a storm arose. The rain fell in torrents,\nthe lightning flashed, the thunder shook the earth. Great hail stones\ndestroyed the corn in the fields and stripped the trees of leaves. The mob\nscattered in confusion. The river rose nearly forty feet, which made it\nimpossible for anyone to cross. The brethren took shelter in a schoolhouse\nand escaped the storm. Thus again the Lord preserved his people from their\nenemies.\n\nThe next day the camp moved five miles out on the prairie. While here, some\nof the leading men of Ray county called on the brethren to learn what their\nintentions were. Joseph told them how the Saints had been persecuted in\nJackson county; and that they had come one thousand miles with clothing and\nprovisions for their brethren; that they had no intentions of harming any\none, but their mission was to do good, and if possible help their brethren\nto get their lands back again. At the close of their talk, the visitors\npromised to do what they could to prevent the mobs from disturbing them,\nwhich promise they kept.\n\nThe next day, June 22nd, Sheriff Gillium of Clay county came into camp. He\nalso wanted to know what the camp was going to do. Joseph explained to him.\nIn order to get back their lands and live in peace, the Saints proposed to\nbuy the lands from those who could not live with them in Jackson county,\nbut nothing came of this and other offers that were made to settle the\ntrouble.\n\nThis same day an important revelation was given through the prophet. The\nbrethren were told that the Lord did not want them to fight, and that they\nmust wait for a time before Zion should be redeemed.\n\nDuring the march of the camp, some of the brethren had found fault and had\nnot listened to the counsels of the prophet. Joseph had told them that if\nthey did not repent, sickness would come into the camp and many would die.\nThis was now fulfilled. On June 22nd, that dread disease called the cholera\nappeared in the camp. When you are told that during the next four or five\ndays sixty-eight of the brethren took the disease and thirteen died, you\nmay perhaps imagine what a terrible time they had.\n\nOn June 23rd they marched into Clay county and camped on Rush creek, where\ntwo days later the camp was disbanded. For two weeks Joseph labored among\nthe Saints and then he returned to Kirtland. Most of the others also went\nback to their homes in the east about the same time.\n\nTopics.--1. Organizing Zion's camp. 2. March of Zion's camp. 3. The camp\non Fishing river. 4. The scourge.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. What was Parley P. Pratt and Lyman Wight's\nmission to Kirtland? 2. What instruction did the Lord give them? (See Doc.\nand Cov., sec. 103.) 3. How was Zion's camp organized? 4. What was its\nobject? 5. Through what states did it march? 6. What were Joseph's\nteachings about kindness to animals? 7. What was the fate of James\nCampbell? 8. How were the brethren saved from their enemies on Fishing\nriver? 9. What did the brethren propose to the citizens of Jackson? 10. Why\ndid the scourge come upon the camp? 11. What revelation was given on\nFishing river? 12. Where and when was Zion's camp disbanded?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nTHE CHURCH AT KIRTLAND.\n\n\nDuring the time that the Saints were having such a hard time in Missouri,\nthe Church in and around Kirtland was growing in numbers and strength.\nJoseph with many of the elders went on missionary trips to various parts of\nthe United States and Canada, and many new branches of the Church were\norganized.\n\nIn September, 1831, Joseph moved to the town of Hiram, about thirty miles\nfrom Kirtland. While living here, he was busy translating the scriptures,\npreaching the gospel, and holding meetings. Thirteen of the revelations\nfound in the Doctrine and Covenants were given at Hiram. One of these\nrevelations, called the Vision, tells of the three glories which are in\nstore for the children of God, besides many other grand teachings which\nsome day you will want to read. (Section 76.)\n\nBut wicked men continued to tell false things about Joseph and the Church.\nMany people believed these stories, and the result was that the brethren\nwere often annoyed and badly treated. On the night of March 25th, 1832,\nJoseph and Sidney Rigdon were dragged from their homes by an angry mob into\nthe woods. Sidney was so misused that he was left for dead. Joseph was\nbeaten and stripped of his clothes, and his body was covered with tar. The\nmob also tried to force poison from a bottle into his mouth, but in this\nthey failed. Notwithstanding this ill treatment, Joseph was able the next\nday, it being Sunday, to preach to a large meeting and to baptize three new\nconverts.\n\nShortly after this, Joseph made his second visit to Missouri. After his\nreturn, he settled again at Kirtland, where he continued to receive many\nrevelations and to do much for the building up of the Church.\n\nOn December 25, 1832, Joseph received a revelation wherein it was stated\nthat the time would come when there would be a great war between the\nNorthern States and the Southern States. Even the place of its beginning\nwas told, namely, South Carolina.\n\nIn February, 1833, a school was opened in Kirtland for the elders of the\nChurch. It was called the \"School of the Prophets,\" and there the brethren\nmet and were instructed in the principles of the gospel.\n\nA revelation called the Word of Wisdom was given on the 27th of the same\nmonth. You will find it in the Doctrine and Covenants, section 89, and\nevery one of you should read it.\n\nOn March 18th a very important meeting was held in Kirtland. On that date\nJoseph ordained Sidney Rigdon to be his first counselor, and Frederick G.\nWilliams to be his second counselor, and these three now became the First\nPresidency, which is the highest authority in the Church. You have been\ntold something of Sidney Rigdon. Elder Williams held his position nearly\nfive years, when he apostatized, and Hyrum Smith was chosen in his stead.\nAt the death of Joseph Smith, Sen., who was patriarch of the Church, Hyrum\nwas chosen to fill his position and William Law was called to the office of\nsecond counselor to Joseph. Law held this position until about two months\nbefore the Prophet's death when he was cut off from the Church.\n\nFebruary 17, 1834, the first high council of the Church was organized. This\nbody consists of twelve men who must be high priests, over which the stake\npresidency presides. It is a kind of court. When members of the Church have\ntrouble one with another which neither they, nor the teachers, nor the\nbishop can settle, it is brought before the high council to be adjusted.\n\nEach stake of Zion now has a high council. Here are the names of the first\none organized: besides the First Presidency, Joseph Smith, Sen., John\nSmith, Joseph Coe, John Johnson, Martin Harris, John S. Carter, Jared\nCarter, Oliver Cowdery, Samuel H. Smith, Orson Hyde, Sylvester Smith and\nLuke Johnson.\n\nIt was shortly after this that Zion's Camp was organized and made the trip\nto Missouri, of which you were told in the last chapter.\n\nAfter his return Joseph was again busy performing his many duties as\npresident of the Church.\n\nTopics.--1. Joseph at Hiram. 2. Prophecy on War. 3. Word of Wisdom. 4.\nThe first presidency. 5. The high council.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. To what two places were the Saints now\ngathering? 2. Where is Hiram? 3. What did Joseph do there? 4. Tell about\nthe mobbing at Hiram. 5. When was the prophecy on war given? 6. How long\nafter was it fulfilled? 7. What led to the war between the North and the\nSouth? 8. What was the \"School of the Prophets?\" 9. In the Word of Wisdom,\nwhat does the Lord say is not good for the body? 10. What does He say is\ngood? 11. What promise is made to those who keep the Word of Wisdom? 12.\nWhat is the First Presidency? 13. Who were the first to fill this position?\n14. Who are the present First Presidency? 15. What is the duty of the high\ncouncil? 16. Name some members of the high council of your stake.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nTHE TWELVE APOSTLES--THE SEVENTIES--THE KIRTLAND TEMPLE.\n\n\n[Illustration: PRESIDENT BRIGHAM YOUNG.]\n\nOn the 14th of February, 1835, Joseph called together the brethren who had\ngone with him to Missouri in Zion's Camp. He spoke to the meeting and told\nthe brethren the Lord had not forgotten them, but had remembered their\nfaithfulness in answering the call of duty, and now he had a blessing for\nthem.\n\nJoseph then said the time had come when twelve apostles should be called.\nIt was the duty of the three witnesses to the Book of Mormon to select\ntwelve men for this high calling, and these three brethren were then\nblessed for this purpose by the First Presidency. The following were then\nselected to be the first quorum of Twelve Apostles in the Church: Thomas B.\nMarsh, David W. Patten, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Wm. E.\nMcLellin, Parley P. Pratt, Luke Johnson, William Smith, Orson Pratt, John\nF. Boynton and Lyman E. Johnson.\n\nIt is the duty of the Twelve Apostles to build up the Church and regulate\nits affairs in all the world under the direction of the First Presidency;\nalso to open the door of the gospel to all nations.\n\nOn the 28th of February there was another meeting held, at which the first\nquorum of seventy was organized. You will remember that the Savior, after\nHe had chosen Twelve Apostles to preach the gospel, chose also seventy to\naid the Twelve in their work. So in our day, twelve men could not do all\nthe work of spreading the gospel, so it was necessary to call other men. In\nthis body of men seventy form a quorum. The first quorum was organized from\nthe brethren who were members of Zion's Camp.\n\nIt is the special duty of the Seventies to travel and preach the gospel\nunder the direction of the Twelve.\n\nAs early as May, 1833, the Lord told Joseph that the Saints should build a\nhouse to his name. July 23, the foundation was laid. The Saints in Kirtland\nwere not many, neither were they rich, and it was therefore a great task\nfor them to build such a house as the temple. However, they gave donations\nof what they had and worked willingly with all their might, until at last\nit was finished and dedicated to the Lord on Sunday, March 27, 1836.\n\n[Illustration: THE KIRTLAND TEMPLE.]\n\nDuring the meetings many glorious blessings were received. Angels were seen\nby many of the Saints, Brigham Young spoke in tongues, others prophesied,\nand many saw glorious visions. At the evening meeting George A. Smith arose\nand prophesied, when a noise was heard like the sound of a mighty wind\nwhich filled the temple. All the people arose at once and the Prophet\nJoseph told the Saints that the temple was filled with angels, as he could\nsee them. The people living near the temple, seeing a bright light resting\non the building and hearing a strange sound within, came rushing up to see\nwhat was the matter.\n\nNearly every day there were meetings held in the temple. The next Sunday\nafter the dedication, Joseph and Oliver were praying in the sacred house\nwhen the Lord Jesus Christ appeared unto them. He stood on the breastwork\nof the pulpit, and Joseph describes Him as a most glorious personage. Jesus\ntold them that He had accepted the temple and promised them great blessings\nif they would continue to keep his commandments.\n\nAfter this vision had closed, Moses, Elias, and Elijah appeared unto them\nand each of them gave to Joseph and Oliver many blessings concerning the\ngospel.\n\nYou would think that after all these blessings from the Lord the Saints\nwould never turn away from the truth; but sad to say this was not the case.\nDuring the years 1837 and 1838 many of the brethren in Kirtland began to\nbuy and sell land and set up stores and banks for the purpose of making\nmoney. Now, there would have been nothing wrong in all this if they had\ndone all their business honestly; but the trouble was that many wanted to\nget rich so fast that oftimes they would cheat each other. This of course\nwas inspired by the evil one, who did his best to stop the progress of the\nChurch. It was a very hard trial for Joseph and those of his brethren who\nstood by him to see so many leading men fall away into wickedness.\n\nAgain, you may also wonder how men who have been in the company of the\nProphet and who have seen angels and heavenly visions can deny the faith,\nbut the fact is they sometimes do. The whole secret is this:\n\nNo matter how much a person has seen or how much he knows, if he sins and\ndoes not repent, the Spirit of God will leave him, and he will be in the\ndark. It then becomes an easy matter for him to fall away from the Church.\n\nDuring the two years named above, four of the Twelve Apostles and many of\nthe leading men apostatized; and then, not satisfied with so doing, they\nbegan to join the mobs who persecuted Joseph and the Saints. This led the\nChurch leaders to remove to Missouri, and soon after nearly all the Saints\nfollowed them to the land of Zion.\n\nTopics.--1. The calling of the Twelve Apostles. 2. Calling of the\nSeventy. 3. The Kirtland Temple. 4. The apostasy at Kirtland.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. From what body were the first Twelve Apostles\ncalled? 2. Who chose the names? 3. Name the first Twelve Apostles? 4. Name\nthe present Twelve. 5. What is the duty of the Twelve? 6. What is the duty\nof the Seventies? 7. How many Seventies' quorums are there in the Church?\n8. Tell about the dedication of the Kirtland Temple. 9. Who appeared to\nJoseph and Oliver in the temple? 10. What causes many to fall from the\nChurch? 11. What is the only safe way to remain faithful.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVIII.\n\nTHE MISSION TO ENGLAND.\n\n\nIn the year 1837, when the evil one was trying with all his might to\noverthrow the Church both at Kirtland and in Missouri, the Lord told Joseph\nthat the time had come for \"something new\" to be done. This was to send\nmissionaries to England and open the gospel door to that people.\n\nElder Heber C. Kimball was chosen to take the lead of this mission, and\nwith him went Orson Hyde, Willard Richards, Joseph Fielding, John Goodson,\nIsaac Russell, and John Snider.\n\nThis was the first mission to any foreign country, and in those days of\nslow travel, a trip to Europe was no small matter. The brethren set out on\ntheir journey without purse or scrip, but the Lord opened up their way, and\nat last they landed in Liverpool, England, July 20, 1837.\n\nThey were in a strange country, had no money, no friends.\n\n[Illustration: PRESIDENT HEBER C. KIMBALL]\n\n\"Go to Preston,\" said the Spirit of the Lord to them. Preston is a city\nthirty miles from Liverpool, and there they went. Joseph Fielding had a\nbrother living in the city, who was a preacher, and on his invitation the\nmissionaries held their first meeting in his chapel. This was the first\nSunday after their arrival. The people listened eagerly to what the elders\nsaid, for it seems that a great many honest souls had been waiting for just\nsuch a message.\n\nAfter the third meeting, the Rev. Mr. Fielding would not let the elders use\nhis church, as he was afraid they would take away his congregation. From\nthat time he opposed the missionaries, and was soon joined in this by other\npreachers.\n\nHowever, the people had received a taste of the gospel and they wanted\nmore, so meetings were held in private houses. On the eighth day after the\narrival of the elders in England, nine persons were baptized into the\nChurch by Elder Kimball.\n\nThus was the door opened, and the gospel soon spread in a wonderful manner.\nThe elders now separated and went to different towns, preaching, baptizing,\nand organizing branches of the Church. Great crowds came out to hear them,\nespecially in and around the city of Preston. It was a most glorious time\nand full of interesting events which this little book cannot tell you\nabout; but here is a sample:\n\nOne day Elder Kimball told some of the brethren that he thought of going to\na place called Chatburn, to hold meetings. He was told that it would do no\ngood, as it was a very wicked place, and the people there would have\nnothing to do with preachers. Elder Kimball went, however, and large crowds\ncame out to hear him. While teaching the people the need of repenting of\ntheir evil doings and being baptized for the remission of their sins,\nBrother Kimball felt someone pulling at his coat:\n\n\"Please sir, will you baptize me?\" asked one.\n\n\"And me, and me!\" exclaimed a dozen voices.\n\nSo Elder Kimball went down into the water and baptized twenty-five persons.\nAs the elders were walking out of the village, the young folks of the place\nran to meet them, the older people stood in their doors to greet and bless\nthem, while the children ran ahead, hand in hand, singing their songs of\ngladness.\n\nAt a conference held in Preston, April 8, 1838, there were reports from\ntwenty-six branches of the Church. The total number of souls in the Church\nwas reported to be about two thousand; and all this was done in the short\nspace of eight months.\n\nThe next day Elders Kimball, Hyde, and Russell left for home, leaving\nWillard Richards to preside over the mission. Many were the sad partings\nthese brethren had with the Saints, for a great love grows up between the\nSaints in the world and the elders who have brought them the gospel.\n\nJanuary 11, 1840, Elders John Taylor and Wilford Woodruff landed in\nEngland. Brother Woodruff was led by the Spirit to go into a part of\nEngland called Herefordshire. Here he found a religious body of people\ncalled United Brethren. They had withdrawn from the Church of England, and\nwere now praying that the Lord would send them more light. These people\nheard Elder Woodruff gladly, and with joy they received the gospel. Within\none month he baptized all their preachers, forty-five in number, and one\nhundred and sixty of their members. In eight months time Elder Woodruff\nbrought eighteen hundred souls into the Church, including all the six\nhundred United Brethren, save one.\n\nAt one time just as Elder Woodruff was about to begin a meeting, a\nconstable came to arrest him for preaching. The officer was asked to take a\nseat, and was told that after the meeting Elder Woodruff would be at his\nservice. The constable was very much interested in the sermon. At the close\nof the meeting seven persons asked for baptism, and the constable was one\nof the number. After this, two clerks of the Church of England were sent as\nspies to find out what the Mormon elders preached. Both of these men\nbelieved and joined the Church.\n\nNow came others of the Apostles to England to roll on the work. Brigham\nYoung, Heber C. Kimball, Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, and George A. Smith\narrived on April 6, 1840. At a conference held in Preston on the 14th,\nWillard Richards was ordained an Apostle, so that now there were eight of\nthe Twelve together. At this meeting it was decided to print a paper to be\ncalled _The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star_. This paper has been\npublished from that day to this, it being the oldest publication in the\nChurch.\n\nThe Church now grew rapidly. Branches were organized in Scotland, Ireland,\nWales, and in many of the large cities in England. At a conference held in\nthe city of Manchester, April 6, 1841, it was found that there were about\nsix thousand members of the Church in Great Britain. Eight hundred Saints\nhad emigrated to America during the year. At this conference, nine of the\nTwelve were present, Orson Hyde having arrived on his way to Palestine,\nwhere he was going to dedicate that land for the gathering of the Jews.\n\nShortly after this conference, the apostles left England to return home,\nleaving Parley P. Pratt in charge of the mission. From that time the work\nhas continued in Great Britain, and many honest souls have come to the\nknowledge of the gospel.\n\nTopics.--1. The first mission to England. 2. Wilford Woodruff's\nexperience. 3. Mission of the eight Apostles.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. When were the first missionaries sent to\nEngland? 2. Who were they? 3. Where was the first sermon preached? 4. How\ndid the people receive the elders? 5. What happened at Chatburn? 6. What\nwas accomplished in eight months? 7. Who were the second missionaries to\nEngland? 8. Who were the United Brethren? 9. Tell of President Woodruff's\nwork among them. 10. Who composed the third party of missionaries? 11. What\nwas done at the conference held April 14, 1840. 12. What is the Millennial\nStar? 13. What was Orson Hyde's mission to Palestine?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIX.\n\nFAR WEST.\n\n\nWe must now leave the pleasant scenes of preaching the gospel in England,\nand go back to the more troubled times among the main body of the Saints in\nthe State of Missouri.\n\nYou will remember that when the Saints were driven from Jackson county,\nthey found a place to rest in Clay county just north across the river. The\npeople of Clay received them kindly, and the Saints stayed for about three\nyears in that county. During this period, they tried many times to regain\ntheir homes by asking the governor and even the president of the United\nStates to enforce the laws and see that their lands and homes were given\nback to them. Governor Dunklin talked very pleasantly about the rights of\nthe Saints, but in the end he did nothing to protect the people or help\nthem to gain possession of their property.\n\nAt a large meeting held in Liberty, the county seat of Clay county, on the\n16th of June, 1834, in order to try to settle the trouble between the\nSaints and the Jackson county people, the following offer was made by the\nJackson men to the Saints:\n\nThe Jackson people offered to buy all the land of the \"Mormons\" in Jackson\ncounty, paying them a high price for it within thirty days, or the people\nof Jackson offered to sell all their lands to the \"Mormons\" at the same\nhigh price to be paid for in thirty days. This offer may seem to be fair,\nbut when it is remembered that the Lord had revealed to them that the city\nof Zion should be built in Jackson county, and had told the Saints to buy\nand not sell, it will be seen that this offer was not meant in good faith.\nAgain, the Saints could not buy out all the mobbers' land in Jackson, much\nas they would have liked so to do, as there was so much of it, and they had\nno money to pay for it in thirty days. The Saints therefore could not agree\nto this, but they made an offer to buy out the lands of those who could not\nlive in peace with them, and pay them in one year.\n\nNothing came of these offers.\n\nAnd now the people of Clay county asked the Saints to remove from their\nmidst. The country was again getting excited about the \"Mormons,\" and the\nClay county people were afraid that the mobs would come to disturb them; so\nin order to be on good terms with the people who had been friends to them,\nthe Saints again left their homes and traveled north-east, away out into\nthe country where there were hardly any settlers. Here they began to build\na city which they called Far West, and after a time they had a county laid\noff which was named Caldwell.\n\nThis movement began in September, 1836, and by the next summer nearly all\nthe Saints had left Clay county.\n\nYou will call to mind that the Prophet Joseph, with the brethren in Zion's\nCamp had visited the Saints while in Clay county. In the spring of 1838\nJoseph arrived at Far West from Kirtland, and from that time on the Prophet\nremained with the main body of the Saints in Missouri and Illinois.\n\nThe Saints now had peace again for a season. They gathered to Far West and\nsurrounding places from Kirtland and other eastern localities. Farms were\nmade, houses built, towns laid out, and it seemed as if the Saints could at\nlast live and enjoy their rights as Americans.\n\nJoseph was busy setting the Church in order and in receiving the word of\nthe Lord for the guidance of the Saints.\n\nOne of the most important revelations given at this time was regarding the\nlaw of tithing. This law says that the Saints should first put all their\nsurplus property into the hands of the bishop to be used for the benefit of\nthe Church, and then after that, they should pay one tenth of all they\nmade, as a tithing to the Lord; and the Lord further said that if the\nSaints did not keep this law, the land whereon they dwelt should not be a\nland of Zion unto them.\n\nIn the year 1838 the Saints in and around Far West numbered about twelve\nthousand. Thus you see they began to be a power in the land, especially\nwhen it came to voting for officers of the state and county. At these times\nthe Saints would of course vote for good men, men who were their friends,\nand this often made the Missourians angry.\n\nAt an election in Gallatin, the county seat of Daviess county, August 6,\n1838, a mob of Missourians tried to prevent the brethren from voting. A\ngeneral fight was the result, in which the \"Mormons\" defended themselves\nwith umbrellas, sticks, whips, and their stout fists.\n\nReports came to Joseph and the people in Far West that some of the brethren\nhad been killed and that the mobbers would not let their bodies be buried.\nAt this, Joseph, with about twenty armed men, rode towards the scene of\ntrouble. On the way he learned that the report was not true. They then\ncalled on a justice of the peace, named Adam Black. Mr. Black promised\nJoseph that he would not aid the mob, but would enforce the laws justly.\nNext day Joseph and his party held a meeting with some leading men of the\ncounty, wherein both parties promised to keep the peace, and if any person\nbroke the law in this respect he was to be given up to the officers of the\nlaw and punished.\n\nSome twenty days after Mr. Black had made such good promises, he and some\nothers had papers made out for the arrest of Joseph Smith and Lyman Wight\nfor coming into Daviess co., and doing all kinds of wicked deeds. When the\nconstable called on Joseph at Far West, Joseph said he was willing to stand\ntrial, but he wanted it to be in Caldwell, instead of Daviess county, as in\nthe latter there existed too much excitement and ill-feeling. The officer\ndid not arrest the Prophet at this time, but the report spread that Joseph\nhad resisted the officer and would not be arrested. To prove how false this\nwas, Joseph with his brother Hyrum and some others, went to Daviess county\nfor trial. At this trial Mr. Black swore to some wicked falsehoods, and\nalthough four witnesses told the truth of the matter, Joseph and Lyman were\nbound over, that is, they were to be ready to stand trial when the regular\ncourt should meet.\n\nFalse reports now flew far and wide again, and the mobs began to gather\nfrom other counties to \"help drive the Mormons from the State.\" Some of the\nmob painted and dressed themselves up as Indians. The Saints, especially in\nthe smaller settlements, were attacked, until they had to flee to Far West\nfor protection. The Saints now thought it time to protect themselves from\nthe mobs, so they organized a company of state militia. Lyman Wight was an\nofficer in this militia and he commanded the men. He succeeded in driving\nthe mob from Daviess county, but this of course, only made the excitement\nthe greater.\n\nOn the evening of October 24, 1838, news reached Far West that a Methodist\npreacher by the name of Bogart was leading a mob to destroy the property of\nthe Saints on Log Creek. That same evening a company of about seventy-five\nmen led by Captain David W. Patten mounted their horses and rode to the\nscene of trouble. Early the next morning, just as it was getting daylight\nthe mob was found encamped on Crooked River. The Far West Militia\ndismounted and marched on to the enemy. A battle took place. The mob took\nrefuge behind the river bank, while the brethren charged them sword in\nhand. The enemy was soon put to flight across the river. As they were\nfleeing, one of the mobbers wheeled around from behind a tree and shot\nCaptain Patten, who instantly fell. A number of brethren were badly\nwounded, and two died the next night. One was Patterson O'Banion, and the\nother Captain Patten.\n\nBrother Patten was a member of the first quorum of Twelve Apostles. He had\ntaken an active part in the affairs of the Church up to the time of his\ndeath, having filled many missions and done many great works in the name of\nJesus Christ. Apostle Patten was one of the first martyrs of the Church. Of\nhim Joseph the Prophet said at his funeral:\n\n\"There lies a man who has done just as he said he would; he has laid down\nhis life for his friends.\"\n\nTopics.--1. The Saints in Clay county. 2. Removed to Caldwell county. 3.\nThe beginning of trouble. 4. The Crooked River battle. 5. Apostle David W.\nPatten.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. From Jackson county where did the Saints go? 2.\nHow did they try to get their homes again? 3. What did Governor Dunklin do?\n4. What offer did the Jackson people make to the Saints? 5. Why did not\nthe Saints accept this offer? 6. What did the Saints offer to do? 7. Why\ndid the people of Clay county wish the Saints to leave them? 8. When and\nwhere did the Saints then go? 9. What is the law of tithing? 10. What was\nthe case of the new trouble between the Saints and the Missourians? 11.\nWhat came of Joseph's trip to Daviess county? 12. Describe the Crooked\nRiver battle. 13. Tell about David W. Patten.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XX.\n\nTHE HAUN'S MILL MASSACRE.\n\n\nIn this chapter I wish to tell you about one of the saddest events that\nhappened in all that sad time of persecution in Missouri.\n\nIt occurred on October 30, 1838, during the time of great excitement, when\nbands of armed men roamed over the country doing what damage they could to\nthe homes of the Saints.\n\nAt a point on Shoal Creek, about sixteen miles from Fat West, a brother by\nthe name of Haun had built a flour mill. Besides the mill there were a\nblacksmith shop and half a dozen houses. About thirty families lived here,\nsome of which had just arrived from the Eastern States and were yet camping\nin their tents.\n\nThis little body of Saints had been threatened by mobs a number of times,\nbut on the 28th, a treaty of peace was made in which each party agreed not\nto molest the other. Before this, however, Joseph had advised the Saints at\nHaun's Mill to move into Far West, which advice they had not taken.\n\nOctober 30th was a beautiful autumn day. The air was warm, and the breeze\nstirred the fields of wheat and rustled the corn. The children were playing\non the banks of the creek, and their merry laugh was echoed by the birds in\nthe forest close at hand. All seemed peaceful and lovely.\n\n[Illustration: HAUN'S MILL.]\n\nAbout four o'clock in the afternoon, a company of two hundred and forty\nmen dashed up to the clearing. Brother David Evans who had command of the\nfew brethren, ran out to meet them, swinging his hat and crying, \"Peace,\npeace.\" The leader of the mob told all who desired to save their lives and\nmake peace to run into the blacksmith shop. Some of the brethren did this,\nbut in a few seconds after, a volley was fired into the shop. The bullets\nwent between the logs, which were far apart, and in at the open door,\nkilling and wounding the brethren within. Some few shots were fired back,\nbut the brethren soon saw it was useless to resist, so they tried to save\nthemselves as best they could. Men, women and children scattered in every\ndirection taking refuge in the woods, while the bullets of the mobbers flew\nthick and fast among them, wounding and killing.\n\nThe mob kept on firing at the shop until they thought all within were\nkilled; then they went about the place killing all they could find alive,\nand robbing the houses of everything they could carry off. They even\nstripped the dead and dying of their clothes. They went into the blacksmith\nshop for this purpose, and there they saw dead men lying in piles, and\nwounded men groaning in pain, while pools of blood stood on the floor. A\nlittle ten year old boy named Sardius Smith had crawled under the bellows,\ntrying to hide from the wicked mobbers; but one of them saw him and dragged\nhim out. Then putting the muzzle of his gun to the boy's head he killed him\ninstantly. Sardius' little brother, Alma, seven years old had a great hole\nshot in his hip; but he lay still, fearing that if he moved they would\nshoot him again. Another boy by the name of Charles Merrick was discovered.\nHe pleaded with the mobbers not to kill him: \"I am an American boy,\" he\nsaid \"O! don't kill me!\" The mobber heeded not, but blew out his brains.\n\nThomas McBride, an old, gray-haired man who had fought in the\nRevolutionary War under Washington, gave up his gun to a mobber, and then\npleaded for his life. The cruel mobber took the gun and shot the old man\ndead, and then another mobber cut him to pieces with an old corn cutter.\n\nThus it continued. I cannot tell you half of the horrible things which\nhappened. At last the mobbers departed, and night came on. Then, lowly and\nfearfully, the women and children and what few men were left crept out of\ntheir hiding places to see what had been done and to help as best they\ncould. Perhaps you can imagine what they saw and how they felt during that\nlong, dark night in the midst of dead and dying husbands, brothers and\nsons.\n\nNext morning it was found that nineteen men and boys were dead, or wounded\nso badly that they could not live, and about fifteen others were wounded.\nWhat to do with the dead was the question. There were not men enough to dig\ngraves; besides, the mob might come back again and finish their awful work;\nso the best they could do was to put the nineteen bodies into a large, dry\nwell that was close by. This was done, and straw and earth placed on top.\n\nSister Smith, mother of Sardius and Alma, has told some of the experiences\nwhich she passed through during that awful time. Her husband and one son\nwere killed, while another son had his hip nearly shot away. During that\nfirst night she says that she prayed to God to know what to do for her\nwounded boy, and the Lord distinctly whispered to her what kind of poultice\nto put on the wound and how to treat him.\n\n\"I removed the boy to a house next day,\" she says, \"and dressed his hip,\nthe Lord directing me as before.\"\n\n\"'Alma, my child,' I said, 'you believe that the Lord made your hip?'\n\n\"'Yes, mother.'\n\n\"'Well, the Lord can make something there in place of your hip, don't you\nbelieve he can, Alma?'\n\n\"'Do you think that the Lord can, mother?'\n\n\"'Yes, my son,' I replied, 'He has shown it all to me in a vision.'\n\n\"And then I laid him comfortably on his face and said: 'Now you lay like\nthat and don't move, and the Lord will make you another hip.'\n\n\"So I laid Alma on his face for five weeks, until he was entirely\nrecovered, a flexible gristle having grown in place of the missing joint\nand socket.\"\n\nAlma grew up to be a man and became a useful member of the Church.\n\nTopics.--1. The massacre at Haun's Mill. 2. Sardius and Alma Smith.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Where was Haun's Mill. 2. What advice did\nJoseph give the Saints who lived there? 3. What happened October 30, 1838?\n4. Tell about the Smith boys and Charles Merrick. 5. Tell about Thomas\nMcBride. 6. How many were killed?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXI.\n\nDRIVEN FROM MISSOURI.\n\n\nWild reports now went over the country about the \"Mormons;\" and to make\nthese reports seem true some of the mobbers actually set fire to their own\nlog cabins and then accused the Saints of the act.\n\nIn a previous chapter, mention was made of Lilburn W. Boggs. This man was\nnow governor of the state, and we shall see how he used his power against\nthe \"Mormons,\" whom he hated so much.\n\nThe reports that the \"Mormons\" were burning houses and driving people from\ntheir homes, reached the governor, and he believed, or pretended to\nbelieve, all these false stories. So he gave orders to the officers of the\nstate militia to organize an army of 2,000 men, march to the scene of the\ntrouble, and see that the people whom the \"Mormons\" had driven from their\nhomes were returned to them. Note how eager the governor was to restore\nthese few presumably abused people to their lands--but it was all right\nthat twelve hundred \"Mormons\" should be driven from their property!\n\nThe next day after the governor had issued this order, the news of the\nCrooked River battle reached him, so he changed his instructions to the\ncommanding officer, General Clark. This order, given October 27, 1838, is\nknown as Governor Boggs' exterminating order, and is one of the most\ndisgraceful and wicked commands known in history. Exterminate means to\ndestroy utterly, to root out completely, and this is what a governor of a\nstate said should be done to twelve thousand innocent people if they did\nnot leave the state.\n\nCompanies of Missouri militia now came marching from various parts of the\nstate into Caldwell and other counties nearby. Soon Far West was surrounded\nby an army. Niel Gillium was there with his band of men in Indian costume,\nwho whooped and yelled like true savages. On the evening of October 30th, a\nparty of men came fresh from the awful massacre, at Haun's Mill, eager for\nmore blood. Thus the town was surrounded, and as it seemed, doomed to\ndestruction.\n\nThe few brethren in Far West prepared to defend themselves as best they\ncould. It might appear useless for a handful of men to oppose an army, but\nwhen men are fighting for their homes, their liberty, their wives and their\nchildren, a few can do mighty deeds.\n\nBut they were not to fight. Traitors were in the camp of the Saints and\nthey now betrayed their brethren into the hands of the enemy. Colonel\nGeorge M. Hinkle was the commander of the Far West militia, and he went to\nthe mob commanders and promised to deliver up to them the Church leaders.\nHe also made an agreement with them that the Saints would deliver up their\narms, sign away their property to pay the expenses of the war, and then\nleave the state. This was all done without the knowledge of the \"Mormons\"\nor their leaders.\n\nOn the evening of October 30th, Colonel Hinkle told Joseph Smith, Sidney\nRigdon, Parley P. Pratt, Lyman Wight, and George W. Robinson that the\nofficers of the mob-militia wanted to consult with them and try to arrange\nmatters. Next morning these brethren went with Hinkle some distance out of\nFar West where they were met by General Lucas, and soon most of the mob\ncame up. Lucas ordered his men to surround the brethren, when Hinkle\nstepped up and said:\n\n\"General Lucas, these are the prisoners I agreed to deliver to you.\"\n\nThe brethren were then marched into the camp of the mob-militia where they\nwere received with great shouts, curses, and yells. All that night they\nwere compelled to lie on the cold ground, and it rained before morning. The\nnext day Hyrum Smith and Amasa M. Lyman were brought as prisoners into\ncamp.\n\nThat day General Lucas demanded the arms of the \"Mormons,\" promising them\nprotection, and the return of their guns after the trouble was over; but no\nsooner had the mob obtained possession of the arms then they began stealing\nand carrying away everything they could lay their hands on. They also\ndestroyed much property and abused innocent women and children. Those of\nthe brethren that had property were compelled to sign it away to the mob.\n\nOn the evening of November 1st, General Lucas held a court in which Joseph\nand his brethren were to be tried. This court was composed of seventeen\npreachers and some army officers. None of the prisoners were present, and\nknew nothing of what was going on. The brethren were found guilty and\nsentenced to be shot next morning at eight, o'clock, on the public square\nin Far West. When the sentence was passed Generals Doniphan and Graham said\nit was murder, and they would have nothing to do with it. This checked\nLucas in his evil designs and so they decided to take the prisoners to\nJackson county and kill them there. Before starting, they were allowed to\ngo to their homes and see their families, but they were not permitted to\nspeak to them. Their wives and children clung to them, crying in their\ndespair, and were only separated by the cruel swords of the guards.\n\nFifty-six of the leading brethren were now taken prisoners and sent to the\ntown of Richmond. Most of them were released shortly after.\n\nOn November 6th General Clark made his famous speech to the Saints in Far\nWest, wherein he told them that he had come to carry out the governor's\norders to destroy them, but he would be lenient and give them a little time\nto get out of the state. He advised the Saints to be like other people and\nnot organize themselves with bishops, presidents, etc. It was a very\nfoolish, conceited speech.\n\nAbout twenty-five miles north of Far West was a beautiful settlement of\nthe Saints. Joseph said it was the place where our father Adam had blessed\nhis children, and where he will come again to visit his people. So the\nplace was called Adam-ondi-Ahman. The people here had suffered with the\nrest of the Saints, and now in the cold month of November they were driven\nfrom their homes and took refuge for the winter in Far West.\n\nDuring that hard winter and time of trial when Joseph and many of his\nbrethren were in prison and many others had apostatized, one name comes to\nthe front as that of a faithful man. It is Brigham Young. He was ever true\nto the Prophet, and Joseph could rely on him. With him were such noble men\nas Heber C. Kimball, John Taylor, and many others. Brigham was now\npresident of the Twelve, and it was his duty to take the lead in looking\nafter the affairs of the Church during the absence of the First Presidency.\n\nIn January, 1839, Brigham Young called a meeting to consider what should be\ndone in aiding the poor Saints to remove from Missouri. President Young\npresented a resolution that the brethren should never desert the poor\nSaints, but that they should help them to escape from their persecutors. A\ngreat many brethren agreed to this, and that winter and spring the move\neastward to Illinois continued. They did not travel in large bodies, but in\nsmall companies as they got ready. Not one family who wished to go was left\nbehind.\n\nThe sufferings of that winter journey cannot be told you here. Many died on\nthe way through exposure and hardships. The mobs would not let them alone\neven when they were leaving as fast as they could. Mobs often rode into Far\nWest, abused the people, stole horses, drove off cattle and took anything\nthat pleased them. The Saints traded their farms for horses and wagons in\nwhich to get away. Sometimes fine farms were nearly given away. It is told\nof one brother that he sold forty acres of good land for a blind mare and a\nclock.\n\nJuly 8, 1838, the Lord gave a revelation wherein he called the Twelve\nApostles to go on a mission to England. The Twelve were to take leave of\nthe Saints at the temple site in Far West, April 26, 1839. (Doc. and Cov.,\nSec. 118.) This time had now come, but it seemed impossible that it could\nbe carried out, as most of the Saints had left Far West and the mobbers\nswore that this was a revelation that should not be fulfilled. They would\nkill the first Apostle that came into the place, they said.\n\nHowever, seven of the Twelve arrived at Far West the night before the 26th,\nand early next morning they went to the temple lot, rolled a large stone to\nthe southeast corner of the temple grounds as a foundation, and then\nproceeded to hold a meeting. Elders Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith\nwere then ordained Apostles, the brethren prayed and sang and then\ndismissed the meeting, bidding good-bye to the eighteen Saints present. Not\na mobber was astir that morning, and the word of the Lord was again\nfulfilled.\n\nTopics.--1. Governor Boggs' exterminating order. 2. Betrayal of Joseph\nand his brethren. 3. Adam-ondi-Ahman. 4. Departure from Far West. 5. The\nmeeting of the Twelve at Far West.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. How did the mob make the people believe that\nthe \"Mormons\" were burning houses, etc.? 2. What reports were brought to\nGovernor Boggs? 3. What was the exterminating order? 4. What kinds of\n\"soldiers\" surrounded Far West? 5. What did Colonel Hinkle do? 6. What kind\nof court did General Lucas have to try Joseph and his brethren? 7. What was\ntheir sentence? 8. Why was it not carried out? 9. What did General Clark\nsay in his speech? 10. Where was Adam-ondi-Ahman? 11. Why was it so called?\n12. What did Brigham Young now do? 13. Tell about the meeting held at Far\nWest, April 26, 1839.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXII.\n\nIN MISSOURI PRISONS.\n\n\nFrom Far West Joseph and his brethren who had been taken prisoners were\nmarched towards Jackson county. At first General Wilson who had them in\ncharge treated the brethren badly, but as they proceeded on their journey\nhe became quite friendly, and told the prisoners that he was just going to\nshow the people of Independence what a \"set of fine fellows you are.\"\n\nWhile on the march the Lord comforted Joseph, and he spoke to the other\nprisoners as follows: \"Be of good cheer, brethren; the word of the Lord\ncame to me last night that our lives should be given us, and that whatever\nwe may suffer during this captivity, not one of our lives shall be taken.\"\n\nAfter they had crossed the Missouri river into Jackson county, many people\ncame to see these wonders, the \"Mormons.\" One lady came up and asked the\nguards which of the prisoners the \"Mormons\" worshiped. Joseph was pointed\nout to her. She then asked the Prophet if he professed to be the Lord and\nSavior. Joseph said he was only a man sent by Jesus Christ to preach the\ngospel. Quite a crowd had gathered around, and Joseph went on explaining\nthe principles of faith, repentance, etc. Thus Joseph preached a sermon in\nJackson county in fulfillment of a prediction he had made some months\nbefore.\n\nAt Independence their treatment was not bad. The people seemed curious to\nsee them, and the brethren spent their time in talking with people who came\nto them.\n\nGeneral Clark, who also wanted some of the \"honor\" of having these noted\nprisoners, now ordered them to Richmond, in Ray county, where the general\nhad a talk with them. Shortly after this, some guards came into the jail\nhouse and fastened the seven prisoners together by means of a chain and\npad-locks. In this way they lived in a room without chairs or beds,\nsleeping on the hard, cold floor at nights. Guards with loaded guns stood\nwatch over them, and talked to each other of the wicked deeds they had done\nat Far West and other places near by. About these horrible acts they\nboasted in glee while the prisoners had to lie and hear it all.\n\nOne night, says P.P. Pratt, he lay next to Joseph, listening to all this\nvile talk, when suddenly Joseph arose to his feet and spoke in a voice of\nthunder, or as the roaring lion, these words:\n\n\"'_Silence! ye fiends of the infernal pit! In the name of Jesus Christ I\nrebuke you, and command you to be still. I will not live another minute and\nhear such language. Cease your talk, or you or I die this minute_'\n\n\"He ceased to speak. He stood erect in terrible majesty, chained and\nwithout a weapon; calm, unruffled, and dignified as an angel, he looked\ndown upon the quailing guards, whose weapons dropped to the ground, whose\nknees smote together.\" The ruffians instantly became still, and were very\nglad when a change of guard came so that they could get away.\n\nGeneral Clark tried hard to find some law by which he could have Joseph\ntried by an army court, but he failed in this and therefore he handed the\nprisoners over to the civil authorities.\n\nAnother farce of a trial was now had. About forty men, mostly apostates,\ntestified against the prisoners. The brethren had no witnesses, and when\nthe mobber Bogart was sent to Far West for some, he simply arrested them\nand put them in prison. The result of the hearing was that Joseph Smith,\nHyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight, Alexander McRae, and Caleb Baldwin\nwere sent to Liberty, Clay county, to jail. Parley P. Pratt and others were\nto remain in Richmond jail, while some others were released.\n\nJoseph with his fellow-prisoners remained in Liberty jail from November 28,\n1838, to April 6, 1839. During all this time they suffered the hardships of\nprison life, together with abuses not usually imposed on common prisoners.\nIt is claimed by some that they were offered human flesh to eat. During\nthis time of trial Joseph was cheerful and told the brethren they would get\nout safe. He wrote many letters of instruction to the Saints, bidding them\nto be faithful to their religion. The brethren who were at liberty were not\nidle. They were appealing continually to the judges and the governor for\njustice for their brethren, but it was of little use. At one hearing,\nSidney Rigdon was released but he had to go back to jail for a time because\nthe mob threatened to kill him.\n\nSeeing that it was useless trying to be released lawfully the brethren\ndecided to try to escape. The evening of February 7, 1839, when the guard\nshould come with their supper, was fixed as the time to try; but Hyrum\nwanted to be sure about the matter so he asked Joseph to enquire of the\nLord if it was wisdom for them to make the attempt. Joseph did so and was\ninformed that if they were all united they would be able to escape that\nevening. Therefore all but Lyman Wight agreed to the plan. He wanted to\nwait till the next day, and as the brethren would not go without him, they\ndecided to wait.\n\nThat evening the guard left the door wide open and gave them a good chance\nto escape, but they did not try. The next evening the jailor brought a\ndouble guard with him, and six of the brethren came to see the prisoners.\nThough it was a very poor chance to escape, they meant to try. When the\nguard went to close the door the prisoners followed and tried to prevent\nhim, but they did not succeed. All but one of the visiting brethren were\nalso locked in, and he had a narrow escape from the mob outside who soon\ncollected and made all kinds of threats against the prisoners.\n\nThe visitors now thought that they also were in great danger, but Joseph\ntold them not to fear, as not a hair of their heads would be injured. This\npromise came true, because at a trial they had next day they were all set\nfree and nothing was taken from them.\n\nApril 6, 1839, the prisoners were ordered to Gallatin, Daviess county.\nAfter their long confinement the brethren were weak, and it was hard to\nstand the long journey. On the 9th they had another trial or hearing. The\njury consisted mainly of men who had taken part in the Haun's Mill\nmassacre, and most of the time during the trial they were drunk. The\npresiding officer, Judge King, was also as bad as the jury. This mock trial\ncontinued for several days. Men who sat on the jury during the day acted as\nguards at night, where they boasted of their murders, thefts, etc., to the\nprisoners. This trial resulted in the brethren being held for \"murder,\ntreason, burglary, arson, larceny, theft, and stealing.\"\n\nThe prisoners now asked for a change of venue, that is, a change of place\nof trial. This was granted, and on April 15 they started for Boone county\nunder guard of the sheriff and four men. On the night of the 16th the\nsheriff told them he was going to take a drink of grog before going to bed\nand they could do as they pleased. The sheriff and three of the guards went\nto bed drunk, and the other guard helped the brethren saddle the horses and\nget away. They traveled day and night, and after much suffering Joseph\narrived at the city of Quincy, Illinois, April 22, 1839, where he was\ngladly welcomed by his family and friends.\n\nTopics.--1. Prisoners taken to Independence. 2. In Richmond jail. 3. In\nLiberty jail. 4. The attempt to escape. 5. Their last trial and escape.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Who were taken as prisoners to Independence? 2.\nWhat prediction did Joseph make while on the way? 3. How did Joseph fulfill\nhis own prophecy in Jackson county? 4. Where were they taken next? 5. How\nwere they treated in Richmond jail? 6. Describe Joseph's rebuke. 7. Where\nnext were they sent? 8. How long were they in Liberty jail? 9. Why was the\nattempt to escape a failure? 10. Where were they next taken? 11. Describe\ntheir last trial. 12. How did they escape?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXIII.\n\nNAUVOO.\n\n\nFrom his prison in Missouri, Joseph had advised his brethren to buy land in\nthe state of Illinois and Iowa. Towards these states, therefore, the Saints\nhad fled, leaving merciless, blood-stained Missouri to the judgment of God.\n\nTwenty years afterwards when the great war broke out between the North and\nthe South, Missouri was one of the fiercest battle grounds, and its people\nsuffered terribly for the misery and bloodshed they had brought upon the\nSaints.\n\nThe people of Illinois received the homeless Saints kindly, and sold them\nland upon which to live. At a small place called Commerce, situated on the\neast bank of the Mississippi river, Joseph bought land, and there he\ndecided to locate the headquarters of the Church. The place was beautifully\nsituated in a bend of the river. Here a city was laid out and called\nNauvoo, meaning beauty and rest, and Joseph invited the Saints to settle\nand build up the place. It was no small task to gather the scattered Saints\ninto one body again, but early in the summer of 1839 a number of houses\nwere erected in the new city.\n\n[Illustration: THE NAUVOO HOUSE.]\n\nNow came another trouble. Commerce was not a healthful place, but the\nSaints were promised that that would be changed; however, it was not long\nbefore a great many of the Saints became sick. Nearly every house was\nafflicted, and Joseph himself also took the fever. On the morning of July\n22nd, Joseph arose from his bed and commenced administering to the sick. He\nbegan with those in his own house, then went to some camping in his yard.\nThe Prophet commanded the sick in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to\narise from their beds and be made whole, and the sick were healed on ever\nside. He then went from house to house and from tent to tent upon the bank\nof the river, healing the people. Many wonderful healings were performed.\nJoseph would take the sick person by the hand, or stand in the door of the\ntent and command the afflicted person to arise and be made whole. The\nProphet with some of the brethren who were now with him crossed the river\nto the place where Brigham Young was lying ill. President Young was soon\nhealed and followed with the rest. As there were many whom the Prophet\ncould not reach, the Twelve were sent to administer to them. Joseph gave\nWilford Woodruff a silk handkerchief which he was to use in healing some\nchildren. President Woodruff kept the handkerchief to the day of his death.\n\nAfter this, there was very little sickness in Nauvoo. During the summer and\nfall of 1839 the city grew rapidly. About this time seven of the Twelve\nleft for their mission to England, of which you have been told, and the\nEnglish Saints soon began to gather to Nauvoo.\n\nLate in October, 1839, Joseph went to the city of Washington to lay the\ntroubles of the Church before the authorities of the nation. Joseph made\nthe acquaintance of many leading men, among them John C. Calhoun, and\nHenry Clay. Martin Van Buren was president, and to him Joseph told of the\nwrongs they had suffered from the people of Missouri. It was then that the\npresident made the famous remark: \"Your cause is just, but I can do nothing\nfor you.\" His meaning, no doubt, was that the president of the United\nStates had no right to interfere with the affairs of a state; but that all\nsuch troubles should be settled by the state itself.\n\n[Illustration: THE NAUVOO MANSION.]\n\nSo Joseph returned without any help. Meanwhile, Nauvoo grew into a large\ncity. Ten wards were laid off and organized. April 6, 1841, the corner\nstone of the temple was laid. Many public buildings were erected. Good\nhouses were built, and beautiful gardens soon bloomed around them. On the\noutskirts of the city, fields of grain stretched as far as the eye could\nreach. In 1842 there were 20,000 people in the city, and Nauvoo promised to\nbe one of the largest cities in the West.\n\nThe fame of Joseph and the \"Mormon\" city spread, and many people came to\nsee the wonder. Missionaries were sent out to preach, the _Times and\nSeasons_ published by the Church, printed many Gospel truths and much\nimportant history. The militia was organized and the city had a\nwell-drilled body of men called the Nauvoo Legion. Peace and prosperity\nsmiled upon them for a season, and it seemed that at last there would be a\npermanent stake of Zion established.\n\nBut it was not to be. The hate that burned in the hearts of evil men had\nnot grown less, but was only waiting for a chance to show itself. Trouble\nagain arose. It would not be easy to understand the many causes that led to\nthese troubles, but a few may be noted.\n\nThe Saints now had great power at the polls, the same as in Missouri. The\n\"Mormons\" would not vote for men who would not give them their rights, and\nso many of these politicians became their enemies and stirred up the people\nagainst the Saints by their many lies. Then, there were the jealousies of\nthe sectarian preachers; and perhaps worse than all, the evil work of\napostates. Then it happened that a band of thieves troubled the\nneighborhood, and of course the \"Mormons\" were blamed. It was not a hard\nmatter to find excuses for a further persecution of the Latter-day Saints.\n\nAnd now came again Governor Boggs, of Missouri. He, it seems, had not had\nenough, so he asked Governor Carlin to deliver to him Joseph and the other\nbrethren who had escaped from Missouri. Governor Carlin of Illinois, made\nout the papers for the brethren's arrest, but the officer could not find\nthem when he went to Nauvoo. He therefore returned without his prisoners,\nand nothing more was done in the matter until nearly a year later, when\nJoseph was visiting the governor at Quincy. Governor Carlin treated Joseph\nkindly, but as soon as the Prophet had left, some of the officers were sent\nafter him. They overtook Joseph and arrested him on the old charge from\nMissouri. However, they went on to Nauvoo, where the sheriff, being sick,\nwas taken good care of by his prisoner. As it was Joseph's right by law to\nbe tried in Illinois, he was permitted to have a hearing before Judge\nStephen A. Douglas, in Monmouth, Illinois. There was great excitement at\nthe trial, some of his enemies trying to excite a mob against him. At the\nclose of the hearing Joseph was set free by the judge.\n\nDr. J.C. Bennett was the mayor of Nauvoo, and held other high positions;\nbut he proved to be a very wicked man. At one time, when the Legion was\nhaving a sham fight, Bennett tried to get Joseph into a position that he\nmight be shot without anyone knowing who did it. This did not succeed. Then\nhe began to commit sin, and say that Joseph upheld him in it. Bennett was\nof course cut off from the Church, after which he wrote many false things\nagainst Joseph and the Saints and was the means of bringing much\npersecution on them.\n\nIn May, 1842, Ex-Governor Boggs of Missouri was shot at and wounded by some\nperson in Independence. Although at this time they were hundreds of miles\nfrom Independence, Joseph Smith and O.P. Rockwell were charged with this\ncrime, and again papers were issued for their arrest. They were tried in\nNauvoo and acquitted. As the Missourians were trying many schemes to take\nJoseph to Missouri and there kill him, he went in hiding for a time. Every\neffort was made to take Joseph, and rewards were offered for his capture.\nElder Rockwell was kidnapped and taken to Missouri, where he was\nill-treated, but at last escaped.\n\nThomas Ford now became governor of Illinois and to him Joseph went. The\ngovernor prevailed upon Joseph to stand another trial, which was held at\nSpringfield, Illinois. Joseph was again proved innocent and released.\n\nBut the fiends from Missouri would not give up. Once again he was taken\nwhile away from Nauvoo, by two officers, who abused him shamefully. I\ncannot tell you all about his exciting adventures--that you must read in a\nlarger history--but at last he arrived safe again in Nauvoo.\n\nPersecution continued. Mobs now gathered around Nauvoo. Threats were made\nthat mobs would come from Missouri, and join with those of Illinois,\nagainst the \"Mormons.\" There was great unrest. When Joseph was spoken to\nabout the danger he was in, he said he was not exposed to as much danger\nfrom outside enemies as from traitors within. \"_We have a Judas in our\nmidst_,\" he said.\n\nThus ended the year 1843.\n\nTopics.--1. Settlement at Nauvoo. 2. The healing of the sick. 3. City of\nNauvoo. 4. Attempts to take Joseph to Missouri.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Locate Nauvoo. 2. What was its name before it\nwas called Nauvoo? 3. Relate how Joseph healed the sick. 4. When did Joseph\ngo to Washington? 5. What was his mission there? 6. What answer did\nPresident Martin Van Buren make? 7. Why was it useless to expect justice\nfrom Missouri? 8. What kind of city did Nauvoo become? 9. What was the\nTimes and Seasons? 10. What was the Nauvoo Legion? 11. Name some of the\ncauses that led to the new persecution. 12. Who was Dr. Bennett, and what\ndid he do? 13. Tell of the efforts to get Joseph to Missouri.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXIV.\n\nTHE MARTYRDOM.\n\n\nOn January 29, 1844, Joseph Smith was nominated for President of the United\nStates. Neither he nor his friends had much hopes of his election, but it\ngave the citizens of Nauvoo at least a chance to vote for an honest man who\nwas their friend. Brethren were sent to various parts of the country to\nmake speeches in his favor, and Joseph published his views on how the\ngovernment should be conducted. One of his ideas was that the government\nshould set the negro slaves free, paying their masters for them. President\nAbraham Lincoln, twenty years later, also favored this plan.\n\nMeanwhile, Nauvoo prospered and the Church grew. When the weather would\npermit, meetings were held in a grove near the temple, there being no room\nlarge enough to hold the large crowds of people. Joseph continued to give\nmany glorious truths to the Church about the nature of God, the land of\nZion, baptism for the dead, and many other things.\n\nThe Prophet's prediction that there was a Judas in their midst soon proved\ntoo true; and there were more than one. William Law, Joseph's second\ncounselor, William Marks, president of the Nauvoo Stake, with many other\nleading men proved themselves false to Joseph and the Church. They even\nplanned with Joseph's enemies to have him killed. They were also proved\nguilty of other sins and were therefore cut off from the Church. After\nthis, these men said Joseph was a fallen prophet, and so they organized a\nchurch of their own. It did not amount to anything, however.\n\nJoseph's periods of peace were not many. Apostates were his worst enemies,\nand they were all the time annoying him by having him arrested on all\nmanner of false charges. These men were very bitter, and they howled around\nhim like a pack of wolves, eager to devour him; but Joseph trusted in the\nSaints and they in him, for those who were faithful to their duties knew by\nthe Spirit of God that Joseph was not a fallen prophet.\n\nIn June, 1844, the enemies of the Saints began to publish a paper in\nNauvoo, called the _Expositor_. Its purpose was to deprive the people of\nNauvoo of their rights, so it boldly said. One paper was printed, and that\nwas so full of false statements and abuse against the city officials that\nthe city council declared it a nuisance and had the press, type, etc.,\ndestroyed.\n\nThis raised great excitement among the enemies of the Church. Joseph and\nseventeen others were arrested, tried before a court in Nauvoo, and\nacquitted; but this did not satisfy the mobbers. On the advice of the\nUnited States judge for that district, Joseph and his brethren allowed\nthemselves to be arrested again and have a trial before Justice Daniel H.\nWells, then not a \"Mormon.\" They were again discharged as innocent of\ncrime.\n\nNow mobs began to threaten again, but the Nauvoo Legion was ready to defend\nthe city. As the Legion was drawn up in front of Joseph's house one day--it\nwas the 18th of June--he got upon a platform and spoke to the soldiers.\nThat speech was long remembered by those who heard it. It thrilled them\nthrough and through and at the word they would gladly have marched and met\nthe mob in battle; but that was not Joseph's way. He was always willing to\nhave the laws carried out even if he suffered thereby, so that his enemies\ncould have no just excuse. That was the Prophet Joseph Smith's last public\nspeech.\n\nDuring the excitement Governor Ford arrived at Carthage, a town about\neighteen miles from Nauvoo, and the county seat of Hancock county. The\ngovernor sent word to Nauvoo that he wanted some explanation of the\ntrouble, so Joseph sent some of the brethren to him. The governor treated\nhis callers rudely. Carthage was full of mobs, and the governor seemed to\nbelieve all they told him about the \"Mormons.\" He organized the mobs into\ntroops. Joseph asked the governor to come to Nauvoo and investigate the\nwhole matter; but no: Joseph must go to Carthage. The governor said he\nwould protect him if he would go.\n\nIt was on the evening of June 22nd. Joseph and Hyrum had called some\nbrethren together: \"All they want is Hyrum and myself,\" said the Prophet.\nJoseph and Hyrum both seemed certain that if their enemies got them in\ntheir power again they would be killed. Joseph then proposed that he and\nHyrum should escape to the Rocky Mountains. Preparations for this trip were\nmade and they were rowed over the river to Iowa, when Joseph's wife sent\nsome of the brethren to plead with him to return. Some brethren also found\nfault with him in running away to \"leave the flock to the wolves.\"\n\nJoseph replied, \"If my life is of no value to my friends, it is of none to\nmyself.\" So they went back, Joseph saying, \"We shall be butchered.\"\n\nOn the morning of June 24th Joseph and eighteen brethren set out for\nCarthage to be tried again on the old charge. As he rode out the Prophet\nmade many expressions of goodby to his friends. Four miles from Carthage\nthey met a company of militia going to Nauvoo with an order from the\ngovernor that the Nauvoo Legion give up its arms. Joseph rode back with\nthem to see that this was done. Twice he bade his family farewell. His face\nwas pale, and he was suffering.\n\n\"I am going like a lamb to the slaughter,\" he said, \"but I am calm as a\nsummer morning.\"\n\nAt Carthage they were received with oaths and threats by the troops.\nApostates and soldiers swore that the brethren would never leave Carthage\nalive.\n\nThe next day the governor paraded the prisoners before the troops, who\ninsulted them as they passed along. Then they were placed in the jail\nawaiting their trial.\n\n[Illustration: CARTHAGE JAIL.]\n\nThe day following, the prisoners were marched to the court house, guarded\nby the troops; but the trial was postponed until the next day, and the\nbrethren were taken back to jail.\n\nThis was the 26th of June. That night Joseph was lying on the floor with\nsome of the brethren. Brother Dan Jones was on one side and Brother John S.\nFullmer on the other.\n\n\"Lay your head on my arm for a pillow, Brother John,\" said Joseph, and\nthen he talked with him in a low tone. Joseph expressed a desire to see his\nfamily again and preach to the Saints once more.\n\nTo Brother Jones he whispered, \"Are you afraid to die?\" When Brother Jones\nsaid he was not, Joseph replied, \"You will yet see Wales, and fulfill the\nmission appointed you, before you die.\" (Dan Jones did a wonderful\nmissionary work in Wales.)\n\nThe next morning the guards frequently told some of the brethren that if\nthey did not wish to be killed they had better get away from Joseph. This\nwas told to Governor Ford, but he paid no attention to it.\n\nAt 10:30 that morning, June 27, the governor with the most friendly of the\ntroops left for Nauvoo, and the brethren were left to their fate.\n\nIn an upper room of Carthage jail, Joseph, Hyrum, John Taylor, and Willard\nRichards were spending their time in writing letters, singing, talking, and\npraying. In the afternoon Joseph asked Elder Taylor to sing the hymn,\ncommencing:\n\n\"A poor wayfaring man of grief.\"\n\nAnd when it was done he asked him to sing it again. Brother Taylor said he\ncould hardly sing it, he felt so sad, but he sang the hymn again.\n\nAbout 5 o'clock in the afternoon a mob of about two hundred men surrounded\nthe jail. They had blackened their faces with powder and mud. Then the\nfiring began. The mob rushed up the stairs, shooting into the room where\nthe four brethren were. The prisoners sprang to the door to close it but\nthe guns of the mob forced it open. Elders Taylor and Richards tried to\npush the guns aside with their canes. The bullets flew like hail into the\nroom. One ball came through the door and struck Hyrum in the head. Four\nothers hit him, and he fell back saying:\n\n\"_I am a dead man_.\"\n\nJoseph gazed on his brother and exclaimed: \"Oh! dear brother Hyrum!\"\n\nElder Taylor now tried to jump from the window. A ball struck him, and he\nwas about to fall from the window, when another bullet from the outside hit\nhis watch in his vest pocket and threw him back into the room. Here he was\nhit by two more balls, and he rolled under the bed.\n\nThen Joseph went to the open window intending to leap out. Two bullets\nstruck him and he fell outward, exclaiming:\n\n\"_O Lord, my God_!\"\n\nAs soon as he had struck the ground a mobber set him against a well curb a\nfew feet from the jail, and then, by order of Col. Levi Williams, a mobber\nand Baptist preacher, four men sent bullets into his body.\n\nThen the mob fled, and the whole town of Carthage with them, fearing the\nvengeance of the people of Nauvoo. But vengeance is the Lord's.\n\nWillard Richards was not hurt. That night he spent in attending to his\nwounded brother, John Taylor, and watching over the dead bodies of the\nProphet and Patriarch.\n\nJoseph's earthly work was done, and the Master had called him away from the\nhaunts of mobs and wicked men. He sealed his testimony with his blood. He\nhad spent his life in working for the salvation of his fellowman, and even\nyet in a freer and grander sphere he is working for the cause of Christ and\nthe Church.\n\nTopics.--1. Joseph nominated for president. 2. Traitors. 3. The\nExpositor. 4. Joseph goes to Carthage. 5. The martyrdom.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. When was Joseph nominated for President of the\nUnited States? 2. What were his ideas of slavery? 3. Where were the large\nmeetings in Nauvoo held? 4. Who proved false to Joseph? 5. How did the\nSaints know that Joseph was not a fallen prophet? 6. What was the Nauvoo\nExpositor? 7. Why was it destroyed? 8. Why did Joseph object to being tried\nin Carthage? 9. On what occasion did Joseph deliver his last speech? 10.\nWhy did not Joseph go west to the mountains? 11. What did Governor Ford\npromise? 12. Give some expressions of the prophet on going to Carthage. 13.\nWho were with Joseph in jail? 14. Tell about the martyrdom. 15. When did it\ntake place? 16. How old was Joseph when he was killed?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXV.\n\nEXPULSION FROM ILLINOIS.\n\n\nWhen the bodies of the martyred Prophet and Patriarch were brought from\nCarthage, they were met by thousands of the Saints from Nauvoo who wept\naloud for the loss of their beloved leaders. The scene was a very sad one.\nElder Willard Richards spoke to the people and advised them to remain\npeaceable as they had always been, and let the Lord avenge the murder of\ntheir loved ones.\n\nThe bodies of Joseph and Hyrum were buried privately at Nauvoo so that\ntheir enemies might not disturb them.\n\nAnd now the Saints were a little confused about who should be their\nleaders. Joseph, the President of the Church, and Hyrum, one of his\ncounselors, were dead, and Sidney Rigdon, the other counselors, had some\nmonths before got tired of affairs at Nauvoo and had gone to Pittsburg,\nPennsylvania. He was an apostate at heart, though he had not yet been cut\noff from the Church. Most of the Twelve Apostles were away on missions, and\nword was sent for them to return as soon as possible.\n\nThough at first there was some misunderstanding among the Saints, the Lord\ndid not intend his Church should go to pieces because its leader had been\ntaken away. The Church had been set up never to be thrown down or left to\nother people. The Gospel had been given to the earth \"for the last time and\nfor the fullness of times.\" The Saints had a promise that the kingdom was\ntheirs \"and the enemy shall not overcome.\" It would be a poor church,\nindeed, that would go to pieces every time its chief officer died. No; the\nLord, through Joseph, had organized the Church so well that this could not\nbe. There was a quorum in the Church that had been given all the power\nnecessary to carry on the work of the Church in case the First Presidency\nwas taken away. That quorum was the Twelve Apostles. Now that there was no\nFirst Presidency, it was the duty of the Twelve to preside and regulate the\naffairs of the Church until such time that there should be another\npresident appointed. Brigham Young was the president of the Twelve, so in\nreality he was the leading man in the Church.\n\nBut now came Sidney Rigdon from Pittsburg. He wanted to be appointed the\nleader of the Church, or as he called it, a \"guardian.\" He, with some\nothers, tried to have a meeting of the Saints before the Twelve could get\nhome. This meeting was appointed for the 8th of August, 1844. On the 6th of\nAugust President Young and five of the Apostles arrived at Nauvoo.\n\nThe meeting was held at the grove, and Sidney Rigdon and some of the\nTwelve spoke. When Brigham Young arose to address the meeting, it seemed to\nthe Saints that both in appearance and speech he was like the Prophet\nJoseph. This certainly was a sign to them. At this meeting Sidney Rigdon\nwas rejected and the Twelve Apostles were upheld as the quorum to lead the\nChurch.\n\nSidney Rigdon did not like this. He got a few followers and tried to\norganize another church. A number of others did the same, but all these\nmovements did not amount to much. The Saints kept on under the direction of\nthe Twelve, building the temple and other public edifices in Nauvoo.\n\nThe enemies of the Church were disappointed. They had thought that if they\ncould get Joseph out of the way that would be the end of \"Mormonism.\" Of\ncourse they did not understand that \"Mormonism\" is the Lord's work and does\nnot depend for its success on one or two men. He can raise up any number of\nmen to carry on his work, and now Brigham Young and his brethren were the\nmen who could and would carry it on.\n\nIn May, 1845, some of the murderers of Joseph and Hyrum were tried, and by\na jury pronounced innocent. This gave the mobbers more courage, and they\ngathered again. In the small settlements outside of Nauvoo many houses were\nburned and the inmates driven into the fields. These Saints were advised to\nmove into Nauvoo for protection.\n\nSome time before his death, Joseph had predicted that the Saints would yet\nmove to the Rocky Mountains; and he had even begun the movement by holding\ncouncils and asking for volunteers from the brethren to go ahead and locate\na place to which the Church might gather. President Young and the Twelve\nnow began preparing to carry this plan out. They could plainly see that it\nwas useless to try to live in peace in Illinois. The mobs grew larger and\nfiercer. The people living in the counties surrounding Hancock county,\nthreatened to drive the \"Mormons\" from the state; and the officers whose\nduty it was to enforce the laws would not do so if it was to protect the\n\"Mormons.\"\n\nSo in August, 1845, it was decided to select three thousand men who, with\ntheir families, were to go to Upper California. All this western country\nwas then called Upper California. The authorities of the Church promised\nthe mob leaders that if they would not molest them they would all leave the\nstate early the next spring.\n\nBut the mobbing did not cease at this; so the sheriff of the county, a Mr.\nBackenstos, organized a posse, that is, a company of men to help him\nenforce the laws and keep order. The sheriff kept after the mob to prevent\nthem from burning houses, etc., and this made the mobbers very angry. One\nday some of them tried to kill the sheriff, but he was saved by two\n\"Mormons\" coming to his rescue. Thus during the summer and fall of 1845\nthere was much trouble between the mobs, the \"Mormons,\" and the militia.\n\nAll this time the Saints had worked hard to finish the temple. It had been\ndecided to do this even if they had to work with the \"trowel in one hand\nand a sword in the other.\" October 5th the temple was near enough finished\nthat a conference was held in the building. No general conference had been\nheld for three years, as Joseph had said none should be convened until it\ncould be held in the temple.\n\nAfter this the work on the building still went on, and in a short time it\nwas so far completed that it was dedicated, and a great many of the Saints\nreceived their endowments within its sacred walls.\n\nAll that winter, (1845-46) Nauvoo was like a big workshop. Everybody that\ncould was preparing for the great move westward. Farms and houses were\noffered for sale. Wagons were built, and as iron was scarce, many of them\nhad wooden tires. Horses and cattle were gathered. It was to be the sixth\nmove of the Saints from their homes, and it was no small undertaking now as\nthere were many thousands of people, and they were to go to a wild, unknown\nland among the deserts and mountains of the West.\n\nThe move began on February 4, 1846, and from that date on there was a\ncontinuous stream of wagons crossing the Mississippi river to the Iowa\nside. A camp was made on Sugar creek, nine miles from Nauvoo, where the\nSaints gathered. Towards the last of the month the weather became very\ncold, the river froze over so that teams could be driven across on the ice.\nIt was a bad time of the year to begin such a move. Many of the Saints were\npoorly clad, some had no tents or wagon covers, and in the snow and cold\nthere was much suffering; but on the Saints went, looking with sad hearts\non their deserted homes; but rather would they face the winter storms and\ncold than to live in constant dread of cruel mobs.\n\nTopics.--1. Presiding authority in the Church. 2. The Twelve sustained.\n3. Action of Sidney Rigdon. 4. Mobbings. 5. The removal.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Where were Joseph and Hyrum buried? 2. What\nwere the feelings of the Saints? 3. Why were the Saints troubled about a\nleader? 4. Where were most of the Twelve at the time of the martyrdom? 5.\nWhen the First Presidency is taken away, what is the next presiding\nauthority in the Church? 6. What did Sidney Rigdon want? 7. What testimony\nwas given the Saints at the meeting on August 8th? 8. What became of Sidney\nRigdon? 9. What did the enemies of the Church expect to do by killing\nJoseph Smith? 10. Who first planned the move to the mountains? 11. Tell\nabout the work of the mobs. 12. Why did the Saints work so hard to finish\nthe temple, knowing they would have to leave it? 13. When did the move\nwestward begin?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXVI.\n\nTHE BATTLE OF NAUVOO.\n\n\nLeaving the main body of the Saints traveling westward, in this chapter I\nwish to tell you about what happened to those who remained in Nauvoo; and\nby the way, this is the last chapter of this little history in which mobs\nwill play an important part.\n\nIn the summer of 1846 there were about six hundred Saints in Nauvoo, most\nof whom had been unable to get away. Many were poor, some were sick, and\nthere were many old people and children. Many non-\"Mormons\" had bought\nproperty from the Saints who had left, and had moved into the city. The mob\ncalled these friendly citizens \"Jack Mormons.\"\n\nNaturally, one would think that these few Saints would be left to get ready\nto move in peace; but not so. If there is any doubt of the brutal character\nof the mob, what they now did will remove that doubt forever.\n\nOn July 11, eight brethren were engaged in cutting grain in a field twelve\nmiles from Nauvoo. A mob surrounded them, and then taking them one by one,\nwhipped them severely. Two of these mobbers were afterwards arrested, and\nto get even for this, the mob carried away five other brethren who were\nabused by the mobbers for twelve days before they were released.\n\nThe next move of the mob was to get writs of arrest for many persons in\nNauvoo. A John Carlin was unlawfully appointed a constable to serve these\nwrits, that is, make the arrests, and he raised a large body of men to help\nhim; but behind all this, the real object was to drive the remaining\n\"Mormons\" from the city.\n\nGovernor Ford was now notified of the actions of these mobbers, and he sent\nMajor Parker to Nauvoo, who was to raise volunteers and defend the city.\nFour companies of troops were organized by the governor's order; but\ninstead of treating the invaders as they truly were, a mob, Major Parker\nmade a treaty with their leader in which it was agreed that the \"Mormons\"\nwould leave the state within sixty days. The mob leader thought this fair\nenough, but the mobbers did not. At this, their leader resigned and a man\nby the name of Brockman took command of the crowd. He gave the order to\nmarch towards Nauvoo, which they gladly did.\n\nOn the morning of September 10th, 1846, the watchman in the tower of the\ntemple gave notice that the enemy were coming 1,000 or 1,500 strong. They\nhad cannon, plenty of ammunition, and came like an army ready for battle.\nMany of the new citizens fled, and the little band of defenders numbered\nonly one hundred and twenty-three men.\n\nMeanwhile, a committee had come from Quincy to try to settle the troubles\nwithout bloodshed. Although with them were Major Flood, sent by the\ngovernor, and Mr. Wood, mayor of Quincy, the mob paid no attention to them,\nand so they could do nothing.\n\nThere seemed no prospect but that the citizens would have to defend\nthemselves as best they could. Benjamin Clifford took command of the\nvolunteers, and Captain William Anderson organized a small body of\nsharpshooters called the Spartan Band. As cannon were badly needed, the\nbrethren got two hollow steamboat shafts, cut them in two, plugged up one\nend, and thus made some cannon. They had no cannon balls, but they used\nscraps of iron and lead tied up into bags.\n\nOn Friday, the 11th, the mob drew up to the city and began firing. They\nwere met by the \"Mormon\" troops with their home-made cannon, which\nsurprised the mobbers very much, and they were compelled to stop their\nadvance.\n\nOn Saturday, the 12th, a flag of truce was brought into the city, and with\nit a note to the commander at Nauvoo, stating that if they did not\nsurrender they would have to take the consequences. Major Clifford replied\nthat he had been sent by the governor to uphold the laws and that he was\ngoing to do it, advising Brockman to disband his men.\n\nThe Nauvoo citizens had held their position during the night and had thrown\nup some breastworks. The next day the battle waged fiercer than ever, but\nthe Nauvoo boys held their ground and the mob could not get in. Twelve\nmobbers were wounded. The first one killed among the defenders was Augustus\nAnderson, a \"Mormon\" boy fourteen years old. He left his mother that\nmorning saying he would fight for her, and went along with his father,\nCaptain William Anderson. Augustus was struck by a cannon ball, and died in\na few minutes. Shortly after Captain Anderson was also hit.\n\n\"I am wounded,\" he cried. \"Take my gun and shoot on.\"\n\nDavid Norris was also killed, and a number of other brethren wounded.\n\nFor six days that little band of brave defenders kept the mob at bay; and\neven when it was seen to be useless to keep the fight up longer, many were\nin favor of doing so.\n\nOn the 16th a treaty was made. The city was to surrender. The citizens were\nnot to be molested, and the sick and helpless were to be protected. The\n\"Mormons\" were to leave as soon as possible.\n\nThe mob forces entered the city on the 17th; but it was the same old story.\nThey thought no more of promises or of the treaty. Bands of men went\nthrough the city, stealing, insulting, and in every way abusing the people.\nA gang went through the temple and up to the tower where they rang the\nbell, yelled and shouted. A preacher who was in the mob went up to the top\nof the tower and cried in a loud voice:\n\n\"Peace! peace! peace! to the inhabitants of the earth, now the 'Mormons'\nare driven!\"\n\nThe poor Saints had to get away as fast as they could. Some went north,\nsome south, but most of them crossed the river and camped on the low\nbottoms of the Mississippi in Iowa. I shall not attempt to tell you of the\nsufferings of these poor people; weak, sick hungry, cold, and wet. It would\nmake your heart ache to see the picture, one of the saddest in all our\nhistory.\n\nAt this time, when it seemed as though these people would starve to death,\na strange thing happened. Great flocks of quail came flying into camp. They\nflew against the wagons with such force that they were killed or stunned,\nso that they could be picked up. They also alighted all over the camp and\nwere so tame that they could be taken by the hand. Thus the Lord sent food\nto his hungry children.\n\nIf you wish to read a very interesting account of this removal from Nauvoo,\nread Colonel Kane's lecture, found in many of our larger histories.[2]\n\nTopics.--1. Nauvoo after the main body of Saints had left. 2. The Battle\nof Nauvoo. 3. The remnant driven out.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. About how many Saints were left in Nauvoo? 2.\nWho were the \"Jack Mormons?\" 3. Tell of the mob's doings. 4. Who was John\nCarlin? 5. What did he do? 6. Who was Major Parker? 7. What did he have\norders to do? 8. Describe the mobbing party. 9. Tell about the Nauvoo\nvolunteers. 10. Who were William and Augustus Anderson? 11. How long did\nthe defenders hold out? 12. What was agreed upon in the treaty of peace?\n13. Describe the actions of the mob in Nauvoo. 14. To where were the Saints\ndriven? 15. What was their condition? 16. How were they fed? 17. Who wrote\nan interesting account of this exodus?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXVII.\n\nWESTWARD.\n\n\nThe moving of a nation! What a task it must have been!\n\nMost of you have had some experience in moving, it may be only a family\nmoving from one house to another, and you know what a lot of worry and work\nthere are in such a small affair; but here was a nation moving!\n\nThis great exodus was very much like the time when the children of Israel\nwent from under the oppression of Egypt out into the wilderness to journey\nto the promised land. When at Nauvoo, Brigham Young said to the Saints: \"To\nyour tents, O Israel,\" they knew they had another Moses to lead them from\ntheir persecutors.\n\nThe camp at Sugar creek grew larger every day through the arrival of exiles\nfrom Nauvoo. Many did not bring provisions enough with them, so that they\nwere forced to go to the neighboring farms and settlements and work for\ncorn.\n\nThe first move the camp made was on March 1, 1846, when four hundred wagons\nstarted forward. Five miles only was traveled that day, and when they\ncamped, the snow had to be shovelled away where they pitched their tents.\n\nFrom that time the Saints moved slowly westward across the territory of\nIowa. As they advanced, the spring rains came and often drenched the\ntravelers through. The ground now became very muddy, and it was so hard for\nthe poor teams that some days only a few miles were traveled. Sometimes\ntheir camping places were so wet that they who slept on the ground would\nhave to lay on branches of trees so that they would not sink into the mud.\n\nAt first there was very little feed for their animals, and they had to live\non the bark and twigs of trees, with what, corn could be spared for them.\nMany horses were traded for oxen, as they could stand such hardship better.\nTrips were made to the nearest settlements to buy food. Those who had no\nmoney traded what they could spare, such as dishes and feather beds for\ncorn.\n\nFor the first few weeks there was not much order in their way of traveling;\nbut on March 27th the Saints were more perfectly organized. Brigham Young\nwas sustained as president of the whole camp. Then captains were appointed\nover hundreds, over fifties, and over tens. Clerks were chosen to keep the\nrecords, etc., and men were called to see to the buying and distributing of\nthe food. Thus every one had something to do and everything was done in\norder.\n\n[Illustration: A PIONEER TRAIN.]\n\nOften in the evening when supper had been eaten, the logs were piled on the\nbonfire, a space was cleared, the musicians brought out their instruments,\nand the sorrows and hardships of the day were forgotten in the innocent\ndance.\n\nThe camp always rested on Sundays, and if the weather would permit,\nmeetings were held.\n\nOn April 24th a point on Grand river was reached, one hundred and\nforty-five miles north-west from Nauvoo. Here it was decided to form a\nsettlement--to build houses and plant crops, that those who came after\nwould have food and a stopping place. The settlement was called Garden\nGrove. Soon it was as lively as a hive of bees. Hundreds of men were busy\nmaking fence rails and fences, building houses, digging wells, clearing\nland, and plowing. Meetings were held often and the people were instructed\nand encouraged. Parley P. Pratt and a small company were sent ahead to find\nanother location for a settlement. They found a beautiful place about\nthirty miles from Garden Grove, which they called Mount Pisgah. Here houses\nwere also built, and farms and gardens planted. As many of the Saints were\npoor and sick they rested at these two settlements while the main body went\non.\n\nFrom Mount Pisgah the country was wild Indian lands, there being no white\nsettlements or roads. The spring rains had now moderated so that the roads\nwere better. On June 14th President Young and the leading companies arrived\nat the Missouri river, where a stop was made. Most of the companies came up\nin July. A camp was made on the east side of the river on some high land\ncalled Council Bluffs.\n\nThis was on Indian land, but the travelers were received kindly and given\npermission to stop.\n\nPresident Young intended to send a body of picked men into the Rocky\nMountains as soon as possible to locate a gathering place. They were to\npush on ahead that summer and put in crops. Arrangements were being made\nto this end, when something happened that put a stop to the plan. This was\nthe call for the Mormon Battalion, about which I will tell you in the next\nchapter.\n\nAfter five hundred of their best men had marched away to fight the battles\nof their country, it was impossible for the Saints to get to the mountains\nthat year. So it was decided to make a third stopping place and remain\nthere during the winter.\n\nThere being a good location for a town on the west bank of the Missouri\nriver, that place was selected and named Winter Quarters. The town was laid\nout regularly into streets, and log houses were built. Some made dugouts in\nthe sides of the hill, which were quite comfortable during the cold winter.\nAs the Indians were troublesome on that side of the river a stockade was\nbuilt around the town. By December, 1846, five hundred and thirty-eight log\nhouses and eighty-three sod houses were built, inhabited by three thousand\nfour hundred and eighty-three people. The town was divided into twenty-two\nwards, each presided over by a bishop. A large log house was built in which\nmeetings and parties were held.\n\nThe food of the people that winter consisted largely of corn-bread and\npork. President Young had a grist mill built, but before that time many ate\nboiled wheat, and ground their corn in coffee mills.\n\nBecause of hardships and poor food there was much sickness at all the\nsettlements. Graves marked the prairie for hundreds of miles. At Winter\nQuarters alone over six hundred were buried.\n\nThe poor Saints who were left at Nauvoo were not forgotten. After they had\nbeen driven from Nauvoo, they were met by teams from Winter Quarters, and\nall who wished to go were taken to the camps of the Saints.\n\nPerhaps you may get an idea of this great move when you are told that\nduring that summer there were about two thousand wagons and ten thousand\nSaints on the way between Nauvoo and Council Bluffs.\n\nTopics.--1. From Nauvoo to Garden Grove. 2. Garden Grove and Mount\nPisgah. 3. Winter Quarters.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. What might this last move of the Saints be\nlikened to? 2. After leaving Nauvoo where was the first stopping place? 3.\nWhen did the camp start west? 4. What hindered the traveling? 5. How was\nthe camp organized? 6. What did the Saints do for amusement? 7. Where were\nGarden Grove and Mount Pisgah? 8. What was the object in making these\nsettlements? 9. What prevented a band of pioneers from going to the\nmountains that summer? 10. Where was Winter Quarters? 11. Describe the\nplace. 12. About how many people were traveling across Iowa that summer?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXVIII.\n\nTHE MORMON BATTALION.\n\n\nDuring the summer of 1846 the United States was at war with the republic of\nMexico. A number of battles had been fought in Texas. What is now\nCalifornia, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona belonged to Mexico, and as President\nPolk desired to get this large district of country for the United States,\nhe sent soldiers westward to the Pacific ocean.\n\nThe \"Mormon\" people traveling from Nauvoo had asked President Polk for\nassistance in their journey to the west. They said they wanted to remain\nunder the protection of the government, and were willing to aid in holding\nthe western country for the United States.\n\nIn the month of June, 1846, Captain James Allen, an officer of the United\nStates army arrived at Mount Pisgah, Iowa. What he wanted was five hundred\nmen with which to form a battalion and march across the continent to\nCalifornia, and take part in the war with Mexico.\n\nThis was startling news indeed. The Saints had not expected this kind of\n\"help\" in their journeying through the wilderness. Many of the Saints\nlooked upon the call as a plan to destroy them. You can hardly blame them\nfor that, can you, knowing some of their past history?\n\nBut President Young and the leading brethren told the officer he should\nhave his men. They thought it was a test to see if they were true to their\ncountry. Though it was a pretty hard test, thus to take their best and\nstrongest men away from such a camp as theirs, yet the \"Mormon\" people\nwould show to the government and to the whole world that they were loyal to\ntheir country, even though that country had failed to protect them in their\nrights to live in peace and worship God.\n\nAt a meeting held at Council Bluffs it was decided to raise the men asked\nfor. Brigham Young and the Twelve took an active part in getting\nvolunteers. Word was sent to the different settlements of the Saints. The\nstars and stripes were hoisted to a tree top, and the work of enrollment\nbegan. Within three days the little army was organized and ready for the\nmarch. Then they had a grand farewell party, held, not in some beautifully\nlighted ball room, but in a bowery, where the ground had been packed hard\nby the tread of many feet. There fathers and mothers and brothers and\nsisters and sweethearts said their goodbyes to each other.\n\nAnd then the long, dreary march began. The story of that march would fill\na book, so of course very little of it can be told here. If you would like\nto read more about it, you will find it in Brother Tyler's \"History of the\nMormon Battalion.\"\n\nThere were five hundred and forty-nine souls in the Battalion. Captain\nJames Allen was the commander. They started on their march July 20, 1846,\nto Fort Leavenworth, where they received their guns and other things\nnecessary for an army. At this point Captain Allen died, which made the men\nfeel bad, as he was a good, kind officer.\n\nThe Battalion began to move from Fort Leavenworth on the 12th of August.\nYou may see their line of march by looking at the map on page 128. After\nsuffering much hardship, they reached Santa Fe, October 9th. Here Colonel\nCooke took the command. As many of the soldiers as were too sick to go on\nwere sent to Pueblo, where they remained all winter, and traveled to Salt\nLake valley the next summer. The main body of the Battalion left Santa Fe,\nOctober 19th, for California. At Tucson they expected to have a battle with\nsome Mexican soldiers, and prepared for it, but they marched through the\ncity without being disturbed. From Tucson they continued over the deserts,\nand arrived at San Diego, January 29, 1847, where they saw the broad, blue,\nocean, many of them for the first time.\n\nThe Battalion remained in and around San Diego for about two weeks. As\nthere was no fighting to be done, the men built houses, dug wells, made\nbrick, and helped build up the town. On March 19th most of them marched to\nLos Angeles, and on the 16th of July they were mustered out, having served\ntheir full time--one year.\n\nOf this great march Colonel Cooke their commander wrote:\n\n\"History may be searched in vain for an equal march of infantry;\nnine-tenths of it through a wilderness, where nothing but savages and wild\nbeasts are found, or deserts, where for want of water, there is no living\ncreature. There, with almost hopeless labor we have dug deep wells. Without\na guide we have crossed the wilderness, we have ventured into trackless\nprairies, where water was not found for several marches. With crowbar and\npickax in hand we have worked our way over mountains, which seemed to defy\naught but the wild goat, and hewed a passage through a chasm of rock, more\nnarrow than our wagons.\"\n\nAfter their release, most of the men took up their march for home. Perhaps\nit would be more correct to say to find their families and friends, as they\ndid not have any home yet. They journeyed northward in California and then\ncrossed the mountains to Salt Lake valley where most of them arrived in\nOctober, 1847. From there many went right on to Winter Quarters to their\nfamilies.\n\nA number of the Battalion men remained in California to earn a little\nmoney. Some got work with a Captain Sutter who had a large ranch on the\nAmerican fork of the Sacramento river. The \"Mormons\" with some others were\nset to work building a mill, and it was here while digging in the mill race\nthat gold was discovered in California. Some of the brethren carried away a\nfew hundred dollars' worth when they went to Salt Lake Valley the next\nsummer.\n\nTopics.--1. The call for the Mormon Battalion. 2. Its march. 3. Discovery\nof Gold.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Who was Captain James Allen? 2. What did he\nwant of the \"Mormons?\" 3. What was the Battalion wanted for? 4. What did\nPresident Young say? 5. What did many of the Saints think of the call? 6.\nWhy was it a hardship on the Saints at that time to furnish five hundred\nsoldiers? 7. Describe the line of march of the Battalion. 8. How long did\nit take them? 9. How far was it? 10. What kind of journey was it? 11. What\ndid Colonel Cooke say about it? 12. What did the Battalion men do in\nCalifornia? 13. What happened at Nauvoo in the summer of 1846, when the\nBattalion was on the march?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXIX.\n\nTHE PIONEERS.\n\n\nWhile the Saints were in Winter Quarters during the winter of 1846-7 they\nwere busily preparing for the march to the mountains next spring. Men for\nthe advance company were selected, and on April 7, 1847, they began to move\nout of Winter Quarters to a place westward, where they were to gather. Ten\ndays later the first or pioneer camp, was ready for marching. The idea was\nto have twelve times twelve men, but one became sick and had to return, so\nthat left one hundred and forty-three. There were besides the men three\nwomen and two children. They had seventy-two wagons, ninety-three horses,\nfifty-two mules, sixty-six oxen, nineteen cows, seventeen dogs, and some\nchickens.\n\nFor three months and seventeen days this company traveled westward over\nplains and mountains. During the first part of their journey they sometimes\nfollowed a wagon road to Oregon, and sometimes they made new roads. The\nshallow rivers they forded, the deep ones they built bridges over, and the\nlarge ones they crossed in ferry boats which they built. After these\nferries had been built the pioneers sometimes took over companies on their\nway to Oregon and received provisions for their pay.\n\n[Illustration: MAP OF PIONEER ROUTE.]\n\nThe map will show you the route they took better than can be told here.\n\nThe pioneers did not know exactly where they were to locate. It was to be\nin some valley of the Rocky mountains where they could live in peace, free\nfrom mobs. When President Young was asked as to their destination, all he\ncould say was that he would know the place when he should see it, and that\nthey should continue to travel the way the Spirit of the Lord directed\nthem.\n\nOn their journey they often met scouts and trappers. One of the best known\nof these was Col. James Bridger. He had been all through the valley of the\nGreat Salt Lake, he said, and he told the pioneers that they could not live\nthere, as nothing would grow. So sure was he of this that he offered to\ngive a thousand dollars for the first bushel of corn they could raise in\nthat valley. President Young simply said, \"Wait a little and we will show\nyou.\"\n\nWhen they left the plains and got up in the mountains some of them became\nsick with the mountain fever. Among those ailing was President Young. He\nbecame so bad that he could not travel, so when they were in Echo canyon he\ninstructed Orson Pratt to take the main company on and he with a few men\nwould remain for a few days.\n\nThe main company, therefore, went on down Echo canyon, up Weber valley, and\nacross the mountains, coming down into Salt Lake valley through Emigration\ncanyon. President Young had told them that when they got to the open\ncountry on crossing the mountain they were to go to the north and stop at\nthe first convenient place for putting in their seeds. This the company\ndid, and on the 23rd of July they camped on the ground where now stands the\nbeautiful city and county building in Salt Lake City. After offering up\ntheir thanks to God for his preserving care, they at once got out their\ntools and began to work. The season was so far advanced that if they were\nto raise anything they must hurry. When they tried to plow the land, they\nfound it so dry and hard that some of the plows were broken. What could\nthey do? Then the thought came to turn the water in the creek over the land\nand soak it up. This was done, and then there was no trouble to plow and\nplant. This was the beginning of irrigation in this western part of the\nUnited States.\n\nPresident Young and his party followed the next day. President Wilford\nWoodruff was with him and we will let him tell of it:\n\n\"On the 24th I drove my carriage, with President Young lying on a bed in\nit, into the open valley. When we came out of the canyon into full view of\nthe valley, I turned the side of my carriage around, open to the west, and\nPresident Young arose from his bed and took a look at the country. While\ngazing on the scene before us, he was enwrapped in vision for several\nminutes. He had seen the valley before in vision, and now he saw the future\nglory of Zion and of Israel as they would be, planted in the valleys of\nthese mountains. When the vision had passed, he said:\n\n\"'It is enough. This is the right place. Drive on.'\"\n\nOn August 26th, President Young and a company of one hundred and seven\npersons, started on the return trip to Winter Quarters. On the Sweetwater\nriver they met two large companies of Saints on the way to the valley,\nfollowing the trail of the pioneers. There was great rejoicing, as the\nSaints now for the first time knew where they were to locate. These\ncompanies arrived safely in Salt Lake valley in September and October.\n\nPresident Young and company arrived at Winter Quarters October 31. All was\nwell with the Saints, and they were prospering.\n\nAnd now a very important event took place. From the death of Joseph the\nProphet up to this time the Church had been led by the Twelve. Now it was\ndecided to reorganize the First Presidency, and at a meeting held in Winter\nQuarters, December 5, 1847, the Twelve chose Brigham Young as President of\nthe Church. He chose Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards as his\ncounselors, and these now became the First Presidency. This action of the\nTwelve was sustained at a conference of the Church on the 27th.\n\nThus the work prospered. Many meetings were held, and the Church was set in\norder. Missionaries were sent to the world, and the Saints, now that they\nhad another gathering place, began to flock towards the new Zion in the\nmountains. Winter Quarters was deserted and a new settlement founded across\nthe river. It was called Kanesville (now Council Bluffs) in honor of Thomas\nL. Kane who did many kind acts for the Saints.\n\nIn the spring of 1848 the Saints on the Missouri river were busy getting\nready for the move to the mountains. They started about the beginning of\nJune, organized into three large companies, all led by President Young.\nAltogether there were 2,417 people, 793 wagons, herds of horses and cattle,\na great many sheep, pigs, chickens, etc. Here was surely, if not a nation,\na whole city moving. They followed in the trail of the first companies and\narrived in Great Salt Lake valley in September and October.\n\nTopics.--1. The march of the pioneers. 2. Arrival in Salt Lake valley. 3.\nThe reorganization of the First Presidency. 4. The main companies.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. How many persons were in the first or pioneer\ncompany? 2. What was the object of the company? 3. How long were they on\nthe journey? 4. Describe their route. (See map). 5. What did trappers and\nhunters say of Salt Lake valley? 6. When did the main body reach Salt Lake\nvalley? 7. When did President Young arrive? 8. What did he say about the\nplace? 9. Why did the pioneers know very little about irrigation? 10. Who\nreturned to Winter Quarters? 11. Whom did they meet? 12. What took place\nDecember 5, 1847? 13. Where was Kanesville? 14. What took place during the\nsummer of 1848?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER. XXX.\n\nGREAT SALT LAKE CITY.\n\n\nThe 25th of July, 1847, came on a Sunday, therefore the pioneers rested and\nheld meetings.\n\nMonday morning work began in earnest. Plowing and planting had to be\nhurried. Exploring parties were also sent out in different directions to\nbecome acquainted with the country.\n\nOn the evening of July 28th President Young, accompanied by the Apostles,\nwent some distance from the camp to select a spot from which to begin\nbuilding the city. Arriving at a good location, President Young stopped,\nand, striking his cane in the earth, he said: \"Here will be the temple of\nour God\"--and on that spot the temple stands today. It was then decided to\nlay out the city north, east, south, and west from the temple site, in ten\nacre blocks, the streets to be eight rods wide and the sidewalks twenty\nfeet. Some time after this it was named Great Salt Lake City.\n\nYou will call to mind that some of the Mormon Battalion, owing to sickness,\ndid not march through to California. This company, together with some\nSaints from the state of Mississippi, arrived at the pioneer camp on July\n29th, thus making quite an addition to the company. The first building of\nany kind erected in the valley by the Saints was a bowery built on the\ntemple block by the Battalion men. This was used for some time in which to\nhold meetings.\n\nIt was decided not to settle on the city lots at first, but build a fort\nwith houses in as a protection from the Indians. The houses were built of\nlogs, and stood in a row, close together, which formed one side of the\nfort. The other three sides were built of adobe walls. The roofs of the\nhouses were made of soil. The windows and doors faced the inside. Though\nbetter than living all the winter in tents and wagons, you may imagine\nthese houses were not very comfortable, especially when the rain came\nthrough the roofs onto beds, tables, stoves, etc.\n\n[Illustration: SALT LAKE VALLEY IN 1847.]\n\nA conference was held in the bowery on Sunday, August 22nd, where\nconsiderable business was attended to. The Salt Lake Stake of Zion was\norganized, with John Smith as president. It was shortly after this that\nPresident Young and his company went back to Winter Quarters.\n\nThe next addition to the settlement was the Mormon Battalion from\nCalifornia.\n\nAt the coming of winter all moved into the fort. That season the winter was\nmild, so quite an amount of work was done outside.\n\nThe spring of 1848 opened with fine prospects ahead. Five thousand acres of\nland were planted, and the grain was growing rapidly; but another trial was\nat hand. In May and June great swarms of crickets came from the mountains\nand began to devour every growing thing. The settlers fought them as best\nthey were able, but what could be done with such countless millions of\ninsects! It seemed hopeless. Their crops were fast disappearing, and with\nthem their means of living through the next year. Remember, they were a\nthousand miles from any other people, with mountains and deserts between\nthem. They could not get food from other places. They would have to raise\nit or to starve.\n\nWhen they had about given up hope, there came great flocks of white birds\nfrom the lake. They settled on the fields and began eating the crickets.\nThey would eat all they were able, then vomit, and eat again. This they did\nday after day until the crickets were destroyed and part of the crop was\nsaved.\n\n[Illustration: IN THE OLD FORT.]\n\nThat fall President Young with the main body of Saints arrived from the\nEast. There were now about five thousand people in the valley, and\nprospects were not very encouraging, owing to the small crop raised. Food\nwas scarce, as also was clothing. Many people lived for weeks on \"greens\"\nand the roots of the sego and thistle. A kind of soup was made by cooking\nraw-hides. Yet in the midst of these times Heber C. Kimball declared in a\npublic meeting that it would not be three years before \"states goods\" would\nbe sold in Salt Lake cheaper than in St. Louis. No one at that time could\nsee how it could be possible, but the prophecy was fulfilled within a year,\nand it was in this way: That winter gold was discovered in California, and\nearly the next summer great companies of men came flocking from the east on\ntheir way to the gold mines. Salt Lake City was a sort of half way house.\nThese gold seekers were heavily laden with all manner of goods, but being\nanxious to get to California as soon as possible they traded to the people\nin Salt Lake City their goods for lighter wagons, fresh horses, etc. Thus a\ngreat deal of merchandise was brought to the valley, and Brother Kimball's\nprophecy was fulfilled.\n\nThe city had now been laid out into blocks, and lots were given to the\nsettlers. Some built houses and moved in that fall, but most of the people\nremained in the fort until the spring of 1849.\n\nThe city now began to grow rapidly, as companies of Saints were continually\ncoming from the east. In February, 1849, the city was divided into nineteen\nwards and a bishop appointed over each. On the 12th of the same month the\nfour vacancies in the quorum of the Twelve Apostles were filled by the\ncalling of Charles C. Rich, Lorenzo Snow, Erastus Snow, and Franklin D.\nRichards to the apostleship.\n\nThus the Church was firmly established again, this time in the peaceful\nvalleys of the mountains, away from the persecution of its enemies and the\nanger of mobs.\n\nTopics.--1. Locating the temple and city. 2. The fort. 3. The crickets\nand gulls. 4. Hard times. 5. Heber C. Kimball's prophecy.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. How did President Young locate the temple\nspot? 2. How was the city laid out? 3. What was the first building in the\nvalley? 4. Describe a bowery. 5. What was the fort? 6. Describe it. 7. Who\nwas the first stake president in Utah? 8. What happened in the spring of\n1848? 9. How were the crops saved? 10. Why was food so scarce in 1848? 11.\nWhat kinds of food were eaten? 12. What was Heber C. Kimball's prophecy?\n13. How was it fulfilled? 14. How was the city built up? 15. What apostles\nwere chosen February 12, 1849?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXI.\n\nGROWTH OF UTAH AND THE CHURCH.\n\n\nAs you were told in the last chapter, among the first things done by the\npioneers was to send exploring parties out to find other locations for\nsettlement. They knew that thousands of Saints would follow them to their\nnew home, and room must be had for them.\n\nIn the first company that followed the pioneers was Peregrine Sessions. He,\nwith some others, moved north from the pioneer camp and settled in what is\nnow Davis county. Further north, at the junction of the Weber and Ogden\nrivers, there lived, before the pioneers came, a trapper and trader by the\nname of Goodyear. He claimed a large area of land, nearly all of what is\nnow Weber county, saying that the Mexican government had granted it to him.\nThis claim he sold in 1847 to Captain James Brown of the Mormon Battalion\nfor the sum of $3,000. In the spring of 1848, Captain Brown with his sons\nmoved to the new location and began putting in crops. They were told that\nfrost would kill the corn before it could ripen, but they worked on, and in\nthe fall reaped a large harvest. Soon other families moved in, to whom\nCaptain Brown gave land. Thus Ogden city and Weber county had their\nbeginning.\n\nEarly in the spring of 1849, the first settlers moved south from Salt Lake\nCity. They consisted of thirty families led by John S. Higbee, one of the\npioneers. They settled on Provo river, built a fort for protection, and\nthen began plowing and planting. There were quite a number of Indians in\nthat part. Their head chief was Sowiette, and under him was Chief Walker.\nThe first was a kind Indian who wished to live in peace with the whites;\nbut not so with Walker who delighted in stealing and fighting.\n\nFor some months everything went well with the Provo settlers, but in the\nfall the Indians began stealing, and once in awhile an arrow came\nuncomfortably near some settler when away from the fort. At length a party\nof men who were out searching for stolen cattle, had a fight with a band of\nIndians in which five of the savages were killed.\n\nThe settlers in the fort were now continually annoyed, until in February,\n1850, a company of militia was sent from Salt Lake City to their aid. A\nfierce battle ensued, in which a number were killed on both sides, and the\nIndians were scattered to the mountains.\n\nIt was President Young's policy not to harm the Indians if possible, saying\nthat it was cheaper to feed them than to fight them. But even this kind\npolicy did not altogether prevent trouble with these wild people. In 1853,\nthe Indians, led by Chief Walker, made war on the southern settlements,\nwith the result that about twenty whites and a great many Indians were\nkilled.\n\nAt the close of the war with Mexico all this western country became a part\nof the United States. At a convention held in Salt Lake City, March 4,\n1849, the people asked Congress for a territorial organization. Later, a\npetition was sent asking to be admitted into the Union under the name of\n\"The State of Deseret.\" Until Congress could act, a temporary government\nwas formed which existed for nearly two years. President Young was elected\ngovernor, and there were the other officers usually found in a state.\nSeptember 9, 1850, Congress passed an act organizing Utah Territory.\nPresident Millard Fillmore appointed Brigham Young as governor. Out of the\nsix other officers, three were \"Mormons,\" and three non-\"Mormons\" from the\nEast.\n\nAt a conference held in Salt Lake City, October 6, 1849, a number of elders\nwere called to new mission fields. John Taylor, Curtis E. Bolton, and John\nPack were sent to France; Erastus Snow and Peter O. Hansen to Denmark; John\nForsgren to Sweden; Lorenzo Snow and Joseph Toronto to Italy; Addison\nPratt, James S. Brown, and Hiram H. Blackwell, to the Society Islands.\nBrother Pratt had but recently returned from a five years mission to these\nislands, where twelve hundred souls had been baptized into the Church.\n\nAt the April conference, 1851, Edward Hunter was chosen to succeed Newel K.\nWhitney as bishop of the Church. There were at that time about thirty\nthousand people in Utah.\n\nPresident Young and the Apostles traveled much throughout the Territory,\nlocating settlements, organizing wards and putting the Church in order. At\nthe October conference, 1853, some of the leading brethren were called to\nlocate in different parts of the Territory. Among them were Elders George\nA. Smith and Erastus Snow with fifty families who were called to strengthen\nIron county, and Elder Lorenzo Snow with fifty families to go to Box Elder.\n\nIn the summer of 1854 the grasshoppers did much damage to the crops, and\nagain in 1855 in many parts these insects took every green thing. This\nbrought on another scarcity. There was much suffering and again the people\nwere compelled to live on roots. A number of the brethren had stored up\nsome grain which they now shared with those who had none. In this way all\nfared very much alike and the hardships were shared by all.\n\nIn the winter of 1856 a very sad thing happened. That year some emigrants\ncame to Utah in handcart companies. Small, two wheeled carts were made at\nthe place of starting in Iowa. On these carts were loaded baggage and\nprovisions, and the men and boys pulled them across the plains. Sometimes\nthe women and girls helped. A few ox teams usually hauled the heaviest\nloads in wagons, and in this way the Saints walked and pulled their carts\nover the thirteen hundred miles of their journey. This plan succeeded very\nwell for those who started early and reached the valley in good time, but a\nnumber of companies started too late and were caught in fierce snow storms\nin the mountains. Many of these poor travelers died from hunger and cold,\nand if it had not been for some of the brethren who came out from Salt Lake\nto their help, no doubt most of them would have perished.\n\nTopics.--1. Making settlements. 2. Trouble with the Indians. 3.\nOrganizing Utah Territory. 4. Famine of 1855-6. 5. The handcart companies.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Where was the second settlement in Utah made?\n2. When and by whom was Ogden settled? 3. Tell about the settlement of\nProvo. 4. What trouble did the Provo settlers have? 5. What was President\nYoung's Indian policy? 6. Who was Chief Walker? 7. What was done March 4,\n1849? 8. What did the people wish to name the state? 9. When was Utah\nTerritory organized? 10. Who was the first governor? 11. Name the first\nmissionaries to France; to Denmark; to Sweden; to Italy; to the Society\nIslands. 12. Tell something about these missions. 13. Tell about the work\nof the Church leaders in making settlements, etc. 14. What was the cause of\nthe famine in 1855-6? 15. What were the handcart companies?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXII.\n\nTHE \"UTAH WAR.\"\n\n\nThe president of the United States appoints the leading officers of a\nterritory. Many of the officers sent to Utah by the president were good men\nand did justice to \"Mormon\" and Gentile alike; but some were men who could\nsee no good in the Saints, and were therefore always trying to oppress\nthem. Such men were Judges Stiles and Drummond, and Secretary Ferris, who\nwere in Utah in 1856. At last they left the territory and sent in a report\nto the president. In it Judge Drummond said that the \"Mormons\" were\ntraitors to the United States, and would not obey its laws; that they had a\nsecret organization whose duty it was to murder all who opposed them; that\nthe court records had been burned; that the government officials were in\ndanger of their lives, etc. Like reports were made by other persons, and\nthe result was that a strong feeling was created in the East against the\npeople of Utah.\n\nOn the 24th of July, 1857, the people of Salt Lake City were having a grand\ncelebration in Big Cottonwood canyon. They were having a happy time. The\nband played, the choirs sang, the cannon roared, while the Stars and\nStripes waved from trees and mountain peaks. Suddenly four dusty travelers\nrode into the camp. They brought news from the East, and startling news it\nwas: the president of the United States had sent an army to Utah to\nestablish law and order among the \"Mormons!\"\n\nIn the evening the Saints were called together, and the news was told them.\nPresident Young spoke with power. \"We have transgressed no law, neither do\nwe intend to,\" said he; \"but as for any nation coming to destroy this\npeople, God Almighty being my helper, it shall not be.\"\n\nTwo thousand five hundred soldiers were on the march to Utah. General\nHarney was appointed commander, but he was succeeded by Colonel Albert\nSidney Johnston. With the army came the new set of officers which the\npresident had appointed for the territory.\n\nIn the commander's orders it was stated that the people of Utah were in\nrebellion against the United States, and that it was the duty of the army\nto restore the authority of the government and aid and protect the new\nofficers in the discharge of their duties. On the 8th of September Captain\nVan Vliet arrived in Salt Lake City from the army. He told President Young\nthat their intentions were not to harm the people in any way. President\nYoung replied that he had had experience with military bodies in Missouri\nand Illinois, and he knew what the \"Mormons\" could expect. The captain\ntried to show President Young how useless it would be for a few \"Mormons\"\nto resist a nation like the United States. Even if they prevented the army\nfrom entering the valley that year, more soldiers would be sent in the\nspring.\n\n\"We are aware that such will be the case,\" replied the president; \"but when\nthose troops arrive they will find Utah a desert; every house will be\nburned to the ground, every tree cut down, and every field laid waste.\"\n\nThe captain was deeply impressed, but such were really the intentions of\nthe Saints. They could not trust the troops, and they did not intend to\nsubmit tamely to such scenes as they had passed through in Far West and\nNauvoo. They were not in rebellion, and if the president had simply sent\nsome one to investigate, he would have found out that truth; but he had\nacted on the spur of the moment, and the troops were already far on the\nway. If they could be checked for a time until the truth could be learned,\nthe danger of a conflict might be averted; but if not, then, said President\nYoung, and the people were with him, their homes, fields, and gardens would\nbe destroyed by fire and the Saints would flee to the mountains.\n\nThe army continued its march towards Utah. Col. R.T. Burton was now ordered\nby Gen. Daniel H. Wells, commander of the Utah militia, to take a small\nbody of men and guard the emigrant trains that were coming in. The militia\nto the number of 2,500 men was called into service, and in September, 1857,\nGen. Wells and staff went to Echo canyon and there made their headquarters.\nActive preparations were now made to stop the enemy. Echo canyon, through\nwhich the troops would have to pass, was fortified by trenches and the\nloosening of rocks on the hill sides.\n\nBy this time the army was in what is now Wyoming, and was making for Echo\ncanyon. Small companies of Utah men were sent out to meet them. They were\ninstructed to annoy the invaders as much as possible, to burn the grass,\ndrive off their cattle, etc., but they were to shed no blood if it were\npossible to prevent it. These orders were followed, and many exciting\nencounters and narrow escapes took place. Major Lot Smith, with a small\ncompany of men, at one time rode up to a large wagon train carrying\nsupplies for the army. After capturing the drivers, they set fire to and\ndestroy the whole train. Herds of cattle were driven off to Salt Lake\nvalley, where they were kept during the winter and taken back to the\nsoldiers in the spring.\n\nWinter came early that year, and in the mountains where the armies were,\nthe weather became very cold, with snow and sleet. The government troops\nmade but little progress. They tried hard to reach the valley; but at last\nthey were compelled to stop for the winter in the mountains of western\nWyoming.\n\nThis was all the Utah leaders wanted. Now there would be time for finding\nout the truth. Most of the militia returned home, leaving fifty men as a\nguard in Echo canyon.\n\nWhen the government at Washington heard the news from the seat of the \"war\"\nthere was considerable excitement, and Congress voted to send another army\nto aid the first one. Meanwhile the people of Utah were anxiously waiting\nfor spring and preparing for the conflict which they thought must then\ncome.\n\nTopics.--1. Character of some territorial officials. 2. The army for\nUtah. 3. What the \"Mormons\" thought of the army. 4. How the army was\nstopped.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Who was Judge Drummond? 2. What report did he\nmake to the government about Utah affairs? 3. What led President Buchanan\nto send an army to Utah? 4. What was the object of sending this army? 5.\nWhen did the Saints first hear of it? 6. What did the \"Mormons\" resolve to\ndo? 7. Why could they not trust the army? 8. What did the Utah militia do?\n9. What was the object in annoying the troops? 10. What hindered the troops\nfrom entering Salt Lake valley that year?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXIII.\n\nTHE \"UTAH WAR,\" (CONCLUDED.)\n\n\nWhen that friend of the Latter-day Saints, Colonel, afterwards General\nThomas L. Kane, heard of the troubles in Utah, he left his home in\nPhiladelphia and went to Washington to see the president. Though feeble in\nhealth, he offered to go to Utah and try to settle the difficulties in a\npeaceable manner. The offer was accepted. Colonel Kane arrived in Salt Lake\nCity in February, 1858, where he was gladly received. In the cold and snow\nof that winter he went to the camp of the army and had a talk with the new\ngovernor whom the president had appointed to take Brigham Young's place.\nColonel Kane told the officers with the army that they would be welcomed in\nthe valley and kindly treated, but the troops must not locate in or near\nany settlement of the territory. The Colonel also convinced Governor\nCumming that he had no need of an army to help him take charge of his\noffice, and even prevailed on him to go back to Salt Lake City with him.\n\nTo this, General Johnston of the army was very much opposed. The president\nhad sent him with an army to put the governor into his office, aided by\nsword and cannon; but now, if the governor could enter peaceably upon his\nduties there would be no need of him or his soldiers. The general didn't\nlike it a bit; but nevertheless, Governor Cumming went with Colonel Kane to\nSalt Lake City in charge of some of the Utah militia.\n\nGovernor Cumming was received with the respect due such an officer, and\nduly installed into his position. He found the records and books of the\ncourts safe, and learned that the reports which had led the president to\nsend the army were not true.\n\nThe new governor was a good man. He said the troops would have to come into\nthe valley in the spring, but the people's rights would be respected, and\nno harm should be done to any of them. The Saints, however, could not trust\nthe army. They remembered the scenes of the past, and resolved that they\nshould not be enacted over again in the valleys of Utah. So, early in the\nspring, the order came for all the Saints to pack up their goods, get\ntogether their stock, and move southward, leaving their deserted homes in\nthe care of a few guards who were to set fire to everything should the army\nattempt to locate in the settlements.\n\nOn seeing the Saints thus leaving their hard-earned homes, the kind-hearted\nold governor entreated them not to do so, promising them full protection.\nWhen his wife arrived from the camp of the army and saw the towns lonely\nand deserted, she burst into tears and pleaded with her husband to bring\nthe people back. The governor, however, could do nothing. The 30,000 people\nin Salt Lake City and northward took all their goods and moved south, most\nof them into Utah Valley.\n\nPresident Buchanan, now having learned the true condition of affairs, sent\ntwo gentlemen to arrange for peace. They arrived in Salt Lake in June and\nhad a number of meetings with the leading brethren who came from the south\nfor that purpose. A letter was read from President Buchanan which, after\ntelling of the many crimes committed by the \"Mormons\" against the\ngovernment, offered to pardon all who would submit to the laws. In reply\nPresident Young said that he and his brethren had simply stood up for their\nrights, and they had done nothing to be pardoned for, except, perhaps the\nburning of some government trains, and for that act they accepted the\nPresident's pardon. President Young then said they were willing the troops\nshould come into the country. They might march through the city but they\nwere not to make a camp less than forty miles away. \"No mobs shall live in\nthe homes we have built in these mountains,\" said the president. \"That's\nthe program, gentlemen, whether you like it or not. If you want war, you\ncan have it; but, if you want peace, peace it is; and we shall be glad of\nit.\" After the meetings the brethren went back to the Saints in the south.\n\nJune 26, 1858, \"Johnston's Army,\" marched through Salt Lake City. All day\nlong the troops and trains passed through the city. The only sounds heard\nwas the noise made by the horses' hoofs and the roll of the wagons. The\ncity seemed as if dead. Hardly a person was seen on the streets. Quietly\nand orderly the soldiers marched on. Colonel Cooke, once the commander of\nthe Mormon Battalion, bared his head as he rode through the streets in\nhonor of the brave \"Mormon\" boys who had marched under his command.\n\nThe army camped that night across the Jordan, and then continued its march\nto Cedar Valley, thirty-six miles south of the city. About two years later,\nthe soldiers went back to the east where they took part in the great Civil\nWar. The commander, Albert Sidney Johnston, fought on the side of the\nsouth, and fell in the great battle of Shiloh.\n\nThe Saints returned to their homes in July, 1858. Thus again, the Lord\npreserved his people, and protected them from their enemies.\n\nTopics.--1. The mission of Colonel Kane. 2. Governor Cumming installed.\n3. Meeting with peace commissioners. 4. The move south. 5. The entrance of\nthe army.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. What did Colonel Kane do at Washington? 2.\nWhat was his mission to Utah? 3. Where was the army camped? 4. Who was\nGovernor Cumming? 5. What did Colonel Kane get the governor to do? 6. What\ndid the governor find in Salt Lake City? 7. Why did the Saints move south?\n8. What did they propose doing if the army came to harm them? 9. What were\nGovernor Cumming's feelings? 10. Tell about the meeting with the peace\ncommissioners. 11. Describe the march of the army through Salt Lake City.\n12. Where did the soldiers camp? 13. When did they leave Utah, and where\ndid they go?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXIV.\n\nPROSPERITY.\n\n\nThe action of the \"Mormons\" in again leaving the homes they had newly made\nin the wilderness of the West, called the whole world's attention to them.\nMany honest people began to see what a mistake it had been to send armed\nsoldiers against an innocent people.\n\nWhen the army was withdrawn, peace once more prevailed, and the Church was\nagain busy preaching the Gospel to the world and gathering the honest from\nthe nations. Many missionaries were sent out and new fields were opened.\n\nFrom Europe the Saints came by the thousands. Sometimes a whole ship would\nbe engaged to take a company of Saints across the ocean, in charge of one\nof the Apostles or some leading elder. From the sea, they would travel in\ntrain loads to the end of the railroad, where companies of teams and wagons\nwould take them the remainder of the journey to Utah.\n\nNow came the telegraph line westward. October 17, 1861, it was completed\nto Salt Lake City, and the next day President Young sent the first message\neast. At this time the war between the north and the south was beginning,\nand in this first telegram President Young said that Utah had not seceded,\nbut was firm for the Union.\n\n[Illustration: SALT LAKE TABERNACLE (INTERIOR.)]\n\nFollowing the telegraph came the railroads. The Union Pacific was being\nbuilt from the east, while the Central Pacific came from the west. May 10,\n1869, the two roads met in Northern Utah near the Promontory, and the last\nspike was driven with much ceremony. Thus was completed the first iron road\nacross the continent.\n\nBut true to the past history of the Latter-day Saints, peace was not a\nblessing they were permitted to enjoy for many years at a time.\n\n[Illustration: SALT LAKE TABERNACLE (EXTERIOR.)]\n\nIn the year 1869 a number of prominent elders in the Church opposed\nPresident Young and the authorities, and were cut off from the Church. One\nof these elders was Wm. S. Godbe, therefore those who followed him were\nsometimes called \"Godbeites.\" These men joined with the anti-\"Mormons\" and\nformed what was called the Liberal Party. It was the object of this\norganization to oppose the \"Mormons,\" and they were aided in this by the\nofficers sent to Utah by the government. It had been the policy of\nPresidents Lincoln and Johnson to let the \"Mormons\" alone, but when General\nGrant became president he changed the program and at once sent officers to\nUtah to \"straighten out\" the \"Mormons.\" President Grant, no doubt obtained\nmuch of his information about the \"Mormons\" from his friend, the Rev. J.P.\nNewman. This minister had held a three days' discussion in the Tabernacle\nat Salt Lake City with Apostle Orson Pratt on the subject of polygamy.\nElder Pratt seems to have got the better of the argument, and it can well\nbe imagined what kind of information this preacher gave to the president.\n\nThe Saints never had more bitter enemies than some of these territorial\nofficers, especially Governor Shaffer and Chief Judge McKean. For years\nthese officials, aided by the Liberal Party, tried to run affairs their own\nway; and you can easily understand that they could do a great many hateful\nthings against the \"Mormons,\" having the officers of the law, if not the\nlaw itself, on their side. Especially was their hate directed towards\nPresident Young and the leading brethren who were accused of all manner of\ncrimes. They were arrested, tried, and placed in prison in many unlawful\nways.\n\nNotwithstanding all these annoyances, the Church continued to grow in\nstrength and numbers. The Sunday Schools, the first of which was organized\nin 1849, by Elder Richard Ballantyne, in the Fourteenth Ward of Salt Lake\nCity, had by this time grown to be a strong institution. The Mutual\nImprovement Associations were organized in 1875, and soon did much good\namong the young.\n\nPresident Young and his brethren were busy organizing stakes of Zion,\nsetting the quorums of the priesthood in order, directing the building of\ntemples, laying out towns and cities, and attending to the general duties\nof the Church. Thus Zion grew and became stronger day by day.\n\nBrigham City is named after President Young. August 19, 1877, the\npresident was at that place and the Box Elder Stake of Zion was organized.\nShortly after his return home, he was taken ill and died August 29th, at\nthe age of seventy-six.\n\nThus passed away the second president of the Church. Joseph had laid the\nfoundation deep and strong. Brigham had built upon it. For thirty years he\nhad stood at the head of the Church and had led the Saints through some of\nthe most trying scenes of their history. Brigham Young was the leading\nspirit in the removal from Nauvoo, in the march across the wild prairies\nand mountains, in the building up of a great state in the desert valleys of\nthe Rocky Mountains; and his name will be ever honored as the great pioneer\nof the west.\n\nTopics.--1. Prosperity of the Saints. 2. The telegraph and railroad. 3.\nThe Liberal Party. 4. Death of President Young.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. How did the Saints come from Europe in early\ndays? 2. Tell about the overland telegraph line in Utah and the first\ntelegram. 3. Tell about the railroads. 4. Who composed the Liberal party?\n5. What was its object? 6. How did President Grant treat the \"Mormons?\" 7.\nTell about the Newman-Pratt discussion. 8. Why could the Utah officials\ngreatly annoy the Saints? 9. Who organized the first Sunday School? 10.\nWhere and when was it? 11. Tell of the death of President Young. 12. Tell\nwhat you can of his life.\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXV.\n\nTHE \"CRUSADE.\"\n\n\nThose who did not understand the true nature of \"Mormonism\" thought that at\nthe death of Brigham Young, the Church would go to pieces; but they soon\nfound out that the work of God does not depend on any one man. The Twelve\nagain became the leading quorum in the Church, with John Taylor at its\nhead. Three years after the death of President Young, October 10, 1880, the\nFirst Presidency was again organized. John Taylor became President, and he\nchose George Q. Cannon as first and Joseph F. Smith as second counselor.\n\n[Illustration: PRESIDENT JOHN TAYLOR.]\n\nPresident Taylor was seventy-two years old at this time. He had been with\nthe Church nearly from the beginning, having been an Apostle for forty-two\nyears. He had filled many missions both in the United States and in Europe,\nhad written much on gospel subjects, and was in reality as some called him,\nthe \"Champion of Liberty.\" You will remember that he was with Joseph and\nHyrum at the time of their martyrdom in Carthage jail and was then severely\nwounded.\n\nThe year 1880 was the jubilee year of the Church, being fifty years since\nit was organized. As was the custom in ancient Israel, it was a time of\nforgiveness. The Church remitted many debts of the poor, besides giving\nthem many sheep and cattle. \"While God is blessing us, let us bless one\nanother,\" said President Taylor; and thus much good feeling was manifested\namong the Saints.\n\nBut another storm was coming. A trial of another kind was in store for the\nChurch.\n\nIn the days of Nauvoo, in 1843, Joseph the Prophet had received a\nrevelation from God, saying that it was right for good men holding the\npriesthood to have more wives than one. By the time the Church had been in\nUtah a few years, quite a number of the Saints had obeyed this law and\nentered plural marriage. The enemies of the Church call this practice a\ngreat sin, even though they can read in the Bible that good men of old whom\nthe Lord loved had many wives. In 1862 Congress passed a law against plural\nmarriage or polygamy. As many thought it was an unjust law, it was not\nenforced for many years. Elder George Reynolds offered to be arrested and\ntried under the law in order to have it tested. This was done, and Elder\nReynolds was convicted and sent to prison. His case was taken to the\nSupreme Court of the United States where the law was decided to be\nconstitutional.\n\nBut this law was not hard enough on the \"Mormons\" to suit their enemies.\nSectarian preachers and politicians who wanted some office began to spread\nfalsehoods all over the country about Utah and its people, all of which had\nits effect on Congress. Notwithstanding the protest of the \"Mormons,\"\nanother law was passed against them, (March, 1882), called the Edmunds Act.\nThis law provided that no polygamist should vote or hold office; and if\nfound guilty of polygamy a man might be fined five hundred dollars and put\nin prison for three years. If a man lived with more than one wife, he could\nbe fined three hundred dollars and imprisoned for six months.\n\nOfficers were now sent to Utah to enforce this law, and what is called the\n\"Crusade\" began in earnest. \"Mormons\" were not allowed to sit on juries or\nhave anything to do with the courts, so it was an easy matter to convict\nall \"Mormons\" who came to trial.\n\nArrests now followed fast, and it was indeed a sad time for many of the\nSaints. Officers, called deputy marshals, were sent into all the\nsettlements of the Saints to spy out and arrest those supposed to be\nguilty. Many of the brethren left the country or went away in hiding to\navoid being arrested, leaving the women and children to manage as best they\ncould. In Idaho no \"Mormon\" was allowed to vote or hold office, no matter\nwhether he had broken the law or not. Three brethren were sent from Arizona\nto the penitentiary at Detroit, Michigan. Nearly all the leading brethren\nwere in hiding; and, as they could not speak to the people in their\nmeetings, they wrote epistles which were read to the Saints at their\nconferences.\n\nFor a number of years this persecution went on. Seemingly, the strongest\nanti-\"Mormons\" should have been satisfied. But no; they asked Congress to\nmake yet stronger laws to put down the \"Mormons.\" Accordingly, in 1887,\nanother law was passed, called the Edmunds-Tucker Bill. This law, among\nother things, provided that the property of the Church should be\nconfiscated, that is, taken from the Church. United States officers went to\nwork at once and took from the Church nearly $800,000 worth of property.\nAfter the officers had gotten some good salaries out of it, the property\nwas at last given back to the Church.\n\nDuring the time of this crusade thirteen hundred persons suffered from\nfines or imprisonment.\n\nJuly 25, 1887, President John Taylor died at Kaysville, Davis County, Utah.\nHe had been in exile for over two years; but the brave spirit was now away\nfrom under the power of persecutors, and the Saints could but look on the\npeaceful form and face of their beloved leader.\n\nTopics.--1. President John Taylor. 2. Plural marriage. 3. The Edmunds\nBill. 4. The \"Crusade.\" 5. The Edmunds-Tucker Bill.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Why was there no danger to the Church at the\ndeath of President Young? 2. When was the First Presidency organized again?\n3. Who composed it? 4. Tell what you can about John Taylor. 5. Tell about\nthe Jubilee year. 6. When and where was plural marriage revealed to the\nChurch? 7. When was the first law passed against this practice? 8. What is\nmeant by a law being constitutional? 9. What was the Edmunds Bill? 10. How\nwas it enforced? 11. What was the Edmunds-Tucker Law? 12. When and where\ndid President Taylor die?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXVI.\n\nPRESIDENCY OF WILFORD WOODRUFF.\n\n\nAt the April conference, 1889, the First Presidency was again organized.\nWilford Woodruff was chosen president and he called the former counselors\nto act also with him. President Woodruff was eighty-two years old when this\nhigh calling was placed upon him, but he was still quite strong and\nactive. His life had been devoted to God and his cause. He joined the\nChurch in 1833, so you see he had been with it from the beginning. He had\nbeen an Apostle for fifty years. It will give you an idea of how busy\nPresident Woodruff had been when you are told that from 1834 to 1895 he had\ntraveled through twenty-eight States of the Union, three of the countries\nof Europe, and six islands of the sea. He had held 7,555 meetings, preached\n3,526 discourses, organized fifty-one branches of the Church, besides doing\na great deal of other work in the Church.\n\n[Illustration: PRESIDENT WILFORD WOODRUFF.]\n\nPresident George Q. Cannon, first counselor in the presidency, came with\nhis father's family from England to Nauvoo in the year 1842, and from that\ntime had been an active worker in the Church. In 1850 he, in company with\nother missionaries, went to the Sandwich Islands. Here Elder Cannon\ntranslated the Book of Mormon into the native language, and sometime after\nhe had it printed. He labored as an editor and a publisher of Church papers\nin San Francisco, in Liverpool, and at home with the _Deseret News_. In\n1860 he was ordained an Apostle. In 1866 he began to publish the _Juvenile\nInstructor_. He spent many years in Washington as delegate from Utah.\nPresident Cannon was the General Superintendent of Sunday Schools to the\ntime of his death.\n\nThe second counselor in the presidency, Joseph F. Smith, was born November\n13, 1838, in Far West, Missouri, a few days after the time when his father\nHyrum Smith was taken by the mob and ordered to be shot. As a nine-year-old\nboy he drove his mother's yoke of cattle across the plains with an emigrant\ntrain. President Smith has filled many missions to Europe, to the Sandwich\nIslands and to various parts of the United States.\n\nHe was ordained as one of the Twelve Apostles July 1, 1866.\n\nDuring the first few years that Wilford Woodruff was president of the\nChurch, the persecution against those who had more than one family\ncontinued to rage; yet the enemies of the Saints were not satisfied. Though\nmany of the people had been deprived of the right to vote and hold office,\nyet there were enough left to outvote the anti-\"Mormons,\" many of whom were\neager to get into some office. These kept urging Congress to pass other\nlaws against the \"Mormons,\" and at last a number of bills were introduced\nin Congress for the purpose of disfranchising the \"Mormons,\" that is,\ntaking away from them the right to vote and to hold public office.\n\nDuring all this trouble the authorities of the Church were asking the Lord\nto show them the right thing to do. In answer to these pleadings, the Lord\ninspired President Woodruff to issue what is called the manifesto. In this\ndocument President Woodruff, among other things, said:\n\n\"Inasmuch as laws have been enacted by Congress forbidding plural\nmarriages, which laws have been pronounced constitutional by the court of\nlast resort, I hereby declare my intention to submit to those laws, and to\nuse my influence with the members of the Church over which I preside to\nhave them do likewise.\n\n\"... And I now publicly declare that my advice to the Latter-day Saints is\nto refrain from contracting any marriage forbidden by the law of the land.\"\n\nAt the general conference of the Church held October 6, 1890, President\nWoodruff's action was sustained by the vote of the conference.\n\nThe enemies of the Church now had no excuse for their persecutions, so,\nafter a time, peace came once more. The two political parties, the\n\"Liberal\" and \"People's\" which had been for many years fighting each other\nat the polls, now disbanded, and \"Mormons\" and non-\"Mormons\" joined either\nthe Democratic or the Republican party.\n\nIn 1893 the great World's Fair was held in Chicago. In September of that\nyear the Tabernacle choir of Salt Lake City, led by Evan Stephens, went to\nChicago, accompanied by the first presidency and others. The choir gave\nconcerts in some of the large cities on the way, and at Chicago carried off\nthe second prize of one thousand dollars for the best singing.\n\nDuring the World's Fair there was held what was called a Parliament of\nReligions. Meetings were convened where people of all religions were\ninvited to speak and tell of their beliefs. Men came from every part of the\nworld. There were Catholics and Protestants; there were followers of Brahma\nand Buddha from India; there were Greeks and Mohammedans; there were\nJapanese, Chinese, and negroes--but, among them all there was one religion\nand one church lacking, and that was the Church of Jesus Christ of\nLatter-day Saints. It had not been invited, and when Elder B.H. Roberts was\nsent to Chicago to get a hearing for the Church of Christ, he was treated\nin an ungentlemanly manner and was not allowed to properly present the\nclaims and doctrines of the Church. The Savior once said: \"Blessed are ye,\nwhen men shall hate you, and when they shall separate you from their\ncompany, and shall reproach you, and cast out your name as evil, for the\nSon of Man's sake.\" May we not draw a great lesson from all this?\n\nOn January 4, 1896, President Grover Cleveland signed the paper which\nadmitted Utah into the Union as a state. Celebrations in honor of the\nevent were held in all the towns and cities of the State.\n\nFifty years from the time the pioneers entered Salt Lake Valley, July 24th,\n1897, a grand celebration was held in Salt Lake City to honor the event.\n\n[Illustration: THE PIONEER MONUMENT.]\n\nThis celebration began Tuesday, July 20, 1897, and closed on the night of\nSaturday 24th. On the 20th the Pioneer Monument, which is surmounted by a\nbronze statue of President Brigham Young, and situated near the Southeast\ncorner of the Temple block, Salt Lake City, was dedicated by President\nWilford Woodruff. The same day, at a reception held in the Tabernacle, all\nsurviving pioneers of 1847, were presented with a golden badge. Memorial\nservices in honor of the deceased pioneers were held in the Tabernacle on\nSunday 25th.\n\nWhen the war with Spain broke out the next year, a call was made on Utah\nfor five hundred volunteers. Utah's young men, many of them sons of the\npioneers and old settlers, heeded the call, and the men were promptly\nraised and sent to the seat of war.\n\nPresident Wilford Woodruff while on a visit to the Pacific coast, took\nsuddenly ill and died in San Francisco, September 2, 1898.\n\nTopics.--1. Wilford Woodruff. 2. George Q. Cannon. 3. Joseph F. Smith. 4.\nThe \"Manifesto.\" 5. The Parliament of Religions. 6. Death of President\nWoodruff.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Who constituted the fourth First Presidency of\nthe Church? 2. Tell something of President Woodruff. 3. Name some positions\nPresident Cannon has held. 4. Tell about President Smith's boyhood. 5. What\nfurther laws did the enemies of the \"Mormons\" wish passed against them? 6.\nWhat is the \"manifesto?\" 7. How came it to be issued? 8. When was it\naccepted. 9. Tell about the Tabernacle choir's trip to Chicago. 10. What\nwas the Parliament of Religions? 11. How was the Church treated in that\nbody? 12. Give some reasons for this treatment. 13. When was Utah admitted\nas a state? 14. Tell about the Utah volunteers. 15. When and where did\nPresident Woodruff die?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXVII.\n\nTEMPLE BUILDING.\n\n\nGod's goodness, mercy, and watch-care reach to all his children, whether\nthey be white or black, bond or free; whether they live now or lived\nthousands of years ago; yes, whether they are alive or dead. Death is but a\nchange from one sphere of action to another, and as God is everywhere, it\nis not alone in this life that his loving care is manifested. The gospel\nalso is everlasting. It did not begin with this world, neither will it end\nwith this life, but its purifying, uplifting power is felt throughout all\ntime and place.\n\nSalvation is to get from under the powers of sin and death, and live\nforever in the hereafter, growing in wisdom and in power, and becoming more\nand more like unto our Great Father, God. This salvation is obtained by\nobeying the principles of the gospel and performing the ordinances required\ntherein. You all know what the first of these principles and ordinances\nare. One of the ordinances is that a person must be baptized by water for\nthe remission of sin. \"He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved,\"\nsaid the Savior. This must of course be performed here on earth, and by a\nservant of God having authority to do so.\n\nNow, by thinking about it a moment, you will know that there are a great\nmany of the human race who have not been baptized with this kind of\nbaptism. Millions there are and have been who never heard of the gospel or\nof Jesus Christ. Many others there are and have been who have had a kind of\nbaptism but not performed by one with authority. What will then become of\nall these people?\n\nMany religions of the day teach that there is no chance for people after\nthey leave this life; if they are not saved when they die, they never can\nbe afterwards. Can you not see what a cruel thought that is? Think of the\nmillions who have not had a chance! Surely God would not punish people for\nnot doing something they had no chance to do.\n\n[Illustration: THE TEMPLE BLOCK.]\n\nNow all this was made plain to the Prophet Joseph Smith. The Lord told him\nthat all those who died without repentance and baptism would have a chance\nin the next world. Christ, while his body lay three days in the tomb, went\nand preached to the spirits in prison. Likewise, many of the servants of\nGod have, and are now preaching the gospel to the children of God in the\nspirit world. They can there believe and repent, but can not be baptized.\nThat must be done for them by someone on the earth. This ordinance can be\nperformed in any place that God directs, but he has commanded that holy\nbuildings be erected wherein baptisms for the dead can be performed. This,\nthen, is one use of our temples. Marriages, sealings and other holy\nordinances are also performed in these buildings.\n\nThe first temple site was dedicated in Jackson county, Missouri, August 3,\n1831, but, as you have been told, no work was done to erect a building. The\nKirtland temple you also have been told about. After the Saints left\nKirtland the building was neglected. Then it came into the possession of\nthe Reorganization or \"Reorganites,\" as they are sometimes called, a\nreligious body founded, and built up for the most part by apostates from\nthe Church. The Kirtland temple is still standing.\n\nGround was dedicated for a temple at Far West July 3, 1837, but owing to\nthe Saints being driven away, no work other than digging the foundation was\ndone.\n\nThe next effort was at Nauvoo. This temple was begun April 6, 1841, and\ndedicated April 30th and May 1, 1846. You will remember how the Saints\ntoiled to complete this building. It was a large, beautiful structure, one\nof the finest in the west, and cost about one million dollars. About two\nyears after the Saints had left Nauvoo, the temple was destroyed by fire.\n\nThe Salt Lake temple was begun in 1853, but while it was being built three\nothers were completed. The first of these is the St. George temple. It was\nbegun the 9th of November, 1871, and dedicated April 6, 1877. The Logan\ntemple was begun May 18, 1877, and completed May 17, 1884. The corner\nstones of the temple at Manti were laid April 14, 1879, and the building\nwas dedicated May 21, 1888. All these temples are beautiful buildings, and\nmany are the blessings the Saints have received in them.\n\nThose of you who have not seen the Salt Lake temple may get a good idea of\nits beauty by the picture. It is built of hewn blocks of gray granite, a\nhard, beautiful stone. It was forty years in building. The last top stone\non the towers, called the capstone, was laid April 6, 1892. There were at\nleast forty thousand people on the temple grounds on this occasion. A\nplatform had been erected on the south side of the temple, whereon the\nauthorities of the Church were seated. There were services of singing,\nprayer, and speaking, and then President Woodruff touched a button which\nsent an electric current up a wire to the top of the tower. The electricity\nset free the capstone which settled into its place. President Lorenzo Snow\nled the vast audience in giving the grand Hosanna shout.\n\nPresident Woodruff was anxious to live to see the completion of the temple.\nIt was therefore voted by the large audience present that the inside of the\nbuilding be finished in one year.\n\nTo accomplish this, means were donated liberally by the Saints, and the\nwork went on rapidly. On the 6th of April, 1893, the temple was completed,\nand on the morning of that day the first meeting was held in the building.\nPresident Woodruff offered the dedicatory prayer. In the afternoon another\nmeeting was held, and this continued day after day until thirty-one\nmeetings had been held. Seventy thousand of the Saints witnessed the\ndedication exercises, besides thirteen thousand Sunday School children, for\nwhom special services were held.\n\nSome of you who read this book may have been in one of our temples. Did you\nnot notice what a calm, sweet feeling came over you while there? Surely,\nthe Spirit of God is in these sacred buildings, and those who labor therein\nfor the living and the dead enjoy its blessed influence. Let every one of\nyou so live that your life may be pure and clean, so that some day you may\nbe worthy of entering the House of God and partaking of the blessings in\nstore for you.\n\nTopics.--1. Salvation for the dead. 2. The temples. 3. Salt Lake temple.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. What is salvation? 2. Is salvation limited to\nthis life? 3. How is salvation obtained? 4. Name some of the first\nprinciples of the gospel. 5. Name some of its first ordinances. 6. What\nhave some preachers of religion taught regarding salvation? 7. What did the\nLord reveal to Joseph Smith on this subject? 8. Where did Jesus go while\nhis body lay in the sepulchre? (I Peter 3:18, 20.) 9. What are some of the\nuses of temples? 10. How many temples have been built by the Church? 11.\nLocate each. 12. Tell something about the Nauvoo temple. 13. Describe the\nSalt Lake temple. 14. When was it dedicated? 15. What great blessings are\nto be had in a temple?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXVIII.\n\nPRESIDENCY OF LORENZO SNOW.\n\n\nSeptember 13, 1898, the quorum of Twelve Apostles met at Salt Lake City and\nchose Lorenzo Snow President of the Church. President Snow chose George Q.\nCannon and Joseph F. Smith as his counselors.\n\nPresident Snow was born in Ohio, April 3, 1814. While yet a young man, he\nwent to Kirtland, where he became acquainted with the Prophet Joseph.\nJoining the Church, he was soon in the field as a missionary, traveling\nthrough the States preaching the gospel. From Nauvoo, he went on a mission\nto England, returning in 1843 with a large company of Saints. He was\nordained a member of the Twelve Apostles, February 12, 1849, at Salt Lake\nCity. Shortly afterwards he was called on a mission to Italy. His labors,\nhowever, were not confined to that country, as he organized many branches\nof the Church in other European lands.\n\n[Illustration: PRESIDENT LORENZO SNOW.]\n\nIn 1853, President Snow removed to Brigham City, where for many years he\nunited the people in a system of co-operation, which rapidly built up the\ncountry. At the completion of the Salt Lake temple he was called to preside\nin that sacred building.\n\nThough so far advanced in years when called to stand at the head of the\nChurch, President Snow was quite strong in body and in mind. During the\nsummer of 1899, with a party of Apostles and, other leading men, he visited\nmany of the stakes of Zion in their conference gatherings. President Snow\nsaid he had a special message to deliver to the Saints which was that they\nshould in the future more fully observe the law of tithing. This law had\nbeen neglected in the past, but now, the Prophet said, the Lord expected\nthe Saints to observe this commandment. It is pleasing to state that most\nof the Saints heeded the timely instruction and warning, and there was\ngreat improvement in keeping this law of the Lord.\n\nWhen President Snow took charge of the affairs of the Church, it was\nlargely in debt, owing to the troubles incident to the confiscation of its\nproperty by the government some time before. Now, because of the\nimprovement in the payment of tithes and offerings, the First Presidency\nwere able to pay some of the debts of the Church, and make arrangements for\nthe payment of others as they became due.\n\nPresident Snow put new life into many departments of the Church. The School\nsystem which the Church had established received much attention. The\nLatter-day Saints' University at Salt Lake City was established, and one of\nits buildings was erected. Many other Church buildings were planned and\nbegun.\n\nAt an election held in the fall of 1898, Brigham H. Roberts was elected to\nrepresent Utah in Congress. At this election the people, as they had done\nmany times before, voted as either Democrats or Republicans, and both\n\"Mormons\" and non-\"Mormons\" were elected to office. Now, however, some\nanti-\"Mormon\" newspapers, assisted by many of the Utah sectarian preachers,\nmade a great stir. The enemies of the Saints continued to send a flood of\nfalsehood all over the country. Much excitement was worked up and a\ndetermined effort was made to keep Utah's representative out of Congress.\n\nRepresentative Roberts fought bravely for his own and his people's rights,\nbut once more hatred against \"Mormonism\" overcame better judgment, and he\nwas refused admission to the seat to which he was fairly elected, on the\nground that he had obeyed the law of plural marriage.\n\nAugust 19, 1899, the Utah volunteers returned from the Philippines where\nthey had proved themselves valiant soldiers in the service of their\ncountry. A grand celebration was held in Salt Lake City in their honor.\n\nOn April 12, 1901, President George Q. Cannon died at Monterey, California,\nwhere he had gone for his health. This great and good man had done much for\nthe Church, and he was greatly beloved by the Saints.\n\nElder Heber J. Grant, with Horace S. Ensign, Louis A. Kelsch, and Alma O.\nTaylor, left Salt Lake City July 24, 1901, for a mission to Japan. They\nlanded in that country August 12, and at once set to work learning the\nlanguage. September 1, of that year, Elder Grant dedicated the land for the\npreaching of the Gospel. Since that time a good beginning has been made in\nthe distribution of the printed word, and the Book of Mormon has been\ntranslated into Japanese and printed.\n\nPresident Snow died after a brief illness at his home in Salt Lake City,\nOctober 10, 1901. He was not president of the Church long, but during the\nthree years of his presidency, the Lord blessed him and gave him power to\ndo much good.\n\nFour days before he died, President Snow addressed the Saints assembled in\nconference in the Tabernacle at Salt Lake City. The burden of this, his\nlast message was, \"God bless you.\" He urged the presidents of stakes and\nthe high counselors to take upon themselves more of the responsibility of\nlooking after the affairs of the Church, so that the Twelve could devote\ntheir time to their special work of preaching the gospel.\n\nTopics.--1. Lorenzo Snow as President. 2. Election of B.H. Roberts to\nCongress. 3. The Mission to Japan.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Who constituted the fifth Presidency of the\nChurch? 2. Tell what you can about Lorenzo Snow. 3. What is the law of\ntithing? 4. What message did President Snow deliver regarding the law of\ntithing? 5. Why was the Church in debt? 6. Who opened the Japanese mission?\n\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XXXIX.\n\nPRESIDENCY OF JOSEPH F. SMITH.\n\n\nThe First Presidency of the Church was reorganized for the sixth time\nOctober 17, 1901. Joseph F. Smith was chosen president, and he selected for\nhis counselors, John R. Winder and Anthon H. Lund. At a special conference\nheld in Salt Lake City November 10, 1901, this presidency was sustained by\nthe vote of the Church.\n\nFrom his boyhood President Smith has been an active, earnest member of the\nChurch over which he now presides. His father was Hyrum Smith the\nPatriarch, brother to the Prophet Joseph. You will remember how these two\nbrothers were so closely together in the beginning of the Church, and how\nthey were both killed in Carthage jail.\n\nJoseph was thus left fatherless when he was a boy six years old. As a boy\nhe had not the privilege of going every day to school or of playing\npeacefully in the door-yard of his home. Mobs drove them out of Missouri,\nand then out of Nauvoo. They had little peace. Two years after his father\nhad been killed, Joseph's mother, with her family, had to leave her home,\nalong with the Saints, and undertake the long westward journey. Although\nJoseph was only eight years old at the time, he successfully drove a team\nof oxen for three hundred miles over the rolling prairies of Iowa. This was\nnot an easy task for the boy, for the road was often steep or muddy, and\nmany older drivers had breakdowns on the way.\n\nIn chapter 27 of this history you are told of the Saints stopping for a\ntime at Winter Quarters, getting ready to move westward. Joseph and his\nmother were with them. Most of his time was spent in herding his mother's\ncattle. And he was a good herdboy, too. He saw to it that none of them was\nlost. There were Indians in that country then, and often they would steal\ncattle and horses. One day Joseph had a narrow escape. It happened this\nway:\n\nJoseph and another boy had driven their cattle to the herd-grounds, and\nthey were having a good time on their horses which they rode. Suddenly,\nthey heard the whoop of Indians. On looking up, they saw a band of about\nthirty savages riding toward them. They were naked, their bodies daubed\nwith clay and their hair and faces painted! Joseph's first thought was not\nabout himself, but about his cattle. If the Indians should drive off his\ncattle, the family would not be able to go to the Valley next spring. So,\noff he rode to try to save his stock, the Indians coming in the same\ndirection. They whooped and yelled so that the cattle ran off in great\nfright. Then the Indians singled out Joseph, for they wanted his horse,\nwhich was a good one and could run. The chase was now on in earnest. Joseph\nturned. Some of the Indians followed, while others slacked to head him off.\nSoon he was between two parties of Indians. After a time they closed in on\nhim. One of the Indians took him by the arm, and another by the leg, and\nlifted him from his horse, letting him fall to the ground. The horses\njumped over him, but did not hurt him. The Indians rode off with the horse,\nbut did not get the cattle.\n\nThis is only one of the many thrilling incidents in the life of President\nSmith as a boy. When his mother was ready to move West, Joseph drove two\nyoke of oxen hitched to a heavily loaded wagon across the plains, a\ndistance of one thousand miles. He drove into Salt Lake City September 23,\n1848.\n\nIn those early days, even the boys had to work hard to help make a living\nin the new country. Joseph again herded cattle, besides doing work on the\nfarm and in the canyon. How, then, did the boy get his education? Crossing\nthe plains, when they were resting in the tent or by the camp fire,\nJoseph's mother taught him to read the Bible, and from that day to this, he\nhas been reading good books. You see, he started early in the reading of\nthe best books, and that means a lot. Joseph's mother was a very good and\nwise woman, and he says that much of his success in life is due to her\nteachings, and the fact that he heeded her counsels.\n\n[Illustration: ANTHON H. LUND, JOSEPH F. SMITH, CHARLES W. PENROSE\n\nTHE FIRST PRESIDENCY, 1916]\n\nWhen Joseph was fourteen years old his mother died. When he was fifteen he\nwent on a mission to the Hawaiian Islands. He worked a number of months in\nCalifornia to earn money to pay his passage to the Islands. He was greatly\nblessed on this mission.\n\nThis small history cannot tell you of the many missions President Smith has\nfilled since that first one. Many times he has been back to the Hawaiian\nIslands, and many times to the States and to Europe. Every boy and girl\nought to read the detailed story of President Smith's life. President Smith\nis still with us. Most of the Sunday School boys and girls have seen him\nand heard him speak. He is a great and good man. He is the prophet of the\nLord to us. Let us be thankful that we live in a day when we can have such\nmen with us to show us by the example of their lives how to be good boys\nand girls, good men and women.\n\nPresident John R. Winder was born at Biddenden near London, England,\nDecember 11, 1821. He joined the Church when he was a young man and\nemigrated to Utah in 1853, since which time he took an active and leading\npart in Church matters. In the year 1877 he was chosen to be the second\ncounselor to Presiding Bishop Wm. B. Preston, which position he held until\nhe was called to the First Presidency. When the Salt Lake Temple was\nnearing completion, he was given special charge of the work, and at the\ndedication of the Temple he became the first assistant to President Snow.\nHe died March 27, 1910. He lived to a good old age, active and strong to\nthe last. He claimed that this was due to his having obeyed the laws of\nGod, especially those contained in the Word of Wisdom.\n\nPresident Anthon H. Lund came from Denmark. He was born in the city of\nAalborg in that far-away country May 14, 1844. Many interesting stories are\ntold of him as a boy-preacher of the gospel in his native land. When he was\ncalled upon to give his first report at conference he was lifted upon a\ntable that he might be better seen and heard. He came to Utah when eighteen\nyears old, and settled in Sanpete county. He was made an Apostle in 1889.\nHe has filled a number of foreign missions, and at one time he presided\nover the European mission. He has also been president of the Manti Temple.\n\nAt the death of President Winder, President Lund was chosen First Counselor\nto President Smith, and Elder John Henry Smith, one of the quorum of the\nTwelve, was called to be the Second Counselor. He was born at Carbunca,\nnear Council Bluffs, Iowa, September 18, 1848. His father was George A.\nSmith, at one time Counselor to President Brigham Young. He came to Utah in\nearly days, and filled many missions at home and abroad. He died Oct. 13,\n1911. President Smith, during his life, became known and well-beloved far\nand near. He was always kind and cheerful, and he had a way with him which\nwon the hearts of all who came to know him.\n\nElder Charles W. Penrose, of the Council of the Twelve, was chosen to\nsucceed John Henry Smith in the First Presidency, December 7, 1911.\nPresident Penrose was born February 4, 1832, at Camberwell, London,\nEngland. When he was four years old he could read the Bible. At eighteen he\njoined the Church, and being so well versed in the scriptures he was soon\ncalled on a mission. For ten years he traveled about his native land\npreaching the gospel, healing many of the sick and organizing branches of\nthe Church. He suffered from hardships and persecution, but he kept right\non until he was released, when he emigrated to Utah. Since then President\nPenrose has filled many missions. He is a clear, forceful speaker, and he\nhas written much on doctrinal subjects. He was for many years editor of the\n_Deseret News_. He wrote a number of our best songs. He was called and\nordained to be an apostle and set apart as one of the Twelve, July 7, 1904.\nHe presided over the European Mission from December, 1906, to June, 1910.\n\nIn January, 1903, Reed Smoot was elected Senator to represent Utah in the\nCongress of the United States at Washington. As he is a leading official in\nthe Church, some anti-\"Mormons\" objected to his retaining the office to\nwhich he was elected. They sent a protest to the Senate, and that body\nappointed a committee to investigate the charges made. President Smith and\nmany of the brethren were summoned to Washington to give their testimony.\nAll of this led to much agitation and misrepresentation against the Church.\nSenator Smoot retained his seat.\n\nDuring recent years the Church has been growing both at home and abroad.\nProperty is being acquired in many parts of the world, and mission houses\nare being erected. Carthage Jail, in Illinois, the farm containing the\nbirthplace of the Prophet Joseph Smith, and a large part of the Temple\ngrounds at Independence, Missouri, have been purchased by the Church.\n\nIn the year 1905 a monument of polished granite was erected and a\ncomfortable and commodious cottage was built on the site of the Prophet's\nbirth, on the farm purchased by the Church, in Sharon, Windsor County,\nVermont. The monument is 50 feet and 10 inches high and weighs nearly 100\ntons. The shaft is 38-3/4 feet long, each foot corresponding to one year\nof the Prophet's life. The cottage is built around the original hearthstone\nof the old Smith home. On December 23rd, 1905--the one hundredth\nanniversary of the birth of the Prophet--this cottage and monument were\ndedicated by President Joseph F. Smith, who, with a number of the leading\nbrethren of the Church and a few Saints, had gone to Vermont for that\npurpose. The monument contains a written description of the Prophet's\ntestimony and stands as a silent witness of the great work he was called\nupon by the Lord to perform.\n\n[Illustration: JOSEPH SMITH MONUMENT AND MEMORIAL COTTAGE.]\n\nFor many years past, the Saints had been making settlements in Mexico, and\nestablishing themselves there in good homes. In the year 1912 the\ndisturbances in the country broke out into civil war, and because of the\ndangers attendant on the fighting between various factions, most of the\nLatter-day Saints had to leave the country and their possessions and come\nto the United States.\n\nTwo new Temples are now being erected, one in Alberta, Canada, and another\nat Laie, on the island of Oahu, Hawaiian or Sandwich Islands. Work on the\nCanadian Temple was begun in 1913, and the one at Hawaii was commenced in\nthe summer of 1915. The building of these Temples indicate that the great\nwork for the dead is being energetically carried out by the Church.\n\nIn the summer of 1914, the great European war broke out, which has caused\nthe death and crippling of millions, and brought misery untold to the\nnations engaged in it. Very likely this war is the greatest the world has\never known. Nearly all our missionaries have had to be withdrawn from\nGermany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium, Holland, and France, and very few\nhave been left in Great Britain and the Scandinavian countries. We\nsympathize with all these nations, and can only hope that the Lord will\nmake it possible, after the war, that the missionaries will be better able\nto reach the people with the gospel of peace and salvation.\n\nAt this writing (December, 1916) there are seventy-three stakes of Zion in\nthe Church, and over eight hundred wards. The quorums of the Priesthood\nhave been more thoroughly organized, and have regular courses of study in\ntheir classes. The helping organizations of the Church, such as the Sunday\nSchools, the Mutual Improvement Associations, and others are doing a\nsplendid work. The Church has recently completed a beautiful Church office\nbuilding in Salt Lake City. The first and second floors of this building\nare occupied by the First Presidency and other Church officials. The third\nfloor is devoted to the Historian's work, and the large collection of books\nand Church records. The fourth floor is used by the Genealogical Society,\nan organization whose purpose is to help people with their records, and\ngather a library of genealogical books, which will help them do the work in\nthe Temples for their dead.\n\n[Illustration: CHURCH OFFICE BUILDING]\n\n       *       *       *       *       *\n\nHere ends our history for the present. The little tree (mentioned in\nChapter I) planted by God and nurtured by his servants, has in the space of\neighty-six years grown to a large, beautiful tree, whose branches, as it\nwere, protect thousands of people, and whose fruit nourishes a multitude.\nThe enemy has striven hard to uproot and destroy it, but every effort has\nonly made it cling more firmly to the nourishing earth.\n\nThe Church is growing in strength and power to save the human family. That\nis its mission. It will never be overcome, or left to other people. \"No\nunhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing,\" said the Prophet\nJoseph, \"persecution may rage; mobs may combine; armies may assemble,\ncalumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and\nindependently till it has penetrated every continent; visited every clime,\nswept every country; and sounded in every ear; till the purposes of God\nshall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.\"\n\nAnd now let all the boys and girls who read this book remember what the\nLord expects of them. He must have men and women to carry on the great work\nbegun so nobly and so well. If He is to use you, you must make your lives\nworthy; you must grow in wisdom and power and faith and goodness; be pure\nand strong in mind and body; be studious, earnest, prayerful, noble, and\nbrave to do the right; then God will be pleased to use you, and you\nyourselves will become makers of a glorious future history.\n\nTopics.--1. President Joseph F. Smith. 2. John R. Winder. 3. Anthon H.\nLund. 4. John Henry Smith. 5. Charles W. Penrose. 6. The trouble in Mexico.\n7. The great war in Europe. 8. Progress of the Church.\n\nQuestions and Review.--1. Who was President Joseph F. Smith's father? 2.\nDescribe some of his boyhood surroundings. 3. Tell about his adventure with\nthe Indians. 4. How did he cross the plains? 5. Tell of his missions. 6.\nHow long has he been President of the Church? 7. How many of you have seen\nhim and heard him speak? 8. Name President Smith's counselors. 9. Tell\nsomething about each of them. 10. What historical places has the Church\npurchased and improved? 11. Why have the Saints had to leave Mexico? 12.\nReview the great European war. 13. What might be the outcome of this war?\n14. Where are new temples being built? 15. How many stakes and wards are\nthere now in the Church 16. What did the Prophet Joseph Smith say about the\nfuture of the Church?\n\n\n\n\nFIRST PRESIDENCIES OF THE CHURCH.\n\n                     First.--1833-1844.\n\n_President._        _First Counselor._         _Second Counselors._\n                                                Frederick G. Williams.\nJoseph Smith.        Sidney Rigdon.             Hyrum Smith,\n                                                William Law.\n\n                     Second.--1847-1877.\n\n_President._        _First Counselor._         _Second Counselors._\n                     Heber C. Kimball,          Willard Richards,\nBrigham Young.       George A. Smith,                Jedediah M. Grant,\n                     John W. Young.                  Daniel H. Wells.\n\n                     Third.--1880-1887.\n\n_President._        _First Counselor._         _Second Counselors._\nJohn Taylor.         George Q. Cannon.          Joseph F. Smith.\n\n                     Fourth.--1889-1898.\n\n_President._        _First Counselor._         _Second Counselors._\nWilford Woodruff.    George Q. Cannon.          Joseph F. Smith.\n\n                     Fifth.--1898-1901.\n\n_President._        _First Counselor._         _Second Counselors._\n\nLorenzo Snow.        George Q. Cannon.          Joseph F. Smith.\n\n                     Sixth.--1901-\n\n_President._        _First Counselor._         _Second Counselors._\n                     John R. Winder.            Anthon H. Lund.\nJoseph F. Smith.     Anthon H. Lund.            John Henry Smith.\n                                                Charles W. Penrose.\n\n\n\n\nNAMES OF THE TWELVE APOSTLES.\n\nSINCE THE ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH.\n\n\n1 Thomas B. Marsh,\n2 David W. Patten,\n3 Brigham Young,\n4 Heber C. Kimball,\n5 Orson Hyde,\n6 William E. McLellin,\n7 Parley P. Pratt,\n8 Luke S. Johnson,\n9 William Smith,\n10 Orson Pratt,\n11 John F. Boynton,\n12 Lyman E. Johnson,\n13 John E. Page,\n14 John Taylor,\n15 Wilford Woodruff,\n16 George A. Smith,\n17 Willard Richards,\n18 Lyman Wight,\n19 Amasa M. Lyman,\n20 Ezra T. Benson,\n21 Charles C. Rich,\n22 Lorenzo Snow,\n23 Erastus Snow,\n24 Franklin D. Richards,\n25 George Q. Cannon,\n26 Joseph F. Smith,\n27 Brigham Young, Jun.,\n28 Albert Carrington,\n29 Moses Thatcher,\n30 Francis M. Lyman,\n31 John Henry Smith,\n32 George Teasdale,\n33 Heber J. Grant,\n34 John W. Taylor,\n35 Marriner W. Merrill,\n36 Anthon H. Lund,\n37 Abraham H. Cannon,\n38 Matthias F. Cowley,\n39 Abraham O. Woodruff,\n40 Rudger Clawson,\n41 Reed Smoot,\n42 Hyrum M. Smith,\n43 Geo. Albert Smith,\n44 Chas. W. Penrose,\n45 George F. Richards,\n46 Orson F. Whitney,\n47 David O. McKay,\n48 Anthony W. Ivins,\n49 Joseph F. Smith. Jun.,\n50 James E. Talmage.\n\nFOOTNOTES:\n\n[Footnote 1: Not.--If we say that the Father and the Son came to Joseph\nbecause of his prayer, we might conclude that every boy who prayed should\nreceive such a visit. No; the time had come for the ushering in of a new\ndispensation, etc. To bring out this thought is the idea of this question.]\n\n[Footnote 2: Jensen's Historical Record, page 838. Whitney's History of\nUtah. Vol. I, page 274.]","title":"A Young Folks' History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":48282}