{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_47519/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_47519","id":"gutenberg_47519","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/47519","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Biographies","Category: History - American","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Kimball, Heber C. (Heber Chase), 1801-1868 -- Diaries","Latter Day Saint churches -- Missions -- Great Britain","Latter Day Saints","Latter Day Saints -- Great Britain","Latter Day Saints -- Missionary experiences"],"text":"PRESIDENT\n\nHEBER C. KIMBALL'S\n\nJOURNAL.\n\nSEVENTH BOOK OF THE\n\nFAITH-PROMOTING SERIES.\n\nDesigned for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day\nSaints.\n\nJUVENILE INSTRUCTOR OFFICE.\n\nSalt Lake City,\n\n1882.\n\n\n\nPREFACE\n\nNo apology is necessary for publishing as a volume of the\n\"FAITH-PROMOTING SERIES\" some portion of the history of the late\nPresident Heber C. Kimball. Knowing the estimation in which he was\nheld while living by the Latter day Saints universally, and that the\nmemory of his virtues and life-long devotion to the cause of God is\nstill fresh in their hearts, we feel assured that they will regard as\nan acceptable offering the brief account of his experience contained\nin this volume. We only regret that we cannot in the present work give\na sketch of his entire life, or at least all of those incidents from\nit which would tend to promote faith in young readers. His was an\nexceedingly active and interesting life, and it is scarcely necessary\nto state that the sketch here published, covering a period of only\na little over four years, contains but a fraction of that which is\ninteresting and wonderful in his life's experience. However, what is\nhere given will doubtless convey many valuable lessons to those who\nread it, and will serve to indicate the character of the great man of\nwhom it treats.\n\nHeber Chase Kimball was one of the greatest men of this age. There was\na certain nobility about his appearance as well as his disposition that\nwould have made him conspicuous in any community, and the Church of\nJesus Christ afforded ample scope for the exercise of his ability, and\nthe trying scenes through which he passed called into play his best\npowers.\n\nHe was a man of commanding presence, with eyes so keen as to almost\npierce one through, and before which the guilty involuntarily quailed.\nHe was fearless and powerful in rebuking the wrong-doer, but kind,\nbenevolent and fatherly to the deserving. He possessed such wonderful\ncontrol over the passions of men, combined with such wisdom and\ndiplomacy that the Prophet Joseph Smith called him \"the peace-maker.\"\nHis great faith, zeal, earnestness, devotion to principle, cheerfulness\nunder the most trying circumstances, energy, perseverance and honest\nsimplicity marked him as no ordinary man. He possessed great natural\nforce and strong will power, yet in his submission to the Priesthood\nand obedience to the laws of God he set a pattern to the whole Church.\nHis example throughout life was one of which his posterity may ever\nthink with pride, and which the Saints generally will do well to follow.\n\nNo man, perhaps, Joseph Smith excepted, who has belonged to the\nChurch in this generation, ever possessed the gift of prophecy to a\ngreater degree than Brother Kimball. Although not at all pretentious,\nhe was somewhat celebrated among his acquaintances for his prophetic\ninspiration. The prediction which he made soon after the arrival of\nthe Pioneers in Salt Lake Valley, that the destitute Saints would soon\nbe supplied with clothing, and that \"States goods\" would be sold in\nSalt Lake City as cheap as in New York, seemed most unreasonable at\nthe time it was uttered. Its fulfillment, however, by the unexpected\ninflux of gold-seekers, making their way to California, and anxious to\nlighten their loads by selling their goods at almost any price, is now\na matter of history. Scores of other predictions were made by him and\nas literally fulfilled.\n\nBrother Kimball was the only one of his father's family who embraced\nthe gospel, but now his is one of the most numerous families in the\nChurch. At the time of his death, which occurred June 22, 1868, he was\nthe father of sixty-five children, of whom thirty males and eleven\nfemales were then living. His direct descendants now number one hundred\nand seventy-two.\n\nThe first ten chapters of this work were formerly published in pamphlet\nform by Elder R. B. Thompson in Nauvoo. Only a small edition, however,\nwas printed, and it has now been out of print for a great many years.\nThe next six chapters have been compiled from the manuscript history of\nElder Kimball by his eldest daughter, Sister Helen Mar Whitney, to whom\nwe are also indebted for the items contained in his letters from which\nthe last chapter was written.\n\nTHE PUBLISHER.\n\n\n\nCONTENTS\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nCalled to go Upon a Mission to England--Appointed to Preside--The\nJourney.\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nTimidity at the Thoughts of my Task--Prompted by the Spirit to go to\nPreston--\"The Truth Will Prevail\"--Meet Elder Fielding's Brother, a\nPreacher--Invited to Preach in his Chapel--Seeing his Craft Endangered,\nhe Closes his Doors Against us--Another Minister Forbids us Baptizing\nhis Church Members--Desperate Struggle with Evil Spirits--Commence\nBaptizing--Elders Separate--Opposed by a Minister--His Subsequent Shame.\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nMeeting for Confirmation--Convert and Baptize Miss Richards--Her\nFather, a Minister, Invites me to Preach in his Chapel--Congregation\nBelieve my Testimony--Mr. Richards Frightened--Closes his Chapel\nAgainst me--His Daughter Troubled--I Predict that he will Again Open\nhis Chapel to me--Prediction Fulfilled--Other Elders Encouraged by the\nRev. Mr. Matthews, who Afterwards Rejects their Testimony and Commences\nPreaching their Doctrines on his Own Account.\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nThe People Eager to Hear us--We Rent \"The Cock Pit\" to Preach\nin--Obtain Licenses to Preach--Continued Success.\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nFirst Conference in England--Word of Wisdom First Taught there--Enemies\nActive--Urgent Invitation from a Baptist Church--The Effect of our\nPreaching.\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nImpressed to Visit Downham and Chatburn--Bad Character of those\nPlaces--Warned Against Going--Joy with which the Gospel was\nReceived--The People Eager to be Baptized--Loth to Part with me--Vain\nOpposition from a Minister--Affecting Conduct of Little Children.\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nVisit to the Moon Family--Prejudiced Against our Doctrine--A Prophecy\nabout them--Impressed to Call at their House again--My Presence Hailed\nWith Joy as an Answer to Prayer--The Prophecy Fulfilled; they Join the\nChurch--A Dream and its Interpretation.\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nExtraordinary Success--Very Cold Weather--Scenes of Suffering--Our\nExcessive Labors--A General Conference--Farewell Meeting--Affection\nManifested for us--Elder Russell's Labors--Elder Goodson a Barrier.\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nOur Lodgings--Wants Supplied by Liberality of\nSaints--Journey to Liverpool--Contrast Between Arrival and\nDeparture--Return Voyage--Meeting with Elders and Saints at New\nYork--Arrival at Kirtland.\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nRemoval to Missouri--Sickness--Kindness of the Saints at Far\nWest--Build a House, and then Have to Abandon it--Battle of Crooked\nRiver--Death and Final Testimony of Apostle David W. Patten--Corner\nStone of Temple at Far West Laid--Removal to Illinois.\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\nFar West Besieged--Joseph Smith and Brethren Betrayed by\nApostates--Atrocities of Mob--Conversation with W. E.\nM'Lellin--Extermination Speech of General Clark.\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\nPerils of the People--Cheerfulness of the Saints amidst their\nTroubles--Visit our Brethren in Prison--Apostles Ordained--Mock\nDistribution of State Appropriation--Letter from Joseph Smith\nand Brethren in Prison--Indifference of State Officials to our\nAppeals--Word of the Lord to me.\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\nFinal Expulsion from Ear West--Destruction of Property--Escape of\nJoseph Smith and Brethren--Attempt to Visit Parley P. Pratt and\nBrethren in Prison--Forced to Flee to Escape Mob Violence--Assembly of\nApostles and Others on Temple Site According to Revelation--Arrival in\nIllinois--Word of the Lord Fulfilled.\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\nJoyful Meeting with Joseph--First Conference in Illinois--First Visit\nto Commerce--My Impression Concerning the New Gathering Place--My\nRecommend--Struggle with Evil Spirits--Joseph Smith's Experience\nwith Evil Spirits--P. P. Pratt's Escape from Prison--Building\nHouses--Prostrate with Sickness--Remarkable Manifestation of the Gift\nof Healing.\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nStart upon a Mission under Distressing Circumstances--Incidents of the\nJourney--A Drunken Doctor Gives me a Table-spoonful of Morphine--My\nLife Saved Through the Prayer of Faith--Brethren Leave me to Proceed to\nKirtland--Their Fear that I would Die--I Predict that, I would Recover\nand Reach Kirtland Before Them.\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nFurther Incidents of the Journey--Money Increased by the Power\nof God--Arrival at Kirtland Ahead of Brethren, in Fulfillment of\nmy Prediction--Services in the Temple--Visit my Old Home and my\nRelatives--Kind Treatment--Arrival in New York--Joyful Meeting with\nBrethren.\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nIncidents of Elder Kimball's Mission, as Gleaned from his Letters--Some\nof his Prophecies Fulfilled--Elder Hyde's Account of the Contest\nwith Evil Spirits--Great Success of the work Throughout England--A\nTestimonial--Summary of Labors--Return to Nauvoo.\n\n\n\nPRESIDENT H. C. KIMBALL'S JOURNAL.\n\n\n\nAN ACCOUNT OF HIS MISSION TO ENGLAND AND THE INTRODUCTION OF THE GOSPEL\nTO THAT LAND.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nCALLED TO GO UPON A MISSION TO ENGLAND--APPOINTED TO PRESIDE--THE\nJOURNEY.\n\nThe labors of the Elders of the Church of Latter-day Saints in early\ndays were confined to the United States of America, with the exception\nof the province of Upper Canada, where a great many persons embraced\nthe gospel of Jesus Christ, and rejoiced in the blessings thereof. The\nmajority of this latter class were originally from Great Britain, and\nthey soon began to manifest a desire that their relatives and friends\nwho were still residing there, might be privileged with hearing the\nglad tidings of salvation, and be made partakers of those gifts and\nblessings which are promised in obedience thereto. For the attainment\nof this object, their prayers were continually ascending to the Lord of\nsabaoth, that He would prepare the way, and hasten the time when\n\n  \"The servants of the Lord\n  Soon should take their stand,\n  And spread the glorious light of truth--\n  Throughout their native land.\"\n\nNotwithstanding this desire, the way was not open for the Elders until\nthe spring of 1837, when the word of the Lord to the Elders of Israel\nwas, that they might go forth to the distant nations of the earth, that\nthe kingdom might roll forth, so that every heart might be penetrated.\n\nPrior to this, my labors had been confined to my own land, in which\nI had traveled about six thousand miles, preaching the gospel to the\nbest of my ability, and had the pleasure of baptizing several of my\ncountrymen for the remission of sins, and introducing them into the\nkingdom which the Lord has set up in these last days.\n\nI had frequently felt a desire to visit the shores of Europe, and\nbelieved that the time was fast approaching when I should take leave of\nmy own country and lift up my voice to other nations, warning them of\nthe things which were coming on the earth, and making known to them the\ngreat things which the Lord had brought to pass. Yet it never occurred\nto my mind that I should be one of the first commissioned to preach the\neverlasting gospel on the shores of Europe, and I can assure my friends\nI was taken by surprise when I was informed by Brother Hyrum Smith,\none of the Presidency of the Church, that I had been designed by the\nSpirit, and, at a conference of the authorities of the Church which had\nbeen held, was appointed to take the charge of a mission to the kingdom\nof Great Britain.\n\nThe idea of being appointed to such an important office and mission\nwas almost more than I could bear up under. I felt my weakness and\nunworthiness, and was nearly ready to sink under the task which\ndevolved upon me, and I could not help exclaiming: \"O Lord I am a man\nof 'stammering tongue,' and altogether unfit for such a work. How can\nI go to preach in that land, which is so famed throughout Christendom\nfor light, knowledge and piety, and as the nursery of religion; and to\na people whose intelligence is proverbial?\"\n\nAgain, the idea of leaving my family for so long a time, which a\nmission to that country must necessarily require--of being separated\nfrom my friends whom I loved, and with whom I had enjoyed many\nblessings and happy seasons--of leaving my native land to sojourn among\nstrangers in a strange land, was almost overwhelming.\n\nHowever, all these considerations did not deter me from the path of\nduty. Neither did I confer with flesh and blood; but the moment I\nunderstood the will of my Heavenly Father, I felt a determination to\ngo at all hazards, believing that He would support me by His almighty\npower, and endow me with every qualification I needed.\n\nAlthough my family were dear to me, and I should have to leave them\nalmost destitute, I felt that the cause of truth, the gospel of Christ,\noutweighed every other consideration; and I felt willing to leave them,\nbelieving that their wants would be provided for by that God who taketh\ncare of sparrows and who feedeth the young ravens when they cry.\n\nI was then set apart, along with Elder Hyde, who was likewise appointed\nto that mission, by the laying on of the hands of the Presidency, who\nagreed that Elders Goodson, Russell, Richards, Fielding and Snider\nshould accompany us.\n\nAfter spending a few days in arranging my affairs and settling my\nbusiness, on the thirteenth day of June, A. D. 1837, I bade adieu to my\nfamily and friends, and the town of Kirtland, where the house of the\nLord stood, in which I had received my anointing, and had seen such\nwonderful displays of the power and glory of God. In company with Elder\nHyde and the other brethren, I arrived at Fairport, on Lake Erie, that\nafternoon, a distance of twelve miles; and about an hour after our\narrival, took passage in a steam-boat for Buffalo, New York.\n\nWe were accompanied by Brother R. B. Thompson and wife, who were on\ntheir way to Canada, from Kirtland, where he intended to labor in the\nministry.\n\nAfter a pleasant voyage, we reached Buffalo the next day, at which\nplace we expected to get some funds which were promised us, to assist\nus on our journey, but we were unfortunately disappointed.\n\nAt that time we had but very little means, but still we determined to\nprosecute our journey, believing that the Lord would open our way.\n\nWe accordingly continued our journey, and took our passage in a line\nboat on the Erie Canal to Utica, a distance of two hundred and fifty\nmiles, and thence to Albany on the railroad.\n\nFrom this latter place I went with Brother Richards into the country\nabout thirty miles, where we were successful in obtaining some means to\nenable us to prosecute our journey. We then returned and took passage\non a steamboat for New York, at which place we arrived on the 22nd day\nof June.\n\nOn our arrival we met with Brothers Goodson and Snider, according to\nappointment (they having gone round by the way of Canada), all in good\nhealth.\n\nWhen we arrived at New York we found a vessel ready to sail, but not\nhaving sufficient means we were obliged to wait until such time as\nwe could obtain funds to pay our passage and buy provisions for the\nvoyage. We rented a small room in a store house, hoping that some\nway would be provided for us to go forward and fulfill the mission\nwhereunto we were sent.\n\nWe spent considerable time while we were there in praying to our\nHeavenly Father for His guidance and protection, that He would make\nour way plain before us, bless us with a prosperous voyage across the\nbillows of the mighty ocean, and make us a blessing to each other and\nto the captain and crew with whom we should sail.\n\nDuring our stay in that city, we were subject to many inconveniences.\nWe had to lay upon the floor, and had to buy and cook our own victuals;\nyet none of these things moved us, neither did we feel discouraged,\nbelieving that the Lord would open our way and guide us to our\ndestination.\n\nWe conversed with many persons on the subject of the gospel, and\ndistributed a large number of copies of the \"Prophetic Warning\" among\nall classes of the community; not forgetting the ministers of religion\nwho abound in that city. We sent a copy to every one whose name we\ncould ascertain through the medium of the post office.\n\nAfter remaining a few days, we were presented with sixty dollars to\nassist us. Brother Elijah Fordham made us a present of ten dollars,\nand concluded to accompany us on our mission, but upon more mature\nconsideration, we thought it was best for him to stop in that place,\nbelieving that the Lord had a people in that city, and that a Church\nwould be built up, which was afterwards done by the instrumentality of\nElders Parley P. and Orson Pratt.\n\nHaving obtained as much money as would pay our passage across the\nAtlantic, we laid in a stock of provisions, and on the first day of\nJuly went on board the ship _Garrick_, bound for Liverpool, and weighed\nanchor about ten o'clock, a. m., and about four o'clock, p. m. of the\nsame day, lost sight of my native land. I had feelings which I cannot\ndescribe when I could no longer behold its shores, and when I bade\nadieu to the land of my birth, which was fast receding, I felt to\nexclaim:\n\n  \"Yes, my native land, I love thee:\n  All thy scenes I love them well:\n  Friends, connections, happy country,\n  Can I bid you all farewell?\n  Can I leave you\n  Far in distant lands to dwell?\"\n\nHowever, when I reflected on the causes which had induced me to leave\nit for a while, and the work which devolved upon me I could likewise\nsay,\n\n  \"I go, but not to plough the main\n  To ease a restless mind.\"\n\nNo; I hope I was actuated by a different motive than either to please\nmyself or to gain the riches and applause of the world; it was a\nhigher consideration than these that induced me to leave my home. It\nwas because a dispensation of the gospel had been committed to me,\nand I felt an ardent desire that my fellow-creatures in other lands,\nas well as those of the land of my birth, might hear the sound of the\neverlasting gospel, obey its requisitions, rejoice in the fullness and\nblessings thereof and escape the judgments which were threatened upon\nthe ungodly.\n\nOur passage was very agreeable, and the winds for most part very\nfavorable. On the banks of Newfoundland we saw several whales and many\ndifferent species of fish.\n\nWe were kindly treated while on board, both by the officers and crew,\nand their conduct was indeed praiseworthy; had we been their own\nrelatives, they could not have behaved more kindly or have treated us\nbetter. Thus the Lord answered our prayers in this respect, for which I\ndesire to praise His holy name.\n\nThe Lord also gave us favor in the eyes of the passengers, who treated\nus with the greatest respect. During our voyage a child belonging to\none of the passengers was very sick and was given up for dead by the\ndoctor who attended it; consequently, its parents had given up all\nhopes of its recovery, and expected to have to commit their little\none to the ocean. Feeling a great anxiety for the child, I went to\nits parents and reasoned with, and laid before them the principle of\nfaith, and told them that the Lord was able to restore their child,\nnotwithstanding there was no earthly prospect of its recovery, to\nwhich they listened with great interest. Having an opportunity shortly\nafter, secretly to lay hands upon the child, I did so, and in the name\nof Jesus Christ rebuked the disease which preyed upon its system. The\nSpirit of the Lord attended the administration, and from that time the\nchild began to recover, and two or three days after it was running\nabout perfectly well. Its parents had to acknowledge that it was healed\nby the power of the Almighty.\n\nThe last Sunday we were on the water I went to the captain and asked\nthe privilege for one of us to preach on board. He very obligingly\nagreed, and appointed the time when it would be most suitable for\nhimself and the crew to attend, which was at one o'clock p. m. We then\nappointed Brother Hyde to speak, and notified the crew and passengers\nof the circumstance.\n\nAt the time appointed, there was a congregation of from two to three\nhundred persons assembled on the deck, who listened with great\nattention and deep interest to the discourse, which was delivered\nwith great power. I think I never heard Brother Hyde speak with\nsuch power and eloquence as that time; he spoke on the subject of\nthe resurrection. The time being limited on account of the duties\nof the ship's company, his subject was necessarily condensed. The\ncongregation was composed of persons from different nations, and of\ndifferent faiths, English, Irish, Scotch, Germans, French, etc., both\nJews and Christians. A great feeling was produced upon the minds of\nthe assembly, who had never heard the subject treated in like manner\nbefore, and from the conversation we afterwards had with several of\nthem, I believe that good was done and many from that time began to\nsearch the scriptures for themselves, which are able to make men wise\nunto salvation.\n\nOn the 15th of July we came in sight of land, which caused joy and\ngratitude to my Heavenly Father to arise in my bosom for the favorable\npassage we had had so far and the prospect of soon reaching our\ndestination. We then sailed up the Irish channel, having Ireland on\nour left and Wales on our right. The scenery was very beautiful and\nimposing.\n\nThree days after first seeing land, being the 18th of July, we arrived\nin Liverpool, one of the largest ports in Great Britain, being just\nseventeen days and two hours from our departure from New York. The\npacket ship _South America_, which left New York the same time we did,\ncame in a few lengths behind. The sight was very grand to see these two\nvessels enter port, with every inch of canvass spread. When we first\ngot sight of Liverpool, I went to the side of the vessel and poured out\nmy soul in praise and thanksgiving to God for the prosperous voyage\nand for all the mercies which He had vouchsafed to me, and while thus\nengaged, and while contemplating the scenery which then presented\nitself and the circumstances which had brought me thus far, the Spirit\nof the Lord rested upon me in a powerful manner; my soul was filled\nwith love and gratitude, and was humbled within me, while I covenanted\nto dedicate myself to God and to love and serve Him with all my heart.\n\nImmediately after we anchored, a small boat came alongside, and\nseveral of the passengers, with Brothers Hyde, Richards, Goodson and\nmyself got in and went on shore. When we were within six or seven feet\nfrom the pier, I leaped on shore, and for the first time in my life\nstood on British ground, among strangers whose manners and customs\nwere different from my own. My feelings at that time were peculiar,\nparticularly when I realized the object, importance and extent of my\nmission and the work to which I had been appointed and in which I was\nshortly to be engaged.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nTIMIDITY AT THE THOUGHTS OF MY TASK--PROMPTED BY THE SPIRIT TO GO TO\nPRESTON--THE \"TRUTH WILL PREVAIL\"--MEET ELDER FIELDING'S BROTHER, A\nPREACHER--INVITED TO PREACH IN HIS CHAPEL--SEEING HIS CRAFT ENDANGERED,\nHE CLOSES HIS DOORS AGAINST US--ANOTHER MINISTER FORBIDS US BAPTIZING\nHIS CHURCH MEMBERS--DESPERATE STRUGGLE WITH EVIL SPIRITS--COMMENCE\nBAPTIZING--ELDERS SEPARATE--OPPOSED BY A MINISTER--HIS SUBSEQUENT SHAME.\n\nThe idea of standing forth and proclaiming the gospel in a land so much\nextolled for religion, which was constantly sending forth her ministers\nto almost every nation under heaven, and among a people who, of course,\ndid not expect to be taught, but to teach others the principles of the\ngospel, and the consciousness of my own weakness and unfitness for\nsuch an undertaking, led me to cry mightily to the Lord for wisdom and\nfor that comfort and support which I so much needed. At the same time\nI thought that if I could have been relieved from the responsibility\nwhich rested upon me, by fighting Goliath on as unequal terms as David\ndid, I should have felt myself happy.\n\nHowever, I endeavored to put my trust in God, believing that He would\nassist me in publishing the truth and that He would be a present help\nin the time of need.\n\nHaving no means, poor and penniless we wandered in the streets of that\ngreat city, where wealth and luxury, penury and want abound. I there\nmet the rich attired in the most costly dresses, and the next moment\nwas saluted with the cries of the poor, who were without covering\nsufficient to screen them from the weather. Such a distinction I never\nsaw before. We then looked out for a place to lodge in, and found a\nroom belonging to a widow which we engaged for a few days.\n\nThe time we were in Liverpool was spent in council and in calling on\nthe Lord for direction, so that we might be led to places where we\nshould be most useful in proclaiming the gospel and in establishing and\nspreading His kingdom. While thus engaged, the Spirit of the Lord, the\nmighty power of God, was with us, and we felt greatly strengthened, and\na determination to go forward, come life or death, honor or reproach,\nwas manifested by us all. Our trust was in God, who we believed could\nmake us as useful in bringing down the kingdom of Satan as He did the\nrams' horns, in bringing down the walls of Jericho and in gathering\nout a number of precious souls who were buried amidst the rubbish of\ntradition, and who had none to show them the way of truth.\n\nFeeling led by the Spirit of the Lord to go to Preston, a large\nmanufacturing town in Lancashire, we started for that place three\ndays after our arrival in Liverpool. We went by coach and arrived on\nSaturday afternoon about four o'clock. After unloading our trunks,\nBrother Goodson went in search of a place of lodging, and Brother\nFielding went to seek a brother of his, who was a minister, residing in\nthat place.\n\nIt being the day on which their representatives were chosen, the\nstreets presented a very busy scene; indeed I never witnessed anything\nlike it before in my life.\n\nOn one of the flags, which was just enrolled before us the moment\nthe coach reached its destination, was the following motto: \"TRUTH\nWILL PREVAIL,\" which was painted in large, gilt letters. It being so\nvery seasonable and the sentiment being so appropriate to us in our\nsituation, we were involuntarily led to exclaim, \"Amen! So let it be.\"\n\nBrother Goodson having found a room where we could be accommodated,\nwhich belonged to a widow woman, situated in Wilford Street, we moved\nour baggage there. Shortly after, Brother. Fielding returned, having\nfound his brother, who requested to have an interview with some of us\nthat evening. Accordingly, Elders Hyde, Goodson and I went and were\nkindly received by him and Mr. Watson, his brother-in-law, who was\npresent at the time.\n\nWe gave them a short account of the object of our mission and the great\nwork which the Lord had commenced, and conversed upon those subjects\nuntil a late hour. The next morning we were presented with half a\ncrown, which Mr. Fielding's sister had sent us.\n\nIt being Sunday, we went to hear Mr. Fielding preach. After he had\nfinished his discourse, and without being requested by us, he gave out\nan appointment for some one of us to preach in the afternoon.\n\nIt being noised abroad that some Elders from America were in town\nand were going to preach in the afternoon, a large concourse of\npeople assembled to hear us. It falling to my lot to speak, I called\ntheir attention to the first principles of the gospel, and told them\nsomething of the nature of the work which the Lord had commenced on\nthe earth. Brother Hyde afterwards bore testimony to the same, which I\nbelieve was received by many with whom I afterwards conversed.\n\nAnother appointment was given out for us in the evening, at which\ntime Brother Goodson preached and Brother Fielding bore testimony.\nAn appointment was then made for us on Wednesday evening at the same\nplace, at which time Elder Hyde preached. A number now being convinced\nof the truth, believed the testimony and began to praise God and\nrejoice exceedingly that the Lord had again visited His people, and\nsent His servants to lay before them the doctrine of the gospel \"and\nthe truth as it is in Jesus.\"\n\nThe Rev. Mr. Fielding, who had kindly invited us to preach in his\nchapel, knowing that quite a number of his members believed our\ntestimony and that some were wishful to be baptized, shut his doors\nagainst us and would suffer us to preach no more in his chapel. For an\nexcuse, he said that we had preached the doctrine of baptism for the\nremission of sins, contrary to our arrangement with him.\n\nI need scarcely assure my friends that nothing was said to him from\nwhich any inference could be drawn that we should suppress the doctrine\nof baptism. No! We deemed it too important a doctrine to lay aside for\nany privilege we could receive from mortals. Mr. Fielding understood\nour doctrines even before we came there, having received several\ncommunications from his brother Joseph, who wrote to him from Canada,\nexplaining the doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day\nSaints. We likewise had conversed with him on the subject at our former\ninterview. However, he having been traditioned to believe in infant\nbaptism, and having preached and practiced the same a number of years,\nhe saw the situation he would be placed in if he obeyed the gospel.\nNotwithstanding his talents and standing in society, he would have to\ncome into the sheepfold by the door; and after all his preaching to\nothers, have to be baptized himself for the remission of sins by those\nwho were ordained to that power.\n\nThese considerations undoubtedly had their weight upon his mind, and\ncaused him to act as he did, and notwithstanding his former kindness he\nsoon became one of our most violent opposers.\n\nAn observation which escaped his lips shortly after this circumstance,\nI shall here mention. Speaking one day respecting the three first\nsermons which were preached in that place, he said that \"Kimball bored\nthe holes, Goodson drove the nails and Hyde clinched them.\"\n\nHowever, his congregation did not follow his example; they had for some\ntime been praying for our coming, and had been assured by Mr. Fielding\nthat he could not place more confidence in an angel than he did in\nthe statements of his brother respecting this people. Consequently,\nthey were in a great measure prepared for the reception of the gospel,\nprobably as much so as Cornelius was anciently.\n\nHaving now no public place to preach in, we began to preach in private\nhouses, which were opened in every direction, while numbers believed\nthe gospel. After we had been in that place eight days, we began to\nbaptize in the name of the Lord Jesus for the remission of sins. One\n\"reverend\" gentleman came and forbid us baptizing any of his members;\nbut we told him that all who were of age and requested baptism we\nshould undoubtedly administer that ordinance to.\n\nOne Saturday evening I was appointed by the brethren to baptize a\nnumber the next morning in the river Ribble, which runs through that\nplace. By this time, the adversary of souls began to rage, and he felt\na determination to destroy us before we had fully established the\ngospel in that land; and the next morning I witnessed such a scene of\nsatanic power and influence as I shall never forget while memory lasts.\n\nAbout day-break, Brother Russell (who was appointed to preach in the\nmarket-place that day), who slept in the second story of the house in\nwhich we were entertained, came up to the room where Elder Hyde and I\nwere sleeping and called upon us to arise and pray for him, for he was\nso afflicted with evil spirits that he could not live long unless he\nshould obtain relief.\n\nWe immediately arose, laid hands upon him and prayed that the Lord\nwould have mercy on His servant and rebuke the devil. While thus\nengaged, I was struck with great force by some invisible power and fell\nsenseless on the floor as if I had been shot, and the first thing that\nI recollected was, that I was supported by Brothers Hyde and Russell,\nwho were beseeching a throne of grace in my behalf. They then laid me\non the bed, but my agony was so great that I could not endure, and I\nwas obliged to get out, and fell on my knees and began to pray. I then\nsat on the bed and could distinctly see the evil spirits, who foamed\nand gnashed their teeth upon us. We gazed upon them about an hour and a\nhalf, and I shall never forget the horror and malignity depicted on the\ncountenances of these foul spirits, and any attempt to paint the scene\nwhich then presented itself, or portray the malice and enmity depicted\nin their countenances would be vain.\n\nI perspired exceedingly, and my clothes were as wet as if I had\nbeen taken out of the river. I felt exquisite pain, and was in the\ngreatest distress for some time. However, I learned by it the power\nof the adversary, his enmity against the servants of God and got some\nunderstanding of the invisible world.\n\nThe Lord delivered us from the wrath of our spiritual enemies\nand blessed us exceedingly that day, and I had the pleasure\n(notwithstanding my weakness of body from the shock I had experienced)\nof baptizing nine individuals and hailing them brethren in the kingdom\nof God.\n\nA circumstance took place while at the water side which I cannot\nrefrain from mentioning, which will show the eagerness and anxiety of\nsome in that land to obey the gospel. Two of the candidates who were\nchanging their clothes and preparing for baptism at the distance of\nseveral rods from the place where I was standing in the water, were so\nanxious to obey the gospel, that they ran with all their might to the\nwater, each wishing to be baptized first. The younger, being quicker on\nfoot than the elder, out-ran him, and came first into the water. The\ncircumstance reminded me of Peter and another disciple, who went to see\nthe sepulchre where the Savior was laid: their anxiety was so great to\nfind out whether He was yet there or not, that they had a race for it.\n\nThe ceremony of baptizing being somewhat novel, a large concourse of\npeople assembled on the banks of the river to witness the ceremony.\n\nIn the afternoon, Elder Russell preached in the market-place, standing\non a pedestal, to a very large congregation, numbers of whom were\npricked to the heart.\n\nThus the work of the Lord commenced in that land (notwithstanding the\nrage of the adversary and his attempt to destroy us)--a work which\nshall roll forth, not only in that land but upon all the face of the\nearth, even \"in lands and isles unknown.\"\n\nThe next morning we held a council, at which Elders Goodson and\nRichards were appointed to go to the city of Bedford, there being a\ngood prospect, from the information received, of a Church being built\nup in that city. Elders Russell and Snider were appointed to go to\nAlston, in Cumberland, near the borders of Scotland, and Elders Hyde,\nFielding and the writer were to remain in Preston and the regions round\nabout.\n\nThe next day, the brethren took their departure for the different\nfields of labor assigned them.\n\nBrothers Hyde, Fielding and I continued lifting up our voices in\nprivate houses, at the corners of the streets, in the market-place and\nwherever the Lord opened a door. The following Sabbath, Elder Hyde\npreached in the market-place to a numerous assemblage, both rich and\npoor, who flocked from all parts to hear \"what these babblers had to\nsay,\" hearing that we were \"setters forth of strange doctrines.\" After\nBrother Hyde had got through, I gave an exhortation, and when I had\nconcluded, a minister stepped forward to oppose us on the doctrines we\nadvanced, but more particularly on the doctrine of baptism, he being a\ngreat stickler for infant baptism.\n\nThe people, thinking he intended to offend us, would not let him\nproceed, but seemed determined to put him down, and undoubtedly would\nhave done so had not Brother Hyde interposed and begged permission for\nthe gentleman to speak, telling the congregation that he was prepared\nto meet any arguments he might advance. This appeased the people, who\nlistened to the remarks of the reverend gentleman; after which Brother\nHyde spoke in answer to the objections which had been offered, to the\nsatisfaction of nearly all present.\n\nThe minister felt somewhat ashamed. One individual came up to him and\nasked him what he now thought of his \"baby baptism,\" while another\ncame, took him by the hand and led him out of the throng. Indeed, all\nthose who arose up to oppose the doctrines we taught were confounded,\nand could not with any success combat the truths we preached.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nMEETING FOR CONFIRMATION--CONVERT AND BAPTIZE MISS RICHARDS--HER\nFATHER, A MINISTER, INVITES ME TO PREACH IN HIS CHAPEL--CONGREGATION\nBELIEVE MY TESTIMONY--MR. RICHARDS FRIGHTENED--CLOSES HIS CHAPEL\nAGAINST ME--HIS DAUGHTER TROUBLED--I PREDICT THAT HE WILL AGAIN OPEN\nHIS CHAPEL TO ME--PREDICTION FULFILLED--OTHER ELDERS ENCOURAGED BY THE\nREV. MR. MATTHEWS, WHO AFTERWARDS REJECTS THEIR TESTIMONY AND COMMENCES\nPREACHING THEIR DOCTRINES ON HIS OWN ACCOUNT.\n\nHaving had considerable success the short time we had labored in that\nplace, and having baptized a number we requested them to meet at the\nhouse of Sister Dawson for confirmation on the evening of the second\nSabbath after our arrival in Preston.\n\nThe people having come together, we fully explained to them the nature\nof that ordinance about to be performed. We then laid our hands upon\nbetween forty and fifty for the gift of the Holy Ghost, and confirmed\nthem members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While\nattending to this ordinance the Spirit of the Lord rested down upon us\nin a powerful manner, which caused us to rejoice exceedingly. Thus the\nword of the Lord spread and prevailed.\n\nAbout this time, a young lady, the daughter of a minister of the\nPresbyterian order, who resided about fifteen miles from Preston, being\non a visit to that place, happened to be at the house of a family with\nwhom I was acquainted. Calling in to see them at the time she was there\nI was introduced to her, and we immediately entered into conversation\non the subject of the gospel. I found her a very intelligent person,\nand she seemed very desirous to hear the things I had to teach and\nunderstand the doctrines of the gospel.\n\nI informed her of an appointment I had made to preach that evening, and\ninvited her to attend. She did so, and likewise the evening following;\nand after attending these two services she was fully convinced of the\ntruth, and the next morning sent for me, desiring to be baptized. I\ncheerfully complied with her request, and confirmed her at the water\nside. The following day, she started for home, requesting me to pray\nfor her, and gave us some encouragement to expect that her father would\nopen his chapel for me to preach in.\n\nI hastened to my brethren, told them of the circumstance and the result\nof my visit with the young lady, and then called upon them to unite\nin prayer that the Lord would soften the heart of her father, that he\nmight be induced to open his chapel for us to preach in, and that our\nway might be opened in that place.\n\nThe next week I received a letter from her, and one from her father,\nin which he informed me that I was expected to be at his place the\nfollowing Saturday, as he had given out an appointment for me to preach\nin his chapel the next Sunday. The following is a copy of the letter:\n\n\"_Sir_:--You are expected to be here next Saturday. You are given\nout to preach in the forenoon, afternoon and evening. Although we\nbe strangers to one another, yet I hope we are not strangers to our\nblessed Redeemer, else I would not have given out for you to preach;\nour chapel is but little and the congregation but few--yet if one soul\nbe converted, it is of more value than the whole world.\n\nI remain in haste,\n\nJOHN RICHARDS.\"\n\nAgreeable to the kind invitation, I made preparation to visit that\nplace, and took coach on Saturday afternoon at Preston and arrived at\nhis house a little before dark.\n\nOn my entering, he arose and said, \"I understand you are the minister\nlately from America!\"\n\nI told him I was, whereupon he bade me welcome to his house, and seemed\nto rejoice at my arrival.\n\nAfter receiving refreshment at his hospitable board, we commenced a\nconversation which lasted till a late hour, which appeared satisfactory\nto the whole family.\n\nThe next morning I accompanied the reverend gentleman to his chapel,\nand at the hour appointed commenced to preach to a crowded congregation\non the principles of salvation. I likewise preached in the afternoon\nand evening, and my hearers seemed to manifest great interest in the\nthings which I laid before them. Nearly the whole congregation shed\ntears of joy.\n\nAfter I had concluded the services of the day, Mr. Richards gave\nout another appointment for me to preach on Monday evening, which I\nattended to. I likewise, by request of the congregation, preached on\nWednesday evening.\n\nA number now began to believe the doctrines I advanced, and on\nThursday, six individuals, all members of Mr. Richards' church, came\nforward for baptism.\n\nMr. Richards now, seeing the effect which my preaching produced, and\nfearing lest he should lose all his members and likewise the salary\nwhich was allowed him for preaching, told me that he must close the\ndoors of his chapel against me; but at the same time his behavior was\nkind, and to his praise be it spoken, treated me with the greatest\nhospitality.\n\nI then began to preach in private houses, which were opened in that\nneighborhood, and I ceased not to declare to all who came to hear, both\nby night and by day, the glorious tidings of salvation, and that God\nhad again restored the ordinances as at the first, and counselors as at\nthe beginning.\n\nNotwithstanding Mr. Richards closed the door of his meeting house\nagainst me, he frequently came to hear me preach.\n\nHis daughter felt very sorrowful on account of her father not allowing\nme to preach any more in his place of worship, and wept much; but I\ntold her not to fear, for I believed that God would soften his heart\nand cause him to open his chapel for me to preach in again.\n\nDuring this time I was principally entertained at his house. The next\nSunday I went along with him to his meeting, feeling a desire to hear\nhim preach. After he had finished his discourse, I was surprised to\nhear him give out another appointment for me to preach in his chapel. I\naccordingly preached in the afternoon and in the evening, and the word\nseemed to be with power and the effect was great upon the people. The\nnext day I baptized two more, both members of Mr. Richards' church.\n\nMr. Richards had preached in that place upwards of thirty years, and\nhis members, as well as the inhabitants of the place and vicinity, were\nvery much attached to him. Yet, when the fullness of the gospel was\npreached, although in much weakness, the people, notwithstanding their\nattachment and regard for their venerable pastor, being convinced of\ntheir duty, came forward and followed the footsteps of the Savior by\nbeing buried in the likeness of His death.\n\nAfter laboring for some time in this neighborhood, I was warned by\nthe Spirit to return to Preston, and there found that I was anxiously\nexpected by the brethren. They had received letters from Brothers\nRichards and Russell, which gave an account of their proceedings\nsince they left Preston. Brother Goodson had also returned from\nBedfordshire, where he and Brother Richards had labored, and he gave\nus a relation of their mission and success. He informed us that a\nminister by the name of Matthews, brother-in-law to Elder Joseph\nFielding, received them very kindly and invited them to preach in his\nchurch. The invitation was accepted, and they preached several times.\nThe result was that a number, among whom was Mr. Matthews and his\nlady, believed their testimony and the things which they proclaimed.\nMr. Matthews had likewise borne testimony to his congregation of the\ntruth of these things and that they were the same principles as taught\nby the apostles in ancient days, and beseeched his church to receive\nthe same. Several of his members went forward and obeyed the gospel,\nand the time was appointed when he was to be baptized. However, in\nthe interval, something had caused him to stumble, and darkness had\npervaded his mind, insomuch so that at the time specified he did not\nmake his appearance, but went to a Baptist minister residing in that\nplace whom he prevailed upon to baptize him. From that time he began to\npreach baptism for the remission of sins, and no longer walked with the\nSaints. However, a great part of his members left him and obeyed the\ntruth, and in a letter which he wrote to his brother-in-law, the Rev.\nJames Fielding, he stated that his best members had left him.\n\nIt would probably be well to say a few words respecting Mr. Matthews\nand Mr. Fielding, and their congregations, also their situation prior\nto the time the gospel saluted their ears.\n\nMr. Matthews, who was a gentleman of considerable learning and talents,\nhad been a minister in the established church of England. Seeing a\ngreat many things in that church contrary to truth and righteousness,\nand moreover, believing that an overturn was at hand, and that the\nchurch was destitute of the gifts of the Spirit, and was not expecting\nthe Savior to come to reign upon the earth, as had been spoken by the\nprophets, he felt led to withdraw from that body.\n\nHe consequently gave up his prospects in that connection, and began to\npreach the things which he verily believed; and was instrumental in\nraising up quite a church in that place.\n\nMr. J. Fielding had been a minister in the Methodist church, but for\nsome of the causes mentioned, had withdrawn from that society, and\nhad collected a considerable church in Preston. Those gentlemen, with\ntheir congregations, were, I believe, diligently contending for that\nfaith which was once delivered to the Saints at the time we arrived,\nbut afterwards rejected the truth. Yet, notwithstanding they did not\nobey the gospel, the greater portion of their members received our\ntestimony, obeyed the ordinances we taught, and are now rejoicing in\nthe blessings of the new and everlasting covenant.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nTHE PEOPLE EAGER TO HEAR US--WE RENT \"THE COCK PIT\" TO PREACH\nIN--OBTAIN LICENSES TO PREACH--CONTINUED SUCCESS.\n\nAbout this time, Brother Snider returned from the north, where he had\nbeen laboring in company with Brother Russell. He stated that they had\nmet with considerable opposition while preaching the gospel, but that\nsome had obeyed the truth and that others were investigating.\n\nAfter spending a few days with us, he and Brother Goodson took their\nleave of us and started for Liverpool about the first of October, on\ntheir way to America, having business of importance which called them\nhome.\n\nAlthough we were deprived of the labors of these brethren, the work\nof the Lord continued to roll forth with great power. The news of our\narrival in that city, spread both far and wide, and calls from all\nquarters, to go and preach, were constantly sounding in our ears. We\nlabored both night and day, that we might satisfy the people, who\nmanifested such a desire for the truth as I never saw before.\n\nWe had to speak in small houses, to very large congregations, or else,\nto large assemblies in the open air; consequently, our lungs were very\nsore and our bodies considerably worn down with fatigue.\n\nSoon after this, we obtained a large and commodious place to preach\nin, called \"The Cock Pit,\" which had formerly been used by the people\nto witness cocks fight and kill one another, and where hundreds of\nspectators had shouted in honor of the barbarous sport which was once\nthe pride of Britains. And now, instead of the huzzas of the wicked and\nprofane, the gospel of Christ and the voice of praise and thanksgiving\nwas heard there. The building had also been used for a temperance hall.\n\nWe had to pay seven shillings sterling per week for the use of it, and\ntwo shillings per week for the lighting, it being beautifully lit up\nwith gas. It is situated in the center of the town, and about twenty\nrods from the \"old church,\" probably the oldest in Lancashire. This\nchurch has twelve bells which are rung at every service, the noise of\nwhich was so great that we were unable to proceed in our services until\nthey had done ringing them.\n\nOur meeting was once disturbed by some ministers belonging to the\nMethodist church; however we got our place licensed and two gentlemen,\nwho were constables, proffered their services to keep the peace and\nprotect us from any further disturbances, which they continued to do,\nas long as we stayed in that land.\n\nThe effect of the gospel of Jesus Christ now began to be apparent, not\nonly in the hearts of believers, but likewise in the conduct of those\nwho rejected it and many began to threaten us with prosecution for\npreaching without having a license from the authorities of the nation.\n\nThis idea of obtaining a license from the secular authorities was\nsomewhat novel to us, but after consulting our friends, among whom\nwas Mr. Richards' son, (the minister of whom I have made mention)\nan attorney, practicing in that neighborhood, we found that it was\naccording to the laws of the land.\n\nBrother Hyde and I then made application to the quarter sessions for\nlicenses and, by the assistance of Mr. Richards, obtained them.\n\nHaving now obeyed the requisitions of the law, we felt ourselves\ntolerably safe, knowing that our enemies now could not lawfully make us\nafraid or harm us.\n\nAlthough we had many persecutors, who would have rejoiced at our\ndestruction and who felt a determination to overthrow the work of the\nLord, there were many who were very friendly, who would have stood by\nus under all circumstances, and would not have been afraid to hazard\ntheir lives in our behalf.\n\nAfter we had labored for some time in Preston, and had baptized a\nnumber into the kingdom of God, Brother Hyde and I went about ten\nmiles into the country to preach, agreeably to an invitation we had\nreceived. We preached twice to very numerous congregations, who\npaid great attention to our word, and who marveled at the things we\nproclaimed. We soon returned to Preston after which I paid a visit to\nthe church at Walker Fold, that being the name of the place where the\nRev. Mr. Richards resided. I found the church prospering, and after\nlaboring a few days, several more were added. From that place I went\nto Bashe Lees, where I preached, and baptized two persons. I continued\nmy journey thence to Ribchester, situated on the river Ribble, where I\npreached to a very large congregation, and then returned to Preston.\n\nHaving had some very pressing calls to go to some villages south of\nPreston, I accordingly started to visit those places, in company with\nBrother F. Moon, who had been baptized a short time previous. On\narriving at our destination we gave out an appointment to preach, and,\nat the time appointed, the people flocked in crowds to hear me. Among\nthe number were five preachers, who listened with great interest to my\ndiscourse, and who, with the greater part of the congregation, believed\nthe doctrines I advanced.\n\nThe next day I went to a village called Askin, and preached in the\nevening; and the following day went to Eccleston, where I had the\nprivilege of preaching in a Methodist chapel. The last three times\nI preached I baptized ten individuals, of whom two were preachers\nbelonging to the Association Methodists.\n\nAfter spending several days in that neighborhood I returned to Preston,\nwhere the church had now become numerous, and with the assistance of\nElders Hyde and Fielding, proceeded to organize them. We divided the\nchurch into several branches, and appointed proper officers to preside\nover them.\n\nThursday evenings were appointed for prayer meetings to be held in\ndifferent parts, and Sundays for the whole church to assemble in the\nCock Pit, where the sacrament was administered, and such instructions\ngiven as were thought necessary for their spiritual prosperity and\nadvantage.\n\nWhile attending to this, the greatest harmony and love prevailed; and\nif ever any persons received the kingdom of heaven like little children\nit was those brethren.\n\nAfter having attended to this duty, I again went into the country,\nwhere I spent the principal part of my time, occasionally visiting\nPreston.\n\nDuring my labors, I was greatly assisted by the Spirit of the Lord, and\nmy soul was comforted exceedingly. Churches were raised up in different\ndirections, and many who had previously sat in darkness, upon them the\ntrue light shined, and before its benign and enlightening rays, the\nmists of darkness, the clouds of error and superstition fled; while\n\"those who murmured learned doctrine, and those who erred in spirit\ncame to understanding.\"\n\nI was instrumental in building up churches in Eccleston, Wrightington,\nAskin, Exton, Daubers Lane, Chorly, Whittle and Laland Moss, after\nlaboring about four weeks, and baptized upwards of one hundred persons,\nwhich caused me to rejoice exceedingly in the God and Rock of my\nsalvation, that I had not to labor in vain, or spend my strength for\nnought. More loving and affectionate Saints I never saw before, and\nthey were patterns of humility.\n\nAll the here-mentioned villages are within a very short distance of\neach other, and adjacent to Preston.\n\nAfter my return from those places, I took a tour to the north-east\nof Preston in company with Elder Fielding, where we labored together\na short time with considerable success, and raised up churches in\nRibchester, Thomly, Soney Gate Lane and at Clitheroe, a very large\nmarket town, containing several thousand inhabitants.\n\nAt the latter place I baptized a preacher and six members of the\nMethodist church, immediately after I had preached the first time. We\nlikewise baptized several in the town of Waddington and Downham.\n\nThe day after we preached in Downham, we received a very pressing\ninvitation to preach in Chatburn, but having given out an appointment\nto preach in Clitheroe that evening, I informed those who had invited\nme that I would not be able to comply with their request. This did\nnot satisfy them, and they continued to solicit me with the greatest\nimportunity, until I was obliged to consent to go with them, after\nrequesting Elder Fielding to attend to the other appointment.\n\nOn my arrival at the village I was cordially received by the\ninhabitants, who turned out in large numbers to hear me preach. I\ncommenced my address to them in my usual manner, and the spirit of the\nLord seemed to carry the word to the hearts of the congregation, who\nlistened with great attention, and received the ingrafted word, which\nwas able to make them wise unto salvation.\n\nBeing satisfied in my mind, from the witness of the spirit, that\nnumbers were believing, I gave an opportunity to those who wished\nto obey the gospel to do so, and immediately repaired to the water,\nalthough it was late in the evening. Before I was done I baptized\ntwenty-five for the remission of their sins, and was engaged in this\npleasing duty until one o'clock, the next morning.\n\nAfter being absent from Preston about seven days, in which time we had\nadded eighty-three souls to the Church, we returned, praising God for\nall His mercies, and for visiting our labors with such abundant success.\n\n  \"No harvest joy can equal theirs\n  Who see the fruit of all their cares.\"\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nFIRST CONFERENCE IN ENGLAND--WORD OF WISDOM FIRST TAUGHT THERE--ENEMIES\nACTIVE--URGENT INVITATION FROM A BAPTIST CHURCH--THE EFFECT OF OUR\nPREACHING.\n\nIt being near Christmas, we agreed to hold a general conference in\nPreston on Christmas day, there being business of importance to the\nchurches to be attended to; and likewise several to be ordained to the\nministry.\n\nOn Christmas day, the Saints assembled in the Cock Pit, and we then\nopened the conference, which was the first that was held by the Church\nof Christ in that country. There were about three hundred Saints\npresent on the occasion, all of whom with the exception of three had\nbeen baptized within a very short time. Elders Hyde, Fielding and\nmyself were present.\n\nThe brethren were instructed in the principles of the gospel, and their\nseveral duties enjoined upon them, as Saints of the Most High. We then\nproceeded to ordain several of the brethren to the Lesser Priesthood,\nto take charge of the different branches where they resided. We\nconfirmed fourteen who had previously been baptized, and blessed about\none hundred children.\n\nAt this conference, the Word of Wisdom was first publicly taught in\nthat country; having previously taught it more by example than precept;\nand, from my own observation afterwards, I am happy to state that it\nwas almost universally attended to by the brethren.\n\nThe Spirit of the Lord was with us during our interview, and truly the\nhearts of the Elders were rejoiced beyond measure when we contemplated\nthe glorious work which had begun. We had to exclaim, \"It is the Lord's\ndoings, and it is marvelous in our eyes! Blessed be the name of the\nLord!\"\n\nI felt greatly humbled before the Lord, who had crowned our labors with\nsuch signal success, and had prospered us far beyond my most sanguine\nexpectations.\n\nImmediately after this conference, Elder Hyde and I went to a village\ncalled Longton, situated near the sea-shore, where we raised the\nstandard of truth, and published to the listening crowds, the glad\ntidings of salvation. After delivering two discourses, several came to\nus and requested baptism. It being very cold weather, insomuch that\nthe streams were all frozen up, we had to repair to the sea-shore to\nadminister that ordinance, and immersed fifteen in the waters of the\nocean.\n\nIt would probably be too tedious, to enumerate all the particulars\nwhich occurred during the time we sojourned in that country; I shall\ntherefore pass over many events which, though pleasing to us at that\ntime, and which showed the kind dealings of our Heavenly Father, would\nnot be sufficiently interesting to others. I shall therefore content\nmyself by giving an outline of the principal circumstances attending\nour mission, which I have no doubt will be pleasing to the brethren,\nand to all who love the prosperity of Zion.\n\nFrom this time, until about five weeks previous to our departure from\nthat land, we were continually engaged in the work of the ministry,\nproclaiming the everlasting gospel in all the region round about,\nand baptizing all such as believed the gospel and repented of their\nsins. And truly, \"the Lord of Hosts was with us, the God of Jacob was\nour refuge.\" The Holy Ghost the Comforter was given to us and abode\nwith us in a remarkable manner, while the people thronged to hear\nour addresses, and \"numbers were added to the church daily, such as\nshould be saved.\" We would baptize as many as fifty in Preston in a\nweek, exclusive of those in the country. During one short mission\nwhich Brother Hyde and I took into the country, after preaching five\ndiscourses on the principles of our holy religion, we had the pleasure\nof immersing one hundred and thirty in the waters of baptism.\n\nThus mightily ran the word of God and prospered to the joy and comfort\nof His servants, and to the salvation of precious and immortal souls;\nwhile the world was struck with amazement and surprise at the things\nwhich they saw and heard. During this state of things, our enemies were\nnot idle, but heaped abuse upon us with an unsparing hand, and issued\ntorrents of lies after us, which, however, I am thankful to say, did\nnot sweep us away.\n\nAmong those most active in publishing falsehoods against us and the\ntruth, were many of the reverend clergy, who were afraid to meet us\nface to face in honorable debate, although particularly requested so\nto do, but sought every opportunity to destroy our characters, and\npropagate their lies concerning us, thus giving testimony that \"they\nloved darkness rather than light.\"\n\nAlthough we frequently called upon the ministers of the different\ndenominations, who had taken a stand against us, to come forward\nand investigate the subject of our religion before the world in an\nhonorable manner, and bring forth their strong reasons to disprove\nthe things we taught, and convince the people by sound argument and\nthe word of God, if they could, that we did not preach the gospel of\nChrist, they altogether declined.\n\nThis course we felt moved upon by the Spirit to adopt; but they kept\nat a respectful distance, and only came out when we were absent, with\nmisrepresentations and abuse. It is true we suffered some from the\nstatements which they thought proper to make, when we could get no\nopportunity to contradict them; but generally their reports were of\nsuch a character that they carried along with them their own refutation.\n\nThe time when we expected to return to our native land, having now\nnearly arrived, it was thought necessary to spend the short time we\nhad to remain in that country in visiting and organizing the churches;\nplacing such officers over them, and giving such instructions as would\nbe beneficial to them during our absence. Accordingly, Brothers Hyde,\nFielding and I entered upon this duty, and we visited a Church nearly\nevery day, and imparted such instructions as the Spirit directed.\nWe first visited the Churches south of Preston, and after spending\nsome time in that direction we journeyed to the north, accompanied by\nBrother Richards, who had just returned from the city of Bedford.\n\nWhile we were attending to our duties in that section, we received a\nvery pressing invitation from a Baptist church, through the medium\nof their deacon, to pay them a visit, stating that the society was\nexceedingly anxious to hear from our own lips, the wonderful things we\nhad proclaimed in the regions round about.\n\nWe endeavored to excuse ourselves from going, as our engagements\nalready were such that it would require the short time we had to stay\nto attend to them. But they seemed determined to take no denial, and\nplead with us with such earnestness that we could not resist their\nentreaties, and finally we consented to go and preach once.\n\nHaving arrived at the place, we found a large congregation already\nassembled in the Baptist chapel, anxiously awaiting our arrival. The\nminister gave out the hymns for us, and Elder Hyde spoke on the subject\nof the resurrection with great effect; after which the minister gave\nout another hymn which was sung by the assembly, and then he requested\nme to address them. I arose and spoke briefly on the first principles\nof the gospel.\n\nDuring the services the congregation were overjoyed, the tears ran\ndown their cheeks, and the minister could not refrain from frequently\nclapping his hands together for joy while in the meeting. After\nthe service was over he took us to his house, where we were very\nkindly entertained. After partaking of his hospitality he with some\nmore friends, accompanied us to our lodgings, where we remained in\nconversation until a very late hour.\n\nThe next morning while we were preparing to depart we were waited upon\nby several of the citizens, who requested us to preach again that day,\nstating that great interest was felt by the inhabitants, many of whom\nwere in tears, fearing they should hear us no more; and that a number\nof influential men, had suspended operations in their factories, to\nallow their workmen the privilege of hearing us preach. But we were\nobliged to deny them, as it was necessary to attend to the appointments\nwe had previously made. We could scarcely tear ourselves away from\nthem, and when we did so they wept like little children. Such a desire\nto hear the gospel, I never saw equalled before.\n\nAfter commending them to the grace and mercy of God, we went to\nDownham, where we preached in the afternoon, after which forty came\nforward and were baptized. In the evening we called the churches of\nChatburn and Downham together, and after confirming forty-five who had\npreviously been baptized, we appointed priests, teachers and deacons to\npreside over them.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nIMPRESSED TO VISIT DOWNHAM AND CHATBURN--BAD CHARACTER OF THOSE\nPLACES--WARNED AGAINST GOING--JOY WITH WHICH THE GOSPEL WAS\nRECEIVED--THE PEOPLE EAGER TO BE BAPTIZED--LOTH TO PART WITH ME--VAIN\nOPPOSITION FROM A MINISTER--AFFECTING CONDUCT OF LITTLE CHILDREN.\n\nThere being something interesting in the establishing of the gospel\nin Downham and Chatburn, I will relate the circumstances of my visit\nto those places, and the prospect we had of success prior to our\nproclaiming the truth to them.\n\nHaving been preaching in the neighborhood of these villages, I felt it\nmy duty to pay them a visit and tell them my mission. I mentioned my\ndesires to several of the brethren, but they endeavored to dissuade me\nfrom going, informing me that there could be no prospect of success, as\nseveral ministers of different denominations had endeavored to raise\nchurches in these places, and had frequently preached to them, but to\nno effect. They had resisted all the efforts and withstood the attempts\nof all sects and parties for thirty years, and the preachers had given\nthem up to the hardness of their hearts. I was also informed that they\nwere very wicked places and the inhabitants were hardened against the\ngospel.\n\nHowever, this did not discourage me in the least, believing that the\ngospel of Jesus Christ could reach the heart when the gospels of men\nwere found abortive. I consequently told those who tried to dissuade me\nfrom going that these were the places I wanted to go to, and that it\nwas my business \"not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.\"\n\nAccordingly I went in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, and I soon\nprocured a large barn to preach in, which was crowded to excess. Having\ntaken my stand in the middle of the congregation so that all might be\nable to hear, I commenced my discourse, spoke with great simplicity\non the subject of the gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,\nthe conditions of pardon for a fallen world, and the privileges and\nblessings of all those who embraced the truth. I likewise said a little\non the subject of the resurrection.\n\nMy remarks were accompanied by the spirit of the Lord and were received\nwith joy, and these people, who were represented as being so hard and\nobdurate, were melted with tenderness and love, and such a feeling was\nproduced as I never saw before; and the effect seemed to be general.\n\nI then told them that, being a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ, I\nstood ready at all times to administer the ordinances of the gospel.\nAfter I had concluded, I felt some one pulling at my coat. I turned\naround and asked the person what it was he desired. The answer was\n\"Please, sir, will you baptize me?\" \"and me!\" \"and me!\" exclaimed more\nthan a dozen voices.\n\nWe accordingly went down into the water, and before I left, I baptized\ntwenty-five for the remission of sins--and was thus engaged until four\no'clock the next morning.\n\nAnother evening the congregation was so numerous that I had to preach\nin the open air, and took my stand on a stone wall, and afterwards\nbaptized a number.\n\nThese towns seemed to be affected from one end to the other; parents\ncalled their children together, spoke to them of the subjects upon\nwhich I had preached, and warned them against swearing and all other\nevil practices, and instructed them in their duty, etc. Such a scene\nI presume was never witnessed in this place before; the hearts of the\npeople appeared to be broken, and the next morning they were all in\ntears, thinking they should see my face no more. When I left them my\nfeelings were such as I cannot describe. As I walked down the street,\nfollowed by numbers, the doors were crowded by the inmates of the\nhouses, waiting to bid us a last farewell, who could only give vent to\ntheir grief in sobs and broken accents.\n\nWhile contemplating this scene we were induced to take off our hats,\nfor we felt as if the place was holy ground. The Spirit of the Lord\nrested down upon us, and I was constrained to bless that whole region\nof country.\n\nWe were followed a considerable distance from the villages by a great\nnumber, who could hardly separate themselves from us. My heart was like\nunto theirs, and I almost thought my head was a fountain of tears, for\nI wept for several miles after I bid them adieu.\n\nSome things transpired while I was in England which may be considered\nof but little importance by the world, but which will no doubt be\nappreciated by the Saints, who can not only mark the providence of God\nas displayed in nations and kingdoms, but can observe its workings in\nprivate life, and in affairs of but apparent small moment.\n\nSoon after our arrival in England a great many of the \"Aikenites\"\nembraced the gospel, which caused considerable ill feeling and\nopposition among the ministers belonging to that sect.\n\nHaving lost quite a number, and seeing that many more were on the eve\nof being baptized, one of the ministers came to Preston and announced\nthat he was going to put down \"Mormonism,\" expose the doctrines and\noverthrow the Book of Mormon. He made a very long oration on the\nsubject, and was very vehement in his manner, and pounded the Book of\nMormon, which he held in his hand, on the pulpit a great many times.\nHe then exhorted the people to pray that the Lord would drive us from\ntheir coasts, and if the Lord would not hear them in that petition,\nthat he would smite the leaders.\n\nThe next Sunday Elder Hyde and I, being in Preston, went to our meeting\nand read the 13th chapter of Corinthians. We strongly urged upon the\nSaints the grace of charity, which is so highly spoken of in that\nchapter, and took the liberty of making some remarks on the proceedings\nof Mr. Aiken, the gentleman who had abused us and the Book of Mormon so\nvery much a few days before. In return for his railing, we exhorted our\npeople to pray that the Lord would soften his heart and open his eyes,\nthat he might see that it was \"hard to kick against the pricks.\"\n\nThe discourse had a very good effect, and that week we had the pleasure\nof baptizing about fifty into the kingdom of Jesus Christ, a large\nnumber of whom were members of Mr. Aiken's church.\n\nThus the Lord blessed us exceedingly, notwithstanding the railing and\nabuse of the priests, and all things worked together for our good and\nthe advancement of the cause of truth.\n\nI cannot refrain from relating a circumstance which took place, while\nBrother Fielding and I were passing through the village of Chatburn;\nhaving been observed drawing nigh to the town, the news ran from house\nto house, and immediately on our arrival, the noise of their looms was\nhushed, the people flocked to the doors to welcome us, and see us pass.\nThe youth of the place ran to meet us, and took hold of our mantles and\nthen of each other's hands. Several, having hold of hands, went before\nus, singing the songs of Zion, while their parents gazed upon the scene\nwith delight, poured out their blessings upon our heads, and praised\nthe God of heaven for sending us to unfold the principles of truth and\nthe plan of salvation to them.\n\nSuch a scene, and such gratitude, I never witnessed before. \"Surely,\"\nmy heart exclaimed, \"out of the mouths of babes and sucklings, thou has\nperfected praise!\"\n\nWhat could have been more pleasing and delightful than such a\nmanifestation of gratitude to Almighty God from those whose hearts\nwere deemed too hard to be penetrated by the gospel, and who had been\nconsidered the most wicked and hardened people in that region of\ncountry!\n\nIn comparison to the joy I then experienced, the grandeur, pomp and\nglory of the kingdoms of this world shrank into insignificance and\nappeared as dross, and all the honor of man, aside from the gospel, to\nbe vain.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VII.\n\nVISIT TO THE MOON FAMILY--PREJUDICED AGAINST OUR DOCTRINE--A PROPHECY\nABOUT THEM--IMPRESSED TO CALL AT THEIR HOUSE AGAIN--MY PRESENCE HAILED\nWITH JOY AS AN ANSWER TO PRAYER--THE PROPHECY FULFILLED: THEY JOIN THE\nCHURCH--A DREAM AND ITS INTERPRETATION.\n\nHaving an appointment to preach in the village of Wrightington, while\non the way I stopped at the house of Brother Amos Fielding. When I\narrived he informed me that a certain family by the name of Moon had\nsent a request by him for me to visit them, that they might have\nthe privilege of conversing with me on the subject of the gospel.\nAccordingly, Brother Fielding and I paid them a visit that evening.\n\nWe were very kindly received by the family, and had considerable\nconversation on the object of my mission to that country, and the great\nwork of the last days. They listened with attention to my statements,\nbut they appeared to be prejudiced against them rather than otherwise.\nWe remained in conversation until a late hour, and then returned.\n\nOn our way home, Brother Fielding observed that he thought our visit\nhad been in vain, as the family seemed to have considerable prejudice.\nI replied, \"Brother Fielding, be not faithless, but believing; we shall\nyet see great effects from this visit, for I know there are some of the\nfamily who have received the testimony and will shortly manifest the\nsame.\"\n\nAt this remark he appeared surprised.\n\nThe next morning I continued my journey to Wrightington, and after\nspending two or three days in that vicinity, preaching the gospel, I\nreturned by the way of Brother Fielding's, with whom I again tarried\nfor the night.\n\nThe next morning I commenced my journey, intending to go direct to\nPreston, but when I got opposite the road leading to Mr. Moon's, I\nwas forcibly impressed by the Spirit of the Lord to call and see them\nagain. I could not resist, and therefore directed my steps to the\nhouse, not knowing what it meant.\n\nOn my arrival at the house, I knocked at the door, and Mrs. Moon from\nwithin exclaimed, \"Come in! come in! you are welcome here! I and the\nlasses (meaning her daughters) have just been calling on the Lord, and\npraying that He would send you this way.\"\n\nShe then informed me of her state of mind since I was there before,\nand said she at first rejected my testimony, and endeavored to think\nlightly of the things I had advanced, but on trying to pray, she said\nthat \"the heavens seemed to be like brass over her head, and it was\nlike iron under her feet.\" She did not know what was the matter, and\nexclaimed, \"Certainly the man has not bewitched me!\"\n\nUpon inquiry she found it was the same with the \"lasses.\" They had\nbegun to reflect on the things I had told them, and, thinking it\npossible that I had told them the truth, they resolved to lay the case\nbefore the Lord, and beseech Him to give them a testimony concerning\nthe things I had testified of.\n\nShe then observed, that as soon as they did so, light broke in upon\ntheir minds, they were convinced that I was a messenger of salvation,\nand that it was the work of the Lord; and they had resolved to obey the\ngospel, which they did, for that evening I baptized father and mother\nand four of their daughters.\n\nShortly after I visited them again, and baptized the remainder of the\nfamily, consisting of thirteen souls, the youngest of whom was over\ntwenty years of age. They received the gospel as little children,\nand rejoiced exceedingly in its blessings. The sons were very good\nmusicians, and the daughters excellent singers, and when they united\ntheir instruments and their voices in the songs of Zion, the effect was\ntruly transporting.\n\nBefore I left England, there were about thirty of that family and\nconnections baptized, six of whom were ordained to be fellow-laborers\nwith us in the vineyard, and I left them rejoicing in the truths they\nhad embraced.\n\nOne night, while at the village of Rochester, I dreamed that I, in\ncompany with another person, was walking out, and saw a very extensive\nfield of wheat, more so than the eye could reach. Such a sight I never\nbefore witnessed. The wheat appeared to be perfectly ripe, and ready\nfor harvest. I was very much rejoiced at the glorious sight which\npresented itself; but judge of my surprise, when, on taking some of the\nears and rubbing them in my hands, I found nothing but smut. I marveled\nexceedingly, and felt very sorrowful, and exclaimed, \"What will the\npeople do for grain; here is a great appearance of plenty, but there is\nno sound wheat!\"\n\nWhile contemplating the subject, I looked in another direction, and saw\na small field in the form of the letter L, which had the appearance of\nsomething growing in it. I immediately directed my steps to it, and\nfound that it had been sown with wheat, some of which had grown about\nsix inches high, other parts of the field not quite so high, and some\nhad only just sprouted. This gave me great encouragement to expect that\nat the harvest there would be some good grain. While thus engaged, a\nlarge bull, very fierce and angry, leaped over the fence, ran through\nthe field, and stamped down a large quantity of that which had just\nsprouted, and after doing considerable injury he leaped over the fence\nand ran away.\n\nI felt very much grieved, that so much wheat should be destroyed, when\nthere was such a prospect of scarcity. When I awoke next morning, the\ninterpretation was given me. The large field with the great appearance\nof grain, so beautiful to look upon, represented the nation in which I\nthen resided, which had a very pleasing appearance and a great show of\nreligion, and made great pretensions to piety and godliness, but denied\nthe power thereof. It was destitute of the principles of truth, and\nconsequently of the gifts of the spirit.\n\nThe small field I saw clearly represented the region of country where\nI was laboring, and where the word of truth had taken root, and was\ngrowing in the hearts of those who had the gospel, some places having\ngrown a little more than others. The village I was in, was that part\nof the field where the bull did so much injury, for during my short\nvisit there, most of the inhabitants were believing, but as soon as\nI departed, a clergyman belonging to the church of England, came out\nand violently attacked the truth, and made considerable noise, crying,\n\"false prophet! delusion!\" and after trampling on truth, and doing\nall the mischief he could, before I returned, he took shelter in his\npulpit. However, he did not destroy all the seed, for after my return I\nwas instrumental in building up a church in that place.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VIII.\n\nEXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS--VERY COLD WEATHER--SCENES OF SUFFERING--OUR\nEXCESSIVE LABORS--A GENERAL CONFERENCE--FAREWELL MEETING--AFFECTION\nMANIFESTED FOR US--ELDER RUSSELL'S LABORS--ELDER GOODSON A BARRIER.\n\nIt being known that we had but a short time to remain in that country,\ngreat numbers flocked to hear us preach, and many were baptized.\nSome days we went from house to house, conversing with the people on\nthe things of the kingdom, and by such a course were instrumental in\nconvincing many of the truth. I have known as many as twenty persons\nbaptized in one day who have been convinced on such occasions. They\nwere like Lydia of old, \"who gladly received the word.\" I have had\nto go into the water to administer the ordinance of baptism six or\nseven times in a day, and frequently after having come out of the\nwater and changed my clothes, I have had to return again before I\nreached my home; this, too, when the weather was extremely cold, the\nice being from twelve to fourteen inches thick, which continued so\nabout twelve weeks, during which time I think there were but ten days,\nin which we were not in the water. \"The harvest was indeed plenteous\nbut the laborers were few.\" This was very extraordinary weather for\nthat country; as I was informed that some winters they had scarcely\nany frost or snow, and the oldest inhabitants told me that they never\nexperienced such a winter before. In consequence of the inclemency\nof the weather, several manufacturing establishments were shut up,\nchildren were thrown out of employment, whose sufferings during that\ntime were severe, and I was credibly informed, and verily believe, that\nnumbers perished from starvation. Such sufferings I never witnessed\nin my life before, and the scenes which I daily beheld while in that\ncountry almost chilled the blood in my veins. The streets were crowded\nwith men, women and children, who solicited alms from the passengers as\nthey walked along. Numbers of those poor wretches were without shoes\nor stockings, and had scarcely any covering to screen them from the\ninclemency of the weather.\n\nOh! when will distress and poverty and pain cease, and peace and plenty\nabound? When the Lord Jesus shall descend in the clouds of heaven--when\nthe rod of the oppressor shall be broken. \"Hasten the time, O Lord!\"\nwas frequently the language of my heart, when I contemplated the\nscenes of wretchedness and woe, which I daily witnessed, and my prayer\nto my Heavenly Father was, that if I had to witness a succession of\nsuch scenes of wretchedness and woe, that He would harden my heart,\nfor those things were too much for me to bear. This is no exaggerated\naccount; I have used no coloring here. They are facts which will meet\nthe Elders of Israel when they shall go forth into that land, and then\nI can assure them they will not be surprised at my feelings.\n\nBut to return. During this time not only were great numbers initiated\ninto the kingdom of heaven, but those who were sick were healed, and\nthose who were diseased flocked to us daily; and truly their faith\nwas great, such as I hardly ever witnessed before, consequently many\nwere healed of their infirmities and sickness. We were continually\nemployed, and scarcely gave sleep to our eyes, and some nights we would\nhardly close them. The task was almost more than we could endure, but\nrealizing the circumstances of this people, their love of the truth,\ntheir humility and unfeigned charity, we were constrained to use all\ndiligence and make good use of every moment of time, for truly our\nbowels yearned over them.\n\nNotwithstanding our unwearied and unceasing labors, we could not fill\nthe calls we had from day to day, for the work kept spreading, the\nprospect for usefulness grew brighter and brighter, and the field\nopened larger and larger.\n\nThe reader will not, I think, accuse me of egotism, when I say that\nwe were diligent; for I do not remember of retiring to my bed earlier\nthan twelve o'clock p. m. during the last six months I spent in that\ncountry, which was also the case with Brothers Hyde and Fielding.\nBrother Hyde was laid up with sickness about six weeks, on account of\nhis excessive labors, from which however he was happily restored.\n\nOn the eighth day of April, A. D. 1838, it being Sunday, and the time\nappointed for a general conference of the Saints in that kingdom, and\nthe day previous to our departure from them, they began to assemble\nat an early hour in the morning, and by nine o'clock there were from\nsix to seven hundred of the Saints assembled from various parts of the\ncountry.\n\nBelieving it necessary for the good of the kingdom to have some one to\npreside over the whole mission, we nominated Brother Joseph Fielding\nto be appointed to that office, and Brother Levi Richards and William\nClayton to be his counselors. The nominations met with the approbation\nof the whole assembly, who agreed to harken to their instructions\nand uphold them in their offices. These brethren were then, with\neight Elders, several Priests, Teachers and Deacons, set apart and\nordained to the several offices to which they were called. One of the\nbrethren who was ordained was going to Manchester, one of the largest\nmanufacturing towns in England, and another to the city of London, and\nthey undoubtedly would carry the glad tidings of salvation to those\nplaces.\n\nWe then laid hands upon forty individuals, who had previously been\nbaptized, for the gift of the Holy Ghost, after which about one hundred\nchildren were presented to us to receive a blessing, and the same day\nwe baptized about twenty individuals for the remission of sins, and\nthen proceeded to administer the sacrament to this numerous assembly.\nWe then gave some general instructions to the whole Church respecting\ntheir duty to God and to one another, which were listened to with great\nattention and were treasured up in the hearts of most who were present.\n\nAt five o'clock, p. m., we brought the conference to a close, it\nhaving continued without intermission from nine o'clock, a. m. We then\nappointed seven o'clock the same evening to deliver our farewell\naddresses.\n\nAt the time appointed we repaired to the meeting, which was crowded\nto excess. Brother Hyde and myself then spoke to them respecting our\nlabors in that land, the success of our ministry and the kindness we\nhad experienced at their hands; told them that we hoped before long to\nsee them again, after we had visited the Church and our families in\nAmerica; but when we spoke of our departure their hearts were broken\nwithin them. They gave vent to their feelings and wept like children,\nand broke out in cries like the following: \"How can we part with our\nbeloved brethren!\" \"We may never see them again!\" \"O why can you leave\nus!\" etc. I could not refrain; my feelings only found vent in a flood\nof tears.\n\nSome persons may be disposed to accuse me of weakness on this occasion,\nbut if any should do so, I would say that I do not envy any man's\nfeelings who could witness such a scene with all its associations, and\nthe finer feelings of his heart not be touched on such an occasion;\nindeed it would have been almost an impossibility for us to have left\nthis dear and affectionate people had we not had the most implicit\nconfidence in the brethren who were appointed to preside over them in\nour absence; but knowing their faith and virtuous conversation, and\nthat they had the confidence of the Church, we felt assured that the\naffairs of the Church would be conducted in righteousness; consequently\nwe left them under different feelings than we otherwise could have done.\n\nImmediately after dismissing we met the official members, the number\nof whom were eighty, at a private house and instructed them further in\ntheir duties, and dismissed them at one o'clock the next morning.\n\nThis was certainly one of the most interesting conferences I ever\nattended. The services were calculated to convince the honest and give\njoy to Saints, and will long be remembered by all those who attended,\nand I have no doubt was the means of great and lasting good.\n\nAt this conference we were favored with the company of Elders Isaac\nRussell and Willard Richards. The latter had returned from the County\nof Bedford, where he had been proclaiming the gospel. In consequence\nof sickness his labors had not been so extensive as they otherwise\nwould have been, and were confined within a short distance from the\ncity of Bedford, where he raised up two small branches, which he set\nin order and ordained one Elder and other officers. He labored under\nconsiderable difficulty in consequence of the conduct of Elder Goodson,\nwho accompanied him on that mission, who taught many things which were\nnot in wisdom, which proved a barrier to the spread of the truth in\nthat region. Elder Russell had returned from a mission to the north,\nhaving been laboring in the County of Cumberland, near the borders of\nScotland, where numbers of his friends resided. While he was there he\nmet with considerable opposition, even from those of his own family, as\nwell as the ministers of the different denominations, who sought every\nopportunity to block up his way and to destroy his influence.\n\nHowever, notwithstanding the great opposition, he was instrumental in\nbringing upwards of sixty souls into the kingdom of God, and left them\nrejoicing in the truth and strong in the faith of the gospel.\n\nThus the great work which is to go through the length and breadth of\nthat land which will cause the hearts of thousands to rejoice, and the\npoor and meek to increase their joy in the Lord; which shall lead the\nhonest-hearted to the foundation of truth; which shall prepare a holy\ncompany from that nation to meet the Lord Jesus when He shall descend\nfrom the mansions of glory and from the regions that are not known;\nwhich shall cause thousands to rail against the doctrines of Christ and\nHis servants, and persecute the honest-in-heart; which shall prepare\nthe ungodly for the day of vengeance of our God, and shall bind them\ntogether in the cords of darkness, was commenced in three places, viz:\nPreston, Bedford and Alston, which forcibly reminds me of the parable\nof the leaven which the woman cast into the three measures of meal.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IX.\n\nOUR LODGINGS--WANTS SUPPLIED BY LIBERALITY OF SAINTS--JOURNEY\nTO LIVERPOOL--CONTRAST BETWEEN ARRIVAL AND DEPARTURE--RETURN\nVOYAGE--MEETING WITH ELDERS AND SAINTS AT NEW YORK--ARRIVAL AT KIRTLAND.\n\nDuring our stay in Preston, we made our home at the house of Sister\nDawson, in Pole Street. We purchased our provisions, and she cooked\nthem for us, which is quite customary in that country. For our room,\nlodging and cooking and a good coal fire, we each paid the sum of two\nshillings sterling per week, which is but little more than half the\nusual charge. Sister Dawson was very kind to us. Indeed the hearts\nof all the Saints were open to liberality, and according to their\ncircumstances they contributed liberally of their substance, and many\nblessings of a temporal nature we received from them, for which I pray\nthat my Heavenly Father may reward them a hundred fold in this world,\nand in the world to come with life everlasting.\n\nDuring the time we labored in England, we made no public contributions\nexcept for the poor. When we were about taking our departure, the\nChurch, knowing that we had no means to carry us to our native\nland, with a liberality characteristic of them, contributed to our\nnecessities and provided us with means to take us as far as Kirtland,\nOhio. The next day, being the ninth of April, we engaged our passage\nto Liverpool in a coach, which was to start at twelve o'clock the\nsame day. At the time appointed we were at the place of starting, and\nwere soon surrounded with the brethren, who felt determined to see us\nleave, many of whose countenances clearly showed their sorrow at our\ndeparture. However, we had to bid them farewell, and were soon out of\nsight. Their eyes followed us as long as they could see us.\n\nNotwithstanding the variegated scenery of the country, which in\nEngland is very beautiful, my mind reverted back to the time when I\nfirst arrived in that country, and the peculiar feelings I had when\nI traveled from Liverpool to Preston some months before. Then I was\na stranger in a strange land, and had nothing to rely upon but the\nkindness and mercy of that God who had sent me there. While I mused\non these things my soul was humbled within me, and I had to exclaim,\n\"Surely this is the Lord's doings, and marvelous in my eyes!\" for then\nI had hundreds of brethren to whom I was united in bonds the most\nendearing and sacred, and who loved me as their own souls, and whose\nprayers would be continually offered up for my welfare and prosperity.\n\nAfter a ride of about four hours, we arrived at Liverpool and\nascertained that the ship in which we intended to sail would not leave\nthat port as early as we expected, in consequence of a great storm\nwhich had taken place, in which several vessels had been wrecked and\na number of lives lost. We took lodgings a few days until the vessels\nshould depart.\n\nWhile in Liverpool, we were waited upon by Elders Fielding and\nRichards, who, feeling desirous to obtain all the information they\ncould procure respecting the government of the church, thought that it\nwould be a favorable time to do so, as our opportunities of instruction\nhad been but limited while in Preston, and it being almost impossible\nto have much private intercourse, there being so many who wished to\nconverse with us on the subject of the gospel, etc. But in this thing\nthey were disappointed, for as soon as it was known in Preston and\nregions round about that our departure was delayed, numbers of the\nbrethren came from thence to visit us in Liverpool before we left their\nshores.\n\nOn the 20th, we went on board the ship _Garrick_ (the same ship in\nwhich we came), bound for New York, and the same day got under way.\nSoon after we left Liverpool a great storm came on, with a head\nwind, and continued without cessation for several days, which did\nconsiderable damage to the vessel. The bowsprit was broken twice by the\nforce of the wind with only the gib sail set. The boom likewise came\ndown with great force near the place where the captain was standing,\nbut he fortunately escaped without injury. Several other parts of the\nrigging were much torn and injured. During the time the storm lasted,\nBrothers Hyde and Russell were very sick. After this we had more\nfavorable weather.\n\nWhen we had been on the water two weeks, I asked permission of the\ncaptain for one of us to preach, which request was cheerfully complied\nwith, and the second cabin was prepared for the occasion. Brother\nRussell preached, after which Brother Hyde made some observations. The\ndiscourses were listened to with great attention, and the congregation\nappeared very much satisfied.\n\nThe Lord gave us favor in the eyes of the captain and the passengers,\nwho treated us with respect and kindness. Those who were in the same\ncabin with ourselves, and with whom we had more frequent opportunities\nof conversing, treated us like brothers, and took pleasure in\nadministering to our wants, and told us if they had anything we needed\nit was at our service. I hardly ever remembered traveling with more\nagreeable or kind-hearted people, and I pray that the Lord may bless\nthem abundantly and reward them a hundred fold for all the kindness\nshown to His servants.\n\nNothing very particular occurred during the remainder of the passage.\nThe weather for the most part was favorable. On the twelfth day of\nMay we came in sight of New York, and in the evening we secured a\nlanding, after a passage of twenty-two and one-half days. The ship _New\nEngland_, which left Liverpool on the same day we did, came in about\none hour afterwards.\n\nThe sight of my native land filled my soul with gladness. We then\nwent into the city with several of the passengers, who purchased some\nrefreshments, and after we returned bade us partake with them, and we\nrejoiced together. We then bowed before the Lord and offered up the\ngratitude of our hearts for all His mercies, in prospering us in our\nmission and bringing us safely across the mighty deep, to behold once\nmore the land of our nativity, and the prospect of soon embracing our\nfamilies and friends.\n\nThe next morning we went in search of Brother Fordham, whom we found\nafter some trouble. He was rejoiced to see us and immediately took us\nto the house of Brother Mace, where we were glad to see our beloved\nBrother Orson Pratt, who was then laboring in that city, and who\nwith Elder Parley P. Pratt, his brother, had been instrumental in\nbringing many into the kingdom in that city, which intelligence gave us\ngreat joy, for when we left New York for England, there was only one\nbelonging to the church in that city.\n\nIt being Sunday, we accompanied the Brothers Pratt to the house where\nthe Saints were accustomed to assemble for worship. On entering the\nhouse we found about eighty persons assembled, all of whom had recently\njoined the Church. After singing and prayer, I was requested to give\nan account of our mission to England. I accordingly arose and told\nthem the things which had happened to us since our departure, and the\ngreat and glorious work which our Heavenly Father had commenced on the\nislands of the sea, and the great desire of the English to hear the\nthings which the Lord had brought to pass on this continent, and their\nready reception of the truth of the gospel.\n\nThe information gave great joy to the Saints, and they united with\nus in praising the name of the Lord for His wonderful works for the\nchildren of men.\n\nIn the evening Elders Russell and Hyde preached, and a great effect was\nproduced, and some came forward and offered themselves as candidates\nfor baptism.\n\nThe short time we were in New York was spent very agreeably with the\nSaints, who were indeed a kind and affectionate people. The next day\nwe bade adieu to the brethren and commenced our journey to Kirtland by\nsteamboat and railroad, and arrived there on the twenty-second day of\nMay, A. D 1838, having been absent eleven months and nine days.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER X.\n\nREMOVAL TO MISSOURI--SICKNESS--KINDNESS OF THE SAINTS AT FAR\nWEST--BUILD A HOUSE, AND THEN HAVE TO ABANDON IT--BATTLE OF CROOKED\nRIVER--DEATH AND FINAL TESTIMONY OF APOSTLE DAVID W. PATTEN--CORNER\nSTONE OF TEMPLE AT FAR WEST LAID--REMOVAL TO ILLINOIS.\n\nI found my family in good health, and as comfortably situated as I\ncould expect; and our joy was mutual. The Saints in Kirtland also\nreceived us with joy and welcomed us home.\n\nBut my journey was not yet ended. Soon after my arrival in Kirtland,\nI had to make preparation to move to the State of Missouri, where the\ngreater part of the Church had already gone. One great cause of their\nremoval to the west, was the persecutions to which they were subject\nin Kirtland. The brethren who yet resided there, although very kind\nand affectionate, were weak in the faith in consequence of trials and\ntemptations. This caused us to grieve exceedingly, and we resolved to\ncheer them up as much as we possibly could.\n\nBeing solicited to preach in the house or the Lord, we did so, and\nafter preaching a few times, and recounting our travels and the great\nsuccess which had attended our labors, and also the marvelous work\nwhich the Lord had commenced and was still carrying on in the old\ncountry, they began to take courage, their confidence increased, and\ntheir faith was strengthened, and they again realized the blessings of\nJehovah.\n\nAs soon as our circumstances would permit, we commenced our journey to\nthe State of Missouri, by water, a distance of nearly eighteen hundred\nmiles. After enduring considerable fatigue, we arrived safely at Far\nWest, on the 25th of July. We had the pleasure of beholding the faces\nof numbers of our friends and brethren, some of whom were so glad to\nsee us that tears started in their eyes when we took them by the hand.\n\nThere is indeed something peculiarly pleasing to the Saint, who,\nafter a long separation, beholds the friends to whom he is united\nin bonds the most sacred, and with whom he has probably traveled to\npreach the gospel, and with them passed through many scenes of sorrow\nand affliction. At that time every pleasing association is revived,\nand memory fondly clings to those scenes, the contemplation of which\naffords pleasure, while every thing of an opposite nature is forgotten\nand buried in oblivion.\n\nDuring our journey from Kirtland to Missouri, the weather was\nremarkably warm, in consequence of which I suffered very much, and my\nbody was broken down by sickness, and I continued very feeble for a\nconsiderable length of time.\n\nThe first Sunday after my arrival at Far West I was called upon to\npreach to the Saints, which I endeavored to do, although I was scarcely\nable to stand. I related many things respecting my mission and travels,\nwhich were gladly received by the brethren, whose hearts were cheered\nby the recital, while many of the Elders were stirred up to diligence,\nand expressed a great desire to accompany us when we should return to\nEngland.\n\nSoon after my arrival, I had a lot given me by Bishop Partridge, and\nalso sufficient timber to build me a house. While it was being erected,\nI lived in a place I built for my cow, about eleven feet square, and in\nwhich I could hardly stand upright. The brethren were remarkably kind\nand contributed to my necessities. One of them by the name of Charles\nHubbard, made me a present of forty acres of land, another gave me a\ncow, etc.\n\nWhen I had nearly finished my house, and after much labor, I was\nobliged to abandon it to the mob, who at that time commenced\npersecuting the Saints, driving off their cattle and destroying their\nproperty.\n\nIt will not be expected that I should recapitulate the circumstances\nwhich then transpired, which were of an extraordinary character, as\nnumbers have written on the subject. Suffice it to say, that the Saints\nsuffered privations, hunger, abuse, cold, famine, and many of them\ndeath. Yes, the blood of the Saints has stained the soil of Missouri,\nfor which the King of kings and Lord of hosts will recompense upon her\nthe punishment of her crimes.\n\nFrom about the 6th of August until the 1st of November it was a\ncontinual scene of agitation and alarm, both by night and by day. The\nenemies of righteousness were determined to overthrow the Saints,\nand, regardless of all laws (which were trampled upon with impunity),\nthey made every preparation, and used every means in their power to\naccomplish their unhallowed designs.\n\nThe Saints, tenacious of their liberties and sacred rights, resisted\nthese unlawful designs, and with courage worthy of them, they guarded\ntheir families and their homes from the aggressions of the mob, but not\nwithout the loss of several lives, among whom was my greatly esteemed\nand much lamented friend, Elder David W. Patten, who fell a sacrifice\nto the fell spirit of persecution, and a martyr to the cause of truth.\nThe circumstances of his death I will briefly relate:\n\nIt being ascertained that a mob had collected on Crooked River, in the\nCounty of Caldwell, a company of sixty or seventy persons immediately\nvolunteered from Far West to watch their movements and repel their\nattacks, and chose Elder Patten for their commander. They commenced\ntheir march about midnight and came up to the mob very early next\nmorning, and as soon as the brethren approached near to them, they were\nfired upon, when Captain Patten received a shot which proved fatal. The\nmob after firing ran away. Several others of the brethren were wounded\nat the same time, some of whom afterwards died.\n\nImmediately on receiving the intelligence that Brother Patten was\nwounded, I hastened to see him. When I arrived he appeared to be in\ngreat pain, but still was glad to see me. He was conveyed about four\nmiles to the house of Brother Winchester. During his removal his\nsufferings were so excruciating, that he frequently desired us to lay\nhim down that he might die. But being desirous to get him out of the\nreach of the mob and among friends, we prevailed upon him to let us\nconvey him there.\n\nHe lived about an hour after his arrival, and was perfectly sensible\nand collected until he breathed his last. He had medical assistance,\nyet his wound was such that there was no hope entertained of his\nrecovery. This he was perfectly aware of. In this situation, while the\nshades of time were lowering and eternity with all its realities was\nopening to his view, he bore a strong testimony to the truth of the\nwork of the Lord and the religion he had espoused.\n\nThe principles of the gospel which were so precious to him before, were\nhonorably maintained in nature's final hour, and afforded him that\nsupport and consolation at the time of his departure which deprived\ndeath of its sting and its horror.\n\nSpeaking of those who had fallen from their steadfastness, he\nexclaimed, \"O that they were in my situation; for I feel that I have\nkept the faith; I have finished my course; henceforth there is laid up\nfor me a crown which the Lord, the righteous Judge, shall give to me,\"\netc.\n\nSpeaking to his beloved partner, who was present, and who attended\nhim in his dying moments, he said, \"Whatever you do else, O, do not\ndeny the faith!\" He all the while expressed a great desire to depart.\nI spoke to him and said, \"Brother David, when you get home I want you\nto remember me.\" He immediately exclaimed, \"I will.\" At this time his\nsight was gone.\n\nWe felt so very much attached to our beloved brother, that we beseeched\nthe Lord to spare his life and endeavored to exercise faith in the Lord\nfor his recovery. Of this he was perfectly aware, and expressed a wish\nthat we should let him go, as his desire was to be with Christ.\n\nA few minutes before he died he prayed as follows: \"Father, I ask thee,\nin the name of Jesus Christ, that thou wouldst release my spirit and\nreceive it unto Thyself!\" and then said to those who surrounded his\ndying bed, \"Brethren, you have held me by your faith, but do give me\nup, and let me go, I beseech you.\"\n\nWe then committed him to God, and he soon breathed his last, and slept\nin Jesus without a groan.\n\nThis was the end of one who was an honor to the Church and a blessing\nto the Saints, and whose faith and virtues and diligence in the cause\nof truth will be long remembered by all who had the pleasure of his\nacquaintance; and his memory will be had in remembrance by the Church\nof Christ from generation to generation.\n\nIt was indeed a painful circumstance to be deprived of the labors of\nthis worthy servant of Christ, and it east a gloom over the Saints;\nyet the glorious and sealing testimony which he bore of his acceptance\nwith heaven, and the truth of the gospel, was a matter of joy and\nsatisfaction, not only to his immediate friends, but to the Saints at\nlarge.\n\nI remained in the State of Missouri until the 26th of April, A. D.\n1839, it being the time appointed by revelation for the Twelve to take\ntheir leave of the building spot of the house of the Lord and take\ntheir journey across the ocean, and notwithstanding the threats of our\nenemies that this prophecy should fail, we assembled on the public\nsquare, at Far West, assisted Elder Alpheus Cutler to lay the corner\nfoundation stone, sang a hymn and united in prayer to God that He would\ngive us a prosperous mission.\n\nDuring my stay in Missouri, I frequently went to see the brethren who\nwere confined in prison for the testimony of Jesus and for the word of\nGod. Many times after I had traveled forty or fifty miles to see them,\nI was denied the privilege by the jailor and the guards.\n\nI was with the brethren in nearly all their movements in the west,\nand can bear testimony to their faith and virtues, and know they were\nentirely innocent of the crimes alleged against them, and that their\npersecutions were brought upon them on account of their attachment to\nthe gospel and to the Saints of the Lord.\n\nAlthough they were in the Lands of their enemies, who threatened to\nkill them, I always had the testimony that they would be delivered and\ncome forth victorious.\n\nAfter the 26th of April, A. D. 1839, I took leave of Far West, and in\ncompany with my brethren traveled to Illinois, where my family had\nremoved some time previous, and I had the unspeakable pleasure of\nseeing my beloved friends, the First Presidency and others who had been\ndelivered out of the hands of their enemies and had arrived safely in\nIllinois.\n\nSoon after a general conference of the Church was held near Quincy, at\nwhich the Saints from all the regions round about assembled. It was a\ntime which will long be remembered by the Saints, it being the first\nconference held after their expulsion.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XI.\n\nFAR WEST BESIEGED--JOSEPH SMITH AND BRETHREN BETRAYED BY\nAPOSTATES--ATROCITIES OF MOB--CONVERSATION WITH W. E.\nM'LELLIN--EXTERMINATION SPEECH OF GENERAL CLARK.\n\nBefore I proceed farther with my narrative, it may perhaps be as well\nto revert to some other things that transpired in Missouri:\n\nAfter witnessing the death of D. W. Patten, I took Dr. Avard with\nme to Far West, a distance of three miles, to Elder Rigdon's house,\nwhere we found Brother Patrick O'Banion, who was shot in nearly the\nsame place as Brother Patten (he was a member of Zion's Camp in 1834).\nHe also died in a short time, firm and steadfast in the faith, was\nperfectly calm and composed, and bore a strong testimony to the truth\nof \"Mormonism.\"\n\nGideon Carter, who was also a faithful Saint, was shot in the head and\nleft dead on the ground, so defaced that the brethren did not at first\nknow him.\n\nThis was a gloomy time!\n\nOn the 30th of October, 1838, we discovered several thousand of the mob\ncoming to Far West, under pretense of being government troops. They\npassed through our corn and wheat fields, making a complete desolation\nof every thing in their way.\n\nBrother Brigham Young and I were appointed captains of fifty, in a\nhurry, and commanded to take our position right in the thoroughfare on\nwhich the mob were seen advancing to the city, momentarily anticipating\nthe awful tragedy of a bloody massacre. Joseph was with us, giving\ncounsel.\n\nThe army came up to good rifle shot distance and halted. Seeing our\ntemporary fortifications, which we had thrown up the night previous,\nby pulling down some of our houses, and fixing up our wagon, they\ndared not approach nearer, but retreated back to Goose Creek, about\nthree-fourths of a mile, screaming, hallooing and screeching. The mob\nafterwards declared there were fifteen hundred of us stationed there\nto prevent their approach, but to my certain knowledge there were only\nabout one hundred and fifty in that line.\n\nThe word came that Joseph Smith and several others were to be given up;\notherwise the mob would massacre every man, woman and child.\n\nIn order to prevent the execution of this threat, Joseph gave himself\nup, with Elders Sidney Rigdon, P. P. Pratt, Lyman Wight and George W.\nRobinson, they having been betrayed into the camp by Col. George M.\nHinkle and other apostates.\n\nOn the 1st of November, the mob, professing to be the regular militia\nof the State of Missouri, numbering about seven thousand, surrounded\nFar West. Our men were all taken prisoners and then marched a short\ndistance into a hollow, where Col. Lucas had previously pointed his\ncannon in full range, so that if we failed to lay down our arms, he\ncould easily sweep us into eternity, which was his design. We were then\nformed into a hollow square and commanded by Col. Lucas to ground arms\nand deliver up our weapons of war, although they were our own private\nproperty. After being marched back a short distance, on the public\nsquare, we were again formed into a hollow square, near the house of\nWidow Beeman.\n\nThe mob commenced plundering the citizens of their bedding, money,\nwearing apparel and everything of value they could lay their hands\nupon. Much property was destroyed by the burning of houses, logs,\nrails, corn cribs, boards, etc., the using of corn and hay, the killing\nof cattle, sheep and hogs, etc., and all this without regard to owners,\nor asking leave of any one. In the meantime, men were abused, and women\ninsulted, and treated with violence by the troops, while the men were\nkept prisoners.\n\nWe were compelled at the point of the bayonet to sign a deed of trust\nfor the purpose of making our individual property liable, as they said,\nto pay all the debts of persons belonging to the Church, and also for\nall damages the old inhabitants of Daviess County might have sustained\nin consequence of the late difficulties in that County.\n\nWhen General Clark arrived, the first important move made by him, was\ncollecting our men together on the square, and selecting about fifty of\nthem, whom he immediately marched into a house and confined closely.\nThis was done without the aid of the sheriff or any legal process.\n\nThe next day, forty-six of those taken, with the Prophet Joseph, were\ndriven, like a parcel of menial slaves, off to Richmond, not knowing\nwhy they were taken.\n\nWhen these troops surrounded us, and we were brought into a hollow\nsquare, the first persons that I knew, were men who had once professed\nto be our brethren. They were the men who piloted the mob into our\ncity, namely: William E. McLellin and Lyman E. Johnson, two of the\nTwelve; John Whitmer and David Whitmer, two of the witnesses to the\nBook of Mormon; William W. Phelps, and scores of others, \"hail fellows,\nwell met.\"\n\nA portion of the troops were painted like Indians, and looked horrible.\nThey were led by Niel Gillum, who styled himself \"the Delaware chief,\"\nwho, with many others, cocked his gun upon us and swore he would blow\nour brains out, although we were disarmed and helpless.\n\nWilliam E. McLellin inquired where Heber C. Kimball was, and some one\npointed me out to him. I was sitting on the ground. When he came up\nto me, he said, \"Brother Heber, what do you think of Joseph Smith,\nthe fallen prophet, now? Has he not led you blindfolded long enough?\nLook and see yourself poor, your family stripped and robbed, and your\nbrethren in the same fix. Are you not satisfied with Joseph?\"\n\nI replied, \"Yes, I am more satisfied a hundred fold than I was before;\nfor I see you in the very position that he foretold you would be in--a\nJudas to betray your brethren, if you did not forsake your adultery,\nfornication, lying and abominations. Where are you? What are you\nabout--you, and Hinkle, and scores of others? Have you not betrayed\nJoseph and his brethren into the hands of the mob, as Judas did Jesus?\nYes, verily, you have! I tell you 'Mormonism' is true, and Joseph is\na true Prophet of the living God, and you with all others that turn\ntherefrom will be damned and go to hell, and Judas will rule over you!\"\n\nSoon after this, when things began to be a little more quiet, I desired\nto go to my home to get something to eat, many of us not having eaten\nany food for twenty-four hours. I asked some of the mob standing near\nif I could have the privilege of going to my house, a little distance\noff. They referred me to their captain, who was Bogart, the Methodist\npreacher. I went to him and told him what I wanted. He first spoke of\nsending some one with me, as I would be liable to be shot if found\nalone. In a short time, however, he said, \"I will go with you.\"\n\nHe went down to my house, and my wife got some dinner and he ate with\nme; then we returned, and I again took my seat on the ground with my\nbrethren who were under guard.\n\nThe next day I was permitted to return to my home, but told that I need\nnot try to leave the city as it was surrounded with a strong guard to\nprohibit any one leaving the place. The mob were engaged taking every\nman a prisoner who seemed to have any influence, and putting him in\nchains to await a trial.\n\nIt was rumored that all the men who were in the Crooked River battle\nwould be taken prisoners; therefore, many of them fled to the north\nbefore the guards were placed around the city.\n\nThe 6th of November, General Clark delivered his noted extermination\nspeech, and read over the names of fifty-six brethren who were made\nprisoners, to await a trial for something they knew not what.\n\nIn order that the tyrant may not be forgotten, I insert a portion of\nhis speech:\n\n\"GENTLEMEN:--You whose names are not attached to this list of names,\nwill now have the privilege of going to your fields, and of providing\ncorn, wood, etc., for your families. Those who are now taken will go\nfrom this to prison, be tried and receive the due demerit of their\ncrimes; but you, (except such as charges may hereafter be preferred\nagainst,) are at liberty, as soon as the troops are removed that now\nguard the place, which I shall cause to be done immediately. It now\ndevolves upon you to fulfil a treaty that you have entered into, the\nleading items of which I shall now lay before you. The first requires\nthat your leading men be given up to be tried according to law; this\nyou already have complied with. The second is, that you deliver up your\narms; this has been attended to. The third stipulation is that you sign\nover your properties to defray the expenses of the war. This you have\nalso done. Another article yet remains for you to comply with--and\nthat is, that you leave the State forth with. And whatever may be your\nfeelings concerning this, or whatever your innocence, it is nothing to\nme. General Lucas (whose military rank is equal with mine,) has made\nthis treaty with you; I approve of it. I should have done the same\nhad I been here. I am therefore determined to see it executed. The\ncharacter of this State has suffered almost beyond redemption, from the\ncharacter, conduct and influence that you have exerted; and we deem\nit an act of justice to restore her character to its former standing\namong the States by every proper means. The orders of the governor to\nme were, _that you should be exterminated, and not allowed to remain in\nthe State_. And had not your leaders been given up, and the terms of\nthe treaty complied with, before this time you and your families would\nhave been destroyed, and your houses in ashes. There is a discretionary\npower vested in my hands, which, considering your circumstances, I\nshall exercise for a season. You are indebted to me for this clemency.\nI do not say that you shall go now, but you must not think of staying\nhere another season or of putting in crops; for the moment you do this\nthe citizens will be upon you; and if I am called here again in case\nof non-compliance of a treaty made, do not think that I shall do as\nI have done now. You need not expect any mercy, but _extermination,\nfor I am determined the governor's order shall be executed_. As for\nyour leaders, do not think, do not imagine for a moment, do not let\nit enter into your minds, that they will be delivered and restored to\nyou again, for _their fate is fixed, their die is cast, their doom is\nsealed_. I am sorry, gentlemen, to see so many apparently intelligent\nmen found in the situation that you are; and oh! if I could invoke\nthat Great Spirit, THE UNKNOWN GOD, to rest upon and deliver you\nfrom that awful chain of superstition, and liberate you from those\nfetters of fanaticism with which you are bound--that you no longer do\nhomage to a man. I would advise you to scatter abroad, and never again\norganize yourselves with Bishops, Presidents, etc., lest you excite the\njealousies of the people and subject yourselves to the same calamities\nthat have now come upon you. You have always been the aggressors--you\nhave brought upon yourselves these difficulties, by being disaffected,\nand not being subject to rule. And my advice is, that you become as\nother citizens, least by a recurrence of these events you bring upon\nyourselves irretrievable ruin.\"\n\nHe also said, \"You must not be seen as many as five together; if you\nare, the citizens will be upon you and destroy you, but you should flee\nimmediately out of the State. There is no alternative for you but to\nflee; you need not expect any redress; there is none for you.\"\n\nI was present when that speech was delivered, and I can truly say that\nhe is a liar and the truth is not in him, for not one of us had made\nany such agreement with Lucas, or any other person. What we did was by\ncompulsion in every sense of the word; and as for General Clark and his\nunknown god, they had nothing to do with our deliverance; but it was\nour Father in heaven, the God of Abraham, of Isaac and of Jacob, in\nwhom we trust, who liveth and dwelleth in the heavens; and the day will\ncome when our God will hold him in derision, with all of his coadjutors.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XII.\n\nPERILS OF THE PEOPLE--CHEERFULNESS OF THE SAINTS AMIDST THEIR\nTROUBLES--VISIT OUR BRETHREN IN PRISON--APOSTLES ORDAINED--MOCK\nDISTRIBUTION OF STATE APPROPRIATION--LETTER FROM JOSEPH SMITH\nAND BRETHREN IN PRISON--INDIFFERENCE OF STATE OFFICIALS TO OUR\nAPPEALS--WORD OF THE LORD TO ME.\n\nOne afternoon, I sent my son William a short distance on an errand,\nwhen, on his return, one of the guards drew up his rifle and threatened\nto blow out his brains if he stepped one inch further towards the\nhouse. Through the agency of some of my brethren, I was notified of it.\nI went to the man and spoke to him in a friendly manner, and conversed\nwith him about the beautiful country, it being more beautiful than\nEngland and the nations I had been traveling in.\n\nHe became very much interested, and in a short time I pointed out my\nson William, who had stood still for some time after being warned not\nto approach, and was cold, as it was then dusk and the weather severe.\nSaid I, \"That is my son.\"\n\n\"Oh!\" he said, \"if that is one of your sons, he may pass; he may go\nhome.\"\n\nAfterwards the man left his post and came to my house and spent the\nevening and several times afterwards, and became very friendly, and\ntold me he wished I would leave the \"Mormons,\" as he liked me, and\ncould not bear the thought of my following them with my family, for we\nwere too good for them.\n\nI merely mention this to show the perils we were in, men, women and\nchildren, with death and destruction waiting on us, and this spirit\naroused by apostates.\n\nThe murders, house burnings, robberies, rapes, drivings, whippings,\nimprisonments, chainings and other sufferings and cruelties inflicted\nupon the people of God under illegal orders of Missouri's executive,\nhave been only in part laid before the world, and form a page in\nhistory unparalleled in the records of religious persecution. This\nhistoric page alone can credit Lilburn W. Boggs and his minions with\nfeeding the ministers of the proscribed religion on the flesh of their\nmurdered brethren, the odium of which crime is shared fully by the\nprofessed ministers of different denominations who participated in\nthese vile atrocities! If hell can furnish a parallel, where is it?\n\nFor me to undertake to write what I saw, and felt and realized, I\nshould utterly fail for lack of ability; I must let eternity reveal the\nscenes of those days. I can say before God, angels, heaven and earth,\nthat I am innocent of violating any law of the State of Missouri, and\nI can say that my brethren are as pure and clean as I am, innocent and\nvirtuous, true to their God and their country. With the measure they\nmeted to the Latter-day Saints, it shall be measured to them again, or\nupon all those who had a hand in our persecution and expulsion, and\nthose who consented to it, four fold, full, pressed down, and running\nover shall be their portion; and as the Lord God Almighty liveth, I\nshall live to see it come to pass. [A]\n\n[Footnote A: Elder Kimball lived to see the fulfillment of this\nprophecy.]\n\nWhen we walked up to sign the deeds of trust to pay these assassins for\nmurdering our brethren and sisters and their children, ravishing some\nof our sisters to death, robbing us of our lands and possessions and\nall we had on earth, and other such _services_, they expected to see\nus cast down and sorrowful; but I testify as an eye-witness that the\nbrethren rejoiced and praised the Lord and kicked up their heels, and\nthanked God, taking joyfully the despoiling of their goods. There were\njudges, magistrates and Methodist, Presbyterian, Campbellite and other\nsectarian priests who stood by and saw all this going on, exulting over\nus, and it seemed to make them more angry that we bore our misfortunes\nso cheerfully. Judge Cameron said, with an oath, \"See them creatures\nlaugh and kick up their heels! They are whipped but not conquered.\"\n\nI have no doubt that I would have been taken a prisoner had the mob\nknown me, but I had not been there but three weeks when the mobbing\ncommenced, and was only known by the brethren, and many of them I\nhad not seen during my brief residence there. The mob had not become\nacquainted with Brother Brigham, either, as he lived three or four\nmiles from the city on Mill Creek.\n\nAfter the mob departed, I accompanied Brother Brigham to Richmond\njail to see our brethren. We found Joseph, Hyrum, Sidney and others\nchained together in one room, and others confined in other places among\nthe worst demons living out of hell. We scarcely had the privilege\nof speaking to our brethren more than to say, \"How do you do?\" every\neye being upon us with suspicion. We put up at a public house for\nthe night, and I bear testimony, from our feelings and the spirit\nmanifested in that house, that there were legions of devils present. I\ndo not think that either of us slept any that night.\n\nOn the 13th of December, Elder Brigham Young and I reorganized the High\nCouncil at Far West, when we expressed our fellowship with all those\nwho desired to do right, and filled the vacancies occasioned by those\nbrethren who had to flee from Missouri to save their lives.\n\nOn the 19th of December, 1838, Brother Brigham and I ordained Elders\nJohn Taylor and John E. Page Apostles.\n\nThe legislature of the State of Missouri appropriated two thousand\ndollars, to be distributed among the people of Daviess and Caldwell\nCounties, the \"Mormons\" not excepted. Judge Cameron, Mr. McHenry and\nothers attended to the distribution. Judge Cameron drove in the hogs\nbelonging to the brethren (many of which were identified), shot them\ndown in the street, and without further bleeding, they were half\ndressed, cut up and distributed by Mr. McHenry to the poor, at the rate\nof four and five cents per pound, which, together with a few pieces\nof refuse calicoes at double and treble prices, soon consumed the\nappropriation.\n\nI received the following letter from the Prophet and his brethren while\nthey were in prison.\n\n\"LIBERTY,\n\n\"Jan. 16th, 1839.\n\n\"BROTHERS H. C. KIMBALL AND B. YOUNG:\n\n\"_Joseph Smith, Jun., Sidney Rigdon and Hyrum Smith, prisoners for\nJesus' sake, send greeting_:--In obedience to your request in your\nletter, we say to you as follows: It is not wisdom for you to go out\nof Caldwell with your families yet for a little season; until we are\nout of prison; after which you may act at your pleasure; but though you\ntake your families out of the State, it will be necessary for you to\nreturn, and leave as before designed, on the 26th of April.\n\n\"Inasmuch as we are in prison, for a little season, if need be, the\nmanagement of the affairs of the Church devolves on you, that is the\nTwelve.\n\n\"The gathering of necessity is stopped; but the conversion of the world\nneed not stop, but under wise management can go on more rapidly than\never.\n\n\"Where churches are built, let them continue where they are, until\na door is open to do otherwise, and let every Elder occupy his own\nground, and when he builds a church, let him preside over it, and let\nnot others run in to trouble him; and thus let every man prove himself\nunto God, that he is worthy. If we live, we live; and if we die for the\ntestimony of Jesus, we die; but whether we live or die, let the work of\nGod go on.\n\n\"Let the churches in England continue there till further orders--till a\ndoor can be opened for them, except they choose to come to America, and\ntake their chance with the Saints here. If they will do that, let them\ncome; and if they choose to come, they would do well to send their wise\nmen before them, and buy out Kirtland, and the regions round about, or\nthey may settle where they can till things may alter.\n\n\"It will be necessary for you to get the Twelve together, ordain such\nas have not been ordained, or at least such of them as you can get,\nand proceed to regulate the Elders as the Lord may give you wisdom. We\nnominate George A. Smith and Lyman Sherman to take the places of Orson\nHyde and Thomas B. Marsh.\n\n\"Brethren, fear not, but be strong in the Lord and in the power of His\nmight. What is man that the servant of God should fear him, or the\nson of man, that he should tremble at him. Neither think it strange\nconcerning the fiery trials with which we are tried, as though some\nstrange thing had happened unto us. Remember that all have been\npartakers of like afflictions. Therefore, rejoice in our afflictions,\nby which you are perfected and through which the Captain of our\nSalvation was perfected also. Let your hearts and the hearts of all\nthe Saints be comforted with you, and let them rejoice exceedingly,\nfor great is our reward in heaven, for so the wicked persecuted the\nprophets which were before us. America will be a Zion to all that\nchoose to come to it; and if the churches in foreign countries wish\nto come, let them do so. Say to brother P. P. Pratt that our feelings\naccord with his; he is as we are, and we as he. May peace rest upon him\nin life and in death.\n\n\"Brethren, pray for us, and cease not till our deliverance comes, which\nwe hope may come. We _hope_, we say, for our families' sake.\n\n\"Let the Elders preach nothing but the first principles of the gospel,\nand let them publish our afflictions--the injustice and cruelty\nthereof, upon the house tops. Let them write it and publish it in all\nthe papers where they go. Charge them particularly on this point.\n\n\"Brethren we remain yours in hope of eternal life,\n\n\"SIDNEY RIGDON.\n\n\"JOSEPH SMITH JR.\n\n\"HYRUM SMITH.\n\n\"N. B. Appoint the oldest of those of the Twelve, who were first\nappointed, to be the president of your quorum.\n\n\"J. S.\n\n\"S. R.\n\n\"H. S.\"\n\nOn the 7th of February, 1839, I accompanied Brother Brigham to Liberty,\nto visit Joseph and the brethren in prison. We had the privilege of\ngoing in to see and converse with them. We stayed at Liberty over\nnight, and the next morning we were permitted to visit the prisoners\nagain, while they were at breakfast. We returned during the day to Far\nWest.\n\nWhen we left there, Lyman Sherman was somewhat unwell, and in a few\ndays after our return he died. We did not notify him of his appointment.\n\nI fitted up a small wagon, procured a span of ponies, and sent my wife\nand three children out of the State in company with Brother Brigham\nYoung and his family, and several others, who left Far West February\n14th. Everything my family took with them out of Missouri, could have\nbeen packed on the backs of two horses; the mob took all the rest.\n\nBeing a stranger in Missouri, I was requested by Joseph, Brigham and\nothers to tarry and assist the committee in getting the brethren and\nfamilies out of the State, and in waiting upon those brethren who were\nconfined in prison.\n\nOn the 12th of March, I wrote to Joseph Fielding, Liverpool, England,\nsaying: \"I have only received two letters from you since I have come\nhere. If you knew the feelings I have for the welfare of that people,\nyour pen would not be so idle. May God stir you up to diligence to\nfeed the sheep of God; for they are children of my begetting through\nthe gospel. Think it not strange that I speak thus; for you know the\nfeelings that a father has for his children.\n\n\"Now, brethren, be faithful and visit the churches, and exhort the\nSaints to be faithful in all things, and not lay down their watch for\na moment; for there is great danger of falling beneath the powers of\ndarkness. Don't think hard of me, brethren, for my plainness, for I\nam a plain man, and God requires it of me, and the same of you. Don't\nkeep the Saints in ignorance of those things I have made you acquainted\nwith--that is, our sufferings, for they will know them when I come, and\nthey will have to pass through similar scenes. Don't be selfish; for it\nwill not impoverish you to tell them all that I tell you.\n\n\"Your sister Mary left here about eight weeks ago, also the rest of the\nwives of the prisoners, thinking that they would be out in a few days.\nThere are ten in prison; they are all well and in good spirits. I am\ngoing to see them to-morrow if the Lord will.\n\n\"Mobs are common in this country; it is getting so that there is no\nsafety anywhere in this land. Prepare yourselves for trouble wherever\nyou go, for it awaits you and all others that love the Lord and keep\nHis commandments.\n\n\"Brethren, I want you to go to the north where Brother Russell labored,\nand see what situation the Saints are in, for I have some fears about\nthem. Go and strengthen them in the name of the Lord. * * * * * *\n\n\"Brethren, I can truly say that I have never seen the Church in a\nbetter state since I have been a member of it. What there are left are\nfirm and steadfast, full of love and good works. They have lost all\ntheir earthly goods, and are now ready to go and preach the gospel\nto a dying world. We have ordained about one hundred Elders into the\nSeventies. There are about one hundred and fifty who have gone into the\nvineyard this winter to preach the gospel, and many more will go in the\nspring, and several will come to England with me in the summer or fall.\nElder Rigdon was bailed out of prison, and has left Missouri. About ten\nthousand had gathered to this State. By the 1st of May next there will\nnot be one left who has any faith. Not one-fourth part had any teams to\nmove with, and we had two hundred miles to travel before we could get\nout of the State. I think their deliverance is a great miracle.\"\n\nAbout this time, Orson Hyde came to me, feeling very sorrowful for the\ncourse he had pursued the past few months. He said it was because of\nfear, and that he lamented his folly, and he asked me what he should\ndo. I told him to give up his school, remove his family and gather with\nthe Church. He wanted to know if I thought the brethren would forgive\nhim. I said, \"Yes.\"\n\nHe then asked, \"Will you defend my case?\" and I promised him I would.\n\nOn the 15th, the Prophet Joseph and others petitioned Judge Tompkins,\nor either of the supreme judges of the State of Missouri, for a States\nwrit of _habeas corpus_, that he and his brethren might be brought\nbefore either of those judges, that justice might be administered. I\nwas requested by Joseph to go to Jefferson and present the petition.\n\nTheodore Turley accompanied me. We took copies of the papers by which\nthe prisoners were held, with the petition to the supreme judges, and\nimmediately started a distance of three hundred miles. We visited the\njudges, and laid the whole matter before them individually, according\nto our best ability. Neither of them would take any action in the\ncase, although they appeared friendly and acknowledged that they were\nillegally imprisoned. We also presented a petition to the secretary of\nstate, the governor being absent. He appeared very kind, but like the\nother officers, he _had no power to do good_.\n\nWe immediately returned to Liberty, where we arrived on the 3rd,\nand made Joseph and the prisoners acquainted with the result of our\nmission--through the gate of the dungeon, as we were not permitted to\nenter the prison.\n\nJoseph told us to be of good cheer, for the Lord would deliver him and\nhis brethren in due time. He also told us to advise the brethren to\nkeep up their spirits, and get all the Saints away as fast as possible.\n\nIn company with Brother Turley, I visited Judge Austin A. King, who was\nvexed at us for presenting his illegal papers to the supreme judges. He\ntreated us very roughly.\n\nI returned to Far West April 5th, and remained a few days. My family\nhaving been gone about two months (during which time I heard nothing\nfrom them), our brethren being in prison, and death and destruction\nfollowing us wherever we went, I felt very sorrowful and lonely. While\nin this condition, the following words came to my mind, and the Spirit\nsaid unto me, \"write.\" I obeyed by taking a piece of paper and writing\non my knee, as follows:\n\n\"FAR WEST,\n\n\"April 6, 1839.\n\n\"_A Word from the Spirit of the Lord to My Servant Heber C. Kimball_:\n\n\"Verily, I say unto my servant Heber, thou art my son in whom I am\nwell pleased; for thou art careful to hearken to my words, and not\ntransgress my law nor rebel against my servant Joseph Smith; for thou\nhast a respect to the words of mine anointed, even from the least to\nthe greatest of them; therefore, thy name is written in heaven, no more\nto be blotted out forever, because of these things; and this spirit and\nblessing shall rest down upon thy posterity forever and ever; for they\nshall be called after thy name, for thou shalt have many more sons and\ndaughters, for thy seed shall be as numerous as the sands upon the sea\nshore. Therefore, my servant Heber, be faithful; go forth in my name\nand I will go with you, and be on your right hand and on your left,\nand my angels shall go before you and raise you up when you are cast\ndown and afflicted. Remember that I am always with you, even to the\nend; therefore, be of good cheer, my son, and my Spirit shall be in\nyour heart, to teach you the peaceable things of the kingdom. Trouble\nnot thyself about thy family, for they are in my hands; I will feed\nthem and clothe them and make unto them friends. They never shall want\nfor food nor raiment, houses nor lands, fathers nor mothers, brothers\nnor sisters; and peace shall rest upon them forever, if thou wilt be\nfaithful and go forth and preach my gospel to the nations of the earth;\nfor thou shalt be blessed in this thing. Thy tongue shall be loosed\nto such a degree that has not entered into thy heart as yet, and the\nchildren of men shall believe thy words, and flock to the water, even\nas they did to my servant John; for thou shalt be great in winning\nsouls to me, for this is thy gift and calling. And there shall be no\ngift withheld from thee, if thou art faithful; therefore, be faithful,\nand I will give thee favor in the eyes of the people. Be humble and\nkind, and thou shalt obtain kindness; be merciful, and thou shalt\nobtain mercy; and I will be with thee even unto the end. Amen.\"\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIII.\n\nFINAL EXPULSION FROM FAR WEST--DESTRUCTION OF PROPERTY--ESCAPE OF\nJOSEPH SMITH AND BRETHREN--ATTEMPT TO VISIT PARLEY P. PRATT AND\nBRETHREN IN PRISON--FORCED TO FLEE TO ESCAPE MOB VIOLENCE--ASSEMBLY OF\nAPOSTLES AND OTHERS ON TEMPLE SITE ACCORDING TO REVELATION--ARRIVAL IN\nILLINOIS--WORD OF THE LORD FULFILLED.\n\nJudge King having ordered the removal of the prisoners from Liberty to\nDaviess County, fearing that we might get a change of venue to some\nother place, Brother Daniel Shearer and I were appointed to visit\nJudge Hughes, who had formerly been an Indian agent, and get him to\ngo to Daviess and attend the sitting of the court there. He expressed\nhimself in friendly terms towards Joseph and the brethren. Being a very\nrough man in his language, he cursed the judges and the governor and\neverybody else that would not step forward and help our friends out\nof the hands of their persecutors, for he did not believe they were\nguilty of any of the crimes alleged against them. Said he, \"There is no\nproof that these men have committed any crime worthy of imprisonment or\ndeath, and the Mormons have been treated mean.\" Looking us directly in\nthe eye, he said, with an oath, \"Look at their eyes; see how bright and\nkeen they are! They are whipped but not conquered; you can see that in\ntheir eyes.\"\n\nThere were several men in Liberty who were very friendly to the\nbrethren. I called on them when I went there and they treated me with\ngreat civility. Among these were General Doniphan and Atchison and the\nkeeper of the tavern where I put up at, and several of the foremost men\nwho belonged to the masonic fraternity.\n\nThose men whom I have named, and several others, revolted at the\nscenes enacted against the \"Mormons,\" and would have liberated the\nbrethren, had it not been for the \"outside pressure,\" that is, the\nstrong prejudices imbibed by the people generally against us, and their\nblood-thirsty desire to kill the Prophets.\n\nI sent one hundred dollars by Brother Stephen Markham to Joseph, and\nalso various sums at different times by other individuals.\n\nThe mob continued to threaten the few Saints who remained in Far West,\nand accordingly on the 14th of April, 1838, the committee, who had been\nleft there to look after the wants of the poor, removed thirty-six of\nthe helpless families into Tenney's grove, about twenty-five miles from\nFar West. I was obliged to secrete myself in the corn-fields and woods\nduring the day and only venture out in the evening, to counsel the\ncommittee and brethren in private houses.\n\nOn the morning of the 18th, as I was going to the committee room to\ntell the brethren to wind up their affairs and be off, or their lives\nwould be taken, I was met on the public square by several of the mob.\nOne of them asked, with an oath, if I was a \"Mormon.\"\n\nI replied, \"I am a 'Mormon.'\"\n\nWith a series of blasphemous expressions, they then threatened to blow\nmy brains out, and also tried to ride over me with their horses, in the\npresence of Elias Smith, Theodore Turley and others of the committee.\n\nIt was but a few minutes after I had notified the committee to leave\nbefore the mob gathered at the tithing house, and began breaking\nclocks, chairs, windows, looking-glasses and furniture, and making a\ncomplete wreck of everything they could move, while Captain Bogart, the\nCounty judge, looked on and laughed. A mobber named Whittaker threw an\niron pot at the head of Theodore Turley and hurt him considerably, when\nWhittaker jumped about and laughed like a mad man; and all this at the\ntime when we were using our utmost endeavors to get the Saints away\nfrom Far West. The brethren gathered up what they could, and fled from\nFar West in one hour. The mob staid until the committee left, and then\nplundered thousands of dollars worth of property which had been left by\nthe brethren and sisters to assist the poor to remove.\n\nOne mobber rode up, and, finding no convenient place to fasten his\nhorse to, shot a cow that was standing near, while a girl was milking\nher, and while the poor animal was struggling in death, he cut a strip\nof her hide from the nose to her tail, to which he fastened his halter.\n\nDuring the commotion of this day, a great portion of the records of the\ncommittee, accounts, history, etc., were destroyed or stolen.\n\nHearing that Joseph and his brethren had escaped from their guard while\nthey were on their way from Daviess to Boone County, to which place\nthey had obtained a change of venue, I called on Shadrach Roundy, with\nwhom I started immediately towards Quincy, Illinois.\n\nOn reaching Keetsville I stopped at the house of Colonel Price. The\nColonel hearing of my arrival, came directly into the house, and,\ndiscovering who I was, said, \"Joseph and Hyrum Smith and the other\nprisoners have escaped.\"\n\nI enquired what he knew about them, and he answered, \"Their guard took\nbreakfast here this morning. They have turned back, saying they were\ngoing back to Richmond, by way of Tenney's grove. I know that the\nguards have been bribed, or they would evince more interest in pursuing\nthem.\"\n\nAfter we had partaken of refreshments, Brother Roundy and I pursued\nour course towards Quincy about fourteen or fifteen miles, when, being\nthoroughly satisfied that the prisoners had escaped, we turned back\ntowards Far West.\n\nWhen we arrived at Tenney's grove, a man came to me and presented an\norder drawn on me, by Joseph Smith, for five hundred dollars, saying it\nwas for horses furnished him. I immediately raised four hundred dollars\nand paid him, when he proceeded to Richmond, Ray County, where he paid\nout the money to secure some of the lands that we had been driven from.\n\nBrother Roundy and I started a few hours afterwards for Richmond, being\non our way to Far West, for the purpose of visiting Parley P. Pratt and\nothers in jail.\n\nOn our arrival at Richmond, I went directly to the prison to see\nParley, but was prohibited by the guard, who said they would blow my\nbrains out if I attempted to go near him. In a few minutes, Sister\nMorris Phelps came to me in great agitation and advised me to leave\nforthwith, as Brother Pratt had told her that a large body of men had\nassembled with tar, feathers and a rail, who swore they would tar and\nfeather me, and ride me on the rail. They suspected I was the one who\nhad assisted Joseph and the other prisoners to escape.\n\nI immediately informed Brother Roundy, and we jumped on our horses and\nfled towards Far West, which was forty miles distant. We rode all night\nand reached Far West about the break of day. Expecting Brother Brigham\nYoung and the Twelve to arrive there that day, I kept myself concealed\nin the woods, and passed around the country notifying the brethren and\nsisters to be on hand at the appointed time to witness the work upon\nthe temple.\n\nOn the night of April 25th, which was pleasant, clear and moonlight,\nElders Brigham Young, Orson Pratt, John E. Page, John Taylor, Wilford\nWoodruff, George A. Smith and Alphens Cutler arrived from Quincy,\nIllinois, and rode into the public square early on the morning of the\n26th. All seemed still as death.\n\nWe held a conference at the house of Brother Samuel Clark, cut off\nthirty-one persons from the Church, and then proceeded to the building\nspot of the Lord's house, where, after singing a hymn on the mission\nof the Twelve, we recommenced laying the foundation, agreeable to the\nrevelation given July 8th, 1838, by rolling a stone, upwards of a ton\nin weight, upon or near the south-east corner.\n\nWe ordained Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith, who had been\npreviously nominated by the First Presidency, accepted by the Twelve,\nand acknowledged by the Church at Quincy, members of the quorum of\nthe Twelve Apostles. We ordained as Seventies, Darwin Chase and\nNorman Shearer, who had been liberated from Richmond prison two days\npreviously, where they had been confined about six months for the cause\nof Christ.\n\nThe Twelve then, individually called upon the Lord in prayer in the\nfollowing order: Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Pratt, John\nE. Page, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith, kneeling\non the corner stone; after which \"Adam-ondi-Ahman\" was sung, when the\nTwelve took leave of the Saints, agreeable to the revelation.\n\nThe brethren wandered among our deserted houses, many of which were in\nruins, and saw the streets in many places grown over with grass.\n\nWe went to Father Clark's, got breakfast, and before sunrise we\ndeparted. We rode thirty miles that day, and camped at night with the\nfamilies of Elders Clark and Turley.\n\nOn arriving at Quincy on the 2nd of May, I found my family well and\nin good spirits; and on reading the words of inspiration which I had\nwritten, my wife bore record to the truth of that part which says,\n\"Trouble not thyself about thy family, for they are in my hands. I\nwill feed them and clothe them and make unto them friends,\" etc. I\nlearned from her that my family continued with Brother Brigham until\nthey crossed the Mississippi to the town of Atlas, in Illinois, where,\nthrough the instrumentality of George Pitkin, my wife got introduced to\na Widow Ross, who let her have a comfortably-fitted-up room, and the\nprivilege of cooking by her fire, and who was as kind to her as an own\nmother or sister. Here my wife tarried seven weeks, and only had to pay\nfifty cents a week. At the end of that time, John P. Greene came with\nhis wagon and horses and carried my family up to Quincy, forty miles,\nand rented a good room where I found her.\n\nShe had had no lack of friends and had every comfort bestowed upon\nher that she could have had among her own kindred; and I can say in\nmy heart, God bless all who aided and assisted my family. Jesus says\nevery man shall be rewarded for every good deed that he doeth and even\nif a man giveth a cup of cold water to a disciple he shall receive a\ndisciple's reward.\n\nIn relation to that part of the Lord's word to me which said I should\nhave many sons and daughters, my wife was rather in doubt, as she\nconsidered she was too advanced in years, and the thought had never\nentered our minds that the Lord would establish in this Church the\ndoctrine of plurality of wives in my day; still I believed it would be\nrestored to the earth in some future time.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XIV.\n\nJOYFUL MEETING WITH JOSEPH--FIRST CONFERENCE IN ILLINOIS--FIRST VISIT\nTO COMMERCE--MY IMPRESSION CONCERNING THE NEW GATHERING PLACE--MY\nRECOMMEND--STRUGGLE WITH EVIL SPIRITS--JOSEPH SMITH'S EXPERIENCE\nWITH EVIL SPIRITS--P. P. PRATT'S ESCAPE FROM PRISON--BUILDING\nHOUSES--PROSTRATED WITH SICKNESS--REMARKABLE MANIFESTATION OF THE GIFT\nOF HEALING.\n\nOn the 3rd of May, 1839, in company with Elders Brigham Young, O.\nPratt, John Taylor, W. Woodruff and George A. Smith, I rode four miles\nto Mr. Cleaveland's, to visit Joseph and Hyrum, who were as glad to see\nus as we were to see them once more enjoying their liberty. I spent the\nday with them and it was one of the greatest days of rejoicing in my\nlife to once more have the privilege of conversing with the Prophet in\nfreedom.\n\nThe next day I attended a general conference of the Church near Quincy,\nat which the Saints from all the regions round about assembled. It was\na time which will long be remembered by the Saints, being the first\nconference held after their expulsion.\n\nThe cases of Brothers William Smith and Orson Hyde were brought up. I\nhad previously informed Brother Hyrum Smith of Orson Hyde's feelings\nof repentance, and desire to return to the Church. Hyrum partook of\nthe spirit, and when Joseph presented the name of Orson Hyde before\nthe Church, Hyrum and I plead for him according to the spirit that was\nin us. Joseph then remarked, \"If my brother Hyrum and Heber C. Kimball\nwill defend Orson Hyde, I will withdraw my motion.\"\n\nThe conference granted them the privilege of appearing personally\nbefore the next conference of the Church, to give an account of their\nconduct, but required that in the meantime they both be suspended from\nexecuting the functions of their office.\n\nThe conference sanctioned the proceeding of the Twelve on the temple\nblock at Far West, on the 26th of April, and also the intended mission\nof the Twelve to Europe.\n\nThe conference continued for three days, and a most agreeable time was\nenjoyed. Elder Rigdon was appointed delegate to go to Washington and\nlay the grievances of the Saints before the general government, and it\nwas also resolved that a number of Elders should accompany the Twelve\non their mission to Europe.\n\nOn Sunday, the 12th of May, I went up to Commerce, in company with some\nof the Twelve, in a wagon.\n\nOn the 25th I crossed the river with several of my brethren and\nspent the day in council with Joseph and others. While crossing the\nMississippi, I was standing by the railing of the boat, looking at the\nbeautiful site of Nauvoo, and remarked, \"It is a very pretty place, but\nnot a long abiding place for the Saints.\"\n\nThese remarks reached the ears of Elder Rigdon and family, and caused\nthem to feel somewhat sad, as they were well situated in a nice stone\nhouse. When we met in council, in the house of Joseph Smith, Elder\nRigdon said he had some feelings toward Elder Kimball, and added, \"I\nshould suppose that Elder Kimball had passed through sufferings and\nprivations and mobbings and drivings enough to learn to prophesy good\nconcerning Israel.\"\n\nI saw that I was likely to receive quite a chastisement from Elder\nRigdon, and knowing his peculiar temperament, I arose and said,\n\"President Rigdon, I'll prophesy good concerning you all the time if\nyou can get it!\"\n\nOn hearing that, Joseph had a hearty laugh with the brethren, and Elder\nRigdon yielded the point.\n\nI here insert a recommend from the Presidency:\n\n\"_To the Saints Scattered Abroad, to the Nations of Europe and to the\nWorld_:\n\n\"Be it known unto you that Heber C. Kimball is fully authorized to\npreach the gospel of Jesus Christ, and his testimony can be relied on.\nHe is a man of unexceptionable character, and received his authority\nand Priesthood from under the hands of the presiding authorities of the\nChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, who were called by actual\nrevelation from God. Therefore, God will bless him, and bear record by\nHis power, thereby confirming his word and ministry. Thus testifieth\nyour humble servants,\n\n\"SIDNEY RIGDON,\n\n\"HYRUM SMITH,\n\n\"JOSEPH SMITH, JR.\n\n\"QUINCY, ILL., June 3, 1839.\"\n\nI wrote to P. P. Pratt, giving him the particulars of our conference\nat Far West on the 26th of April, and the resolution that the Twelve\nshould have their shackles taken off, that they might go forth into\nthe world to preach the gospel, and that the Bishops were to provide\nfor our families, etc. I also added, \"The Presidency feel well towards\nyou. They say you must come out of that place, and so I say; for I do\nnot feel as though I can go to England until I take you by the hand.\nWhen this takes place my joy will be full. Be of good cheer, brother; a\nfew days now, and you shall see the salvation of God; and I shall see\nyou in other lands, publishing peace to the captives. My determination\nis to be a man of God, and to try to save souls from their sins, let\nothers do as they may. I will try to keep my eye on the mark, that is,\nChrist, the Son of the living God, His grace assisting me. The Twelve\nhave all left Quincy. Orson is about twenty-five miles from here.\nWhatever you do, do quickly!\"\n\nJoseph advised those of the Twelve whose families were not at Commerce\nto remove them immediately to the new gathering place. I accordingly\nwent to Quincy and removed my family up to a place belonging to Brother\nBozier, about one mile from Commerce, where I pulled down an old stable\nand laid up the logs at the back end of the Bozier house, putting a\nfew shakes on to cover it; but it had no floor or chinking. In this\ncondition I moved my family into it. Whenever it rained the water\nstood nearly ankle deep on the ground in the house. There were some\nhalf-a-dozen families in the Bozier house.\n\nThe 25th, 26th and 27th of June I spent in council with the Presidency\nand Twelve, and received much valuable instruction from the Prophet. At\nthis conference Orson Hyde appeared, made a humble confession, and was\nrestored to the Priesthood.\n\nOne night I was awakened out of my sleep by my wife making a noise as\nthough she was nearly choking to death. I inquired the cause, and she\nreplied that she had dreamed that a personage came and seized her by\nthe throat and was choking her. I immediately lit a candle and saw that\nher eyes were sunken and her nose pinched in as though she was in the\nlast stage of the cholera. I laid hands upon her and rebuked the evil\nspirit in the name of Jesus, and by the power of the holy Priesthood\ncommanded it to depart. In a moment afterwards I heard some half a\ndozen children in different parts of the Bozier house crying as if in\ngreat distress. The cattle also began to bellow, the horses neighed,\nthe dogs barked, the hogs squealed, the hens cackled and roosters\ncrowed, and everything around seemed in great commotion. In a few\nminutes afterwards I was sent for to lay hands upon Sister Patten, the\nwidow of David W. Patten, who was living in the room adjoining mine,\nand who was seized in a similar manner to my wife.\n\nMy wife continued quite feeble for several days from the shock.\n\nOne day while visiting Joseph, he took me for a walk by the river side,\nwhen he requested me to relate the occurrence at Brother Bozier's.\nAfter I had done so, I also told him the vision of evil spirits in\nEngland, on the opening of the gospel to that people. After I had done\nthis, I asked him what all these things meant, and whether or not there\nwas anything wrong in me. He said:\n\n\"No, Brother Heber; at that time, when you were in England, you were\nnigh unto the Lord, there was only a veil between you and Him, but you\ncould not see Him. When I heard of it, it gave me great joy; for I then\nknew that the work of God had taken root in that land. It was this that\ncaused the devil to make a struggle to kill you.\"\n\nJoseph then said the nearer a person approached to the Lord,\nthe greater power would be manifest by the devil to prevent the\naccomplishment of the purposes of God.\n\nHe also gave me a relation of many contests that he had had with Satan,\nand his power that had been manifested from time to time since the\ncommencement of bringing forth the Book of Mormon.\n\nI will relate one circumstance that took place in Far West, in a house\nwhich Joseph had purchased, which had been formerly occupied as a\npublic house by some wicked people. A short time after he had moved\ninto it, one of the children was taken very sick. He laid his hands\nupon the child, when it got better. As soon as he went outside, the\nchild was taken sick again. He again laid his hands upon it, so that\nit again recovered. This transpired several times, and Joseph inquired\nof the Lord what it all meant, when he had an open vision, and saw\nthe devil in person, who contended with Joseph face to face for some\ntime. He said it was his house, it belonged to him, and Joseph had no\nright there. Then Joseph rebuked Satan in the name of the Lord, and he\ndeparted and troubled the child no more.\n\nOn the 2nd of July, I went with Joseph, Hyrum, Sidney and others over\nthe river to Montrose, after which we rode four miles and looked at\nthe site for the town of Zarahemla. We dined at Brother Woodruff's.\nAfter dinner we all went to President Brigham Young's, where Brothers\nWoodruff and George A. Smith were blessed as two of the Twelve\nApostles. Brother Hyrum Smith gave the Twelve some good advice on\nthe nature of their mission--to practice prudence and humility in\ntheir preaching, and to strictly hold on to the authority of the\nPriesthood. Brother Joseph taught many glorious things and important\nprinciples to benefit and bless them on their mission; advising them to\nobserve charity, wisdom and a fellow feeling for each other under all\ncircumstances. He also unfolded the keys of knowledge, to detect Satan,\nand preserve us in the favor of God.\n\nOn Sunday, the 7th of July, I was present at a large meeting of the\nSaints in the open air to listen to the farewell addresses of the\nTwelve. Many were present who did not belong to the Church. After the\nmeeting was dismissed three persons went forward and were baptized and\nconfirmed.\n\nOn the 10th of July, Elder P. P. Pratt returned from his imprisonment\nin Missouri. When I heard that he was in Quincy I went there and\nassisted him and his brother Orson up to Commerce. His escape caused\nmuch rejoicing among the Saints.\n\nIn a few days afterwards he and I purchased from Hyrum Kimball five\nacres each of woodland, situated one mile from the river, and went to\nwork to cut each a set of logs to build a house 14 by 16 feet, which\nwe cut in one day. We then invited some of the old citizens, such as\nBrother Bozier, 'Squire Wells, Louis Robinson and others, to come and\nassist us to put them up, as our people were mostly prostrate with\nsickness. I got a man to assist me to hew puncheons for the floor,\nand to make some shakes, that is, strips of timber similar to barrel\nstaves, with which to cover the roof. I also drew the rock and built\na chimney, and just got it built to the ridge of the house, when I\nwas stricken down with the chills and fever. My wife was also laid\nprostrate with the same.\n\nA great amount of sickness prevailed among the inhabitants of Commerce,\nin consequence of the sufferings and hardships to which they had been\nsubjected in being driven from Missouri; so that the time of those\nwho were able to be about was generally spent in administering to the\nsick. Some had faith and were healed; to those who had not faith we\nadministered mild herbs and nursed them as well as possible under the\ncircumstances; but many died.\n\nOn the morning of the 22nd, the Prophet Joseph Smith arose from his\nbed of sickness, when the power of God rested upon him, and he went\nforth administering to the sick. He commenced with the sick in his\nown house, then visited those who were tenting in his door-yard,\ncommanding the sick in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to arise from\ntheir beds and be made whole, and they were healed according to his\nwords. He then went from house to house and from tent to tent, on the\nbank of the river, healing the sick by the power of Israel's God as he\nwent among them. He did not miss a single house, wagon or tent, and\ncontinued this work up to the \"Upper Stone House,\" where he crossed\nthe river, accompanied by P. P. Pratt, O. Pratt, John Taylor, John E.\nPage and myself, and walked into the cabin of Brother Brigham Young,\nwho was lying very sick, and commanded him in the name of the Lord\nJesus to arise and be made whole. He arose, healed of his sickness,\nand accompanied Joseph and his brethren of the Twelve. They went into\nthe house of Brother Elijah Fordham, who was insensible and considered\nby his family and friends to be dying. Joseph stepped to his bedside,\nlooked him in the eye for a minute without speaking, then took him by\nthe hand and commanded him in the name of Jesus Christ to arise from\nhis bed and walk. Brother Fordham instantly leaped out of his bed,\nthrew off all his poultices and bandages, dressed himself, called for\na bowl of bread and milk, which he ate, and then followed us into the\nstreet.\n\nWe then went into the house of Joseph B. Noble, who was also very sick,\nand he was healed in the same manner.\n\nJoseph spoke with the voice and power of God.\n\nWhen he had healed all the sick by the power given unto him, he went\ndown to the ferry boat, when a stranger rode up almost breathless and\nsaid he had heard that \"Jo\" Smith was raising the dead and healing all\nthe sick, and his wife begged of him to ride up and get Mr. Smith to\ngo down and heal his twin children, who were about five months old.\nJoseph replied, \"I cannot go, but will send some one.\" In a few minutes\nhe said to Elder Woodruff, who lived in Montrose, \"You go and heal\nthose children. Take this pocket handkerchief, and when you administer\nto them, wipe their faces with it, and they shall recover.\" Brother\nWoodruff did as he was commanded, and the children were healed.\n\nThe mob leaders when they saw men, whom they thought were dying, arise\nfrom their beds and pray for others, stood paralyzed with fear, yet\nthose same men would have killed Joseph and his brethren if they had\nhad an opportunity.\n\nJoseph recrossed the river and returned to his own house, and I went to\nmy home, rejoicing in the mercies and goodness of God.\n\nThis was a day never to be forgotten by the Saints, nor by the wicked,\nfor they saw the power of God manifest in the flesh.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XV.\n\nSTART UPON A MISSION UNDER DISTRESSING CIRCUMSTANCES--INCIDENTS OF THE\nJOURNEY--A DRUNKEN DOCTOR GIVES ME A TABLE-SPOONFUL OF MORPHINE--MY\nLIFE SAVED THROUGH THE PRAYER OF FAITH--BRETHREN LEAVE ME TO PROCEED TO\nKIRTLAND--THEIR FEAR THAT I WOULD DIE--I PREDICT THAT I WOULD RECOVER\nAND REACH KIRTLAND BEFORE THEM.\n\nOn the 4th of August, the Saints met to partake of the sacrament, and\nreceived an exhortation from the Prophet, impressing upon them the\nnecessity of being righteous and clean of heart before the Lord, and\ncommanding the Twelve to go forth without purse or scrip; according to\nthe revelations of Jesus Christ.\n\nMy son David Patten was born during the night of the 23d in the log\ncabin which I had put up at the end of the Bozier house, and during the\nnight we had a heavy thunder storm, but the hand of the Lord was over\nus.\n\nAs soon as my wife was able, I moved my family into the log house that\nI had built. Being without a house, Brother Orson Pratt moved his\nfamily in with mine.\n\nOn the 4th of September, President Brigham Young left his home at\nMontrose to start upon his mission to England. He was so sick that\nhe was unable to go to the river, a distance of thirty rods, without\nassistance. After he had crossed the river, he rode behind Israel\nBarlow on his horse to my house, where he continued sick until the\n18th. He left his wife sick with a babe only ten days old, and all his\nother children were sick and unable to wait upon one another. Not one\nof them was able to go to the well for a pail of water, and they were\nwithout a single change of clothes, for the mob in Missouri had taken\nnearly all he had.\n\nOn the 17th, Sister Mary Ann Young got a boy to carry her up in his\nwagon to my house, that she might nurse and comfort Brother Brigham to\nthe hour of starting.\n\nOn the 18th, Charles Hubbard sent a boy with a wagon and span of horses\nto my house to start us on our journey. Our trunks were put into the\nwagon by some of the brethren who had come to bid us farewell.\n\nI went to my bed and shook hands with my wife, who was then shaking\nwith the ague, and had two of our children lying sick by her side. I\nembraced her and my children, and bade them farewell. The only child\nwell was little Heber Parley, and it was with difficulty that he could\ncarry a couple of quarts of water at a time, to assist in quenching\ntheir thirst.\n\nWith some difficulty we got into the wagon and started down the hill\nabout ten rods. It seemed to me as though my very inmost parts would\nmelt within me at the thought of leaving my family in such a condition,\nas it were almost in the arms of death. I felt as though I could\nscarcely endure it. I said to the teamster \"hold up!\" then turning to\nBrother Brigham I added, \"This is pretty tough, but let's rise, and\ngive them a cheer.\" We arose, and swinging our hats three times over\nour heads, we cried, \"Hurrah, hurrah, hurrah for Israel!\"\n\nMy wife, hearing the noise, arose from her bed and came to the door to\nsee what was up. She had a smile on her face. She and Sister Young then\ncried out to us, \"Good bye; God bless you!\" We returned the compliment,\nand were pleased to see that they were so cheerful. We then told the\ndriver to go ahead.\n\nAfter this I felt a spirit of joy and gratitude at having the\nsatisfaction of seeing my wife standing upon her feet, instead of\nleaving her in bed, knowing well that I should not see her again for\ntwo or three years.\n\nWe were without purse or scrip, and were carried across the prairie,\nabout fourteen miles, to a shanty near the railway, where Brother O. M.\nDuell lived.\n\nOn arriving there, we were unable to carry our small trunks into the\nhouse, and Sister Duell, seeing our feeble condition, assisted the boy\nto carry them in. We were very much fatigued, and as soon as we got\ninto the house Sister Duell made us a cup of tea; which revived us,\nand prepared a bed for us on a one-legged bedstead in a corner of the\nhouse, having two poles running from the house logs to the leg.\n\nIn the course of the night our bedstead broke through, and we found\nourselves on the floor, between the poles and the side of the house.\n\nThe following day Brother Duell took us in his wagon to Lima, about\ntwelve miles, when he left us. He gave each of us a dollar to assist us\non our journey. Brother Bidwell then carried us in his wagon to John A.\nMikesell's, near Quincy, about twenty miles.\n\nThe fatigue of this day's journey was too much for our feeble health;\nwe were prostrated, and obliged to tarry a few days in Quincy to\nrecruit.\n\nThe brethren preached a few times in a meeting house close to the\nCongregational church. The members of the latter church were in\nthe habit of commencing their meetings at different hours from the\nbrethren, but they took a notion to disturb us, by ringing their bell\nfuriously after we had commenced our meetings. At one time Elder John\nE. Page preached so loud as to drown the noise of the bell, and this\nbrought some hundreds, who otherwise would not have come, to meeting.\n\nI was prostrate with the chills and fever, and stayed most of the time\nat the house of Sisters Laura and Abigail Pitkin, who bestowed every\nkindness upon me they possibly could. Dr. Orlando Hovey, and Sister\nStaley and her daughter were also very kind in administering to me in\nmy feeble condition.\n\nWe left Quincy September 25th, feeling much better. My sorrow was great\nto see so many of our brethren there sick and dying, in consequence of\nbeing driven and exposed to hunger and cold.\n\nBrother Lyman Wight took us in a one-horse wagon to Brother Charles C.\nRich's, at Burton; where we stayed through the night. Brother Wight\npredicted many good things, and left this blessing with us, when he\nbade us farewell.\n\nThe following day while Brother Rich was taking us to Brother Wilbur's,\nthe chills came on me again, and I suffered much pain and fatigue.\n\nOn the 27th, Brother Wilbur took us in a buggy about twenty-five miles\nto the house of James Allred, in Pittsfield, and the following day\nFather Allred conveyed us to the place where Brother Harlow Redfield\nlived, where we preached to a small branch of the Church on Sunday, the\n29th.\n\nOn the 30th, Brother Rodgers carried Brother Brigham to Brother\nDecker's, and me to the house of Mr. Roswell Murray, my father-in-law.\nThey were living within a few rods of each other, near Winchester, in\nScott County.\n\nHere we also found a few brethren in the Church, who had been smitten\nand robbed of their property in Missouri, but were once more in\ncomfortable circumstances and rejoicing in the Lord.\n\nOn the 1st of October, we were conveyed to Lorenzo D. Young's, where we\nremained and recruited our strength until the 4th, when he conveyed us\nto Jacksonville.\n\nOn the 5th, a sister in the Church hired a horse and buggy to take us\nto Springfield, a distance of thirty-five miles, and Brother Babcock\ndrove for us. There we were kindly received by brethren, and nursed.\nBrother Brigham being confined to his bed by sickness, Brother Libeus\nT. Coon, who was practicing medicine, waited upon him. Here we found\nBrothers G. A. Smith, T. Turley and R. Hedlock.\n\nI went from house to house strengthening and comforting the brethren,\nand teaching them the things of the kingdom. I was so far recovered\nthat I preached on the Sabbath, which caused a great feeling of love\ntowards us. The Saints got a two horse wagon and harness for us, for\nwhich they paid fifty-five dollars, and also collected thirty-five\ndollars in money for the company. Judge Adams, of the supreme court,\ntook me to his house. I stayed with him three nights and the greater\npart of three days, and he gave me five dollars when I left.\n\nWhile we remained at Springfield, the sisters fitted up a bed in the\nwagon for Brother Brigham to ride on, as he was unable to sit up.\n\nOn the 11th of October, I resumed my journey, in company with Brothers\nYoung, Turley, Smith and Hedlock.\n\nWe traveled eight miles and put up at the house of Father Draper.\nWhen we went into the house, Brother George A. Smith, while stooping\ndown to warm at the fire, dropped a small flask bottle, containing\ntonic bitters, out of his pocket on the hearth, and broke it. At this\noccurrence, Father Draper was very much astonished, and said, \"You are\na pretty set of Apostles, to be carrying a bottle of whisky with you!\"\n\nWe explained to him that the bottle contained some bitters which the\nbrethren at Springfield had prepared for Brother George A., because of\nhis sickness. This appeased his righteous soul, so that he consented to\nallow us to stay through the night.\n\nOn the following day, we pursued our journey towards Terre Haute, most\nof the brethren being very sick. Owing to the bad roads, I walked most\nof the way. At might I slept in a wagon and caught cold. The next\nmorning I had to go till twelve o'clock before I had anything to eat,\nand then it was transparent pork and corn dodger. My health again began\nto fail. The wagon broke down twice and the chills came on me about two\nin the afternoon and held me till night, then the fever held me all\nnight. I had the chills and fever three days, and lost my appetite. The\nthird chill was so severe that it seemed as though I could not live\ntill night.\n\nWe arrived at Terre Haute about dusk on the 17th. Brother Young and I\nput up at Dr. Modisett's, and the other brethren and Father Murray,\nmy father-in-law, who had accompanied us on a visit to his friends in\nthe east, stayed at Milton Stowe's, who lived in one of the doctor's\nhouses. In the evening the doctor went to see them, as they were quite\nill, and Brother Stowe was very poor. The doctor expressed great\nsympathy for them when he returned to his house, * * seeing them in ill\nhealth and lying on a straw bed on the floor. He shed many tears at\nthoughts of the brethren going under such suffering circumstances upon\nsuch a long mission; but he did not have quite sympathy enough to buy\nthem a chicken to make them some broth, or even give them a shilling,\nalthough he was worth four or five hundred thousand dollars. He said\nhis taxes amounted to over four hundred dollars a year.\n\nIn the evening I became very ill. The doctor said he could give me\nsomething that would do me good and relieve me of my distress, and I\nwould probably get a nap; but the old man was so drunk that he did\nnot know what he did, and he gave me a table-spoonfull of morphine.\nHis wife saw him pour it out; but dared not say a word, although she\nbelieved it would kill me.\n\nIn a few minutes after I took it, I straightened up in my chair,\ncomplaining of feeling very strangely, and as though I wanted to lie\ndown. On my attempting to go to the bed, I reeled and fell to the\nfloor. There was hardly a breath of life in my body. Brother Brigham\nrolled me over on my back, put a pillow under my head and inquired of\nthe doctor what he had given me, and then learned that he had given me\nmorphine. I lay there for a long time; when I came to, Brother Brigham\nwas attending to me with a fatherly care, and manifesting much anxiety\nin my behalf. I remarked, \"Don't be scared; for I shan't die.\"\n\nIn a short time after, he got me on the bed, and nursed me through\nthe night. I commenced vomiting and continued doing so most of the\nnight. He changed my under-clothes five times, and washed me each\ntime previous to changing, as I was covered with a cold sweat. It was\nthrough the closest attention of Brother Young and the family that my\nlife was preserved through the night. I was scarcely able to speak so\nas to be understood.\n\nIn the morning, Brothers Smith, Turley, Hedlock and Father Murray came\nto see us, and the brethren laid their hands upon me and prayed for\nme. When they left they wept like children. Father Murray felt very\nsorrowful. Said he, \"We shall never see Heber again; he will die.\"\nI looked up at them and said, \"Never mind, brethren; go ahead, for\nBrother Brigham and I will reach Kirtland before you will.\" Brother\nBrigham gave them all the money we had except five dollars, and told\nthem to take good care of the team and make all possible speed to\nKirtland. They started the same day. In about an hour after their\ndeparture I arose from my bed.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVI.\n\nFURTHER INCIDENTS OF THE JOURNEY--MONEY INCREASED BY THE POWER\nOF GOD--ARRIVE AT KIRTLAND AHEAD OF BRETHREN, IN FULFILLMENT OF\nMY PREDICTION--SERVICES IN THE TEMPLE--VISIT MY OLD HOME AND MY\nRELATIVES--KIND TREATMENT--ARRIVE IN NEW YORK--JOYFUL MEETING WITH\nBRETHREN.\n\nOn the 22nd of October, Elder Almon W. Babbitt and Dr. Knight, an\neminent physician, came from Pleasant Garden to see me, and the next\nday Brother James Modisett took us in his father's carriage twenty\nmiles, to the house of Brother Addison Pratt. From there we were\nconveyed by Dr. Knight to Pleasant Garden, and put up with Brother\nJonathan Crosby. We found a few brethren there, who were well and in\ngood spirits. We remained three days, preaching to the few brethren and\nthose who wished to hear. * * *\n\nBefore leaving, Dr. Knight and some others gave us some money to\nassist us on our mission. While there I also received a letter from my\nwife, giving an account of her sickness since I left, also that of our\nchildren, William and Helen. I wrote her a comforting letter in reply,\npraying the Lord to bless her and the little ones.\n\nOn the 26th, Brother Babbitt took us in his buggy twelve miles, to the\nhouse of Brother Scott, whose family was very glad to see us, and we\ntarried with them through the night, after which Brother Scott sent his\nlittle son, John, to convey us to Bellville, fifteen miles, several\nmiles of the journey in a rain storm, which obliged us to put up at\nan inn for the remainder of the day and night. Brother Brigham was\nvery sick, and had to go to bed. I sat up to wait upon him, and spent\nthe evening with the landlord and his lady, preaching to them. They\nreceived our testimony, and were very kind to us.\n\nThe following morning the landlord arose very early, and talked to\nthe citizens about the travelers who had stayed with him the night\nprevious, and what he had heard us say concerning the gospel. The\nneighbors flocked in; made many enquiries and were very anxious that we\nshould tarry and preach in the place.\n\nOur host said several times he hoped the stage would not come, that we\nmight stay and preach, as the people were very much excited on account\nof a great discussion which had recently occurred between two popular\npreachers.\n\nThe stage, however, came along about ten o'clock, and we started on our\nway towards Kirtland, leaving the landlord in tears.\n\nThe money given to us in Pleasant Garden added to the five dollars we\nhad left when the brethren parted from us on the 18th, amounted to\nthirteen dollars and fifty cents. When we got into the stage we did not\nexpect to ride many miles. We rode, however, as far as Indianapolis,\npaid our passage, and found we had sufficient means to carry us to\nRichmond, Indiana. When we arrived in Richmond, we found we had means\nto take us to Dayton, to which place we proceeded and tarried over\nnight, waiting for another line of stages. We expected to stop here\nand preach until we got means to pursue our journey. Brother Brigham,\nhowever, went to his trunk to get money to pay the bill and found we\nhad sufficient to pay our passage to Columbus, to which place we took\npassage in the stage and tarried over night. When he paid the next\nbill, he found he had sufficient means to pay our passage to Worcester,\nand accordingly we took passage for that place. When we arrived there,\nBrother Brigham went to his trunk again to get money to pay, and found\nsufficient to pay our passage to Cleveland.\n\nWhile on our way to Cleveland, and within about twenty miles of that\nplace we passed a little town called Strongsville. Brother Brigham had\na strong impression to stop at a tavern when we first came into that\ntown; but as the stage did not stop there we went on.\n\nWe arrived at Cleveland about eleven o'clock at night, took lodgings\nand remained till next morning.\n\nOn the morning of November 3rd, it being Sunday, we went to the\nEpiscopalian church, and while returning to the hotel, we met my\nfather-in-law, and learned that Elders Smith, Turley and Hedlock had\njust arrived in Cleveland. Father Murray was as much astonished to see\nme alive as though he had seen one risen from the dead. I don't think I\never saw a man feel better than he did when I met him in the street.\n\nWe walked with him a short distance and met the brethren, whose\nhealth was good compared with what it had been, and who were in fine\nspirits. We learned that they had stayed over night at the tavern\nin Strongsville, where Brother Brigham had such a strong impression\nto stop the night previous. They had picked up Elder John Taylor at\nDayton, where he was left at a tavern very sick with the ague a few\ndays before, by Father Coltrin, who proceeded to Kirtland.\n\nBrothers Taylor and Hedlock got into the stage with us, which left\nearly in the afternoon, and rode as far as Willoughby. We proceeded\nto Kirtland and arrived the same evening, where we found a good many\nbrethren and friends, who were glad to see us. Thus was the prediction\nfulfilled which I made on my sick bed, in regard to reaching Kirtland\nbefore my brethren.\n\nBrother Brigham had one York shilling left, and on looking over our\nexpenses, we found we had paid out over eighty-seven dollars out of\nthe thirteen dollars and fifty cents we had at Pleasant Garden, which\nwas all the money we had to pay our passage with. We had traveled over\nfour hundred miles by stage, for which we paid from eight to ten cents\na mile, and had taken three meals a day, for each of which we were\ncharged fifty cents, also fifty cents for our lodgings. Brother Brigham\noften suspected that I put the money in his trunk or clothes, thinking\nthat I had a purse of money which I had not acquainted him with; but\nthis was not so; the money could only have been put in his trunk by\nsome heavenly messenger, who thus administered to our necessities daily\nas he knew we needed.\n\nThere was a division of sentiment among the brethren in Kirtland, many\nof whom lacked the energy to move to Missouri, and some lacked the\ndisposition.\n\nOn Sunday, the 10th of November, Elder John Taylor preached in the\ntemple in the forenoon, and I preached in the afternoon. I had great\nfreedom in speaking, and compared my hearers to a parcel of old earthen\npots that were cracked in burning, for they were mostly apostates who\nwere living there.\n\nImmediately after I returned to the house of Ira Bond, Martin Harris,\nCyrus Smalling and others came in and attacked me on what I had been\nsaying, asking me who I referred to in my comparisons. I answered, \"To\nno one in particular, but to anyone that the coat fits.\" I was so sick\nthat I referred them to Brother Hedlock, who came in at that moment,\nto talk with, as I was lying on a bed, having a chill, and not able\nto talk. John Moreton and others declared I should never preach in\nthe house again. Some of the people tried to make me angry, so as to\nquarrel with me, but they failed.\n\nI made my home at Dean Gould's, in the house of Ira Bond. They were all\nvery kind to me. I staid with them most of the time I was in Kirtland,\nduring which the weather was very stormy.\n\nI was thankful to get rid of the chills that time without the aid of\nmedicine, but I continued afflicted with a cough which I caught by\nriding in the stage at night.\n\nOn Sunday, the 17th, Brother Brigham preached in the forenoon, and\nBrother John Taylor in the afternoon. In the evening Brother Brigham\nanointed Brother John Taylor in the house of the Lord, he having\npreviously washed himself in pure water; then we all went to the\ntemple. I was called upon and opened the meeting by prayer, when\nBrigham anointed him with pure sweet oil and pronounced such blessings\nupon him as the Spirit gave utterance to, and Brother Taylor then arose\nand prayed.\n\nBrother Theodore Turley, one of the Seventies, was then anointed by\nDaniel S. Miles one of the presidents of the Seventies; both of which\nanointings were sealed by loud shouts of hosannah. Then their feet were\nwashed and the meeting closed.\n\nA council was held with Brothers Kellog, Moreton and others, who took\nthe lead in Kirtland. We proposed that some of the Elders should remain\nthere and preach for a few weeks, but John Moreton replied that they\nhad had many talented preachers, and he considered that men of such\nordinary ability as the missionaries of our party possessed could do no\ngood in Kirtland; he thought possibly that Brother John Taylor _might_\ndo, but he was not sure.\n\nKirtland at that time was a desolate looking place, about one-half of\nthe houses being empty and going to ruin.\n\nWe had but little means to prosecute our journey, but, God being our\nhelper, we felt to press our way onward.\n\nI left there with my brethren on the 22nd of November, and went\nto Fairport. There we were detained till the 26th on account of a\ntremendous snow storm. Our board cost us fifteen dollars while there.\nWe boarded a boat and landed at Buffalo on the 27th, in the morning,\nand proceeded by stage to Batavia, where we arrived in the evening. The\nnext afternoon, we took the cars for Rochester.\n\nWhen we got to Byron, I got out and left the brethren, supposing Harvy\nHall, my brother-in-law, was living there. I had scarcely left the cars\nwhen I was informed that he had gone to Rochester. I think I never felt\nworse in my life, my anticipations were so great to see him, and I\ncould not get away till the next night. Just at evening, I got aboard\nthe cars and arrived at Hall's at eight the next evening, where I was\njoyfully received. I staid there one week, and was confined to my bed\nsome of the time. I had to take deck passage on the steamboat for the\nwant of means, and took cold and it settled in my right side. I was so\nbad that I could hardly draw my breath.\n\nA letter from my wife reached Mendon, my old home about three weeks\nbefore I did. Sister Hall was at my brother Solomon's, and advised him\nto take it out. He did so, and opened it, but could not tell where I\nwas. Supposing that I was dead, my relatives were feeling very badly\nwhen I arrived there. I was taken to my brother Solomon's, and he and\nhis family were all rejoiced to see me once more in the land of the\nliving.\n\nNathaniel Campbell, my wife's brother-in-law, came and took me home\nwith him to Victor. I received great kindness from them and from all my\nold friends. Several of the neighbors came in while I was there, and\nmy wife's sister introduced me as her \"Mormon\" brother. They seemed\nto take a great interest in our sufferings, and this seemed to be the\nfeeling of all candid people.\n\nI was urged by my friends to return and bring my family, and remain\nwith them, or at least to stop there till warm weather, on account of\nmy poor health, as a little fatigue would bring me down again. However,\nI knew it would not do, as \"no man, having put his hand to the plow,\nand looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.\"\n\nI preached in Mendon school house Sunday, December 21st, at one\no'clock. The house was full. Then in the evening again there was an\nappointment for their Methodist preacher, but as he did not come,\nnothing would do but I must preach. I also preached at Miller's Corner.\nThere seemed to be a great desire to hear, but my health would not\npermit me to speak much.\n\nOn the 29th, Brother William E. Murray came through the snow up to\nhis horses' sides, determined to have me go home with him. It was as\nmuch as we could do to get to his house. It was a pleasure to me to\nsee them. William said to me, \"When you want to pray, Heber, use your\nliberty.\" He and his family seemed to take much pleasure in the things\nof God; and on the first day of the year 1840, I went into the water\nand baptized him and his wife. He gave me a little money, a pair of\npantaloons and a pair of drawers, and would have given me fifty dollars\nif he had had it. My sister, Mrs. Wheeler, gave me another pair of\ndrawers and two fine shirts, and a shawl to wear around my neck. An old\nfriend, John E. Tomlinson, gave me a dollar and said if I would come\nagain he'd give me more. These, with Brother Wheeler, were the only\nones who would help me upon my mission. Others were willing to assist\nme if I would only forsake my \"Mormonism\" and come back and live with\nthem; but I felt that I would rather live in a cave, or be driven with\nthe Saints every other year while I lived, and be one with them, than\nto apostatize and have all the good things of the earth, for I would\nfeel myself disgraced in the sight of God and man.\n\nOn the 6th of January, I preached in Mendon for the fourth time. I also\nhad calls to preach in other parts of the town, as well as other towns\nin that region. The Baptist church that I had formerly been a member\nof, had about died out.\n\nWhile in Victor, I had several calls to go to Pike. After being much\nwrought upon, I consented to go. William Murray and wife accompanied\nme. We got to the house of my old friend, Adolphus Huit, the first day\nof February. I never saw a person more pleased than his wife was to see\nme; she said that she had been calling on the Lord that He would send\nme there.\n\nOn Sunday morning we went to the Christian chapel. After the meeting\nwas through, an appointment was given out for me to preach on Monday\nevening. The church leaders said they were willing that I should\npreach, because the people were in such a cold state that I could not\nhave any effect upon them.\n\nWhen the time came, I went and found the house crowded. My text was\nfrom the 2nd Epistle of John, 9th, 10th and 11th verses. When I was\nalmost through, two of the ministers came into the pulpit. I gave them\npermission to speak, when one Baptist arose and found fault with me\nbecause I had preached from the Bible.\n\nWhen he had sat down, I answered him, and then three others followed\nhis example, and I answered each in turn. They were confounded, and the\ndiscussion tended to open the eyes of the people.\n\nI afterwards baptized Mrs. Huit, and many others believed. I only\npreached once and then returned to Victor.\n\nOn the 10th, I started for New York, and reached Albany on the 12th.\nMr. Wheeler, my brother-in-law, stayed with me all night at the hotel\nand paid my bill. He thought me unwise to go any farther, but the next\nday I took coach for New York.\n\nI went up on the east side of the river, crossed the Catskill\nMountains, and took three days to get to Jersey City, traveling part of\nthe way by sleigh. When I arrived at Jersey City, I had not one penny\nleft, and could not cross the river without paying twenty-five cents. I\ninformed the person in charge of the boat that I was out of money, and\na gentleman who overheard me gave me twenty-five cents. I crossed the\nriver into New York at nine o'clock at night, went to the Western Hotel\nand pawned my trunk to pay for lodging. I had only eaten one meal a day\nwhile traveling to New York, for want of money to buy more, but I did\nnot suffer from hunger.\n\nThe next morning, I went in search of some of the Saints, and soon\nfound Brothers Parley P. and Orson Pratt and Brigham Young, who were\nglad to see me. I went to meeting with them and found one hundred and\nfifty Saints assembled. It was a great pleasure to meet with them. They\nwere very kind to me, and soon provided me with money to redeem my\ntrunk.\n\nI found a letter in New York from my wife, which had lain in the office\nfor a long time, and I was thankful to hear that she and our children\nwere better.\n\nSoon after I arrived in New York, Orson Pratt and I were called upon\nto visit a sick woman, who was unable to turn herself in bed without\nassistance. We anointed her with oil in the name of the Lord, and she\nwas made whole. She did not belong to the Church, nor did her husband,\nbut in two days afterwards she and her husband were baptized, and\nfourteen others.\n\nI was detained in New York about four weeks, being unable to obtain\npassage on a packet ship, as the owners of vessels found it more\nprofitable to carry freight than passengers. Brothers Woodruff,\nTaylor, Clark, Mulliner, White and Turley had already gone to England,\nand Brother George A. Smith, on account of sickness, had gone to\nPhiladelphia.\n\nWe were not idle, however, while we remained. We had calls to preach on\nevery hand. I attended a meeting almost every night and was generally\nkept up talking till midnight or past.\n\nAs a result of our labors, many new members were added to the Church\nand fresh zeal was infused into the old ones. The Saints were very kind\nto us, and provided liberally for our wants, and when we were ready to\nsail they supplied us with money to pay our passage, and many tempting\ndelicacies as well as more substantial food to serve us on the voyage,\nbesides clothing and bedding.\n\nIn company with Elders Brigham Young, Orson Pratt, George A. Smith,\nParley P. Pratt and R. Hedlock, I took passage for England on the ship\n_Patrick Henry_, on the 7th of March, 1840. A large number of the\nSaints came down to the wharf to bid us farewell. When we got into the\nsmall boat to go to the ship the Saints on shore sang \"The Gallant Ship\nis Under Way,\" in which song we joined until the sound of our voices\nwas lost in the distance. I may also add that previous to starting we\nheld a conference with the Saints in New York, at which, by unanimous\nvote of those present, a \"letter of recommendation\" was given me,\nsigned, in behalf of the Saints, by the presiding Elder of the Branch\nand clerk of the conference, testifying of my \"wisdom, understanding,\nmeekness and humility,\" and recommending me \"as an upright, honest,\ncandid man, and a faithful minister of the gospel.\"\n\n\n\nCHAPTER XVII.\n\nINCIDENTS OF ELDER KIMBALL'S MISSION, AS GLEANED FROM HIS LETTERS--SOME\nOF HIS PROPHECIES FULFILLED--ELDER HYDE'S ACCOUNT OF THE CONTEST\nWITH EVIL SPIRITS--GREAT SUCCESS OF THE WORK THROUGHOUT ENGLAND--A\nTESTIMONIAL--SUMMARY OF LABORS--RETURN TO NAUVOO.\n\nElder Kimball's journal containing an account of his mission after\nleaving New York having been lost, it has been necessary to refer to\nletters written to his family for further particulars.\n\nAfter a very stormy passage, he and his brethren arrived in Liverpool\non the 6th of the April, 1840, where they met Elders Taylor and\nFielding. Three days later he went by train to Preston. On reaching\nPenwortham, three miles from Preston he learned that the Saints had\nbeen anxiously expecting him for months. He found many friends standing\nby the railway watching for him. It was a happy meeting. There was\ngreat rejoicing among the Saints, and no little excitement and disgust\namong their enemies, who had declared that he and his associate Elders\nshould never come to that land again. Many ministers were very much\nexercised over their presence and were in favor of petitioning the\nheads of government to interfere with their proselyting. They had cause\nto fear, as the labors of the Elders had already resulted in breaking\nup many churches.\n\nOn the 14th of April, the Elders met to organize, when Elder Willard\nRichards was ordained to the Apostleship and Brigham Young chosen\nPresident. The following day a general conference was held, at which\none thousand seven hundred and twenty members of the Church were\nrepresented, exclusive of a large number scatted about in different\nparts of the land, whose standing was not known.\n\nOn the 18th, he accompanied Elder Willard Richards to the little branch\nat Walkerford, where, it will be remembered, Elder Kimball was first\ninvited to come and preach by the Rev. Mr. Richards, whose daughter he\nhad previously baptized. This daughter in the meantime had been married\nto Elder Willard Richards. And right here it may be as well to remark,\nin illustration of Elder Kimball's prophetic character, that this\nmarriage was in fulfillment of a prediction which he made immediately\nafter baptizing Miss Jeannette Richards. On meeting Elder Richards,\nhe exclaimed, \"Willard, I have baptized your wife to day!\" A similar\nprediction was made by him about the marriage of Elder Joseph Fielding,\nand as literally fulfilled.\n\nSince Elder Kimball's first visit to Walkerford, the few Saints there\nhad suffered a great deal of persecution, still most of them had\nremained firm in the faith. It would appear, however, that Mr. John\nRichards had got to feel rather sore over the change in his prospects\nsince having his church members converted to \"Mormonism,\" for on seeing\nElder Kimball again at his house in company with Elder Richards, he\nordered him to leave. Brother Kimball, in writing of this, says: \"I\nwent out and pursued my journey. I could hear the old lady and Sister\nRichards crying when I got into the road. I felt to weep for them. She\nis a mother indeed, who has fed me and given me money and administered\nto my wants, and will not lose her reward.\"\n\nElder Kimball makes frequent mention of the love which the Saints\nmanifested for him. While staying at the house of Brother Thomas Smith,\nin Clitheroe, he one morning overheard one of the daughters of the\nhouse say to her mother, \"I want you should make Brother Kimball as\ncomfortable as possible, and I will work in the factory as hard as I\ncan.\"\n\nHis sympathy was frequently aroused by meeting with Saints who had\nbeen in comfortable circumstances when he knew them on his former\nmission, but who, through being thrown out of employment, were reduced\nto want, and would weep at not being able to set food before him as\nthey had formerly done. In visiting Eccleston and Dauber's Lane and\nthe surrounding region, he was received with a perfect ovation by\nthe Saints, and they everywhere urged him to tarry with them. At a\nvillage called Chatburn, where he and Elder Fielding went to preach,\nno house could be found large enough for the people to convene in who\nturned out to hear them, and they held a meeting in a large barn, with\nmost excellent results. Of this place and its people, he wrote: \"Some\nwho had left the Church wished they had been faithful; and some did\nreturn by humble repentance and being re-baptized. There appears to be\nsomething peculiar in the people of this place; others had tried in\nvain to enlist them in their folds, but on hearing the first preaching\nof the fullness of the gospel they were overwhelmed in tears of\nrepentance and more than twenty were immediately baptized, which number\nwas afterwards increased to about ninety, who have generally kept the\nfaith. We have never received anything like an insult all the times we\nvisited the village, and we feel bound to bless them.\"\n\nOn visiting Southport, a celebrated bathing place, and a great resort\nfor rich people in search of health, he says, \"There I beheld halt and\nblind, deaf and maimed and leprous. Such a distressed set of beings\nI never saw before. At this place there was a sister sick, and not\nexpected to live. She was healed by administering the ordinances, and\nthe next day she went with us two miles on foot.\"\n\nOf the fraternal feeling that prevailed among the Saints, he says, \"The\nrich love the poor so well they cannot bear to leave them behind. This\nis a celestial spirit; I would to God that all the Saints had it. There\nis one peculiarity about the people--just as soon as they come out of\nthe water they want to go to America. When they begin to gather to Zion\nfrom this land, it will never stop till the salt is drained out of all\nnations. These are some of the jewels of the earth.\"\n\nOn the 4th of August he started on a visit to London, calling on the\nway at Burslem, where he remained and spent a holiday with the Saints\nand preached to six or seven thousand people in the public park. He\nalso stopped at West Bromwich, Birmingham, Ledbury, Cheltenham, and\nseveral other places, and visited with the Saints, held a number of\nmeetings and baptized quite a number. On reaching London, he went in\nsearch of the officers of the Teetotal Society, on account of the\nkindness they had shown him on his first mission, in opening their\nhalls for him to preach in when others refused to. He found them very\nfriendly and willing to assist him in any way possible. In company\nwith Elders Woodruff and George A. Smith, he also visited Westminister\nAbbey and the Queen's Palace. In alluding to the latter and the\nlavish extravagance that he witnessed, he wrote, \"Americans would be\nastonished to see the stir there is made over a little queen; at the\nsame time there are thousands starving to death for want of a little\nbread; but they have their reward: 'Blessed are the poor, for they\nshall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.' The rich have their reward\nhere, and we shall have ours hereafter; so I do not envy them.\"\n\nHe found London the most difficult place to make any impression\nin of any that he had visited. It would seem as if the devil took\nspecial pains to do all he could to prevent the Elders from gaining a\nfoothold there. On the 19th of September, while there, Elder Kimball\nwas stricken with the cholera, and he felt as if he could not live\ntill morning, but he rallied and commenced again as zealously as\never laboring for the conversion of the people. In writing of their\ndiscouraging labors, he said:\n\n\"Brother Woodruff had been gone about two weeks and we had baptized\nonly one here in the city before he left. He felt almost discouraged,\nand said he never saw such a hard case before--every door closed\nagainst us, and every heart. We have traveled from day to day, from\none part of the city to the other, to find some one that would receive\nour testimony. It seemed all in vain for some time; at last we found\none old Cornelius that was ready to receive our testimony as soon as\nhe heard it. On Sunday, the morning after I was taken with cholera, I\nwent forward and baptized four. I thought it would do me good to go\ninto a cold bath. Last night I went into the water and baptized four\nmore. Some more are going on Sunday. The ice is broken in London, and\nthe gospel has got such a hold that the devil can not root it out; but\nhe is very mad, and I am glad--I shall never try to please him, the\nLord assisting me. I see nothing to discourage me but everything to the\nreverse.\"\n\nWhen the devil offers determined opposition, it may be considered as\na sure indication that he is losing ground, and that his fears are\nawakened. Elder Kimball had had sufficient experience in contending\nwith him to learn this fact, and to rejoice at seeing the evil one\naroused. It will be remembered that the first success of the Elders\nin the English mission aroused hostility in that quarter, and Elders\nKimball, Hyde and Russell had a personal contest with evil spirits.\nAs the allusion to that occasion published on page 20 is quite brief\n[see chapter II, paragraph beginning with \"One Saturday evening I was\nappointed by the brethren....\"--Transcriber], it may be as well to\ninsert here Elder Hyde's description of the scene, as contained in a\nletter to Elder Kimball, written May 22, 1856. He said:\n\n\"Every circumstance that occurred at that scene of devils is just as\nfresh in my recollection at this moment as it was at the moment of\nits occurrence, and will ever remain so. After you were overcome by\nthem and had fallen, their awful rush upon me with knives, threats,\nimprecations and hellish grins amply convinced me that they were no\nfriends of mine. While you were apparently senseless and lifeless on\nthe floor and upon the bed (after we laid you there), I stood between\nyou and the devils and fought them and contended against them face to\nface until they began to diminish in number, and to retreat from the\nroom. The last imp that left turned round to me as he was going out\nand said, as if to apologize and appease my determined opposition to\nthem, 'I never said anything against you!' I replied to him thus: 'It\nmatters not to me whether you have or have not; you are a liar from the\nbeginning! In the name of Jesus Christ, depart!' He immediately left,\nand the room was clear. That closed the scene of devils for that time.\"\n\nIn writing of London some time afterwards, Elder Kimball said, \"The\nwaters have begun to be troubled, and I pray that they may continue\nuntil the Lord gathers out His people from this city. I can say I never\nfelt a greater desire for a place than I have for London, as it is the\nmetropolis of the world and the depot of wickedness, for it don't seem\nas though any place could be any worse. All manner of debauchery that\ncan be thought of is practiced here.\"\n\nElders Kimball and George A. Smith left London October 1, 1840, to\nattend the third general conference in Manchester, at which five of\nthe Apostles met with the Saints and had a time of rejoicing. At this\nconference three thousand six hundred and twenty-six members were\nrepresented, more than double the number reported at the conference\nheld six months before. From this showing the readers can judge of\nthe rapidity with which the work had increased, and new fields were\nconstantly opening up. The Elders met with powerful opposition in many\nplaces, but the more they were opposed the faster the work grew.\n\nIt would seem that among other things predicted upon the head of Elder\nKimball by the Prophet previous to starting, was that he should see\nthe queen of England. He records the fulfillment of this prediction as\nfollows: \"Elder Woodruff, Sister Ellen Redman, Dr. Copeland and wife,\nand I had a fair view of the queen. We saw her as the Prophet Joseph\ntold us. * * * We stood within eight or nine feet of her when she\npassed and returned. She made her obeisance to us, and we returned it.\nShe is a pleasant little body, but what a fuss there is made over one\nlittle girl; and how much more I would enjoy the privilege of sitting\nby my humble fireside with my wife and little children, and to see my\nbrethren and sisters whom I have formed acquaintance with in days of\naffliction.\"\n\nThough averse to royalty, as might be inferred from the foregoing, it\nwould seem that he had a high regard personally for the Queen and her\nconsort, Prince Albert, and he and his brethren presented each of them\nwith a handsomely bound copy of the Book of Mormon, with their names\nupon them.\n\nIn February, 1841, in writing of the anxiety of the newly converted\nSaints to emigrate to America, he said, \"I expect trouble is coming\nthere as well as here. I feel as though I wanted to be there, and share\nwith them, if they suffer. I would rather suffer affliction with the\nSaints of God than to have the pleasures of this world for a season;\nfor to me it is all vanity. My prayer is that the Almighty will give\nme grace and patience to endure and hold on to the iron rod. If we\ndo this, we shall do well. When He has spoken through His prophet or\npredicted anything on this Church, it has come to pass, and the honest\nhave to suffer with the guilty. This has always been the case, but I\npray the Lord to help me to fulfill, in all points of the law which\nleads to the celestial world.\"\n\nHe mentions a visit which he made to Bedford, where he remained a week\nand preached every night to crowded assemblies. He also baptized many,\namong whom were a number of the followers of a Mr. Matthews, a spurious\nLatter-day Saint preacher, who had baptized himself, and started out\npreaching faith, repentance, baptism, etc. He was a partner of Mr.\nAitkin in Liverpool, and a man of considerable natural ability. Elder\nKimball denounced him publicly, and when he took leave of Bedford, he\n\"left the whole town in an uproar.\"\n\nHe also went to Birmingham, Manchester, Wales, Preston and Clitheroe,\nholding farewell meetings with the Saints, and baptizing more or less\neverywhere he went. At the latter place he was presented with the\nfollowing\n\nTESTIMONIAL:\n\n\"March 28, 1841.\n\n\"_To all in these last days called to be Saints, and to the faithful in\nChrist Jesus, grace be to you, and peace from God, our Father, and from\nthe Lord Jesus Christ_.\n\n\"We, the brethren and sisters of the various churches associated in\nthe conference assembling at Clitheroe, in the County of Lancaster,\nEngland, unitedly and with strong feelings of gratitude and affection,\nbear testimony that our brother, Elder Heber C. Kimball, has, in\nthe midst of opposition and in the face of persecution and slander,\ndiligently and faithfully labored as a servant of the Most High God;\nand we pray you in the name of Jesus Christ to receive him as such,\nrendering unto him every necessary assistance to aid him in the work\nof the Lord; and may the Spirit of Truth ever be with our brother, and\nwith all the Saints of God. Amen.\n\n\"Signed on behalf of the conference,\n\n\"THOMAS WARD, Presiding Elder,\n\n\"STEPHEN LANGSTROFF.\"\n\nOn the 20th of April, 1841, he writes: \"President Brigham Young, Orson\nPratt, Wilford Woodruff, John Taylor, George A. Smith, Willard Richards\nand myself, with a company of one hundred and thirty Saints, are on\nboard the ship _Rochester_, bound for New York. Brother P.P. Pratt and\na multitude of the Saints came to bid us farewell, and many of them\nwept like children when we left them to return to our native land.\"\n\nThe following is from President Brigham Young's journal: \"It truly\nseems a miracle to look upon the contrast between our landing and\ndeparture from Liverpool. We landed in the spring of 1840, as strangers\nin a strange land, and penniless, but through the mercy of God we have\ngained many friends, established churches in almost every noted town\nand city of Great Britain, baptized between 7,000 and 8,000 souls,\nprinted 5,000 Books of Mormon, 3,000 hymn books, 2,500 volumes of the\n_Millennial Star_ and 50,000 tracts; emigrated to Zion 1,000 souls,\nestablished a permanent shipping agency, which will be a great blessing\nto the Saints, and have left sown in the hearts of many thousands the\nseed of eternal life, which shall bring forth fruit to the honor and\nglory of God; and yet we have lacked nothing to eat, drink or wear; in\nall these things I acknowledge the hand of God.\"\n\nOf his return home Elder Kimball records: \"On the 1st of July,\nPresident Brigham Young, John Taylor and myself landed at Nauvoo, where\nwe were met by the Prophet and a host of friends who had gathered there\nto welcome us home again.\"\n\n\n\nTranscriber's Note:\n\nSome obvious printer's errors have been corrected as seems reasonable\n(e. g. riyer for river, yon for you, wth for with, rembembered for\nremembered, mismatched quotation marks, etc. etc.). The book used\nas a reference for this e-book was donated to the library of the\nUniversity of California (Berkeley) in April 1886 by Pres. John\nTaylor and digitized by the Internet Archive in 2008 with funding\nfrom Microsoft Corporation. It can be viewed or downloaded at\nhttps://archive.org/details/presidentheberck00kimbrich.","title":"President Heber C. Kimball's Journal: Seventh Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":37129}