1838-39.
PETITION THE LEGISLATURE FOR JUSTICE--JOHN TAYLOR AND JOHN E. PAGE
ORDAINED APOSTLES--PREPARATIONS TO LEAVE MISSOURI--TREATMENT OF JOSEPH
AND HIS FELLOW-PRISONERS--ILLINOIS THE NEXT GATHERING PLACE OF THE
SAINTS.
When Joseph and his two counselors, Sidney and Hyrum, who formed the
First Presidency of the Church, were thrown into prison, the Saints,
though in great trouble, were not without a leader. Brigham Young
was President of the Twelve Apostles, the quorum next in authority
to the First Presidency. He gathered about him the faithful Apostles
and brethren and declared that he knew Joseph was a true Prophet. He
called all those whose faith was still strong to join him in aiding
the Saints. An earnest petition, telling of the wrongs our people
had suffered and asking for justice, was sent to the legislature of
Missouri. On the 19th of December this was discussed, and though many
of the members were honorable men and worked hard for the cause of the
Saints, yet those who had helped in the outrages were too strong. The
petition was laid on the table, and this meant that nothing would be
done in the matter. On that very day John Taylor and John E. Page were
ordained Apostles under the hands of Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball
at Far West.
When it was found that the law-makers of Missouri would do nothing for
the Saints, they knew they must obey the command of Governor Boggs to
leave. Many of them were very poor. Their horses, cattle and other
animals had been shot or stolen, and their homes taken from them. Some
of the leading men felt that every family should take care of itself,
for those best off were poor enough, but Brigham Young declared that
he would help the poor. He suggested a pledge that all who had means
would use it freely until every worthy Saint who wished to go should
be taken from Missouri. Through his zeal many of the brethren entered
into this covenant and most were faithful to it. When the mob saw that
Brigham had become a leader they began to persecute him as they had
done Joseph. In the middle of February, 1839, he was compelled to flee
from Far West.
The general movement of the Church had been toward the west. You
remember how the Saints gathered from New York to Ohio and from there
went to Missouri. But instead of continuing westward now, Brigham and
others traveled to the east, and, crossing over the Mississippi river,
settled for a time in Quincy, Illinois, among a very friendly people.
Although he himself had escaped, he did not forget the Saints that had
been left behind and used all his efforts for their aid. He worked so
diligently for subscriptions that many of the brethren offered to sell
their hats and clothing to raise money.
It was winter time, and the Missouri winters are very severe. The case
of Amanda Smith is an instance of what the people suffered and did.
Her husband and one son had been killed at Haun's Mill and another boy
wounded as you no doubt remember. She had to milk, cut wood and do
the work of a man. The mob swore they would kill the poor women and
children who were left of this little settlement if they did not leave
the state. So she with her five children set out with an ox team. After
unspeakable suffering she reached Quincy and then sent her wagon back
for more of the Saints.
It was the last day of November, 1838, when Joseph and his companions
were thrust into Liberty jail. The treatment they received was very
harsh. At first they were not allowed to send or receive letters or
see their friends. A number of times they were given poison, and once
for five days a strange kind of meat was placed before them which the
guards called "Mormon beef." Joseph warned the brethren not to eat of
it since he believed it to be human flesh. After he was allowed to
write he sent long letters of comfort, advice and instruction to the
Saints. In one of these he said, "We glory in our persecution, because
we know that God is with us. He is our friend, and will save our souls.
We do not care for them that can kill our body; they cannot harm our
souls. We ask no favors at the hands of the mobs, nor of the world, nor
of the devil, nor of his emissaries the dissenters, and those who love,
and make and swear falsehoods, to take away our lives."
In the early part of February, 1839, Sidney Rigdon was released by the
court, but he dared not leave the prison because the mob many times had
threatened to kill the brethren, should any court set them free. The
jailor, however, was friendly, and let Sidney out secretly one night,
and he escaped. Before going he showed a very bitter spirit and went so
far as to say that the sufferings of Jesus Christ were a fool to his.
This was the spirit that began to destroy his usefulness and finally
led to his fall.
At about this time Heber C. Kimball and Alanson Ripley were pleading
with the judges at Liberty to give justice to their brethren. They were
so earnest that at length one of the judges looked them squarely in the
face and said to the others, "By the look of these men's eyes they are
whipped but not conquered; and let us beware how we treat these men,
for their looks bespeak innocence." The other judges had harder hearts
and would not consent to set the prisoners free.
As one of the brethren was moving his family eastward, he lost the road
and instead of going into Illinois passed northward into Iowa. Here he
met a certain Doctor Galland, who, learning the troubled story of the
Saints, became much interested and began to plan to have them come and
settle in the territory of Iowa. He owned a large tract of land and
he offered to sell it to the Saints. Joseph learned of this while in
prison and though he could not investigate it he took a lively interest
in the plan, for it offered a new place of gathering for the Church.
Much land in Iowa was bought and this called attention to the little
town of Commerce, across the Mississippi river, where the Saints built
the city of Nauvoo.