THE FIRST PRESIDENCY INSTRUCT THE APOSTLES--BRIGHAM YOUNG CHOSEN
PRESIDENT OF THE TWELVE--THE EXODUS BEGUN--HEBER TARRIES IN MISSOURI
TO MINISTER TO HIS IMPRISONED BRETHREN--HIS FAITHFUL BUT FRUITLESS
EFFORTS FOR THEIR RELEASE--THE LORD SPEAKS TO HEBER.
From Liberty Jail, January 16th, 1839, the First Presidency addressed
the following letter of instructions to the Apostles:
"BROTHERS H. C. KIMBALL AND B. YOUNG:
"_Joseph Smith Jun., Sidney Rigdon and Hyrum Smith,
prisoners for Jesus' sake, send greeting:_
"In obedience to your request in your letter, we say to you as
follows: It is not wisdom for you to go out of Caldwell with your
families yet for a little season, until we are out of prison,
after which you may act at your pleasure; but though you take your
families out of the State, it will be necessary for you to return,
and leave as before designed, on the 26th of April.
"Inasmuch as we are in prison, for a little season, if need be,
the management of the affairs of the Church devolves on you, that
is the Twelve.
"The gathering of necessity is stopped; but the conversion of the
world need not stop, but under wise management can go on more
rapidly than ever.
"Where churches are built, let them continue where they are, until
a door is open to do otherwise, and let every Elder occupy his own
ground, and when he builds a church, let him preside over it, and
let not others run in to trouble him; and thus let every man prove
himself unto God that he is worthy. If we live, we live; and if we
die for the testimony of Jesus, we die; but whether we live or
die, let the work of God go on.
"Let the churches in England continue there till further
orders--till a door can be opened for them, except they choose to
come to America and take their chance with the Saints here. If
they will do that let them come; and if they choose to come, they
would do well to send their wise men before them, and buy out
Kirtland, and the regions round about, or they may settle where
they can till things may alter.
"It will be necessary for you to get the Twelve together, ordain
such as have not been ordained, or at least such of them as you
can get, and proceed to regulate the Elders as the Lord may give
you wisdom. We nominate George A. Smith and Lyman Sherman to take
the places of Orson Hyde and Thomas B. Marsh.
"Brethren, fear not, but be strong in the Lord and in the power of
His might. What is man that the servant of God should fear him, or
the son of man, that he should tremble at him. Neither think it
strange concerning the fiery trials with which we are tried, as
though some strange thing had happened unto us. Remember that all
have been partakers of like afflictions. Therefore, rejoice in
your afflictions, by which you are perfected and through which the
Captain of our Salvation was perfected also. Let your hearts and
the hearts of all the Saints be comforted with you, and let them
rejoice exceedingly, for great is our reward in heaven, for so the
wicked persecuted the prophets which were before us. America will
be a Zion to all that choose to come to it, and if the churches in
foreign countries wish to come, let them do so. Say to Brother P.
P. Pratt that our feelings accord with his; he is as we are, and
we as he. May peace rest upon him in life and in death.
"Brethren, pray for us, and cease not till our deliverance comes,
which we hope may come. We _hope_, we say, for our families' sake.
"Let the Elders preach nothing but the first principles of the
Gospel, and let them publish our afflictions--the injustice and
cruelty thereof, upon the house tops. Let them write it and
publish it in all the papers where they go. Charge them
particularly on this point.
"Brethren we remain yours in hope of eternal life,
"SIDNEY RIGDON.
"JOSEPH SMITH, JR.
"HYRUM SMITH.
"N. B. Appoint the oldest of those of the Twelve, who were first
appointed, to be the president of your quorum.
"J. S.
"S. R.
"H. S."
Agreeable to the instruction contained in the postscript of this
letter, Brigham Young was sustained by the Apostles as president of
their quorum. There were but two, it will be remembered, of the
original Twelve, who were his seniors. One of these, Thomas B. Marsh,
had apostatized, and the other, the lamented David W. Patten, was now
filling a martyr's grave.
"On February 7th," says Apostle Kimball, "I accompanied Brother
Brigham to Liberty to visit Joseph and the brethren in prison. We had
the privilege of going in to see and converse with them; stayed at
Liberty over night. Next morning we were permitted to visit the
prisoners again while they were at breakfast, and returned during the
day to Far West. When we left there Lyman Sherman was somewhat unwell.
In a few days after our return he died. We did not notify him of his
appointment.
"I fitted up a small wagon, procured a span of ponies, and sent my
wife and three children in company with Brother Brigham Young and his
family, with several others, who left Far West, Feb. 14th. Everything
my family took with them out of Missouri could have been packed on the
backs of two horses: the mob took all the rest.
"Being a stranger there, I was requested by Joseph, Brigham and
others, to tarry and assist in getting the brethren and families out
of Missouri, and to wait upon those brethren who were in prison.
"I went to Liberty almost every week to visit the brethren; generally
the only way I had to communicate with them was through the grates of
their prison. Many times, after I had traveled forty or fifty miles to
see them, I was denied the privilege by the jailor and the guards.
"I sent one hundred dollars by Brother Stephen Markham to Joseph, and
also various sums at different times by other individuals.
"March 15th, the Prophet Joseph and others petitioned Judge Tomkins,
or either of the Supreme Judges of the state of Missouri, for a
state's writ of _habeas corpus_, that he and his brethren might be
brought before either of those judges, that justice might be
administered. I was requested by Joseph to go to Jefferson City and
present the petition. Theodore Turley was appointed to accompany me.
We took copies of the papers by which the prisoners were held, with
the petition to the Supreme Judges, and immediately started a distance
of 300 miles; visited the judges, and laid the whole matter before
them individually, according to our best abilities; neither of them
would take any action in the case, although they appeared friendly,
and acknowledged that the brethren were illegally imprisoned. We also
presented a petition to the Secretary of State, the Governor being
absent. He appeared very kind, but like the other officers he had no
power to do good!
"We immediately returned to Liberty, where we arrived on the 30th and
made Joseph and the rest of the prisoners acquainted with the result
of our mission, through the grate of the dungeon, as we were not
permitted to enter the prison. Joseph told us to be of good cheer, for
the Lord would deliver him and his brethren in due time; he also told
us to tell the brethren to be of good cheer, and get all the Saints
away as fast as possible.
"In company with Brother Turley, I visited Judge Austin A. King, who
was angry with us for presenting his illegal papers to the Supreme
Judges. He treated us very roughly. I returned to Far West, April 5th.
"My family having been gone about two months, during which time I
heard nothing from them; our brethren being in prison; death and
destruction following us everywhere we went; I felt very sorrowful and
lonely. The following words came to my mind, and the Spirit said unto
me, 'write,' which I did by taking a piece of paper and writing on my
knee as follows:
"FAR WEST, April 6th, 1839.
"_A word from the Spirit of the Lord to my servant, Heber C.
Kimball:_
"Verily I say unto my servant Heber, thou art my son, in whom I am
well pleased; for thou art careful to hearken to my words, and not
transgress my law, nor rebel against my servant Joseph Smith, for
thou hast a respect to the words of mine anointed, even from the
least to the greatest of them; therefore thy name is written in
heaven, no more to be blotted out for ever, because of these
things; and this Spirit and blessing shall rest down upon thy
posterity for ever and ever; for they shall be called after thy
name, for thou shalt have many more sons and daughters, for thy
seed shall be as numerous as the sands upon the sea shore;
therefore, my servant Heber, be faithful, go forth in my name and
I will go with you, and be on your right hand and on your left,
and my angels shall go before you and raise you up when you are
cast down and afflicted; remember that I am always with you, even
to the end, therefore be of good cheer, my son, and my spirit
shall be in your heart to teach you the peaceable things of the
kingdom. Trouble not thyself about thy family, for they are in my
hands; I will feed them and clothe them and make unto them
friends; they never shall want for food nor raiment, houses nor
lands, fathers nor mothers; brothers nor sisters; and peace shall
rest upon them forever; if thou wilt be faithful and go forth and
preach my gospel to the nations of the earth; for thou shalt be
blessed in this thing: thy tongue shall be unloosed to such a
degree that has not entered into thy heart as yet, and the
children of men shall believe thy words, and flock to the water,
even as they did to my servant John; for thou shalt be great in
winning souls to me, for this is thy gift and calling; and there
shall be no gift withheld from thee, if thou art faithful.
Therefore, be faithful, and I will give thee favor in the eyes of
the people; be humble and kind and you shall obtain kindness; be
merciful and you shall obtain mercy; and I will be with you even
unto the end. Amen."