THE BRETHREN IN LIBERTY JAIL--JUDGE KING'S COUP D'ETAT--THE MOB AGAIN
THREATEN FAR WEST--FIENDS IN HUMAN FORM--THE PROPHET REGAINS HIS
FREEDOM--THE APOSTLES FULFILL REVELATION--FIRST CONFERENCE OF THE
CHURCH IN ILLINOIS.
Joseph and his brethren were still in the hands of the enemy, but the
hour of their deliverance was drawing nigh. They had suffered severely
in their confinement from the cruelty of their captors, but most of
them had borne up bravely. Elder Rigdon, whose faith was beginning to
fail under the terrible tension of trial, rashly exclaimed in a moment
of despair: "Jesus Christ was a fool to me in suffering." Soon after,
he was released on bail and set at liberty. The others were destined
to tarry in chains a little longer.
Judge King now ordered the removal of the prisoners from Liberty to
Daviess County, fearing a change of venue might be obtained to some
other place where the feeling against them was less intense, and the
prospect for a fair trial more favorable.
Heber C. Kimball and another of the brethren were appointed to visit
Judge Hughes, a friend of Joseph's, and get him to attend the sitting
of the court in Daviess County.
"The Judge," says Heber, "who had formerly been an Indian agent, and
was a very rough man in his language, cursed the judges, the governor,
and everybody else who would not step forward and help the brethren
out of the hands of their persecutors, for he did not believe they
were guilty of any of the crimes alleged against them; he said there
was no proof that they had committed any crime worthy of imprisonment
or death, and that the Mormons had been meanly treated in Missouri.
"There were several men in Liberty who were very friendly to the
brethren. I called on them when I went there, and they treated me with
great civility. General Doniphan and General Atchison and several of
the foremost men of the town were among them.
"Those I have mentioned and several others, revolted at the scenes
enacted against the Mormons, and would have liberated the brethren had
it not been for 'outside pressure,'--that is, the strong prejudice
against us by the people, and their bloodthirstiness to kill the
prophets."
Meanwhile, the mob, not content with the ruin they had wrought,
continued to threaten the few Saints who remained in Far West,
evidently determined to carry out the order of their chief, Governor
Boggs, to "exterminate the Mormons, or drive them from the state." The
main body of the Church, numbering from ten to twelve thousand souls,
had already left the state, and were beyond the reach of Missourian
mobs, encamped upon the hospitable shores of Illinois.
"On the 14th of April, 1839," continues Heber, "the committee who had
been left to look after the wants of the poor, removed thirty-six of
the helpless families into Tenney's grove, about twenty-five miles
from Far West. I was obliged to secrete myself in the corn-fields and
woods during the day and only venture out in the evening, to counsel
the committee and brethren in private houses.
"On the morning of the 18th, as I was going to the committee room to
tell the brethren to wind up their affairs and be off, or their lives
would be taken, I was met on the public square by several of the mob.
One of them asked, with an oath, if I was a Mormon.
"I replied, 'I am a Mormon.'
"With a series of blasphemous expressions, they then threatened to
blow my brains out, and also tried to ride over me with their horses,
in the presence of Elias Smith, Theodore Turley and others of the
committee.
"It was but a few minutes after I had notified the committee to leave,
before the mob gathered at the tithing house, and began breaking
clocks, chairs, windows, looking-glasses and furniture, and making a
complete wreck of everything they could move, while Captain Bogart,
the county judge, looked on and laughed. A mobber named Whittaker
threw an iron pot at the head of Theodore Turley and hurt him
considerably, when Whittaker jumped about and laughed like a madman;
and all this at the time when we were using our utmost endeavors to
get the Saints away from Far West. The brethren gathered up what they
could, and fled from Far West in one hour. The mob staid until the
committee left, and then plundered thousands of dollars worth of
property which had been left by the brethren and sisters to assist the
poor to remove.
"One mobber rode up, and, finding no convenient place to fasten his
horse to, shot a cow that was standing near, while a girl was milking
her, and while the poor animal was struggling in death, he cut a strip
of her hide from the nose to her tail, to which he fastened his
halter.
"During the commotion of this day, a great portion of the records of
the committee, accounts, history, etc., were destroyed or stolen.
"Hearing that Joseph and the brethren had escaped from their guard
while they were on their way from Daviess to Boone County, to which
place they had obtained a change of venue, I called upon Shadrach
Roundy, with whom I started immediately towards Quincy.
"On reaching Keetsville, I stopped at the house of Col. Price. The
Colonel, hearing of my arrival, came directly into the house, and
discovering who I was, said, 'Joseph and Hyrum Smith and the other
prisoners have escaped.' I enquired what he knew about them. He
answered, 'their guard took breakfast here this morning; they have
turned back, saying they were going to Richmond, by way of Tenney's
Grove. I know that the guard has been bribed, or they would evince
more interest by pursuing them.' After we had partaken of refreshment,
Brother Roundy and I pursued our course towards Quincy about fourteen
or fifteen miles.
"Being thoroughly satisfied that the prisoners had escaped, we turned
back towards Far West. When we arrived at Tenney's Grove a man came to
me and presented an order drawn on me by Joseph Smith for $500, saying
it was for horses furnished him. I immediately raised $400, which I
paid him, when he proceeded to Richmond, Ray County, where he paid out
some of the money to secure lands that we had been driven from.
"Brother Roundy and myself started a few hours after for Richmond,
being on our way to Far West, for the purpose of visiting Parley P.
Pratt and others, in jail. On our arrival at Richmond, I went directly
to the prison to see Parley, but was prohibited by the guard, who said
they would blow my brains out if I attempted to go near him. In a few
minutes Sister Morris Phelps came to me in great agitation, and
advised me to leave forthwith, as Parley P. Pratt had told her that a
large body of men had assembled with tar, feathers and a rail, who
swore they would tar and feather me, and ride me on a rail, suspecting
I was the one who assisted Joseph and the other prisoners to escape. I
immediately informed Brother Roundy, we jumped on our horses and fled
towards Far West, which was distant; we rode all night, and reached
Far West about the break of day, expecting Brother Brigham Young and
the Twelve to arrive there that day."
April 26th, 1839, was the day appointed by revelation for the Apostles
to take leave of Far West on the building spot of the Lord's House. As
usual, when times and seasons are given--for foreknowledge is power,
with evil spirits as well as good--Satan had diligently sought to make
the word of God of no effect. The mob, with their apostate allies who
had betrayed to them the secrets of the kingdom, had sworn that this
revelation should not be fulfilled; and having driven the Saints from
their homes, leaving only a few scattered families in and around Far
West, and imprisoned the Church leaders, they flattered themselves
that their wicked oath had been verified.
Little knew they the men they were dealing with, still less that God
whose word they had vainly sought to falsify; Him who hath said:
"Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away."
Heber continues: "I kept myself concealed in the woods, and passed
round the country, notifying the brethren and sisters to be on hand at
the appointed time for the laying of the corner stone.
"April 25th. This night, which was a beautiful, clear moonlight,
Elders Brigham Young, Orson Pratt, John E. Page, John Taylor, Wilford
Woodruff, George A. Smith, and Alpheus Cutler, arrived from Quincy,
Illinois, and rode into the public square early on the morning of the
26th. All seemed still as death.
"April 26th, we held a conference at the house of Brother Samuel
Clark, cut off 31 persons from the Church, and then proceeded to the
building spot of the Lord's house, where, after singing, we
recommenced laying the foundation, agreeably to the revelation given
July 8th, 1838, by rolling a stone, upwards of a ton weight, upon or
near the south-east corner.
"In company with Brother Brigham Young, we ordained Wilford Woodruff
and George A. Smith (who had been previously nominated by the First
Presidency, accepted by the Twelve, and acknowledged by the Church at
Quincy) members of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles; and Darwin Chase
and Norman Shearer, (who were liberated from Richmond prison on the
24th inst, where they had been confined about six months for the cause
of Christ) Seventies. They sat on the south-east corner stone while we
ordained them.
"The Twelve then individually called upon the Lord in prayer, kneeling
on the corner stone; after which 'Adam-ondi-Ahman' was sung.
"The brethren wandered among our deserted houses, many of which were
in ruins, and saw the streets in many places grown over with weeds and
grass.
"We went to Father Clark's, breakfasted, and before sunrise departed.
I accompanied my brethren, riding thirty miles that day. We continued
our journey to Quincy, where I found my family well and in good
spirits, on the 2nd of May.
"On reading the words of inspiration which I had written, my wife bore
record to the truth of that part which says, 'trouble not thyself
about thy family for they are in my hands; I will feed them and clothe
them, and make unto them friends; for they never shall want for food
nor raiment.' I learned from her that my family continued with Brother
Brigham until they crossed the Mississippi, to the town of Atlas, in
Illinois, where, through the instrumentality of George Pitkin, my wife
got introduced to a widow Ross, who let her have a very nice
comfortably fitted up room, and who was as kind to her as an own
mother or sister; here my wife tarried seven weeks. At the end of that
time John P. Greene took his horses and wagon and carried my family up
to Quincy, forty miles, and rented a good house, where I found her on
my leaving Missouri. She had had no lack of friends, and had every
comfort bestowed on her that she could have had among her own kindred.
And I can say in my heart, God bless them all, and my Brother Brigham
for his great kindness in assisting them into Illinois. In relation to
that part which said I should have many sons and daughters, she rather
doubted that, as the thought had never entered into her head, or mine,
that the Lord would establish in this Church the doctrine of plurality
of wives, in my day; still I believed it would be restored to the
earth in some future time.
"May 3rd, I went in company with Elder Brigham Young, Orson Pratt,
John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith, and rode four miles
to Mr. Cleveland's to visit Joseph and Hyrum, who were as glad to see
us as we were to see them, once more enjoying their liberty. I spent
the day with them, and it was one of the greatest days of rejoicing in
my life, to once more have the privilege of conversing with the
Prophet, in freedom.
"May 4th, I attended a general conference of the Church near Quincy,
at which the Saints from all the regions round about assembled. It was
a time which will long be remembered by the Saints, being the first
conference held after their expulsion. The cases of Brothers William
Smith and Orson Hyde were brought up. The conference granted them the
privilege of appearing personally before the next conference of the
Church to give an account of their conduct, but in the meantime they
were suspended from exercising the functions of their office. The
conference sanctioned the proceedings of the Twelve on the Temple
block at Far West, and also sanctioned the intended mission of the
Twelve to Europe.
"The meetings continued for three days. Elder Rigdon was appointed
delegate to go to Washington and lay the grievances of the Saints
before the general government. It was also resolved that a number of
Elders should accompany the Twelve on their mission to Europe."