The
weather was fine with some lightning in the evening. Brigham Young paid William
Clayton $100 to purchase instruments for a brass band. At 10 a.m. the Twelve and the Presiding
Bishop met in council. Many in Nauvoo
were still busily involved in chopping wood and constructing wagons. Good feelings existed in the companies
preparing for their move west.
An issue
of the Times and Seasons was printed on this day. An editorial in the paper summarized the
events over the past few weeks. Houses
and fields were burned in the Southern part of Hancock County. The sheriff tried to put a stop to these
crimes, but still a mob continued their work and burned nearly two hundred
buildings and much grain. Lives were
lost. The mob and government troops had
stolen furniture, cattle and grain. The
persecutors demanded that the Church leave the United Sates, “peaceably if they
could, and forcibly if they must.” An
agreement was reached in Quincy and the Church agreed to leave in the spring,
but the crimes of the mob and a few individuals continued. When they did leave, “we can then shake the
dust from our garments, suffering wrong rather than do wrong, leaving this
nation alone in her glory, while the residue of the world, points the finger of
scorn, till the indignation and consumption decreed, make a full end.” The Saints felt their proposed movement was
a fulfillment of prophesy and that it was an event that “ancient prophets have
long since pointed out.”
History of
the Church, 7:510, 511; “Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript, 2:86; Times
and Seasons; “Thomas Bullock Journal”
Brigham
Young was ill and unable to attend to any business. The weather was pleasant.
A meeting was held at the Nauvoo temple at 10 a.m. Elder Orson Hyde spoke
and warned transgressors not to go west in the spring because the law of God
would be put in force against “thieves and disorderly persons.” He clearly stated that they would be sent
away. Elder John Taylor spoke on
trusting in God. Elder Heber C. Kimball
next spoke and stirred up the people to finish the temple and pay their
tithing. “He said he had rather go into
the wilderness with a pack on his back and his wife with a bundle of clothes
under his arms and have the temple finished than to go with his wagon loaded
down with gold and the temple not finished.”
Also in
the morning, Hosea Stout and three other men took a buggy ride four miles north
of Nauvoo to take a look at a ten-acre lot for which they would begin to use
for wagon timber.
In the
afternoon, the first emigration company organized by appointing captains of
tens. The captains came to the front
and a list was given to them to choose their men. Elder Heber C. Kimball gave them counsel and instruction relating
to the planned exodus. The Second
Quorum of Seventies held a festival at the Seventies Hall.
In the
afternoon, a baptism was held at the river.
Norton Jacob mentions that Brother Zenos Gurley helped him baptize and
confirm Norton's father into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day
Saints.
History of
the Church, 7:512; “Norton Jacob Autobiography,” 20; Heber C.
Kimball Journal in Woman’s Exponent, 11:185; “Hosea Stout Diary”,
typescript, 2:86; “Thomas Bullock Journal”
The
weather was fine, but there was a sharp frost during the night. In the morning, William Weeks, the architect
of the Nauvoo temple, asked Brother Norton Jacob to go ahead and put in the
truss timbers for the lower floor of the temple.
At about 3
p.m., Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball visited Elder Willard Richards who was
sick. Elder Richards’ home doubled as the
Church Historian's office. There, they
saw Thomas Bullock, who was hard at work, writing baptism for the dead
records. This duty probably consisted
of making a copy of these ordinances for the historical records.
In the
evening, a council meeting was held at John Taylor's home. Brothers Henry G. Sherwood, John S. Fullmer,
and John L. Butler attended to make a further report on the country in the
west.1
Abraham C.
Hodge reported that he had a recent conversation with the apostate, Dr. Robert
D. Foster, who was accused to be an accessory to Joseph and Hyrum's
murders. He reported that Dr. Foster
wished he could take back the last eighteen months of his life. Dr. Foster had said that he was a miserable
wretch and had not seen one moment's peace since that Joseph and Hyrum’s
death.. He feared meeting Joseph and
Hyrum at the bar of God more than anything else.
In the
evening, Hosea Stout met with Brother John Kay2
about starting up a gunsmithing shop, which he was willing to do.3
Hosea Stout also met with John Lytle, a blacksmith, regarding using his
shop to forge gun breeches and other items, but they could not reach an
agreement.4
On this
day, somewhere away from Nauvoo, a Uriah Brown (non‑Mormon) wrote a
strange letter to Brigham Young indicating that Joseph Smith had been
interested in his invention of destructive weapons that could be used to defend
Nauvoo. Brown offered to give Brigham
Young the secret of the weapon “for such just & equitable sum, as it may,
perhaps, be in your power to dispose.”5
History of
the Church, 7:417, 512; My Best for the Kingdom; “Norton
Jacob Autobiography,” 20‑1; “Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript, 2:87; D.
Michael Quinn, BYU Studies, 20:2:181; “Thomas Bullock Journal”; Encyclopedia
of Mormonism, Vol.2, ECONOMIC HISTORY OF THE CHURCH; Comprehensive
History of the Church, 3:406‑407; Jenson, Church Chronology,
July 13, 1851
The
weather was good. At 2 p.m., Thomas
Bullock was privileged to go with Curtis E. Bolton up the tower of the temple, to
the top windows. He also went into the attic level in the rooms being prepared
for the endowment ordinance.6 Thomas Bullock then attended a meeting at
the temple of the Number One Emigrating Company. Eighteen companies, each with ten families, were filled. Parley P. Pratt and Amasa Lyman were
appointed as captains over the first and second hundreds.
Hosea
Stout, a captain of one of these companies, went and visited Peter Haws and reached
agreement with him to use his steam mill to saw lumber for his wagons.7
The saw mill was located close
to the lot he had checked out on Sunday.
Henry G. Sherwood returned to him the six‑shooter he had borrowed
for his trip to the Emmett company.
At 5 p.m.,
the Council met at the historian's office at Willard Richards’ home.
On this
day, another latter‑day martyr was produced at Carthage. Brother Joshua
Smith died. He had been poisoned by the
militia while at Carthage where he was summoned to attend court. The militia had searched him and found a
knife under his arm and arrested him.
While under arrest, they gave him a dinner that contained poison. He soon became very thirsty and vomited
until he died. The autopsy confirmed
the suspicion. He was second counselor in
the Elder's Quorum at the time of his death.
History of
the Church, 7:514; Dallin H. Oaks and Joseph I. Bentley, BYU
Studies, 19:2:168; “Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript, 2:87‑88; “Thomas
Bullock Journal”; Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.1, BOOK OF MORMON
TRANSLATIONS
In the
morning, a council meeting of the Twelve was held to direct the arrangement of
the seats in the Temple.
In the afternoon,
a council meeting was held at the Historian's Office. Many men from the city were busy chopping wood for wagons at
various locations away from the city.
Two men, Urban Van Stewart8 and
George W. Hickerson returned after being overdue for seven days. They had been away to obtain a raft, and
their families had been very uneasy fearing that they had fallen into the hands
of the mob.
Joseph
Holbrook left Nauvoo with Alexander Standley on the steamboat Western Bell. He was heading to St. Louis to settle the
estate of his father-in-law, Rufus Flint.
Mary Flint Call, the wife of Anson Call was also a daughter of Rufus
Flint.9
Lyman
Wight's company arrived in Texas.10
History of the
Church, 7:514; “Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript ,2:88; Thomas Bullock
Journal; “Orange Wight Autobiography,” 15‑6; Comprehensive History
of the Church, 2:435; Historical Atlas of Mormonism, 66; Jenson, LDS
Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:93
WIGHT, Lyman; Lyman Wight to Wilford Woodruff, 24 Aug 1857 in Leonard J.
Arrington, BYU Studies, 13:1:24; Jenson, LDS Biographical
Encyclopedia, 3:526‑527; “Joseph Holbrook Autobiography,” typescript,
74-5
The
weather was “dull.” At 4 p.m., a
council meeting and prayer meeting was held at Willard Richards’ home and it
continued on into the evening.
Thomas Bullock,
the Church recorder, settled up his “labor tithing” and obtained a certificate entitling him to use
the baptismal font which was located in the basement of the temple.11
History of
the Church, 7:514; Smith, ed., Heber C. Kimball Journal in An
Intimate Chronicle; Thomas Bullock Journal; Lyon, T. Edgar, The
Nauvoo Temple 1841‑1964, Improvement Era, Mar 1965; Todd, Jay M., Nauvoo
Temple Restoration, Improvement Era, Oct 1968
A large
raft of pine lumber came down the river.
It contained 100,000 feet of pine boards to be used to finish the
temple. Three days later, on Monday, Brigham
Young, George Miller, and Heber C. Kimball borrowed $600 to pay for the
lumber.
A council
meeting of the Twelve was held at 4 p.m. at Willard Richards’ home in the
historian's office.
Missionary,
Addison Pratt,12 separated so long from
his family, wrote:
This is my
daughter Frances Stephens’ birthday, and how soon the dear little group are brought
fresh to mind upon such a recollection.
And where are they today! Who
can answer that question? Two long
years have rolled away since I have heard from them, and how many more will
have to follow, before I shall see or even hear from them, the Lord only
knows. And may he lead, guide and
direct you all into all truth, are my daily prayers.
History of
the Church, 7:514; Heber C. Kimball Journal in Woman’s
Exponent, 11:185; “Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript, 89; “Thomas Bullock
Journal”; Ellsworth, The Journals of Addison Pratt, 251
The
weather was fine. At 10:30 a.m., at Bishop
George Miller's house, a trial was scheduled over a dispute between Thomas
Bullock and Wellington Wilson.13 Brother Bullock claimed Wilson had his
cow. It was revealed that Wilson had
bought the cow from a Mr. Irvine, who had bought the cow from a Mr. Barnes, a
noted house‑burner and cow stealer.
Bishop Miller was going to rule that Wilson must go before Judge Higbee
and return the cow to Brother Bullock, but because Bullock's key witness, Edwin
Rushton did not show up for the trial, the whole matter was dropped and Bullock
lost his cow.
During the
day, Brigham Young worked with Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards, and George
A. Smith editing the History of the Church until 4 p.m. when they met
with others in a council meeting.
Orson
Pratt issued his farewell message to all the Saints in the east. He spoke strong words against those in the United
States who have persecuted the saints.
“If we die in the dens and caves of the Rocky Mountains, we shall die
where freedom reigns triumphantly.
Liberty in a solitary place, and in a desert, is far more preferable
than martyrdom in these pious states.”
He called on the eastern Saints to immediately sell their farms and
houses in order to get to Nauvoo before the Saints left in the spring. This, they must do, even if it meant selling
for one third the real value. “The Lord
requires a sacrifice, and he that is not willing, will fail of the
blessing. Brethren now is the time for
you to be up and doing, for unless you can get to Nauvoo this winter, it will
be entirely needless for you to go in the spring, for you could not arrive in
time to leave with the Saints.”
He then
addressed the poor and told them not to go to Nauvoo now unless they had enough
means to buy horses, wagons and tents.
The rich should help the poor.
He encouraged some to raise money to instead travel by sea, around Cape
Horn. In this way, they could
carry many articles that would be
impossible for them to carry over the mountains. He mentioned that Samuel Brannan had been told to travel by sea
so that he could bring his printing press. He planned to leave in January. “Brethren awake!‑‑‑be
determined to get out from this evil nation next spring. We do not want the Saints to be left in the
United States after that time. . . . Judgment is at the door; and it will be
easier to go now, than to wait until it comes.”
Finally,
after he left, he warned them that apostates would prowl around the branches in
the east. “They will present themselves
before you as very pious and holy beings, mourning over the corruptions of the
church while the Twelve Apostles of the Lamb will be represented as devils
incarnate.” He encouraged the Saints to
be obedient to the commandments and offered an apostolic prayer for protection
on these Saints.
History of
the Church, 7:515‑518; Times and Seasons; “Thomas
Bullock Journal”
There was
no public meeting on this Sabbath because the floor of the main hall in the
temple had been taken up to put in new timbers. The old ones had already become rotten. However, a meeting with the brethren belonging to the different
emigrating companies, was held on the upper floor of the temple. Brigham Young addressed the brethren at 11
a.m. He censured those who liked to
talk of the mysteries of the gospel. He
said:
You hearken
to this counsel and cease teaching things you don't know. Elder Hyde told of the church going into the
wilderness &c. I heard of it at
night. I told him I did not care
whether it was true doctrine or false. . . . There is not the man before me who
knows anything about it. When I
understand the first principles, I understand more than all in this room. They must be endowed with revelation from on
high and no man has a right to teach, unless he is wrapt in the visions of
eternity.
At noon,
Brigham Young met with the captains of the various companies. He gave some instruction about sending for
some iron for the wagons. He set a
quota for each company and the money would be taken by Joseph L. Heywood to
Quincy on Tuesday to purchase the iron.14
Brigham
Young met with his company, Emigrating Company Number One, at 2 p.m. in the
Grove. Not much business took place
because seventy-seven people were
absent, which must have frustrated Brigham Young. Other companies held special meetings in order to raise the money
needed for the iron. One such company
borrowed $50.00 from a Sister Green whose husband had returned to Michigan to
sell his property.
Norton
Jacob, who had been working on the temple floor, was being pressured by his
wagon company to go to work in their shop to assist in making wagons for the
expedition. On this day he asked
William Weeks, the architect of the Nauvoo temple, about this request. Brother Weeks would not consent to this
idea.
It was a
pleasant evening, and the Twelve met in council at Willard Richards’ home.
History of
the Church, 7:519; Bullock Minutes, Typescript 9 Nov 1845;
“Thomas Bullock Journal”; Smith, ed., Heber C. Kimball Journal in An
Intimate Chronicle; “Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript, 2:90; “Norton Jacob
Autobiography,” 20-1; Journal of Discourses, 13:.81‑82, George
Albert Smith, June 20, 1869; “Zadoc Judd Autobiography,” 20
The
weather was fine. Brother Wandle Mace convinced
Brother Weeks to let Norton Jacob go to work in the shops for making
wagons. Brother Jacob received from
Moses Deming $30.00 to buy some of the pine lumber that had just arrived in
Nauvoo by raft. He commented that “one dollar . . . was mysteriously
lost in counting it.”
Brigham
Young spent the day with Heber C. Kimball, Willard Richards and George A. Smith
editing the Church History. Additional
members of the Twelve joined the meeting in the afternoon. They discussed purchasing the copyright of
Mother Lucy Mack Smith's history and concluded to settle with Brother Howard
Coray for his family's labor in compiling the history.15
David
Candland, who had been serving as clerk for Hosea Stout, started working as a
clerk for Brigham Young.
Island of Tubuai, near Tahiti, in
the South Pacific:
Addison
Pratt recorded in his journal:
This is my
wife’s birthday. My Dearest Earthly
Friend! Could I but know your situation
this day!! What a burden it would
remove from my mind. How little did I
think when I was parting with you and our children upon the banks of the
Mississippi, that after I left my native country two long years must roll away
and not one word from you. And the
reports I hear respecting the troubles and afflictions that are heaped upon the
church by mobs and marauders causes my heart to ache, and you I expect are in
their midst.
History of
the Church, 7:519; “Norton Jacob Autobiography,” 21; Heber C.
Kimball Journal in Woman’s Exponent, 11:185; “Thomas Bullock
Journal”; Encyclopedia of Mormonism, Vol.3, SMITH, JOSEPH; Comprehensive
History of the Church, 1:14; Lucy Mack Smith, History of Joseph Smith,
p. vii; “Howard Coray Journal,” typescript, 19; James B. Allen and Leonard J.
Arrington, BYU Studies, 9:3:256; Richard Lloyd Anderson, Circumstantial
Confirmation of the First Vision Through
Reminiscences, BYU
Studies, 9:3:387, 388; Martha J. C. Lewis, “Martha Jane Knowlton Coray,”
The Improvement Era, Vol 5 (1902) p.440; “David Candland Journal,”
typescript, 2; Ellsworth, The Journals of Addison Pratt, 251
In the
morning, Brigham Young, George A. Smith, and Willard Richards spent time
working on the History of the Church.
In the afternoon, Heber C. Kimball joined them. At 4 p.m., a council meeting was held at
Willard Richards’ home. Parley P. Pratt
read an epistle to the churches that he had been instructed to write. After the council, Brigham Young, Heber C.
Kimball, and Levi Richards16
visited and administered to the sick.
They probably visited Thomas
Bullock's wife, who was very sick.
Much activity
continued to take place in the entire city preparing for the exodus in the
spring. Hosea Stout was a man who was
particularly busy. In the morning he
gave instructions at his house to his company constructing wagons. At 9 a.m., he went to the Masonic Hall to
try to borrow money from Brother Fuller for the iron. He did not succeed. After
lunch he went to the steam mill. Albert
P. Rockwood wanted use of the mill for the temple committee. Nothing was settled and they decided to let
the Twelve decide, but they later reached agreement in the evening. He then went to give some counsel to a
sister, and from there went to give some instruction to the police force. He spent the evening taking care of some
business for his wagon company.
In the
evening, the youth had a dance at the Mansion House. Brigham Young and Sheriff Jacob B. Backenstos had supper with
them as requested by Benjamin Johnson.
At least
two births on this day in Nauvoo, David and Elizabeth Brinton had a son named
Robert, and Ruth Ann Smith was born.
Dean C. Jesse, The
Writing of Joseph Smith's History; History of the Church, 7:520;
“Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript, 2:.90‑1; Smith, ed., Heber C.
Kimball Journal in An Intimate Chronicle; “Thomas Bullock Journal”
The
weather was cold and rainy. The Council
of the Twelve met during the afternoon for prayer.
There wasn't
always harmony in the companies preparing for the west. On this day Hosea Stout had to have a talk
with three of his men who “had a spirit of dissatisfaction at the policy of our
company affairs and some other matters.”
Heber C.
Kimball completed his new, large, two‑story home.17
William
Walker and Mary Aspin were married.
Also, twins were born to the Rigby's.
Brothers William
Rice and Samuel Hicks’ farmhouse was burned by about thirty members of the
mob. They tried to blame the governor's
troops for the evil deed. At 12:30
a.m., a company of thirty men came to the home and called for Brother Samuel
Hicks, who got out of bed and asked what they wanted. They said they were the governor's troops from Carthage and had a
warrant of arrest for William Rice, who they believed was there. Brother Hicks told them that he was not
there. They forced Hicks out of the
house without anything but his shirt.
His wife and children were sick with the flu. They ordered Joseph Swymler and his brother to carry out Brother
Hicks’ goods, and then they set fire to the home before all the goods could be
taken out. They then brought Brother
Hicks back, who was very cold and sick, gave him many insults, and then
left. Later they went and burned
Brother Rice's home.
A Church
conference was held in the evening, presided by Elder Orson Pratt. Many members were present from Long Island,
New York, Connecticut, and New Jersey.
The meeting was held at the American Hall. Elder Pratt discussed the necessity of moving to the west. He asked them to bind together and take care
of the poor so that they would not be left behind. Elder Samuel Brannan presented a list of resolutions. They would: (1) Prepare for an immediate
departure, (2) Condemn the resent proclamation by William Smith in the Warsaw
Signal, (3) Sanction William's excommunication, warn those in the east whom he
might visit, (4) Sustain the actions of the Twelve as being exemplary, (5)
Advise William to keep himself from trouble, shame and disgrace, to repent and
make restitution for lifting his hand against the Church, (6) Move one and all
west of the Rocky Mountains by either land or water, (7) And not accept excuses
from those who do not go, except old age, sickness and poverty.
Elder
Brannan informed the congregation of his instructions to travel by water. He called upon all who wanted to go with him
to come forward at the close of the meeting and to put down their names on a
list.
History of
the Church, 7:520‑22, 530; Comprehensive History of the
Church, 3:26; “Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript, 2:.91; Thomas Bullock
Journal; NAUVOO NEIGHBOR‑‑‑‑EXTRA Nauvoo, November
19th
The day
was cold and rainy again, clearing in the evening. In the morning, Brigham Young and Willard Richards rode out to
the prairie with several other. They
had lunch at Brother Chamberlain's.
Hosea Stout spent the morning dragging tree timber to be used for wagon
axles, to the Masonic Hall. He later
had to settle yet another misunderstanding in his company at the saw mill,
regarding the dividing of lumber.
On this
date, Brigham Young Jr. (age 9) recorded that he was baptized (or re‑baptized)
by his father. Also, George A. Smith
ordained John Mackley to be a high priest.
At 4 p.m.,
a council meeting was held. It was
decided that Mother Lucy Mack Smith should be furnished with food, clothing,
and wood for the winter. Prayer was
held as usual.
After the
meeting, Brigham Young and Willard Richards visited Stephen Markham18 who was cutting and sawing wagon spokes
at his place in the woods. They helped
him cut and saw for awhile and then took a rifle and shot at a mark. President Young was proud to record that on
his second shot, he hit the pin that fastened the two‑inch paper target
to the tree.
Brigham
Young wrote a long letter to Noah Rogers who was serving a mission in the
Pacific Islands. He gave him some
counsel and items of Church news.19
At night,
the moon was almost totally eclipsed.
Hosea Stout recorded: “About dusk it was a beautiful sight and it spread
a dark and dismal gloom over the bright and clear night and seemed to shroud
all nature in deep mourning. I never
felt such a desolate sensation in my life at the changes of nature.”
History of
the Church, 7:522; Brigham Young Jr. Family Group Sheet; “Thomas
Bullock Journal”; “Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript, 2:91‑2; George Albert
Smith, Sharing the Gospel With Others, 181‑82; Encyclopedia of
Mormonism, Vol.3, OCEANIA, THE CHURCH IN; Andrew Jenson, Conference
Report, April 1925, 110; Church Chronology, June 1, 1843; Times
and Seasons, 6:1086‑1087; Jenson, LDS Biographical Encyclopedia,
3:676
In the
evening, the Twelve met in council at Willard Richards’ home. They received a missionary report from James
Henry Flanigan who served a two-year mission in the east. He reported that they baptized 34‑40
people in Maryland and organized a branch there.20
Major
Warren, Mason Brayman and others scoured the neighborhood near the recent house
burnings and were able to identify a number of those involved.
After the
meeting, Brigham Young and others went to the Masonic Hall to an exhibition of
paintings of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum at Carthage. Also a painting was shown of Joseph
addressing the Nauvoo Legion on June 17, 1844.
They had an enjoyable time and stayed there until 9 p.m.
Church
Chronology, January 29, 1851 (Wednesday); History of the
Church, 7:522; Encyclopedia of
Mormonism, Vol.1, ARTICLES OF FAITH; “Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript, 2:92‑3;
Hallwas, Cultures in Conflict, 296
During the
day, Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, and Willard Richards visited throughout
the city.
Elder James
Houston returned from his mission to New York and Scotland.21
In the
evening, the Twelve met for prayer at Willard Richards’ home. Wagon company twenty‑three met at
Brother Tefford's house and became organized.
Moses Deming was elected captain of all the teams.
At about
midnight, near Solomon Hancock's house, a stack of straw was discovered on fire
and several people went out to try to put out the flames. They raked away the straw to prevent the
barn from catching on fire. While they
were doing this, they heard a whistle from the east, one from the west, and
soon a shot was fired at them. Six guns
were fired and one of the balls entered the body of Edmund Durfee, just above
his heart. He died instantly. No one
else was hurt. After his death, the mob
boasted that they fired at Brother Durfee on a bet for a gallon of whiskey that
they could kill him on the first shot.22
History of
the Church, 7:523‑4, 537, 529, 145 Footnotes; Church
Chronology, September 10, 1845; “Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript, 2:.93‑94;
“Norton Jacob Autobiography,” 21; Smith, ed., Heber C. Kimball Journal in An
Intimate Chronicle; Hallwas, Cultures in Conflict, 296
At 10
a.m., a public Sabbath meeting was held at the grove. The speakers were Elders Orson Hyde, Heber C. Kimball, and Brigham
Young. At the meeting, “an epistle to
the saints” was read, which was prepared the day before. It asked for all those who have letters,
books, maps, charts or documents of any kind that in any way relate to the
history of the Church to bring them to the historian (Willard Richards) before
Monday evening. All elders who had been
out on special missions within the past two years should make their report in
writing, if they had not already done so, before Monday evening. Anyone who had any fact, incident, event or
transaction that they wished to be recorded in the history of the Church should
do so before Monday evening. The
history of the Church was considered up-to-date as far as 1843, and it was
desired to work on the past two years of history.
Brigham
Young and Heber C. Kimball addressed a problem in the wagon companies. A number of the companies were operating
under a form of “common stock” principles, pooling property together rather
than private ownership, using business principles. They asked the companies not to go into the common stock
business. Joseph Smith had earlier
taught: “And again, we further suggest
for the considerations of the Council, that there be no organization of large
bodies upon common stock principles, in property, or of large companies of
firms, until the Lord shall signify it in a proper manner, as it opens such a
dreadful field for the avaricious, the indolent, and the corrupt hearted to
prey upon the innocent and virtuous, and honest.”
There was
also an afternoon meeting held devoted to company business. Between the morning and the afternoon
meetings, Hosea Stout, Alfred Brown, and Eveline Robinson went up into the
Nauvoo temple, to the top of the steeple “and had a fine and romantic view of
the surrounding country.” During the
afternoon meeting, also held at the grove, a cold rain began to fall and
continued throughout the meeting.
Jedediah M. Grant was appointed to be the third captain of “hundred.”
Edmund
Durfee's body was brought into the city to be buried. He was in a “heart rending condition, all steeped in his gore and
his numerous family all weeping around him.”
On hearing
of the Durfee murder, Major Warren immediately left with thirty men to search
for those who committed the murder.
Brigham
Young learned that Elder Theodore Turley was arrested at Alton on charges of
counterfeiting.23 The Twelve met in council during the
afternoon. They worked on a letter that
would be sent to Major Warren the following day. Brigham Young received a letter from Sheriff Backenstos stating
that Edmund Durfee was murdered and that the troops were not giving
protection. He asked what should be
done to avenge Durfee's blood.
Mason Brayman,
attorney for the State of Illinois, wrote a letter this day, probably to
Governor Thomas Ford:
Depredations
on both sides continue, and I am convinced that a general outbreak is
intended. Several robberies have been
committed by the Mormons during the past week.
A pair of horses, two fat oxen, sheep, hobs, &c., are 'among the
missing.' They continue to send out
spies, patrols, and armed companies, prowling about the prairies and
interrupting travellers. . . . I am in possession of information which
convinced me that a Secret but general organization has been in progress in
this and the Surrounding Counties for the purpose of depredating upon the
Mormons and producing a State of things which will bring on a Collision--to End
in their expulsion from the State at once.
Some
Nauvoo neighbors were having problems.
William Nixon had a cow that he refused to tie up. On this day, again it leapt over a rail
fence, pushed down another, and found its way into neighbors’ gardens.
In the
evening, it was still raining very hard and it was very cold.
History of
the Church, 7:524‑6; Smith, Teachings of the Prophet
Joseph Smith, 144; “Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript, 2:93‑94; “Thomas
Bullock Journal,” Church Chronology, May 9, 1840; Cultures in
Conflict, 295-96.
The
morning was very unpleasant to move around the city because of all the rain
during the night. The roads were very
muddy and difficult to travel.
William
Weeks, the temple architect, came to Norton Jacob and requested that he return
to take charge of framing the temple.
He had been allowed to work in the wagon shops for several days.
Orson Hyde
finished the letter from the Twelve to Major Warren. It told him about the murder of Edmund Durfee and the burning of
Brother Rice's home. “We look to you to
take such steps and adopt such measures as you, in your wisdom, shall deem
expedient, and that you will make your views public as early as
consistent.” They asked if they should
send a number of men to the southern part of the county to protect their men
who were gathering crops.
Affidavits
were taken before the justice of the peace in regards to the murder of Brother
Durfee and the burning of Brother Hicks and Brother Rice's homes. Many elders provided reports on their
missions as requested the day before.
Many certificates, books and papers were brought to the historian's
office and were filed.
At 4 p.m.,
Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, Orson Hyde, Parley P. Pratt, John Taylor,
George A. Smith, Joseph Young, and Bishop George Miller met in council. William Clayton joined them at 5 p.m.
Bishop
George Miller held the position in the Church of “Second Bishop.” Bishop Newel K. Whitney was the Presiding
Bishop. William Clayton, on this day,
wrote of his grieved heart seeing the difficulties between these two bishops.
Brother Clayton remarked how angry Bishop Miller was with him because he gave
preference to Bishop Whitney. He wrote
how Bishop Miller was wasteful and wild in his business transactions “and if he
had the management of the Temple business alone he would soon wind it up and
scatter it to ruin.”
Thomas
Grover Jr. was born, a son of Thomas
and Hannah Grover.24
“Hosea Stout Diary”,
typescript, 2:94‑5; History of the Church, 7:525, 527; “Norton
Jacob Autobiography,” 21‑2; Heber C. Kimball Journal; Thomas Bullock
Journal
The
weather was nice. The Twelve met in
council at Willard Richards’ home. They
received a letter from the attorney of the state, a Mr. Brayman, requesting
affidavits and witnesses against the murders of Brother Durfee, to be sent to
Carthage. They were also told that
George Backman, Mr. Moss and Mr. Snyder were charged with the murder of Brother
Durfee. The council immediately
requested that witnesses leave in the morning for Carthage to testify at
another expected farce. Brigham Young
also received a letter from Solomon Hancock, letting him know that Major Warren
appeared to be doing all he could to find those who have been committing the crimes
in the southern portion of the county.
Brigham
Young received a letter from James Arlington Bennet, requesting that he,
Bennet, be appointed as the military commander‑in‑chief in the
church. President Young commented that “the
spirit of the letter shows a thirst for personal aggrandizement unbecoming a
servant of God.”
Reynolds
Cahoon confronted Hosea Stout, expressing anger toward him for saying that he
had “been consenting to Joseph and Hyrum being given up at the time they were
murdered.” Brother Stout explained that
this was what he had heard and they
settled the matter for the time being.25
Alanson
Norton arrived in Nauvoo on a steamer with his branch of Saints from Clymer,
Chautauqua County, New York. They had
made a long journey which included four hundred miles on a flat boat, on the
Allegheny River to Pittsburg.26
In the
evening, the less‑violent anti‑Mormons in the area held a public
meeting in the Court House for the purpose of
“rejecting and deprecating such Acts . . . and perpetrations” against
the Mormons. Thomas L. Barnes was
appointed secretary of the meeting. At
this anti‑Mormon meeting, the group tried to distance themselves from the
crimes. “Resolved‑‑that we
prefer, and the history of our difficulties shows that we have ever preferred,
to suffer wrong rather than become wrong doers; and that the public abroad
would do great injustice to us, and to their own candor, to confound us with,
or hold us in any way accountable for the violent Acts of a few reckless
individuals, such as civil commotions will always bring together for
mischief.” They looked forward to the
time when the Mormons would leave the county and pledged to keep the peace.
Major
Warren, in charge of the state troops,
made several very sharp speeches to the anti‑Mormons and let them
know that if they did not help bring the murders of Edmund Durfee to justice,
that he would withdraw his troops from the county and leave them to Sheriff
Backenstos who was friendly to the Mormons.
He also mentioned that if he could not bring the murders to justice, he
would establish martial law for a little while, try them by court martial, and
have them shot.
“Hosea Stout Diary”,
typescript, 2:.95; History of the Church, 7:527‑8, 531;
Smith, Teachings of the Prophet
Joseph Smith, 377; Comprehensive History of the Church, 2:247;
Stanley B. Kimball, BYU Studies, 11: 2:141, 145; Roberts, Life of John
Taylor, 139; “Thomas Bullock Journal”; Our Pioneer Heritage, 15:441
The
weather was fine. An “extra” issue of
the Nauvoo Neighbor was published that reported the murder of Edmund
Durfee and the arson to Brothers Rice and Hick's homes. It reported that nearly 2,500 wagons were
being built for “our Pacific journey” in the spring. The Saints were asked not to take actions of revenge, but to look
forward to a time of peace when they would be in the west.
A
daughter, Ann Bennion was born to John and Esther Bennion.27
Activity started
to take place in relation to apprehending the murderers of Edmund Durfee. A Mr. Stephens arrested some men and brought
them to Carthage and wanted the privilege of trying his own arrests. Major Warren knew that Stephens was a
mobocrat and made Mr. Bartlett issue new writs and took the prisoners out of
Stephens' hands.
History of
the Church, 7:528, 531; Thomas Bullock Journal; Black, Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter‑day Saints: 1830‑1848;
Church Chronology
The
weather was nice, but getting colder.
Ice was spotted on the river in the morning. Brigham Young wrote a letter to Wilford Woodruff who was still in
Liverpool England, presiding over the British Mission.
Many of
the brethren started returning from the southern portion of the county, taking
in the grain. Some would sell some
grain in Quincy on the way back.
Some
marriages took place. Robert Lang
married Joan Scobie and George A. Smith married his fifth wife, Ruth Ann Smith.
Major Warren
was very busy and active in arresting the murderers of Edmund Durfee and those
who burned William Rice's home. He had
several of them under guard at Carthage while in pursuit of more. He had chased one of them into Missouri and
forced him back at gunpoint without any requisition from the governor. He admitted to Sheriff Backenstos that
Durfee would not have been murdered if the troops had not been in the county.
History of
the Church, 7:530; “Warren Foote Autobiography,” typescript, 72; Black, Membership of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints:
1830‑1848; “Thomas Bullock Journal”
The weather
was quite cold. The Twelve met in
council and prayer in the evening.
Willard Richards was sick. At
about 7 p.m., Sheriff Backenstos came into the council and reported that he had
been watching Major Warren very closely for the last four days. He commented that he thought Major Warren
had turned “Jack‑Mormon”28
because he was so active in pursuing the murderers of Edmund Durfee. He also told them that he was served with an
injunction by the clerk of the commissioners' court, and they have refused to
issue orders granted by the last court to pay the sheriff's posse for quieting
the rioters and house‑burners.
A son,
Joshua Roberts was born to Sidney and Sarah Roberts, their fifth child.
“Warren Foote
Autobiography,” typescript, 72; History of the Church, 7:530;
Black, Membership of The Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints:
1830‑1848; Smith, ed., Heber C. Kimball Journal in An
Intimate Chronicle
The
weather was very windy and cold. The
Twelve met with thirty‑eight brethren who had been expelled from Jackson
County in 1833. Several of them spoke, feeling
that they were being neglected and treated as “cast off poor.” Brigham Young spoke and told them that many
of them had been slothful and had not preached or magnified their callings in
the Church.
The
plasterers finished the attic story of the Temple. The attic story would soon be used to administer the endowment
ordinance.
William
Clayton, made out a deed from William Marks to the Trustees for “the Kirtland
property.”29
History of
the Church, 7:531; Smith, ed., Heber C. Kimball Journal in An
Intimate Chronicle; “Thomas Bullock Journal”
The day was
very cold, with thick ice on the river.
At 11 a.m. the seventies met in the Concert Hall. Brigham Young met with the captains of the
emigrating companies and gave them instruction to prepare themselves for the
journey to the west. It was reported that
3,285 families had been organized into companies, 1,508 wagons were on hand and
1,892 wagons were being built.
Peter
Conover recalled an experience that happened about this time:
I had a
wagon for my own use all ready for the cover when Brother Brigham came along
and asked whose wagon it was. Someone told him it was mine. He came to me and
told me that they had enough wagons, lacking one, to take the first company
out. "Well," said I, "if you need that wagon take it, and
welcome.” That left me without one, but
I soon had another one ready.
In the
afternoon, the Twelve met in council where they read several letters, hearing
of many threats from anti‑Mormons.
Jesse
Wentworth Crosby and Hannah Elida Baldwin were married on this day.30
Sources:
History of
the Church, 7:532; Times and Seasons, 6:1031; Membership
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints: 1830‑1848; Church Chronology;
Benjamin Brown Testimonies For The Truth, 8; “Thomas Bullock Journal”;
“William Huntington autobiography,” typescript, 42; “Peter Conover
Autobiography,” typescript, 3
The
weather was cold and overcast. At 10
a.m., Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball, George A. Smith and Willard Richards met
at the historians office at Willard Richards’ home, and read the History of
the Church.
The Twelve
met in council in the afternoon, offered prayers and wrote to Elder Theodore
Turley who was at that time in jail, awaiting trial on false counterfeiting
charges.
News came
to Nauvoo that the men who murdered Edmund Durfee and also those who burned the
Rice and Hicks houses were released by the magistrate without trial. Many brethren had gone to Carthage to
testify as witnesses, but returned unheard.
The grand jury was not even called to hear the case.
History of
the Church, 7:532; “Thomas Bullock Journal”
It was
another cold day in Nauvoo. On the bright
side, it was a day of several marriages. Luman Shurtliff remarried to Altamira
Gaylord, his late wife's sister, who he baptized in 1844. They were married by Samuel Bent, a member
of the high council.31 The family moved into Mother Gaylord's home since
she couldn't take care of herself. They
arranged to take over all of her property in return for caring for her as long
as she lived.32
Two other
marriages were held, Alfred B. Lambson and Melissa Jane Bigler,33 and Noah T. Guymon and Margaret Johnson.34
The Saints
were making rapid progress in their construction of wagons. William Huntington
recorded: “All is well in Nauvoo. The
Saints are now at rest as to our enemies troubling of us at present. The Saints
are making rapid progress in wagon making. I have this week got a room in the
Nauvoo House enclosed for a shop to make wagons for my company.”
Thomas
Bullock was still hoping to get his cow back (see November 8), but
another witness had not arrived yet to testify for him.
A son,
Moroni Browett, was born to Daniel and Elizabeth Browett.35
Sources:
“Luman
Shurtliff Autobiography,” typescript, 66; Black, Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day
Saints: 1830‑1848; “Thomas
Bullock Journal”; Jenson, LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, 1:367 BENT, Samuel; Clark, Messages of the
First Presidency, 2:105; Comprehensive History of the Church, 3:369;
“William Huntington autobiography,” typescript, 43
It was
very cold on this day. While fetching
water from the creek, Thomas Bullock had to break ice in order to obtain
it. Brigham Young and George A. Smith
spent time at the historian's office (Willard Richards’ home) working on the History
of the Church. David Candland was
asked by Brigham Young to go and prepare President Young’s room in the
southeast corner of the attic. Later,
Heber C. Kimball and Brigham Young went to the temple and examined the progress
of the rooms. The painters had finished
painting the attic of the Temple. They
also spent time raising funds to enable the work to continue on the temple.
The presidents
of the different quorums of the Seventies met at John D. Lee's home. They made
some arrangements to furnish two of the rooms in the temple.36
Elder
Jedediah M. Grant bore his testimony to the group and then took his place as
one of the first presidents of the Seventies.37
One of the
wagon companies met and selected a new chairman. Moses Deming asked to be excused from this position because of
his deafness that made it difficult for him to hear people's remarks. Norton Jacob was elected the new chairman. He was still employed to put in the lower
flooring timbers in the temple, but he accepted the position anyway.
A
daughter, Percis Mitchell, was born to Benjamin T. and Louvina B. Mitchell38
In the
evening it was snowing and the wind blew very hard.
History of
the Church, 7:461,462, 532, 538; Times and Seasons, 6:1009‑1010;
“Norton Jacob Autobiography,” 21‑2; “Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript,
2:.97; “Thomas Bullock Journal”; Edgar Lyon, BYU Studies, 15:4:.442; Lisle
G. Brown, BYU Studies, 19:3:370; “Harrison Burgess autobiography,” in K.
Hales, Windows, 102‑3; “David Candland Journal,” typescript, 2
The day
was very cold, with severe frost. Ice
was spotted running on the river.
Brigham
Young spent time in the Trustees’ Office with Church business. In the afternoon, Erastus H. Derby called upon members of the Twelve to let
them know that Silas Haight, a deputy U.S. marshal from Iowa and another
“suspicious fellow” were loitering about the streets. Brother Derby was trying to convince the Twelve to issue writs on
them. Silas Haight was the deputy
marshal who brought writs of arrest for the Twelve to Major Warren. (See October 25, 1845.) Erastus Derby suspected that Silas Haight
was still up to no good.
Even
though everyone was very busy in Nauvoo, many were slowed often by
sickness. Hosea Stout couldn't work all
day because of “a sick headache.”
William
Draper was baptized by John Halliday.39
Sources:
Black, Membership
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints: 1830‑1848; History of the Church,
7:533; “Hosea Stout Diary”, typescript, 97; “Thomas Bullock Journal”
The day
was again very cold with a severe frost.
The Mississippi River was frozen at the “Upper Landing.” Brigham Young attended to church business in
the Trustee's office. Willard Richards,
George A. Smith, and Thomas Bullock read and worked all day on the History
of the Church up to the end of 1843.
In the
evening, the 11th Quorum of Seventies met at the home of Dustin Amy.
A
daughter, Esther Ann Bushman, was born to Martin and Elizabeth Bushman.
Southhampton,
England:
Thomas B.
Stenhouse was ordained an Elder.40
Sources:
History of
the Church, 7:.533; Black, Membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day
Saints: 1830‑1848; “Thomas
Bullock Journal”; Church Chronology
The cold
weather continued. Brigham Young met
with the Twelve, Bishops Whitney and Miller, and a few others in the temple to
lay the carpet on the floor of the main room in the attic level.41
Elder Noah
Rogers arrived in Nauvoo, home from his mission to the Pacific Islands. (See November 13, 1845,)
The entire
city was still very busy.42
In the
evening, a social was held at Brigham Young's home with the band. President Young, Heber C. Kimball, Joseph
Young, and Levi W. Hancock danced a “French four” together.43
Sources:
“Thomas
Bullock Journal”; History of the Church, 7:.533, 535, 436; Stanley B.
Kimball, BYU Studies, 15: 4:476; Smith, ed., Heber C. Kimball Journal in
An Intimate Chronicle
It was a
very cold day. At 9 a.m., a meeting of
the Seventies was held at the temple.
At 10 a.m. the leaders of the Church assembled in the temple to prepare for
the dedication of the attic level. They
dressed in temple clothes. At 12 noon,
the service began with the singing of “Come All Ye Sons of Zion.” Brigham Young offered the dedicatory prayer
for the rooms and a prayer for protection from their enemies. He asked the Lord to sustain them until they
have accomplished His will in the temple.
Elder John Taylor next sang, “A Poor Wayfaring Man of Grief,” the song
that he sang for the prophet, Joseph Smith, in Carthage Jail. Heber C. Kimball then prayed:
that the
Lord would hear and answer the prayer of his servant Brigham, and break off the
yoke of our enemies, and, inasmuch as they lay traps for the feet of his
servants, that they may fall into them themselves and be destroyed; that God
would bless his servant Joseph Young, and heal his wife, and bless his family;
that God would bless and heal his own family, and asked for the same blessings
on all our families which he had asked for Joseph Young and himself.
The meeting
was interrupted by Hans C. Hanson,44
the temple doorkeeper, who reported that there were two officers waiting at the
bottom of the stairs for Brigham Young.
President Young commented that he could wait for them out here, where it
was warm, as long as the officers could wait out where it was cold. They went on with the meeting. Elder Amasa Lyman asked for a blessing to be
healed and five brethren laid hands on him.
Joseph Young offered a prayer that their enemies would not have power of
the leaders of the Church. He prayed
for the brethren in England and on the islands of the sea, for brothers Almon
W. Babbitt,45 Theodore Turley (who was
still held in jail) and the Reddens.
Hans C. Hanson and Peter O. Hanson46
were appointed to tend the temple fires,47
keep watch, and guard the doors. At 3:00, the meeting concluded.
A wedding
was held. Josiah Henry Perry married
Lucinda Eliza Cole.48
Wilford
Woodruff attended a conference in Glasgow. In the Glasgow conference there were
1,181 members. Sixty‑eight people
had been baptized since their last conference.
Sources:
“Hosea
Stout Diary”, 2:98; History of the Church, 7:534‑6, 554; “Thomas
Bullock Journal”; Heber C. Kimball Journal; “Lorenzo Brown Journal,” typescript,
15; Jenson, LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, 2:766
1These brothers had recently returned from the Emmett company. John L. Butler took longer to return because
he feared traveling through Missouri.
John L. Butler, was the man who defended some brethren at the Gallatin,
Missouri voting poll, many years earlier, by beating some Missourians over the
head with a very large piece of wood.
Thus, his life was sought by many from Missouri. It was wise that he
separated from Sherwood and Fullmer, because when these two men were near St.
Joseph, Missouri, five armed men confronted them and demanded that they show
them John L. Butler, who they knew were with them. He was not there. The men cursed and swore and said they would
“damn soon put an end to him [John L. Butler.]”
2John Moburn Kay was baptized in 1841.
He had a beautiful singing voice and was often called on by Joseph Smith
to sing. He was a member of the Nauvoo
Legion, brass band, and police. He
later would spend the winter of 1846-47 at Fort Ponca. On his return to Winter Quarters he froze
his feet. He settled in Salt Lake
City. In 1864 he died while on a foreign
mission.
3 John
Kay would later mint the first coin in Utah using the gold dust that the Mormon
Battalion brought back from Sutter's mill.
Earlier in 1845 he drilled out a six-pound cannon.
4 John
Lytle was one of the policemen who were charged with destroying the Nauvoo
Expositor press, but were acquitted. He
later became the bishop of the 11th Ward in Salt Lake City.
5It is not known if Brigham Young ever replied to this strange
letter. But in 1851, Brown found his
way to Utah and was still trying to sell an “invention of liquid fire to
destroy an army or navy.”
6Curtis E. Bolton would later be wounded in a battle the following summer
in Nauvoo. He also would later
translate the Book of Mormon into French in 1852.
7Peter Alpheus Haws had a leading role in constructing the Nauvoo House
and his name is mentioned in D&C 124.
He later served in the Mormon Battalion.
8Urban Van Stewart joined the Church in 1836. He lived through the times of persecution in Missouri. In Nauvoo, he served in the guard. Later, in 1847, he would help plant crops at
Brigham Young’s farm in “Summer Quarters.”
He was a pioneer settler in Beaver, Utah. Later he served as Presiding Elder in Grover, Utah.
9After accomplishing this mission, Joseph Holbrook experienced an
accident on a steamboat in January. He
recorded: “While leaving the steamboat
at the wharf, I had a man to take hold of my large trunk which weighed about
200 pounds, besides that hold of the trunk handle at the other end with my
saddle bags on my other arm with a scythe on snath in my hand, when the plank
leading to the shore slipped off the boat and let us both into the river where
the water was much over my head. I immediately walked to the shore bringing my
trunk with all the rest of my luggage with me. Then there was a general shout
on the levee at so singular an accident.”
10Lyman Wight, one of the Twelve Apostles, had left Nauvoo with 64 saints
in 1844. For some time he had desired
to see the church relocate to Texas. Like Emmett, he felt Joseph Smith had
commissioned him for this mission. He
refused to take the counsel of the brethren to stay, and in August 1844, the
Twelve gave him permission to leave.
They settled for awhile near Austin where they built saw and grist mills
and helped outfit a number of companies going to California. Lyman Wight was excommunicated in 1848 and
he later died in 1858. The majority of
his colony later joined the RLDS church and some were rebaptized into the LDS
church. Lyman Wight had spent time in
Liberty Jail with the prophet, and in 1857 he wrote to Wilford Woodruff: “the
mission I am now on. . . I received of the prophet of God, and . . . such a
mission was even talked of while in jail where I had the advantage of six
months teaching and received many things . . . yet unknown to the church. . . .
Joseph blessed me many times while in jail and prophesied much on my head and
gave me much good instruction which is long to be remembered.”
11This font was constructed of pine, resting on twelve oxen which had been
carved from pine planks and glued together.
There were four oxen on each side and two on each end. The original font
was sixteen feet long, east to west, and twelve feet wide, seven feet above the
floor and four feet deep. The moulding
of the base was beautiful carved wood in antique style, and the sides were finished
with panel work. There were steps
leading up and down into the basin in the north and south sides, guarded by
side iron railings. This temporary
wooden font began to leak terribly and was later replaced by a stone font
resting on oxen made out of stone.
12Addison Pratt organized the first branch of the Church on Tubuai about
the time Joseph and Hyrum were martyred.
In 1844, Addison Pratt wrote this in an interesting letter: “I baptized nine persons, four Americans,
one Scotchman and four natives, having previously baptized one. On the 29th, I organized the Tubuai branch
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints, numbering eleven
members, all in good standing. On the
5th of August, I administered the sacrament.
For wine I substituted coconut milk, that was a pure beverage, which
never had come to the open air till we broke the nut for that purpose. On the 8th I baptized another person. The inhabitants here have resolved to build
me a house. This climate is fine, never
so cold as to freeze, though in July and August it is as cold as it can be and
not freeze. January and February are
the warmest months, though the heat is never so scorching as some days we have
at home. In summer, however, the
mosquitoes are innumerable and in winter the fleas are equally plentiful,
though we have means to guard against them.”
Addison Pratt would not return home to his family until September 1848,
after a mission on which he baptized about 1200 people. Elder Pratt would receive his endowments on
the top of Ensign Peak.
13Wellington Paul Wilson joined the Church in 1836. He stayed in Iowa for many years and later
came to Utah in 1867. He settled in
Muddy, Utah.
14The supply of iron was very limited, and they soon would exhaust the
supply of all the towns on the upper Mississippi. The iron was substituted with rawhide and hickory withes. Many wagon wheels were soon made of wood
rather than iron.
15Lucy Mack Smith, the
mother of the Prophet dictated to Martha Jane Knowlton Coray a history of the
Prophet Joseph Smith completed in 1845.
Mother Smith was then 69 years of age.
Brother Coray had been a scribe for Joseph Smith from 1842‑44. He also assisted his wife in working on the
history with the approval of Brigham Young.
Howard Coray's job was evidently to transcribe the final copy from his
wife's corrected notes. In 1902 Martha
Jane's daughter described her mother as essentially the recorder of
dictation: “She then read over, several
times, what she had written, making such changes and corrections as Mother
Smith suggested.”
There were three copies of the
work. One was the Coray's corrected
notes. Another was given to Lucy Smith,
and the third was given to Brigham Young, later in Utah. The copy left with Lucy Smith fell into the
hands of her son William Smith, and later into the hands of Isaac Sheen, who
sold it to Orson Pratt in 1852, when he was on his way to England on a
mission. Orson Pratt published the
history as “Biographical Sketches of Joseph Smith the Prophet, and His Progenitors
for Many Generations” without the permission of Brigham Young and the edition
was suppressed because of perceived errors.
The book was republished in 1880 by the Reorganized Church. In Utah, the work was finally revised by
George A. Smith and Elias Smith, cousins of the Prophet under the direction of
Brigham Young. They modified certain
dates, substituted firsthand information for some of Mother Smith's secondhand
impressions, and deleted a few passages where the mother had glorified William
Smith (who had been excommunicated in October 1845). The accuracy of Mother Smith's recollections of the early history
of the family's religious experience was never at any point challenged. This work was published by President Joseph
F. Smith in 1902 as History of the Prophet Joseph, by his Mother. There have been various revised editions
since that time.
16Levi Richards was Willard Richards’ brother. He was a “Thomsonian”
doctor, who used herbal medicines for treatment.
17This home is now a popular tourist attraction in Nauvoo. The Kimballs would only get to enjoy their
fine home for four months and five days.
They would then spend another six years living in tents, wagon boxes,
and log cabins.
18Stephen Markham joined the Church in 1837. He served as a Colonel in the Nauvoo Legion. He later was in the original pioneer company
of 1847. He settled in Spanish Fork
Utah, where he served as bishop.
19Noah Rogers was called on this mission by Joseph Smith. He, Addison Pratt, and Benjamin Franklin
Grouard, arrived at Tubuai Island, 350 miles south of Tahiti, on April 30, 1844
after an eleven-month journey. They
established the first branch of the Church in Oceania in July 1844, with eleven
members. Brigham Young must have
written Noah words of encouragement which he never received, because being
somewhat discouraged, Noah was on his way back to America, arriving in Nauvoo
on November 29th, and was the first elder of the Church to circumnavigate the
globe. He had left for home in July,
1845. Work in Tahiti was discouraging
because the islands started to pass laws that no white man could live among
them. Addison Pratt and Benjamin
Grouard remained on the Islands. Noah
Rogers later took sick and died on the plains of Iowa, the first of the Saints
to be buried at Mt .Pisgah, Iowa where later 250 Saints would be buried.
20Elder Flanigan later served a mission in England and published a list of
14 Articles of Faith in a pamphlet in 1849 that closely resembles the Wentworth
version, with a few additions. Elder
Flanigan died of small‑pox at Birmingham, England in 1851.
21Elder Houston had left three years earlier, on November 1, 1842. While on his mission he baptized ninety-five
people. On his return, he was put in
charge of a company of saints that sailed from Liverpool, England in September
and arrived in Nauvoo on this date.
22Earlier in September, Edmund Durfee's house in Morley's Settlement was
burned down and he had come to Nauvoo to live.
He had recently returned to the southern part of the county to take in
his grain.
23In 1840, Theodore Turley had also been thrown in jail during his mission
to England because of false charges made by a Methodist preacher.
24Thomas Grover Sr. was a member
of the High Council in Kirtland, Zion, and Nauvoo.
25This appears to be in reference to the event now recorded in the History
of the Church. Before Joseph and
Hyrum Smith were taken to Carthage, they went across the river to Iowa with the
thought of starting towards the Rocky Mountains. On the next day, a posse arrived in Nauvoo to arrest Joseph and
created much fear in the city. A letter
was taken to Joseph Smith from Emma by Reynolds Cahoon. Brother Cahoon urged the prophet to give
himself up, since the governor had pledged to protect him. Reynolds Cahoon, Lorenzo D. Wasson, and Hiram Kimball are said to
have accused him of being a coward, leaving them like a false shepherd leaving
his flock when the wolves attack. At
this point, Joseph was said to have uttered, “If my life is of no value to my
friends, it is of none to myself.” He
then returned that evening to Nauvoo.
So Brother Cahoon appears to have been trying to change or clear up the
account that nevertheless made it into the official church history which was
being compiled at this time in Nauvoo.
26Alanson Norton would later set up a carding (wool) mill on the North
bank of the Provo River, in 1851. In
1856 he moved his family to Sugar House, south of Salt Lake City, to operate a
carding mill by assignment from Brigham Young.
In 1867, he moved to Brigham City to take charge of the woolen factory
in the community.
27Little Ann would die in September 1847.
A large number of children who were born during this time did not live
to see Utah. The Bennions came to Utah
in 1854. John died in North Jordan in
1877 and Esther died in Taylorsville, Utah in 1909.
28At that time, the term, “Jack Mormon” was used to refer to non-Mormons
who were friendly to the Mormons.
29Apparently, William Marks (former stake president of Nauvoo, turned
apostate) had sold some Kirtland property
to the Church.
30Shortly after Jesse Wentworth Crosby joined the church in 1838, he
experienced a terrible accident. A tree
limb fell on him from a height of sixty feet, crushing his skull, neck and shoulders. He was carried to his home and a doctor was
about to operate on his skull, to insert a metal plate, when his mother
objected and called for Elder Benjamin Brown.
He blessed Jesse and soon Jesse was back working. He served a mission to Nova Scotia and
England, and later died in Panguitch, Utah, in 1893.
31Samuel Bent later presided over the Garden
Grove settlement and died in 1846.
32Later, in 1846, her non‑member son,
Thomas, persuaded her to not go west with the Saints, but to go east. Soon thereafter she died.
33Alfred Lambson later served a mission to the
West Indies in 1853. He died in
1905. President Joseph F. Smith married
one of his daughters.
34Noah would be called to serve a mission to
Europe in 1852, would return leading a company of Saints to Utah in 1855, serve
as a president of the 51st quorum of Seventy in Springville, Utah in 1857, the
81st quorum in Orangeville, Emery county in 1884, and died there in 1911.
35Daniel joined the church in England and was in
charge of a ship of Mormon immigrants in 1841.
He would later serve in the Mormon Battalion. As the Battalion was crossing over the Sierras, heading for Utah,
Daniel was murdered by Indians, terribly mutilated at a place that took the
name “Tragedy Spring.”
36Among the furnishings to be provided by the leaders of the church and
their wives were, drapes for the windows, canvas curtains to divide the mail
room on the attic level into compartments, carpets for the attic floor,
portraits, chairs, sofas, mirrors, and potted plants. Brigham Young and Heber C. Kimball would donate two large wooden
tubs to hold water.
37Elder Grant would later serve as an apostle and as a councilor in the
first presidency. He had been sustained
as a president of the Seventy in the recent October General Conference. He filled the position vacated by Roger
Orton who had “neglected” the office and did not magnify his calling. Brother Orton had been called a year earlier
to this position but never came forward to serve in the office. Brother Orton always sustained Joseph Smith,
saw angels in the Kirtland Temple, but he never was very active in the church
after Zion's camp was disbanded. At
this time he was running a “public house” in Augusta.
38Little Percis would later die right before her first birthday in Winter
Quarters. Benjamin T. Mitchell was
later called on a mission to Canada in 1852.
39William Draper later went to Utah in 1852, serving as a Bishop on the
plains. He was the Presiding Elder of
the Draper Ward from 1852‑1856.
40Thomas Stenhouse later went with Lorenzo Snow to Italy and
Switzerland. He served as the president
of the Swiss Mission from 1850‑1854.
He assisted John Taylor in publishing the church periodical, The
Mormon in New York, would frequently write for the Deseret News and
published The Telegraph.
41The attic level was being prepared for endowment ordinances. Originally, side rooms in the lower levels
of the temple were going to be use for this purpose, but those levels were not
complete. There were also several of
the small side rooms of the attic level ready for the First Quorum of Seventy
to meet in.
42Each wagon company had established wagon shops. Wheelrights, carpenters, and
cabinetmakers were at work in every
part of the town preparing timber for making wagons. The timber was cut and brought into the city green. The wood for the wheels were boiled in salt
water and other wood was kiln dried.
Wagon shops were established in the Nauvoo House, Masonic Hall, the
Arsenal and nearly every shop in town.
Blacksmiths were at work night and day.
Very little property had been sold thus far. The citizens of the county had been discouraging sales.
43A French four is a square dance of French origin performed by four
couples.
44Hans Christian Hanson was born in Copenhagen, Denmark. He went to sea as a boy and during one of
these voyages, he visited America where he was taught the gospel. He joined the Church in 1842. He later was in the original pioneer
company.
45Almon W. Babbitt was
on a mission to the east in attempt to find buyers for Nauvoo property.
46Peter O. Hanson would later translate the Book of Mormon into Danish.
47There were two stoves in the main room of the attic.
48In January, Josiah would be severely injured while working on the
temple. A scaffold gave way and struck
his feet. Josiah later settled in Weber Co., Utah.