Various

“ I now cried unto the Lord for strength and wisdom that we might prevail over this wicked and delusive power. Just at this time my uncle cried aloud to me, saying: "O, Brother Newel, cannot something be done?" I felt the Holy Spirit of the Lord rest upon me as he said this, and I immediately stepped forward, took her by the hand, and commanded Satan, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, to depart. I told my aunt she would not die, but that she should live to see her children grown up; that Satan had deceived her, and put a lying spirit in her mouth ”

“ After the meeting was opened, Sister More arose and began to speak in tongues. She addressed her remarks to me, and I understood her as well as though she had spoken the English language. She said: "Your leg will be healed, and you will go on a foreign mission and preach the gospel in foreign lands. No harm shall befall you, and you shall return in safety, having great joy in your labors." ”

“ In one of the settlements were four families of very old men, infirm and very poor. They seemed to think that they would not be molested and so remained behind, but no sooner did the mob learn of it, than they went to their houses, broke their windows and doors, and hurled great stones into their rooms endangering their lives; thus were these poor old men, and their families, driven before the ruthless mob in midwinter. ”

“ No citizen, nor number of citizens, have a right to take the redress of their grievances, whether real or imaginary, into their own hands; such conduct strikes at the very existence of society, and subverts the foundation on which it is based. Not being willing to persuade myself that any portion of the citizens of the state of Missouri are so lost to a sense of these truths as to require the exercise of force, in order to ensure respect for them. ”

“ From that time until I left Nauvoo with the Saints to find a home in the barren wilds of Western America, I was engaged more or less in the building and working of grist and saw mills for the benefit of the Saints. Sometimes I was without the necessaries of life, being bereft of the food and clothing which my family needed; sometimes I was surrounded by not only the necessaries but also the comforts of life; sometimes I rejoiced in the society of my friends, and sometimes enemies surrounded me, seeking my destruction because of my religion. ”

“ Although our arms had been taken from us and treaties made that we should remain in peace until the Spring, yet small parties of armed men, were continually making incursions into Caldwell county, insulting our women, driving off our stock, and plundering wherever they could get a chance. Even life was not held sacred, and Brothers Tanner and Carey were grossly misused while prisoners, the latter having his brains dashed out with a gun. ”

“ The brethren who were subpoenaed were met on the banks of the Missouri by this company and guarded to about a mile from Independence where they camped for the night. So great was the excitement in Jackson county, that it was thought necessary to have more men, and an order, or requisition, was made on Col. Allen for two hundred more. The mob made a bold stand, and began to collect in bodies, pledging themselves to the death, that no arrests should be made, but that they would defend each other to the last. ”

“ During this time we had much of the power of God manifested among us and it was wonderful to witness the wisdom that Joseph displayed on this occasion, for truly God gave unto him great wisdom and power, and it seems to me, even now, that none who saw him administer righteousness under such trying circumstances, could doubt that the Lord was with him, as he acted—not with the wisdom of man, but with the wisdom of God. ”

“ He had two children, a son and a daughter, born in Kirtland. One of these, a lovely girl, died on this tedious journey, which was to Elder Tanner the greatest trial of that time.
On his arrival in Missouri, in conversation with a friend of his, after narrating the hardships, privations and many of the most trying circumstances of the journey, he said, "Well, if others have come up easier, they have not learned so much." This expression is characteristic of Elder Tanner's very happy faculty of drawing sunshine from the darkest cloud and honey from the most bitter herb. ”

“ That truth is the foundation of all righteousness, and that righteousness is what we desire, no person among this people will deny. Hence our anxiety to teach the child from its earliest infancy the principle of the gospel. In order to assist in this great work of teaching the gospel principles, we have been led to publish the SERIES of which this book forms a part. Whether or not our endeavors have met with any success, we leave for others to say, but we can safely state that all who have read these little works cannot but realize the fact that "Truth is stranger than fiction." ”

“ When the meeting had been opened as usual, I arose, not knowing what to do or what to say. After requesting the prayers and united faith of all present, the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, so that I was able to make plain the cause of Sister Peck's illness—that she had risen up in opposition to the Priesthood which had been placed over that branch of the Church, and contradicted the revelations of God, and that by the sympathies shown her, a division of feeling had gained advantage over them, until Sister Peck had fallen completely under the power of Satan, and could not extricate herself. ”

“ We have not come to injure you: and if you harm us, or injure one hair of our heads, the Great Spirit will smite you to the earth, and you shall not have power to breath another breath. We have been driven from our homes and so have you. ”

“ I firmly believe that many people who hear the gospel preached have an inward conviction of its truth; but the love of riches and popularity with the fear of their friends deserting them and the frowns of the world, in many instances, cause their love to grow cold and they smother their convictions and become our enemies. ”

“ Soon after this conference Brother Hyrum Smith, wife and family came to Colesville, to live with me, but most of his time, as also that of my own, was spent in the villages around, preaching the gospel wherever we could find any who would listen to us, either in public or private. A few believed and were baptized, among whom was Emer Harris, brother to Martin Harris, who proved to be a useful laborer in the vineyard.
Many raged and persecuted us, doing all in their power to stop the progress of the work. But we moved steadily ahead, putting our trust in the Lord God of heaven. ”

“ The brethren returned to their homes renewed in spirit, and rejoicing in heart. Such peace and happiness were not however, to continue long without an interruption from our enemies, for when the Saints rejoice, the devil is mad and his children and servants partake of his spirit. This was proven in this instance, for before this month had closed, a most dreadful and diabolical spirit of persecution manifested itself all around us. An immense mob collected together expressing a determination to drive us from our homes for they would not allow the "Mormons" to live in their midst. ”

“ But in the midst of these varied circumstances I never felt to doubt the truth of the gospel or the divinity of Joseph Smith's mission.
The persecutions of the Saints in Missouri soon began to be re-enacted in Illinois, where large numbers of our people had settled and built up the beautiful city of Nauvoo. Our enemies of the former place would not allow us to enjoy peace in the latter, but did everything in their power to arouse public indignation against us. Men who professed to be members of the Church also turned away from the truth and sought to injure the work. ”

“ About December, 1832, Elder Hyrum Smith, brother to the prophet, came to our neighborhood. My father told him that his daughter, who was present, was bent on being baptized into his church, stating at the same time, that the Elder who baptized her would do so at his peril. The Elder quite mildly remarked in substance as follows: "Mr. Tyler, we shall not baptize your daughter against your wishes. If our doctrine be true, which we testify it is, if you prevent your daughter from embracing it, the sin will be on your head, not on ours or your daughter's." ”

“ Some went to the Missouri river intending to cross over into Clay county, for they had already proven that the people in the adjoining counties were far from being their friends. Thus homeless, and without means of taking much to sustain them did the whole Church in Jackson county flee before the mob, and at night those who went to the river camped in the rain which poured down in torrents; the frail mother, the helpless infant, the sick and the dying, all alike without the means to shelter themselves from the storm. ”

“ The desire, however, to place matter in the hands of the young for reading and study, should not cause parents to be less careful in the selection of books. Truth expands the mind and quickens the understanding, while fiction dulls the perceptions and impairs the memory. The acquisition of the one is a source of joy to the possessor, while the constant perusal of the other unfits a person for the study of that which endures. ”

“ The mob collected in different parts of the county and attacked the Saints in most of their settlements, houses were unroofed, others were pulled down, leaving women and children, and even the sick and the dying exposed to the inclemency of the weather. Men were caught and whipped or clubbed until they were bruised from head to foot, and some were left upon the ground for dead. The most horrid threats and imprecations were uttered against us, and women and children were told, with cursings, that unless they left the country immediately they should be killed. ”

“ Being no longer at a loss to know where the exact spot for the building of the temple and the city of Zion was, we immediately prepared for our labors. On the 2nd day of August, Brother Joseph Smith, Jun., the prophet of God, assisted the Colesville branch to lay the first log as a foundation for Zion in Kaw township, twelve miles west of Independence. The log was carried by twelve men, in honor of the twelve tribes of Israel. At the same time, through prayer, Sidney Rigdon consecrated and dedicated the land of Zion for the gathering of the Saints. ”

“ All apostatized shortly afterwards excepting Elder Gully and a few others who had believed and were anxious to get baptized before this remarkable case of healing occurred, thus proving the truth of the revelation which says, "Those who seek signs shall have signs, but not unto salvation." Even the man who received this manifestation of God's power went back to the beggarly elements of the world, although he still bore testimony to the fact that he was healed, but said he "did not know whether Joseph Smith was a true prophet or an imposter." ”

“ On one occasion, when two or three companies of the mob were in the neighborhood, they sent two of their number as spies to learn our situation. Parley P. Pratt, who was on guard at the mill, on seeing them, went and accosted them, when one of the two raised his gun and struck Brother Pratt on the head, cutting a large hole, but Brother Pratt called to his men, who took the two spies prisoners, and disarmed them for the night, but the next morning returned their arms to them, and let them go without doing them any injury. ”

“ It was said that twenty of the mob had been killed and a number wounded, the news flew through the county as on the wings of the wind, and men who were peaceable before, now rushed into Independence determined to massacre the Saints. ”

“ The Lord is displeased with it and will not prosper you if you continue in it. You think you own all this land, this timber, this water and all these horses. You do not own one thing on earth, not even the air you breathe. It all belongs to the Great Spirit.'"
In the latter part of June, 1848, Elder Tanner fitted up five teams and wagons, and with eighteen months' provisions, started for Salt Lake, celebrating the 4th of July, on the Elk Horn. Between Wood River and Laramie a six year old grand-son fell from the tongue of a wagon loaded with about 3,500 pounds. ”

“ Parley P. Pratt had belonged to the same church as Sidney Rigdon, and had been sent by his sect on some business to New York state, and while there he heard, and embraced the gospel, was ordained an Elder and immediately sent on this mission. Having been acquainted with Sidney Rigdon, he called on him, presented the Book of Mormon to him as a revelation from God, and before these brethren moved on to the fulfillment of their mission, Sidney Rigdon, with a large number of the members of his church, was baptized. The success of these brethren was immense. ”

“ Every attempt made by the brethren to obtain assistance enraged the mob to a greater degree, and none could remain in their midst and feel that life was safe. While Brothers Gilbert, Morely and Corvill, were being conducted back to jail by the deputy sheriff after meeting with the brethren and persuading them to leave the county, a number of the mob overtook them, and although the deputy sheriff told his name, and the names of his prisoners and called on them in God's name not to fire, yet two of them raised their guns and fired at Brother Gilbert, the one snapping and the other missing fire. ”

“ Mr. Seymour now addressed the court and in a long and violent harrangue endeavored to blacken the character of Joseph, and bring him in guilty of the charges preferred against him.
Messrs. Davidson and Reed followed on Joseph's behalf. They held forth in true colors the nature of the prosecution, the malignity of intention, and the apparent disposition of the prosecution to persecute their client, rather than to do him justice. ”

“ On the 24th of October, Captain Bogart, a Methodist priest, marched a company of men towards Far West with the avowed intention, to use his language, of giving our city "thunder and lightning" before noon of the next day. On receipt of this information from Brother Parson, who had watched the movements of Bogart, and seen him camp on Crooked river, a company of seventy-five volunteers went out to disperse the mob, and retake three prisoners, whom the mob had kidnapped from their homes, and to prevent the descent upon Far West. ”

“ The Lord who well knew our weak state, blessed us, by giving us His Holy Spirit to comfort our hearts, so that our faith in the restoration of His gospel to man on the earth, through the instrumentality of Joseph Smith, Jun., remained firm and unshaken. ”