LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. affairs, and took possession of his property. His relatives obtained nothing from his effects except a few trifling mementos. I left this place and crossed into Illinois on the 13th of De- cember, and arrived at Rochester on the 19th, and, getting information of the severe persecutions of the Saints in Mis- souri and the unsettled state of the Church at that time, we concluded to stop at Rochester and spend the winter. Thus ended my ...

DETERMINED TO FULFILL THE LORD'S COMMAND. It will be observed that this differs from nearly all other revelations in this respect: a fixed day and a stated place were given for the commencement of the mission. When the reve- lation was given, all was peace and quietude in Far West, Missouri, the city where most of the Latter-day Saints dwelt; but before the time came for its fulfillment, the Saints of God had been driven out of the State of Missouri into the State of

ORDAINED TO THE APOSTLESHIP. fulfilled this day should not be, and notwithstanding that ten thousand of the Saints had been driven out of the State by the edict of the governor, and though the Prophet Joseph and his brother, Hyrum Smith, with other leading men were in the hands of our enemies, in chains and in prison, we moved on to the temple grounds in the city of Far West, and held a council, and fulfilled the revelation ...

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. and Missouri, and returned to Illinois. We had accomplished the mission without a dog moving his tongue at us, or any man saying, "Why do you do so?" We crossed the Mississippi river on the steam ferry, entered Quincy on the 2nd of May, and all had the joy of reaching our families once more in peace and safety. There was an incident connected with our journey that is worthy of record. While we were on ...

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. CHAPTER XIX. A DAY OF GOD'S POWER WITH THE PROPHET JOSEPH SMITH —A GREAT NUMBER OF SICK PERSONS HEALED—THE MOB BECOMES ALARMED—THEY TRY TO INTERFERE WITH THE HEALING OF THE SICK—THE MOB SENT OUT OF THE HOUSE—TWIN CHILDREN HEALED. WHILE I was living in this cabin in the old barracks, we experienced a day of God's power with the Prophet Joseph. It was a very sickly time and Joseph had given up his home in Commerce to the sick, and had a ...

HEALING THE SICK. passing by my door, Brother Joseph said: "Brother Wood- ruff, follow me.” These were the only words spoken by any of the company from the time they left Brother Brigham's house till we crossed the public square, and entered Brother Ford- ham's house. Brother Fordham had been dying for an hour, and we expected each minute would be his last. I felt the power of God that was overwhelming His Prophet. When we entered the house, Brother Joseph walked up ...

SENT TO HEAL TWIN CHILDREN. This case of Brother Noble's was the last one of healing upon that day. It was the greatest day for the manifestation of the power of God through the gift of healing since the organization of the Church. When we left Brother Noble, the Prophet Joseph went, with those who accompanied him from the other side, to the banks of the river, to return home. While waiting for the ferry-boat, a man of the world ...

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. CHAPTER XX. PREPARING FOR OUR JOURNEY AND MISSION—THE BLES- SING OF THE PROPHET JOSEPH UPON OUR HEADS, AND HIS PROMISES UNTO US—THE POWER OF THE DEVIL MANIFESTED TO HINDER US IN THE PERFORMANCE OF OUR JOURNEY. ON the first of July, 1839, Joseph Smith and his counsel- ors, Sidney Rigdon and Hyrum Smith, crossed the river to Montrose, to spend the day with the Twelve, and set them apart ...

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. "We may ever know by this sign that there is danger of our being led to a fall and apostasy when we give way to the devil, so as to neglect the first known duty; but whatever you do, do not betray your friend." The foregoing are some of the instructions given to the Twelve by the Prophet Joseph, before they started upon their missions. Inasmuch as the devil had been in a measure thwarted by the Twelve ...

START ON A MISSION. CHAPTER XXI. LEAVE MY FAMILY—START UPON MY MISSION—OUR CON- DITION—ELDER TAYLOR THE ONLY ONE NOT SICK— REPROOF FROM THE PROPHET—INCIDENTS UPON THE JOURNEY—ELDER TAYLOR STRICKEN—I LEAVE HIM SICK. EARLY upon the morning of the 8th of August, I arose from my bed of sickness, laid my hands upon the head of my sick wife, Phoebe, and blessed her. I then departed from the embrace of my companion, and left her almost with- out food or the ...