how are you going to perform a journey of thirteen or fourteen hundred miles by land, and to a wilderness country without means?"
"I don't know; but the Lord will open out the way."
Everywhere he went, he told the Saints about the time he expected to leave for Far West, but still no visible prospect of getting there was yet in sight. Three or four days before the time appointed for his departure, he called upon a Brother John Mills, who had previously talked of going with him to Kirtland when the time came that he could leave Canada. Elder Taylor now told him that he would have to give up going to Kirtland as he had received word from the Prophet to go to Far West.
"Well, I'll go to Far West too," said Brother Mills, "won't you go with me, Brother Taylor, I have plenty of teams?"
Elder Taylor.—"Brother Mills, I have nothing to pay you with for taking me."
Brother Mills.—"That makes no difference."
Elder Taylor.—"But I have no money to pay my expenses."
Brother Mills.—"I have plenty, and it is at your service."
Elder Taylor.—"That is very kind of you, but I object to getting into debt without the prospect of being able to pay."
Brother Mills.—"But you need not pay."
Elder Taylor.—"Well, if you'll clear me of all responsibility in the matter, and take the Lord for your paymaster, I'll go with you."
Brother Mills.—"Oh, I am quite willing to agree to that."
And so it was arranged right then that they would travel together to Far West. Before the day of their departure had come, the Saints sent to Elder Taylor plenty of supplies, flour, cakes and hams; and as it was the winter season, and such things would keep, they furnished him enough roasted geese, ducks, and other cooked provisions to last himself and several other families hundreds of miles on the journey. Others sent him money and clothing, so that he had an abundance of everything; and as Brother Mills had supplied the necessary conveyance for the journey, it would appear that he had not trusted in the Lord in vain.
They fitted up a covered sleigh for their families to ride in, while their goods were conveyed in wagons. In this way they traveled to Kirtland.
Footnotes
1. There is a revelation in the Doctrine & Covenants, Sec 118, that was given at Far West, on the 8th of July, 1838, in which John Taylor, John E. Page, Wilford Woodruff and Willard Richards, are called to the Apostleship; and direction is given that they should be officially notified of their appointment. But it is quite evident that Elder Taylor was notified of his appointment previous to July 8th, 1838, as he wound up his affairs and prepared to leave Canada, because of his being informed of this call to the Apostleship in the fall of 1837.
CHAPTER VI.
JOURNEY TO FAR WEST VIA KIRTLAND—STATE OF AFFAIRS AT KIRTLAND—DEFIANCE TO A MOB—EXPERIENCE AT DE WITT—MISSOURI PERSECUTIONS—ORDAINED AN APOSTLE.
On arriving in Kirtland Elder Taylor found that the Presidency of the Church and many of the Saints had removed to Far West, Missouri. This alone was calculated to make a great alteration in the place, and surround it with a spirit of loneliness. But other causes had also been operating to bring about marked changes since his former visits to this shrine.
Only a year or two before, everything in and about Kirtland had been prosperous. The Saints abounded in everything their hearts could desire. The men wore expensive raiment, ornamented with velvets and silks of the richest and rarest quality. It may be taken for granted that the sisters were not a whit behind them. They were arrayed in their silks, satins, lace, veils and jewelry; and amid all their piety, manifested a full share of vanity and pride.
Speculation was rife all over the United States at that time, and the Saints did not escape the contagion. They started a banking institution, engaged in mercantile pursuits and land speculation. For a time they were prosperous and wealth rapidly accumulated among them. Sidney Rigdon declared, in a burst of enthusiasm, that the glory of the latter-days was now being ushered in, and that Zion would soon become the glory of the whole earth; when the Lord for silver would bring gold; for iron, brass; and for stones, iron. But a wave of financial disaster swept over the entire country. Banking institutions went down before it; thousands of merchants were hopelessly ruined; and in the general disaster Kirtland did not escape. Like the inhabitants of other towns her people were overwhelmed with financial embarrassment. "Distress, ruin and poverty," says Elder Taylor, "seemed to prevail. Apostates and corrupt men were prowling about as so many wolves seeking whom they might devour. They were oppressive, cruel, heartless; devising every pretext that the most satanic malignity could invent to harass the Saints. Fraud, false accusation and false swearing, vexatious law suits, personal violence, and bare-faced robbery abounded. They were truly afflicted, persecuted and tormented."
As snow failed them at Kirtland Elder Taylor and company had to abandon their sleigh and take to their wagons. The roads were so very bad, however, that they had only gone some twenty or thirty miles when they concluded it would be wise to stop until they should become dryer. In the village where they stopped Elder Taylor took a job of varnishing some furniture for a cabinet maker. While here he formed the acquaintance of a number of infidels with whom he frequently conversed, and they desired to hear him preach. He consented. They could not obtain the use of the Methodist Church, though they had assisted to build it; but nothing daunted, they cleared out and seated a cabinet maker's shop, and here the Elder held forth.
He proved the Bible true, and then taught them its principles. He proved the Book of Mormon true, and then preached from that. They were highly delighted with his lectures; and when the time came that he had to leave them, they deeply regretted his departure. One of the number took him by the hand and said: "Mr. Taylor, God bless you wherever you go."
Among them was a gentleman to whom the Prophet Joseph had gone to school. He spoke very highly of him as an exemplary, moral young man. He had never investigated the evidences concerning the Book of Mormon; but he knew the Prophet's character was misrepresented by pious frauds, jealous of his influence and the spread of Mormonism.
Near Columbus, the capital of Ohio, they stayed at a town where a number of brethren resided, and all were anxious to hear Elder Taylor preach. As they had no hall, it was arranged that he should speak in the open air.
A little before meeting time a number of the brethren came running to the house where he was stopping with the information that the whole town was gathering and that a number of men had proposed tar and feathers, and boasted they would dress him with them if he undertook to preach. The brethren advised him not to attempt it as they were not strong enough to protect him. After a moment's reflection, however, he decided to go and preach. The brethren remonstrated; they knew the tar and feathers were prepared and that he could not escape. He replied that he had made up his mind to go; they could go with him if they chose, if not, he would go alone.
A very large concourse of people had assembled to listen to him. He began his remarks by informing them that he had lately come from Canada—a land under monarchical rule; that standing as he then did on free soil, among free
