| 354 to be taken by the mob. In fact they shot down the cattle and hogs of the saints wherever they could find them, and robbed them of nearly everything they could lay their hands upon. Latter Day Saints were treated with merciless cruelty and had to endure the most outrageous abuses. It was with the greatest difficulty that many of them got out of the State, especially the prominent men; for there were many men of that State at that time who acted as though they thought it no more harm to shoot a 'Mormon' than a mad dog. From this brief explanation you will be able to understand why some of the brethren thought we were not required to go back to Far West to start from there upon our mission across the ocean to Europe.
"Having determined to carry out the requirement of the revelation, on the 18th of April, 1839, I took into my wagon Brigham Young and Orson Pratt; and Father Cutler took into his wagon John Taylor and George A. Smith, and we started for Far West.
"On the way we met John E. Page, who was going with his family to Quincy, Illinois. His wagon had turned over, and when we met him he was trying to gather up a barrel of soft soap with his hands. We helped him get up his wagon. He drove down into the valley below, left his wagon, and accompanied us on our way.
"On the night of the 25th of April we arrived at Far West and spent the night at the home of Morris Phelps, who was not there, however, himself; he having been taken prisoner by the mob, was still in prison.
"On the morning of the 26th of April, 1839, notwithstanding the threats of our enemies that the revelation which was to be 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, 2 we moved onto the temple grounds in the city of Far West, and held a council, and fulfilled the revelation and commandment
2 This is a mistake. They had escaped ten days before.
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