| 867 with Brother Sylvester Smith's team, as I had left mine in Missouri. About this time Brother Brigham Young started in company with about the same number that was with me, with James Foster's team.
After proceeding about three miles, we stopped and made arrangements for travelling [traveling]. They chose me to be their captain home, and all put their money into my hands, which amounted to forty dollars. From thence we proceeded until we came to Brother Thomas B. Marsh's house; his wife gave us some dinner, and we proceeded on our journey. May the Lord bless her for it. This day we crossed a branch of the Fishing River, in a scow, and when we were pulling our waggon [wagon] out of it, it was sinking. Here an enemy came and swore he would shoot us. From thence we continued on to one Brother Ball's, where we stayed all night; some slept on the floor, and some in the corn crib. The next morning we pursued our journey and after travelling [traveling] about eight miles we came to the Missouri River, which we crossed in a scow, the current was so rapid that it carried us down one mile. After we had got over the river, and had travelled [traveled] about two miles we came into the village of Lexington. Here we were threatened some by our enemies, but out of their hands the Lord delivered us.-From thence we proceeded daily, and receiving no harm, we travelled [traveled] until we came within about half a mile of St. Charles. Here we pitched our tents by the side of the road and tarried all night. The next morning we passed through the village which looked very gloomy as the cholera had nearly desolated the place. After travelling [traveling] about eight miles, we came to Jack's Ferry on the Missouri, where we again crossed the stream. We then proceeded about five miles and stopped to take some refreshment. Here we were again accosted by one of our enemies, who swore he would kill us that night: we travelled [traveled] about ten miles after sunset and camped in the woods. The Lord again delivered us from the grasp of our enemies. We proceeded on our journey daily, the Lord blessing us with health and strength. The weather was very hot, still we travelled [traveled] from thirty-five to forty miles a day, until about the 26th of July, when we arrived in Kirtland; having been gone from home about three months, during which time, with the exception of four nights I found my rest on the ground. We did not travel on the Sabbath during our journey back, but attended to breaking of bread &c. On my arrival at home, I found my family well, enjoying the blessings and comforts of life, and I felt to rejoice in the Lord that he had preserved my life, through many dangers, seen and unseen, and brought me to behold my family in peace and prosperity. After being at home two weeks and resting myself; I concluded I had finished my mission the Lord called me to, and I went to my old occupation. I established my business as a potter, and continued about three months until cold weather came on, when I was under the necessity of stopping for the time being, calculating on the opening of spring to commence business on a larger scale, thinking as did Peter of old, "I go a fishing." I had got an idea similar to that which the ancient apostles had when the Savior was taken from them, and they went a fishing, so I went to the mechanic's shop. At this time the brethren were laboring night and day building the house of the Lord. Our women were engaged in spinning and knitting in order to clothe those who were laboring at the building, and the Lord only knows the scenes of poverty, tribulation, and distress which we passed through in order to accomplish this thing. My wife toiled all summer in lending her aid towards its accomplishment. She had a hundred pounds of wool, which, with the assistance of a girl, she spun in order to furnish clothing for those engaged in the building of the Temple, and although she had the privilege of keeping half the quantity of wool for herself, as a recompense for her labor, she did not reserve even so much as would make her a pair of stockings; but gave it for those who were laboring at the house of the Lord. She spun and wove and got the cloth dressed, and cut and made up into garments, and gave them to those men who labored on the Temple; almost all the sisters in Kirtland labored in knitting, sewing, spinning, &c., for the purpose of forwarding the work of the Lord, while we went up to Missouri to endeavor to reinstate our brethren on their lands, from which they had been driven. Elder Rigdon when addressing the brethren upon the importance of building this house, spake to this effect, that we should use every effort to accomplish this building by the time appointed, and if we did, the Lord would accept it at our hands, and on it depends the salvation of the church and also of the world.-Looking at the sufferings and poverty of the church, he frequently used to go upon the walls of the building both by night and day and frequently wetting the walls with his tears, crying aloud to the Almighty to send means whereby we might accomplish the building.-After we returned from our journey to the west, the whole church united in this undertaking, and every man lent a helping hand. Those who had no teams went to work in the stone quarry and prepared the stones for drawing to
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