| 573 him, and said he would be happy to have an opportunity of laying his statement before the conference at a convenient time.
President William Law, General Bennett president pro tem., and President H. Smith all spoke upon the subject of military affairs, showing the necessity of a well-organized and efficient force; that as we were bound to serve our country if required in common with all good citizens, we ought not to be behind any of our neighbors in point of good order, neat uniforms, and equipments, and a well-organized and thoroughly disciplined legion.
April 7. Conference met; President Joseph Smith had the several quorums put in order, and seated. He then made some very appropriate remarks concerning the duties of the church, the necessity of unity of purpose in regard to the building of the houses, and the blessings connected with doing the will of God, and the inconsistency, folly, and danger of murmuring against the dispensations of Jehovah.
He said that the principal object of the meeting was to bring the case of Elder Page before them, and that another object was to choose young men, and ordain them, and send them out to preach, that they may have an opportunity of proving themselves, and of enduring the tarring and feathering and such things as those of us who have gone before them have had to endure.
Elder Page having arrived, was called upon, and addressed the congregation in relation to the nonperformance of his mission to Jerusalem. He said that when he started with Elder Hyde, joy filled their hearts, and they were aware of the responsibility of their mission. Elder Hyde's vision was that he should be in Jerusalem alone; E. P. [Elder Page] considered Elder Hyde to be his father and guide in the mission and felt it his duty to submit to Elder Hyde's opinion in all things. No elders ever were more in concert on a mission than they were while together. They made a covenant in Quincy to stand by each other while on the mission; that if they were insulted or imposed upon they would stand by each other even unto death, and not separate unless to go a few miles to preach a sermon; that all moneys should go into one purse, and it did so. Elder Hyde in Indiana first said he would go to visit Bro. Knight, and that Elder Page would stay and preach. He assented, and he went and returned to Indianapolis. Elder Page had a mare given him on account of both. Elder Hyde then took the mare went on, and left his luggage with Elder Page. While away he sold the mare for forty dollars, and received sixty dollars more as a donation from the man to whom he sold the mare. He returned; they preached in Dayton and received a handsome contribution. Elder Page preached sixteen miles off and raised a branch; Elder Hyde went to Cincinnati revised the "Missouri Persecutions," got two thousand copies printed and paid for them, and took part of them with him, and left a large box full and about one hundred and fifty loose copies with Elder Page. Elder Hyde started for Philadelphia, purposing to visit churches on the way; he left Elder Page twenty-three dollars and thirty-one cents. Elder Page returned to Dayton and Milton and sold books, with the intention of following Elder Hyde as soon as practicable; but he stayed a day or two too long, and the river closed by the frost, from one to two weeks earlier than usual. Elder Hyde told him that it was possible they might be from one to two years before they would leave America, as it would take upwards of one thousand dollars each to take them to Jerusalem and back; that it would be slow gleaning in England; and assigned this as a reason for not immediately following Elder Hyde, thinking that he would be sure of seeing him in the spring.
Elder Page accused himself of not using better economy in proceeding on his journey. There came out a piece in the paper stating the displeasure
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