| 204 letter and a copy of the communication of November 18." The Messenger, vol. 2, p. 6.
This movement spread rapidly, and was received not only by individuals, but by organized branches, which had been raised up by men authorized under the administration of Joseph Smith the Martyr. Some of these were organized before Joseph's death, and presided over by men holding authority under him, including the one at Beloit, Wisconsin, organized in 1843, over which Elder J. W. Briggs presided; one at Waukesha, Wisconsin, also organized by Elder Briggs, in 1842 or 1843; and one organized later at Yellowstone, Wisconsin, of which Elders Zenos H. Gurley, Sen., and Hiram P. Brown were the organizers, and Elder Gurley president; and finally one near Jeffersonville, Illinois; which was organized several years before the death of the Martyrs, and continued in an organized condition until united with the Reorganization; presided over through all the dark days by Elder Thomas P. Green.
Elder Zenos H. Gurley, Sen., who was a conspicuous character in this movement, and whose reputation for veracity was unexcelled, wrote a historical sketch of these times and events from which we shall quote largely in connection with other testimony. He wrote as follows:-
"In the spring of 1850 I was appointed by a conference held at Voree, to visit a tribe of Indians in the north part of this State. On my way I was overtaken by a brother and requested to accompany him to this section of country. Immediately after our arrival I commenced preaching about fifteen miles south of this place, and continued my labors for some weeks, when (hearing of an old acquaintance) I came here about the middle of summer. The second day after my arrival I was requested to preach a funeral sermon. At the close several persons requested me to preach to them again. Accordingly, I made an appointment for the next Sabbath, a friend having offered me his house for the occasion. On my arrival at the place appointed for worship, I was agreeably surprised in finding a large and respectable congregation, of courteous manners and solemn deportment, instead of the refuse of society, as I had expected to see in this mining
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