| 264 You will say nothing of this to any but those who you may wish to accompany you here.
"'With great regard, I subscribe myself,
"'Yours most respectfully,
"'Joseph Smith.'
"I was moved to this course, because Elder Marks was the President of the Stake at Nauvoo, and also of the High Council, at the time of my father's death. He had retained his faith in Mormonism, as taught by Joseph and Hyrum, and his counsel would now be valuable. I announced my intention to my mother and my stepfather. The former approved my determination; the latter took a speculative view of it, and straightway built castles in the air, which he felt warranted in doing, from his point of observation.
"At an early date after receiving my letter, Elders William Marks, Israel L. Rogers, and William W. Blair, all of them interested in the movement of reorganization, visited Nauvoo, and the conclusion of their interview with me was that my mother and myself should attend the next ensuing conference to be held at Amboy, Lee County, Illinois, when the matter was to be laid before the brethren, and a decision arrived at; for, said Elder Marks, 'We have had enough of man-made prophets, and we don't want any more of that sort. If God has called you, we want to
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