| 265 know it. If he has, the church is ready to sustain you; if not, we want nothing to do with you.' 4
"My mother and myself made the necessary preparation and started from Nauvoo to Amboy, on the 4th of April, 1860, in the face of one of the fiercest tempests that had blown that spring. My mother made the characteristic remark, that thus it had been all through her life; that whenever she set out to do anything for the gospel's sake, the old boy seemed to be in the elements trying to prevent. We crossed the Mississippi, James Gifford and another resolute man in the small boat at the oars. The crossing was made in safety, and wet with spray, but strong in purpose we pursued our journey by boat and rail, arriving at Amboy on the 5th in time to attend the evening prayer meeting held at the house of Sr. Experience Stone, when for the first time I learned that it had been prophesied among them that I should come to the Amboy conference of 1860. Whether these sayings had been known to Brethren Marks, Rogers, and Blair at the time of their visit to me, I do not know; but if so, they had not so stated to me; though there was a general expectancy that I would be there. A strange thrill pervaded the air, and when Elder Z. H. Gurley, Sen., in one of his impulsive, impassioned exhortations, referred to the fulfillment of the 'word of the Lord to them,' by the fact of my being there, the whole people sobbed aloud in their joy and gratefulness. The story of the next day, April 6,1860, has been told, and my life since that day has been spent for and with the church, and what that life has been remains with the saints.
4 Elder W. W. Blair, in his journal, writes of this interview as follows: "Monday, l9th March, 1860. This evening Bro. I. L. Rogers called upon me to go with Bro. William Marks and himself to Nauvoo in answer to a request from Joseph Smith, Jr., who wrote to Bro. Marks that he had determined to soon take his father's place in the priesthood, and desired an interview with himself (Marks) and such others as Bro. Marks might select. We proceeded on Monday night to Burlington, and on Tuesday by four p. m., reached Nauvoo by steamboat Aunt Letty. Joseph and Emma received us very kindly. We expressed our views with regard to the work. On comparison there appeared to be little or no difference of sentiment. We staid [stayed] with them till Wednesday, at ten a. m. Before leaving Joseph told us he should attend the conference at Amboy, and Emma would endeavor to also. After we by request of Joseph had prayers, we took leave of the family and crossed the river to Montrose."
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