Life of Heber C. Kimball, an Apostle Part 22

O world-wide philanthropy! Magnanimity unparalleled! As though the Mormons had not been the main, and well-nigh only sufferers from this horrible and h.e.l.lish invasion. Indeed, the only other losses sustained--barring those inflicted by the oppressed people in sheer self-defense--were from depredations by the mobocrats themselves upon their own sympathizers, committed in such a way as to seem the work of Mormons, who were falsely accused of the devilish deeds and the public mind thus inflamed against them.

And then, the manner of distributing this princes' ransom! Surely the tactics of the average Indian agent and post-trader there had their origin. The notorious Judge Cameron had charge of the distribution; a wretch whose unpitying gaze had surveyed complacently the wrongs and cruelties heaped upon the helpless Saints, his serene equanimity of temper being disturbed only by the patience and superhuman cheerfulness of the brethren when compelled at the point of the bayonet to sign away their property to pay the expenses of the war waged against them. He was a.s.sisted by a man named McHenry.

Says Heber C. Kimball:

"Judge Cameron drove in the hogs belonging to the brethren (many of which were identified) shot them down in the streets, and, without further bleeding they were half-dressed, cut up and distributed by McHenry to the poor, charging four or five cents per pound; which, together with a few pieces of refuse calicoes, at double and treble price, soon consumed the appropriation."

And thus did the great state of Missouri redress the wrongs of ten thousand innocent people, robbed and trampled on without provocation by its mob militia, led on and fired to their deeds of blood and plunder by political demagogues and hireling priests of Christendom.

And this in the broad daylight of the nineteenth century, in a land of religious liberty, on soil consecrated by the blood of patriots-- ancestors of the people thus trampled on and despoiled--and in the presence of American judges, magistrates and priests, affecting the calling, but disgracing the name, of Christian!

Brigham and Heber, in the absence of their fellow Apostles--the remainder of the Twelve who had not gone over to the enemy, being in prison for the Gospel's sake, or away on missions--proceeded to set in order the Church at Far West, which was more or less scattered and demoralized from the effects of the recent persecution. They were obliged to move secretly and with the utmost caution, their lives and liberties being in jeopardy from apostate spies and prowling mobocrats. They reorganized the High Council, "expressed their fellows.h.i.+p with all who desired to do right," and filled the vacancies occasioned by the absence of brethren who had fled out of the state to save their lives.

On the nineteenth of December, they ordained John Taylor and John E.

Page to the apostles.h.i.+p.

The next step of the Apostles was to arrange for the exodus of the Saints _en ma.s.se_, from this land of tyrants, traitors and mobocrats, the blood-stained soil of Missouri.

CHAPTER x.x.xIII.

THE FIRST PRESIDENCY INSTRUCT THE APOSTLES--BRIGHAM YOUNG CHOSEN PRESIDENT OF THE TWELVE--THE EXODUS BEGUN--HEBER TARRIES IN MISSOURI TO MINISTER TO HIS IMPRISONED BRETHREN--HIS FAITHFUL BUT FRUITLESS EFFORTS FOR THEIR RELEASE--THE LORD SPEAKS TO HEBER.

From Liberty Jail, January 16th, 1839, the First Presidency addressed the following letter of instructions to the Apostles:

"BROTHERS H. C. KIMBALL AND B. YOUNG:

"_Joseph Smith Jun., Sidney Rigdon and Hyrum Smith, prisoners for Jesus' sake, send greeting:_

"In obedience to your request in your letter, we say to you as follows: It is not wisdom for you to go out of Caldwell with your families yet for a little season, until we are out of prison, after which you may act at your pleasure; but though you take your families out of the State, it will be necessary for you to return, and leave as before designed, on the 26th of April.

"Inasmuch as we are in prison, for a little season, if need be, the management of the affairs of the Church devolves on you, that is the Twelve.

"The gathering of necessity is stopped; but the conversion of the world need not stop, but under wise management can go on more rapidly than ever.

"Where churches are built, let them continue where they are, until a door is open to do otherwise, and let every Elder occupy his own ground, and when he builds a church, let him preside over it, and let not others run in to trouble him; and thus let every man prove himself unto G.o.d that he is worthy. If we live, we live; and if we die for the testimony of Jesus, we die; but whether we live or die, let the work of G.o.d go on.

"Let the churches in England continue there till further orders--till a door can be opened for them, except they choose to come to America and take their chance with the Saints here. If they will do that let them come; and if they choose to come, they would do well to send their wise men before them, and buy out Kirtland, and the regions round about, or they may settle where they can till things may alter.

"It will be necessary for you to get the Twelve together, ordain such as have not been ordained, or at least such of them as you can get, and proceed to regulate the Elders as the Lord may give you wisdom. We nominate George A. Smith and Lyman Sherman to take the places of Orson Hyde and Thomas B. Marsh.

"Brethren, fear not, but be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. What is man that the servant of G.o.d should fear him, or the son of man, that he should tremble at him. Neither think it strange concerning the fiery trials with which we are tried, as though some strange thing had happened unto us. Remember that all have been partakers of like afflictions. Therefore, rejoice in your afflictions, by which you are perfected and through which the Captain of our Salvation was perfected also. Let your hearts and the hearts of all the Saints be comforted with you, and let them rejoice exceedingly, for great is our reward in heaven, for so the wicked persecuted the prophets which were before us. America will be a Zion to all that choose to come to it, and if the churches in foreign countries wish to come, let them do so. Say to Brother P.

P. Pratt that our feelings accord with his; he is as we are, and we as he. May peace rest upon him in life and in death.

"Brethren, pray for us, and cease not till our deliverance comes, which we hope may come. We _hope_, we say, for our families' sake.

"Let the Elders preach nothing but the first principles of the Gospel, and let them publish our afflictions--the injustice and cruelty thereof, upon the house tops. Let them write it and publish it in all the papers where they go. Charge them particularly on this point.

"Brethren we remain yours in hope of eternal life,

"SIDNEY RIGDON.

"JOSEPH SMITH, JR.

"HYRUM SMITH.

"N. B. Appoint the oldest of those of the Twelve, who were first appointed, to be the president of your quorum.

"J. S.

"S. R.

"H. S."

Agreeable to the instruction contained in the postscript of this letter, Brigham Young was sustained by the Apostles as president of their quorum. There were but two, it will be remembered, of the original Twelve, who were his seniors. One of these, Thomas B. Marsh, had apostatized, and the other, the lamented David W. Patten, was now filling a martyr's grave.

"On February 7th," says Apostle Kimball, "I accompanied Brother Brigham to Liberty to visit Joseph and the brethren in prison. We had the privilege of going in to see and converse with them; stayed at Liberty over night. Next morning we were permitted to visit the prisoners again while they were at breakfast, and returned during the day to Far West. When we left there Lyman Sherman was somewhat unwell.

In a few days after our return he died. We did not notify him of his appointment.

"I fitted up a small wagon, procured a span of ponies, and sent my wife and three children in company with Brother Brigham Young and his family, with several others, who left Far West, Feb. 14th. Everything my family took with them out of Missouri could have been packed on the backs of two horses: the mob took all the rest.

"Being a stranger there, I was requested by Joseph, Brigham and others, to tarry and a.s.sist in getting the brethren and families out of Missouri, and to wait upon those brethren who were in prison.

"I went to Liberty almost every week to visit the brethren; generally the only way I had to communicate with them was through the grates of their prison. Many times, after I had traveled forty or fifty miles to see them, I was denied the privilege by the jailor and the guards.

"I sent one hundred dollars by Brother Stephen Markham to Joseph, and also various sums at different times by other individuals.

"March 15th, the Prophet Joseph and others pet.i.tioned Judge Tomkins, or either of the Supreme Judges of the state of Missouri, for a state's writ of _habeas corpus_, that he and his brethren might be brought before either of those judges, that justice might be administered. I was requested by Joseph to go to Jefferson City and present the pet.i.tion. Theodore Turley was appointed to accompany me.

We took copies of the papers by which the prisoners were held, with the pet.i.tion to the Supreme Judges, and immediately started a distance of 300 miles; visited the judges, and laid the whole matter before them individually, according to our best abilities; neither of them would take any action in the case, although they appeared friendly, and acknowledged that the brethren were illegally imprisoned. We also presented a pet.i.tion to the Secretary of State, the Governor being absent. He appeared very kind, but like the other officers he had no power to do good!

"We immediately returned to Liberty, where we arrived on the 30th and made Joseph and the rest of the prisoners acquainted with the result of our mission, through the grate of the dungeon, as we were not permitted to enter the prison. Joseph told us to be of good cheer, for the Lord would deliver him and his brethren in due time; he also told us to tell the brethren to be of good cheer, and get all the Saints away as fast as possible.

"In company with Brother Turley, I visited Judge Austin A. King, who was angry with us for presenting his illegal papers to the Supreme Judges. He treated us very roughly. I returned to Far West, April 5th.

"My family having been gone about two months, during which time I heard nothing from them; our brethren being in prison; death and destruction following us everywhere we went; I felt very sorrowful and lonely. The following words came to my mind, and the Spirit said unto me, 'write,' which I did by taking a piece of paper and writing on my knee as follows:

"FAR WEST, April 6th, 1839.

"_A word from the Spirit of the Lord to my servant, Heber C.

Kimball:_

"Verily I say unto my servant Heber, thou art my son, in whom I am well pleased; for thou art careful to hearken to my words, and not transgress my law, nor rebel against my servant Joseph Smith, for thou hast a respect to the words of mine anointed, even from the least to the greatest of them; therefore thy name is written in heaven, no more to be blotted out for ever, because of these things; and this Spirit and blessing shall rest down upon thy posterity for ever and ever; for they shall be called after thy name, for thou shalt have many more sons and daughters, for thy seed shall be as numerous as the sands upon the sea sh.o.r.e; therefore, my servant Heber, be faithful, go forth in my name and I will go with you, and be on your right hand and on your left, and my angels shall go before you and raise you up when you are cast down and afflicted; remember that I am always with you, even to the end, therefore be of good cheer, my son, and my spirit shall be in your heart to teach you the peaceable things of the kingdom. Trouble not thyself about thy family, for they are in my hands; I will feed them and clothe them and make unto them friends; they never shall want for food nor raiment, houses nor lands, fathers nor mothers; brothers nor sisters; and peace shall rest upon them forever; if thou wilt be faithful and go forth and preach my gospel to the nations of the earth; for thou shalt be blessed in this thing: thy tongue shall be unloosed to such a degree that has not entered into thy heart as yet, and the children of men shall believe thy words, and flock to the water, even as they did to my servant John; for thou shalt be great in winning souls to me, for this is thy gift and calling; and there shall be no gift withheld from thee, if thou art faithful.

Therefore, be faithful, and I will give thee favor in the eyes of the people; be humble and kind and you shall obtain kindness; be merciful and you shall obtain mercy; and I will be with you even unto the end. Amen."

CHAPTER x.x.xIV.

A WORD FOR THE FALLEN--ONLY GOO KNOWETH THE WHEREFORE AND WHY--ORSON HYDE'S REPENTANCE AND RETURN TO THE CHURCH--HEBER C. KIMBALL AND HYRUM SMITH HIS CHAMPIONS--ISAAC RUSSELL'S APOSTASY--HEBER WRITES TO THE CHURCH IN ENGLAND.