Autobiography of Wandle Mace

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Wandle Mace, 1809-1890

Autobiography (1809-1846)

Journal of Wandle Mace, typescript, hbll

Autobiography of Wandle Mace

(As told to his wife,

Rebecca E. Howell Mace)

j


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Chapter One

[Wandle Mace, the subject of these short sketches, was the second

son of John and Dinah Campbell Mace of New York; was born on the

19th day of February in the year 1809, in Johnstown, Montgomery

County, New York, and is written as nearly as possible as told by

himself. He says:]

Of my early days I shall say but little. My father was a farmer,

and blacksmith at which trade he sometimes worked; my parents

were both honest and industrious people and in my seventh year

they moved to the city of New York.

My parents were not connected with any church but were

Bible readers and believers in that good book and taught their

children to observe its teachings. More especially was this so with

my mother who took great care to teach them the New Testament,

the contents of which she seemed to know thoroughly. We were

sent to Sunday School and there our lessons were always in the

New Testament, the lessons at rst a verse then as we advanced

several verses and nally whole chapters were committed to

memory. My mother always assisted in these studies and before

we started for Sabbath School heard our lessons recited that we

might be perfect in them. The care my mother took to teach me

in my childhood these lessons for Sabbath School has been of

the greatest worth to me.

When I was old enough my father apprenticed me to a Mr.

Flender, a wheelwright, and on the 11th day of September 9,


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1822, I commenced my apprenticeship. Mr. Flender had a goodly

number of apprentices, some of whose time was nearly expired

and others not having served so long, so that there were boyswhose ages varied from the oldest apprentice of 21 to me, the

youngest not yet fourteen.

I was rst put to work in the blacksmith shop and kept in that

shop until I had learned that branch of the business thoroughly. I

then learned to make wheels. When I had learned these branches

of the business I was put to work at other parts or branches, untilI had thoroughly learned to do every kind of work that was done

in the shops which was all kinds of coach and carriage buildings.

When I was between 16 and 17 years old, I met with a severe

accident. I was using the broad axe and as I was stepping upon

a block with the broad axe in my hand, I struck my right knee

against the point or corner of the axe which made a very deep cutbut not a long one. I paid no attention to it for a day or two but

it became so painful that I had to go to my parents home where

I was conned to bed for a period of ve months. During this

time a counsel of physicians was called to consult together and

they decided that amputation above the knee was necessary. To

this I would not consent and with the blessings of the Lord, mylimb was saved and I soon was able to return to work.

My fellow apprentices, as well as myself, had to work very long

days in summer, and in the short winter days we worked from

daylight in the morning until nine oclock at nights using candle

light. Those were long and tedious years of toil, but youth is ever

bright with hope and joyous anticipations as we looked forwardeach week for the Sabbath, when we could go home to see our

parents our brothers, sisters and friends. After spending Sunday,


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we must return to Mr. Flenders about nine oclock Sunday night

to be ready for work on Monday morning.

During these years my father and mother gave me good adviceand expressed their pleasure in that I observed it. My mother

upon one occasion said to me, I am proud to be able to say you

have lived to be eighteen years old and there is not a stain upon

your character. It gave her the greatest of pleasure to be able

to say this of her boy. In June 1828, my mother died, and shortly

after her death I bought out the remaining portion of the time ofmy apprenticeship, and went to work in another coach-building

shop. On the 9th day of November, 1828, I married Miss Margaret

Merklee. I continued work at coach-making until my brother

Johnwho had served out his term of apprenticeship in the

grocery and provision businesscommenced in business for

himself and persuaded me to join him in copartnership. Weopened two stores in New York City and done a thriving business.

We were doing so well that we opened another store and placed

a friend of my brother John in it. This store was in Patterson,

New Jersey.

We soon found that we had spread our business out too far.

Had we been satised with doing well in the city where we couldattend to business ourselves, all would have been well with us

but we were young and ambitious and had to learn by experience.

About this time, 1830, a failure of banks and business houses took

place, some of the largest business houses in New York failed,

and we failed with the others. We could not meet our obligations

because those indebted to us could not meet theirs. I felt keenlyour situation.

Now I began to realize what adversity really meant. I felt

ashamed to meet anyone. Some of those persons who had courted


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our society when we were ourishing in business, now that

adversity had overtaken us, would pass us by without recognition.

I began to learn the hollowness of so-called society.We now thought we would leave the city and try farming, so

we bought a farm on Long Island and moved upon it early in the

spring of 1831. We commenced our labors in earnest and during

the summer I worked very hard. As summer merged into autumn

I had the ague. I felt very much discouraged, yet I did not want

to give up. However, after working the farm two years we soldout and returned to the city.

I again went into a coach-making establishment and after I

had worked at this place a short time, a Mr. Kidder came to the

shop in search of me. He had heard of my skill as a mechanic

and wanted my assistance to get up a machine for sweeping the

streets of New York City. My employer, hearing this, ordered himout of the shop and to his surprise or disgust, I went with him.

I then engaged with Mr. Kidder to make a working model of

a street-sweeping machine which he had planned, to be sent to

the patent ofce at Washington. Also a machine to sweep the

streets, and when I had completed it, I took some men with me for

assistance to try it upon the streets. This we done late one nightwhen the streets were deserted. The sweeping machine worked

like a charm it proved a perfect success. It swept the street quite

clean and gathered up the dirt and carried it off. This was the rst

street-sweeping machine ever made and used in New York City.

This trial was made on the night of 8th of November, 1833,

when the stars fell. Mr. Kidder was a sickly man, a consumptive,and did not dare on account of his health, to expose himself to

the night air, and he regretted very much that he missed such a

beautiful sight. As near as I can describe its appearance it was as


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a snowstorm appears when the snowakes are large, but not very

close together and falling slowly, but instead of being akes of

snow was stars. Thousands of bright meteors also shot throughspace in every direction and some would burst making a loud

report, having long trains of light. Arriving home I called the

attention of my wife to it, and together we watched them until

daylight obscured them from our vision.

Chapter Two

Ihad for some time been connected with the New SchoolPresbyterian Church. As before stated, my mother had assistedme in committing to memory the greater part of the New

Testament while attending Sunday School, and as I became more

conversant with the doctrines on discipline of Presbyterianism

and compared them with the teachings of the Savior and his

apostles, I saw that there was not even a semblance. There were

no signs following the believer, as recorded in the 16th chapter of

St. Marks Gospel, verses 17 and 18, as should be the case. There

was no authority to confer these blessings, there were no apostles,

no prophets having the word of the Lord as anciently. Why did

not these blessings exist in the church now.

The answer from the so-called ministers of Jesus Christ was,

They were no longer needed. They were needed to establish the

church but after it was established they were needed no more.

This kind of reasoning did not appear to me to be consistent.

If God was the same yesterday, today, and forever, without


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variableness neither shadow of turning, he would not institute

such choice blessings to establish his church and as soon as that

church was established, withdraw them.I was pondering over these things for some time when one

day one of the elders was visiting me and seeing my two children

inquired if they had been christened. I answered, No. He said,

I am surprised that you, a member of the Presbyterian Church

should not have your children christened. I replied that I could

see nothing in the scriptures that taught the christening ofchildren. I wished to take the scriptures for my guide and rule

of faith and practice. He labored long and earnestly to show me

the necessity of attending to that ordinance of the church. He

could not convince me of its necessity as he had no evidence to

offer from the Bible.

I was then summoned before a session of elders, Dr. Lansingpresiding. They expressed surprise at the course I was taking, as

a member of the church who did not conform to all its teachings,

and they questioned me about what I did believe. I answered all

their questions by quoting a scripture bearing on the question.

I told them I believed in the principles taught by our Lord and

Savior, Jesus Christ, who said, If you love me you will keep mycommandments, and this is what I desired to do. They said we

could not keep the commandments of God; it was impossible. I

contended that God, being a just God, would not give laws and

commandments to his children which they could not keep. I was

very much in earnest when contending for the doctrines taught

in the New Testament by the Savior and his apostles, but to nopurpose. They labored hard to convince me that I was wrong, and

I nally said, Dr., Lansing, I want to be a Christian; tell me, how

much sin a man may commit and still be a Christian?


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He sat for some time with bowed head. He seemed very

thoughtful and sorrowful, and very much concerned for my

salvation. Then he answered, Brother Mace, you have thoughtdeeper than I supposed. I had always thought Dr. Lansing to be

a good devout man, a Christian in every deed. I had great respect

for him but I could not agree with him upon these principles.

I withdrew from their communion table, but usually attended

the public Sunday services, but upon one occasion when I was

absent they excommunicated me from the church. It seemsthey waited for a time when I might be absent, and when I could

offer no defense for my conducts. This is the way I saw it, and

do consider it.

I now withdrew from them entirely. There were many others

like myself, searching the scriptures and praying for light, and

we met together for mutual edication at the house of Mr. JamesLa Touretts and Mr. William Greens, a hardware merchant. And

other places to search the scriptures, for these, like myself, had

withdrawn from sectarianism and had come into the liberty as

we called it.

My friends said I ought to preach, being so well acquainted

with the scriptures, and as we had taken the scriptures for ourrule of faith and practice, I ought not to neglect so great a calling.

I thought so, too, and I selected the most neglected portions of

the city for my labors. One day in the week, Sunday, I devoted

to this work. I fasted and prayed, and went from house to house

preaching the gospel as I understood it. I sought out the poor

and destitute, the ignorant and degraded. Those who have livedin large cities will understand what I mean, the tenement house

where many families reside, every room is occupied from the

cellar kitchen to the garret with the poorest people.


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I commenced at the cellar kitchen and would visit every family

from the cellar kitchen to the garret. I talked to them of the Savior;

of His mission to the poor, of His suffering and death upon thecross that He might save the children of men, that He died for

our sins, just for the unjust that he might bring them to God. I

taught them that God, the Father who had sent his well-beloved

Son to die upon the cross, was no respecter of persons and that

we were all His children, etc.

In these visits I found some of the most degraded creatureshuddled together in rags and lth. I began to talk to such, and

they would at rst jeer at me and curse, but by perseverance I

would gain their attention. Even among such degraded persons I

have seen them melted to tears. Again others, perhaps in a cellar

or up in a garret, as the case may be, although very poor with

scarcely clothing to cover them, and everything betokening thedirest poverty were scrupulously clean and honest. Such persons

would listen with close attention and thank me for coming. Upon

leaving they would shake my hand warmly and where I found

them so very destitute I would leave a piece of money in their

hand, remembering the Saviors teachings, When thou doest

alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth.Thus I continued in these labors for over two years, fasting

and praying and visiting the poor, starting out in the morning

and returning home in the evening faint and weary from fasting

and talking, and I have reason to believe that I accomplished some

good. I have been met by strangers upon the street and they have

shaken my hand with much warmth and told me they lived atsuch and such a place, naming the street and how much good my

visits had done them, how much my words had encouraged and


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helped them at a time when all hope had ed, and how they had

striven to do better and now had joined some church and were

very happy and thanked God that they had met Brother Mace.About this time I had begun to think very seriously of the

saying of the Apostle Paul, A dispensation of the Gospel is

committed unto me and woe is me if I preach not the Gospel.

Paul had been called to preach the gospel; a dispensation of the

gospel had been committed to him, but not to me. Like many

others I had read this saying of the apostle and applied to myselfthat which did not belong to me. Paul was a chosen vessel to carry

the gospel to the Gentiles. But what was I? I had run myself; God

never sent me, neither had it come into His mind. Thus I reasoned,

and when I was fully satised in my mind upon this point I

laid aside my preaching. My friends chided me; the Methodists

said I was a backslider. The Presbyterians said I never had anyreligion or, I would have remained with them. Others said they

thought if any man had religion it was Brother Mace. None of

them understood my reasons for what they termed my strange

conduct or they would have tried to reason me out of it.

During all this time I was diligent in business, fervent in

prayer, and serving the Lord to the best of my ability. I would notread a newspaper, nor a periodical of any kind, no, nothing but

the Bible and that I studied whenever I had any leisure moments.

I saw nothing among all the sects that professed Christianity

that in any way resembled the church established by the Savior.

There were no prophets, no apostles, pastors, and evangelists,

teachers, among them,

for the perfecting of the Saints, for thework of the ministry, and for the edifying of the body of Christ.

All these ofcers seemed a necessity anciently, why were they

not needed now?


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I still met with those who like myself were searching the

scriptures. At one of these meetings I met Mr. Samuel Beeman,

a stranger in our midst, who had just arrived in the city seekingemployment. He had been a minister of the gospel in one of

the Christian churches, but like myself had become convinced

that he held no authority from God and he withdrew from the

ministry and was outside of any church. I invited him home with

me. He had already written and published a work entitled, The

Kingdom of God, in which he had plainly set forth the doctrinesor principles from the New Testament as to what constituted the

Church of Christ. He had shown the necessity for such ofcers as

prophets, apostles, etc., with all the gifts and blessings enjoyed

in the days when the Savior and his apostles were upon the earth

when the Church was fully organized.

I enjoyed his society very much and we spent much time atnight searching the scriptures and conversing thereon. He termed

it cracking nuts!and attending to our businesses in the day. He

was intelligent and well-educated and gave me an insight into

Hebrew and Greek, so that I could more fully understand the

scriptures. At length he found employment, sent for his family

and then moved away. Before leaving he made me a present ofa Crudens concordance to the Bible and a Bible with marginal

notesthe best I ever sawfor a student of the scripture. He

said I would nd these two books together almost as good as

understanding Hebrew. This was in November, 1836.


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Chapter Three

We must now return to November, 1833, when I was working

for Mr. Kidder. However, soon after this date I completed

my work for him to his entire satisfaction, and was then employed

by Mr. John Stephenson to superintend his work shop. At this

time it was the largest shop in New York City for this kind of

work, which consisted of mail coaches, omnibuses, all kinds ofcarriages, railroad cars, etc., manufactured by machinery.

At the time he engaged me to superintend his establishment

he complained of his wheel making. He said they were getting

into disrepute and wanted me to improve them. This I did by

inventing a machine for boring and mortising hubs which was

a perfect success. It made a nice, smooth mortise, as smoothand clean on the inside as it was on the outside. This machine

would put 14 mortises in a hub in one minute and fty seconds,

true and nice. Mr. Stephenson said he would get a patent for it,

as so far as he knew, it was the rst machine made of the kind. I

suppose he did.

While I was working at this place a great re broke out in thelower part of the city that consumed thirty acres of buildings.

Five hundred and twenty-nine houses and property valued at

18,000,000 dollars was laid in ashes. This occurred on the 16th

day of December, 1835.

I left Mr. Stephensons employ for the purpose of perfecting

a plan I had conceived, or had in my mind of a machine formaking post and rail fence. I rented a shop and went to work to

perfect my plans, and made a working model which I exhibited


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I received the deed from Quincy all right, but alas! alas! It proved

to be forged.

I now disposed of this business to my brother, John, andturned my attention to making portable mills. I bought the

patent right with all the title, interest, etc., in what was called

a conical grinder, with improvements in threshing machine and

horse power, for which I paid $1,500 in company with Mr. William

Shay. We done a good business. I was engaged in this business

when Elder Parley P. Pratt cane along preaching the gospel.About this time Mrs. Dexter, a friend of my parents, came

from Troy upon a visit with her friends in the city. On one

of her visits to my house she made me acquainted with the

situation of her youngest daughter, which was extremely

miserable. This daughter was married to a proigate fellow

who had communicated to her a loathsome disease. He hadadministered to her calomel and powerful acids, which had

produced a terrible state of salivation, and she was fearful that

he designed to destroy her life. Mrs. Dexter craved protection

for her daughter with her infant. I gave them an upper room in

my house where they would be safe from him for the present.

Although I was greatly prospered in business I did not neglectthe opportunity of meeting with my associates to search the

scriptures, and sometimes I visited the meetings held by the

Methodists as prayer meetings. On one occasion of this kind they

took for their subject a saying of Paul, Contend earnestly for the

faith once delivered to the Saints. Several persons present spoke

upon the subject, very earnest and full of zeal. They clapped theirhands, etc. and seemed to think they had exhausted the subject.

They then invited me to speak.


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time appointed. My wife prepared tea, after which we entered into

conversation upon the doctrines taught in the New Testament.

He spoke of repentance and of the necessity of baptism for theremission of sins by one holding authority, and the laying on of

hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. This kind of talk suited me

exactly, but where could that authority be found? In the course

of our conversation he learned from me this that I was waiting

and watching for the gifts of the gospel as they once existed. I

would no more connect myself with any denomination unlessthat denomination had with them apostles and prophets, Jesus

Christ being the chief cornerstone.

Said he Brother Mace,he called me Brother Mace from

the rstDo you know that you are a singular man. I replied,

No, I believe in the scriptures and in the doctrines recorded in

the New Testament, but why do you say singular? He said, Isaid singular to nd a man in this great city of learning and

ignorance, of riches and poverty, a city of churches also, to nd a

man waiting for apostles and prophets and the gifts of the spirit

as enjoyed anciently.

Suppose that you should hear that away in the west

somewhere there was such an organization, with apostles andprophets, pastors and teachers, such as you are waiting for. Then

he began telling me about a young man in New York who had

been visited by an angel. He gave me the young mans history and

I was very much interested in the recital. He told me about a book

that had come forth through the instrumentality of this young

man. He told me of a church already organized with prophets,apostles, and all the ofces appertaining to the Church of Christ,

with all the gifts of the spirit enjoyed by the Saints anciently.


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We had conversed upon these subjects until midnight but he

had not yet told me the name of the young man neither the title

of the book. About midnight he mentioned the name of JosephSmith the translator of the Book of Mormon.

At the mention of this name a curious feeling crept over me.

I had heard some reports of this Joseph Smith, not at all to his

credit, and that he was an imposter, etc. But did not the Jews

call Jesus a glutton and a winebibber, a friend of publicans and

sinners? The only question in my mind now were these: Did thechurch which Mr. Pratt had been telling me of really hold their

authority from Jesus Christ as did the apostles of old? And did

signs follow the believers?

Mr. Pratt, when taking his leave of me that night, said to me,

Brother Mace, if you are honest, and I believe you are, the Lord

will make known to you that we hold this authority. He bade mefarewell with this promise. I now awaited the fulllment of this

promise, that the Lord would make known to me that these things

were true. I saw no more of Mr. Pratt for about one month and

then it was I went for him to come to my house and administer

in my family by the very authority I so much questioned.

Chapter Four

One Sunday evening on returning from a religious meeting I

found one of our children very sick, a little boy about a year

old, and through the night he grew worse. Monday morning the

family physician was called in and he pronounced the sickness

inammation of the brain. He used all his skill to arrest the


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disease in vain; the child grew worse. He told us if water settled

on the brain there was no hope. He told us that the indications

would be if this was the case. We watched him closely and everysymptom he pointed us to appeared to the smallest minute. The

child would be thrown into spasms; it would writhe and twist

until it was enough to rend the hearts of all who watched its

sufferings. The doctor gave him black dropsa concentrated

tincture of laudanumHe at rst gave one drop, increasing the

quantity just sufcient to quiet him. He said had it been givento the child when in health one drop would destroy his life.

We watched the little sufferer as he still grew worse until

Wednesday, when my sister Jane, who was present, remarked it

was very singular that the child should be kept so long in such

terrible suffering. My wife suggested it would be a good time

to try Mr. Pratts religion. I remarked, If you wish I will go andbring him. The fact was, I very was anxious to do so but did not

suggest it for fear of raising opposition.

As it was raining I took my umbrella and immediately started

for Mr. Pratt. I had taken the precaution to learn his place of

residence, being extremely anxious to call upon him. Mr. Pratt

himself answered my knock on the door. I told my errand andhe put on his hat and cloak, stepped out under my umbrella and

accompanied me home. As we entered the room where the child

lay it seemed to cause much confusion. In the room present were

my wife, my sister Jane, and Mrs. Dexter. Mr. Pratt wished me

to call the house to order. When order was restored he offered

a prayer which was in conformity with the doctrines of JesusChrist as taught in the New Testament, that God was the same

God that he was anciently, and that the prayer of faith would

save the sick, etc.


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When we arose from prayer he said, Brother Mace, you hold

more authority in your family than any other man can, and I want

you to lay your hands on this child with me. I did so. He thenadministered with all condence in the authority he held and

rebuked the disease in the name of Jesus Christ, and said the child

should begin to mend in that very hour. My wife asked him if she

should give the child any more of the black drops and he replied,

If you have perfect condence in the administration I would

rather you would not, but if you have not perfect condenceyou can decrease the quantity gradually. She decreased the

drops gradually. [Written in the margin was: Parley told me in

Florence in 1856 that this was the only time he had asked a man

not a member of the church to lay hands on the sick.]

Before stated I had given Mrs. Dexter an upper room in

my house where she could take care of her sick and sufferingdaughter. She was present during this administration and

remarked, If this child can be healed my daughter can also. My

sister Jane, who was also present, ran upstairs to the sick woman

and told her there was a man downstairs who put himself in the

place of Jesus Christ, that he laid his hands on the little child and

rebuked the disease in the name of Jesus Christ and commandedit to depart. The Spirit, and the manner of my sister in giving

this information to the sick woman, alarmed her. Upon entering

her room Mrs. Dexter found her daughter laboring under great

excitement. She was a sensible Bible-reading woman and she

explained to her daughter all that had taken place in the room

where the sick child lay. This soothed and calmed her as shelistened to the words of her mother.


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The next morning I went to my shop to work. About ten

oclock my wife sent a messenger to me saying the child was well

and playful. I went home and found this was even so. Oh, whatjoy swelled our hearts as we gazed upon the child so miraculously

healed. We had truly found that this man, Parley P. Pratt, did

indeed hold the authority to rebuke the disease in the name of

Jesus Christ and we gave God thanks.

From the time our little boy, Charles, began to recover, Mrs.

Dexters daughter grew worse and her babe also. The doctor saidit was impossible for either to recover. All that night and the

next day, Thursday, she still grew worse, and Thursday night

it seemed impossible to keep life in her until morning. Next

morning Friday Mrs. Dexter sent for Elder Pratt, who brought

with him Mr. Elijah Fordham, also an elder. Together they sang

a hymn to soft pleasant music as follows: [The text included thehymn, Now Let us Rejoice.] . . .

After singing, Elder Pratt offered a prayer and then explained

the principles of the gospel as he had done on the previous

occasion. The sick woman listened attentively and at her request

Elders Pratt and Fordham administered to her and also her babe,

and they began to mend from that hour. She had not partakenof food for several days, but a short time after the elders left the

house she asked her mother for a cold potato and some vinegar.

She sat up in the bed and ate half of the potato and lied down

again. In a short time she called for the remainder of the potato

and ate it. The vinegar did not distress her as formerly; her babe

and herself improved rapidly and she was soon able to move aboutthe room. She had been so badly salivated, that if the door stood

ajar or if she ate anything sour, her mouth became lled with

lumps, and water would run from her mouth, causing her the


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greatest distress. Consequently, she was very cautious moving

about her room, and to the top of the stairs and back, and nding

no bad effect follow, she ventured downstairs to our sitting room.She found the changes from one room to another, the doors being

ajar, etc., did not hurt her any more.

Elder Pratt was holding meetings about a quarter of a mile

distant, and she accompanied her mother to meeting. As she

stepped outside the dorm, my sister Jane was passed on the way

to her Baptist meeting and chided the young lady for venturingout on such a blustery day. But she went to the meeting and

returned rejoicing. She found herself well, no bad effect followed

her venture, and she said she found herself stronger at every step.

She was healed every whit.

Truly there was great rejoicing in my house, No. 13 Bedford

Street. We had witnessed the power of God made manifest andknew for a surety that He had again given authority to man on

the earth to administer in the name of Jesus Christ, and could say

as was said by one of old, no man can do these miracles except

God be with him.

In a short time after these miracles were performed, Elder

Pratt appointed a day for baptizing in the East River, about twomiles from my home. It was a very wet disagreeable day with

snow and rain. The sidewalks were shoe deep with snow and mud,

but this did not prevent the young woman from going. She said

her feet were wet from the time she started from home until she

returned yet she took no cold. There were six persons baptized at

that time by Elder Elijah Fordham. They were: my wife, MargaretMace; Mrs. Dexter and daughter; Theodore Curtis and wife; and

Miss Ann Shaffer, who was afterward married to Elder Fordham.

I stood upon a block of ice and witnessed the baptisms.


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All retired to the house of Brother Cox, who lived nearby,

where those who had been baptized changed their clothing

and we then returned home. All wondered why I was not thenbaptized. My reasons for this was that I wanted to see them act

on their own volition, not because I set them the example. A few

days after this I was baptized in the same place by Elder Parley P.

Pratt. I do not remember the month but these things took place

in the winter of 1837-1838.

In April, Elder Parley P. Pratt left the city with a small companyof Saints for Missouri. His brother, Elder Orson Pratt, having

arrived from the west, took charge of the mission. Very soon after

his arrival he ordained me to the ofce of an elder and while his

hands was upon my head, he broke out in tonguesI had never

heard a manifestation of the gift of tongues beforeAfter the

tongues he said, You are of the seed of Joseph and of the tribeof Ephraim. He also said, No man shall lift his voice against

the work you bear forth but he shall be confounded and put to

shame. He placed me to preside over the branch while he traveled

and preached, and organized the other branches of the Church.

While in the city, himself and wife and little child made their

home at my house.This was the first branch of the Church of Jesus Christ

of Latter-day Saints to be organized in New York City. It was

composed of persons like myself, all young in the Church

and they are very backward or difdent in speaking in public,

consequently most of the labor of preaching the gospel fell upon

me. We held meeting three times on Sunday and one meetingduring the week. My time was fully occupied. I attended to my

mechanical labor as usual as well as preaching the gospel, on the

sabbath three times, and also during the week. I found no time


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for rest and began to feel the necessity of a change. Brother M.

Sirrine proposed that I go on a visit with him to the home of his

parents in the Catskill Mountains and I accepted his invitationand started upon a short mission.

We took passage on a steamer as far as Mattewan, a small

town opposite the town of Fishkill, which is on the west side

of the Hudson River. We proceeded at once to the house of Mr.

Sirrine, a short distance from Mattewan, up in the mountains.

Arriving there in the middle of the afternoon, Brother M. Sirrineintroduced me to his parents who received me very cordially. His

mother, Mrs. Sirrine, was a very peculiar woman. When any of

her family were absent, and without any communication from

them, she was always apprised of their return by some means

unknown to them. She would make preparations to receive them

just as any mother would do when hearing directly from them.So she had prepared for our coming.

When the welcomes and greetings were over, Mrs. Sirrine took

her son aside and inquired of him if his friend was a preacher.

He answered, Yes, he is from the city of New York, here on

a short mission. She was somewhat surprised at his answer

although she had expected her son in the company of a preacher.My appearance disappointed her, it did not meet her ideal of

a preacher. We stayed with them that night and preached to

them the gospel. They accepted the principles we taught as the

truth of the Bible. The following morning we walked down to

Mattewan to see some friends of Brother M. Sirrine who worked

in a factory at that place. When it became known that I wasa Mormon, all crowded around to look at me as though there

was some peculiarity about a Mormon that was not about any

other person. Some wanted to see the Mormon Bible, the golden

Bible, etc.


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I handed them my pocket Biblea new book, gilt-edged. They

took it and looked it all through carefully, then handed it back to

me, remarking they could see no difference in it than their ownBible. We visited a man who had been aficted with rheumatism

for four years, being unable to do any kind of work during that

time. He heard the gospel and believed, and was administered

to in the name of Jesus Christ and was fully restored to health.

We held meeting at Fishkill. The Methodists, hearing of

our appointment, gave notice that they would hold meetingat the same hour, with the expectation that it would prevent

the Mormons having any hearers or breaking our meeting up,

if we were fortunate enough to obtain any hearers. Exactly the

opposite took place. The Methodist meeting was deserted and

the people ocked to our meeting. The house was lled; the

doors and windows crowded to hear what these Mormons hadto say. We discoursed upon the rst principles of the gospel and

of the coming forth of the Book of Mormon. This was a favorite

subject with me.

In the course of my remarks I bore testimony to the

restoration of the gospel, with all the gifts and blessings as

they were enjoyed in the days of the Savior and His apostles. Ibore testimony to great things the Lord was doing. I told of the

many wonderful and marvelous works that had been done in the

city of New York under the hands of Parley P. Pratt, an apostle

of the Lord Jesus Christ. I referred more especially to the three

miracles which were performed in my house. A young woman

who was in the congregation, with a babe in her arms, arose toher feet and testied that these things were true; that she was the

person spoken of and that she and her babe had been healed by

the laying on of hands by Elder P. P. Pratt. She held her babe up


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to the gaze of this large congregation, showing that it had grown

to be a plump and healthy child. Mrs. Dexter and daughter had

removed from my house a short time after the recovery to healthof her daughter and her babe, and I had lost sight of them. I was

much pleased to see them and to hear their testimony at this time.

Crossed the river. We returned to Mattewan, and to the house

of him who was healed of rheumatism. I was seated upon a sofa

and this man sat down by my side, he seemed somewhat uneasy,

I saw by his manner something unusual had taken place, nallyhe said, Brother Mace do you think the Lord notice small things?

I replied, Not a sparrow falls to the ground without his notice.

He seemed rather surprised at my reply, and sat for some time

apparently in deep thought. He then told me that while we were

absent he had been from home, a distance of ve or six miles,

attending a trial of some person, he had been called there asa witness. His road lay through the woods, and on his return

through the woods, he had had a very singular experience.

He said as he walked along the road meditating upon the

promises made to believers as recorded in the gospel according

to St. Mark viz. 16 and 17 verses: These signs shall follow them

that believe. In my name they shall cast out devils, they shallspeak with new tongues, they shall take up serpents and if they

drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them, they shall lay hands

on the sick and they shall recover. Also a saying of the Savior,

recorded in St. Luke 17:6 If ye had faith as a grain of mustard

seed, ye might say unto this sycamine tree by ye plucked up by

the root, and be planted in the sea and it should obey you.While he still meditated upon these saying, he saw a bird,

a very swift moving bird called in that part of the country a

highpole, it was perched up on the limb of a tree just low enough


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to reach, he said a thought came into his mind, why not command

that highpole to stand still and go and take it down and before he

realized what he was doing the command has passed from him,and the bird stood still, and he walked up to it and took it down

off the limb and brought it home with him. He showed me the

bird. I then saw how my answer surprised him, as he was aware

I knew nothing of what he had done.

I found much pleasure in visiting the people and teaching

them the way that leads to salvation. We had a good, protablevisit; we preached the gospel to many, and returned to the city

feeling well satised with our labors among the people who

listened attentively to the message of glad tidings which we

bear to them.

Upon our return we found all well. I continued my labors

until September. I then disposed of my business and madepreparations to gather with the Saints in Missouri. Elder Lucien R.

Foster succeeded me in the presidency over the New York branch.

On the eleventh day of September, 1838, I bid adieu to the city

where I had spent my youth, and to relations and friends, that I

might gather with the Saints and assist in building up Zion. My

family consisted of ve persons: my wife, three children, John,Emily and Charles, and myself. We had lost two children, Edgar

and William, who were buried in New York City. I took with me

in my wagon, Brother David W. Rogers and family consisting of

seven persons, viz. David W. Rogers wife and ve children. I had

three good horses, a wide-track wagon with projecting sides, and

good covers. I shipped my goods by water to Richmond, Missouri.Elder Orson Pratt, president of the mission, accompanied us

across the river and travelled some distance with us. When we

reached the top of a hill, and onto the highroad, he bade us


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farewell, saying, Brother Mace, now the road is before you,

God bless you, and he returned to the city. We travelled across

New Jersey, over a rough, mountainous country, and crossed theDelaware River at Eastown, Pennsylvania. I stopped at this place

and put a brake on my wagon as my horses had become badly

galled in travelling over the rough roads without a brake.

We then drove through Eastown in a southwest direction to

reach the national road. We crossed a creek called Conakagig.

Here there was a toll gate at the foot of one of the AlleghenyMountains. We ascended this mountain over the several spurs

until we reached the summit and down on the other side over

a splendid macadamized road. The last spur brought us to the

town of Wheeling, West Virginia, on the Ohio River. We crossed

over the river and passed through Zanesville and Columbus, in

the state of Ohio. From there we travelled to Indianapolis inIndiana, then crossed the river into Illinois and camped on the

edge of the Grand Prairie.

Early the following morning we started across the Grand

Prairie, until now I had not seen a prairie of any great extent, at

noon we could see nothing but sky and land covered with rich

grass. We travelled all day before we reached the edge of anytimber, and here we camped at a small settlement. At this place

we heard that there was some difculty in Missouri and that the

Mormons were being driven from that state of Missouri, this

was the rst news we had of these troubles. The next day we

travelled through Springeld and on to Quincy. On the bank of

the Mississippi River, it was the coldest night we had experiencedon the long journey. We arrived here on the 11th day of November,

1838, just two months from the time we left the city of New York.


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Snow fell through the night and the next morning ice was

running in the river so we could not cross. We thought best to

hire a house in Quincy and wait for the weather to moderate.We then moved into a house and we soon learned that mobs

had come against the Saints in Missouri and they were eeing

before them. Very soon after we had moved into our hired house

brethren began to arrive one and two at a time, having escaped

from Missouri. They brought the news of the evacuation of the

Saints from that state by mob violence. I learned that the ProphetJoseph Smith and many of the brethren were in prison, among

them Parley P. Pratt. I learned of the cruelties practiced upon an

inoffensive people and the suffering they were enduring for the

sake of the gospel.

I reected thus: Was it possible that such cruelties could take

place in this land, a country made free by the blood of our fathers,who fought and died that their children might be free from

tyranny, and that they might have liberty to worship Almighty

God as they felt was acceptable to him, or according to the

dictates of their own conscience? Is it possible that mobs would

be permitted to rob and destroy the houses of good, honest law-

abiding citizens and imprison them? And to murder men, womenand children in this boasted land of liberty and equal rights?

Alas, alas truth forces the conviction upon me that mobs

are not only permitted, but are authorized by the governor of

the state of Missouri to exterminate them as will be seen by the

following: After a murderous attack upon the citizens of Far West,

a mob of seven thousand armed men, professing to be the regularmilitia of the state of Missouri, took all the prominent men

prisoners and plundered the citizens of their bedding, clothing,

money and everything of value they could lay their hands on and


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abused the women and children. Major General Clark arrived at

Far West with one thousand, six hundred men, and Governor

Boggs exterminating order, on the 4th of November.

Chapter Five

General [John B.] Clarks speech delivered on the 6th November,

1838 at Far West. [See HC 3:202-204.] . . .

Chapter Six

As I became satised that I could go no farther on my journey,I rented a larger house on the outskirts of the city of Quincy

and moved into it. I then sent to Richmond and had my goods

shipped to this place. The house had two good sized rooms with

a good cellar beneath, and one large room above which was

reached by stairs on the outside. On the premises was a good

stable for my horses and other conveniences that could not behad in the city. The upper room made a good workshop and when

my goods arrived from Missouri, I set up my lathe and prepared

for business.

During this time the Saints began to arrive, being harassed

by mobs, until not one was left in possession of a home, and all

were eeing from Missouri. What suffering they underwent intheir ight, who can tell? Robbed of everything they possessed,

their crops destroyed, the cattle and swine shot down and eaten


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by the mobs, and they, poor and destitute, driven forth in the

depth of winter, many barefoot and poorly clad and some dying,

to be buried by the wayside while many contracted disease fromexposure which caused much suffering until released by death.

I ask, will this nation redress the wrongs these people

are enduring? Will these mobbers be brought to justice, and

punished as they deserve? Who have [ been driven] from

comfortable homes men, women and children, and caused so

much suffering and death? We wait and see.As the Saints reached the shore on either side of the

Mississippi at Quincy, I was an eyewitness of their suffering. As

soon as possible after reaching Quincy, the elders of the Church

called a meeting and selected a committee of eleven to look

after the poor. I was chosen one of this committee and to act as

commissary. My house was used as a committee house and alsofor religious meetings, the upper room being used for these

purposes. Many of the Saints were glad to nd shelter in my

house from the storms, until they could nd a place to live in.

Very many nights the oors, upstairs and down, were covered

with beds so closely it was impossible to set a foot anywhere

without stepping upon someones bed.Brother Joseph Young and family lived in my house all winter,

as also John Taylor, one of the Twelve Apostles and his family.

He was a turner by trade, consequently my turning lathe was

very convenient; upon it he turned carpenters bench screws,

butter prints, and a variety of useful articles which he sold and

thereby earned a living for himself and family. Here also IsraelBarlow lived with me, and married a young woman who was

nursing my wife when our little daughter Zuriah was born on

February 17, 1839.


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But to return, one cold, blustery morning I went down to the

riverside and found about 14 or 15 families camped on the river

bottom in a most miserable condition. They had crossed theriver and could get no farther. Some of them had tried to make

a shelter from the wind by placing some poles in the ground and

putting a sheet over them. The wind was blowing the snow about

them so that the poor children who was hovering over a little re

could get little benet from it. I returned as soon as possible and

made known their situation and in a very short time they weremoved into town and made comfortable.

The committee were kept busy. By this time the ice was

running in the river and a company who had arrived on the

opposite side could not cross, and we could not reach them. The

weather was intensely cold. They were camped on the snow, some

had sheets stretched to make a little shelter from the wind, butit was a poor protection, the children were shivering around a

re which the wind blew about so it done them very little good.

The poor Saints were suffering terribly. We made known their

situation and the good people of Quincy called a meeting for the

purpose of relieving their most pressing wants. They were out of

provision and poorly clad and some were barefoot. The citizensresponded to the call and donated liberally, the merchants vieing

with each other as to which could be the most liberal. They soon

had the contributions together, which lled a large canoe with

our, pork, coffee, sugar, boots, shoes and clothing, everything

these poor outcasts so much needed.

Now a question arose, who would volunteer to take thisloaded canoe across the river. The ice was running and made it

a very dangerous undertaking. Some time was lost in trying to


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nd someone who would dare venture and who could handle

a canoe. Finally one man, and only one, volunteered. This was

John Hawley, and he could not swim if the canoe overturned.The canoe was hauled or pulled up the river some distance so

that it would land on the opposite side of the river and as near

as it possibly could.

At last all was ready, the canoe with its contents started on its

hazardous journey. Brother Hawley battled bravely among the

ice, sometimes it seemed he would be swamped and all wouldbe lost. He was calm and determined as he fought his way amid

the running ice. Many a word of cheer was shouted to him and

many a silent, earnest prayer ascended to heaven in his behalf.

The Lord heard the prayers and strengthened him and after

much hard labor he landed the canoe safely near the camp and

the poor, suffering Saints were supplied with the provisions ofclothing so much needed. That was a perilous undertaking and

no other than a brave man would have volunteered his services.

As soon as the ice ran out so the ferry boat could cross the

river, the Saints were brought over and made comfortable. I

employed some of the brethren to work the land I had bought of

Mr. Begaudus while I was yet in New York City. Soon after arrivingin Quincy I went and looked over it and found it a ne piece of

land, about four miles from Quincy, and in every respect just as

Mr. Begaudus had represented it. I was much pleased with the

situation and felt that I had made a good investment. However

my mind soon changed on that point as I had no sooner started

men to work than I found another man owned the land and I hadbeen swindled. Mr. Robert Tilson, a merchant of Quincy, held a

government title to the same piece of land.


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I immediately went to a lawyer for counsel in the matter, I

laid the case before, him, I showed him the deeds I had received

from Begaudus, and how very particular I had been to have themsent direct from Quincy where the land lay. This lawyer said I

might prosecute Begaudus, and would no doubt gain the suit,

but that would be all I would gain, for Begaudus had nothing.

He said it would cost me a good sum of money, and it would be

simply throwing money away. The deed appeared to be made out

all right, but said he, `they are forged.Begaudus, learning that I was investigating his rascality and

might land him in the penitentiary left suddenly in the night,

and I have heard nothing of him since, nor the $3,200 I paid him

for the land.

In his flight from Missouri, Israel Barlow crossed the

Mississippi River about fty miles above Quincy, at a smallsettlement called Commerce. He reached this place in a destitute

condition. He was kindly treated and in conversation with several

gentlemen upon the difculties the Saints were undergoing, he

enlisted their sympathies. Among these gentlemen was one Dr.

Galland, who proposed the Saints, settle in that vicinity.

When Brother Barlow reached my house at Quincy he madeknown his interview with these gentleman, and the proposition

of Dr. Galland to the Church. A committee was then appointed to

go and examine the country and learn more fully the propositions

made. I was chosen one of this committee. We went up to see

the land and thought it would be a good place for the Saints to

locate and so reported to a meeting held for that purpose in thecommittee room at my house.

By request, Elder John P. Green stated the object of the

meeting, stating that a liberal offer had been made by a gentleman,


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of about twenty thousand acres upon easy terms without interest.

He said a committee had examined the land and reported very

favorably respecting it, and thought it every way suited for alocation for the Church. D. W. Rogers gave information respecting

the land being one of the committee appointed to examine.

Several of the brethren expressed themselves upon the

subject; some were for gathering together upon the land, while

others were undecided. Brother Marks said he was altogether

in favor of making the purchase, providing it was the will ofthe Lord that we should again gather together. But from the

circumstances of being driven from the other places, he almost

was led to the conclusion that it was not wisdom that we should

do so. Israel Barlow thought it might be in consequence of not

building according to the pattern given us that we had been

scattered. He was in favor of gathering, and I was in favor ofimmediately gathering, that we might build up a Zion to the

Lord. Bishop Partridge did not think it expedient under the

circumstances to collect together; he thought it would be better

to scatter into different parts and provide for the poor. Others

spoke their minds upon the subject. However a letter was received

from Dr. Gall and one was written by the committee and sent tothe Prophet Joseph by the hand of Brother D. W. Rogers. Joseph

returned an answer by Brother Rogers, to secure the land and

that he would soon be out of prison. He also wrote a letter to Dr.

Galland and which showed the bold, frank, independent spirit

which pervaded his breast, although a prisoner in Liberty Jail,

Missouri. A copy of this letter was published in the Times andSeasons of February 1840.


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looked upon that occasion. He was a ne looking man, tall and

well proportioned, strong and active, light complexion, blue

eyes and light hair and very little beard. He had a free and easymanner, not the least affectation yet bold and independent and

very interesting and eloquent in speech.

On the fourth day of May, a conference of the Church was

held in a grove where the Presbyterians and Methodists held their

camp meetings near Quincy. The meeting was called to order and

Joseph Smith was appointed chairman. Elder Joseph Young leadin singing the hymn commencing with the following:

Glorious things of Thee are spoken Zion, city of our God, He

whose word cannot be broken, Chose thee for his own abode. On

the Rock of Ages founded, What can shake thy sure repose, With

salvation walls surrounded, Thou mayst smile on all thy foes.

The large congregation of Saints joined in the singing withthe spirit and meaning thereof. Joseph was overcome. He arose

to his feet to speak but it was with difculty that he controlled

his emotions. He however, made a few remarks upon the

peculiar situation of the Saints, and of his own feelings after

his imprisonment and long separation from them.

To look upon the Saints who had been driven from theirhomes, and scattered as they were, among strangers, without

homes, robbed of everything, and to see them under all these

trying circumstances assemble to this General Conference form

all the region around, and sing of Zion, the city of our God, with

so much spirit, showing their love and condence in the gospel,

and the pleasure he felt in meeting with them. He could scarcelyrefrain form weeping, he then opened the meeting with prayer.

He then opened the meeting with prayer.


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During this conference Joseph righted up the Twelve, several

of that quorum having apostatized during the troublesome times

in Missouri. One of these was Thomas B. Marsh, the presidentof the Quorum.

This conference lasted three days, in the course of which

President Sidney Rigdon, was chosen as a delegate, to go to the

city of Washington, D.C. to lay before the general government,

our grievances and seek redress. Also a number of elders was

called, to accompany the Twelve on their mission to Europe.Brigham Young was set apart as President of the Twelve at the

house of his brother-in-law, John P. Green. Upon this occasion I

was present and with much interest I sat listening to Joseph as

he walked the oor talking to those present. There was in the

room besides myself, Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon,

Brigham Young, Heber C. Kimball and I think, John Taylor (butI am not quite certain).

The Quorum of the Twelve had been lled, but of the number

selected oneWillard Richardswas in England and Joseph was

instructing those present of that Quorum how they must proceed

to prepare themselves, that they might ordain Willard Richards

to the Apostleship when they should reach that country. Josephtold them to go to Kirtland and cleanse and purify a certain room

in the temple, that they must kill a lamb and offer a sacrice unto

the Lord which should prepare them to ordain Willard Richard

a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Sidney made some remarks, when Joseph spoke with great

power and spirit, said he, I know the law. To a remark made byHeber C. Kimball he said, It will be the sweetest smelling savor

you ever smelled. He then walked to where Brigham Young sat

and placed his hands upon his head said, Come Brother Hyrum,


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come Brother Sidney! Hyrum arose and came forward promptly

and placed his hand upon him, but Sidney came forward very

reluctantly

I thought

and in a muttering way said he had laidhis hands upon so many and conferred power upon me, who

had turned and used it against him. Joseph took no notice of his

remark, but proceeded to ordain Brigham Young President of

the Twelve Apostles, said he, while you live no other man can

hold this power that is now conferred upon you, or words to

that effect. All who were present upon that occasion has passedto the other side and I only am left. I too must soon follow them.

The Saints now began to locate upon the land in Hancock

County, Illinois, and also across the river in Lee County, Iowa,

which had been purchased by Joseph for the Church. Commerce,

afterward called Nauvoo by Joseph, was considered a very

unhealthy spot. It had been settled and vacated for the third orfourth time, and at the time Joseph made the purchase there were

but six houses standing. Joseph moved his family into a small

log house on the bank of the Mississippi. On the opposite side of

the river at Montrose was an old soldiers barracks, or fort, where

several families found shelter. At this place I bought a piece of

land on which was a ne apple orchard.On the seventh day of June, 1839, we were called to mourn the

loss of our little son, Charles, who died very suddenly of croup,

aged 3 years and 2 months. He it was who was so miraculously

healed of brain fever, by the power of God, under the hands

of Apostle Parley P. Pratt, in the city of New York. He was a

remarkable child, intelligent beyond his years. He was a verybright engaging child, and beloved by all who became acquainted

with him. The father of the prophet said to me, Brother Mace you

should not have let that child die.


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We at once moved into the Fort at Montrose. My wife had said,

she never could live in a log house, (as we were travelling through

the country) but here we were in just such a one and very glad ofit too, and we thanked God for shelter. On the 24th of September,

1839, our infant daughter, Zuriah, died.

We had many things we had thought to be indispensable

to our comfort which we had brought from New York, but

which now seemed very much out of place such a home and

surroundings. Such things as ne carpets, and ornaments forthe house, and some very ne furniture, were all sold to help the

poor. My wife had already disposed of her jewelry, silk dresses

and many other articles of clothing, and had sent the proceeds to

buy corn to feed the poor Saints who had lost their all in Missouri.

If any had been so fortunate as to save a coffee mill in their

ight, and could obtain corn, they were in a situation to be ableto make bread; some less fortunate pounded the corn into meal.

Seeing these difculties, and having brought a very large

coffee mill with methat I once used in my storeI endeavored

to assist them by applying it to use. I made a large y wheel and

attached a belt. With this mill a ten year old boy could grind a

bushel of corn in an hour. This was a great help.The unhealthy climate of Commerce and vicinity, following

the hardships and exposure of the Saints, brought on much

sickness and it seemed all the powers of Satan were at work to

destroy this people. Disease manifested itself to such an extent

that all were prostrated at both Commerce and Montrose and in

the surrounding country. Joseph gave his house up to the sick,and moved his family into a large tent, himself and his wife took

care of the, they extended their labors as far as possible, Joseph


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and Emma would ride on horseback, form place to place visiting

the sick, anointing with oil and lay hands on them, and heal them,

and relieve their wants until Joseph himself was taken sick. Thiswas on the 22nd July.

One day while upon his bed of sickness, the spirit came upon

him in great power, he Joseph arose from his bed, calling upon

some of the elders to assist him, they went from house to house

administering unto the sick, by the laying on of hands, and healed

them by the power of God.They crossed the river and commenced their labors at

Montrose. At this time all were sick, no one was able to walk

about except a Negro called, Black Jack, and myself. Several of

the Twelve lived in the fort. Joseph and the elders with him went

rst to the house of Brigham Young President of the Twelve, then

to others of the Quorum who live here, and all were healed.They went next to the house of Elijah Fordham who was

sick nigh unto death, he was unable to speak and seemingly

unconscious. Joseph took his hand and held it some time in

silence, a chance came over brother Fordham, and he regained

consciousness. Brother Joseph then asked him if he knew him,

he faintly answered, Yes. He then asked him if he wished tolive, he replied Yes, but feared it was too late. Still holding his

hand, Joseph stood a few moments, and then with a loud voice

said, Brother Fordham, I command you in the name of Jesus

Christ, to arise and be made whole.

He immediately arose from his bed, and shook from his feet

the onion poultices which was on them, and with assistanceput on his clothes, and walked with the company of brethren

a few rods, to the house of Joseph Bates Nobles who was laying

very sick upon entering the house, Elder Fordham was called


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upon to pray, and while praying he fainted. He soon recovered

and proceeded with his prayer, which when had nished, they

lay hands upon Brother Nobles and raised him up, many waslikewise `miraculously healed as they went from house to house

ministering to the sick, and blessing them in the name of the

Lord Jesus Christ and they recovered. There were many sick in

the surrounding country whom Joseph could not himself visit,

therefore he deputed the Twelve Apostles, to go and heal them,

and he returned to Nauvoo. Parley P. Pratt, was with Joseph whenhe visited Montrose having made his escape from prison.

P. P. Pratt with King Follett and Morris Phelps made a break for

liberty on the 4th July 1839. M. Phelps was successful in eluding

his pursuers and reached Illinois without interruption, King

Follett was overtaken and again thrust into prison, and Parley P.

Pratt after much hardship and suffering reached his friends inIllinois about the 9th or 10th of the month, he found his family

in Quincy and soon moved them to Nauvoo.

Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, George Robinson,

Lyman Wight and P. P. Pratt, was betrayed into the hands of the

mob by Hinkle (a Judas) on the 31st October 1838.

They were placed under a strong guard. The ofcers of themob held a secret meeting which they called a Court martial and

sentenced them to be shot the next morning at eight oclock in

the public square.

Brigadier General Doniphan with a few others was opposed to

this and said, It is cold blooded murder, and I wash my hands of

it. General Lucas, dare not pit the sentence into execution, buttook them as prisoners to Richmond, where by the decision of

a mock court before Judge King, they were sentenced to prison

on a charge of treason. This trial lasted about eighteen days,


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most of this time they were kept in chains, in a cold dreary room.

Beside those whose name I have mentioned were about fty

others of the brethren who had been marched on foot thirtymiles from Caldwell; most of whom was discharged upon diving

bonds. Joseph and Hyrum Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Lyman Wight,

Alexander McRae and Caleb Baldwin, were sent to Liberty Clay

County, and P. P. Pratt, morris Phelps and others were sent to

Richmond Ray County, but was nally removed to a prison at

Columbia Boone County. He

Parley

had spent eight wearymonths in dungeons with no hope of release by the courts, they

nally with the help of the Lord made their escape of the great

national holiday.

A few words from the pen of Elder Parley P. Pratt one of the

prisoners, will describe their misery during the mock trial before

Judge King at Richmond. Parley says, One of those tedious nights,we had lain as if in sleep till the hour of midnight had passed, and

our ears and hearts had been pained while we listened for hours

to the obscene jests, the horrid oaths, the dreadful blasphemies

and lthy language of our guards, Colonel Price at their head,

as they recounted to each other their deeds of rapine, murder,

robbery, etc, which they had committed among the `Mormons,while at Far West and vicinity. They even boasted of deling by

force wives, daughters, and virgins, and of shooting or dashing

out the brains of men, women and children. I had listened till

I became so disgusted, shocked, horried, and so lled with

the spirit of indignant justice that I could scarcely refrain from

rising upon my feet and rebuking the guards, but said nothingto Joseph or anyone else, although I lay next to him and knew

he was awake. On a sudden he arose to his feet, and spoke in a

voice of thunder, or as the roaring lion, uttering as near as I can


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recollect the following words, Silence ye ends of the infernal

pit. In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke you and command you

to be still; I will not live another minute and hear such language.Cease such talk, or you or I die this instant!

He ceased to speak. He stood erect in terrible majesty. Chained,

and without a weapon; calm, unrufed and dignied as an angel,

he looked upon the quailing guards, whose weapons were lowered

or dropped to the ground; whose knees smote together, and

who shrinking into a corner, or crouching at his feet begged hispardon, and remained quiet till a change of guards.

I have seen the ministers of justice clothed in magisterial

robes, and criminals arraigned before them, while life was

suspended on a breath, in the courts of England I have witnessed

a congress in solemn session to give laws to nations; I have tried

to conceive of kings, of royal courts, of thrones and crowns;and of emperors assembled to decide the fate of kingdoms; but

dignity and majesty have I seen but once as it stood in chains, at

midnight; in a dungeon in an obscure village of Missouri.

Chapter Seven

Notwithstanding the difculties the Saints had been called

to pass through, being driven from place to place, the

education of their children, although interrupted, was not

forgotten. As soon as possible a room was prepared for that

purpose and by request of President Sidney Rigdon, I went to

Lima and brought to Nauvoo, Miss Eliza R. Snow, to teach school.

In spite of the unhealthy location of Nauvoo and the poverty of


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many of the people after their expulsion from Missouri, in the

short space of one year the city contained two hundred and fty

houses and industry and thrift were seen on every hand.Almost as soon as the father [Joseph Smith, Sr.] and mother

[Lucy Smith] of the Prophet Joseph Smith set their feet upon

the hospitable shore of Illinois, I became acquainted with them.

I frequently visited them and listened with intense interest as

they related the history of the rise of the Church in every detail.

With tears they could not withhold, they narrated the storyof the persecution of their boy, Joseph, which commenced when

he was about fourteen years old, or from the time the angel rst

visited him. Not only was the boy, Joseph, persecuted but the

aged father was harassed and imprisoned on false charges until

nally driven from Missouri in the depth of winter he contracted

disease from exposure, from which he never recovered.In these conversations, mother [Lucy] Smith, as she was

familiarly called, related much of their family history. She told

how their family would all be seated around the room while they

all listened to Joseph with the greatest interest as he taught them

the pure principles of the gospel as revealed to him by the angels,

and of his glorious vision of the Father and the Son, when thefather said to him as he pointed to his companion, This is my

beloved Son, hear Him.

She said, during the day our sons would endeavor to get

through their work as early as possible, and say, `Mother, have

supper early, so we can have a long evening to listen to Joseph.

Sometimes Joseph would describe the appearance of the Nephites,their mode of dress and warfare, their implements of husbandry,

etc, and many things he had seen in vision. Truly ours was a

happy family, although persecuted by preachers, who declared


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there was no more vision, the canon of scripture was full, and

no more revelation was needed. But Joseph had seen a vision

and must declare it.Oh, how many happy hours I have spent with these good old

folks. They were as honest and true as it was possible for mortals

to be; and they exemplify the words of the Apostle who said, All

who will live godly in Christ Jesus, shall suffer persecution.

Meetings in Nauvoo were held in a Jack Oak Grove, in the

open air, and here I listened to the words of inspiration as theyfell from the lips of the Prophet, as he taught the congregations

of the Saints.

Who could listen to these words of inspiration and

honestly say Joseph Smith is an imposter? No one, not even his

bitter enemies.

Who among all the so called Christian Churches, with alltheir learning could explain the order of the Priesthood? No one.

Who among them could explain any of the principles of life

and salvation, with the ordinances necessary thereto? Not one.

I have listened to the Prophet Joseph in public, and in private,

in sunshine and showeras many others have done as he taught

from the stand

At my own house, and at his hose, I have beenfamiliar with him, from the time he escaped from prison in

Missouri in 1839 until his martyrdom in 1844, and do know that no

man could explain the scripturethrow them wide open to view,

so plain that none could misunderstand their meaningexcept

he had been taught of God.

I have felt ashamed myself sometimes, having studied thescriptures so much, that I had not seen that which was so plain

when he touched them. He as it were turned the key, and the door

of knowledge sprang wide open, disclosing precious principles,

both new and old.


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was taken away, a portion of earth was taken and would again

be restored. Also in the days of Peleg, the earth was divided,

see Genesis 10th Chapter 25 verse. He then referred to the`Ten Tribes, saying, You know a long time ago in the days of

Shalmanezer King of Assyria when the Ten Tribes was taken

away, and never been heard of since. He said, The earth will

be restored as at the beginning, and the last taken away will be

the rst to return, for the last shall be rst, and the rst shall be

last in all things. He illustrated the return by saying.Some of you brethren have been coming up the river on

a steamboat, and while seated at the table, the steamboat run

against a snag which upset the table and scatter the dishes; so

it will be when these portions of earth return. It will make the

earth reel to and for `like a drunken man, quoting 24th chapter

Isaiah 20th verse. When speaking of the return of the Ten Tribes,he said, The mountains of ice shall ow down at their presence,

and a highway shall be cast up in the midst of the great deep.

These remarks satised me, it was no longer necessary to

hunt the place on this earth where the Ten Tribes were so long

hidden, for the earth was divided and taken away, and will be the

rst to return, as it was the last taken away.He shall command the great deep, and it shall be driven back

into the north countries, and the islands shall become one land.

And the land of Jerusalem and the land of Zion shall be turned

back into their own place, and the earth shall be like as it was

in the days before it was divided. See [D&C 133:21-24] Appendix.

Doctrine & Covenants.I will introduce a poem upon this subject, by Sister E. R. Snow,

as it was published in the Millennial Star 1851, pg. 272 entitled


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An Address to the Earth

Thou, earth, wast once a glorious sphere of noble magnitude,And didst with majesty appear, among the worlds of God.

But thy dimensions have been torn asunder, piece by piece,

And each dismembered fragment borne abroad to distant space.

When Enoch could no longer stay amid corruption here,

Part of thyself was borne away to form another sphere.

That portion where his city stood He gained by right approved;And nearer to the throne of God His planet upward moved.

And when the Lord saw t to hide the ten lost tribes away,

Thou, earth, was severed to provide the orb on which they stay.

And thus, from time to time thy size has been diminished, till

Thou seemest the law of sacrice created to full.The curse of God on man was placed: that curse thou didst partake,

And thou hast been by turns disgraced and honored for his sake.

The vilest wretches hell will claim now breathe thy atmosphere,

The noblest spirits heaven can name have been embodied here.

Jesus the Lord thy surface graced; He fell a sacrice;And now within thy cold embrace the martyred Joseph lies.

When Satans hosts are overcome, the martyred princely rare,

Will claim thee their celestial home thy royal dwelling place.

A restitution yet must come, that will to them restore,

By the grand law of worlds, thy sum of matter heretofore.

And thou, O earth, will leave the track thou hast been doomedto trace

The Gods with shouts will bring thee back to ll thy native place.


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The Son of Man has said, that the mother shall be against

the daughter, and the daughter against the mother, etc,, and

when the g tree puts forth her leaves, know then that summeris nigh. Many times he spoke of these things.

At the general conference held in Nauvoo October 1839, it

was resolved that Joseph Smith accompanied by Elias Higbee

and Sidney Rigdon should proceed to Washington, to lay before

the president, and the congress of the nation, the wrongs the

Saints had suffered.Sidney Rigdon, had been appointed a delegate for that

purpose at the conference held at Quincy in May, but for some

cause had not lled that mission.

On the 5th day of October 1839, Joseph and his companions

started on their journey and reached Washington safely on

November the 28th. In crossing the Alleghany Mountains theyhad quite an exciting experience on reaching the top of one

of the mountains, the driver on the stagecoach, fastened the

lines and went into a tavern, as soon as he got into the house

the horses took fright and started off at full speed. The coach

was full of passengers; beside Joseph and his companions, were

some Congressmen on their way to Washington, and a womanwith a babe.

The Stage tossed and pitched like a boat in a storm, the

passengers became very much alarmed fearful of being dashed

to pieces over a precipice, the congressmen jumped out, and

the brethren wanted to do the same, but Joseph restrained them

awhile, but they were uneasy, Joseph told them if they weredetermined to wait till they started up the next mountain and

then jump. They done so.


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The woman wanted to throw her babe out and then jump

herself. Joseph tried to dissuade her and at last took the babe

from her lest she would do so, then he talked to her until shebecame somewhat calm. He then told her if she would take the

babe, and sit quiet, he would climb out over the quarter panel and

stop the horses, she said she would do so, he accordingly gave

her the babe, and then climbed out and swung himself into the

dickey seat, and took the lines soon stopped the horses. Those

who have passed over this road in a stage coach nay appreciatethe danger attending such a feat, with a runaway stage.

The stage driver was the first to reach the stage almost

breathless from a run of about three miles, he was much relieved

in mind when he saw the stagecoach all right, the horses quiet

although panting and Joseph on the drivers seat calm holding

the reins. He expected everything smashed and perhaps rolledover a precipice.

Along one after another came the passengers limping, being

somewhat bruised up from their jump and roll, seeing Joseph on

the drivers seat holding the lines they wanted to know how the

hell he got up there? The women was overjoyed and thanked

Mr. Higbee, (so they called Joseph) and then told the companyhow he had saved her life and the life of her babe.

Wherever the stage stopped the story was told, the woman

and the congressmen was loud in their praise of the bravery and

daring of Mr. Higbee, until they came to the end of their journey.

The day after his arrival in Washington, Joseph met his

traveling companions the congressmen, upon the street, withsome of their friends; they gave him an introduction to their

friends, and told of their perilous journey and Mr. Higbees

brave exploit, etc. Joseph then explained to them, how that Mr.


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Higbee had bought the tickets for the journey in his own name,

and when they had addressed himself as Mr. Higbee he had not

corrected it, and he thought they would not blame him for notexplaining this matter earlier, but now he would do so. He then

told them he was Joseph Smith, President of The Church of Jesus

Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were very much astonished

at this announcement; they had heard of Old Joe Smith and

supposed him to be a very different looking person than the one

before them.They saw before them a nely proportioned young and

intelligent man, about thirty four years of age, and if this the

`Mormon Prophet they must hear him preach. A ne hall was

obtained at considerable expense, which was well lled with

the heads of the nation, and the elite of the city of Washington

to whom he preached two evenings the pure principles of thegospel of Jesus Christ. I have narrated this circumstance as near

as possible as Joseph told it in my presence after his return to

Nauvoo. This circumstance plainly shows that, God moves in a

mysterious way His wonders to perform.

This very circumstance introduced him into the society of

man of inuence at the Nations Capital, and opened the wayby which he could freely converse upon the persecutions of the

people he represented, the wrongs they had endured from the

hand of their enemies in the state of Missouri.

He presented to congress an eloquent memorial, plainly

setting forth the crimes committed by the governor and other

ofcials of the state of Missouri and urgently plead for redress.The memorial was read and referred to the committee on

Judiciary which committee made a report in which they said,

The committee have examined the case presented by the petition,


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end the views urged by their agent with care and attention, and

after a full examination and consideration, unanimously concur

in the opinion, that the case presented for their investigation isnot such as will justify

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Autobiography of Wandle Mace

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