with the Twelve, and remained in the printing-office until the , when I closed the business,
and left it well supplied with materials
in the hands of Elder John Taylor.
I built a two story brick house upon
my lot.
In the spring of 1844, I was ap-
pointed a mission to go through the
Eastern States with the Quorum of
the Twelve, and on the , I took the last parting hand
with President Joseph Smith, in his
own house, in company with J. M.
Grant. He blessed me, and bid me
God speed. I left Nauvoo in company
with Elders G. A. Smith, J. M. Grant
and Ezra Thayer. We travelled
through Illinois, Indiana and Michi-
gan, and preached and held Confe-
rences.
—I parted with Elder G.
A. Smith in Franklin, Michigan, and
went to Bostonvia the Lakes and Albany; met with the Twelve in
Boston on the . I at-
tended Conferences and meetings with
the Twelve, and visited Maine. I
was in Portland, ready to step on
board of a steamer for Fox Islands,
when I saw an account of the martyr-
dom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in Carthage jail; the Spirit bore record to
me it was true. I immediately return-
ed to Boston, met in Council with the
Twelve, returned with them to Nauvoo,
where we arrived on the .
I attended the Special Conference of
the Authorities of the Church, when
the thousands who assembled on the
occasion, voted unanimously to sus-
tain the Quorum of the Twelve Apos-
tles as the Presidency and leaders of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints.
I have ever been impressed, since
my first acquaintance with the Church
and kingdom of God upon the earth,
with the importance of keeping a
journal and record of the dealings of
God with this people, and our official
acts in the ministry, and under this
view I have written sketches of most
of the sermons and teachings which I
have heard from the mouth of Joseph
Smith the Prophet, and many of the
teachings of the Twelve Apostles and
others. Believing this course to be
beneficial, I would recommend the
Elders of Israel to do likewise, that
what is recorded on earth may be re-
corded in heaven.
Varied and diverse are the lives
and fortunes of men; while the paths
of some are strewn with flowers and
ease from the cradle to the grave,
with naught to disturb their peace,
others are marked victims of varied
misfortunes, accidents and dangers.
The last-named class is the one in
whose ranks I have stood through my
infancy, childhood, youth and man-
hood, up to the present time, so much
so, that it has seemed as though some
invisible power or fate was watching
my footsteps, in order to find some
opportunity to take my life from the
earth. I can only attribute the con-
tinuation of my life to the present
time to a merciful God, whose hand
has been stretched out, and rescued
me from death in the midst of the
many dangers and hairbreadth escapes
I have passed through, some of which
I will here mention.
When three years of age, I fell into
a caldron of boiling water, was in-
stantly caught out, but was so badly
scalded, that it was nine months be-
fore I was considered out of danger.
At five years of age, I fell from the
great beam of a barn, striking my face
upon the floor, which came near
breaking my neck.
Three months afterwards, I broke
one of my arms, by falling down
stairs. I soon after broke my other
arm, by falling out of a high stoop
upon a pile of timber.
When six years of age, I came near
being killed by a surly bull. My father and I were feeding pumpkins
to the cattle, a surly bull drove my
cow away from the one she was eating.
I took the pumpkin he had left, upon
which he pitched at me. My father
told me to throw down the pumpkin
and run. I ran down a steep hill,
and took the pumpkin with me, being
determined that the cow should have
her rights. The bull pursued. As
he was about to overtake me, I step-
ped into a post hole and fell; the bull
leaped over me, after the pumpkin,
and tore it to pieces with his horns,
with the Twelve, and remained in the
printing-office until the , when I closed the business,
and left it well supplied with materials
in the hands of Elder John Taylor.
I built a two story brick house upon
my lot.
In the spring of 1844, I was appointed a mission to go through the
Eastern States with the Quorum of
the Twelve, and on the , I took the last parting hand
with President Joseph Smith, in his
own house, in company with J. M.
Grant. He blessed me, and bid me
God speed. I left Nauvoo in company
with Elders G. A. Smith, J. M. Grant
and Ezra Thayer. We travelled
through Illinois, Indiana and Michigan, and preached and held Conferences.
—I parted with Elder G.
A. Smith in Franklin, Michigan, and
went to Bostonvia the Lakes and
Albany; met with the Twelve in
Boston on the . I attended Conferences and meetings with
the Twelve, and visited Maine. I
was in Portland, ready to step on
board of a steamer for Fox Islands,
when I saw an account of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith in
Carthage jail; the Spirit bore record to
me it was true. I immediately returned to Boston, met in Council with the
Twelve, returned with them to Nauvoo,
where we arrived on the .
I attended the Special Conference of
the Authorities of the Church, when
the thousands who assembled on the
occasion, voted unanimously to sustain the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as the Presidency and leaders of
the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints.
I have ever been impressed, since
my first acquaintance with the Church
and kingdom of God upon the earth,
with the importance of keeping a
journal and record of the dealings of
God with this people, and our official
acts in the ministry, and under this
view I have written sketches of most
of the sermons and teachings which I
have heard from the mouth of Joseph
Smith the Prophet, and many of the
teachings of the Twelve Apostles and
others. Believing this course to be
beneficial, I would recommend the
Elders of Israel to do likewise, that
what is recorded on earth may be recorded in heaven.
Varied and diverse are the lives
and fortunes of men; while the paths
of some are strewn with flowers and
ease from the cradle to the grave,
with naught to disturb their peace,
others are marked victims of varied
misfortunes, accidents and dangers.
The last-named class is the one in
whose ranks I have stood through my
infancy, childhood, youth and manhood, up to the present time, so much
so, that it has seemed as though some
invisible power or fate was watching
my footsteps, in order to find some
opportunity to take my life from the
earth. I can only attribute the continuation of my life to the present
time to a merciful God, whose hand
has been stretched out, and rescued
me from death in the midst of the
many dangers and hairbreadth escapes
I have passed through, some of which
I will here mention.
When three years of age, I fell into
a caldron of boiling water, was instantly caught out, but was so badly
scalded, that it was nine months before I was considered out of danger.
At five years of age, I fell from the
great beam of a barn, striking my face
upon the floor, which came near
breaking my neck.
Three months afterwards, I broke
one of my arms, by falling down
stairs. I soon after broke my other
arm, by falling out of a high stoop
upon a pile of timber.
When six years of age, I came near
being killed by a surly bull. My
father and I were feeding pumpkins
to the cattle, a surly bull drove my
cow away from the one she was eating.
I took the pumpkin he had left, upon
which he pitched at me. My father
told me to throw down the pumpkin
and run. I ran down a steep hill,
and took the pumpkin with me, being
determined that the cow should have
her rights. The bull pursued. As
he was about to overtake me, I stepped into a post hole and fell; the bull
leaped over me, after the pumpkin,
and tore it to pieces with his horns,
