HISTORY OF JOSEPH SMITH bjune on monday afternoon july in in company with sidney rigdon brother hyrum smith and oliver cowdery I 1 left kirtland and at 7 the same evening we took passage on board the steamer charles townsend S fox master at fairport and the next evening about 10 we arrived at buffalo new york and took lodgings at the farmers hotel here we met with elders 0 hyde and al C nickerson the former on his way to canada and the latter f from rom that province provin C e to avoid the crowding fisting fighting racing and rioting of the packets we took passages on a line boat for utica where we arrived about 8 a in m of the juat in time to take the rail road car for schenectady the first passengers gerls oar car on the new road we were more than six hours traveling 80 miles the locomotive had hardly stopped before the cry was albany baggage cars start in fi five v e minutes amid a scene of confusion b bustle astle and crowding we succeeded after a good good share of se alling and pulling in getting our trunks on oa board the luggage car for albany whore where we arrived the same evening on the at 7 a m we went on board the steamer john mason which took us to the erie lying over the bar while the passengers were stepping step rg off the john cajohn mason the steamer rochester oc bester pa passed 8 sed us now for a race was the cry from different parts and a race and try of speed it was however as fate or steam power 0 of f engine would have it inthe the erieg 1 after t touching O 0 at catskill Oat skill and west point where the rochester did not wont into new york a few f ew miles ahead by such undue andu pressure of steam thi the lives of thousands have been sacrificed lif I 1 iced and I 1 thanked god that myself and friends were safely landed while here I 1 visited the burnt district that part of the ci city 3 whereat where it was estimated fifteen millions of property were consumed by fire on the of december 1835 according to the prediction of the ancient prophets that their should be fire and vapor of smoke in the last days from new york we continued our journey to providence on board a steamer from thence to boston by steam oars cars and arrived in salem massachusetts early in au august where we hired a house and occupied so the same during the month teaching the people from house to house and preaching publicly as opportunity presented visiting occasionally sections of the surrounding country which are rich in the history of the pilgrim fathers ofner of new england in indian warfare reli religious lo 10 superstition bigotry J persecution and learned ignorance the early settlers of boston the emporium of now new En england kniland iland who had fled from their mother country to avoid persecution and death so soon on became so lost to principled plea of justice and religious liberty as to whip and hang the baptist and the quaker who like themselves had fled from tyranny to a land of freedom and the he fathers of salem from 1691 to 1693 whipped imprisoned d tortured and hung many of their citizens for supposed witchcraft and quite recently while boarino boasting of her light and knowledge of her laws and religion eli giori as surl surpassed assed by none on earth has new england been guila of of burding a catholic convent in the vicinity of charleston carleston and of scattering the inmates to the four winds yes in sight of the very spot where the are fira of the american Ame independence was first kindled where a monument Is is now low erecting in in memory of the battle of bunker hill and the fate of the immortal warren who bled who died on those sacred heights D to par purchase chase religious liberty for his cou country n try in sight of this vezy very spot h have alethe the religionists of the century demolished a noble brick edifice hurling its inhabitants forth spona told sold unfeeling world for protection and subsistence well did the savior say concerning such by their fruits you shall know them and if the wicked mob who destroyed the R charleston hiles toti cc convent n and the cool calculating religious lookers on who inspired their hearts heart deeds of infamy do not arise and redress the wrong and restore the injured fourfold four fold they in turns turn will receive of the measure have out till the just jast indignation of a righteous god is sat satisfied iVied when will man cease to war with man 1 and wrest JEom fr bin him his gafred rights oi of worshipping wor shipping ills god according as his conscience dictates holy father hasten aster the day I 1 received the following Be revelation given at t salem massachusetts august ath 1836 I 1 the lord your god am not displeased with your our coming this journey notwithstanding 0 your you lollies follies I 1 have much treasure in this city for youl you for or t the he ben benefit elit of zion and many people i in this city whom I 1 will gather out in due time for the benefit of zion through your instrumentality therefore it is expedient that you should form acquaintance with men in this city as you shall be led and as it shall be gejeu given you and it shall come to p pass ass in due dae tin time that i will give this city into your hands that you shall have power over it insomuch that they shall rhall not discover your secret parts and it its wealth pertaining to gold and silver shall be yours ours concern not yourselves about your debts debts for I 1 will give you yo u power to pay them concern not yourselves about zion tor for I 1 will deal mercifully with her tarry in this place and in the regions round about and the place where it is my will that YOU should tarry for the main shall be signalized signalizes unto you by the peace and power of my spirit that shall flow unto you yon this place you may obtain by hire ac and inquire diligently concerning th the more ancient inhabitants and founders ot of this city for there are more treasures than one for you in this city therefore be ye as wise wise as serpents bents and yet without sin a and nd I 1 will order all things for your good as fast as aa yo ye aro are ble able to receive them amen while here brothers bi gigham young D and L 0 johnson arrived brother youn young had ad been through ID new york vermont and mo massachusetts a in in company with his brother joseph young having visited their in this country and baptized a good number into the church they staid in boston two or three weeks and baptized 17 persons we had a good visit with the brethren for which I 1 feel very thankful thus I 1 continued in salem and vicinity until I 1 returned to kirtland some time in the month of september during this month the church in in clay county missouri commenced removing removing to their newly selected location on shoal ore brcek ek in the territory attached bolay tolay to ray count county Y during the quarter ending september 3rd ard fifty two elders six priests three teachers and two deacons licenses were recorded in the license records ds in kirtland ohio b by thomas burdick the intelligence frond atje the elders abroad was interesting elders P P pratt still continued his labors in upper canada toronto and vicinity with good sue suc cess elder lyman E johnson had been labor in ing g in new brunswick and other places on the se sea board and on the 12 13 and of august augusi a conference was held by elders brigham young and lynian lyman E johnson at newry maine where 17 branches were represented amounting to members october 2nd and 1886 my father and uncle john jobia smith ret returned arned to kirtland from their mission to the eastern states haying having traveled about 2 2400 miles and visited nearly all the branches 0 of f the church in new york vermont new hampshire and pennsylvania D during aring this mission mission they baptized many conferred blessings upon many hundreds and preached the gospel to kanj many thousands they also visited their friends and relatives in the land of their nativity my cousin george A smith returned the same day from his mission to richland county ohio october 2nd and brother H C kimball returned to kirtland having having been absent nearly five months during which time he baptized thirty persons into the church of 0 jesus christ of latter day saints this being in fulfilment fulfillment of a blessing that I 1 had conferred upon his head before he started on his mission through the month of october the saints continued continue d to gather at shoal creek missouri and my my attention was particularly directed to the building up of kirtland and the spiritual interests of the church and on the 2nd and of november the brethren at kirtland drew up certain articles of agreement preparatory to the orga organization miza tion of a banking institution to be called th the e kirtland safety Socie society tv president 0 cowdery was delegated to philadelphia to procure plates for tho institution and elder 0 hyde to repair to Go columbes lumbes with wi th 0 a petition to the legislature Legisla tur of ohio obio I 1 for an act of incorporation which was presented at an early I 1 I 1 atio period d of 01 th then air sees session on but we were cormons mormons Mor mons Legislature the raised some frivolous excuse excuse on on which they to grant usi us those banking privileges they so freely fredy granted to others thus elder hyde was compe compelled fled to return without accomplishing the object of his mission while elder cowdery succeeded at a great expense in p procuring ro curing the plates and bring ing them to kirtland I 1 forty four f our elders licenses were recorded oded in the licence records at kirtland tp h quarter ending december also five avii pil priests bests and one teachers teacher license by T burdick the saints having gathered in consi considerable deAble number and still gathering on shoal isnoal creek missouri petitioned fox for an act of It incorporation corporation for a new county which was granted about the middle of de december cember under the name of df caldwell county from which time a fegri impetus was given to the gathering and the po county U R il grew like jonass gourd I 1 minutes of a conference held in in the house houma of the lord on the of december 1836 i the authorities of the church being present viz the first presidency the high hi 1 h C councils counci ill 0 of f kirtland the quorum of the twelve twelve 0 the presidents of the seventies the president debt of the elders and his counselors and many other official members such as priests teachers deacons ac the house was called to ok air der and ana th the fol following loing motions motion ii were made seconded and carried by the unanimous adice idice af aie the I 1 assembly i I 1 1st at that it has been the case that a very vay improper an and d unchristian stian like course of conduct has been pursued sued by tho the elders of this church and the churches I 1 abroad in sending their poor f from ron a among theland the them mand and in moving oving i to this place without the necessary means meang of su subsistence si whereas the church in thi this place being poor from the beginning having had to pay ay au an extortionate price for their lands land s provisions provision sj ac and cavino having a serious burthen imposed upon them by ci comers mers and goers from most parts of the world and in assisi assisting ing the traveling elders and their families while they themselves have been laboring in the vineyard of the lord to preach the gospel and also having suffered great loss in endeavoring to benefit zion it has become a serious matter which ought to be considered by us I 1 therefore after deliberate discussion upon the subject it was motioned seconded seconda ed and unanimously carried that we have borne our part of this burden that it becomes the duty henceforth of all the churches abroad to provide for those who are objects of charity that are not notable able to provide for themselves and not send the them m from their midst to burthen the church in this place unless they come and prepare a pl place a ce for them and means for their support 2nd ad that there be a stop put to churches or families gathering oi or moving to this pae alae I 1 without tab first camin coming or sending th theresee the eriv retee IN ae men to prepare e a place tor for them as our foiw bouses are all full fa and our lands mostly occupied except those houses that do not belong to the ahe church which cannot be obtained without great sacrifice especially when hen brethren with their families are crowding in upon pon U us S an and a 4 are re compelled to purchase at any ai rate anderu and consequently aidi are thrown into the hands f opeo po and extortion ers with whig which athe the lord I 1 ord is not well el pleased also that the aa churches abroad do accord according in g to the I 1 revelation contal contained u ed in the book of commandments page com at section 10 which is as follows now verily I 1 say unto you let all the churches gather together all their monies let these things be done in their time be not in haste haae and observe to have all these things pre prepared before you and let honorable men be appointed even wise wise men and send them to purchase these lands and every eveia church in im the eastern countries when they are built up if they will hearken unto this counsel they may buy bay lands and gather together 11 upon on them thein and in this way they may establish zion I 1 I 1 JQSEPH JOSEPH SMITH chairman WARREN PARRISH weri clerk on the of december at the setting of the sun doctor willard richards was baptized at kirtland und under er the hands of president brigham young in the prel presence mice of heber C kimball and others who had spent the afternoon in cutting the ice to prepare for the baptism doat richards was born at hopkinton hopkinson Hop kinton middlesex county comity massachusetts june jtb 1804 and from th the religious teachings tea chinga of his parents joseph and rhoda richards he was the subject of religious impressio impressions f from o m ills his par earliest liest moments although ca careless relesa dl indifferent do d if ferent in his external deportment atthe at the age ot of tn ten year she removed with his fathers family to richi h mond in the same state where he witnessed several sectarian revivals offered himself to the congregational church charch in that place at the age of 17 having previously passed gassed the painful ordeal of conviction and conversion according to that ord order 6 r even to the belief that he had c committed the unpardonable sin but the total disregard d of that church to his request for admission mission led him to a more thorough investigation of the principles of religion when he became convinced that the sects were all wrong and that god had no church on earth but that he would soon have a church whose creed would be the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth and from that time kept himself I 1 aloof from sectarian ina influence tience boldly declaring his belief to all who wished to learn his views until the summer of 1835 while in the pTa practice otice i of medicine near boston the book of mormon which president briham briehan young had left with his cousin lucius parker I 1 at south bo borough accidentally or providentially fell in his way which was the first he had seen or heard of the latter day saints except the scurrilous reports of the public print which amounted to nothing more than thata boy named jo A smith somewhere ere out had found a gold bik bible he opened the I 1 book without aitho 6 re gard to place to or contents and before reading tiala 4 a page declared blared d tc cc god or the D advil il has had a hand in thit Boo bookfor Booky kfir jor man vever never wrote it read it twice through in about ten days and so firm was his conviction of the truth that he immediately commenced settling his accounts selling 0 his bis medicine medici nei and freeing I 1 himself from every incumbrance brance