A Young Folks' History of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints by Nephi Anderson
page 109 of 175 (62%)
page 109 of 175 (62%)
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move into Nauvoo for protection.
Some time before his death, Joseph had predicted that the Saints would yet move to the Rocky Mountains; and he had even begun the movement by holding councils and asking for volunteers from the brethren to go ahead and locate a place to which the Church might gather. President Young and the Twelve now began preparing to carry this plan out. They could plainly see that it was useless to try to live in peace in Illinois. The mobs grew larger and fiercer. The people living in the counties surrounding Hancock county, threatened to drive the "Mormons" from the state; and the officers whose duty it was to enforce the laws would not do so if it was to protect the "Mormons." So in August, 1845, it was decided to select three thousand men who, with their families, were to go to Upper California. All this western country was then called Upper California. The authorities of the Church promised the mob leaders that if they would not molest them they would all leave the state early the next spring. But the mobbing did not cease at this; so the sheriff of the county, a Mr. Backenstos, organized a posse, that is, a company of men to help him enforce the laws and keep order. The sheriff kept after the mob to prevent them from burning houses, etc., and this made the mobbers very angry. One day some of them tried to kill the sheriff, but he was saved by two "Mormons" coming to his rescue. Thus during the summer and fall of 1845 there was much trouble between the mobs, the "Mormons," and the militia. All this time the Saints had worked hard to finish the temple. It had been decided to do this even if they had to work with the "trowel in one hand and a sword in the other." October 5th the temple was near enough finished |
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