Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow. Eliza R. Snow
to see him in Painesville—he then was humble, and seemed truly a follower of the meek and lowly Jesus; but how does he seem now? all puffed up with pride. He looks more like a celestial dandy than a Saint."
Five of the quorum of the Twelve were in this apostacy; and some in every organized quorum became disaffected. Wherever the spirit of speculation—a grasping for the things of the world—obtained, the light of the Spirit of God departed, and impenetrable darkness ensued. Some even became so blind as to seek to depose the Prophet of God. At length the hostility of the belligerent party assumed such threatening attitude that, late in the autumn of 1837, Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon had to flee for their lives; and at a moment's warning, started for Missouri. But their absence did not check the persecution waged by those apostate brethren—others became the targets of their malice. Through their influence, the aged Father Smith was served with a State's warrant, but fortunately for him he was placed in the custody of Luke Johnson, who, although one of the apostates, was averse to the bitter spirit of persecution which characterized others. Naturally of a jovial turn, he was more inclined to ridicule than hostility. Having been somewhat conversant with law usages, he volunteered his services as legal adviser for Father Smith, although his custodian. He privately told Father Smith's friends that the suit was instigated through malice—that he knew Father Smith was innocent, and he was determined to do all he could for him; and he was true to his word.
A room adjoining the one in which the court was in session, was lighted by one window. Before Father Smith was brought for trial, Mr. Johnson had examined the premises, and under the aforesaid window, on the outside, he had cautiously made preparation so that the old gentleman could reach the ground without injury. Before the court proceeded to business, Mr. Johnson said he would like a few minutes private conversation with his client. Permission was granted for him to take the prisoner into the room aforementioned. When in, he drew the nail which was the only fastening to the window—raised the window, and said to Father Smith, "Go right up to Esquire Snow's—he is a quiet man, and no one will think of going there for you." The old gentleman did his bidding, and came directly to our father's, who had purchased a home in Kirtland, and was living a mile and a quarter distant from the court scene; when he arrived, it was nearly midnight.
Mr. Johnson replaced the nail in the window, and, after giving Father Smith time to clear the premises, proceeded to the court room, where he soon discovered that his client had not followed him; whereupon he hurried back to the room to see what was detaining him. After hunting about there a short time, he came back to the court room, apparently very much disconcerted, and reported the unaccountable fact that the prisoner was not to be found. After close search by those present, who found the nail fastening in the window all right, the question was, "How did he make his escape?" The constable, who manifested the greatest astonishment of all present, finally settled the question by saying, "It is another Mormon miracle."
Father Smith remained between two and three weeks at our father's house, "hid up" from his enemies; but during the time, with the legal assistance of the justice of the peace (an honorable Gentile), he arranged his business matters preparatory to leaving for the west. Before he left, he was joined by six others, whose lives were threatened by apostates.
Before closing this subject, I think a further notice is due the unantagonistic apostate, Luke Johnson. I happened to meet him the day after the scene in the court room—he enquired after his released prisoner, and after hearing that he reached his destination all right, he, in a jocose manner, related the foregoing circumstances, and closed with, "Father Smith will bless me for it, all the days of his life." To which, when I repeated it to Father Smith on my return home, he replied in the affirmative; and Luke Johnson is the only one of those five Apostles that returned to the Church. He was re-baptized, and lived a faithful member—was much respected, and died an honorable death in the midst of his friends, in Salt Lake City.
Chapter V.
Leave Kirtland.—Grand Entertainment.—A noble Woman.—Lorenzo drives one Team.—He is very Sick.—Arrive in Far West, Missouri.—Elder Rigdon's Kindness.—Dr. Avord's Meanness.—His Nurse, Nightwatcher and Doctor.—An Incident.—Arrive in Adam-ondi-Ahman.—Lorenzo takes his Gun and goes out to Hunt.—A new Train of Reflections.—Hunting for Sport.—The old Settlers.—Their Antagonism.—Preparation for Defense.—False Alarm explained.
Towards the last of April, 1838, our father left Kirtland with twenty-one souls in company, to wit: his own family, consisting of his wife, two daughters, three sons, and two grand-daughters, children of our eldest sister who was at this time a widow; Brother Huntington and family; Brother James Moses and family; Brother Pearce and family, and Julian Moses, brother to James. We started with horse and ox teams, my brother Lorenzo having charge of one of our father's teams, which he drove until about one hundred miles from Far West, Missouri, when he was taken very sick with bilious fever.
On our first night out from Kirtland, our whole company stopped, in accordance with a previous pressing invitation, with one of our father's sisters, Mrs. Charlotte S. Granger. Had we been a bridal party we could not have been treated with more respect, or served more bountifully, although we were "Mormons" and she a popular Presbyterian. She was too noble minded to be a bigot. She and her husband are dead. Lorenzo has been baptized for her husband—I for her, and we have had the sealing ordinances performed in their behalf.
Our journey from Kirtland to Far West was rendered tedious in consequence of rainy weather. We arrived in Far West on the sixteenth of July, with my brother very sick in bed. For nearly one hundred miles he suffered such a racking pain in his head that when we traveled I held it as steady as possible to prevent excruciating suffering being produced by the motion of the wagon. On our arrival in Far West, Elder Rigdon met us and requested our father to take my sick brother to his house, which was gratefully accepted, and I was to stop with him, as Adam-ondi-Ahman, thirty miles distant, was father's destination; and as he had considerable stock which he could not keep in Far West, he started out the next morning, to return for us when Lorenzo should have so far recovered as to be able to ride that distance. Dr. Avord, who afterwards made himself notorious as an unscrupulous apostate, spent most of his time sitting under an awning in front of Elder Rigdon's house, and as I was under the necessity of obtaining some medicine for my brother, as a matter of convenience I applied to him, at the same time endeavoring to make him understand that it was the medicine I wanted, and not his medical attendance; but come he would, and continued to come. My brother grew worse—the fever increased until he became quite delirious, and I determined to get rid of Avord, and to accomplish this desirable yet disagreeable task, I asked him for his bill as kindly and politely as possible. The idea struck him at once that this request signified non-attendance, and he was very angry and tried to frighten me concerning my brother's condition, by telling me that his skill was needed more then than when he first saw the patient. I tried to be as pacific as possible, but thought that this concession did not recommend him to further attendance. However, when the doctor found me unyielding, he presented his bill, and although sitting in front of the house day after day, he neither called in to see nor inquire after the sick man. I realized that the family of Elder Rigdon, himself included, at that time had more faith in medical treatment than in the healing ordinances, and they all thought me to blame for discharging the physician. But my trust was in God, the prayer of faith, and good, sisterly nursing. As soon as the fever abated, my brother's consciousness returned, and in two weeks from the time father left us he was sufficiently restored, was sent for, and we took a pleasant wagon ride to Adam-ondi-Ahman, Daviess County, although my brother had to ride on a bed.
I will here mention one little incident with which convalescents, many of them, will sympathize. As his fever began to break, my brother tried to think of something he could relish, and his memory went back to college associations and college scenes, and to one college dish. At one time while attending college, he and three of his fellow students took it into their heads to try the novelty of bachelor boarding, each taking his turn in the cooking department. One particular dish, which at that time was relished very exquisitely, now haunted my brother's recollection—if he had a dish precisely like that he