CHAPTER IX.

Brigham Young's election to the presidency --The expulsion of the Mormons from Nauvoo in 1846.

AFTER the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, the Mormons seem to have been in a state of bewilderment and indecision. It was one of the most critical periods in their history, and the question arose "on whom the mantle of the Prophet should fall." The most influential of the citizens of Nauvoo assembled to debate that question.

Sidney Rigdon had already assumed the role of chief functionary as of right, and had a "revelation" on this subject. He had strong claims to sustain this assumption of power. He had originated Mormonism, and had very important secrets in his custody; but he miscalculated his influence. He was unpopular, was distrusted, and it was known that Joseph had long kept him at arm's length, fearing to quarrel with him. Rigdon said his new "revelation" commanded the "Saints' to go to Pittsburg, Pa., and this contradicted all that Joseph had received, which indicated that Jackson Co., Missouri, was positively to be their final home.

Ten weeks after the removal of the Prophet, Rigdon was called before the high quorum of the priesthood to answer for his misdeeds. He refused to appear.

Brigham Young was in Boston, Mass., engaged in mission work, when he heard of the death of the Smiths, and hastened to Nauvoo as rapidly as possible after the news reached him, convinced of his right to govern the peo

ple. Next to Joseph Smith, Brigham Young was the ablest man in certain ways who has been brought into prominence by the Mormon delusion. The two men had much in common, and each had a keen perception of the character of the other. Brigham was born in Vermont, in 1801, and removed at an early age to Livingston Co., N. Y., where he was a field-laborer. Later he was a house-painter at Canandaigua, N. Y. He joined the Mormons in 1832, at Kirtland, where his natural shrewdness and quickness were immediately recognized.

As one of the "Twelve Apostles" he soon became famous as a successful preacher, and Smith, with prophetic vision, in acknowledging Young's qualities as a ruler, remarked: “If Brigham has a chance he will lead the Mormons to hell." At Nauvoo, however, he saved them from destruction. He saw his opportunity, and had the wit and the nerve to embrace it. His first movement in this emergency was to make a public address accusing Rigdon of "manufacturing revelations," as having a "spirit as corrupt as the devil," and declaring his mind was enveloped in darkness, and that he sowed dissensions in the church.

The following portion of this address is curious as tending to prove Rigdon's complicity in the original fraud by which the "Book of Mormon" was palmed off on the credulous as a divine revelation-to wit:

"Brother Sidney says he will tell our secrets; but if he tells them, we will tell his. Tit for tat. If there is so much iniquity in our church, he is a black-hearted wretch not to have told it long ago;" and Young concluded with saying that Rigdon was the prime cause of all the troubles the Saints had had in Missouri and Illinois, and to retain him in the church was to bring

utter destruction upon it. A few voices were eloquent in Rigdon's favor—ten in number; but the majority ruled, and Young delivered him over to the "buffetings of the devil for a thousand years in the home of the Lord." His ten friends were also suspended from their fellowship with the church.

Rigdon never sought to re-enter the church, and, what was far more important to the Mormons, he never told their secrets. He left Nauvoo immediately. Three other Mormons desired "the mantle of the Prophet". Lyman White, William Smith, and Strang—all of whom were excommunicated. Each had his followers. Strang founded a city on the prairies of Wisconsin, where he had a large colony, which ultimately removed to Beaver Island, Lake Michigan, and assumed the title of "king.

Brigham was now triumphant; the same assembly which had rejected Rigdon elected him "First President,” and invested him with the “keys.” He at once issued a “circular letter" to the Saints, giving his views on the situation. It was calm, hopeful, practical, and got up in a masterly style; but his pacific advice could not heal matters with the "Gentiles," and he gave out that the Mormons must leave Illinois.

The charter of Nauvoo was repealed by the Legislature of the State in 1845. In the midst of these stirring and exciting scenes the Mormons gave a curious exhibition of their faith in Joseph Smith. He had predicted the completion of the temple, and Brigham commanded them to remain in Nauvoo in order to fulfil the "revelation" of the Prophet.

Unheard-of exertions were made to carry out this command, and the temple was finished to its minutest ornamentation. When it was ready the Mormons flocked into the city from every quarter, and there was great

rejoicing over the consecration of "the Pride of the Valley," as they called it.

The interior was elaborately decorated with festoons and wreaths of flowers, and symbolic glories "celestial, telestial, and terrestrial;" chants were sung, prayers offered, and lamps and torches lighted to make it resplendent. This done, the walls were dismantled, the ornaments taken down, and the symbols of their faith removed to leave the noble building "to be trodden down and profaned by the Gentiles.'

From this time the enemies of the Mormons believed in their promised evacuation of the city. A venerable uncle of Joseph's declared that he had been told in a prophetic vision that "the whole people must retire into the wilderness, to grow into a multitude, aloof from the haunts of civilization."

Brigham Young and the Council took this matter into consideration. The result was, that they decided to move as rapidly as possible across Iowa to the Missouri, into the Indian country near Council Bluffs. It is stated that hostilities had been mutually suspended between the Mormons and their enemies, the State Government having promised its protection to the "Saints" until they could dispose of their property. The exodus had been delayed to finish the temple, and the mobocratic spirit of the Illinoisians and Missourians was again aroused.

THE EXODUS FROM NAUVOO.

In the winter of 1846 the Mormons commenced to leave the city. An indescribable pageant of ox-carts and mule teams, loaded with women, children, and all sorts of furniture, passed out from Nauvoo to the miry

tracks of the prairies; but the spirits of all, save the sick and the helpless, were unbroken. Brigham superintended every detail of this evacuation of Nauvoo. He arranged that the population should leave in companies as carefully selected and as well ordered as the situation allowed. In spite of this preparation there was a report that the Mormons really intended to remain, as their progress was so tardy to the impatient Illinoisians; and in violation of all promises and State faith they called out the militia and drove the defenceless residents from their homes at the point of the bayonet, after bombarding the city for three days and nights.

This was in September of 1846. The militia seems to have been a rabble of two thousand men, who gathered to fight less than three thousand of the old Nauvoo Legion. While this barbaric war was being conducted against those who had been left in the city (the most helpless and defenceless) Brigham was leading his companies across the prairies to Council Bluffs, Iowa, which had been selected as a temporary halting-place, where the Mormons could recuperate their energies and prepare for a more extended pilgrimage.

Men and women had been sent forward, through Brigham's foresight, to plant crops by the wayside for those who should follow to gather; but there was terrible suffering and much sickness among these bands, who toiled onward, obedient to their leader's dictation.

The following description of the city of Nauvoo, immediately after the Mormons were driven from it by their foes, was written by Colonel Kane, of the United States Army (a brother of Kane the Arctic explorer), who afterward made the journey from Council Bluffs to Utah in company with the Mormons, and wrote an account of it. From this time Colonel Kane's sympathies