1912-10—Improvement Era—From Nauvoo to Salt Lake

From Nauvoo to Salt Lake in the Van of the Pioneers

The Original Diary of Erastus Snow

Improvement Era, v15 n12, October 1912, pp. 1108-1109

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During the month of December I spent two weeks with Mrs. Snow visiting our friends and brethren on the western side of the Missouri river, visiting and preaching in several different branches, and all the Saints attended the special conference held December 24, 25, 26, and 27, in the log tabernacle, a commodious block house 63x43 feet, which had been built during the three weeks previous in extremely cold weather, by the Saints upon the Pottawattamie district, expressly for the conference. It was one of the best conferences ever held in the Church, and although the Saints generally were in the depths of poverty and want, yet they were full of the riches of the grace of God — peace within and joy in the Holy Ghost. Much rich instruction was given, and among the business transacted was the organization of the quorum of the First Presidency over the whole Church, and the appointment of Father John Smith to be the patriarch over the whole Church. It was also determined in council to send delegates to the rich Saints in the southern and eastern states to solicit from them donations of money and clothing for the relief of the poor and distressed Saints to enable the council and the camp of the Saints to prosecute their journey to the Great Basin. Elder E. T. Benson of the Twelve and myself were appointed to visit the eastern and middle states, and Elder A. Lyman and Preston Thomas, the southern states.

Elder E. T. Benson and I visited New York, Boston and many other eastern towns and states, soliciting aid. Some received us kindly and contributed money and clothing, but by far the greater portion of the people turned a cold shoulder to us. We left Winter Quarters about the 1st of January, 1848, and returned about the first of April. While traveling, we were sometimes together and at other times traveled separately, visiting different places. On my return trip I passed through Ohio and visited the Kirtland Temple, and at St. Louis fell in with several returning elders and a company of Saints with whom I ascended the Missouri river …