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Show Page 125 received nothing but...the most horrid and unrelenting persecutions at their hands for the last sixteen years. If our Heavenly Father will...deliver us out (of) the hands of the blood-thirsty Christians of these United States...I for one shall be very thankful...we may have to suffer much in the land of our exile, but...there will be no Christian banditti to afflict us all the day long - no holy pious priests to murder us by scores." 45 With this acrimonious farewell, the New York Messenger ceased publication - the press was loaded aboard the "Brooklyn" - and Orson Pratt departed to join his brethren at Nauvoo, counting it a "privilege" to sacrifice all by being driven out of his home once again. He arrived December 11 with $400 worth of "Allen's revolving six-shooting pistols, alias pepperboxes." The Twelve were busily conducting endowment ceremonies in the temple, which had been finished only days before. He found them anxious to make the fullest possible use of the building, but also eager to evacuate - many of them looked upon their contemplated flight already as a great adventure. Parley had exhorted the Saints in October conference, "We cannot always live in one city, nor in one county...We want a country where we have room 46 to expand." Orson was infected, too, with "new life and zeal...to gather westward ho!" The westering urge which was noisily stirring the entire nation had acute significance for Orson and his fellows. Meanwhile, the work in temple chambers had to be pushed rapidly to completion. Orson conducted his wife Sarah through the ordinances the day after his return from the East, and together they remained long hours in 47 the temple assisting others. Most of the authorities were restricted in their movements on account of an arrest warrant issued against them on the ludicrous charge of "counterfeiting." Orson stayed in the temple day and night, at times quite alone in the darkened courts, and Christmas Eve he spent by himself evading arrest by a United States Marshal. The deputy scoured the building, although Orson was watching his every move e-„ 0 H^1<. nnnlf he had rigged up as an observatory - at length, the |
