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Show 113 be innocent & God will bless us with his holy s p i r i t & we shall be happy on the desert." ' There were, perhaps, a few who grumbled. Roberts noted that "it is evident from the amount of urging and defense that was made respecting the proposition that i t did not at f i r s t meet with universal approval."2° It appears that Apostle Smith, the outspoken church historian, was somewhat disappointed when he wrote on March 22: "The standing army of 1000 men has been fitted up with a riding horse and pack animal to each man with revolvers and r i f l e s , all rigged for active service; when the Prests. counsel to evacuate Sebastopol without the consent of Lord Raglan appears in tomorrow's news." ' But Smith had long ago resigned himself to do whatever be was called to do to preserve the kingdom. On April 5, just two weeks after writing the above statement in the church records, he penned t h i s touching sentiment to Thomas B. H. Sten-house: I have Deen driven from Missouri, where I l e f t a good property and planted fruit trees for somebody else to eat. I passed through the same ordeal in I l l i n o i s . I preferred leaving my homes to renouncing my r e l igion. The Government expelled me from Nebraska, although they were well aware of my intention t o leave in a few months for the mountains; and I can go again and again, until death shall furnish me a quiet resting place, should our insane countrymen continue to trample the sacred rights of free men, guaranteed by the i n s t i t u t i o n s and blood of their fathers, under their feet with impunity. 28 Preparations for the abandonment of Salt Lake were immediate. Within twenty-four hours the church h i s t o r i a n ' s records were being crated for the move south. The cut stone for the temple, then under construction, was cached, and the temple grounds were plowed up to cover the foundations with earth. |
