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Show 104 John Tanner and His Family loaned and event is given the church, the prominence given this particular strange. If he ever collected any part of his considerable loans, there is evidence of it. no Biographical Encyclopedia suggests that the prophet was puz zled at John's confronting him with the note and asked what he would have him do with it. The whole circumstance is puzzling! What was the purpose in digging up this old note after all these years? Cer tainly he had no illusions about collecting it. Or was this a gesture of goodwill, intended to let the prophet know he held no illwill towards him because the note had not been paid? This seems to be the message the Biographical Encyclopedia felt the prophet received from the incident. What happened to that note made out in favor of John Tanner and signed by Joseph Smith, Jr.? Did the prophet destroy it as so often happens with instruments of this kind? Why did not John Tanner forgive the prophet orally for the debt and hang on to the "overdue" note which he had preserved in his treasure chest for nine years? What a treasure it would be today for the members of the family. And, in addition, why did not John, Sidney, Nathan, or any of the others who bought large amounts of the Kirtland Safety-Society paper which proved worthless, preserve it for posterity? It would be worth much more than face value today. However farmers and good helpful neighbors of history. They This historic the Tanners may have been, they had little did not realize they were helping make it. sense of John Tanner with his beloved prophet earth. When he returned from his mission, the prophet and the patriarch were in an "unknown grave." John was probably glad he had delivered the note and assured his chief of his high regard. He would have gladly given him far more had he had it. But it is doubtful that Joseph Smith, Jr., needed any special assurance of the undying regard of John Tanner. This had been shown on too was meeting to be his last on many occasions to leave any doubt. Few so much and gave so much for him. * When the call * * men in the church loved him * of 1844, for John Tanner and family to go on missions in behalf of the prophet's candidacy for the presidency, the large Tanner farm was left undermanned and largely in the hands of came in April most of the mature members of the |
