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Show 254 John Tanner and His Family nation from Father Tanner to defray expenses, age where the troops were being assembled. reported at New Port The experiences in Zion's Camp seem to have been exciting for Nathan. Here for the duration, "We had the pleasure of the company of the Prophet, Hiram, Brigham, Heber, Martin Harris, the Johnsons, Pratts, and many others."! What a thrill for this nineteen-year-old New York farm boy, who was having his first real experience out side his home town. Nathan was just was completely captivated by the young prophet who ten years older than himself. pleasure of seeing him in a vision which we had traveled in a high state while he was riding, and when he camped, in the middle of the corral of wagons, and camp what he had seen in the spirit. It I had the over when he saw the country of cultivation. This was he had a wagon run out got into it, and told the was grand and glorious to hear." Nathan was properly impressed with his association with the brethren. There is scarcely a note of disappointment in his story when he tells of the failure of the expedition to redeem Zion. Even the horrifying epidemic of cholera which followed, did not seem to dampen the spirit of this enthusiastic disciple, who accepted without comment the prophet's explanation of the reason for the failure of the expedi tion and the coming of the cholera plague." Nathan had joined Zion's to do his duty and not to raise questions; he was an army officer's dream. He and his brother John Joshua even remained an extra year in Missouri, at the prophet's suggestion, to assist the hard Army Saints who had been expelled from Jackson County. Mormonism had recruited an able and devout young man who would do its bidding all the way. pressed refugee following the Missouri experience, Nathan interesting events. In the fall of 1835 he Prophets where "Hebrew was studied and the Spirit of the Lord was daily felt.": Whether the importance of keeping journals was stressed is not stated, but the Tanner family Back in Kirtland took part in a number of entered the School of the is indebted to Nathan for much of the information about their pro genitors. In June of 1836, Nathan Rachel Winter Smith who went to Bolton to claim his was to be his faithful sweetheart, companion for more |
