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Show John Tanner and His 384 Family The following spring, 1836, on the 6th day of April, I went with my father and brother Amasa M. Lyman, to Brother Joseph Smith's, and there under the hands of Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, Amasa M. Lyman, Hiram Smith and my father, and I received a Father's blessing. It was one of great importance to me. I Lyman, Reuben think it was the following day that Brother Redfield, myself and Hadlock, the Eastern States. After we got off a H. Amasa M. Harlo others started on a mission to little distance, we commenced preaching. We separated, and each went by himself. I preached, baptized, and built up a branch of the Church in Albeion, Ausweego County, New York. From there I went to Bolton, New York, and married, and returned in the fall of the same year. I was twice mobbed in the time before I was twenty-one years old. My father-in-law and family (Old Father Wm. Smith) and Amos Perry came back with me. We arrived in Kirtland on Sunday Morning, just in time to hear the morning service. Joseph spoke. He had purchased a farm that lay in the bounds of the city, and had gone on Saturday to pay for it. The party refused paper money (from Kirtland Safety Society Bank) as it was not lawful tender, so Joseph had to raise the specie (gold or silver) in three days or lose the purchase. He called on the brethren to see if the specie could be raised. My brother-in-law did not belong to the church, but knowing that I knew that he had the money, he asked me what I would do if I were in his place. I told him that I should take it and lay it down, but that I did not wish to advise him. He decided he would give it if I would go with him. So I went, and he pulled out his shouldered it up, I think about $3,000 sack of specie, mostly silver and carried it through the isle the whole length of the Temple, and rolled it off his shoulder on the table. Then I introduced him to Joseph. The Lord would answer Joseph's call. I doubt whether Mr. Perry ever got all his money back; but he was blessed, and raised a large family of lovely children, and left them plenty when he died. At this time Kirtland flourished; property raised in value. Every man was trying to build. The hammer was heard on the house roofs all over the city at a late hour every night, and everyone seemed to prosper. The Kirtland bank was established and strove to be maintained by the - - saints. But when we seemed to prosper, all Hell, combined with all out side influences that could be raised against us, was marchalled. While we strove to maintain the credit of the bank, others strove to draw out all the specie and bank notes or other securities. While Joseph Smith, Sidney Rigdon, and John Taylor were gone to Canada to raise money to redeem our paper, an article was drawn up by Brother Goold (Gould), one of the seven presidents of Seventies, and presented to the Seventies assembled in the upper story of the Temple for their sanction. It declared that the Seventies disapproved of the circulating of Kirtland money in any way, or the passing of it; and that they would disfellowship, disap- |
