John Tanner and his family

Page 453

16 SCRAPS OF BIOGRAPHY. He kept his team and wagon, and they let him go out upon his word of honor to take a wounded man to his family, after which, he returned to their At this time the Prophet custody and redeemed his word. wash the blood from himself. Joseph was and tested, sentenced to be shot, but General Doniphan pro­ withdrew his men. On the day when the executio n was to have taken place, the Saints laid down their arms, and some of the prisoners, among whom was Elder Tanner, were released. During the militia raid just referred to, he lost very As soon heavily as quite a number of his stock were stolen. as he was set at liberty from mob custody, he went to work getting things together preparatory to leaving the state in obedience to the gubernatorial order, and on the third day.of March, 1839, started with his family and his sons' families for Illinois. He arrived in New Liberty about the first of April, whore he stopped one year torecruit, and was much prospered in his efforts. About the middle of March, 1840, he again gathered his effects and moved within four miles of Montrose, Lee county, Iowa, where his daughter, Sariah, was born, July, 1840. Here he opened and cultivated a large farm, plowing two hundred and fifty acres, and about two enclosed all this by a hundred acres he used for pasture. He In this place he lived and good fence. prospered six years. At the April conference in 1844, he was called on a mission Before starting, he went to Nau­ voo, where he saw the Prophet Joseph, and, meeting him on the street, gave him his note of hand for the two thousand dollars loaned in Kirtland, January, 1835, to redeem the The Prophet asked him what he wanted done temple land. with the note. Elder Tanner replied, "Brother Joseph, you are welcome to it." The Prophet then laid his right hand heavily on Elder Tanner's shoulder, saying, "God bless you, Father Tanner; your children shall never beg bread." He aided very materially in the building of the Nauvoo Temple, from the commencement until its completion; 'and after it was dedicated he received tberein his endowments, to the Eastern States. sealings and second anointing.