The Belle of Nauvoo - Book One

Chapter Nineteen

Chapter Nineteen

During conference I stretched my neck about, almost unscrewing it from its socket, searching the crowd for dear and familiar faces. How had it come to be that there were so many Saints I did not know? Saints from all over Illinois, Iowa, and further away were gathered at the East Grove for conference – such great and vast numbers! Why, I could remember the days when all of the Church could fit within the walls of the Kirtland Temple. Now the work had gone forth to begin to fill the earth. Look how many Saints had gathered to Zion!

Alas, there were Emily and Eliza! But where was Lorin? With his brother and family? I searched and searched until at last I saw them arriving late. Little Mary must have been hard to dress again. Slowly, greeting friends and neighbors, they made their way to the front where we were saving seats for them. Lucy and Olive and the girls came and sat by me. Lorin and the menfolk sat across the aisle. Lorin had a wink for me.

Father was speaking at this session. The night before, he had burned up four candles writing his talk. I was proud to see him sitting up there on the stand. He smiled down at all his family who sat together.

At the first session, everyone came in anxious expectation to hear about the fall of William Law and his fellow conspirators, only to be disappointed. Uncle Joseph got right up at the start of the business and told them they weren’t going to deal with petty difficulties. Petty difficulties? To me they were not petty. There was a lot of whispering, and we had to be quieted down.

However, Father’s talk dealt with these difficulties – that is after he spoke of the Penny Fund. Father could never open his mouth in public without mentioning the Penny Fund. “The temple must be built!” was his hue and cry. And now it was, “Let’s get the roof on this fall!”

Referring to unnamed persons who opposed the work, he compared the apostates to tree toads who climb trees and are continually croaking. Many people smiled at his imagery. It broke the tension we had been under. He said they would hop out of town and not to fear them. He said, “If you hear of anyone in high authority, that he is rather inclined to apostasy, don’t let prejudice arise, but pray for him. Never speak reproachfully or disrespectfully; he is in the hands of God.”

I glanced over at the Smith boys to watch them squirm with discomfort, remembering the names they had called the Laws. Then I remembered that I, too, had called Joseph Jackson a few choice names – not in public, but I had done it before God. He, too, was in God’s hands; and thanks to the Almighty, he had already hopped right out of town. ‘Twas a sobering thought how God could bring things to pass.

Father went on to teach us to put down iniquity with good works. “Never undertake to destroy men because they do some evil thing. It is natural for a man to be led, and not driven.” I hoped my brothers were listening well.

In the Sunday morning session, I sat by Aunt Emma and Aunt Lucy. Aunt Emma knotted up her handkerchief worrying about Uncle Joseph’s talk. Several, like William Law, were croaking that he was a fallen prophet, and others worried that he hadn’t published any revelations lately. When conference started, Uncle Joseph had got up and said that by the end of the conference he would prove he was not a fallen prophet. Now, twenty thousand people were waiting for that with expectation. The noise of people visiting was a loud as a steamboat.

“The crowd is so large I just don’t know if his lungs will last out,” said Aunt Emma. “And there’s a storm coming.” We could see the clouds rolling across the Iowa prairie towards us.

“The Lord will strengthen his lungs,” I assured her, reaching over to still her hand with mine. He had to. So much was at stake with our enemies howling at our gates! I looked at the sky anxiously as I saw people departing for home.