Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1884-04-29

next day TO large audience and bap-
tizcd three converts. His right hal d
and high priest Sidney Rigdon, was
similarly treated, and became Temp
rarily insane from fright.
Meanwhile the church that had
been planted in Jackson county, Mis-
souri,, thrived and grew rapidly.
prospcring in worldly wealth to
a degree hitherto unknown in
that region. This reused the animoS-
IT, of all who were not OF the ncV
faith against them, and that animosill
was increased and heated by the re
port gaining currency that they were
indulging in a community of wives
which was untrue at the time, but
afterwards became the leading fea-
turc of the new sect. Such were the
prosecutions they were compelled to
undergo at the hands OF the enraged
lackwoodsmen, they were compelled
to flee across the Missouri river,
which they did one cold winter night
in 1888, settling down in Clay county
where they remained for three years.
In July 1884, they were visited by
Smith III person, who remained with
them one week, and accomplished
much during his brief stay in the
way Of organization. During. the
next year (lS35), at meeting Of
priests and bishops convened at kirt-
land by the prophet, an important
step was taken in the development of
u hierarchy by the institution Of the
order of apostles twelve i'll number,
who were commanded to go out and
preach the New Gospel!' among the
gcntilcs. One of these twelve was
the afterwards notorious Brigham
Young, who had become a convert
during the last week of December,
1888 and had speedily proved himself
to be man Of singular sagacity and
force of character. He was native
of New Hampshire, we believe, and
was ordered to work in New England,
where he succeeded in obtaining
many converts. In 1887 it was de-
tcrlnined to send missionaries across
the ocean, and Orson, Hyde and He
Der c. Kimball were dispatched in
that capacity to England where they
81 ceedcd in securing large O5ciss 'ons
in the manufacturing districts Of
South Wales. Since then the Nor
mons have extended their missionary
labors to the East Indies, Australia,
Turkey and almost every country on
the continent of Europe.
About the lst of January, 1898, the
bank at Kirkland, which had been cs-
tablishcd and run by Joseph Smith,
suddenly stopped payment, and ir-
dignant depositors began to institute
legal proceedings against the prophet
and others connected with the insl-
tuition. This was provocative of a
fresh revelation" wherein the saints
were ordered by the Lord to depart
forthwith for Missouri, command
that was promptly obcycd. The ac-
cession Of the Kirkland fugitivGs
served to cmbittcr the feeling be-
tween the saints and Missourians to
that degree that civil war was i'm
mincnt. Smith and Rigdon were ar
rested and thrown into the Clay
county Jail aud the entire country was
organizing for an armed attack on
the Mormon colony. So imminent
was the danger of a bloody conflict
that, in November, 1888 the author
tiles of Clay county released the two
leaders Oh their promise that they
wOald at once remove their adherents
and belongings beyond the confines
Of the state Of Missouri. Consequent
ly we find a vast caravan, fifteen
thousand souls in all, arrived on the
east bank of the Mississippi, before
Christmas Of that year, at or near a
little village called Commerce where
they had secured large grant Of
land. A revelation" given to Smith
necessitated the change Of the name
of the village from Commerce to that
of Nauvoo, which, Sin the language
of heaven" as interpreted by Smith
means "the city of beauty"
When the Mormons arrived there
[Continued on Jourth page.l