PART III.
After Elder Rigdon landed in Illinois, he was, as all would naturally suppose, compelled by circumstances to be more cool and considerate than he had previously been in Missouri. He in company with others met the Democratic association and other citizens of Quincy, (Ill.,) and laid before them the situation and circumstances of the Church, which resulted, in a measure, in ameliorating the condition of the widow and the orphan, who had been made destitute by mob violence. The generous deeds of the citizens of Quincy are gratefully remembered by many of the afflicted Saints who received their friendly aid in time of need.
Elders. J. and H. Smith and Elder R., with the exiled saints, located themselves in the spring of 1839, in the village of Commerce, afterwards called Nauvoo. The saints in America and Europe soon began to gather by hundreds and thousands to the selected place, which increased with a rapidity truly astonishing; many hundred houses were soon erected, large farms enclosed, on the hitherto uncultivated prairie. But the ray of hope had scarcely beamed on the Church, before it was discovered that the scenes in Ohio and Missouri, had not extinguished or abated the strength of Elder R’s imagination. He began to say that it was now his privilege to get rich, he went so far as to say “that he never would follow Elder J. Smith’s revelations any more, contrary to his own convenience, he also said that Jesus Christ was a fool to him, in sufferings.” Elder Smith watched over him, determined to keep him where the effects of his imagination could not prove so disastrous to the saints as heretofore, hoping at the same time, that he would see his error and reform. At the Conference held in Commerce, October 5th, ’39, Elders J. Smith, S. Rigdon and E. Higbee, were delegated to go to the city of Washington to lay before the authorities of our nation, the sufferings and persecutions of the saints, while in Missouri. It was thought that a trip to the Eastern cities would be beneficial to Elder R., and so it proved, for his mind for several months after he returned, seemed more calm and consistent than it had for a long time previous.
But Elder R. paid very little attention to the affairs of the Church, or the counsels of Elder Smith, he seemed to amuse himself with his own waking dreams, until sicknes[s] seized upon him and his family, he would then murmur and threaten to leave Nauvoo and go to the east. The Elders would visit him and pray for his recovery, and comfort him all they could, knowing he had suffered many afflictions. At times he would say, (as he did in this city near five years ago,) the Lord suffers me to be afflicted because I aspire to get ahead of Br. Joseph, thinking myself more capable to lead the Church than he is. But the Lord (said Elder R.,) dont think so. The following from the Book of Cov., page 408, given January 19th, 1841, will show Elder R’s standing far better than I can tell it.
“And again verily I say unto you , if my servant Sidney will serve me and be counselor unto my servant Joseph, let him arise and come up and stand in the office of his calling and humble himself before me, and if he will offer unto me an acceptable offering and acknowledgements, and remain with my people, behold I the Lord your God will heal him that he shall be headed, and he shall lift up his voice again on the mountains and be a spokesman before my face. Let him come and locate his family in the neighborhood in which my servant Joseph resides, and in all his journeyings let him lift up his voice, as with the sound of a trumpet and warn the inhabitants of the earth to flee the wrath to come. Let him assist my servant Joseph, and also let my servant William Law, assist my servant Joseph, in making a solemn proclamation unto the kings of the earth, even as I have before said unto you. If my servant Sidney will do my will, let him not remove his family unto the eastern lands, but let him change their habitation even as I have said. Behold it is not my will that he should seek to find safety and refuge out of the city which I have appointed unto you, even the city of Nauvoo, Verily I say unto you even now if he will hearken to my voice it shall be well with him even so. Amen.”
Elder R. complied with part of the above revelation, he located his family as directed, but continued as inactive as before, until Elder Smith was under the necessity of bringing his case before the Conference, Elder R. plead for his standing in the Church, and promised to do better, until he touched Elder Smith’s sympathy, he then done by him as he had often done by others wept over him and forgave him. Elder Hyrum Smith whose charity never failed in one instance, was determined to hold on to him; in his meditations about him, he thought, perhaps, that he felt himself slighted, because Elder Joseph Smith had not ordained him to be a Prophet, Seer, and Revelator, as he had some others; he therefore went to his Br. And told him his thoughts, (said he,) Br. Joseph, you have ordained me and Br. Don Carlos and others, to be Prophets, Seers, and Revelators, but you have not ordained Br. Sidney, and I have thought that he feels that you have slighted him, I want you to go, continued H., and ordain him to the same office.
He talked with his Br. until he consented to ordain him. At the time of ordination Elder J. Smith done all he could to cheer up Elder R., who was at the time labouring under indisposition.
But revelations, ordinations, prayers and intercessions proved insufficient to move Elder R. to act up his duty—again and again he was arraigned before the Conference for his inactivity and improper course. The last time he was brought before the Conference, previous to the death of Elders J. and H. Smith, Elder J. Smith stated to the many thousands assembled on the occasion, that he had to announce to them, that after mature deliberation, he had come to the conclusion that is was no longer his duty to hold on to, and consider Elder S. Rigdon as one of his counselors, for, (said he,) time after time he has promised to do better, but in every instance he has failed to comply with his most solemn promises; I do therefore reject and cast him off as a man unworthy of the high office to which has been ordained and appointed, I can no longer sustain him; if the church is disposed to take the responsibility upon itself of sustaining him, it may, but I shall do it no longer.
Elder Hyrum Smith plead with the church, with great earnestness and sympathy, to try Brother Sidney another year; he alluded to the many trying scenes he had passed through with the church and with his brother Joseph; said he, I know that Brother Sidney has not done as he should, but let us forgive him once more, and try him again. His warm appeal to the church caused many a tear to fall, Elder Rigdon made his confession and plead with the church to sustain him, after which Elder H. Smith called on the church to vote, they lifted their hands to try Elder Rigdon another year. Yet Elder J. Smith was so sure that Elder Rigdon would again break his promise and go astray, that he went and ordained Elder Amasa Lyman to succeed him. Some of the Elders did not understand how Elder Lyman could be ordained to succeed Elder Rigdon, as the church had voted to try him another year. Elder J. Smith was requested to give an explanation; “Why, (said he), by the same rule that Sam-uel anointed David to be King over Israel while Saul was yet crowned,” please read the 16th chapter of I. Samuel. Elder Smith’s explanation, though short, proved a quietus to all their rising conjectures.
Last Spring, Elder W. W. Phelps, prevailed on Elder Rigdon, to go with him and attend the councils of Elder J. Smith, he went, and after listening to the instructions and viewing the order of the council, and the manifestations of the power of God through Elder J. Smith, he leaped for joy, and walked the room as sprightly as a boy in his gayest frolics. Exclaiming, “Joseph! Joseph! Thou servant of the most High God, I will never leave nor forsake thee, for mine eyes now see what Kings and Prophets desired to see and hear. But they fell asleep to rest in hope of what mine ears hear and mine eyes see. Brother Joseph you have tried to shake me off for several years, but you cannot do it, I will hold on the the skirts of your garment, I am now determine never to let you go.” His visits to the councils revived him up so much, that he spoke at the April Conference, several times, with considerable spirit and energy.
He finally concluded to take a mission to the City of Pittsburgh. Elder J. Smith counseled him to go and take his family, and write, and preach, and build up the church in that City. He gave Elder Rigdon the same counsel that he gave the other Elders who went to different parts of the “United States,” at or near the same time.