All this time the Saints had worked hard to finish the temple. It had been
decided to do this even if they had to work with the "trowel in one hand
and a sword in the other." October 5th the temple was near enough finished
that a conference was held in the building. No general conference had been
held for three years, as Joseph had said none should be convened until it
could be held in the temple.
After this the work on the building still went on, and in a short time it
was so far completed that it was dedicated, and a great many of the Saints
received their endowments within its sacred walls.
All that winter, (1845-46) Nauvoo was like a big workshop. Everybody that
could was preparing for the great move westward. Farms and houses were
offered for sale. Wagons were built, and as iron was scarce, many of them
had wooden tires. Horses and cattle were gathered. It was to be the sixth
move of the Saints from their homes, and it was no small undertaking now as
there were many thousands of people, and they were to go to a wild, unknown
land among the deserts and mountains of the West.
The move began on February 4, 1846, and from that date on there was a
continuous stream of wagons crossing the Mississippi river to the Iowa
side.
Pages:
120
121
122
123
124
125
126
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144