I started, on the 18th of April, on a mission to New York and Vermont, and returned home September 20th; and again, in the Winter of '37, I took a short mission to Ohio in company with Lucius N. Scovil. It was while upon this mission that we heard of the persecution that had been raised against the Church in which the printing office was burned and that the Church were leaving for Far West, Missouri. We returned home immediately, and I made preparations and started west with my family on the 26th of March, in company with several other families among whom was Brother Hyrum Smith. We had an exceedingly hard journey in consequence of a great deal of rain and mud. We arrived at Far West the 27th of May, 1837. The next day I went to Davies county with Joseph and Hyrum Smith and some others to look out a new location. I remained there nine days and helped survey the site for a city. As a reward for rendering this assistance at that time Brother Joseph selected me a very fine city lot. I removed my family to Davies county, and in a short time my wife was taken ill with the chills and fever, which rendered her nearly helpless for about six months, during which time the terrible tragedies of persecution were enacted in Missouri. My brother-in-law, Daniel Carter, and some of his family were sick and on my hands to provide for. Thus surrounded by affliction, I, with my brethren, was compelled to remove my sick family to Caldwell county. We tarried there till the next March, and were then obliged to leave the State. In addition to removing my own family I made two or three trips with my team to assist in removing the destitute. I settled in Pike Co., Illinois. The people there were very kind and humane. I preached during the year of my residence in that county about one hundred times and baptized about thirty individuals. I removed to Nauvoo in April, 1840, where I remained during the Summer, and in the Fall took a mission to the east, in company with Daniel Carter. We took our families along, and by request of Hyrum Smith moved into his large and commodious house in Kirtland, to which was attached a most beautiful orchard. We then proceeded farther east on our mission, as we were authorized to visit the branches of the Church, and gather up means for the Nauvoo Temple. I was gone about two years, when I returned to Nauvoo. In June, 1844, the storm of persecution arose against the leaders of the Church, which terminated in the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. During this scene I had the command of one of the companies of the Nauvoo Legion, and was on duty about three weeks. I saw Joseph's and Hyrum's dead bodies and was called upon to act as one of the guards at the burial.