At the organization of the Seventies I was appointed one of the presidents over the second quorum, was ordained to that office under the hands of Elder Orson Pratt. During the Winter, Spring and Summer I assisted in ordaining several hundred of the Seventies and organizing them into quorums. In the Fall of 1845 the mob spirit revived and after due reflection and counsel the Church as a body concluded to leave the States and seek a home in the wilderness. Every possible exertion was then made to hasten the completion of the Temple, that the Saints might therein receive their anticipated blessings and endowments before their departure. The Temple was finally dedicated and the giving of endowments was commenced. It was in this house of God that my wife Sophia was sealed to me first and afterwards Amanda M. Hammond was given me by President B. Young. After receiving our blessings in the Temple, myself and family made all preparations for our wilderness journey, and crossed the Mississippi River on the last day of May, 1846. We had a prosperous journey, overtook the camp at Council Bluffs, crossed the Missouri River in July, and in concert with the spirit of the camp, made preparations for Winter Quarters. My wife Sophia was sick most of the ensuing Winter, but through the mercy of God her life was spared. Her disease was the scurvy of which quite a number died. At the organization of the camp I was appointed a captain of fifty in Brother Kimball's division, but in consequence of sickness in my family I could not obtain the necessary outfit to go on in the Spring company. During the year 1847 I labored very hard to obtain the means necessary for my expected trip to the valleys of Utah and my arrangements were nearly completed to go in the Spring of '48, when a call came for me to go on a mission to England. I felt as ever to respond to the call, but the idea of leaving my family, to make their way to Utah without my company or assistance, was not very pleasant. My family, however, chose to undertake the enterprise rather than to have me fail to fulfill my mission. I accordingly turned my whole attention to prepare everything in my power as comfortable and convenient as I could for my family's expedition and resolved to see them across the Elkhorn River myself. My team consisted of a good, strong wagon, two yoke of first-rate oxen and a yoke of cows; I got a boy to drive the team.