But he had a large family depending on him, and a long journey was before him. The necessity of the occasion prompted, and faith in God inspired, him. In April, 1838, he fitted up with a turnpike-cart, a borrowed wagon, one horse of his own and three borrowed ones, twenty dollars in cash and a keg of powder to pay expenses, and started for Missouri with his family--eleven persons in all. When the money and powder were spent, they were under the necessity of appealing to the benevolence of the inhabitants on the road for buttermilk and sometimes for other food to sustain life. He had two children, a son and a daughter, born in Kirtland. One of these, a lovely girl, died on this tedious journey, which was to Elder Tanner the greatest trial of that time. On his arrival in Missouri, in conversation with a friend of his, after narrating the hardships, privations and many of the most trying circumstances of the journey, he said, "Well, if others have come up easier, they have not learned so much." This expression is characteristic of Elder Tanner's very happy faculty of drawing sunshine from the darkest cloud and honey from the most bitter herb. He acknowledged the hand of God in all things, knowing that He overrules all things for good to those who keep His commandments. He arrived in Far West on the 3rd of July, and there he and his sons went to work. He paid up his debts, and had sufficient means on hand to meet the demands and exigences of life. In the Autumn of 1838, he and his son Myron went to a mill about nine miles from the town, and when starting for home, the state militia in the form of a mob came upon them. He told Myron to run and take care of himself, which he did by crawling under a large pile of clearing brush, and was not discovered by the mob, which, however, came upon Elder Tanner. One of the mobbers, snapped his gun at this brave man, but it refused to go off. He then took hold of the muzzle and struck him over the head with the breach of the gun, cutting a large ugly gash. This blow would probably have killed him, had it not been for his heavy felt hat, the double thickness of which caught the blow first. This attempt at murder was made by Captain Myer Odell. Elder Tanner was taken and held prisoner two or three days, wearing his bloody clothes, and stubbornly refusing to wash the blood from himself. He kept his team and wagon, and they let him go out upon his word of honor to take a wounded man to his family, after which, he returned to their custody and redeemed his word. At this time the Prophet Joseph was sentenced to be shot, but General Doniphan protested, and withdrew his men. On the day when the execution was to have taken place, the Saints laid down their arms, and some of the prisoners, among whom was Elder Tanner, were released.