About this time, President Marks joined with the widow of the martyred Joseph and some others, in a council in the upper room of Brother Joseph's house, to try to nominate and appoint a trustee in trust for the whole Church. I entered this council and heard Mrs. Emma Smith plead in relation to this matter, the great importance and absolute necessity of immediate action on this subject, as delay would endanger much property of a public and private character, and perhaps cause a loss of scores of thousands. I arose and protested against any action of the kind, telling them plainly that the appointment of a trustee in trust was the business of the whole Church, through its general authorities, and not the business of the local authorities of any one stake of the Church, and that, therefore, it could not be done till the remainder of the quorum returned. To this it was replied that by this delay much property would be lost. I again repeated that dollars and cents were no consideration with me, when principle was at stake, and if thousands or even millions were lost, let them go. We could not and would not suffer the authorities and principles of the Church to be trampled under foot, for the sake of pecuniary interest. The council finally broke up without accomplishing anything. At length the day for Mr. Rigdon's great meeting arrived, when the remainder of the quorum, or a majority, with President Young at their head, arrived in time to be present. Mr. Rigdon was frustrated in his ambitious schemes, and with his adherents, including President Marks, soon left the place, being disfellowshipped by the Church. President Brigham Young was unanimously chosen and upheld in the Presidency of the whole Church; the keys of which he held by virtue of his apostleship, being the senior and President of the highest quorum of the Church then living in the flesh. _October 6th_.--The half yearly Conference was held at Nauvoo, which I attended. CHAPTER XLIII. ------------------------ Eastern Mission:--Return:--Mobocracy:--Labor in the Temple:--Expulsion from Nauvoo:--Cross the Mississippi:-- Garden Grove:--Mount Pisga:--Council Bluffs:--Mormon Battalion:-- Winter Quarters:--Mission to England with Elders Orson Hyde and John Taylor:--Conference at Manchester:--Tour through the Kingdom. _December 2d_.