Meantime the temple had been so far completed that endowments could be given to the faithful; and in this work Elder Taylor with others of his quorum was employed during that eventful winter. He also continued to publish the _Times and Seasons_ up to the time of his departure for the wilderness. The _Neighbor_ was discontinued shortly after the Quincy Committee requested the Saints to leave the state. While making every effort to fill his part of the agreement with said committee to leave the state in the spring, he was continually harassed by his enemies seeking to arrest him on illegal writs. The whole community, in fact, was frequently threatened with mob violence. Their enemies were as impatient for Nauvoo to fall into their hands as hungry tigers are for their prey. The wheels of time moved altogether too slowly for them. They sought to make the people of other counties believe that the Mormons had no intention of leaving in the spring, and therefore to wait for spring to come before driving them out was only a waste of time, for to that issue it would come at last. Their ingenuity exhausted itself in concocting schemes to justify an invasion of Nauvoo. Finally, that all doubts as to the settled intention of the Saints to leave the United States might be put at rest, a large company, four hundred families all told, including nearly all the leaders of the Church and their families, left Nauvoo on the 11th of February, crossing the Mississippi on the ice. The exodus was not commenced so early, and at such an inclement season of the year because there was anything in the treaty the Saints had entered into that demanded it, but the movement was made to give proof that it was their intention to leave, and to take away from the mob all excuse for violence or bloodshed. Elder Taylor and his family crossed the river on the 16th of February, and joined the Camp of Israel in the wilderness of the Territory of Iowa. For his own family and those who had lived with him in Nauvoo, he had eight wagons and a carriage, with the necessary force of teams. Snow was on the ground when he left Nauvoo, and shortly after crossing the river a thaw set in, which made travelling difficult. An encampment was made at a place where wood was plentiful, and there the exiles made themselves as comfortable as possible, until traveling should become less disagreeable. There they lay, exposed to the inclement season, while only a short distance away--almost in view--were their comfortable houses, their beautiful city and magnificent temple! These homes which they had left, and that city were still theirs, for so hurried had been their departure that they had no time to dispose of property.