A Dangerous Beginning

On April 25 he met the other apostles, and they slipped quietly into the shells of the empty houses damaged by the mobs. They would camp there for the night. After dark Heber C. Kimball came to tell them that Joseph had escaped from Liberty Jail and was on his way to Illinois. John was so ecstatic with joy that he could hardly sleep. The Prophet was alive and free! He thanked God for that blessing. Soon it was after midnight, April 26, the day the prophecy was to be fulfilled. Stars shed meager light on the group as they made their way to the temple site. John and the apostles, along with about thirty others, huddled together against the chill of the clear, cold night. Their breath hung in faint clouds in the open air. Scanning the horizon for members of the mob, they laid the corner stone of the temple, according to revelation. All was quiet. Wilford Woodruff and George A. Smith were ordained apostles. The group was on guard – still no mob. They sang a hymn. Was it too loud? Did the Missourians hear? All was quiet. The meeting ended, and the apostles breathed a sigh of relief, thanking God for their protection. They had come back into enemy territory in the shadow of night and the Lord had watched over them as John knew He would. With a silent prayer of gratitude for the blessings of this sacred night, John began to retrace his steps toward Illinois, in the direction of Great Britain, his homeland and the mission field.