As a preface to Section 103, I want to include the record of Parley P. Pratt after their expulsion from Jackson County, Missouri -
“After making our escape into the county of Clay—being reduced to the lowest poverty—I made a living by day labor, jobbing, building, or wood cutting, till some time in the winter of 1834, when a general Conference was held at my house, in which it was decided that two of the Elders should be sent to Ohio, in order to counsel with President Smith and the Church at Kirtland, and take some measures for the relief or restoration of the people thus plundered and driven from their homes. The question was put to the Conference: ‘Who would volunteer to perform so great a journey?’
“The poverty of all, and the inclement season of the year made all hesitate. At length Lyman Wight and myself offered our services, which were readily accepted. I was at this time entirely destitute of proper clothing for the journey; and I had neither horse, saddle, bridle, money nor provisions to take with me; or to leave with my wife, who lay sick and helpless most of the time.
“Under these circumstances I knew not what to do. Nearly all had been robbed and plundered, and all were poor. As we had to start without delay, I almost trembled at the undertaking; it seemed to be all but an impossibility; but ‘to him that believeth all things are possible.’ [Mark 9:23.] I started out of my house to do something towards making preparation; I hardly knew which way to go, but I found myself in the house of brother John Lowry, and was intending to ask him for money; but as I entered his miserable cottage in the swamp, amid the low, timbered bottoms of the Missouri river, I found him sick in bed with a heavy fever, and two or three others of his family down with the same complaint, on different beds in the same room. He was vomiting severely, and was hardly sensible of my presence. I thought to myself, ‘well, this is a poor place to come for money, and yet I must have it; I know of no one else that has got it; what shall I do?’ I sat a little while confounded and amazed. At length another Elder happened in; at that instant faith sprung up in my heart; the Spirit whispered to me, ‘is there anything too hard for the Lord?’ I said to the Elder that came in: ‘Brother, I am glad you have come; these people must be healed, for I want some money of them, and must have it.’
“We laid hands on them and rebuked the disease; brother Lowry rose up well; I did my errand, and readily obtained all I asked. This provided in part for my family's sustenance while I should leave them. I went a little further into the woods of the Missouri bottoms, and came to a camp of some brethren, by the name of Higbee, who owned some horses; they saw me coming, and, moved by the Spirit, one of them said to the other, ‘there comes brother Parley; he's in want of a horse for his journey—I must let him have old Dick;’ this being the name of the best horse he had. ‘Yes,’ said I, ‘brother, you have guessed right; but what will I do for a saddle?’ ‘Well,’ says the other, ‘I believe I'll have to let you have mine.’ I blessed them and went on my way rejoicing.
“I next called on Sidney A. Gilbert [actually, A. Sidney Gilbert—see D&C 53, heading], a merchant, then sojourning in the village of Liberty—his store in Jackson County having been broken up, and his goods plundered and destroyed by the mob. ‘Well,’ says he, ‘brother Parley, you certainly look too shabby to start a journey; you must have a new suit; I have got some remnants left that will make you a coat,’ etc. A neighboring tailoress and two or three other sisters happened to be present on a visit, and hearing the conversation, exclaimed, ‘Yes, brother Gilbert, you find the stuff and we'll make it up for him.’ This arranged, I now lacked only a cloak; this was also furnished by brother Gilbert.
“Brother Wight was also prospered in a similar manner in his preparations. Thus faith and the blessings of God had cleared up our way to accomplish what seemed impossible. We were soon ready, and on the first of February we mounted our horses, and started in good cheer to ride one thousand or fifteen hundred miles through a wilderness country. We had not one cent of money in our pockets on starting.
“We travelled every day, whether through storm or sunshine, mud, rain or snow; except when our public duties called us to tarry. We arrived in Kirtland early in the spring, all safe and sound; we had lacked for nothing on the road, and now had plenty of funds in hand. President Joseph Smith and the Church in Kirtland received us with a hospitality and joy unknown except among the Saints; and much interest was felt there, as well as elsewhere, on the subject of our persecution (Autobiography of Parley P. Pratt, pages 107–9).
This far exceeds any tribulation I have ever faced!
