Following Joseph Smith's arrival from Kirtland, Ohio, in March 1838, important church documents were also being transported to Far West. Joseph's Bible revision manuscripts were among materials being shipped. William Swartzell reported seeing the crate bearing Joseph's mummies. Swartzell wrote, "24th May 1838. Stayed at Richmond Landing this evening. This is the place where the Mormons land their goods for transportation across the country. I saw here Joseph Smith's box of mummys… Forty miles to the City of Far West." [William Swartzell, Mormonism Exposed, Being a Journal of a Residence in Missouri from the 28th of May to the 20th of August, 1838 (Pekin, Ohio: A. Ingram, Jr., 1840), 9].
    Joseph and Sidney Rigdon asked the High Council for a contract in exchange for "work rendered in the printing establishment, in translating the ancient records &c., &c." [Robinson, The Return, 1 (October 1889):145-51; Faulring, 182-83; History of the Church, LDS, 3:32].
    A large establishment known as the "Committee Store," was among the first general stores at Far West. Community leaders adopted a resolution authorizing John Corrill, Isaac Morley, and Calvin Beebe, to open a mercantile business. John Corrill was appointed agent and "Keeper of the Lord's Storehouse."
    When the crate of church documents arrived at Far West, it was taken to Corrill's Store. Anson Call alludes to this occasion observing, “While at Far West I happened in John Corl's [Corrill] or the Church store... [unpacked the translation manuscripts and helped] carry them over to Joseph's office.” Joseph intended to work on the translation and bring his revision of the Holy Scriptures into print.

    The Egyptian mummies and scrolls were also among items received. On the 26th of July 1838, William Swartzell reported he spent the day watching "the hands employed in getting out logs for Brother Joseph Smith's house, in which he intends translating the hieroglyphics of the Egyptian mummies." [Swartzell, 17]. But, subsequent events prevented Joseph from making much progress along this line.

    It has been suggested that Joseph placed the mummies in the care of his parents, who operated the tavern on the public square. And that the curiosities were available for viewing by the interested public. More precisely, it is known that in April 1840, Joseph Smith, Sr. and Lucy had the mummies in their possession at Nauvoo. [The Quincy Whig (17 October 1840)]. They must have arranged the transportion of them from Far West to Illinois. For these reasons, several authors agree the Sr. Smiths probably had the mummies in their possession while residing at Far West. [See writings of Jay Todd, Ray Huntington and Keith Wilson].

    By late fall, relations with the outside community had completely deteriortated to the point, Far West was surrounded by State Militia. Following the surrender of Far West, the Mormons agreed to evacuation the city. In preparation, "they buried their printing press in the night-- in the dark of midnight, and piled a straw stack over it. When their prophet was taken prisoner, all his papers were in the hands of his secretary, James Mulholland, a young Canadian and a recent convert. Isaac Russell of Toronto, one of the earliest converts in that city, had become a pioneer missionary in Canada. Shortly before he left the United States as one of the first missionaries to England, Russell had preached in the little village of Churchville, Ontario, where quite a number came into the church, among them William and Wilson Law, Sampson Avard, and an Irish family by the name of Scott. Mulholland had married Sarah Scott, the youngest of the Scotts, and therefore shared their home. The family had just arrived in Far West on September 2, but the young scribe knew the value of the papers entrusted to his care, among which was the precious revision of the Scriptures. He feared he would be assailed by the mob as so many other men had been and wished to protect the church papers. Ann [Scott], the eldest of the Scott sisters was thirty-three years of age, unmarried and unqualifiedly devoted to the church. To her, Mulholland entrusted the papers, thinking the mob would be less liable to molest her. She took no chances. She made two cotton bags of sufficient size to contain them, and sewing a band around the top ends long enough to button about her waist, carried them under the folds of her dress in the daytime "when the mob was around" and slept with them under her pillow at night. When Emma Smith was leaving Far West for Illinois, Ann Scott gave the papers into her keeping and she carried them in the same way with her across the State of Missouri and over the icebound Mississippi. [Inez Smith Davis, Story of the Church; see: "Spiritual Experiences," by Ann Davis [nee Scott] of Lyons; also F. M. Cooper, “Spiritual Reminiscences. – No. 2: In the Life of Sister Ann Davis, of Lyons, Wisconsin,” Autumn Leaves, 4 (January 1891): 18; Proctor fixes the date of Emma's departure as 7 February 1839, 416, fn. 15].

Cotton Bags to Carry Manuscripts

ID #20083, Credit: Courtesy Ontario Archives, S1711

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The Mormons Leave Far West

Cow during blizzard
Credit: Courtesy NOAA Photo Library, NOAA Central Library

To move his family, Newel Knight sold his only cow.

    As family and friends were leaving the state, Littlefield became uneasy "concerning the condition of my remaining friends in Caldwell and Daviess Counties, and obtained leave of absence from the [Liberty] printing office in order to take a trip there and see for myself their true condition.

Lyman O. Littlefield, ca. 1880

    At Far West the principal buildings stood intact, but many of the private dwellings were not occupied by their owners and builders. Those of the inhabitants still there were preparing to go upon their forced exit, as the gubernatorial mob edict had fixed the time when they must depart.
    I contemplated, with sadness, the change that had taken place in such a brief period of time. Those residences where I had passed happy hours and months, with the friends of my youthful prime, were deserted and desolate. My feet, as I stepped towards the thresholds where once I met with friendly greetings, awoke no responsive echoes. The voices of my young associates pronounced no word of tender recognition. The hand of affection was not there to grasp mine, as in the past. Those smiling faces that once beamed with gladness at my coming, while the eye sparkled with brightness and bosoms heaved with emotions of fidelity-- alas, where were they all? My God! Why were they not there? The cruel truth full well I knew and my spirit was crushed! They were gone to hunt an asylum from oppression! Was not that the new city our parents had built? Had they not acquired lawful titles to the soil? Was not that their country and rightful place of abode? Yes, but they were what the world call "Mormons," and such, in the estimation of a cruel, wicked populace, had no rights that should be regarded.
    That townsite--Far West--and as far as the eye could extend over the rolling prairie towards the four points of the compass-- was not marked by a single habitation for the abode of man, when our people halted their wagons and pitched their tents there in 1836. But within the short period of their residence, the scene had been transformed, as if by the hand of magic, and small towns, settlements and farm houses with their accompanying improvements, heightened the broad and dappled beauty of the undulating landscape, exhibiting evidences of the industry and skill of the hunted and ever-toiling Mormon people.
    A short time previous I had looked over this romantic region with pride, hope and inspiring joy, but now with emotions of sadness, despondence and grief. Wherever I turned, loneliness and desolation were unbroken by any feature calculated to awaken cheerfulness or mollify the tendency to despondence. My people were not there! They had left their homes empty and desolate--all save a few, and they were struggling to prepare for the dreary journey. The houses, nearly all, were in the midst of stillness--save the sweet melody of birds, which fell upon my ear like a requiem dirge. No axmen were in the enclosures or groves; no curling smoke arose from the chimneys, indicative of bright firesides and tempting repasts; the voices of bleating lambs and lowing herds sent forth no echoes upon the ambient air. No, not even the barking of the faithful watchdog broke the monotonous silence.
    At that time, what was missed more than all else were the voices of the loved ones which had saluted me in the past. Their cheerful music was hushed and the melody of their Sabbath orisons no more sent up anthems of praise into the ears of the God of Sabbaoth. Alas, where were they all? The forms of those early associates, those trustworthy young men, and the rosy-cheeked bevies of happy girls--once so vivacious and merry-hearted--indeed, where were they? Once we mingled there, in life's halcyon prime; but not I walked alone and the happy past lived but in memory. The aged, also, with gray heads and bent forms, the mother with the suckling babe and the father with his group of plodding boys--all, all had left, and at that hour were on the weary march, exiled and cast out from the homes their hands had built, and from the streets they had surveyed and converted into thoroughfares for enterprise and traffic. In the midst of those scenes, endeared by so many tender memories, I felt as a stranger, and almost as an intruder; for why should I be there, and they, the owners, ejected and driven away? That hour, though peculiar, was full of interest as the past and future were contemplated. To me, that was an interesting spot. A great future awaits it. Twenty-five miles to the north, on the north side of Grand River, was Adam-ondi-Ahman, the place where Adam built an altar, offered sacrifice, and blessed his posterity. Also, that "is the place where Adam shall come to visit his people, or; the ancient of days shall sit, as spoken of by Daniel the prophet." D&C 116 "I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as the burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened." Daniel 7:9-10
    About fifty miles from there, in a southerly direction, the center stake of Zion is yet to be organized and a magnificent city and temple built, by command of the Almighty, at Independence, Jackson County. Far West will then cast off its gloomy aspect, for it will be rebuilt by the Saints and a temple erected there, the cornerstone for which is already laid. Concerning the erection of this house unto the Lord, and also the building up of Far West, the reader will please read Section 115, Doctrine and Covenants. Let the reader especially note this language made use of in the sacred revelation: "Let this city, Far West, be a holy and consecrated land unto me, and it shall be called most holy, for the ground upon which thou standest is holy." Yes, I have looked upon that land when it was the peaceful abode of the Saints, who had found refuge there from Jackson and Clay Counties, from Kirtland and many other places. It was a delightsome country to look upon. It had been but little inhabited for hundreds of years, perhaps ever since the Jaredite and Nephite nations dwelt there. The chances favor the idea that its soil had not been stained with human blood, at least since the era just alluded to, unless the "red men of the forest" have since that early period, made that the scene of some bloody strife. But when Joseph stood there, on April 6, 1838, the Lord said, "the land" on which he stood was "holy." We may hope from this that the delightful region had escaped much of the pollutions of all the races that have dwelt upon it since Father Adam offered sacrifice upon the time-ruined altars of Adam-ondi-Ahman. While the Latter-day Saints dwelt there, a great majority of them, at least, tried to walk circumspectly before the Lord and serve Him. Lucifer, the arch enemy of Christ, was not pleased that this should continue, and so inflamed the hearts of the people against them that the strength of the wicked were marshaled and drove them from their inheritances. Inasmuch as this was the case, the Lord, so far as the Saints are concerned, will not hold them responsible, because His house is not built at Far West and the residue of His people are not gathered there, and because that beautiful country is not filled with cities and those sanctuaries of worship which He is ever pleased to accept at the hands of a sanctified people. But there is a most glorious future in store for that and other portions of the Land of Zion, to be revealed at the appointed times, when the Saints shall return with strength and wisdom sufficient to obey His laws and build up the waste places, that Zion may arise and put on her beautiful garments. [Littlefield, Lyman Omer, Reminiscences of Latter-Day Saints (Logan, Utah: The Utah Journal Co., Printers, 1888), 97-102.

    W. W. Phelps was also still in Far West after most had departed. With his wife Sally and family having gone ahead, Phelps wrote: "There is such a wide difference in the aspect and prospect of Far West, that I hardly know how to describe it to you. The inhabitants are gone. The sound of the hammer, and the bustle of business have ceased; The grass is growing in the streets, or where they were: The fences have disappeared, and nothing but empty houses, and the moaning of the Spring breeze, tell what was in Zion (so revealed.) My love of it has vanished." [W.W. Phelps, letter to Sally Phelps, Far West (Mo.) May 1, 1839, LDS Archives].
    A few other families simply lost interest in Mormonism and remained in the Far West area. Deacon George Strope's family arrived in the vicinity of Far West shortly before the Saints were driven, but stayed behind on their farm on Plumb Creek, two miles west of Mirabile. Neither did Elder William T. Bozarth obey the militia's counsel to vacate his farm near what became Mirabile. [Pearl G. Wilcox, Saints of the Reorganization in Missouri, 87; also “The Saints in Northwest Missouri,” Herald, 106 (1959): 16-17].
    After the Saints left, “Many who had obtained lawful possession of the buildings in the old town, moved them away, but a large portion of these deserted habitations were carried off piecemeal by parties who had no shadow of claim to their possession, or were wantonly destroyed by others. . .” [“Far West: The Old Mormon Settlement in Missouri,” St. Joseph, Missouri, Daily Morning Herald., (1 January 1875)].