Sunday, June 23, 1844
This morning at about 2 am, Joseph and Hyrum began to carry out a plan they devised, to go west, by going down Water St. from the Mansion house to Aaron Johnson's home (which is still standing today in 2013 on its same location) and they borrowed his rowboat. Porter Rockwell rowed them across the Mississippi river to Montrose. (We have a senior missionary now here in our mission district, who is a direct descendant of Aaron Johnson).
This is a most interesting account, but too lengthy to recite here. Suffice it to say, that some were calling Joseph a coward, when they found him gone later this morning. Even Emma was party to this plea, for him to come back, and face what would come. It is now, that he makes the famous statement: "If my life is of no value to my friends, then it is of none to myself."
He returned to Nauvoo this afternoon, but he was now a "different man", resigned to his fate. From that point on, he was not the boyant, optimistic person that he used to be. Those around him definitely noticed this change.
He then, will, this afternoon, write a letter to Gov. Ford saying that he would come to Carthage tomorrow, Monday, June 24, 1844.
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