inding them of their duties, especially of
the necessity of building the Temple. That duty was more
important than all others, for in that alone, when completed,
they could attain to the highest exaltation of the Priesthood,
with all the spiritual gifts that belong thereunto.

When I arrived at my old home, the place of my childhood days, I
there found Elder John Twist, who was waiting my coming. We
stayed in that neighborhood a few days, and then started on. My
uncle was going our way with a wagon for about one hundred miles,
and we accompanied him. I passed through Kaskaskia, where I was
born, but did not preach there, for my uncle was in a hurry to
reach the point of his destination in Jackson County, where he
was establishing a woodyard on the Mississippi River. Here we
intended to take steamer for Nashville, but no steamer would
receive us on board at the landing, as it was a bad one for
boats.

While staying at that place we preached to the people, and made
our home with Mr. V. Hutcheson, and his sister Sarah, where we
were treated very kindly. Finally a flatboat came in sight. We
hailed it and went aboard. We were soon on good terms with the
captain and crew, and went with them to Memphis, Tennessee. At
this place the captain of the flatboat sold out his cargo, and
then offered to pay our fare on a steamer from Memphis to
Nashville. While we were in Memphis Gen. William Henry Harrison,
then a candidate for President, arrived, and a great political
meeting of the Whig party was held in the open air.

After my friend Wm. Springer, the captain of the flatboat, had
sold his cargo and received his money, he invited Brother Twist
and myself to go with him to a saloon. There were quite a number
of men in the saloon, fiddling, eating, drinking, and otherwise
enjoying themselves. Capt. Springer was not used to drinking. He
soon got mellow, felt rich, and commenced throwing his money
around in a careless manner.

The saloon keeper was a man with an eye to business, and became
particularly interested in friend Springer. He treated him often
and insisted on his drinking. I tried to get Springer to his
boat, and took him by the arm and started off with him, when one
of the crowd told me not to be so officious, that the man knew
his own business and was capable of attending to it. I said
nothing in reply, but I sent Brother Twist in haste to the boat
with word for the crew to come at once before Springer was robbed
of