RECEIVES BLESSINGS IN TEMPLE—ASSISTS WITH "KIRTLAND BANK"—STARTS FOR MISSOURI—HIS DAUGHTER DIES—IS ATTACKED BY MOB—NEARLY MURDERED—RETAINED AS A PRISONER—RELEASED—REMOVES TO IOWA—RECEIVES THE PROPHET'S BLESSING—GOES TO THE ROCKY MOUNTAINS—LOSES HIS PROPERTY BY FIRE—THRILLING INDIAN ADVENTURE—AT DEATH'S DOOR—REMARKABLE ESCAPE—HIS DEATH.

When the temple was finished he participated in its dedication. He also took part in the "solemn assembly" and the glorious gifts and manifestations of that memorable occasion. He received his washings and anointings in that, the first temple of God built by His direction in this dispensation.

With his characteristic energy, he put forth his best efforts to assist the prophet in sustaining the "Kirtland Bank," and for that object he purchased much of its paper; but there was a Judas under the counter, and the bank went down in spite of all their efforts. Those who had struggled hardest and invested most were the greatest losers, and Elder Tanner was one of the foremost, and was completely crippled financially. Just at that time an outside pressure in the form of religious persecution had become so unendurable that the Saints had to leave Kirtland and seek homes in the West; and Elder Tanner, with a journey of one thousand miles before him, found himself not only destitute of means but also in debt. Yet his courage and ability were equal to the emergency. Through the blessing of God he had acquired one large fortune and he knew that God lived, and that he was His servant.

But he had a large family depending on him, and a long journey was before him. The necessity of the occasion prompted, and faith in God inspired, him. In April, 1838, he fitted up with a turnpike-cart, a borrowed wagon, one horse of his own and three borrowed ones, twenty dollars in cash and a keg of powder to pay expenses, and started for Missouri with his family—eleven persons in all. When the money and powder were spent, they were under the necessity of appealing to the benevolence of the inhabitants on the road for buttermilk and sometimes for other food to sustain life.

He had two children, a son and a daughter, born in Kirtland. One of these, a lovely girl, died on this tedious journey, which was to Elder Tanner the greatest trial of that time.

On his arrival in Missouri, in conversation with a friend of his, after narrating the hardships, privations and many of the most trying circumstances of the journey, he said, "Well, if others have come up easier, they have not learned so much." This expression is characteristic of Elder Tanner's very happy faculty of drawing sunshine from the darkest cloud and honey from the most bitter herb. He acknowledged the hand of God in all things, knowing that He overrules all things for good to those who keep His commandments.

He arrived in Far West on the 3rd of July, and there he and his sons went to work. He paid up his debts, and had sufficient means on hand to meet the demands and exigences of life.

In the Autumn of 1838, he and his son Myron went to a mill about nine miles from the town, and when starting for home, the state militia in the form of a mob came upon them. He told Myron to run and take care of himself, which he did by crawling under a large pile of clearing brush, and was not discovered by the mob, which, however, came upon Elder Tanner. One of the mobbers, snapped his gun at this brave man, but it refused to go off. He then took hold of the muzzle and struck him over the head with the breach of the gun, cutting a large ugly gash. This blow would probably have killed him, had it not been for his heavy felt hat, the double thickness of which caught the blow first. This attempt at murder was made by Captain Myer Odell.

Elder Tanner was taken and held prisoner two or three days, wearing his bloody clothes, and stubbornly refusing to wash the blood from himself. He kept his team and wagon, and they let him go out upon his word of honor to take a wounded man to his family, after which, he returned to their custody and redeemed his word. At this time the Prophet Joseph was sentenced to be shot, but General Doniphan protested, and withdrew his men. On the day when the execution was to have taken place, the Saints laid down their arms, and some of the prisoners, among whom was Elder Tanner, were released.

During the militia raid just referred to, he lost very heavily as quite a number of his stock were stolen. As soon as he was set at liberty from mob custody, he went to work getting things together preparatory to leaving the state in obedience to the gubernatorial order, and on the third day of March, 1839, started with his family and his sons' families for Illinois. He arrived in New Liberty about the first of April, where he stopped one year to recruit, and was much prospered in his efforts.

About the middle of March, 1840, he again gathered his effects and moved within four miles of Montrose, Lee county, Iowa, where his daughter, Sariah, was born, July, 1840. Here he opened cultivated a large farm, plowing two hundred and fifty acres, and about two hundred acres he used for pasture. He enclosed all this by a good fence. In this place he lived and prospered six years.

At the April conference in 1844, he was called on a mission to the Eastern States. Before starting, he went to Nauvoo, where he saw the Prophet Joseph, and, meeting him on the street, gave him his note of hand for the two thousand dollars loaned in Kirtland, January, 1835, to redeem the temple land. The Prophet asked him what he wanted done with the note. Elder Tanner replied, "Brother Joseph, you are welcome to it." The Prophet then laid his right hand heavily on Elder Tanner's shoulder, saying, "God bless you, Father Tanner; your children shall never beg bread."

He aided very materially in the building of the Nauvoo Temple, from the commencement until its completion; and after it was dedicated he received therein his endowments, sealings and second anointing.

In the Spring of 1846, he sold his farm at a nominal price and journeyed to the Rocky Mountains with the Saints who were compelled to leave Nauvoo, the "City of Joseph." He started about the middle of May and joined the westward-bound stream of Latter-day Saints in their memorable exodus from Illinois. He also paid for the removal of two families besides his own, up to Council Bluffs. On the 16th of July, he fitted out two of his sons and sent them with the "Mormon Battalion" into Mexico to fight the battles of our country. On the herd-ground of the Saints, at a point north-west of Winter Quarters, he herded the stock for the whole camp of Israel, for three months.

After trials in journeyings—and in losses and hardships in various forms, he had to be tried by fire. About the middle of January 1847, his house and three wagon boxes with covers, used for sleeping rooms, supplies of provisions and groceries, and most of the wearing apparel, were destroyed by fire. Nothing was saved but beds and a portion of the bedding. But his noble mind and the persevering energies of his nature seemed superior to misfortune; and in the Spring he assisted in fitting out the Pioneers for their journey to the Rocky Mountains, opened up another farm and raised a good crop.

In the Summer of 1847, Elder Tanner had a thrilling adventure with Indians. The following account of the marvelous circumstance is from the journal of Jane Grover (afterwards Sister Stewart).

She says, "One morning we thought we would go and gather goose-berries. Father Tanner (as we familiarly called the good, patriarchal John Tanner) harnessed a span of horses to a light wagon, and, with two sisters by the name of Lyman, his little grand-daughter and I, started out. When we reached the woods we told the old gentleman to go to a house which was in sight, and rest, while we picked the berries.

"It was not long before the little girl and I strayed some distance from the others, when, suddenly we heard shouts. The little girl thought it was her grandfather, and she was going to answer, but I prevented her, thinking it might be Indians. We walked forward until within sight of Father Tanner, when we saw he was running his team around. We thought it nothing strange at first, but as we approached, we saw Indians gathering around the wagon, whooping and yelling as others came and joined them. We got into the wagon to start, when four of the Indians took hold of the wagon, and two others held the horses by the bits, and another came to take me out of the wagon. I then began to be afraid as well as vexed, and asked Father Tanner to let me get out of the wagon and run for assistance. He said, `No, poor child, it is too late!' I told him they should not take me alive.

"Father Tanner's face was as white as a sheet! The Indians had commenced to strip him. They had taken his watch and handkerchief, and while stripping him, were trying to pull me out of the wagon. I began silently to appeal to my Heavenly Father. While praying and struggling, the Spirit of the Almighty fell upon me, and I arose with great power, and no tongue can describe my feelings. I was as happy as I could be. A few moments before, I saw worse than death staring me in the face, and now my hand was raised by the power of God, and I talked to those Indians in their own language. They let go the horses and wagon, and stood in front of me while I talked to them by the power of God. They bowed their heads and answered `yes' in a way that made me know what they meant. Father Tanner and the little girl looked on in speechless amazement. I realized our situation. Their calculation was to kill Father Tanner, burn the wagon, and take us women prisoners. This was plainly shown to me. When I stopped talking, they shook hands with all of us and returned all they had taken from Father Tanner, who gave them back the handkerchief, and I gave them berries and crackers. By this time the other two women came up and we hastened home.

"The Lord gave me a portion of the interpretation of what I had said, which is as follows: `I suppose you Indian warriors think you are going to kill us. Don't you know the Great Spirit is watching you, and knows everything in your hearts? We have come out here to gather some of our Father's fruit. We have not come to injure you: and if you harm us, or injure one hair of our heads, the Great Spirit will smite you to the earth, and you shall not have power to breath another breath. We have been driven from our homes and so have you. We have come out here to do you good and not to injure you. We are the Lord's people, and so are you; but you must cease your murders and wickedness. The Lord is displeased with it and will not prosper you if you continue in it. You think you own all this land, this timber, this water and all these horses. You do not own one thing on earth, not even the air you breathe. It all belongs to the Great Spirit.'"

In the latter part of June, 1848, Elder Tanner fitted up five teams and wagons, and with eighteen months' provisions, started for Salt Lake, celebrating the 4th of July, on the Elk Horn. Between Wood River and Laramie a six year old grand-son fell from the tongue of a wagon loaded with about 3,500 pounds. Both wheels passed obliquely over his bowels, and he died in twenty minutes. With the exception of this sad accident, the journey was prosperous, and he arrived in Salt Lake Valley on the 17th of October, and located in South Cottonwood.

In the Autumn of 1849, he was afflicted more or less with rheumatism, which continued to increase on him till the first of January, 1850, when he was confined to his bed and suffered severely until the 13th day of April, when he died "the death of the righteous." He was the father of twenty children, and has left an example worthy of imitation by his numerous posterity and by the youth of Zion everywhere.