(Previous installment)

(David’s mission to the Northwest continues as he preaches in both Oregon and Washington.)

We next went to Oregon City where we were promised the use of the court-house for services, but when the hour appointed for meeting came the key could not be found, the sheriff had absconded with it. Quite a crowd had gathered at the door of the court-house and clamored for admittance and made threats to break the door open; I told the people I would rather speak in some other place if it could be found, whereupon a gentleman present said he would give me the use of the “Music Hall.” We adjourned to that place and had a full house and good order. At the close of the meeting a minister challenged me to a discussion on the question “What is God, a material or an immaterial being?” He wanted a week to prepare his subject for discussion and I assented to his proposals.

A Mr. Hardin took us to his home where we were kindly treated; himself and wife were old “Mormons.” He introduced us to a great many of the leading citizens. We remained in that city until we had built up a large branch of the Church, with Joseph Tracy to preside over it.

The court-house, to which I have referred as being closed upon us, was burned down shortly after the occurrence. It was a very fine building and valued at a hundred thousand dollars. The fire was believed to be incendiary.

A number embraced the gospel here and the Saints rejoiced in the truth, although we had great opposition from false brethren and Christian ministers who incited the populace against us to commit personal violence because with scrip tures and reason they could not meet us in public debate or in private conversation; those who dared to meet us in public discussion were signally defeated, for God was with and blessed us with wisdom to overthrow their sophistry every time. In every place, too, we found some friends to feed and defend us from mob violence which became more bitter than ever when it was reported that Johnson’s army was marching against Utah.

In Salem, the capital of Oregon territory, we were mobbed and egged in the court-house and yet we got to speak there a number of times and found friends among the more intelligent of the community, to whom I appealed for protection as a law-abiding citizen of the United States.

They said “Mr. Stuart we know you have violated no law in our midst: we believe you sincere; we know the Bible sustains the doctrines you preach, but if we tolerate your social system, the one wife system will be demoralized and society overthrown.”

I replied, “Gentlemen, in the days of Christ and His apostles the ax was laid at the root of the tree not only religiously but socially and politically; so it is now; if Mormonism is true, then every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit shall be cut down, not by man but by the Almighty. We are willing to stand the test. This is a free country and if your religious institutions cannot stand against the influence of Mormonism they are false and must needs fall, for Mormonism will stand, being founded on truth, it will prevail over error until Christ shall come and usher in the universal reign of righteousness.”

Our enemies, however, were unsatisfied. They went so far as to frame a law and had it presented in the legislature to prevent us preaching in Oregon, but like all other laws formed to retard the work of God, it proved abortive.

We preached all the way up the Willamette valley for a hundred and fifty miles, and were mobbed in every place. At one place on the coast fork of the Willamette river, near Eugene, while we were preaching in a school house one Sabbath morning, a man rushed into the house backed by a mob and with a large butcher knife in his hand swore he would cut me open if I did not leave the house. I told him I was a man of peace who wished to introduce peace and good will among men; “but,” said I, “you shall find a man who will meet you with the same weapons you bring against me, he shall cut your bowels out, for the same measure that you would give shall be measured to you again pressed down and running over.” We retired to a grove near by and continued our preaching to a large crowd of people who were called together by the excitement.

About one year after this occurrence this same man who drew his knife upon me, got into a row with a neighbor and was stabbed in the abdomen. The wound never healed – he actually rotted to death, and often declared to my brother-in-law that the curse of the Mormon preacher had come upon him.

While we were battling away in Oregon for the gospel’s sake, our brethren in Washington territory were having a hot time. An organized mob headed by priests and apostates ran the Elders out of the country at the point of the bayonet, and ordered the Saints to renounce “Mormonism” or leave the country.

The following resolutions were published in the Oregon papers on the 5th of August –

“Editor Oregonian:

The following resolutions were adopted at a meeting of the citizens of Lewis River, held on Sunday August 2nd, which we desire published in your paper that our position may be correctly known to our fellow-countrymen.

“Wm. Kinder,
“J. Kinder,
“John Simmons,
“Wm. Irven,
“Wm. Miller,
“O. H. Fairchild,
“E. T. Lockwood,
“W. Webb,
and others.

“Resolved, that Salt Lake Mormonism is treason; that it authorizes murder, robbery and the breaking open of the United States mails; that every inducement is made to proselyte the less intelligent of our fellow-citizens to its creed.

“Resolved, that the confiscation of individual property to Church purposes as practiced by the leaders of this gigantic conspiracy is a vital denial of the essence of the Declaration of American Independence, and looks to the subversion of the basis of civil polity.

“Resolved, that Brigham Young and his coadjutors in professing to receive revelation from God, are guilty of the basest blasphemy and the most criminal deception.

“Resolved, that we too highly prize the blessings of liberty and too strongly adhere to the laws of our country to be willing that they should be wrested from us who have been reared in the land of the free and the home of the brave by Mormon usurpers and conspirators.

“Resolved, that we are opposed to men preaching among us who endorse the outlawry, the tyranny, the blood cruelty of the Mormon leaders, and we therefore civilly invite the Mormon preachers now among us to leave our country, or renounce their connection with the Mormon Church. And that we suggest to those two or three families among us who have been harboring, thereby giving aid and comfort to the enemy, that a sense of propriety requires them to desist this unpatriotic business.

“Resolved, that while we are unwilling to employ coercive measures, or use personal violence in executing our determination we shall fully accomplish our object, trying the virtue of severer means when milder fail.

“Resolved, that the oath administered to the members in the ‘endowment’ is treason steeped in blood, and that taken by members entering into the Church but little better.”

After reading these threats in the paper my spirit was grieved within me and I feared for the safety of my brethren in Washington territory. I therefore decided to go and help them in the unequal strife. I left Elder Higgins to take charge of the Saints on the coast fork of the Willamette river and on the morning of October 5th, 1857, I started in company with the president of the Coast Fork Branch, Harrison Keyes and Caleb F. Calvin, who were going to Portland to sell their grain. We camped near Salem on the 9th of October.

In the night I had a dream that I preached in the Salem courthouse, and baptized a man. This dream was so impressed upon me that I determined to stop over, and told the brethren so with whom I traveled in the morning. They tried every way to prevent me from doing this, reminding me that a mob had threatened to kill me if I ever returned to Salem.

I told them that when the Lord called, it was our duty to obey and that I firmly believed my dream was from God.

We parted, they continuing their journey to Portland, while I went to Salem and called on Mr. May, the proprietor of the principal hotel in the city. He had always been friendly to me and on this occasion received me kindly but wondered that I should return to Salem knowing that on my last visit a mob had threatened my life if I ever returned. While we stood conversing the marshal of the city entered the hotel; I asked him for the use of the court-house, telling him that I intended preaching there in the evening.

“Yes,” said he “you shall have it and I shall see that you have an orderly meeting this time.”

It was Sunday. The news spread like wild fire all over town and at the hour appointed the house was crowded to overflowing. The marshal was on hand and escorted me to the stand, he told the congregation that he wanted all to keep order and if there was any person present who did not want to hear me speak he wished him to retire from the building for he was determined that the meeting should not be disturbed.

I opened the meeting by reading the hymn, “Oh say what is truth!” then prayed in a most fervent manner, for I felt near to the Lord. I spoke on the first principles of the gospel for an hour and a half, there being perfect silence in the hall. At the close of the meeting the spell was broken and a thousand and one questions were asked, not about what I had preached, but, such as, “What will the Mormons do when the army marches into Salt Lake?” I told them that the Mormons had done nothing to cause them to fear an army; that when the army marched into Salt Lake they would give the “Mormons” a severe letting alone because by that time they will have learned that the “Mormons” are innocent of the charges made against them and there will be nobody to fight.”

(To be continued.)