History of Utah, 1540-1886 - Brigham Young University

THE JOSEPHITES. 645
Church of Latter-day Saints. In Utah it was checked
by fear of persecution, and not until the summer of
1863 did the movement become pronounced. In July
of that year two Josephite missionaries, named E. C.
Briggs and Alexander McCord, arrived in Salt Lake
City, having crossed the plains, they said, as heralds
of the gospel, and calling on Brigham, told him the
object of their mission, and asked permission to preach
in the tabernacle. This was, of course, refused; 5 nor
were they allowed the use of any other public build-
ing, whereupon the missionaries visited from house to
house, offering up prayers for the inmates, and exhorting
them to join the true faith.
At first singly, then by dozens, and afterward by
scores, converts were gathered into this fold, and in
the spring of 1864 the Josephites in Zion mustered
more than three hundred, the number of proselytes
elsewhere being at this date between two and three
thousand. 6
Persecution followed, as they claimed;
and in early summer about one half of the Josephites
in Salt Lake City started eastward, so great being the
excitement that General Connor ordered a strong escort
to accompany them as far as Green River. To
those who remained protection was also
the authorities.
afforded by
The excitement caused by the evangelism of Briggs
and McCord was renewed in the summer of I860,
when Alexander H. and David Hyrum Smith arrived
at Salt Lake City as advocates of the reformed faith.
Their meetings were held at Independence Hall, then
the principal public building belonging to the gentiles,
and at the first service a vast audience assembled,
1
among: the number being
several of the wives of
Brigham. At first the followers of Brigham trembled
5 In Wake's The Mormon Prophet, 129, it is stated that Brigham said he
would not be responsible for Briggs' safety if he remained in the city.
6 Bowles, Our A r (,-iw West, 2GS, his work being published in 1SG9, incorrectly
places the entire number at 1,500. In Wattc's The Mormon Prophet, 123
(published in 1SGG), we read: ' In the states, those who have gone back to their
first love are to be numbered by thousands.'