Journal of David Moore
The
Journal of David Moore is composed of three parts. The first contains some
genealogical information and establishes his immediate family and their
children.
In
the second part, David Moore gives a short autobiography, largely skipping over
his childhood and begins with the Patriot war of Canada in which he took up
arms. He gives an account of his
marriage to Susan Mariah Vorce and their conversion to Mormonism after hearing
two missionaries preaching in his neighborhood.
David then describes leaving his home, family, and inheritance in
Eardley City, Ottawa, Canada to meet up with the body of the Saints in Nauvoo
Illinois.
He
describes his difficulties establishing himself in Nauvoo, suffering from much
illness and difficulty finding work.
David covers much of the interesting history surrounding the early
church in Nauvoo, including the erection of the temple, the controversy of celestial
marriage, mob violence, and the martyrdom of the prophet, which he describes in
great detail. He describes the affairs
of the church after the prophet’s martyrdom, and the saint’s decision between
Sydney Rigdon or Brigham Young and the twelve apostles as successors to the
prophet.
In
the face of the ever-increasing mob violence, David was obliged to leave behind
his property and land, which he had labored so hard in to establish a home for
his family. He moved to South
Bentonsport for a period of around three years, renting a room for his family
until they began their trek West to the Salt Lake Valley.
The
third part of the Journal are actual Journal entries beginning in the summer of
1848, on July 23, and ending with their arrival in Salt Lake City Utah on
Saturday, October 20, 1849.
