Joseph hesitated at first about Independence, for he was troubled by the fact that the mission to the Indians had been a flat failure. Pratt blamed the Indian agents and jealous sectarian priests, who had become alarmed, he said, at his and Cowdery’s initial success among the Delawares and had ordered them out of Indian territory. But Cowdery was having no more success among the whites. His letter of May 7, 1831 had concluded: “We are well, bless the Lord; and preach the Gospel we will, if earth and hell oppose our way — for we dwell in the midst of scorpions — and in Jesus we trust.”
