1844 - At daybreak, Joseph, Hyrum, Dr. Richards, and Orrin P. Rockwell arrived on the Iowa side of the Mississippi River.  Orrin P. Rockwell was sent back to Nauvoo to bring horses for travel over the river the next night.  A posse arrived in Nauvoo to arrest Joseph, but not finding him they returned to Carthage.  At 1 p. m. Emma sent over Orrin P. Rockwell and Reynolds Cahoon with a letter entreating Joseph to return home.  Cahoon informed Joseph of the Governors promise to protect him while he went through a legal and fair trial.  He, along with others, accused Joseph of cowardice and leaving the Saints to be destroyed by the mobs.  Joseph replied, "If my life is of no value to my friends it is of none to myself."  Joseph said to Rockwell, "What shall I do?"  Rockwell replied, "You are the oldest and ought to know best; and as you make your bed, I will lie with you."  Joseph then turned to Hyrum, who was talking with Cahoon, and said, "Brother Hyrum, you are the oldest, what shall we do?"  Hyrum said, "Let us go back and give ourselves up, and see the thing out."  After pondering a few moments, Joseph said, "If you go back I will go with you, but we shall be butchered."  Hyrum said, "No, no; let us go back and put our trust in God, and we shall not be harmed.  The Lord is in it.  If we live or have to die, we will be reconciled to our fate" (History of the Church, 6:549-550).  Joseph then made arrangements to return to Nauvoo.  As they were walking back to the River, the Prophet Joseph expressed his belief that he was to be killed if they returned and told Orrin P. Rockwell that he wished he could speak to the Saints one last time.  Rockwell told him that if that was his wish he would call the Saints together and he could talk to them by starlight.  (History of the Church, 6:551).  Instead of preaching to the Saints, Joseph spent the evening with his family and friends and made preparations to go to Carthage the following morning.