Not long after Susannah and Halsey had reached Kirtland, Joseph Smith, with a convert named Rigdon, went on, with missionaries who were travelling farther west, in order to find in the wilderness the place that was appointed for the building of Zion or the New Jerusalem.  At the same time all those men among the converts who were deemed fit were sent out in couples to preach the new Gospel, some back to the eastern States whence they had come, some to Canada, some to the south.  To Joseph Smith it was given to know who was to go and who to stay.  Halsey was directed to remain, to receive and establish the new converts who came, to tithe their property for the building of the temple, and to found, according to Smith’s direction, a school of the prophets.

“And to thy wife, Susannah, it shall be given to teach the children such worldly learning as she has herself acquired, until it may be possible for us to appoint for them a more learned male instructor.”

Joseph Smith spoke these words in the room which served him as business office and chapel.  He was drawing on his gloves, ready to go forth upon the journey to Missouri.

Several of the elders and their wives were present, some busy on one errand and some on another.  Susannah, being with Halsey, received the command in person, although it was not directly addressed to her.  She had observed that since her arrival at Kirtland the prophet never addressed himself to her directly when in public.  In many ways his manners were becoming gradually more formal, and his relapses into his native speech less frequent.

Susannah could not criticise keenly, so much she marvelled at the man.  His activities before starting on this journey were almost incredible.  Every hour he had made decisions, for the most part successful, concerning the adaptability of men whom he had only seen, for labours of which he knew as little.  He had preached continually.  He had baptised newcomers in the icy floods of the April stream.  He had advised as to the choice of lands and their manner of cultivation, as to the size and form of houses.  He had visited the sick and planned merry-makings for the young.  In addition to all this, even while preparing for the long journey into an unknown region, he was busy learning three languages, and was laying plans, not only for missionary campaigns that were to spread over the whole earth, but for a new translation of the Old Testament.  If the better clothes that he had begun to wear sat somewhat pompously upon him, if his manners now sometimes indicated an attempt not only to be, but to appear, a prophet, such small affectations sank out of sight in the light of such extraordinary ability.