Introduction 35

week, if all is well, we will have a quorum of the Twelve here, and, I suppose, if we should happen to meet, the papers of the country would immediately howl that the Presidency of the Church and the Quorum of the Twelve had held a meeting for the purpose of plotting against the Government of the United States. I hope that most of the Senators will have a chance to meet our brethren; if they do, I am positive that their visit will have a good effect.

To ensure his safety from testifying, Owen traveled to Mexico in March 1904 to visit Avery. He had planned to remain with Avery during this turbulent time, especially because Avery was due to give birth to their first child in early April. However, shortly after Owen arrived in  Mexico, he received a telegram from President Smith requesting his immediate return to Utah for an important meeting during the LDS Church’s April General Conference. In this meeting, President Smith presented a proposal to the full Quorum of the Twelve stating that “any violators of the Manifesto regarding plural marriage would be severely dealt with by the