180 years ago today - Mar 28, 1838

[Wilford Woodruff]
[Jonathan H. Hale sent] letter was Dated March 6th & it was a letter of great interest. It contained an account of the Saints leaveing Kirtland for the land of Zion & of the judgments of God that were comeing upon Kirtland & also upon the whole land.

He sent me the counsel of the Presidency of our quorum which was to teach the Saints upon the Islands of the sea to immediately sell their property & prepare themselves to go to the land of Zion which is a place of safety & deliverance that they may escape the just judgments of God that are at the doors.

I also perused the late Papers of the day. Found that all things indicate that great trouble is at the doors & that the Lord is nigh at hand. Both the signs in heaven & on earth are visible in fulfillment of the word of God.

[Source: Wilford Woodruff's Journal: 1833-1898 Typescript, Volumes 1-9, Edited by Scott G. Kenney, Signature Books 1993, http://amzn.to/newmormonstudies]