Elam was present when the cornerstone of the Nauvoo Temple was laid, April 6, 1841. While the temple was being built the young men were given an opportunity to work out their tithing by working on the temple, so Elam worked every tenth day and sometimes more often on the temple.
He later joined the Nauvoo Legion under General Joseph Smith and Captain Hosea Stout. He was ordained a Seventy and belonged to the Nineteenth Quorum. He took an active part in all the various organizations of the church. He often related how, at many times, his life was spared by the power of the Lord. At one time he was employed to help move a barn some distance up the Missouri River by means of a large flat boat. A rope was tied to the boat and a horse was to keep the boat free of the bank. In some way Elam Cheney was thrown overboard and was almost drowned before they could get him out of the water. He caught hold of the boat and some of them seeing his hands, drew him in. He was almost frozen before he could be taken to a house. He said, “It was only through the power of the Lord he was saved."
He also relates how he nearly lost his life trying to cross the Mississippi River on the ice. As he neared the middle of the river, he found the ice had thawed and broken in large blocks. At first, the blockers were close together, but as he went the spaces between them became wider. All at once he found himself on a block of ice which had moved with his weight, so he could step neither back nor forward. He thought he would run and jump as far as he could, as that would be his only chance, but as he leaped, his feet slipped and he fell with only the upper part of his body on the ice. His feet and legs were hanging down in the swift-running water. How he ever got upon the block of ice he never knew, but it was only through the power of the Lord that he did not go down amid the ice.
While at Nauvoo, he received his Patriarchal Blessing under the hands of Patriarch John Smith. In this blessing he was told he should soon find a companion and they should receive their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple. This was literally fulfilled. He made the acquaintance of a Hannah Compton Wattis, born in Worcestershire, England, March 27, 1804 (and died at Fairview, Sanpete Co., Utah, July 21, 1884), who was left with three children from a former marriage to Wattis, and no way to care for herself and her children. Even though she was more than 20 years older than Elam, he was 20 and she was 41 years old, he took her as his wife upon the request of Brigham Young and cared for her and her children. They were married on the 15th of October, 1844, and received their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple.
As mob violence increased and the saints were driven from their homes in Nauvoo, Elam shared all the hardships endured by the saints. He was at Nauvoo and saw the Prophet leave for Carthage and heard him make the remark, “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter.”. He was at the meeting in Nauvoo when Illnois Governor was present while the tragedy was being enacted at Carthage and was among those who left Nauvoo to accompany the bodies of the Prophet and his brother Hyrum to the city.
He was present at the funeral of the martyred brothers. He also attended the meeting when President Brigham Young took the stand and made manifest to the people that he was the logical successor of the Prophet Joseph. He saw the mantol of the Prophet appear upon Brigham Young at the time he addressed the congregation telling of his taking Joseph’s place.
Elam received his Patriarchal Blessing in Nauvoo at the hand of Patriarch John Smith, Joseph Smith Jr. uncle. Click here to read.