{"collection":"scripture-revelation","full_text_available":true,"graph_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/api/page/gutenberg_50072/graph","html_url":"https://unchartedknowledge.5gfusion.net/v2/page/gutenberg_50072","id":"gutenberg_50072","license":"Public Domain (US)","rights_basis":"gutenberg_metadata_copyright_false","source":"gutenberg","source_url":"https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50072","summary":null,"tags":["Category: Children & Young Adult Reading","Category: Religion/Spirituality","Latter Day Saints","Latter Day Saints -- History","Young, Lorenzo Dow, 1807-1895"],"text":"FRAGMENTS\n\nOF\n\nEXPERIENCE,\n\n\nSIXTH BOOK OF THE\n\nFAITH-PROMOTING SERIES.\n\nDesigned for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day\nSaints.\n\n\nJUVENILE INSTRUCTOR OFFICE,\n\nSalt Lake City,\n\n1882.\n\n\n\nPREFACE.\n\nIn issuing this, the Sixth Book of the FAITH-PROMOTING SERIES, we trust\nthat it will meet with the same kind reception that its predecessors\nhave. Perhaps no books that have ever been published in our Church have\nbecome so popular in so short a time as the volumes of this Series\nwhich have already been issued. They have tended towards supplying a\nwant which has long been felt in our community, and we feel assured\nthat they have done a great amount of good.\n\nYoung minds, as a rule, are not attracted by those publications which\ntreat specially upon doctrine. They are usually too profound for young\npeople to grasp and fully comprehend the ideas that are contained\nin them. To the person with fully matured mind and well-developed\nreasoning faculties they may appear ever so simple, and even\nfascinating, but to most young people they are uninteresting, to some\npositively distasteful. And yet there is scarcely a child but can be\ntaught principle in the form of narrative, wherein the application\nis made for him in scenes from real life, and appreciate it. There\nis no more sure way of instilling into the mind of a child faith in\nGod and in the work which He has established upon the earth than by\nillustrating it with incidents from actual experience. The lesson, too,\nis likely to be all the more effective in the persons whose lives are\nheld up for examples are those with whom the child is acquainted and in\nwhom he has confidence. The lives of many of the Elders of the Church\nof Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints abound in incidents which, if\nwritten and published, would tend to inspire those who might read them\nwith faith in God and a spirit of emulation. We hope a more general\ninterest may soon be felt throughout our Church in writing up such\nincidents. That the host of children now growing up in the valleys of\nthe mountains appreciate and are ready to profit by their perusal there\ncan be no doubt.\n\nThe FRAGMENTS OF EXPERIENCE herein contained are collected at random,\nbut many valuable lessons may be drawn from the incidents narrated, and\nwe trust that the seed which they may sow in the hearts of those who\nperuse them will be productive of a rich yield of fruit in the kingdom\nof our Father.\n\nTHE PUBLISHER.\n\n\n\nCONTENTS.\n\nHELP PROM THE LORD.\n\nMission to Illinois when a Boy--Attempt of a Deacon to Put me to\nShame--Open my Bible to the Passage Required--Prove our Position\nCorrect from the Scriptures--Befriended by an Infidel--Preachers\nAssault on the \"Frogs\"--The \"Frog\" Replies.\n\nEARLY EXPERIENCE OF A LATTER-DAY SAINT.\n\nHear the Gospel by Chance--Compunction at Speaking Lightly of\nthe Prophet--Join the Church--A New Suit of Clothes--Opposed by\nRelatives--My Old Friend, the Bible--A Dream--Required to Renounce\n\"Mormonism\" or Leave the House--My Relatives Refuse to Speak to\nme--They Pawn my Clothes--I Recover Them--Violence Used--My Clothes\nTorn--My Mother's Death--My Brothers Quarrel, and call upon me to\nSettle their Difficulties--My Brother Sick--Healed in Answer to my\nPrayer.\n\nDISOBEDIENCE TO COUNSEL.\n\nDriven from my Property by the Mob--Desire to Return and Recover some\nof it--Counseled by the Church Authorities not to Go--Persist in\nGoing--Visit a Friendly Family--Amiable Intention of my Debtors--Meet\ntwo of Them They Threaten my Life--Despair of Getting Anything and Try\nto Start Home--Beaten over the Head with a Pole--Barely Escape with my\nLife--Ashamed to have my Friends Know It--The Lesson I Learned.\n\nLORENZO DOW YOUNG'S NARRATIVE.\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nMy Mother's Promise--Chased by Wolves--A Remarkable Dream--Thrown from\na Horse--Providentially Saved--Religious Revival--Preachers Try in\nvain to Convert me--Ridiculed for not Playing at Cards--Read Infidel\nWorks--Their Effect--A Vision.\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nMarriage--A Vision of Other Worlds--My Reluctance at Returning to\na Mortal Existence--A Promise with Conditions--I Exhort Others to\nFaithfulness.\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nI Take to Preaching--Make Many Converts--Refuse to Baptize\nThem--They are Baptized by a Campbellite Preacher--Urged to Join the\nCampbellites--Refuse, and the Devil Tempts me--I Grieve the Spirit,\nbut Regain it Through Fasting and Prayer--Hear the Gospel--Visit from\nElder Gifford--He is Threatened with Tar and Feathers--My Brother and I\nDefend Him.\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nConverted--Start for Missouri--Called to Preach \"Mormonism\" without\nbeing Baptized--Join the Church--Voyage to Pittsburg--Preach the\nGospel and Establish a Branch--Experience as a Trunk-maker--Mission\nto New York--Speak in Tongues--Effects of Preaching Counteracted by\nLies--Second Voyage Down the Ohio--Providential Delay.\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nRemoval to Kirtland--Work upon the Temple--A Lesson--\nSickness--Pronounced Incurable by Doctors--Healed in Answer to\nPrayer--Cured of Lameness--Removal to Missouri--Commencement of\nHostilities--Surrounded by a Mob--Face Death--Rescued.\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nWarned to Leave the Country or Renounce \"Mormonism\"--Wife and Children\nThreatened--A Boy's Pluck--Forced to Flee for our Lives--Property\nConfiscated--Battle of Crooked River--Providentially Saved--Far West\nBesieged--Escape to Iowa--Pursued--Providential Snow Storm.\n\nAN INSTANCE OF DIVINE INTERPOSITION.\n\nVisit to Scotland--Meet Old Friends--Return to Liverpool--About to go\nby Steamer to Bristol--A Voice Warns me not to Go--Turn Back--Short of\nMoney--Means Providentially Provided--Journey to Portsmouth--Sequel to\nthe Warning--The Steamer Wrecked.\n\nMY LAST MISSION TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nElders Called Home from the Sandwich Islands--Native Elders Left to\nPreside--Gibson's Arrival in Salt Lake--Joins the Church--Asks for a\nMission to the Sandwich Islands--His Deep-laid Scheme--Leading Astray\nthe Hawaiian Saints--Five Elders Sent to Investigate--Arrival at the\nSandwich Islands--Attempt to go Ashore in a Boat--Capsized in the\nSurf--Elder Lorenzo Snow Lost--After a Long Search, Found Under the\nBoat--Efforts to Resuscitate Him--Restored to Life One Hour After Being\nDrowned.\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nJourney to Lanai--Meet Mr. Gibson--Reverence of Natives for Him--His\nSpeech and Assumption--Elder Joseph F. Smith's Reply--Elder Snow's\nProphecy--Mr. Gibson Cut Off the Church--Elder Snow's Prophecy\nFulfilled--Advised to Select a New Gathering Place--A Vision--Suitable\nPlace Pointed Out.\n\nA PROPHECY FULFILLED.\n\nCalled on a Mission to the Sandwich Islands--Journey by the\nSouthern Route--A Prophecy--Fear After Uttering It--Residence\nin Honolulu--Political and Religious Conflict--The Kingdom in\nJeopardy--Dissatisfaction Among the People--Letter to the King\nFavorably Considered--A Dream--A Prince sent by the King to Ask Counsel\nof Latter-day Saint Elders--Advice Accepted, and the Kingdom Saved--The\nDream and Prophecy Fulfilled Together.\n\nSPECIAL PROVIDENCES.\n\nCircumstances under which the Early Temples were Built--How the\nWorkmen were Encouraged--Arrival of Brother L---- in Nauvoo--His\nWillingness to Work without Pay--His Extreme Want--Appeals to\nGod for Help--Money Miraculously Provided--Prayer for Food\nAnswered--Providential Finding of a Pair of Shoes on the Plains--A\nCrippled Shoulder Restored while Defending the Character of Joseph\nSmith.\n\nINCIDENTS ON THE PLAINS.\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nArmy Sent to Utah--Missionaries Called Home--Large Number Assembled\nat Florence--Dangers of Trip--Council to Decide Upon Course of\nAction--Fortunate Fog--Providential Storm.\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nApostates Met--The Chaplain Separates From the Company to Meet some\nApostates--An Adventurous Trip--Discharged Government Teamsters\nIndignant at \"Mormons\"--Plot to Steal the Chaplain's Horse--Advice to\nthe Apostates to Look to Their Own Safety--Mr. Stout's Compassion for\nthe Hatchet-faced Missourian--How His Confidence was Rewarded--Meet\nCaptain Hatch--News of Buchanan's Amnesty Proclamation--Evade the Army\nand Reach the Valley in Safety.\n\n\n\nHELP FROM THE LORD\n\nBy C.\n\nMISSION IN ILLINOIS WHEN A BOY--ATTEMPT OF A DEACON TO PUT ME TO\nSHAME--OPEN MY BIBLE TO THE PASSAGE REQUIRED--PROVE OUR POSITION\nCORRECT FROM THE SCRIPTURES--BEFRIENDED BY AN INFIDEL--PREACHER'S\nASSAULT ON THE \"FROGS\"--THE \"FROG\" REPLIES.\n\nIn the year 1845, I was appointed on a mission from Nauvoo, to labor\nabout Cass County, Illinois, in company with Theodore Curtis.\n\nAfter traveling together we concluded to separate, and I continued\nalone, preaching wherever an opportunity presented itself.\n\nOne evening I was approaching a little town called Virginia, foot-sore\nand weary, having been frequently denied food.\n\nI retired, as was my wont particularly when so impressed, for prayer,\nand for God to soften the hearts of those I might meet, to give me\nshelter, food and rest, and finally to open up my way.\n\nTowards evening I found a number of persons congregated at the country\nstore. I saluted them with \"Good-evening,\" and inquired the opportunity\nof getting a chance to preach in that place.\n\nI carried the badge of a \"Mormon\" preacher in my hand, namely, a small\nround valise, containing a shirt, change of socks, Bible and hymn book.\nI was soon assured by one or two that there was no earthly show for a\n\"Mormon\" preacher to be heard in that place.\n\nI replied, \"I would like to preach in that nice, newly-finished\nmeeting-house just opposite.\" A man spoke up quite authoritatively, and\nsaid that no \"Mormon\" should preach in that house, which had just been\ndedicated--I think for Presbyterian worship.\n\nThey termed this man the deacon. This produced considerable talk,\nfor many of the crowd were of what is termed the liberal or infidel\npersuasion, so much so that the deacon was overwhelmed by argument,\nshame and reproach, for refusing a boy like me a chance to preach.\n\nTo cover his shame and to nonplus me, he remarked, \"I have heard say\nthat your preachers are pretty apt with the scriptures, and can produce\nalmost any doctrine you like from the Bible.\" I replied that the men\nwere, but that I was but a boy; yet I thought I knew a little of the\nscriptures.\n\nHe remarked \"Your people believe in laying hands on the sick; don't\nyou?\"\n\nI answered that we did, and because Christ had said in His remarkable\ncommission to His apostles, that this was one of the signs following,\nquoting Mark xvi, 15-18. I also quoted James v., 14.\n\n\"Yes, yes;\" says he, \"that is all very good, but that says only once,\nand your Elders sometimes lay hands twice in succession on the same\nperson. Whoever heard of Jesus or the apostles doing anything like\nthat?\" He then cited an instance where, as he said, Joseph Smith had\ndone this in administering to a sick woman.\n\nThe good-natured excitement was intense. The deacon thought I was\noverwhelmed, and proposed that if I could prove a similar transaction\nfrom the scriptures, I might preach in that house that very night.\n\nEagerness now seized the men, and the deacon chuckled over his presumed\nvictory, and boasted of his acquaintance with the \"Blessed Word.\"\n\nI unbuckled my valise, drew forth my little Bible, and opened it\nintuitively to this passage in Mark viii., 22-25: \"And he cometh to\nBethsaida; and they bring a blind man unto him, and besought him to\ntouch him. And he took the blind man by the hand, * * * and put his\nhands upon him, and asked him if he saw aught. And he looked up, and\nsaid, I see men as trees, walking. After that he put his hands _again_\nupon his eyes, and made him look up: and he was restored, and saw every\nman clearly.\"\n\nThe reading of this scripture; the sudden finding of it, for I was led\nto it as clearly as a man leads his horse to the water; its aptness and\nconclusiveness, accompanied by the jeers of the infidel portion of the\ncrowd, mortified the deacon--he was discomfited.\n\nI remarked that I would, according to the deacon's terms, preach in the\nchurch that evening, provided some one would find candles. The candles\nwere instantly offered, and accordingly, I preached with power and the\ndemonstration of the Spirit.\n\nAfter the close of the services, I found a resting place with one of\nthe most avowed infidels of the neighborhood, who had listened to the\ntalk between the deacon and myself, and who particularly enjoyed the\ngood man's discomfiture. By his persuasion I staid some time in the\nneighborhood, occupying occasionally the school-house.\n\nHe even proffered me some land to build me a house if I would stay,\npreach and teach school; but my mind was bent on returning to Nauvoo.\n\nBut one evening, when I had been preaching my intended farewell\nsermon in the closely-packed school-house, and just at its close, a\nperson arose and said that, God willing, he would deliver a discourse\nthere the next Sunday, and expose the \"Mormon\" delusion, giving his\nannouncement all the force and emphasis possible.\n\nMy friends gathered at my place of stopping, and, joining with my host,\nprevailed upon me to stay. The word was given out that I had gone to\nNauvoo.\n\nAt the time appointed a great crowd had convened--time, early\ncandle-light.\n\nI arrived late, purposely. My friend and I took seats near the door.\n\nThe preacher, after preliminaries, opened the Bible, and, for his text,\nread the 13th and 14th verses of the 16th chapter of Revelations.\n\nAfter dilating upon the swampy nature of the soil contiguous to Nauvoo,\nstyling it a good place for frogs, and facetiously comparing it to the\n\"mouth of the dragon,\" he came down heavily on the \"false prophet,\" the\nmiracles, etc. It was a most scathing rebuke on \"Mormonism.\"\n\nHis final peroration was on the habits of the frogs, which, while no\nfootsteps were heard, croaked and croaked, but at the first sound of\nan approaching footstep, dodged their heads beneath the water. \"So,\"\nsaid he, at the same time rising to the sublime hight of his oratory,\n\"where, oh where is the frog that croaked here a day or two ago? Gone\nto that slough of iniquity, Nauvoo, the seat of the dragon and the\nfalse prophet. Why has he fled? Because he heard the footsteps of your\ntrue shepherd.\" After much interlarding, he dismissed by prayer.\n\nI immediately arose and said that the frog was there yet, and would\ncroak once more, naming the time.\n\nShouts from the audience named that same evening as the time, and the\nreverend preacher, amid jeers, cheers and cries of, \"Give the boy a\nchance!\" made for the one door.\n\nMy friend was alive to the emergency, and I, nothing loth, opened a\nfusilade from I. Timothy, 4th chapter, while the preacher was hemmed in\nby the crowd, and my friend with his back to the door.\n\nAfter an exhaustive testimony of the work, we all departed, some\npleased, some chagrined.\n\nIn both of the instances here narrated, the opening of the Bible to the\napt and confirmatory passages, were then to my mind clearly the answer\nto prayer, for if ever previously read they had escaped my memory.\n\nHow much good I did on that mission, I cannot guess. One thing I do\nknow, as a general rule not many are truly converted by the clamor of\ncrowds, or the frenzy of debates.\n\nMy object in giving these two instances is to incite my young brethren\nto a study of the scriptures, the necessity of earnest secret prayer,\nand confidence in the promise that at the hour and time God will help\nthem, and bring them off victoriously.\n\nGreat care must be taken to give God the glory in your after prayer,\n\"for no flesh can glory in his sight.\"\n\nEnconiums should produce humility, lest we be puffed up, and, in an\nafter time, display our complete nothingness.\n\n\n\nEARLY EXPERIENCE OF A LATTER-DAY SAINT.\n\nHEAR THE GOSPEL BY CHANCE--COMPUNCTION AT SPEAKING LIGHTLY OF\nTHE PROPHET--JOIN THE CHURCH--A NEW SUIT OF CLOTHES--OPPOSED BY\nRELATIVES--MY OLD FRIEND, THE BIBLE--A DREAM--REQUIRED TO RENOUNCE\n\"MORMONISM\" OR LEAVE THE HOUSE--MY RELATIVES REFUSE TO SPEAK TO\nME--THEY PAWN MY CLOTHES--I RECOVER THEM--VIOLENCE USED--MY CLOTHES\nTORN--MY MOTHER'S DEATH--MY BROTHERS QUARREL AND CALL UPON ME TO SETTLE\nTHEIR DIFFICULTIES--MY BROTHER SICK--HEALED IN ANSWER TO MY PRAYER.\n\nThe substance of the following little sketch was told to the writer by\nthe subject of it, who is an Elder in the Church, and lives in Salt\nLake City. His name is Robert P--k. We give it in words as near his own\nas we can remember.\n\nI was born and reared in the city of Glasgow, Scotland. I passed my\nboyhood without thinking much on religious matters, till I was about\neighteen years of age. At this period of my life I was walking along\nwhat is called the Green, a kind of public park, when my attention was\nattracted by some men discussing publicly the principles of religion.\nOne of them was a Baptist, and I could see that he had the best of the\nargument, baptism by immersion being a Bible doctrine. This was on\nSunday evening.\n\nAfter listening to the discussion for some time, I was attracted to a\nplace where another man was preaching. This one proved to be an Elder\nof the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.\n\nI was so struck with the principles he advanced, that I drank down\ngreedily every word he spoke, and on hearing him tell where the\nmeeting-house of the Latter-day Saints was situated, I went there. I\nwas, however, too bashful to go inside, but I walked back and forth\naround the building, listening and catching whatever words I could.\n\nI was out later than usual that night, and when I got home I was\nquestioned as to the cause of my absence, by my mother (my father had\nbeen dead many years) and brothers. I said I had been to hear the\n\"Mormons.\"\n\n\"Who are the Mormons?\"\n\n\"Why, the followers of Joe Smith,\" said I. But I had no sooner said\nthis than a sharp pang shot through me, and I felt condemned for\nspeaking thus irreverently of the prophet. I did it because I thought\nit would excuse me in the eyes of my relatives. I knew I had done\nwrong, for, young as I was, I felt deeply impressed with the idea\nthat Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. As it was, I was severely\nreprimanded for staying out so late.\n\nShortly after this I went to meeting and heard Elder John Taylor speak\non the setting up of the kingdom of God in the latter days, which did a\ngreat deal towards convincing me that the Lord had revealed the gospel\nin this age. After attending meeting for some time, I was finally\nbaptized into the Church, and was filled with joy because I knew that I\nwas indeed a member of the true Church of Christ.\n\nKnowing that if my mother and four brothers discovered that I had\njoined the Church I would have no peace at home, I kept the matter\nsecret from them. I was but an apprentice and only earning the small\nsum of three shillings a week (equal to seventy-five cents) and was,\ntherefore, somewhat dependent on my relatives.\n\nI was about to get my wages raised a shilling a week, and my eldest\nbrother, Hugh, proposed that he should get me a suit of clothes, and I\npay this shilling a week until the suit was paid for, so that I might\ngo to church with the rest of the family.\n\nI was glad to exchange, on Sundays, my old, patched, shabby working\nsuit for some respectable clothing, and it was agreed to.\n\nOn the following Sunday morning I went to meeting as usual, and was\ncomplimented by the President of the Branch on my improved personal\nappearance. When I got home in the evening the first question asked of\nme was,\n\n\"Where have you been?\"\n\n\"I have been to meeting.\"\n\n\"What meeting?\"\n\n\"I have been to hear the Latter-day Saints.\"\n\nAt this there was a perfect storm about my ears. I went and got the old\nfamily Bible, and laid down the \"law and the testimony.\"\n\nIn answer to all they would say, I quoted and read from the Bible. I\nexplained the principles of the gospel of Jesus, and the strongest\nargument any of them used was in each picking up his hat and walking\nout.\n\nOn the following day (Monday) I felt somewhat timid about going home\nin the evening, for I had dreamed on the Sunday night that my brothers\nwere plotting to turn me out of the house.\n\nHowever, home I went, and just as I approached the door I heard their\nvoices in conversation, and they were saying they would ask me which\nI would choose, to leave \"Mormonism\" or the house; and John, who was\nalways more rabid and unkind than the rest, said he would not even let\nme eat my supper until I had decided what I should do.\n\nI walked boldly in, sat down, and commenced eating supper. They sat\nsilent for a short time, when finally Hugh put the question to me as to\nwhether I would renounce \"Mormonism,\" for if I did not I would have to\nleave the house.\n\nI again brought down my old friend, the family Bible, and said:\n\"Hugh, if you will prove to me from that sacred book that I am wrong\nin adhering to 'Mormonism,' or rather the gospel of Christ, I will\nrenounce it; and if I show you that you are wrong in adhering to Church\nof Scotland, then you should leave that.\"\n\nI then talked upon the scriptures and the principles of the gospel, and\nthey could bring forward no reasonable objections to what I advanced.\n\nHugh rose to his feet and said: \"If father had been alive he would have\nkicked you out of the house.\"\n\nI answered: \"Father is now rejoicing because of my having embraced the\ngospel of Jesus.\"\n\nAt this rejoinder the anger of my brothers increased; and Hugh used his\nold argument of picking up his hat and walking out.\n\nI was induced to make this remark in relation to my father, because on\nthe previous Sunday I had heard the doctrine of baptism and salvation\nfor the dead preached by Elder John Lyon. While listening to him I was\nso filled with joy and gratitude at the prospect of doing something\ntowards the salvation of my father, who had died without a knowledge of\nthe gospel, that the tears chased each other down my face like rain. It\nwas the first time I had heard the principles by which the grand chain\nwhich shall link the great human family together will be formed.\n\nSeeing that threats and abuse availed nothing, making no impression\nupon me, my mother and brothers took another course: they would not\nspeak to me.\n\nAlthough I lived in the same house and ate at the same table with them,\nthey uttered not a word to me, and would not answer me when I spoke to\nthem.\n\nEven my mother's heart seemed entirely hardened towards me, and it\noften cut me keenly when she would meet me on the street and pass\nwithout speaking.\n\nNotwithstanding all this I rejoiced in the gospel exceedingly, feeling\nthat the cause of God was more dear to me than my nearest relatives.\n\nOn the next Sunday I went to the drawer where my best suit was usually\nkept, and discovered that it was gone. They had not even left me a\nclean shirt. Nothing daunted, however, I buttoned up my shabby, old,\nevery-day coat, and marched off to meeting, feeling that I could\nworship God just as fervently and acceptably in an old suit as in a new\none.\n\nInstead of handing over my wages to my mother as I usually did, I kept\nthem every week, and announced at home my intention of doing so until\nmy clothes were returned to me, thinking this would induce them to give\nthem up.\n\nHowever, I happened to come home one day at an unusual time, and in\nturning over some articles to get something I wanted, I came upon a\nticket which at once explained where my clothes had gone. They had been\npawned.\n\nThat this term may be understood, it may be well to say that they were\ndeposited in a place where money is loaned on goods, and when the\nmoney is returned, with an additional sum as interest, the goods are\ndelivered back to the owner.\n\nI took this ticket, and with my wages which I had saved, and a little\nmoney which I had borrowed, I went to the pawnbroker's and got my\nclothes, and left them, for safe keeping, at the house of a brother in\nthe Church.\n\nI dressed up on the following Sunday and presented myself at home at\ndinner time, when my brothers manifested no small astonishment and a\nlittle shame on seeing that I had discovered their trick.\n\nI had forgotten to say that on several occasions after I had dressed\nfor meeting, my brothers would attempt to stop me from going, by main\nforce, and several times in their efforts to keep me in, had torn the\nbreast out of my shirt, but I invariably succeeded in getting out, and\nwhen my shirt was torn I would button up my coat and go to meeting.\n\nMatters went on in this way for over two years, during which time I\nhad been frequently told to leave the house and never enter it again.\nI paid no attention to this. On being told to go on one occasion,\nhowever, I said the next time I was ordered off I would go.\n\nNot long afterwards my mother told me to leave the house forever, and I\nannounced my intention of doing so on the Sunday following.\n\nWhen Saturday came I proceeded to tie up my clothes in a bundle. No\nsooner did they see me doing this than they seized my clothing, and\ntore up my shirts and several other articles.\n\nOn former occasions when I had been thus abused, it was my custom to\nresist, but this time this disposition had departed; my heart was full;\nI pitied them for their blindness, and I felt like weeping tears of\nsorrow.\n\nI made my way out of the house as best I could, with my wardrobe\nreduced to a single pair of pants, besides the clothes I wore at the\ntime. As I was leaving I told them that the course they had taken\ntowards me would bring them no good. My mind was filled with grief and\nI slept none that night.\n\nSix weeks after this my mother burst a blood vessel, from the effect\nof which she never recovered, being ill from that time till her death,\nwhich occurred a year afterwards. This broke up the family.\n\nHugh married, and my three other brothers, John, George and William\nwent to live with him. Some time afterwards John came to me and told me\nthey had quarrelled, and he wished me to go and settle matters between\nthe brothers, which I did, and the result was that John lived apart\nfrom the others.\n\nWilliam, who was the most peaceable and amiable of my brothers, was\ntaken very ill, and one evening I was impressed to go and see him. I\nfound all the members of the family gathered around him, as he was not\nexpected to live through the night.\n\nAfter everybody had left the room but myself, he said to me, \"Robert,\ndo you believe I shall die to-night?\"\n\nI said: \"No, I do not.\"\n\n\"I ask you because the others are hypocrites, for when I ask whether\nthey think I will die, they say, 'No, you will live,' and then I hear\nthem in the adjoining room arranging how they will dress me when I am\ndead.\"\n\nHe fell asleep, and I laid hands upon him and administered to him in\nthe name of Jesus Christ, and when he awoke he was much better, and he\nlived for four months after this.\n\nThis is a little of my first experience as a Latter-day Saint. Nearly\nevery true disciple of Jesus has passed through circumstances that are\ninstructive, although trying at the time they occur, and sometimes the\nrelating of such things has a good effect, however simple the narrative\nmay be.\n\n\n\nDISOBEDIENCE TO COUNSEL.\n\nBY ANSON CALL.\n\nDRIVEN FROM MY PROPERTY BY THE MOB--DESIRE TO RETURN AND RECOVER SOME\nOF IT--COUNSELED BY THE CHURCH AUTHORITIES NOT TO GO--PERSIST IN\nGOING--VISIT A FRIENDLY FAMILY--AMIABLE INTENTION OF MY DEBTORS--MEET\nTWO OF THEM--THEY THREATEN MY LIFE--DESPAIR OF GETTING ANYTHING AND TRY\nTO START HOME--BEATEN OVER THE HEAD WITH A POLE--BARELY ESCAPE WITH MY\nLIFE--ASHAMED TO HAVE MY FRIENDS KNOW IT--THE LESSON I LEARNED.\n\nTo some persons it may appear strange that the Elders of the Church\nin their addresses to the Saints, should so frequently dwell upon the\nnecessity of constant obedience to counsel. But although this may seem\nstrange, still the experience of both the Elders and the Saints goes to\nprove that \"to obey is better than sacrifice, and to hearken than the\nfat of rams.\"\n\nThe Bible, the Book of Mormon and the Book of Doctrine and Covenants\ncontain many instances of the blessings that have attended obedience,\nand the serious consequences that have followed disobedience.\n\nI will not, however, refer to any one of these divine books; but\nwill give my readers an instance of the consequence of disobedience\nwhich occurred to me in my early experience in the Church, in the\ncommencement of the year 1839.\n\nAt that time I was living with the Saints in Far West, though I owned\nproperty, which I had been driven from, at the Three Forks of Grand\nRiver, distant from Far West about thirty miles.\n\nAs I wished to learn whether I could dispose of this property or not, I\nasked Father Joseph Smith and President Brigham Young for counsel about\nvisiting Grand River for this purpose. They counselled me not to go;\nbut to stay at home.\n\nI had been driven from my property by the mob that came against the\nSaints, and as the Saints were obliged to leave the State I desired\nto go with them to Illinois. But I did not want to be burdensome to\nothers. If I could sell my property on Grand River I would not be, so I\nconcluded that there could not be much harm in my going to Grand River,\nand I set out.\n\nHow I succeeded the following extract from my journal will show.\n\nDecember 31, 1838, being anxious to obtain means to make a team, that\nI might be able to go with the Saints, I this morning mounted the only\nhorse I had left, and started for the Three Forks of Grand River.\n\nI arrived at my farm on new year's day, and learned that a man by the\nname of George Washington O'Niel had it in his possession.\n\nI passed on two miles further to a family by the name of Day, who had\ncome in from the Eastern States a few weeks before I was driven away.\nThis family had taken no part with the mob. I found the lady at home,\nand received from her a history of my property. She informed me that\nO'Niel and Culp, Missouri mobbers, had said that if ever I came to the\nplace they would kill me; and that one Henderson and others would help\nthem.\n\nWhen on my farm I had sold store goods to a number of the citizens,\nwho were to pay me for them at Christmas. She said she had heard many\nof them say that if I came there, they would pay me just as \"Mormons\"\nshould be paid.\n\nJust at this time O'Niel and Culp came into the house. They demanded\nof me my reasons for being there. I told them that I was attending to\nmy business. They said I had no business there, and if I got away from\nthere I would be smart.\n\nI replied that I was white man, that it was time enough to be afraid\nwhen I saw danger, and that I should go when I pleased.\n\nThey told me that they would as soon kill me as a dog, and that there\nwould be no more notice taken of my death than if a dog were killed.\nThis I very well understood.\n\nThey then told me that they supposed I had come to get my property.\n\nI informed them I had; to which they replied that there was no property\nfor me.\n\nAfter repeated threatenings I became convinced that it was in vain\nto think of obtaining anything, and started for my horse, which was\nhitched at the yard fence about five rods from the door.\n\nThey followed me. O'Niel picked up the end of a hoop pole which Mr.\nDay had left there, he having been hooping a barrel. With this pole he\nstruck me a blow upon the head, which nearly brought me to the ground.\nI looked around for a club with which to defend myself, but there was\nnone in sight. He continued striking me, and would doubtless have\nkilled me, had it not been for a very thick woolen cap on my head.\n\nMrs. Day threw open the door and cried murder. I ran for the house to\nget something, if possible, to defend myself with; but before I reached\nthe door, he struck me repeatedly, and gave me one blow over the eye,\nthe scar of which I carry to this day.\n\nAs soon as I got into the house I clutched the fire shovel. At that\nmoment Mrs. Day closed the door, so that I could not get out nor O'Niel\nin. He and Culp then passed the window, on which Mrs. Day supposed they\nhad started for their guns, so I mounted my horse and rode for Far West\nas fast as I could.\n\nMy head and face soon commenced swelling. On my way home I washed\nmyself, and resolved not to inform any one what had happened, as Father\nSmith and President Young had both told me not to go.\n\nI reached home about eleven o'clock at night, and went to bed without\nmaking a light. In the morning I arose, and just as soon as I got out\nof bed, I fell upon the floor. My wife was alarmed and screamed. I told\nher what had happened; but told her to keep the matter from my family.\nFather Smith, however, soon heard of the occurrence, and came to see\nme. He hoped, he said, that the lesson would do me good, and that he\nwas glad that I was not quite killed.\n\nHad I obeyed the words \"do not go, but stay at home,\" I should not have\nfallen into this trouble. May you who read this be wise, and in this\nparticular, profit by my experience.\n\n\n\nLORENZO DOW YOUNG'S NARRATIVE.\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nMY MOTHER'S PROMISE--CHASED BY WOLVES--A REMARKABLE DREAM--THROWN FROM\nA HORSE--PROVIDENTIALLY SAVED--RELIGIOUS REVIVAL--PREACHERS TRY IN\nVAIN TO CONVERT ME--RIDICULED FOR NOT PLAYING AT CARDS--READ INFIDEL\nWORKS--THEIR EFFECT--A VISION.\n\nI was born October 19th, 1807, in the town of Smyrna, Chenango County,\nNew York.\n\nMy mother was afflicted many years with consumption. I remember her\nas a fervent, praying woman. She used, frequently, to call me to her\nbedside and counsel me to be a good man, that the Lord might bless my\nfuture life. On one occasion, she told me that if I would not neglect\nto pray to my Heavenly Father, He would send a guardian angel to\nprotect me in the dangers to which I might be exposed.\n\nShe had so trained me to trust in God, that, even in my early youth, I\nseemed capable of grasping, in my faith, the prophetic promise she had\nmade. It sank deep into my heart, and ever since has been an anchor of\nhope in the difficulties and dangers to which I have been exposed.\n\nThis pious, faithful, friend and mother, drooped and died on the 11th\nof June, 1814.\n\nSoon after her death, my father broke up housekeeping, and I was sent\nabout sixty miles to live with my brother-in-law, John P. Green, near\nCayuga Bridge.\n\nIt was a marshy, malarious country, and I was taken very sick with\nfever and ague, with which I suffered severely. In the fall of 1815,\nwe removed to Tyrone, Schuyler County. In the meantime, my father had\ntaken up some land on which to make a home, about six miles from where\nMr. Green lived. This country, at that time, was new, and there was\nnothing but a dense forest between Mr. Green's house and my father's.\nThe wolves were very numerous in this forest. At one time, several of\nthem chased me to Mr. Green's house, and I seemed to barely escape with\nmy life.\n\nDuring the winter of 1815-16, in company with my brothers, Joseph,\nPhinehas and Brigham, I worked for my father and assisted him to clear\noff some land.\n\nIn the autumn of 1816, when about nine years old, I had a peculiar\ndream. I thought I stood in an open, clear space of ground, and saw a\nplain, fine road, leading, at an angle of 45 degrees, into the air, as\nfar as I could see. I heard a noise like a carriage in rapid motion, at\nwhat seemed the upper end of the road. In a moment it came in sight.\nIt was drawn by a pair of beautiful, white horses. The carriage and\nharness appeared brilliant with gold. The horses traveled with the\nspeed of the wind. It was made manifest to me that the Savior was in\nthe carriage, and that it was driven by His servant. The carriage\nstopped near me, and the Savior inquired where my brother Brigham was.\nAfter informing Him, He further inquired about my other brothers, and\nour father. After I had answered His inquiries, He stated that He\nwanted us all, but He especially wanted my brother Brigham. The team\nthen turned right about, and returned on the road it had come.\n\nI awoke at once, and slept no more that night. I felt frightened,\nand supposed we were all going to die. I saw no other solution to\nthe dream. It was a shadowing of our future which I was then in no\ncondition to discern.\n\nIn the morning I told my father the dream, and my fears that we were\ngoing to die. He comforted me with the assurance that he did not think\nmy interpretation was correct.\n\nIn the winter of 1817-18, I went to live with my brother-in-law, James\nLittle, in the town of Aurelius, Cayuga County, New York. I remained\nthere about five years, learning the business of a gardener and fruit\nraiser.\n\nIn the summer of my twelfth year, I was placed upon a race horse by\nMr. Little, and sent on an errand. The animal was too spirited for a\nboy of my age to safely ride. It became frightened and unmanageable.\nIt turned so rapidly around that I was thrown out of the saddle. As I\nfell my bare foot slipped through the iron stirrup, where I hung with\nmy head just touching the ground. With my left hand, I still grasped\nthe bridle rein, on that side, firmly. The horse endeavored to kick me,\nbut, fortunately, did not succeed on account of my being too close to\nhim. My hold on the bridle rein prevented the animal from running away\nand caused him to whirl around almost in a circle.\n\nIn danger we often think with great rapidity. I comprehended my\nsituation in a moment, and, at first, could see no way of escape from\nhaving my brains dashed out. But, as I hung, I was suddenly impressed\nto get hold of the stirrup with my right hand, and make an effort to\nraise myself up, so as to get my foot loose from it. By a great effort\nI succeeded in drawing myself up, and slipping the stirrup over my\nfoot. I then let go all hold and fell to the ground.\n\nThe horse went at full speed for home and his stable. I got up and was\nnot much hurt.\n\nThe promise my mother made me flashed into my mind, and I felt thankful\nto the Lord that I had been preserved from serious harm by a kind\nprovidence.\n\nIn the winter of 1819-20, I left Aurelius and went about twenty miles\nto Hector, Schuyler County. A Methodist revival occurred in that town,\nand religious excitement ran so high that it became fashionable to make\na profession of religion.\n\nSo far as I knew, every young person in the neighborhood but myself\nprofessed to receive \"a saving change of heart\" before the close of the\nrevival.\n\nAs was usual during such periods of religious excitement, meetings were\nheld nightly. In these meetings it was the custom to request those who\nwere \"seeking religion,\" to come forward to some seat reserved for the\npurpose, to be prayed for.\n\nI was somewhat affected by the intense religious feeling. One evening,\nI attended a meeting presided over by Elder Gilmore, the leading\nminister. Two or three other preachers were also present. The usual\ninvitation was given for penitents to come forward to the \"anxious\nseat.\"\n\nSome time was spent in prayer, when all who had come forward, except\nmyself, professed to have a \"change of heart.\" The meeting was closed,\nand Elder Gilmore proposed that those who were willing to do so, should\nretire to a private house with me, and continue in prayer till I was\nconverted.\n\nAs proposed, we retired to a neighboring house, where the praying\ncontinued until two o'clock in the morning.\n\nElder Gilmore then asked me if I had not received a \"change of heart.\"\n\nI replied that I had not realized any \"change.\"\n\nAfter so much fruitless labor, they were evidently disposed to give me\nup as a reprobate. Elder Gilmore told me that I had sinned away the day\nof grace, and my damnation was sure. He asserted that he would never\noffer another prayer for me.\n\nAlthough religious in my nature, even at that early age, sectarian\nreligion seemed empty and void.\n\nThe following morning, I left the scene of this religious excitement\nin Hector and returned to Cayuga County, about three miles from\nAuburn. There I went to work for Mr. Monroe, to learn the trade of a\nblacksmith. He carried on considerable business, and employed a number\nof young men and apprentices.\n\nOne evening, Mr. Monroe and the workmen gathered around the center\ntable, in the sitting room, to while away the evening in a game of\ncards. Mr. Monroe invited me to participate.\n\nMy father had counseled me never to play a game of cards. \"Not,\" said\nhe, \"that there is any particular harm in playing a game of cards, but\ncard-playing has a tendency to lead those who follow it into other\nvices.\"\n\nI determined, at the time, to keep his counsel should it cost me my\nsituation. Mr. Monroe did not appear disposed to receive any apology\nfor not accepting his invitation. I arose, took a Bible that was near\nme, and read during the evening while the remainder of the company\nplayed cards.\n\nThe most of Mr. Monroe's workmen were inclined to infidelity, and the\ncourse I took that evening, afterwards brought upon me much annoyance\nand ridicule.\n\nAlthough infidel in principle, Mr. Monroe was kind to those around him,\nand manifested that kindness to me as well as others. He placed in\nmy hands several infidel books. Among them, I recollect the writings\nof Voltaire and Thomas Payne. My experience at this time, taught me\nthat skeptical works cannot be read without leaving their impression\non the mind. A continuation of reading them must, eventually, lead to\nconfirmed infidelity.\n\nThe teachings of my pious parents had given me considerable faith in\nGod, and I enjoyed some of His Spirit. It has since been evident to me,\nthat the reading of those infidel books stirred up an antagonism in me\nbetween the Spirit of truth and the spirit of skepticism. The struggle\nbetween them, in my bosom, continued about a year, and was a source of\ngreat affliction to me. The Lord, through His Spirit, was trying to\nsave me from error and darkness.\n\nI would advise all my young friends, and especially those who have had\nthe testimony of the Spirit of truth, to never, by any act of theirs,\ninvite the spirit of infidelity into their hearts, lest they fall away\ninto darkness, and go down to death.\n\nI remained with Mr. Monroe nearly two years. I injured myself lifting a\nlog, and it was evident that I could not again work at the blacksmith\nbusiness for some time. For this reason I left Mr. Monroe, and went to\nvisit Mr. J. P. Green, who lived in Watertown, about one hundred miles\nfrom Auburn, in Jefferson County.\n\nFor sometime my health continued poor. One day I lay on a bed to rest\nwhere I could see the family in their ordinary occupations. All at\nonce I heard the most beautiful music. I soon discovered from whence\nit came. Standing side by side, on the foot board of the beadstead on\nwhich I lay, were two beautiful, seraph-like beings, about the size\nof children seven or eight years old. They were dressed in white, and\nappeared surpassingly pure and heavenly. I felt certain that I was\nfully awake, and these juvenile personages were realistic to me. With\ntheir disappearance the music ceased. I turned and asked two of my\nsisters, who were in the room, if they had not heard the music. I was\nmuch surprised to learn that they had heard nothing.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II\n\nMARRIAGE--A VISION OF OTHER WORLDS--MY RELUCTANCE AT RETURNING TO\nA MORTAL EXISTENCE--A PROMISE WITH CONDITIONS--I EXHORT OTHERS TO\nFAITHFULNESS.\n\nWhile at Watertown, I married, and afterwards removed to Mendon, Monroe\nCounty. At this place I had a remarkable dream or vision. I fancied\nthat I died. In a moment I was out of the body, and fully conscious\nthat I had made the change. At once, a heavenly messenger, or guide,\nwas by me. I thought and acted as naturally as I had done in the body,\nand all my sensations seemed as complete without as with it. The\npersonage with me was dressed in the purest white. For a short time I\nremained in the room where my body lay. My sister Fanny (who was living\nwith me when I had this dream) and my wife were weeping bitterly over my\ndeath. I sympathized with them deeply in their sorrow, and desired to\ncomfort them. I realized that I was under the control of the man who\nwas by me. I begged of him the privilege of speaking to them, but he\nsaid he could not grant it. My guide, for so I will call him, said \"Now\nlet us go.\"\n\nSpace seemed annihilated. Apparently we went up, and almost instantly\nwere in another world. It was of such magnitude that I formed no\nconception of its size. It was filled with innumerable hosts of beings,\nwho seemed as naturally human as those among whom I had lived. With\nsome I had been acquainted in the world I had just left. My guide\ninformed me that those I saw had not yet arrived at their final abiding\nplace. All kinds of people seemed mixed up promiscuously, as they are\nin this world. Their surroundings and manner indicated that they were\nin a state of expectation, and awaiting some event of considerable\nmoment to them.\n\nAs we went on from this place, my guide said, \"I will now show you the\ncondition of the damned.\" Pointing with his hand, he said, \"Look!\"\n\nI looked down a distance which appeared incomprehensible to me. I\ngazed on a vast region filled with multitudes of beings. I could see\neverything with the most minute distinctness. The multitude of people\nI saw were miserable in the extreme. \"These,\" said my guide, \"are they\nwho have rejected the means of salvation, that were placed within their\nreach, and have brought upon themselves the condemnation you behold.\"\n\nThe expression of the countenances of these sufferers was clear and\ndistinct. They indicated extreme remorse, sorrow and dejection. They\nappeared conscious that none but themselves were to blame for their\nforlorn condition.\n\nThis scene affected me much, and I could not refrain from weeping.\n\nAgain my guide said, \"Now let us go.\"\n\nIn a moment we were at the gate of a beautiful city. A porter opened it\nand we passed in. The city was grand and beautiful beyond anything that\nI can describe. It was clothed in the purest light, brilliant but not\nglaring or unpleasant.\n\nThe people, men and women, in their employments and surroundings,\nseemed contented and happy. I knew those I met without being told who\nthey were. Jesus and the ancient apostles were there. I saw and spoke\nwith the apostle Paul.\n\nMy guide would not permit me to pause much by the way, but rather\nhurried me on through this place to another still higher but connected\nwith it. It was still more beautiful and glorious than anything I had\nbefore seen. To me its extent and magnificence were incomprehensible.\n\nMy guide pointed to a mansion which excelled everything else in\nperfection and beauty. It was clothed with fire and intense light. It\nappeared a fountain of light, throwing brilliant scintillations of\nglory all around it, and I could conceive of no limit to which these\nemanations extended. Said my guide, \"That is where God resides.\" He\npermitted me to enter this glorious city but a short distance. Without\nspeaking, he motioned that we would retrace our steps.\n\nWe were soon in the adjoining city. There I met my mother, and a sister\nwho died when six or seven years old. These I knew at sight without an\nintroduction.\n\nAfter mingling with the pure and happy beings of this place a short\ntime, my guide said again, \"Let us go.\"\n\nWe were soon through the gate by which we had entered the city. My\nguide then said, \"Now we will return.\"\n\nI could distinctly see the world from which we had first come. It\nappeared to be a vast distance below us. To me, it looked cloudy,\ndreary and dark. I was filled with sad disappointment, I might say\nhorror, at the idea of returning there. I supposed I had come to stay\nin that heavenly place, which I had so long desired to see; up to this\ntime, the thought had not occurred to me that I would be required to\nreturn.\n\nI plead with my guide to let me remain. He replied that I was permitted\nto only visit these heavenly cities, for I had not filled my mission\nin yonder world; therefore I must return and take my body. If I was\nfaithful to the grace of God which would be imparted to me, if I\nwould bear a faithful testimony to the inhabitants of the earth of a\nsacrificed and risen Savior, and His atonement for man, in a little\ntime I should be permitted to return and remain.\n\nThese words gave me comfort and inspired my bosom with the principle\nof faith. To me, these things were real. I felt that a great mission\nhad been given me, and I accepted it in my heart. The responsibility of\nthat mission has rested on me from that time until now.\n\nWe returned to my house. There I found my body, and it appeared to me\ndressed for burial. It was with great reluctance that I took possession\nof it to resume the ordinary avocations of life, and endeavor to fill\nthe important mission I had received. I awoke and found myself in my\nbed. I lay and meditated the remainder of the night on what had been\nshown me.\n\nCall it a dream, or vision, or what I may, what I saw was as real to\nevery sense of my being as anything I have passed through. The memory\nof it is clear and distinct with me to-day, after the lapse of fifty\nyears with its many changes.\n\nFrom that time, although belonging to no church, the Spirit was with\nme to testify to the sufferings and atonement of the Savior. As I had\nopportunity, I continually exhorted the people, in public and private,\nto exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, to repent of their sins and\nlive a life of righteousness and good works.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER III.\n\nI TAKE TO PREACHING--MAKE MANY CONVERTS--REFUSE TO BAPTIZE\nTHEM--THEY ARE BAPTIZED BY A CAMPBELLITE PREACHER--URGED TO JOIN THE\nCAMPBELLITES--REFUSE, AND THE DEVIL TEMPTS ME--I GRIEVE THE SPIRIT,\nBUT REGAIN IT THROUGH FASTING AND PRAYER--HEAR THE GOSPEL--VISIT FROM\nELDER GIFFORD--HE IS THREATENED WITH TAR AND FEATHERS--MY BROTHER AND I\nDEFEND HIM.\n\nIn the fall of 1828, I returned to Hector, Schuyler County, New York.\nQuite a number of people lived there of the Campbellite faith. 'Squire\nChase, a prominent man in the neighborhood, who had been a preacher of\nthe sect, said that they were cold in religion and had not held any\nmeetings for several months. I had been there but a few days, when I\nwent with him about two miles to a Methodist meeting. This occurred in\nthe month of November.\n\nUp to this time I had joined no church, although I had professed\nreligion, attended meetings, and preached when I had an opportunity.\n\nOn my return, I remarked to Mr. Chase, \"Why cannot we have meetings in\nour neighborhood as well as to go so far to them?\"\n\nHe replied, \"We are all dead there; we would have meetings but I do not\nfeel like preaching. But if you will do the preaching, I will appoint a\nmeeting.\"\n\nHe did so. The first two meetings but few attended. The third meeting\nthe house was crowded. Finally, meetings were held nearly every night\nin the week, and were well attended. A reformation started among\nthe people, and there were quite a number of religious converts.\nCampbellite principles had long prevailed in the neighborhood. The\nconverts desired baptism, as that was a prominent principle in the\nCampbellite faith. Mr. Chase urged me to perform the ordinance. I\nexcused myself by telling him that I had never joined any religious\ndenomination, and did not feel authorized to administer it. I finally\nutterly refused to do so. He then sent forty or fifty miles for Elder\nBrown, a regular Campbellite preacher.\n\nHe came and baptized about sixty converts and organized a branch of the\nCampbellite church out of the fruits of my labors. He quite exhausted\nhis persuasive powers to induce me to join the Campbellite church, to\ntake a circuit and go to preaching.\n\nI told him I would not preach his doctrines. If I preached at all, I\nshould preach the whole Bible as I understood it.\n\nHe said I could do so, for he did not think I would preach anything\nwrong.\n\nA spirit worked with me to do all the good I could, but not to join any\nreligious denomination. It prevailed within me against all temptation\nthis time. Perhaps the guardian angel, promised by my mother, watched\nover my spiritual as well as temporal welfare.\n\nI think, at the time of this reformation, I had as much of the Spirit\nof the Lord with me as I could well enjoy in my ignorance of the gospel\nin its purity. I was full of the testimony of the truth as I understood\nit.\n\nThis reformation in Hector, was a means of temptation to me. I had\npreached and labored with my might to lead the people to the truth, and\nElder Brown had stepped in and reaped the results of my labors. Because\nI would not join the Campbellite church and preach for them, I was\nentirely thrown aside. The adversary would reason with me thus: \"What\nis the use of all your preaching? It does not amount to anything to\nyou. You had better attend to your own business and let such nonsense\nalone.\"\n\nI listened to these suggestions until I had grieved the Spirit of the\nLord which I had enjoyed. I no longer had the Spirit to pray or to\nexhort the people to lives of righteousness. I was in this condition\nfor several months.\n\nIn all this lethargy and darkness, I knew there was such a thing as joy\nin the Spirit of God--that in the testimony of Jesus there was light\nand peace. I knew I had accepted a mission to bear this testimony while\nI should remain on the earth.\n\nKnowing these things, I became, in time, alarmed at my condition, I\nfeared that the Lord had forsaken me. I humbled myself before Him in\nfasting and prayer. I promised Him that if He would return His good\nSpirit, I would never again reject its suggestions.\n\nMatters continued thus with me for several weeks. In one of my seasons\nof prayer and supplication, I sensibly felt that I was again visited\nby the Holy Spirit. I was encouraged to resume my labors in exhorting\nthe people whenever an opportunity was presented. I went from home on\nthe Sabbath and held meetings in different places. I was employed in\nthis way when I first saw the Book of Mormon, and when the gospel was\npreached to me.\n\nThis, and other experiences, have convinced me that when we question\nthe Holy Spirit it is likely to be grieved, and leave us to ourselves.\nThen will our darkness be greater than if we had never enjoyed its\ninfluences. Perhaps this incident in my life may suggest wisdom to\nothers.\n\nIn November, 1829, I removed to a place called Hector Hill. In\nFebruary, 1831, my father, my brothers Joseph and Brigham, and Heber C.\nKimball came to my house. They brought with them the Book of Mormon.\nThey were on their way to visit some Saints in Pennsylvania. Through\nfear of being deceived, I was quite cautious in religious matters. I\nread and compared the Book of Mormon with the Bible, and fasted and\nprayed that I might come to a knowledge of the truth. The Spirit seemed\nto say, \"This is the way; walk ye in it.\" This was all the testimony I\ncould get at the time; it was not altogether satisfactory.\n\nThe following May, Elder Levi Gifford came into the neighborhood, and\ndesired to preach. My brother, John, belonged to the Methodist church,\nand had charge of their meeting house which was in the neighborhood.\nI obtained from him permission for Elder Gifford to preach in it. The\nappointment was circulated for a meeting the same evening.\n\nThis was on Saturday evening, and the circuit preacher of that district\nwas to hold a meeting there on Sunday. Elder Midbury, the circuit\npreacher, attended the meeting. The house was crowded. As soon as Elder\nGifford had concluded his discourse, Elder Midbury arose to his feet\nand said: \"Brethren, sisters and friends: I have been a preacher of the\ngospel for twenty-two years; I do not know that I have been the means\nof converting a sinner, or reclaiming a poor backslider; but this I do\nknow, that the doctrine the stranger has preached to us to-night is\na deception, that Joe Smith is a false prophet, and that the Book of\nMormon is from hell.\"\n\nAfter talking awhile in this strain, he concluded. I immediately arose\nto my feet and asked the privilege of speaking, which was granted.\nI said that Elder Midbury, in his remarks, entirely ignored the\npossibility of more revelation, and acknowledged that he had been a\npreacher of the gospel for twenty-two years, without knowing that he\nhad been the means of converting a sinner, or of reclaiming a poor\nbackslider. But still he claimed to know that the doctrine he had just\nheard was false, that Joseph Smith was an impostor, and that the Book\nof Mormon was from hell. \"Now, how is it possible,\" I asked, \"for him\nto know these things unless he has received a revelation?\"\n\nWhen I sat down a strong man, by the name of Thompson, who was well\nknown in the neighborhood as a beligerent character, stepped up to\nElder Gifford and demanded the proofs of the authenticity of the Book\nof Mormon.\n\nElder Gifford replied, \"I have said all I care about saying to-night.\"\n\nThen said Mr. Thompson, \"we will take the privilege of clothing you\nwith a coat of tar and feathers, and riding you out of town on a rail.\"\n\nIn the meantime, four or five others of like character came to the\nfront.\n\nActing under the impulse of the moment--true to the instincts of my\nnature to protect the weak against the strong, I stepped between Elder\nGifford and Mr. Thompson. Looking the latter in the eye, I said, \"Mr.\nThompson, you cannot lay your hand on this stranger to harm a hair of\nhis head, without you do it over my dead body.\"\n\nHe replied by mere threats of violence, which brought my brother John\nto his feet.\n\nWith a voice and manner, that carried with it a power greater than I\nhad ever seen manifested in him before, and, I might say, since, he\ncommanded Mr. Thompson and party to take their seats. He continued,\n\"Gentlemen, if you offer to lay a hand on Mr. Gifford, you shall pass\nthrough my hands, after which I think you will not want any more\nto-night.\" Mr. Thompson and party quieted down and then took their\nseats.\n\nSince then the Elders have passed through so many similar experiences,\nthat they have ceased to be a novelty. That there should be such a\npowerful antagonism of spirits manifesting themselves in muscle, in a\nChristian church, indicated a new era in religious influences.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER IV.\n\nCONVERTED--START FOR MISSOURI--CALLED TO PREACH \"MORMONISM\" WITHOUT\nBEING BAPTIZED--JOIN THE CHURCH--VOYAGE TO PITTSBURG--PREACH THE\nGOSPEL AND ESTABLISH A BRANCH--EXPERIENCE AS A TRUNKMAKER--MISSION\nTO NEW YORK--SPEAK IN TONGUES EFFECTS OF PREACHING COUNTERACTED BY\nLIES--SECOND VOYAGE DOWN THE OHIO--PROVIDENTIAL DELAY.\n\nIn the spring of 1831 there was a two-days meeting of the Saints, about\nsix miles from where I lived, in the State of Pennsylvania. I attended\nit, and became fully convinced of the divine origin of the latter-day\nwork.\n\nIn the summer of 1831, I settled up my business and started for the\nlatter-day Zion, in the State of Missouri. On my way out of the State\nof New York, I visited Elder J. P. Green, in the town of Avon.\n\nAs I arrived there on Saturday, he said, \"Brother Lorenzo, I am very\nglad you have come. I have an appointment to preach at 10 o'clock,\neight miles from here, but I am very unwell and not able to fill it. I\nwant you to do it for me.\"\n\nI rather ridiculed the idea, saying, \"You want me to preach as a Mormon\nElder, when I have not even joined the Church?\"\n\nHe still desired me to go, and said, \"it will be all right.\"\n\nE. M. Green, the son of J. P. Green, accompanied me, with a revelation\non the organization of the Church, which his father directed him to\nread to the congregation.\n\nArriving at the place appointed, I found the house full, and a Baptist\npreacher in the stand. I introduced myself to the minister; he invited\nthe congregation to sing, and I prayed, and E. M. Green read the\nrevelation. I arose and commenced to speak. The good Spirit was with\nme, and I had much freedom. I talked about one hour and a quarter. At\nthe close I gave any one the privilege of speaking who wished to. The\nBaptist minister arose and bore his testimony, that what they had heard\nwas true Bible doctrine, and could not be questioned.\n\nAfter meeting, several persons gathered around me and wished to be\nbaptized. Knowing that I had not received authority to administer the\nordinance, I put them off, telling them that when Elder Green came\nto fill the next appointment that had been made for him, he would\nbaptize them. Among those who requested baptism, at that time, were the\nbrothers Joseph and Chandler Holbrook, and Mary Ann Angell, now the\nrelict of President Brigham Young.\n\nOn the following morning I told Elder Green that, inasmuch as I had\nbelieved in the gospel for some time, and had preached as a \"Mormon\"\nElder, I thought it was time that I was baptized. He administered the\nordinance, and ordained me an Elder. I then went on my way rejoicing.\n\nIn due time I reached Olean Point, on the Alleghany river, one of the\nstreams that form the head waters of the Ohio. Several families had\ngathered there with the view of descending the river in boats. Among\nthem were my brother Phineas and his family. The company built two\nboats, and started down the Alleghany river, in the month of November.\n\nThe river was low and falling. It was my lot, with others, nearly every\nmorning to get into the water and work the boats off the sand bars upon\nwhich we anchored at night. The water was always cold, and at times the\nice was half an inch thick. I had the whooping cough, and this work was\nvery severe on me.\n\nWe journeyed in this way for three weeks, to Pittsburg, at the head\nof the Ohio river. Three days before arriving there my wife was taken\nsick, and did not feel that she could travel any farther.\n\nBrother Phineas and I concluded to stop awhile in Pittsburg. We were\ndestitute of money, having only fifty cents left between us. Soon after\ntying up our boat, a report got noised about that we were a party of\n\"Mormons,\" on our way to Zion. Some of the ideas of the Saints in\nregard to gathering, although often stated erroneously, had obtained\nquite an extensive circulation in the country. Many of the people\ncame to see us, and at first, stared as though beholding some great\ncuriosity. My brother Phineas and I hired one room and moved into it.\nWe retained one boat and the remainder of the company went on in the\nother.\n\nThe way we traveled would now be thought a novel and hard way for the\nSaints to gather in these days of railroads. Fifty years have made many\nchanges, The world is progressing.\n\nSome respectable-looking men inquired if there were any \"Mormon\"\npreachers in the company. We informed them that we were Elders. They\nexpressed a wish that we would hold a meeting.\n\nWe soon learned that Mr. Wm. Harris, of whom we had rented our room,\nhad somewhere met one of our Elders, learned something of the gospel,\nand had been baptized. Up to that time he had made no open profession\nof having joined the Saints.\n\nThere was a large room in the same house we had moved into. This\nBrother Harris offered us for holding meetings in. The first evening\nquite a goodly number gathered into it, and my brother Phineas and I\ntalked to them. Before closing, we gave the privilege for any one to\nspeak who wished to.\n\nAn elderly lady arose and said she had been seeking for the truth\nmany years, and that she had read the Bible through from Genesis to\nRevelations fourteen times, with a prayerful heart, that she might come\nto a knowledge of the truth. She testified that what she had just heard\nwas the first gospel discourse she had ever heard in her life. Almost\nin the words of the eunuch to Phillip, she said: \"Here is water, what\nhinders me from being baptized?\"\n\nThe house stood on the bank of the Alleghany river. The night was dark,\nand we thought it dangerous to try to baptize her.\n\nShe called to our minds the case of the jailor, who was baptized in the\nself-same hour in which he believed.\n\nWe obtained a lantern and went to the bank of the river, the people\nfollowing us. We found the bank steep and the water somewhat deep; but\nmy brother, Phineas held on to me while I baptized the woman.\n\nWe continued to hold meetings and baptize until over thirty persons had\nunited with the Church.\n\nWe had authority to preach, baptize and confirm, but we had no\nknowledge of the organization of the Church, and knew not how to\norganize a branch. In the following winter, of 1831-32, Elder Sidney\nRigdon passed through Pittsburg, and gave us instructions concerning\nthe organization of the Church. We then organized a branch, and\ncontinued our meetings.\n\nAfter events have passed, we often see in them a providence leading\nto important results. We left our homes in the State of New York for\nMissouri, the only objective point in which we felt any interest.\nA seeming chance of sickness induced us to stop for a season in\nPittsburg. There we found a people ready to receive the truth. We\npreached the gospel, and built up a branch of the Church. We were\nevidently led there for the accomplishment of this important work.\n\nAs will be seen, we subsequently went to Kirtland, instead of going on\nwest. But before going to Kirtland, there was yet another place where\nwe were to preach the gospel.\n\nAs before stated, on our arrival in Pittsburg our finances were low.\nBrother Phineas soon obtained labor. I was not so successful, I walked\nthe streets of the town day after day, in search of a job, willing to\naccept of anything I could possibly do. Finally I met a man who gave me\nsome encouragement. Said he, \"Are you a mechanic?\"\n\nI felt constrained to answer \"yes,\" although I could not really lay\nmuch claim to the profession.\n\n\"Well, said he, I want twelve dozen steamboat trunks made.\"\n\nI replied, \"I am your man, but I am traveling. I have stopped here on\naccount of sickness in my family, and have no tools with me, and no\nplace to work.\" He assured me that he had shop, tools and everything\nnecessary to work with. We went at once to his shop.\n\nI really did not know what a steamboat trunk was. I told him that I\nwas from the Eastern States, where probably they worked different to\nwhat they did in that country, and I should feel much obliged if he\nwould lay out a trunk for me, that I might make no mistake. He picked\nup a wide board, laid it on a bench, and with square and compass soon\nlaid out a trunk. \"There,\" said he, \"that is the way I do it; but if\nit don't suit you, do it as you have a mind to,\" and he walked out of\nthe shop. Food and comforts for my family were at stake. I knelt down\nand asked the Lord to enable me to do the work in an acceptable manner,\nand I arose and went to work with a light heart. I got the bodies of\nseveral trunks together that day. Towards evening my employer came\nin, examined my work carefully, and said, \"That is good enough. If\nyou will do them all as well as that, it will do.\" I put together the\ntwelve dozen trunks, covered and finished them off to my employer's\nsatisfaction, and he paid me the money.\n\nFor that kindly providence I felt thankful. From that time I found\nlabor and soon made my family quite comfortable.\n\nIn the spring of 1832, it was thought best that I should go on a\nmission to the State of New York. I spent the summer in preaching the\ngospel. I had joy in my labors, being instrumental in bringing many\ninto the Church.\n\nI visited the town of Hector, where, by my preaching, as before stated,\na Campbellite church had been organized. I preached in the same house\nthat I had occupied on the previous occasion. Soon after I commenced to\ntalk, such a spirit of darkness and opposition prevailed in the house,\nthat for the first and only time in my life, I was entirely bound.\nI stood speechless. The congregation looked at me as if wondering\nwhat could be the matter. A sensation such as I had never felt before\ncame over me. My tongue seemed numb or paralyzed. In a short time I\ncommenced to speak in an unknown tongue. I probably spoke about fifteen\nminutes. Soon after ceasing to talk, the interpretation came clear and\ndistinct to my mind. I at once gave it to the congregation.\n\nI had no further difficulty. I talked about an hour. My old friend,\nSquire Chase, arose and testified that what he had heard was the truth,\nand that the power of God had been made manifest. He and several others\nshed tears. Their hearts were softened by the influence of the good\nSpirit.\n\nI had some prior engagements to meet at a considerable distance from\nHector. These would keep me away about two weeks. I regretted the\nnecessity of going away, and left an appointment for another meeting\non my return. I indulged in the hope of establishing a branch of the\nChurch there.\n\nWhile I was absent, the Elder Brown, who had organized a Campbellite\nChurch from converts made by my preaching, heard that I was preaching\n\"Mormonism.\" He came there, held meetings and visited from house to\nhouse. He repeated to the people all the extravagant stories and\nfalsehoods about the Prophet Joseph and the Book of Mormon, which were\nso extensively circulated in those early times. When I returned, I\nfound the minds of the people filled with prejudice and bitterness. The\nSpirit manifested to me that more preaching to them would be in vain,\nand I went away sorrowing. I have not heard since that any of that\npeople have ever joined the Church.\n\nI went to Avon, Genesee County, to see my father, John Young. He\ndesired to go west and see the Prophet. His wife, my stepmother,\npreferred to remain with her children.\n\nHe had previously sold out his property in the town of Mendon for\nseveral hundred dollars, and had used it to supply the wants of\nthe Elders. He had served as a soldier during three campaigns of\nthe revolutionary war. About this time, he received a pension from\nthe government. This furnished him the means of accompanying me to\nPittsburg. On arriving there, my brother Phineas and I bought a family\nboat, in which we went twenty-five miles down the Ohio River. My wife\nwas again so sick that we felt compelled to stop at Beardstown.\n\nThe people came to see us, and soon learned that we were \"Mormons.\"\nThey expressed a wish that we would preach to them. The following day\nbeing Sunday, we consented to do so if they would furnish a house. Mr.\nIsaac Hill, since Bishop for several years of the 2nd Ward of Salt Lake\nCity, was then a citizen of that place. Through his kindly offices the\nschool house was opened for us.\n\nAfter the first meeting, the people desired more. In a few days we\nbaptized five persons, among them Mr. Hill and Peter Shirts. The latter\nis well known to many of the people of Utah.\n\nIn a short time, my brother Phineas went to Kirtland with our father.\nThe Saints desired that I should remain at Beardstown, and I concluded\nto spend the winter there. Some of my friends, thinking that I might\nget work easier at West Union, five miles from Beardstown, I removed\nthen. There, although my way at first seemed hedged up, I succeeded\nin making my family comfortable through the winter. Again we had been\nprovidentially directed to where there were a few ready to receive the\ntruth.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER V.\n\nREMOVAL TO KIRTLAND--WORK UPON THE TEMPLE--A\nLESSON--SICKNESS--PRONOUNCED INCURABLE BY DOCTORS--HEALED IN ANSWER\nTO PRAYER--CURED OF LAMENESS--REMOVAL TO MISSOURI--COMMENCEMENT OF\nHOSTILITIES--SURROUNDED BY A MOB--FACE DEATH--RESCUED.\n\nIn March, 1833, I removed to Kirtland. The Kirtland Temple committee\nwas appointed June 6th, 1833. About that time, I took with my team\nBrothers Hyrum and Joseph Smith, Reynolds Cahoon and my brother\nBrigham, to look at a stone quarry, and see if the rock was suitable\nfor the walls of the temple. It was decided that it would do, and a\npart of a load was put on the wagon. We all returned to town, and the\nrock was unloaded on the temple ground. As near as I recollect, this\nwas the first rock hauled for that building.\n\nFrom that time I worked with the brethren, as occasion required, until\nthe temple was completed. On the 17th of February, 1834, those holding\nthe Priesthood were called together to organize a High Council. I was\none of the number. On that occasion I committed a great error. That\nit may be a lesson for others, is my reason for relating it here. The\nProphet requested me to take a seat with other brethren who had been\nselected for this Council.\n\nInstead of doing as requested, I arose and plead my inability to\nfill so responsible a position, manifesting, I think, considerable\nearnestness in the matter. The Prophet then said that he really desired\nthat I should take the place.\n\nStill excusing myself, he appointed another to fill it. I think this\nwas the reason the Prophet never again called me to fill any important\nposition in the Priesthood during his life.\n\nI have since learned to go where I am called, and not set up my\njudgment against that of those who are called to lead in this kingdom.\n\nWhen the temple was enclosed, in a meeting of the brethren, called to\nconsult about its completion, the Prophet desired that a hard finish\nbe put on its outside walls. None of the masons who had worked on the\nbuilding knew how to do it. Looking around on the brethren, his eyes\nrested upon me; he said, \"Brother Lorenzo. I want you to take hold and\nget this finish on the walls. Will you do it?\"\n\n\"Yes;\" I replied; \"I will try.\" The following day, with horse and buggy\nI went to Cleveland, twenty-two miles, determined, if possible, to\nfind a man who understood the business of putting a hard finish on the\nwalls. I had been there but a short time, inquiring after such a man,\nwhen I met a young man who said he understood the business, had just\ncompleted a job, and wanted another. I employed him at once, put him\nand his tools into the buggy, and returned to Kirtland.\n\nWe soon had the materials and fixtures on hand to make the mortar. In a\nshort time the finish was being put upon the walls.\n\nI made a suitable tool and, before the mortar was dry, I marked off the\nwalls into blocks in imitation of regular stone work. When the finish\nwas on I commenced penciling.\n\nIt was then the last of November, and the weather daily grew colder. A\nBrother Stillman assisted me a day or two, but said that he could not\nstand the cold, and quit the work.\n\nI continued, day after day, determined, if possible, to complete the\njob. When I got badly chilled I went into my house, warmed myself and\nreturned again to the work.\n\nI completed the task in the fore part of December, but was sick the\nlast two days. I had caught a bad cold, had a very severe cough, and,\nin a few days was confined to my bed.\n\nMy disease was pronounced to be the quick consumption. I sank rapidly\nfor six or seven weeks. For two weeks I was unable to talk. Dr.\nWilliams, one of the brethren, came to see me, and, considering my case\na bad one, came the next day and brought with him Dr. Seely, an old\npracticing physician, and another doctor whose name I have forgotten.\nThey passed me through an examination. Dr. Seely asserted that I had\nnot as much lungs left as would fill a tea saucer. He appeared a\nsomewhat rough, irreligious man. Probably, with what he considered a\ngood-natured fling at our belief in miracles, he said to my father, as\nhe left the house:\n\n\"Mr. Young, unless the Lord makes your son a new pair of lungs, there\nis no hope for him!\"\n\nAt this time I was so low and nervous that I could scarcely bear any\nnoise in the room. The next morning after the visit of the doctors, my\nfather came to the door of the room to see how I was. I recollect his\ngazing earnestly at me with tears in his eyes. As I afterwards learned,\nhe went from there to the Prophet Joseph, and said to him: \"My son\nLorenzo is dying; can there not be something done for him?\"\n\nThe Prophet studied a little while, and replied, \"Yes! Of necessity, I\nmust go away to fill an appointment, which I cannot put off. But you go\nand get my brother Hyrum, and, with him, get together twelve or fifteen\ngood faithful brethren; go to the house of Brother Lorenzo, and all\njoin in prayer. One be mouth and the others repeat after him in unison.\nAfter prayer, divide into quorums of three. Let the first quorum who\nadminister, anoint Brother Young with oil; then lay hands on him, one\nbeing mouth and the other two repeating in unison after him. When all\nthe quorums have, in succession, laid their hands on Brother Young and\nprayed for him, begin again with the first quorum, by anointing with\noil as before, continuing the administration in this way until you\nreceive a testimony that he will be restored.\"\n\nMy father came with the brethren, and these instructions were strictly\nfollowed. The administrations were continued until it came the turn of\nthe first quorum the third time. Brother Hyrum Smith led. The Spirit\nrested mightily upon him. He was full of blessing and prophecy. Among\nother things, he said that I should live to go with the Saints into the\nbosom of the Rocky Mountains, to build up a place there, and that my\ncellar should overflow with wine and fatness.\n\nAt that time, I had not heard about the Saints going to the Rocky\nMountains; possibly Brother Smith had. After he had finished he\nseemed surprised at some things he had said, and wondered at\nthe manifestations of the Spirit. I coughed no more after that\nadministration, and rapidly recovered.\n\nI had been pronounced by the best physicians in the country past all\nhuman aid, and I am a living witness of the power of God manifested in\nmy behalf through the administration of the Elders.\n\nI continued to live in Kirtland, labored for the support of my family\nand went on missions until September, 1837. At that time there was\nconsiderable persecution, and many Saints left for Missouri. In company\nwith Brother Isaac Decker and family, I started for that place.\n\nOn account of sickness in my family, I laid by at Dublin, Indiana. I\nremained there until January, 1838.\n\nI went to Cincinnati. While absent, my brother Brigham, and Brothers\nJoseph and Samuel Smith, with their families, came along on their way\nto Missouri. They were accompanied by Brother Daniel Holman and Brother\nMiles. I returned to Dublin, and, in February, we continued our journey\ntogether.\n\nOn the way, in jumping from a wagon, I fell and split my knee pan on a\nsharp stone. The injury was both painful and dangerous.\n\nRiding over rough roads in a loaded wagon was very painful to me. At\nTerre Haute, Indiana, my leg was examined by a surgeon. He said even if\nI got well, my leg would always be stiff. However, my faith was that I\nshould again have the use of it. It was still over four hundred miles\nto our destination. I suffered much, but got the use of my leg the\nfollowing summer. I attribute this result to the blessing of the Lord\nthrough the administration of the Elders.\n\nOn our way, we crossed the Mississippi river at Quincy, Illinois, on\nthe ice. We were the last to cross in that way that season. When near\nthe west side, on account of the weakness of the ice, we took the\nhorses from the wagons and laid down planks to run the latter to the\nshore.\n\nIn March, Brother Isaac Decker and I arrived in Davis County, Missouri.\nI purchased a quarter section of land and went to work to make me a\nhome. Brother Decker rented a farm. The remainder of the company went\non to Far West, twenty-two miles farther.\n\nWe labored diligently at our business during the summer, usually having\nmeetings on the Sabbath. Matters remained quiet until election day,\nAugust 6th, 1838, when the Missourians determined that the \"Mormons\"\nshould not vote. On the other hand, the brethren asserted their rights,\nand a fight took place at Gallatin, as related in Church history. I\ndid not feel like attending election, and did not go. This was the\nbeginning of our troubles in Davis County.\n\nI lived eighteen miles from Adam Ondi-Ahman. About this time, I left\nmy family on my place and went there and stood guard some two weeks.\nBrother Decker accompanied me. After completing our term of military\nservice, Brother Decker and I started for home. We had but one horse,\nand we alternately rode and walked. As we passed through the town of\nGallatin, about eight miles from home, it was my turn to walk, and\nBrother Decker was ahead of me on the horse. There was a company of\nMissourians stationed about twenty rods from the road, near a whisky\nsaloon. As I was passing nearly opposite them, a party of men stepped\nin front of me and the leader ordered me to stop. He was armed with a\nsword. There were twenty-two of the party, mostly armed with rifles.\n\nNothing was said to Brother Decker, although he halted and sat on his\nhorse a short distance off and watched the proceedings.\n\nThe captain of the party asked me where I had been, where I was going,\nand if I was a \"Mormon,\" with many other questions which I answered\ntruthfully.\n\nAfter answering one of his questions, with a profane epithet he called\nme a liar. After this, I kept my mouth closed and answered no more of\nhis questions. He was about half drunk, as were probably some of his\nmen. He became much irritated at my silence, and used very profane and\nabusive language. Said he: \"You have probably been robbing and burning\nin this section, and ought to be killed. Anyhow, I will make you open\nyour mouth.\" He then ordered his men to form in a half circle a little\ndistance from me, evidently to concentrate their fire. He then ordered\nthem to \"Make ready! Aim!\"\n\nEvery rifle was drawn on me. I prayed in my heart, and felt\nconsiderable assurance that they would not be permitted to kill me. My\nlife trembled in the balance awaiting the leader's order to fire, or\nrecover arms. The latter order came. He then said excitedly: \"Now will\nyou talk?\" But I remained silent.\n\nThis performance was repeated. He became filled with wrath, and\ncommanded his men, the third time, \"Make ready! Aim!\" It looked surely\nas though my time had come. At this moment, a man in military garb, and\narmed with a sword, came running from the camp near the grocery. When\nnear enough to to be heard, he cried out, \"Hold on!\"\n\nThe men dropped their pieces, and there was respite for me again. As he\napproached he demanded, \"What are you doing?\"\n\nThe officer who had been abusing me, replied with a profane epithet, \"I\nam going to kill this Mormon!\"\n\nThe other officer ordered him to take his men to the camp.\n\nAs he did not move readily, his superior drew his sword, stepped in\nfront of him, and declared with an oath, if he did not move at once he\nwould take his head from his shoulders. His tone and manner indicated\nthat he meant business, and the captain moved off with his men at once.\n\nThe officer who released me, declared that the other was drunk and did\nnot know what he was doing. He asked me many questions similar to what\nthe other had done, but in a gentlemanly manner, and I answered them\nfrankly and truly. His heart was softened towards me. He bade me go on\nmy way, and added, \"Mr. Young if you are ever in trouble in this war,\nand can do so, send for me, and you shall not be hurt, unless it is\nover my dead body.\" I made a memorandum of his name, military title,\netc., but regret to say that in my many moves since have lost it.\n\nAgain was the prophetic promise of my mother fulfilled, and my life\nlengthened out for some wise purpose. Brother Decker and I went on\nhome. He immediately removed to Far West, Caldwell County.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER VI.\n\nWARNED TO LEAVE THE COUNTRY OR RENOUNCE \"MORMONISM\"--WIFE AND CHILDREN\nTHREATENED--A BOY'S PLUCK--FORCED TO FLEE FOR OUR LIVES--PROPERTY\nCONFISCATED--BATTLE OF CROOKED RIVER--PROVIDENTIALLY SAVED--FAR WEST\nBESIEGED--ESCAPE TO IOWA--PURSUED--PROVIDENTIAL SNOW STORM.\n\nIn a day or two after my return home, Mr. Richard Welding, of whom I\nhad bought my farm, came to me, accompanied by three or four others. He\ngave me warning to leave the country at once.\n\nI asked him why I must leave, saying: \"Have I not bought my land, and\npaid you for it? Have I not attended to my own business?\"\n\nHe replied: \"Mr. Young, we do not want you to leave. You are a good\nneighbor and citizen, and if you will only be man enough to renounce\nJoe Smith and your religion, we want you to remain with us, and I will\nprotect you in your rights. The Mormons must all leave the country, and\nif you do not renounce them, you must go too.\"\n\nI paid no attention to this warning.\n\nThree or four days after this occurrence, four men rode up in front of\nmy house, when I happened to be away, called Sister Young to the door,\nand again gave warning that we had better leave.\n\nBy her side stood our little boy, Joseph W. One of the men, using an\noath, ordered him to go into the house or he would blow his brains out.\nThe boy stepped back, without his mother noticing what he was doing,\ntook my rifle, which was standing in the room, and, before he had\nattracted her attention, was leveling it on the threatener. She quietly\ntold him not to fire, as they would certainly be killed if he did.\n\nHe obeyed, but manifested considerable beligerency for one of his age.\n\nAbout five days after this warning, early in the morning, I looked up\nthe road towards Gallatin, and saw a man on horseback coming towards my\nhouse at full speed. As he rode up he inquired: \"Is your name Young?\"\n\nI answered that it was.\n\nHe continued: \"I have rode from Gallatin to inform you that, in two or\nthree hours, there will be a company of forty men here, who assert that\nif they find you here, they will fasten you and your family in your\nhouse and burn it down. For God's sake, if you value your own life and\nthe lives of your wife and children, do not be here an hour from now. I\nhave come to give you this warning as a friend. Should it be found out\nthat I have done so, I might lose my own life!\"\n\nI thanked him for his kindness, and he rode off rapidly towards\nGallatin. I told Sister Young to prepare to leave at once, then\nattached my team to a light spring wagon, put a bed, a few cooking\nutensils, a trunk of clothing, and some food for the day into it. I got\nmy wife, my four children, William, Harriet, Joseph and John into the\nwagon, fastened up the house and started for Far West.\n\nI expected to return and get my goods. The next day I obtained some\nteams and started for my goods. I found the road strongly guarded, and\nthe Missourians threatened to kill me if I went on. I never obtained\ngoods, cows nor anything that I had left on my place.\n\nThis left my family very destitute, in common with others of the Saints\nwho had been treated in like manner.\n\nI had previously driven a fine yoke of oxen and a new milch cow to Far\nWest, thinking I might possibly want to remove there; but Clark's army\ndrove my oxen into camp and butchered them for beef. I was promised pay\nfor them, but, of course, never received anything but the promise.\n\nThis was in October, 1838. I remained in Far West doing whatever was\nnecessary for the protection of the Saints. I was on guard much of the\ntime.\n\nMajor Seymour Brunson directed Brother A. P. Rockwood, and myself to\ntake our horses and go out two miles north of Far West and patrol the\ncountry every night. If we saw a man, or company of men coming towards\nFar West, we were ordered to hail them and demand the countersign. If\nnecessary, to make this demand the second time, when, if not given, we\nwere to fire on them. When we arrived on the ground where we were to\nperform our duties, Brother Rockwood and I separated, taking different\ndirections. It was a moonlight night. I was on the edge of a prairie\nwith my eye along the road, when I discovered a company of mounted men\ncoming over a swell of the prairie. I retired into the timber and took\na station behind the trunk of a large tree, under the shadow of its\nbranches, and twenty or thirty yards from the road. As the company came\nopposite to me, I demanded the countersign twice, as I had been ordered\nto do. As they paid no attention to me, I made ready to fire, intending\nto shoot the leader, when a strong and sudden impression came over me\nto hail again. I did so, and ordered them to halt. This time the leader\nrecognized my voice, and turning towards me, asked: \"Is that you,\nBrother Lorenzo?\" I also recognized the man as Brother Lyman Wight,\nand, as I answered in the affirmative, rode up to his side. We were\nglad to meet each other, and I was very thankful that I had not obeyed\norders. He was on his way from Diamond to Far West, with a company of\nmen to assist the Saints there.\n\nSoon after this occurrence, I returned to Far West. I told Sister Young\nthat I hoped to get one good night's sleep. For three weeks I had not\nhad my clothes off to lay down, and I felt much worn.\n\nPerhaps I had slept two hours, when I was awakened by the bass drum\nsounding an alarm on the public square. I was soon out to see what was\nthe matter. There were five men on the square, of whom I inquired the\ncause of the alarm. They informed me that two of the brethren had been\ntaken prisoners by the mob on Crooked River, tried by a court martial\nthat day, and condemned to be shot the coming morning at eight o'clock.\nA company of men was wanted to go and rescue them.\n\nPreparations were soon made, and in a short time, about 40 mounted men,\nunder the command of David W. Patten, were ready to start. We kept\nthe road to a ford on Crooked River, twenty miles distant, where we\nexpected to find the mob.\n\nJust as the day was breaking we dismounted, about a mile from the ford,\ntied our horses, and left Brother Isaac Decker to watch them.\n\nWe marched down the road some distance, when we heard the crack of\na rifle. Brother Obanion, who was one step in advance of me fell. I\nassisted brother John P. Green, who was the captain of the platoon I\nbelonged to, to carry him to the side of the road. We asked the Lord to\npreserve his life, laid him down, ran on and took our places again.\n\nThe man who shot Brother Obanion was a picket guard of the mob, who was\nsecreted in ambush by the roadside. Captain Patten was ahead of the\ncompany.\n\nAs we neared the river the firing was somewhat lively. Captain Patten\nturned to the left of the road, with a part of the command; Captain\nGreen and others turned to the right.\n\nWe were ordered to charge, which we did, to the bank of the river, when\nthe enemy broke and fled.\n\nI snapped my gun twice at a man in a white blanket coat. While engaged\nin repriming my gun, he got out of range.\n\nA tall, powerful, Missourian sprang from under the bank of the river,\nand, with a heavy sword in hand, rushed towards one of the brethren,\ncrying out, \"Run, you devils, or die!\"\n\nThe man he was making for was also armed with a sword, but was small\nand poorly calculated to withstand the heavy blows of the Missourian.\nHe, however, succeeded in defend-himself until I ran to his aid, and\nleveled my gun within two feet of his enemy, but it missed fire.\n\nThe Missourian turned on me. With nothing but the muzzle end of my\nrifle to parry his rapid blows, my situation was perilous. The man\nwhom I had relieved, for some reason, did not come to the rescue. I\nsucceeded in parrying the blows of my enemy until he backed me to\nthe bank of the river. I could back no farther without going off the\nperpendicular bank, eight or ten feet above the water. In a moment I\nrealized that my chances were very desperate. At this juncture the\nMissourian raised his sword, apparently throwing all his strength and\nenergy into the act, as if intending to crush me with one desperate\nblow.\n\nAs his arm extended I saw a hand pass down the back of his head and\nbetween his shoulders. There was no other person visible, and I have\nalways believed that I saw the hand of the angel of the Lord interposed\nfor my deliverance. The arm of my enemy was paralyzed, and I had time\nto extricate myself from the perilous situation I was in.\n\nAs soon as I had time to think, I felt that the inspiration of my\nmother's promise had been again verified. The appearance of the hand,\nto me, was real. I do not see how I could have been saved in the way I\nwas, without a providential interference.\n\nAs soon as I was out of danger, my attention was drawn to brother David\nW. Patten, who lay on the ground a short distance from me, mortally\nwounded. We hitched a pair of horses to a wagon, put brother Patten and\nsix other wounded men into it, and started for Far West.\n\nA few miles from the battle ground we met the Prophet Joseph, with a\ncarriage and a company of horsemen. The wounded were taken to their\nhomes, and such care given them as circumstances would allow.\n\nSoon after our return to Far West, General Clark's army arrived before\nthat city. In the evening after Joseph and Hyrum Smith and others had\nbeen taken prisoners, Hyrum Smith had the privilege of coming into Far\nWest to see his family. From the spirit of General Clark and his army,\nhe believed that, if they succeeded in taking the brethren who were\nin the Crooked River battle, they would be tried by a court martial\nand shot. He and Brother Brigham, and myself met on the public square.\nAfter counseling over the matter, it was decided that I, and others in\nthe same situation, should start that night into the wilderness north,\nfor the Des Moines River, in Iowa Territory. My brother, Phineas, being\na good woodsman, was selected to pilot us.\n\nThe Saints in Far West had been so plundered by their enemies, that\nthey had but little surplus to eat or wear.\n\nI had on a very thin pair of pants. My wife took a sheet from the bed,\nand, with the assistance of some of the neighbors, hastily made me a\npair of drawers. These I afterwards gave to my brother Phineas, as he\nseemed to suffer more with the cold than I did. Our bedding was as\nscanty as our clothing.\n\nWe left Far West that night, and took no food with us. We arrived about\nsunrise in the morning, at Adam-Ondi-Ahman, twenty-two miles from Far\nWest. We needed some breakfast, and stopped in a clump of hazel brush,\nand sent one of the party to the house of Brother Gardiner Snow, to\ntell him our situation. He said he had not much to eat, but would do\nthe best he could. He brought us a very good supply of stewed Missouri\npumpkin and milk. Our keen appetites made this seem a very good\nbreakfast.\n\nThere we obtained fifty pounds of chopped corn. With this meagre\nsupply of food we continued on our journey. From the first, it was\nevident that we must be very saving of our food supply. We rationed\non eight ounces of this meal, per man, each day. It was mixed with\nwater, without any salt, baked in a cake before the fire, and carefully\ndivided out.\n\nThe second day, as night was approaching, we struck the edge of a\nprairie, which was about four miles across. As our horses were weary,\nwe stopped a short time to rest, when one Irvine Hodge overtook us. He\ninformed us that General Clark, having learned of our departure, had\nsent a troop of sixty cavalrymen in pursuit; that they were only a few\nmiles behind, and on our trail. Their orders were to bring us dead or\nalive. We had thought of camping on the spot, but concluded to cross\nthe prairie at once. This we accomplished, and camped in the timber. In\nthe night, snow commenced falling. It appeared to come down in sheets\ninstead of flakes. In the morning it was about a foot and a half deep.\nSome of the company, at first, regretted this, but others saw and felt\nthat the hand of the Lord was in it. My brother, Phineas, at once\ndeclared that it was the means of our deliverance. We started on and\nthe wind began to blow. Our tracks were completely covered soon after\nthey were made.\n\nWe afterwards learned that our pursuers camped on the opposite side of\nthe prairie from us, where we had rested. In the morning they tried to\nfind our trail, but finding it impossible to do so, gave up pursuit.\n\nThus we were saved from our enemies by a friendly interposition of the\nelements in our behalf.\n\nWe were fifteen days on our journey from Far West to the Des Moines\nRiver. The last three days we were without food. After the snow fell,\nour horses had to subsist on what they could find above it.\n\nThe brush had soon made my thin pants unavailable for covering my legs\nin the neighborhood of the knees. The fragments were tied up with small\nhickory withes. When we arrived near a house, on the Des Moines, I\nremained in the woods while one of my companions went to the house and\nobtained a pair of pants, that I might be presentable.\n\nOn this trip it seemed as though both men and animals had a wonderful\npower of enduring cold, hunger and fatigue. I am constrained, after\nmore than forty years have passed away, to acknowledge a special\nprovidence in our deliverance.\n\nI have drawn on my memory for the facts of this narrative, and think\nthat they are correct; but there may be some errors in dates, and in\nthe succession of events.\n\n\n\nAN INSTANCE OF DIVINE INTERPOSITION.\n\nBY ELDER WILLIAM BUDGE.\n\nVISIT TO SCOTLAND--MEET OLD FRIENDS--RETURN TO LIVERPOOL--ABOUT TO GO\nBY STEAMER TO BRISTOL--A VOICE WARNS ME NOT TO GO--TURN BACK--SHORT OF\nMONEY--MEANS PROVIDENTIALLY PROVIDED--JOURNEY TO PORTSMOUTH--SEQUEL TO\nTHE WARNING--THE STEAMER WRECKED.\n\nI had been laboring in the Southampton Conference, England, as a\nmissionary for about two years, when I obtained permission to visit my\nrelatives in Scotland. It was in the latter part of the summer of 1853.\n\nAccompanied by an Elder named Armstrong, who was going to Liverpool, I\nembarked at Portsmouth, on the steamship _Duke of Cornwall_, bound for\nthat port, on the morning of the 8th of August.\n\nShortly after starting, we passed the British fleet, lying off\nSpithead, preparing for a grand review, to take place on the following\nThursday, which Queen Victoria was expected to attend. The scene\nwas both novel and interesting, as we passed near the assembled and\ndecorated ships.\n\nPassing the Isle of Wight, of which we had a good view, we called at\nPlymouth, Falmouth, and Penzance, before reaching Liverpool, passing\nalso the celebrated Eddystone Lighthouse.\n\nWe reached Liverpool at two p. m., on the 10th, and I sailed for\nGlasgow within two hours afterwards. On board the Scotch steamer, I was\npleased to find an old acquaintance, named George Turnbull, who was at\nthat time a clerk in the Church office at Liverpool, and on his way,\nlike myself, to visit his home and friends.\n\nBrother Turnbull and I heard the gospel about the same time, in the\nsame city, (Glasgow) and became members of the same branch of the\nChurch; he being baptized first. This young man was a scholar, and\npossessed of much natural ability, and for some time, was a good Saint,\nbut he would not run the race; he eventually fell into transgression,\ndenied the faith, and was lost.\n\nThere were also on board the vessel, Elder Fullmer, pastor of the\nLiverpool Conference, and wife, and Elder John O. Angus, President of\nthe Shropshire Conference. I was well acquainted with the latter; he\nwas a faithful missionary, and a quiet, humble, and inoffensive man. He\nlabored for a long time in the St. George Temple, and died some time\nago.\n\nSuch company was very agreeable, but the night was somewhat stormy, and\nwe did not reach Glasgow until two p. m. next day.\n\nDuring this trip, I visited my relatives in Glasgow, Lanark, and\nelsewhere, and also the Saints in a district of the conference where\nI had formerly labored. I felt truly grateful to the Lord for all His\ngoodness unto me, in preserving me while struggling hard in several new\nfields of labor to which I had been allotted, since I first left home\nand beg an my labors as a missionary.\n\nOn the first day of September, taking leave of my friends, I embarked\non a steam vessel for Liverpool. Elder John O. Angus was also a\npassenger, and I, therefore, had good company during a very stormy\npassage. Arriving at Liverpool, we called at the Church office, Wilton\nStreet, and lodged at the house of Elder A. F. Macdonald, president of\nthe conference.\n\nI intended to go by sea from Liverpool to Bristol, and by land to\nSalisbury, on my way back to Portsmouth, as I had not means enough to\ngo through by railroad conveyance. I had explained this to Brother\nAngus, and on the morning after our arrival in Liverpool, I bade him\ngood by, and walked down to the docks, carrying my carpet sack and a\nnumber of books, which I had brought with me from home. This was on the\nthird day of September, 1853.\n\nA number of people were waiting to go on board the same steam vessel I\nintended to take. The steamer at the time was taking in freight at the\nopposite side of the dock, and would call for us, so we were informed,\nin a short time.\n\nWhile standing looking at the vessel, a voice, loud and distinct, said:\n\"Do not go on board.\" I was startled, and looked around, but there was\nno one near. Although I turned hastily, I did not really expect to see\nany one who might have spoken. It was, I felt, a revelation; I was\nimpressed with the divine force, and I lifted my satchel preparatory\nto leaving, but suddenly I thought of my want of means, and began to\nwonder whether I had not been deceived by my imagination. I put down\nmy satchel again, just as the ship was nearing that part of the dock\nwhere the passengers were waiting. My condition tempted me. I was in\ndoubt for a moment. I began to reason; but faith triumphed. I felt sure\nthat it was a warning, and, lifting my baggage, left the dock for the\nLime Street Station, as the people who had been waiting passed into the\nsteamer.\n\nOnce decided, there was no further trouble, and I began to consider how\nI could reach Portsmouth. When I entered the station, I had concluded\nto take the first third-class train to Birmingham. At that time, I had\nno acquaintances there, and wished to hurry on, trusting that the way\nwould be opened up as my necessities required; such having been the\ncase many times before. The Lord had prepared the way in times past,\nand I had faith that He would help me then sufficiently.\n\nI was one of those young and very inexperienced Elders, sent into the\nmissionary field literally without purse or scrip. Elder George B.\nWallace, at that time one of the presidency of the Church in Europe,\nsent me with several others into Cumberland County, in the North of\nEngland, where there were no Saints until we were instrumental in the\nhands of the Lord in bringing some to a knowledge of the truth.\n\nIt was a hard country, and we had a rough experience. In less than\nthree months, three Elders out of five returned home; but Elder Thomas\nWallace, now of Weber County, and I remained until the Lord called us\nsomewhere else.\n\nI have been in many new fields of labor since, without money and\nwithout friends until the Lord raised them up, but never among a people\nso ignorant, and unimpressionable as the people we could obtain access\nto in the North of England. In comparison, my prospects, as I walked\ninto the Lime Street Station, were not at all discouraging, but as I\nentered, there stood Brother Angus, who was waiting for a train to take\nhim to Shrewsbury.\n\nHe was surprised to see me, and I was a little abashed, as I felt\nsomewhat delicate about giving him an explanation. Although satisfied\nmyself, I had some misgivings about satisfying him. I told him,\nhowever, what had happened, and, to my relief, he said, putting his\nhand on my shoulder, \"You have done just right, and you will see the\nhand of God in this.\"\n\nA third-class train, I learned, would not leave until next morning, so\nI lodged with Brother Turnbull, who had returned to Liverpool.\n\nThe next day I went to Birmingham, and there learned that a cheap\nexcursion train would leave for Bristol at five p. m. Bristol--going\nby land--was not directly on my way, but the fare being low, and\ngoing from there to Warminster and Salisbury, I was likely to reach\nPortsmouth sooner than any other way.\n\nIn the cars, I made the acquaintance of a lady and gentleman also going\nto Bristol, to visit some relatives they had in that town. After an\ninteresting conversation they invited me to take lunch with them, which\nwas very acceptable, and on our arrival at Bristol, they pressed me to\naccompany them to their friend's house, where I remained all night,\nbeing warmly received and well treated.\n\nI had not quite a dollar in my possession, and I acknowledge the hand\nof the Lord in thus opening up the way for me.\n\nOn reaching Warminster next day at six p. m., I had only twelve cents\nleft, and a heavy carpet sack, which I took to a carrier who made\noccasional trips with freight to Salisbury, and I started at once to\nwalk to the latter place, distant twenty-two miles.\n\nIt was evening and the weather pleasant, and the distance nothing\nunusual for a missionary, but I made a mistake by starting out too\nfast, perspired, got tired, and was obliged to take lodging at a small\nway-side inn, which cost me eight cents. I slept without supper and\nresumed my journey without breakfast the next morning, but thanking the\nLord for good health and spirits.\n\nOn reaching Salisbury, where I was a perfect stranger, I walked into\nthe town with the intention of inquiring for Latter-day Saints, a few\nof whom I understood lived there. My first inquiry was of a little\nboy, who quickly answered \"Yes, my mother is one,\" and at once offered\nto conduct me to his home, which we soon reached, and to which I was\nwarmly welcomed.\n\nOn passing through the streets, I saw, posted upon the walls,\nannouncements of an excursion trip to Southampton and Portsmouth,\nfare two shillings and six pence, or sixty-two cents in our money.\nReflecting upon the means of obtaining such a sum without being obliged\nto write and wait for it, we reached the house of my guide's mother.\n\nFrom the boy's statement that his mother was a \"Mormon,\" I got the\nimpression that his father, if he had one, was not, which I found to\nbe correct. His father was not very friendly, but his mother was a\nvery earnest Saint, and a very thoughtful and kind one, as while I sat\ntaking some refreshments which she had hastily prepared, she brought\nand gave me a piece of money, the exact amount necessary to procure my\nticket to Portsmouth. I again thanked the Lord, and explained to my\nkind sister what her gift would enable me to do. The boy had in the\nmeantime, by her instructions, brought my carpet sack, and I was ready\nto continue my journey.\n\nI reached Portsmouth on the 7th day of September, and while there\non the 9th, I read in the newspaper of the total wreck of the steam\nvessel, on which I was about to sail from Liverpool, when I was warned\nby the Lord not to go on board the ship.\n\n\n\nMY LAST MISSION TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS.\n\nBY WM. W. CLUFF.\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nELDERS CALLED HOME FROM THE SANDWICH ISLANDS--NATIVE ELDER LEFT TO\nPRESIDE--GIBSON'S ARRIVAL IN SALT LAKE--JOINS THE CHURCH--ASKS FOR A\nMISSION TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS--HIS DEEP-LAID SCHEME--LEADING ASTRAY\nTHE HAWAIIAN SAINTS--FIVE ELDERS SENT TO INVESTIGATE--ARRIVAL AT THE\nSANDWICH ISLANDS--ATTEMPT TO GO ASHORE IN A BOAT--CAPSIZED IN THE\nSURF--ELDER LORENZO SNOW LOST--AFTER A LONG SEARCH, FOUND UNDER THE\nBOAT--EFFORTS TO RESUSCITATE HIM--RESTORED TO LIFE ONE HOUR AFTER BEING\nDROWNED.\n\nIn the summer and autumn of 1857, a United States army was marching\ntowards Utah, evidently with hostile intentions towards its people. It\nwas thought wisdom, by the authorities of the Church, to concentrate\nthe strength of the Saints for any emergency, by calling home the\nElders that were on foreign missions.\n\nWhen the last of the Elders from Utah left the Sandwich Islands, on\nthe 1st of May, 1858, the care of the Saints on each of the islands\nwas entrusted to a native Elder. Kailihune was appointed to preside\nover the gathering place on Lanai. He was among the first fruits of the\nlabors of the Elders, and for a long time had been very efficient and\nfaithful.\n\nDuring our difficulties with the government Walter M. Gibson, an\nadventurer, came to Utah. His ostensible object was to induce President\nYoung, and the general Church authorities, to remove our people _en\nmasse_, to the East India Islands. He painted, in glowing colors,\nthe splendid facilities and opportunities those islands offered for\nimmigration and colonization, by an enterprising and industrious people\nlike the Latter-day Saints.\n\nIn his ignorance, he supposed that the object of the founder and\nleaders of the Church was to found a powerful and independent\nnation. The object of these schemes was, evidently, his own personal\naggrandizement.\n\nIt had, no doubt, been a favorite project of his, for years, to found\na government somewhere on the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Failing\nin his scheme for the removal of the Church, some other plan must be\ndevised for the accomplishment of his cherished purpose.\n\nHe professed to become a convert to our faith, and was baptized into\nthe Church. He then requested to be sent on a mission to the Polynesian\nIslands. He desired a roving commission from the Presidency of the\nChurch, authorizing him to travel and preach, on any or all of the\nislands, in the Pacific Ocean.\n\nBefore leaving Salt Lake City, Mr. Gibson made it a specialty to\nconverse with the Elders who had lately returned from the Sandwich\nIslands. He sought to be well informed on the general condition of the\nislands, the customs, traditions, and general character of the natives,\nand, especially did he seek to be well informed as to the numbers,\norganization, location, and general condition of the native Saints. His\nobject, in this, developed afterwards.\n\nWhen he left Utah he went directly to the Sandwich Islands. He soon\nfound some of the Saints, and represented to them, that he had been\nsent by President Young, not only to take charge of the mission on\nthose islands, but to preside over all the churches that might be\nraised up on any of the Pacific islands, and, in that capacity, that he\nwas equal to, and entirely independent of President Young.\n\nThe native Saints had been left about two years to themselves. They\nwere naturally simple and credulous, and it was easy to impose upon\nthem.\n\nAs soon as Mr. Gibson acquired some knowledge of the native language,\nhe commenced traveling among the branches of the Church, and grafted\non to the gospel, many of the old traditions and superstitions of the\nHawaiians. He reorganized the Church, or, more properly speaking,\nreconstructed it in accordance with his own notions, throughout the\nislands.\n\nHe was one of those characters, of whom the apostle Peter warned\nthe Saints in his day, \"and through covetousness shall they with\nfeigned words make merchandise of you.\" He ordained twelve apostles,\nand charged them one hundred and fifty dollars each for initiating\nthem into the office, and charged High Priests, Seventies, etc,\nproportionately, according to the presumed importance of the offices.\n\nBy this and other impositions, he succeeded in raising sufficient means\nfor the purchase of one half of the island of Lanai. Some years before\nthe Elders had leased the same tract of land, of Halelea, a native\nchief, for a temporary gathering place for the Saints.\n\nMr. Gibson represented to the Saints that he was securing the land for\nthem, but that it would have to be deeded to him for them.\n\nFor the accomplishment of his purpose, concentration and organization\nwere necessary. He continued to gather the Saints to Lanai. There he\norganized all the males, old and young, into companions, and daily\ndrilled them in the art of war. He informed them that, as soon as they\nwere properly disciplined, it was his intention to build or purchase a\nvessel, equip it, and sail for one of the South Sea Islands. He would\nseek a favorable opportunity, conquer the natives, leave some of his\ndisciplined men in charge of the conquered territory, and fill up his\ndepleted ranks with raw recruits.\n\nIn this way, he designed to conquer one island after another, until he\norganized a large fleet, and subjugated all the Polynesian Islands.\nThus he hoped to realize his wildest dreams by organizing, as he\nexpressed it, \"_One great grand empire_,\" that would be able to take\nits place among the leading nations of the earth.\n\nHis every act from the time of his arrival in Utah, had been designed\nfor his own aggrandizement. He had learned nothing of the spirit and\npower of the gospel. The Lord is establishing His kingdom, and he\nwas fighting against it. If he has not already done so, he will yet\nrealize the truth of the saying of the Savior, in his teachings, when,\non his earthly mission, he likened the Kingdom of God to a stone, and\nsaid, \"And whosoever shall fall on this stone shall be broken: but on\nwhomsoever it may fall, it will grind him to powder.\"\n\nNotwithstanding the Saints had been gradually led astray by Mr. Gibson,\nthey felt that his teachings and practices were not the same as those\nof the Elders who had labored among them before his coming.\n\nFearing they might be deceived, some eight of the native Elders wrote\nto brethren in Utah who had labored for many years among them. They\nstated some of the facts concerning Mr. Gibson's course, and asked for\nadvice. This communication was translated and submitted to President\nYoung.\n\nThe First Presidency decided that Apostles E. T. Benson and Lorenzo\nSnow should visit the islands, and that Elders Joseph. F. Smith, Alma\nL. Smith, and myself, who had previously been on missions to the\nislands and understood the native language, should accompany them.\n\nWe arrived at Honolulu, the capital of the islands, about the 27th\nof March, 1864. On the 29th we sailed for Lahaina, on the schooner,\n_Nettie Merrill_, Captain Fisher, for the island of Maui, a distance of\nabout ninety miles from Honolulu. On the morning of the 31st of March,\nwe came to anchor about one mile from the mouth of the little harbor of\nLahaina.\n\nApostles Ezra T. Benson, Lorenzo Snow, Brother Alma L. Smith, and\nmyself, got into the small boat to go ashore. Brother Joseph F. Smith,\nas he afterwards stated, had some misgivings about going in that boat,\nbut the manifestation was not sufficiently strong to indicate any\ngeneral accident. He preferred to remain on board the vessel, until the\nboat returned.\n\nThe boat started for the shore. It contained some barrels and boxes,\nthe captain, a white man, two or three native passengers, and the\nboat's crew, who were also natives.\n\nThe entrance to the harbor is a very narrow passage between coral\nreefs, and when the sea is rough it is very dangerous, on account of\nthe breakers. Where the vessel lay the sea was not rough, but only\npresented the appearance of heavy swells rolling to the shore.\n\nAs we approached the reef it was evident to me, that the surf was\nrunning higher than we anticipated. I called the captain's attention to\nthe fact. We were running quartering across the waves, and I suggested\nthat we change our course so as to run at right angles with them. He\nreplied, that he did not think there was any danger, and our course was\nnot changed. We went but little farther, when a heavy swell struck the\nboat and carried us before it about fifty yards. When the swell passed\nit left us in a trough between two huge waves.\n\nIt was too late to retrieve our error, and we must run our chances.\nWhen the second swell struck the boat, it raised the stern so high that\nthe steersman's oar was out of the water, and he lost control of the\nboat. It rode on the swell a short distance, and swung around just as\nthe wave began to break up. We were almost instantly capsized, into the\ndashing, foaming sea.\n\nI felt no concern for myself about drowning, for while on my former\nmission I had learned to swim and sport in the surf of those shores.\n\nThe last I remembered of Brother Snow, as the boat was going over I saw\nhim seize the upper edge of it with both hands. Fearing that the upper\nedge of the boat, or the barrels, might hit and injure me as the boat\nwas going over, I plunged head foremost into the water. After swimming\na short distance, I came to the surface without being strangled or\ninjured.\n\nThe boat was bottom upwards, and barrels, hats, and umbrellas were\nfloating in every direction. I swam to the boat and as there was\nnothing to cling to on the bottom, I reached under and seized the edge\nof it.\n\nAbout the same time, brother Benson came up near me, and readily got\nhold of the boat.\n\nThe natives soon appeared, and swam about quite unconcerned for their\nown safety. Brother Alma L. Smith came up on the opposite side of the\nboat from brother Benson and myself. He was considerably strangled, but\nsucceeded in securing a hold on the boat.\n\nA short time afterwards the captain was discovered, about fifty yards\nfrom us. Two of his sailors swam to his assistance, and, one on each\nside, succeeded in keeping him on the surface, although life was\napparently extinct.\n\nNothing yet had been seen of Brother Snow, although the natives had\nbeen swimming and diving in every direction in search of him. We were\nonly about one fourth of a mile from the shore. The people, as soon as\nthey discovered our circumstances, manned a life boat and hurried to\nthe rescue.\n\nWe were taken into the boat, when the crew wanted to row for the shore,\nand pick up the captain on the way. We told them that one of our\nfriends was yet missing, and we did not want to leave, as long as there\nwas any possibility of a chance to render him assistance. We discovered\nthat a second boat had left the shore, and could reach the captain as\nsoon as the one we were in. Seeing this, the crew of the boat we were\nin, consented to remain and assist us.\n\nThe captain was taken ashore, and, by working over him for some time,\nwas brought to life.\n\nThe life of Captain Fisher would not, probably, have been much\nendangered, except for a sack of four or five hundred dollars in silver\nwhich he held in his hand. This he clung to with great tenacity. When\nthe boat capsized the weight of it took him at once to the bottom. The\nnatives dove and brought him up, still clinging to the sack. When his\nvitality was restored, the first thing he inquired about was the money;\nintimating to the natives, with peculiar emphasis, that it would not\nhave been healthy for them to have lost it.\n\nBrother Snow had not yet been discovered, and the anxiety was intense.\nThe natives were, evidently, doing all in their power.\n\nFinally, one of them, in edging himself around the capsized boat, must\nhave felt Brother Snow with his feet and pulled him, at least partly,\nfrom under it, as the first I saw of Brother Snow was his hair floating\nupon the water as the native was dragging him through the water around\none end of the capsized boat. As soon as we got him into our boat, we\ntold the boatmen to pull for the shore with all possible speed. His\nbody was stiff, and life was evidently extinct.\n\nBrother Alma L. Smith and myself were sitting side by side. We laid\nBrother Snow across our laps, and, on the way to shore, we quietly\nadministered to him and asked the Lord to spare his life, that he might\nreturn to his family and home.\n\nOn reaching the shore, we carried him a little way, to some large\nempty barrels that were lying on the sandy beach. We laid him, face\ndownwards, on one of these, and rolled him back and forth until we\nsucceeded in getting the water that he had swallowed out of him.\n\nDuring this time, a number of persons came down from the town; among\nthem was Mr. E. P. Adams, a merchant. All were willing to do what they\ncould. We washed Brother Snow's face with camphor, furnished by Mr.\nAdams. We did not only what was customary in such cases, but also what\nthe spirit seemed to whisper to us.\n\nAfter working over him for some time, without any indications of\nreturning life, the bystanders said that nothing more could be done\nfor him. But we did not feel like giving him up, and still prayed and\nworked over him, with an assurance that the Lord would hear and answer\nour prayers.\n\nFinally we were impressed to place our mouth over his and make an\neffort to inflate his lungs, alternately blowing in and drawing out the\nair, imitating, as far as possible, the natural process of breathing.\nThis we persevered in until we succeeded in inflating his lungs. After\na little, there were very faint indications of returning vitality. A\nslight wink of the eye, which, until then, had been open and deathlike,\nand a very faint rattle in the throat, were the first symptoms of\nreturning life. These grew more and more distinct, until consciousness\nwas fully restored.\n\nWhen this result was reached, it must have been fully an hour after the\ncapsizing of the boat. A Portuguese man, living in Lahaina, who, from\nthe first, rendered us much assistance, invited us to take Brother Snow\nto his house. There being no Saints in the place, we gladly accepted\nhis kind offer.\n\nEvery possible attention was given to Brother Snow's comfort.\n\nPersons in danger and excitement, often see things a little\ndifferently. The following is Apostle Snow's account of the capsizing\nof the boat:\n\n\"As we were moving along within some half a mile from the point where\nwe expected to land, my attention was suddenly arrested by Captain\nFisher calling to the oarsmen, in a voice which denoted some alarm,\n'Hurry up! hurry up!' I quickly discovered the cause of alarm.\n\n\"A short distance behind us, I saw an immense surf, thirty or forty\nfeet high rushing towards us swifter than a race horse. We had scarcely\na moment for reflection before the huge mass was upon us. In an instant\nour boat, with its contents, as though it were only a feather, was\nhurled into the briny water, and we were under this rolling, seething,\nmountain wave.\n\n\"This was certainly unexpected. It took me by surprise. I think,\nhowever, that I soon comprehended the situation: that we were in the\nmidst of the turbulent waters, a quarter of a mile from the shore,\nwithout much probability of receiving human aid.\n\n\"I felt confident, however, that there would be some way of escape;\nthat the Lord would provide the means, for it was not possible that\nmy life and mission were thus to terminate. This reliance on the Lord\nbanished fear, and inspired me with hope up to the last moment of\nconsciousness.\n\n\"Having been somewhat subject to fainting spells, I believe that after\na few moments in the water, I must have fainted, as I did not suffer\nthe pain common in the experience of drowning persons. I had been in\nthe water only a few moments, until I lost consciousness.\n\n\"The first I knew afterwards, I was on shore receiving the kind and\ntender attentions of my brethren. The first recollection I have of\nreturning consciousness, was seeing a very small light, the smallest\nmaginable. This soon disappeared, and I was again in total darkness.\nAgain it appeared, much larger than before, then sank away and left me,\nas before, in forgetfulness. Thus it continued to come and go, until,\nfinally, I recognized, as I thought, persons whispering, and soon after\nI asked in a feeble whisper, 'What is the matter?'\n\n\"I immediately recognized the voice of Elder Cluff, as he replied, 'You\nhave been drowned; the boat upset in the surf.' Quick as lightning,\nthe scene of our disaster flashed upon my mind. I immediately asked,\n'Are you brethren all safe?' The emotion that was awakened in my bosom\nby the answer of Elder Cluff, will remain as long as life continues:\n'Brother Snow, we are all safe.'\n\n\"I rapidly recovered, and very soon was able to walk and accompany the\nbrethren to our lodgings.\"\n\nAs soon as Brother Snow was out of danger, it occurred to me that I had\nbetter return to the vessel.\n\nAs I reached the deck, by the rope ladder over its side, I saw, at a\nglance, that Brother Smith was under great anxiety of mind.\n\nWe were both under an intensity of feeling, which men usually\nexperience only a few times in their lives. Brother Smith had been\ninformed by a native that the captain and an elderly white man were\ndrowned. The latter, he supposed to be Brother Benson, hence his great\nanxiety.\n\nMy own nervous system was strung up to an extreme tension by the\nevents of the past two hours. When I told Brother Smith that all were\nsafe, the sudden revulsion of feeling almost overcame him. We rejoiced\ntogether that through a merciful Providence, and the faith that had\nbeen bestowed upon us, we were all alive.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nJOURNEY TO LANAI--MEET MR. GIBSON--REVERENCE OF NATIVES FOR HIM--HIS\nSPEECH AND ASSUMPTION--ELDER JOSEPH F. SMITH'S REPLY--ELDER SNOW'S\nPROPHECY--MR. GIBSON CUT OFF THE CHURCH--ELDER SNOW'S PROPHECY\nFULFILLED--ADVISED TO SELECT A NEW GATHERING PLACE--A VISION--SUITABLE\nPLACE POINTED OUT.\n\nON the 2nd of April, Brother Snow had so far recovered his strength,\nthat it was thought best to pursue our journey. We hired some natives\nto take us in an open boat across the channel, sixteen miles, to Lanai.\nWe arrived at the landing place, three miles from the village, just at\ndark. We sent a messenger to Mr. Gibson, with the request that he would\nsend down some saddle horses for us to ride up in the morning.\n\nEarly the following morning, April 3rd, the horses were ready for us.\nAn hour's ride over a rough, rocky road brought us to the settlement.\nOur reception by Mr. Gibson, and most of the native Saints, was cool\nand very formal. Many improvements had been made since our last visit,\nthat were praiseworthy, and reflected great credit on Mr. Gibson.\n\nAfter breakfast, Apostles Benson and Snow engaged in conversation with\nMr. Gibson on the affairs of the mission.\n\nThat day and the following, were principally spent in laboring with\nMr. Gibson and the native Elders, to get them, if possible, to see the\ncondition they were in. During this time, Brothers Joseph F. Smith,\nAlma L. Smith and myself, took a ride around the valley accompanied by\nMr. Gibson's daughter, as our guide. About one-half of a mile from Mr.\nGibson's residence, was a large rock, the top several feet above the\nground. Mr. Gibson had a chamber cut into this rock, in which he had\ndeposited a Book of Mormon, and other things, and called it the corner\nstone of a great temple, which would be erected there. A frame work of\npoles had been constructed, in a circular form around this rock, and\nthis was covered with brush.\n\nMr. Gibson, by appealing to the pagan superstitions of the natives,\nmade them believe that this spot was sacred, and if any person touched\nit, he would be struck dead.\n\nSo much faith had the daughter of Mr. Gibson in the teachings of her\nfather, that she related, apparently in good faith, the circumstance of\na hen flying upon the boothe, and immediately falling down dead.\n\nNotwithstanding the protest of Miss Gibson, that it was very dangerous\nto do so, we went inside of the brush structure, and examined the rock\nand came out unharmed.\n\nWe were further informed that Mr. Gibson had succeeded in surrounding\nhis own person and residence with such a halo of sacredness in the\nminds of the natives, that they always entered his house on their hands\nand knees.\n\nThis was repeated on other occasions. It was the old customary way,\nin which the natives had been in the habit of paying respect to their\nkings, and the custom had been revived by Mr. Gibson, in order to\nincrease his personal prestige.\n\nWe had previously learned that the Saints would assemble in conference\non the 6th of April. At ten o'clock, a. m., they had assembled in the\nmeeting house. We all started to go in, when Mr. Gibson made some\nexcuse for returning to his house. We went and took our seats on the\nstand. The house was well filled. In a few minutes Mr. Gibson made his\nappearance. As soon as he entered the door, the entire congregation\ninstantly arose to their feet, and remained standing until he was\nseated on the stand. The execution of this act of reverence evinced\nlong and careful training.\n\nMr. Gibson had, doubtless, delayed his entrance, to make a fitting\nopportunity for this exhibition. He entirely ignored the presence of\nthe Apostles, and, after the people were seated, arose and gave out the\nopening hymn. This act gave evidence, at once, that he had no proper\nidea of the organization and authority of the Priesthood. Seeing this,\nPresident Benson called on me to pray.\n\nWithout giving any time for consultation, as soon as the second hymn\nwas sung, Mr. Gibson arose to his feet and commenced to address the\ncongregation, in substance as follows: \"My dear red-skinned brethren,\nsisters and friends, I presume you are all wondering, and anxious to\nknow why these strangers have come so suddenly among us, without giving\nus any notice of their coming. I will assure you of one thing, my\nred-skinned friends, when I find out, I will be sure to let you know,\nfor I am your father, and will protect you in your rights.\n\n\"These strangers may say they are your friends, but let me remind\nyou how, when they lived here, years ago, they lived upon your very\nscanty substance. Did they make any such improvements as you see I have\nmade? Did I not come here and find you without a father, poor, and\ndiscouraged? Did I not gather you together here, and make all these\nimprovements that you to-day enjoy?\n\n\"Now, you, my red-skinned friends, must decide who your friend and\nfather is; whether it is these strangers, or I, who have done so much\nfor you.\"\n\nWhen he took his seat, President Benson requested Brother Joseph F.\nSmith to talk, rather intimating that it was desirable to speak on\ngeneral principles, and that he need not feel bound to notice all that\nMr. Gibson had said.\n\nIt seemed impossible for any man to speak with greater power and\ndemonstration of the Spirit. He referred the Saints to the labors of\nBrother George Q. Cannon, and the first Elders who brought them the\ngospel.\n\nHe reminded them of facts with which the older Saints were well\nacquainted--the great disadvantage the Elders labored under, and the\nprivations they suffered in first preaching the gospel on the islands.\nHow they slept in their then miserable huts, and lived as they lived;\nhow they traveled on foot, in storms, and in bad weather, from village\nto village, and from house to house, exposing health and life; how they\nwent destitute of clothing, and what they had been in the habit of\nconsidering the necessaries of life, to bring them the blessings of the\ngospel, without money and without price.\n\nHe asked by what right Mr. Gibson called himself the father of the\npeople, and the Elders who faithfully labored to establish them in the\ngospel strangers.\n\nThe spirit and power that accompanied Brother Smith's remarks\nastonished the Saints and opened their eyes. They began to see how\nthey had been imposed upon. Every word he spoke found a response in\ntheir hearts, as was plainly manifest by their eager looks and animated\ncountenances.\n\nThere was another meeting in the afternoon, in which Apostles Benson\nand Snow addressed the Saints. Their remarks were interpreted by Elder\nJoseph F. Smith.\n\nOn the 7th, there was a meeting in the forenoon. A Priesthood meeting\nwas appointed for the evening, and the conference adjourned _sine die_.\n\nThe meeting of the Priesthood in the evening was well attended, as it\nwas understood that Mr. Gibson's course would be investigated. The\ncomplaints that were made by the native Elders, in the communication\nthat led to our present mission, were read, and Mr. Gibson was called\non to make answer to the charges.\n\nIn addition to nearly a repetition of his harangue at the meeting on\nthe day previous, his reply consisted of a bombastic display of some\nletters of appointment, and recommendations from President Young, to\nwhich he attached large seals, bedecked with a variety of colored\nribbons, to give them an air of importance, and official significance,\nin the eyes of the unsophisticated natives.\n\nThese papers he held up before the people, and, pointing to them said,\nwith great emphasis, \"Here is my authority, which I received direct\nfrom President Brigham Young. I don't hold myself accountable to these\nmen!\" meaning the Apostles and those who came with them.\n\nHad there been no other proof of the wrong course of Mr. Gibson, that\nremark was sufficient to satisfy the brethren what their plain duty\nwas, and they acted promptly in the matter.\n\nApostle E. T. Benson followed Mr. Gibson. He reviewed Mr. Gibson's past\ncourse, and showed that, in making merchandise of the offices of the\nPriesthood, introducing the former pagan superstitions of the people,\nfor the purpose of obtaining power, and his idea of establishing a\ntemporal and independent kingdom on the Pacific isles, were all in\nantagonism to the plan laid down in the gospel for the redemption of\nman. The spirit manifested by Mr. Gibson proved that he was ignorant\nof the powers of the Priesthood, or that he ignored them for purely\nselfish motives. What they had seen and heard since their arrival,\nproved that the complaints made by the native Elders, in their letters\nto Utah, were correct, as far as they went, but the half had not been\ntold.\n\nBrother Benson's remarks were interpreted, after which, it was motioned\nthat Mr. Gibson's course be disapproved. When this was put to a vote,\nall but one of the native Elders voted against the motion. This showed\nthat Mr. Gibson still retained a strong hold on the minds of the Saints.\n\nNotwithstanding this show of strong opposition, Brother Snow arose, and\nin his remarks prophesied that Mr. Gibson would see the time that not\none of the Saints would remain with him.\n\nBrother Joseph F. Smith remarked, that, among the scores of Elders who\nhad labored on the islands, none had been so utterly wanting in the\nspirit and power of the gospel as to charge the Saints anything for\nconferring on them the blessings of the Priesthood, until Walter M.\nGibson came, and had the presumption to claim that he had a right to\nordain apostles and high priests, for a price--for money.\n\nThe Apostles informed Mr. Gibson and the Saints that, when they left\nthe islands for home, Elder Joseph F. Smith would be left in charge\nof the mission. That all those who wished to be considered in good\nstanding in the Church should leave Lanai and return to their homes on\nthe other islands, where the branches would be reorganized and set in\norder by the brethren who would be left for that purpose.\n\nThe next day we returned to Lahaina, where we held a council and cut\nMr. Gibson off from the Church. We returned to Honolulu, and, about\neight days after, Apostles Snow and Benson took passage on the bark\n_Onward_, for San Francisco.\n\nBrother Snow's prophecy was literally fulfilled. The Saints all left\nMr. Gibson and returned to their former homes, as they had been\ncounseled to do. The last one to leave him was Kailihune, the Elder who\nhad been left to preside over the place of gathering on Lanai.\n\nHe finally rejoined the Church. All the plans of Mr. Gibson were\ncompletely frustrated. He is a prominent example of the nothingness of\nman, when he attempts to battle against the kingdom of God.\n\nWhen the Elders were called home, in 1858, there had not been time\nto do much in gathering the Saints. As Mr. Gibson had succeeded in\nobtaining a personal title to the land leased for that purpose, on\nthe island of Lanai, brothers Benson and Snow advised the Elders who\nremained, to notice in their travels what appeared to them the best\nplaces for this purpose, that, when the time came for it, a good\nselection might be made.\n\nOn the island of Oahu, and near the sea shore, lived a white man by the\nname of Doharty. He did not belong to the Church, but was friendly to\nthe Saints, and the Elders frequently shared his hospitality. Between\nhis house and the sea beach was a piece of ground, where grew a very\ndense thicket of a large shrub of a peculiar growth. Through this were\npaths made by the people and their domestic animals. Into this thicket\nthe Elders when there were in the habit of daily retiring to pray.\nOne day when I was walking along one of these paths, I saw President\nYoung approach me. Said he \"This is the place to gather the native\nSaints to.\" He seemed to fully comprehend the surroundings, and in that\neasy, familiar way, so characteristic of him, indicated the advantages\nafforded for a settlement. No matter what my bodily condition might\nhave been at that time, the apparent meeting was in the open air and\nthe broad light of day. It was as real to me as any fact of my life.\nI saw the facilities of the place as he represented them, and ever\nafterwards, that appeared to me the best place on the islands for the\ngathering of the Saints.\n\nWe remained on the islands about six months before other Elders arrived\nfrom Utah, and we were released to return home. When we arrived in\nSan Francisco, we met Elders F. A. Hammond, and George Nebeker, on\ntheir way to the Sandwich Islands. They had instructions to visit, and\ncarefully examine all the islands, and make the best possible location\nthat could be made available, to establish a place for the gathering of\nthe Saints.\n\nI was afterwards informed, that they faithfully carried out their\ninstructions, and at last decided that the place to which I have\nreferred on the island of Oahu, was the best for the purpose. It was\npurchased, and many of the Saints are now gathered there.\n\nThey have an extensive sugar plantation, where labor is provided for\nthem, and every possible facility is afforded for their advancement.\n\n\n\nA PROPHECY FULFILLED.\n\nAN INCIDENT OF MISSIONARY EXPERIENCE.\n\nBY B. F. JOHNSON.\n\nCALLED ON A MISSION TO THE SANDWICH ISLANDS--JOURNEY BY THE\nSOUTHERN ROUTE--A PROPHECY--FEAR AFTER UTTERING IT--RESIDENCE\nIN HONOLULU--POLITICAL AND RELIGIOUS CONFLICT--THE KINGDOM IN\nJEOPARDY--DISSATISFACTION AMONG THE PEOPLE--LETTER TO THE KING\nFAVORABLY CONSIDERED--A DREAM--A PRINCE SENT BY THE KING TO ASK COUNSEL\nOF LATTER-DAY SAINT ELDERS--ADVICE ACCEPTED, AND THE KINGDOM SAVED--THE\nDREAM AND PROPHECY FULFILED TOGETHER.\n\nWith eight other Elders I was called by the General October Conference\nof 1852, on a mission to the Sandwich Islands. We went by what was then\nknown as the Southern route to California, in order to sail from San\nFrancisco.\n\nIn passing through the southern settlements of Utah, we were everywhere\ntreated with kindness and respect. We were often invited to preach\nwhere we stopped for the night, or to spend the Sabbath. We were in\ncompany with many other Elders who were called to go on missions to\nChina, Australia, Hindostan, Ceylon, and other places.\n\nWe all, alike, took part in the meetings, and shared the hospitality of\nthe Saints. At Parowan we had an unusually good time, in a meeting of\nthe Saints. The Spirit of the Lord rested greatly upon both hearers and\nspeakers.\n\nI was the last Elder called upon to speak, and only a few minutes were\nleft for me to occupy. Being full of the good feeling and spirit of the\nmeeting, I commenced, not only to bear my testimony to the truth, but\nto prophesy of the future of some of the sons of Zion who were then\ngoing forth as her ministers.\n\nI predicted that, through faithfulness, the wisdom of heaven would\nincrease with us; that while the wicked became weaker, the Elders of\nIsrael would grow wiser; that the nations of the earth would begin to\nlook towards Zion for counselors and statesmen, and that, if the Elders\nnow going forth to the ends of the earth were true to their calling,\nthey would not all fill their missions until some of them would be\ncalled upon to give counsel to some of the rulers of the lands to which\nthey were sent.\n\nAfter closing my prophecy and remarks, and I had time to ponder on what\nI had said, I began to doubt the possibility of my predictions being\nfulfilled, and began to be troubled in mind.\n\nFor a time I could not divest myself of the feeling, that my prediction\nwas ill-timed and not by the spirit of the gospel. I would sometimes\nquery if the brethren did not regard me as a false prophet, or, at\nleast, as an enthusiast.\n\nWhen we arrived on the Sandwich Islands, we found the work of the\nLord progressing. The Elders who had been laboring there were greatly\nrejoiced to see us.\n\nAfter a general mission conference, most of the brethren left Honolulu\nfor their fields of labor on the different islands. I was left at this\ncapital city, in charge of the foreign interests of the mission, to\npreside over a small branch of Saints, which had been gathered from\nthe foreign residents on the islands, and to preach to the people as\nI might find opportunity. I also assisted Elders Lewis and Cannon, in\nraising funds for publishing the Book of Mormon in the native language.\n\nOwing to the conflicting interests of political and religious parties\nin the Hawaiian kingdom, it was in a weak condition. The various\nmissionary interests had nearly changed into political ones. Dr. Judd,\none of the missionaries sent out by the American Board of Foreign\nMissions, had long been the king's prime minister. Another missionary,\nby the name of Armstrong, was Minister of Public Instruction, and other\nAmericans filled the offices of Minister of Foreign Relations, Chief\nJustice, Attorney General, etc.\n\nThis missionary-political power began to cause great jealousy,\nespecially in the case of Dr. Judd. Through his political advantages he\nhad acquired much wealth, and, apparently by its use, raised himself up\nto be a power behind the throne, greater than the throne itself.\n\nKing Kamehameha III., like George the III., of England, had not reached\na high standard of virtue, or political economy. It was said that, for\nmoney borrowed of Dr. Judd, he had given a mortgage on the royal palace.\n\nAs he had no children of his own he had adopted as next in succession,\ntwo sons of his sister, who were princes of the realm. About this\ntime two projects were deeply agitating the public mind. One was the\nannexation of the islands to the United States, the other, a British\nprotectorate over them. Neither of these projects suited the interests\nof the young princes, or pleased the majority of the people.\n\nThere appeared to be but one thing upon which nearly all the\nnatives could agree, that was opposition to Dr. Judd as the king's\nprime minister. He was, of course, sustained by some of his fellow\nmissionaries, but appeared to be detested by the majority of those\naround him. Petition after petition was sent to the king, asking for,\nand even demanding, his removal. The court house and other large halls\nwere crowded with indignation meetings, to protest against his being\nretained in office.\n\nIt seemed, at times, as though the people would break out in tumult and\ninsurrection, yet the king made no move to give them satisfaction, and,\nfor many days, no answer was given to their petitions.\n\nAll this time I had been a careful observer, and had attended their\nmeetings. I had previously written a lengthy letter to the king,\nexplaining the gospel as now revealed and the object of our mission to\nthe islands.\n\nThis letter he had caused to be published in the government journal,\nboth in the English and Hawaiian languages. Such was the impression\nthe reading of it made on his mind, that he sent, through the Minister\nof Foreign Relations, to say that he would give us an audience at his\nearliest convenience. Up to the time of which I am writing, he had not\nfound the convenient opportunity.\n\nIn the midst of this political commotion, I, one night, dreamed that\nI stood upon an eminence near a large mountain. I saw below me upon\nthe bank of a small, but rapid stream, a large and rudely constructed\nframe building, apparently designed for machinery. It was not yet fully\nenclosed.\n\nAs I looked, I saw a dense smoke arise from the building, and heard the\ncry of fire from a large number of people.\n\nIt seemed that the wind blew strong from the mountain towards the\nbuilding. The people came up on the opposite side of the building,\nto put out the fire, and they were blinded by the smoke which blew\nin their faces. I thought how foolish they were, to thus stay on the\nopposite side from the wind, to be blinded with the smoke.\n\nLooking, I saw a bucket with a rope attached on a flume through which\nthe water ran. I quickly took it up, drew it full of water, looked for\nthe center of the fire, dashed it in, and, all at once, the flame was\nextinguished.\n\nI thought a multitude of people came crowding into the building,\nwondering by whom the fire had been extinguished. Although I was with\nthem, they appeared to comprehend nothing of my agency in the matter.\nI thought they were almost wild with joy, that the building, although\nsomewhat charred and damaged, had been saved. They calculated that the\ndamage the building had sustained was about fifty thousand dollars.\n\nI awoke in the morning, strangely impressed with the dream. I related\nit to Brother Nathan Tanner, who was then with me. I told him I thought\nwe should see its interpretation.\n\nThat morning, Brother Tanner called on one of the native Saints, who\nwas living with Halalea, one of the highest native chiefs. He was\na special friend of, and a counselor to, the king, and the man who\ncarried him my letter.\n\nHe told Brother Tanner that the king had appointed him to come with\nPrince Rehoreho, to meet us that night at our rooms, lay before us the\nking's great political trouble, and get our counsel.\n\nIt came plainly to me, then, that therein would be the fulfillment\nof my dream. About ten o'clock the same evening, they called on us.\nThey said the king was greatly exercised in his mind over the troubled\ncondition of his government, and that he was not decided as to what was\nbest to do.\n\nHe said that he could not trust to the counsel of his ministers, nor to\nthe advice of the ministers of other nations then at his court, for all\nhad some point to gain. Dr. Judd, in his past troubles, had been his\nadviser, and, in times of need, had supplied him with money.\n\nIt pained him, then, to turn out of office one who had so long been his\nfriend, and, upon this subject, he wished us to give him our wisest\ncounsel.\n\nWhile Halalea and the prince were delivering their message, I was\ncontinually praying in my heart that the Lord would give us wisdom to\nsay such things as would do honor to His cause, for I felt very small\nfor such an important occasion.\n\nAfter they delivered the king's message in full, I arose and told\nthem that we were not sent to meddle with governments, nor to teach\npolitical science, but to preach the gospel of Christ as now revealed.\nBut, inasmuch as the king was our friend, and desired counsel of us, we\nwould give him such as the Lord would put in our hearts.\n\nI told them the Bible said, that \"when the wicked rule the people\nmourn;\" that if Dr. Judd was really a good man and a true friend to\nthe king, as the king had believed him to be, he would not now allow\nthe king to be in such great trouble on his account, but, like a true\nfriend, would resign his office for the sake of peace between the king\nand his subjects.\n\nThe fact that he was disposed to hold on to his office, at the\nexpense of peace to the king's realm, showed, conclusively, that he\nwas influenced by other motives than the peace and welfare of the\nkingdom. \"We feel,\" said I, \"that the present great political trouble\nand mourning is owing to Dr. Judd not being a good man, but wickedly\nholding a grasp upon the government office against the wishes of the\npeople, for which there is no necessity, as the king has many true\nsubjects of more than equal ability, any one of whom he could appoint\nas Dr. Judd's successor.\"\n\nWhen I ceased speaking, the king's messengers clasped my hands and\nsaid: \"The things you have told us we had not thought of, and they are\ntrue. The king will be glad when we tell him what you have said, for\nwe can see it plainly, now. We will assure you that, at ten o'clock\nto-morrow, you will hear the king's herald proclaiming through the\nstreets of the city that Dr. Judd is removed from office.\"\n\nThey left us with the warmest feelings of gratitude and friendship.\n\nThe next morning at ten o'clock, the heralds were heard proclaiming the\ndismissal of Dr. Judd. The news created wonder and astonishment among\nthe people, and they hurried together with public demonstrations of\njoy. They greatly marveled and queried by what agency, or through whose\ninfluence this long delayed, though most desirable object had been\nattained.\n\nAs I had dreamed, so I saw the people greatly rejoicing, and, although\nI was daily among them, they had no thought that a Latter-day Saint\ncould have had any agency in so important a matter.\n\nAt night the city was brilliantly illuminated. There were few windows\nin it that did not have, at least, one candle to each pane of glass.\n\nIn a settlement with Dr. Judd, as I had dreamed, the government found\nthat it had lost fifty thousand dollars.\n\nThus my prophecy and my dream were fulfilled together, and peace\nreturned to the people. Joy came to our hearts that the Lord, through\nthe inspiration of His Holy Spirit, had made us, His humble Elders, the\nmeans of giving saving counsel to princes.\n\n\n\nSPECIAL PROVIDENCES.\n\nCIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE EARLY TEMPLES WERE BUILT--HOW THE WORKMEN\nWERE ENCOURAGED--ARRIVAL OF BROTHER L--IN NAUVOO--HIS WILLINGNESS TO\nWORK WITHOUT PAY--HIS EXTREME WANT--APPEALS TO GOD FOR HELP--MONEY\nMIRACULOUSLY PROVIDED--PRAYER FOR FOOD ANSWERED--PROVIDENTIAL FINDING\nOF A PAIR OF SHOES ON THE PLAINS--A CRIPPLED SHOULDER RESTORED WHILE\nDEFENDING THE CHARACTER OF JOSEPH SMITH.\n\nIf a record had been kept of all the facts connected with the building\nof the Kirtland and Nauvoo Temples, it would tell a curious story of\npoverty, self-denial, dependence upon God and wants providentially\nsupplied.\n\nNo doubt such a record has been kept, but not here on earth. We have\nnot access to it. But many, very many of those who had the privilege\nof aiding in the work of building those temples have gone to meet that\nrecord. Some doubtless will meet it with satisfaction, with joy untold;\nothers with remorse and self-reproach.\n\nCould the Saints of the present day peruse that record, it would put\nmany of them to the blush to think they had done so little in aid of\nsuch works. They would see that, though they have enjoyed peace and\nplenty, they have done almost nothing towards the temples in our day,\ncompared with what the poor Saints did in building those earlier houses\nof God.\n\nThe Kirtland Temple was built when the Saints were few in number and\nin great poverty, and though comparatively small in size, the erection\nof such a building by the tithes and voluntary donations of those who\nwere faithful, was a very great undertaking. That it was finished in\nso short a time was remarkable, and this fact speaks volumes for the\ndevotion of the Saints of that early day.\n\nWhen the Nauvoo Temple was commenced, the Saints had increased\nconsiderably in numbers, but were, as a rule, even poorer than in the\ndays of Kirtland. They had been persecuted by their enemies, driven\nfrom their homes and plundered of their property. Finding a temporary\nrest in a bend of the Mississippi river, a locality noted for its\ninsalubrity, they had struggled in the midst of malarial sickness and\nsevere privations to establish new homes, and had only just begun to\ngather a few comforts around them when they were required by revelation\nfrom the Lord to build a temple to His name.\n\nUpon that temple, many of the Saints labored month after month, with\nan energy and interest that only religious zeal can impart. They had\nlearned something of the use and importance of temples, before that\nbuilding was commenced, but as the work advanced more light was given\nthem from time to time. The Prophet of God would visit the workmen and\ninstruct and encourage them in their labors personally, frequently\npronouncing blessings upon their heads for their diligence and\nfaithfulness, and when persecution became so strong that he was obliged\nto hide from his enemies, he sent the written word to stimulate them in\ntheir labors, and explained the doctrine of baptism for the dead, then\nnewly revealed.\n\nWhile living thus in seclusion, he wrote to the Saints in Nauvoo, on\nthe 1st of September, 1842: \"And again, verily thus saith the Lord,\nlet the work of my temple, and all the works which I have appointed\nunto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and\nyour perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you\nshall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of hosts. And if they\npersecute you, so persecuted they the prophets and righteous men that\nwere before you. For all this there is a reward in heaven.\"\n\nAgain, on the 6th of the same month, he wrote additional words of\nencouragement, unfolding still farther that glorious saving principle\nas it had been revealed to him, and roused the workmen to action by\nthis stirring appeal: \"Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a\ncause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to\nthe victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceeding glad. Let the\nearth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of\neternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained before the world\nwas, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for\nthe prisoners shall go free.\"\n\nBeing thus encouraged, and knowing that the time allowed for building\nthe house was limited, the men worked with a will and determination\nthat made success certain. Though they had to stand guard at night to\nprevent their enemies from surprising the city during the darkness and\nslaying its defenseless inhabitants, they did not cease their exertions\nduring the daytime to erect the house of God. Though they went on\nshort rations till some of them actually fainted beside their work,\nfrom sheer hunger and exhaustion, still they persevered. Though the\nmechanics employed upon the temple had tempting offers of abundant work\nand ready pay if they would go outside of Nauvoo and labor, many of\nthem preferred to remain and work without pecuniary reward in rearing\nthat sacred structure.\n\nThe case of one of those workmen will serve to illustrate the\nself-sacrificing disposition manifested by many of those who labored\nupon that building, as well as the way their simple wants were\nsometimes supplied by the Almighty.\n\nBrother L--arrived in Nauvoo from England, his native country, in\nMarch, 1844. He was an excellent mechanic, had held good situations and\nbeen in good circumstances in the \"old country,\" and his skill as a\nworkman was such as to command ready employment and high wages in any\nof the large cities of America, had such been his object.\n\nBut he had embraced the gospel and received a testimony of its truth,\nand afterwards the spirit of gathering with the Saints, which enabled\nhim to brook the taunts and ridicule heaped upon him by friends and\nrelatives for his unpopular faith, and resist the pleading of aged\nparents, who were loath to part with him.\n\nHis faith and zeal were such that he had left friends and property and\nall that he had formerly held dear, and come to America that he might\nbe with the chosen people of God and assist in building up Zion.\n\nHe was ambitious to labor upon the temple, and applied for work\nimmediately upon his arrival in Nauvoo. When informed that there was\nplenty of work but nothing to pay with, he replied that pay was no\nconsideration.\n\nHe took hold with a determination, and worked with all the energy with\nwhich the young, strong and enthusiastic nature was capable from that\ntime until the work upon the temple ceased, upwards of two years, and\nduring that time only received in cash for his services the small\namount of fifty cents.\n\nMany a time he felt the pangs of hunger, and went to his work fasting\nrather than join with his family in eating the last ration of food in\ntheir possession, but the Lord sustained him by His Spirit, gave him\njoy in his labors and provided a way for more food to be obtained to\nsustain the lives of himself and family.\n\nHe and his young wife had a habit of appealing to the Almighty in\nprayer when in an extremity, and they invariably found comfort in so\ndoing, and generally had their prayers answered.\n\nUpon one occasion, their infant child was dangerously sick, and they\nfelt the want of twenty-five cents to procure some medicine with. Where\nto get it they did not know, and so, as usual, they prayed to the Lord\nto open their way to obtain it. They felt an assurance on arising from\ntheir knees that their prayer would be answered, but they knew not\nhow. Soon afterwards the husband happened to feel some hard substance\nin the waistband of his pants, and called his wife's attention to it,\nwondering what it could be. The pants were almost new. They had been\nmade to order for him only a short time before. There was no hole\nin the band, and it seemed that, whatever it was, it must have been\ninserted between the pieces of cloth when the pants were being made,\nand yet he thought it strange that he had not discovered it before.\n\nTo solve the mystery, a few stitches were cut, and the waistband\nopened, when, lo! there were two new ten cent pieces and one five cent\npiece--just the amount of money they required to buy medicine with.\n\nLest the money might have been lost by the tailor who made the pants, a\nvery poor man who lived neighbor to them, he took it to him and asked\nhim, but that impecunious individual said he knew it could not be his,\nfor he had never had a cent of money in his possession for months.\n\nThey accepted it as a gift from the Lord, bought the medicine their\nchild needed and he was soon well.\n\nWhen the work on the temple was nearing completion, the food supply for\nthe family became entirely exhausted, and there seemed no prospect of\nobtaining any more without quitting the work on the temple and going\nelsewhere for employment. That, of course, Brother L--was averse to\ndoing, and in this, as in other cases of extremity, he and his wife\nretired to their bedroom to lay the matter before the Lord. They had\nscarcely finished their prayer when a knock was heard at the door. On\nopening it, they found a man there who said he desired a particular job\nof work done, which he did not feel like entrusting to anyone else but\nBrother L--. However, he was in no particular hurry for it, it need\nnot be done till the work on the temple was completed, but he wanted\nto arrange and pay for it then, as he was going on a foreign mission.\n\"But,\" said he, \"I have nothing to pay you for it but wheat; can you\nuse that?\"\n\nIt was the very thing the family stood most in need of; it was\ngratefully accepted and regarded as a direct answer to their prayer,\nand within a short time the wheat was ground and a good supply of flour\nreturned from it.\n\nWhen the Saints were preparing to leave Nauvoo, wagons for the journey\nwere in great demand, and every person among them who had ever worked\nat wagon-making, and very many also who never had, set to work making\nthem. Good timber was tolerably plentiful, but iron cost cash, and that\nwas a scarce article. All sorts of nonedescript vehicles were hastily\nimprovised, many of them so rude in their construction as to put the\nveriest bungler of a wheelwright to the blush for their appearance. Yet\nunder the blessing of God they did good service. Some of them, for the\nwant of iron, were made almost entirely of wood. In some extreme cases\nthey were even made without the usual iron tires, strips of rawhide\nbeing nailed on the felloes as a substitute. One, at least, of the\nwagons made in this fashion stood the trip across the plains, and was\nused for several years after its arrival in Salt Lake Valley.\n\nBrother L--had been fortunate enough to get the wood work of a wagon\nmade, but how to procure the iron was a question which greatly\nperplexed him. However, he knew that he was engaged in the Lord's\nservice, and he felt that he had a claim upon His mercy and blessings.\nAccordingly, he and his wife made their want a subject of earnest\nprayer, and then went on about their duties, trusting in the Lord to\nanswer their petition.\n\nSoon afterwards Brother L--had occasion to go out on the prairie in\nsearch of his cow, which had strayed off, and during his absence\nencountered a drenching shower, so that when he returned home he found\nit necessary to change his clothing. He hung his wet clothes before\na fire in the open fireplace to dry, and as he did so a bright gold\nsovereign, a ten and a five cent piece dropped to the floor, apparently\nfrom his pocket. He knew, however, that he had no money previously, and\nhe could account for its presence there only by its having been sent by\nthe Lord. It was the exact amount required to purchase the iron for his\nwagon, and it was soon obtained and the wagon finished.\n\nWith such manifestations as these of God's goodness, he was encouraged\nto continue in his labors upon the temple of God, and when it was so\nfar completed that the holy ordinances for which it was designed could\nbe performed in it, he felt repaid in the blessings which he therein\nreceived for all his efforts towards its construction.\n\nA rather remarkable case of special providence occurred when Brother\nL--was crossing the plains, coming to Salt Lake Valley. His shoes gave\nout, and his feet became very sore from having to walk so much while\ndriving his ox-team, etc. Early one morning, when he, in company with\nanother brother, were out hunting for their cattle, he exclaimed to his\ncompanion as he limped and hobbled over the rocky ground, \"Oh! I do\nwish the Lord would send me a pair of shoes!\"\n\nHe had not walked many rods after expressing this wish when he saw\nsomething lying a short distance ahead of him, and called the attention\nof his companion to it, who remarked that it must be the bell and strap\nlost off one of the oxen, but to the inexpressible joy of Brother L--,\nhe found, on approaching the object, that it was a new pair of shoes,\nwhich had evidently never been worn, and which he found, on trying them\non, to fit him as well as if they had been made for him. He thanked the\nLord for them, for he felt that it was through His merciful providence\nthat they had been left there, and went on his way rejoicing. The shoes\ndid him good service.\n\nWhile alluding to Brother L--, another incident may be related from his\nexperience to illustrate the manner in which the Almighty sustains and\nblesses those who are valiant in defending His cause and the character\nof His anointed servants.\n\nAt an early period in the settlement of Salt Lake Valley, Brother\nL--had a severe attack of inflammatory rheumatism and bilious fever,\nfrom which he suffered a long time, and which drew his shoulder out of\nplace and left him in a very helpless condition. He was in that fix\nfor about six months--able to walk about, but unable to make any use\nwhatever of one arm. He could not even dress himself. Surgeons examined\nhis shoulder, and assured him that it was out of joint, and urged him\nto have it set. He, however, declined accepting their advice, as he had\nfaith that the Lord would make him whole in answer to his prayer.\n\nLiving neighbor to him in Salt Lake City, and holding an office to\nwhich he had been appointed by the vote of the members of the Ward, was\na man by the name of Gallup, who was a rank apostate at heart, although\nhe had a standing in the Church.\n\nIn conversation with Brother L--one day, this man Gallup advocated the\ndoctrines of a certain man named Cladden Bishop, who had once belonged\nto the Church but who had apostatized and attempted to start a church\nof his own.\n\nBrother L--became so disgusted with his false reasoning and bitter,\nmalignant spirit that he went to the Bishop of the Ward and made\ncomplaint about such a man as Gallup being allowed to hold an office in\nthe Ward or even a membership in the Church.\n\nThe result was, a Priesthood meeting was called and Mr. Gallup was\ncited to appear and state his views upon the subject of religion.\n\nIn the course of his speech he declared: \"Joseph Smith was a wicked and\nadulterous man; he ate and drank with the drunkard, his lot was cast\nwith the hypocrite and unbeliever, and he has gone to hell.\"\n\nThis was too much for Brother L--to stand, even in his crippled\ncondition. He could not tamely submit to hear the character of a man\nassailed whom he loved dearer than his life. Jumping to his feet and\nspringing over the benches that stood between him and Mr. Gallup, he\nmade for him with the intention of administering summary vengeance.\nSeveral persons immediately interposed to prevent him from inflicting\nany bodily injury upon Gallup, and it was noticed that he made use\nof his crippled arm, and when the excitement subsided he discovered\nhimself that his shoulder had assumed its natural position and that he\nwas as well as he ever had been.\n\nGallup, of course, was cut off from the Church, and thought himself\nfortunate, no doubt, in escaping a castigation, and Brother L--went\nhome rejoicing, and entered his house swinging his arm which had been\nso long useless and shouting for joy, while his wife wept tears of\ngratitude for the goodness of God in bringing about his restoration to\nhealth and soundness.\n\n\n\n\nINCIDENTS ON THE PLAINS.\n\nBY A. M. C.\n\nCHAPTER I.\n\nARMY SENT TO UTAH--MISSIONARIES CALLED HOME--LARGE NUMBER ASSEMBLE\nAT FLORENCE--DANGERS OF THE TRIP--COUNCIL TO DECIDE UPON COURSE OF\nACTION--FORTUNATE FOG--PROVIDENTIAL STORM.\n\nIN 1857, James Buchanan, who was then President of the United States,\nsent an army to this Territory, for the purpose, it was said, of\npunishing the \"Mormons\" for breaking the laws and doing violence to the\nJudges who had been sent here.\n\nThis was the excuse given for the army being sent; but the people of\nthe Territory had not violated the laws nor done any injury to any of\nthe officers of the Government; they were then, as they ever have been,\npeaceable and law abiding.\n\nThe real object for sending the troops here, was to crush out what the\nworld called \"Mormonism.\"\n\nThe principal men who urged the sending of troops here, were traitors\nin their hearts against the Government, and they hoped by taking these\nsteps to divert the attention of the country from their own wicked\nschemes; and also to get the army of the United States out of the way\nby having it sent to this distant region. By accomplishing this, they\nthought they could operate to advantage in bringing about their own\ndesigns.\n\nThe army was kept out at Fort Bridger all that winter and many of the\nofficers and soldiers were very angry because they could not come into\nour cities and enjoy themselves at our expense.\n\nWhen it was found that the army was marching here, and there was likely\nto be trouble, the Elders in Europe and in the United States were\nre-called; but feelings ran so high in the United States against our\npeople that it was somewhat dangerous for a man to travel and be known\nas a Mormon. On the plains there were men on the watch for every one\nbearing the name of Latter-day Saint.\n\nIt was under these circumstances that the Elders assembled at the\nfrontiers to return home. One hundred and ten of them crossed the\nMissouri river in the beginning of May, 1858, at the point formerly\nknown as Winter Quarters; at present it is called Florence.\n\nThey were anxious to get home, some of them having been absent a year\nand others for three or four years.\n\nThere were, in reality, two companies; one composed of Elders returning\nfrom the United States and Canada, Elder David Brinton being their\ncaptain, and the Elders returning from Europe, who had Elder John W.\nBerry as their captain. It was deemed advisable, however, in view of\nthe troubled and uncertain state of affairs, for both companies to\ntravel together.\n\nThe writer was in the company of Elders returning from the United\nStates, where he had been on a mission for upwards of three years.\n\nWe had heard of several of our brethren being taken by the army and\nheld under threats, and we knew not what our fate would be were the\nsoldiers to get us in their power; for they accused every Latter-day\nSaint of treachery to the Government while they themselves were in\nreality the traitors as the subsequent careers of many of them fully\nproved.\n\nMany thought that, as the roads were all blocked, and carefully watched\nby the troops, when we came in the vicinity of the army we would be\nunder the necessity of burning or abandoning our wagons and everything\nthat we could not pack on our animals.\n\nAmong the brethren was a man whose name was Pope; he had a wife and\ntwo or three small children. They were very anxious to accompany us,\nand, although the perils we were about to encounter were of a serious\nnature, they could not be induced by anything that could be said to\nthem to remain behind. A council of the Elders was held upon their\ncase, and it was agreed to permit Brother Pope to accompany us, as well\nas four brethren who proposed walking the entire distance to the Valley.\n\nIt was a time that required faith to be exercised, for the affairs of\nthe Saints were in a critical condition. We knew, however, that God had\ndelivered us when we had relied upon Him, and we united with great zeal\nin imploring His blessing, that He might overrule everything in such a\nmanner that we could return in safety to the society of our families\nand friends.\n\nAfter leaving Winter Quarters we traveled on without interruption until\nwe drew near to Fort Kearny. Our road was on the north side of the\nPlatte, and Fort Kearney was on the south side. There were troops at\nthe Fort and they were on the alert to prevent companies of men or any\nkind of aid passing over the road to help the \"Mormons\" in Utah; for\nthey pretended to look upon our people as public enemies.\n\nIt was our custom at such times to hold a council, and take into\nconsideration the best course to pursue. The Elders all came together\nand we prayed to the Lord, and asked Him to bestow upon us His Holy\nSpirit and to lead and guide us in our operations. When we unitedly\ndecided in council upon pursuing a certain course we always felt that\nthat was the mind and will of the Lord unto us.\n\nIt was decided at this council that we should avoid attracting the\nattention of the people of the Fort by passing it in the night.\n\nUnfortunately, as it seemed at the time, it rained heavily that evening\nand we were only able to travel until a little past midnight. By that\ntime ourselves and our animals were so thoroughly fatigued and the\nnight was so dark that we were compelled to stop and tie up for the\nnight.\n\nOur reflections were not very pleasant, because we felt sure that when\nmorning dawned upon us we would be in full sight of the fort, and\nundoubtedly would receive a visit from the officers and troops.\n\nWe awoke with the dawn of day, and instead of being able to see\nthe fort, or its occupants being able to see us, we found our camp\nenveloped in a fog, the mist being so dense that it was with difficulty\nwe could see each other. We traveled on in the fog until afternoon, by\nwhich time we were out of sight of the fort.\n\nAfter leaving this point we had plenty of game, buffalo, antelope,\netc., and we were able to obtain an abundance of fresh meat, which made\nthis part of the journey exceedingly pleasant; for though in an Indian\ncountry, we had not the fear of the wild and savage red men that we had\nof those of our own color, who professed to be the loyal citizens of\nour government.\n\nAs we approached the junction of the North and South Platte, a herd\nof mules passed us. They were being driven in the direction of Fort\nLaramie and were traveling at a much faster gait than we were going.\nThe men who were driving them saw us, and we fully expected they would\ncarry the intelligence to the fort of our being close by. It was known\nthat \"Mormon\" Elders were returning to the Valley, and the military\nwere prepared to stop them, or to otherwise interfere with them.\n\nWhen within half a day's travel of Fort Laramie, another council was\ncalled to take into consideration the best course to pursue. We settled\nthe matter by determining to rest on Sunday, rise early the following\nmorning and pass the fort in daylight, as we felt satisfied the troops\nwere informed of our approach by the men who had just passed us.\n\nMonday was a beautiful day; we traveled on without interruption until\nwe came in sight of the fort, which was about one o'clock, when one of\nthe severest hailstorms any of us had ever seen broke upon us. The hail\nfell so rapidly that our animals could scarcely travel on account of\ntheir feet balling up with it. Our train had been seen from the fort\nand parties had started to meet us; but when the storm broke upon them,\nthey were compelled to retreat to their quarters. The storm was too\nsevere for them to remain out in it.\n\nI learned afterwards that when the storm ceased a company of men had\nbeen sent from Fort Laramie to overtake us. They followed us as far as\nthe North Platte bridge, and not being able to reach us at this point,\nthey deemed it best to return again to the fort. We were not aware of\nthis at the time; but having traveled leisurely from Kearny to Laramie,\nour animals were in much better condition than when we started; and\nfearing that the people at Laramie might make some attempt to stop\nus, we made forced drives until we reached Independence Rock on the\nSweetwater. Thus the Lord again delivered us from the hands of our\nenemies in a most providential manner; for had it not been for this\nhailstorm it is altogether likely we would have been stopped.\n\n\n\nCHAPTER II.\n\nAPOSTATES MET--THE CHAPLAIN SEPARATES FROM THE COMPANY TO MEET SOME\nAPOSTATES--AN ADVENTUROUS TRIP--DISCHACHARGED GOVERNMENT TEAMSTERS\nINDIGNANT AT \"MORMONS\"--PLOT TO STEAL THE CHAPLAIN'S HORSE--ADVICE TO\nTHE APOSTATES TO LOOK TO THEIR OWN SAFETY--MR. STOUT'S COMPASSION FOR\nTHE HATCHET-FACED MISSOURIAN--HOW HIS CONFIDENCE WAS REWARDED--MEET\nCAPTAIN HATCH--NEWS OF BUCHANAN'S AMNESTY PROCLAMATION--EVADE THE ARMY,\nAND REACH THE VALLEY SAFELY.\n\nAt the Three Crossings of the Sweetwater we met a company of apostates,\nwho were in full retreat from the Valley, unwilling to trust God's\nprovidence to screen them from the wrath of our enemies, and anxious to\nget back to the States.\n\nThe night following we encamped at the eastern end of what is known as\nthe Seminole cut-off. The company intended to travel on this cut-off in\nthe morning.\n\nThat evening the chaplain of our company, a young Elder who had a\nfondness for adventure, proposed that he should travel on the old\nroute, for the purpose of meeting a man for whom he had transacted\nsome business in the States, and who, he was informed, was returning\nin a company of apostates. Captains Berry and Brinton thought he ought\nnot to attempt to go by that route alone; at this, one of the other\nElders volunteered to accompany him. But when morning came the latter\nhad changed his mind; for it had stormed during the night, snow had\nfallen and it still snowed very hard, and he thought the weather too\ndisagreeable for so lonely a trip.\n\nMr. Chaplain, however, in opposition to all remonstrances, was resolved\nto go, and he started out alone, on horseback, taking with him some\nblankets and a few crackers. It was the eleventh day of June--a strange\ntime, you would think, for snow to fall, yet it continued to descend\nuntil the middle of the afternoon, and was so deep that when he came\nto a place on the Sweetwater, called the Rocky Ridge, he was obliged\nto dismount and lead his pony. It was a lonely trip which he took, and\nthrough a wild, desolate country; it was with considerable pleasure,\ntherefore, that he came in sight of the camp which he sought just as\nthe sun was going down.\n\nIt was encamped on what is known as Quaking-Aspen Creek. The man whom\nhe expected to meet was not in the company; but he found others whom he\nhad known, persons who did not love the gospel sufficiently to endure\nthe trials promised to the Saints; but were desirous to return to that\nBabylon from which they had been gathered.\n\nWhen the chaplain rejoined his companions, the Elders, he related\nthe incidents of this trip and I was permitted to take the following\naccount from his journal:\n\n    \"I had just staked my animal to feed upon the brush in the\n    neighborhood of the camp, when a company of discharged Government\n    teamsters passed by on their way east, under the guidance of George\n    Merrick. On account of the hardships they had endured the previous\n    winter, they were very indignant at everybody called \"Mormon.\"\n    They had calculated on enjoying themselves at our people's expense\n    in the Valley; but instead of that, they had been kept out in the\n    mountains all winter, and they were disappointed. An hour later one\n    Ephraim Thornton, a young man who, when a boy, in Nauvoo, had been\n    a schoolmate of mine, but who was now an apostate, took me aside\n    and informed me of a plan which had been arranged to rob me of my\n    horse. A discharged Government teamster had sworn to take it, or\n    die in the attempt.\n\n    \"I thanked Mr. Thornton for the information; but I advised him to\n    have the camp look to their own affairs, and I would conduct mine,\n    adding that I did not fear that teamster's threats, as 'barking\n    dogs seldom bite.'\n\n    \"There was one Mr. Stout in this company, with whom I conversed.\n    He was bound for the States, and was accompanied by his wife. He\n    told me that he had been successful in raising stock in Cedar\n    Valley, and had sold them for the gold to the army he had just\n    passed at Fort Bridger. He pointed out to me a young hatchet-faced\n    Missourian, with long hair and snake-like appearance, whom he\n    represented as a Government teamster, a poor fellow for whom he\n    felt compassion and whom he was carrying to his home. It was vain\n    for me to advise him not to trust Mr. Hatchet-face too far. He had\n    confidence in him; I had none; I would not have trusted him out of\n    my sight. My views in relation to him received speedy confirmation;\n    for while standing with my back to the fire looking in the\n    direction of my pony, I heard Mr. Stout swear very hard at his wife\n    for leaving the wagon. His sack of gold, amounting to $1.500 had\n    disappeared. An investigation revealed the fact that not only was\n    the gold missing, but crackers, blankets, several watches and other\n    things, besides a race mare belonging to one Joseph Greenwood, were\n    all gone, and with them the poor fellow, the Missourian, for whom\n    Mr. Stout had felt so much compassion! It afterwards transpired\n    that he had been making his arrangements for flight for several\n    days. My advice to Mr. Thornton for the camp to look to their own\n    affairs was very timely, as this transaction proved.\n\n    \"That my horse might not be stolen I made my bed upon the snow,\n    holding the bridle in my hand, and my pistols ready for use in my\n    belt. But I was undisturbed. I arose in the morning and left the\n    camp and its misery to continue my journey towards the home of\n    our people. As I left the last crossing of the Sweetwater and was\n    ascending the South Pass, I met a company of our brethren, under\n    Captain Abram Hatch, going to the North Platte on business. It\n    was fortunate that I took this route, for they had word for our\n    company which, had I not met them, we would not have received. Upon\n    learning where the Elders were, they turned and accompanied me. We\n    found the company on the cut-off, five miles from its junction with\n    the old road.\"\n\nOur chaplain seemed happy at rejoining us, and from his wearied looks\nand blistered face, we judged he would not soon go again in search of\napostates. But, as he said in his journal, it was fortunate that he\nhad taken that route. The providence of the Lord was in it, and it was\noverruled for our good by his meeting Captain Hatch and companions.\nThey brought us President Buchanan's amnesty proclamation, which\nwas read, also the intelligence of our people's move South: also\ninstructions from President Young to the effect that unless otherwise\ninstructed, we were to take the Sublet cut-off to the north until we\nstruck Bear river, and then travel on the trail which would lead us to\nthe head of Echo Canyon.\n\nFrom Captain Hatch, also, we learned that it was the intention of Col.\nAlbert Sidney Johnson, the commander of the army, to leave Fort Bridger\nthe following Monday for the Valley.\n\nBut little remains to be said of our journey home after parting with\nCaptain Abram Hatch and companions. We had reached the Big Bend on the\nSandy, when we found that we had passed the Sublet cut-off and were\nwhere the Kinney cut-off led north. It was decided in council to travel\non that route.\n\nWe soon struck Green river, and as if Providence had arranged affairs\nfor us, we found a fine ferry boat tied at the river side, upon which\nwe crossed. We continued to travel by this route from this point\nto Bear river, which we crossed in our wagon boxes, there being no\nboat, and swam our horses. Bear river not being very wide, we had no\ndifficulty in crossing by this means.\n\nWe came into Echo canyon twelve miles west of Yellow Creek. From\nmountaineers whom some of the Elders met, and who were going east with\nsupplies to meet the army, we learned that Johnson and the army were\nencamped that night on Yellow Creek. They also informed the brethren\nthat a company of two hundred and fifty sappers and miners were ahead\nof us, repairing the road and removing obstructions before the advance\nof the army.\n\nWe overtook this company next morning. Had they suspected that we had\nnot been seen by the main army, they would very likely have stopped us.\nBut they had no idea that we had come by any other route, and therefore\nafter asking us how far back the command was, the order was given,\n\"Clear the road, boys, and let them pass.\" From this point we traveled\non until we reached Salt Lake City without meeting any incident worthy\nof note.","title":"Fragments of Experience: Sixth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints","tradition":"scripture-revelation","translated_text":null,"word_count":32487}