University of California Berkeley 
 
WITH THE 
 CHURCH IN AN EARLY DAY 
 
 BY FRANCES 
 
 FOURTH EDITION 
 
 LAMONI, IOWA 
 
 HERALD PUBLISHING HOUSE 
 
 1912 
 
PREFACE. 
 
 To ALL who love right and the cause of truth this modest 
 little volume is dedicated. 
 
 It contains a simple narrative of some of the incidents in the 
 history of a family, identified with the Church in its rise, and 
 from that time until the year after the death of Joseph and 
 Hyrum Smith. 
 
 Inseparably connected with the events of these lives is an out- 
 line of the faith so precious to them that it became the power 
 that shaped those lives; so precious to them that while the 
 hardships they endured were a result of adherence to it, they 
 were by it made strong to stand the storms of opposition 
 because they had dug down deep and the foundation of that 
 faith was laid upon the rock of eternal truth. 
 
 It is said that every wise man builds his house upon a firm 
 foundation, that when the winds rage and the floods beat upon 
 it, it may not be moved. 
 
 Was it wise for men to rise and with brute strength to seek to 
 shake the deep principles of human souls? Was it wise for men 
 to resort to extermination to crush out a religion of the teach- 
 ings of which they were ignorant? We do not ask, Was it 
 right? We ask, Was it wise? 
 
 Did they succeed? If the body of the church was destroyed 
 when he was taken who had been called to bring it into organi- 
 zation, if persecution from without and dissension within suc- 
 ceeded in the work of disintegration, if the misguided remnant 
 turned into paths leading to darkness more profound than that 
 from which they had been brought by the gospel, still did the 
 Spirit of Truth live and still does it live to-day, and again does 
 an organized church stand animated and quickened by it. 
 
 And we ask again, Is it wise now that any should rise to con- 
 demn that which they do not understand? Will not a wise man 
 dig deep and find where the foundation is laid? And if, per- 
 chance, he find it to be founded upon Truth, will he be wise to 
 turn away and build his life-structure upon shifting sand? 
 
 At the close of the narrative are given Others With the 
 Church, and He That Believeth. The former is written by one 
 of established veracity, and the latter is full of strength and 
 power. The privilege of presenting them in connection with 
 this book is appreciated. 
 
 If this little volume shall aid any to begin this search for 
 unchanging and unchangeable truth it will have accomplished 
 the design of its author. FRANCES. 
 
WITH THE CHURCH IN AN EARLY DAY 
 
 CHAPTER I 
 WERE ANGELS THERE 
 
 O weary ones! ye may not see 
 
 Your helpers in their downward flight; 
 
 Nor hear the sound of silver wings 
 
 Slow beating through the hush of night. 
 
 Whittier. 
 
 HE sons and daughters of Zion, in the 
 Reorganized Church, whose parents dwell 
 in peace and safety, and who have the 
 privilege of meeting together and worshiping God 
 with none to molest or make them afraid, can not 
 very well realize what it meant to be a Latter Day 
 Saint fifty years ago; and, in order that they may 
 know something about it, we are going to tell them 
 a true story, which we hope will prove both instruc- 
 tive and interesting. 
 
 In the western part of the state of New York, as 
 early as the year 1831, lived a family by the name 
 of Clark. They had removed there from the state 
 of Vermont when the country was almost a dense 
 forest, had built a log house and gone to work to 
 clear a farm. Getting a farm ready to cultivate in 
 
6 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 that country was not a matter so easy of accom- 
 plishment as it is in this western country, where a 
 strong team with a good plow and a driver will 
 accomplish all the work in a few weeks, which 
 there would require the work of many men for 
 years. There were great trees to be cut down, 
 and after they were lying on the ground they had 
 to have all the limbs or branches cut off before 
 they were ready to saw into short pieces of such a 
 length that strong men would be able to roll them 
 together into a big pile ready to burn them. When 
 this was done the branches must be cut up in the 
 same way, and the brush also gathered and piled with 
 the rest. When all this had been attended to, there 
 was still the stump of the tree which had to be dug 
 out of the ground by the roots, and all the small 
 trees and bushes which must be cut off and have 
 their roots dug up in the same way. There would 
 follow a big bonfire, large enough to do honor to 
 any presidential election of modern times, when all 
 that would remain of those monarchs of the forest, 
 beneath whose branches the Indians had lain in 
 ambush, or the deer had sought shelter from the 
 chase, would be a smouldering heap of ashes to be 
 spread by the free winds of heaven over the land, 
 giving back in fertility the strength which had 
 been taken from it. 
 
 The family of which we have spoken consisted at 
 that time of father, mother, and seven children, 
 the three older ones being boys, who proved of 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 7 
 
 great help to Mr. Clark in clearing up the land; 
 but with the best effort of the father and three 
 sons, they could not clear more than an acre and a 
 half in two months; and as Mr. Clark was a man 
 of energy, he persevered, looking forward in hope 
 to the time when he should plant his grain and 
 gather in his harvest and reap a reward for all his 
 labors. 
 
 Sometimes, because of the trees being larger, 
 the logs would be heavier than at others, and they 
 would go a distance of four or five miles to obtain 
 the help of a neighbor. To most of our readers 
 this would seem a long distance for a neighbor to 
 live, but it did not seem far to these early pio- 
 neers, and they were always ready to lend a help- 
 ing hand to each other, for they knew that when it 
 came their turn to need help, it would be cheer- 
 fully repaid. Thus it happened that one time a 
 perilous adventure befell one of Mr. Clark's sons, 
 which we will here relate, for the sake of showing 
 what the boys of that time were likely to encoun- 
 ter, and which very few in these days know any- 
 thing about. 
 
 Mr. Clark had called upon a neighbor at one 
 time for help in the manner we have spoken of, 
 and when it became necessary to return this help 
 he sent his oldest son, Daniel, instead of going 
 himself, as he could not very well be spared from 
 home. Daniel was a strong, light-hearted lad, and 
 hailing anything in the shape of change, he gladly 
 
8 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 obeyed the summons; and early in the morning set 
 out with a heart as light as his limbs were strong, 
 and before the sun was up presented himself at 
 the door of the settler who needed his help, as 
 fresh and strong after his walk of five miles 
 through the leafy woods, as though he had just 
 left his bed. 
 
 The task which required his help being com- 
 pleted, as he was not to return home until the next 
 day, Mr. Ashton (the man he was helping) pro- 
 posed to him to walk into the village, which was 
 some miles beyond, in order to get a wolf-trap 
 repaired, as the wolves were very troublesome 
 coming sometimes right to the door of their cabins 
 and destroying whatever in the way of lambs, 
 calves, or poultry, were found unprotected; but he 
 said nothing to Daniel of any traps in the woods 
 beyond his house. 
 
 It was about three o'clock in the afternoon when 
 Daniel started, and as the little town was only four 
 miles distant, there would be ample time for him 
 to get the trap mended and be back before dark. 
 Dark, however, came, but no Daniel, and as an 
 hour slipped by Mr/ ; Ashton felt some uneasiness 
 at his nonarrival; b*rt not being able to think of 
 any cause of danger to the boy, he finally came to 
 the conclusion that he must have been disap- 
 pointed in getting the trap mended as soon as he 
 had calculated, and s.o had concluded to stay in the 
 village until morning. Having made up his mind 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 9 
 
 to this, he made the yards about his house secure 
 for the night, and stretching his tired limbs upon 
 the bed, was soon fast asleep. Let us follow 
 Daniel and see if Mr. Ashton was correct in his 
 conclusion. 
 
 When he started for the village his steps were 
 not quite so buoyant as they had been in the morn- 
 ing, but still he went bravely along, and as he 
 expected to meet some young friends upon his 
 arrival there, he did not mind the walk in the 
 least; but whistling as he went and scampering 
 after any timid squirrel which he chanced to see, 
 he hastened on the shady, lonely road until nearly 
 three miles of the distance had been passed, and 
 but for the heavy timber shutting out the view, 
 the smoke from the village smithy might have 
 been seen. Just then two mischievous squirrels 
 ran across the road in front of him, and climbing 
 nimbly into the lower branches of a hemlock-tree, 
 chattered at him as much as to say, "Whatever are 
 you doing here, and what right have you in this 
 leafy wilderness?" Tempted by the fun it would 
 be to see them raise their bushy tails and scamper 
 away, Daniel sprang to one side of the road, and 
 with a bound or two was almost beneath the 
 branch from which they were making a rapid 
 retreat, when a foot sank in a loose bed of leaves 
 and his ankle was clasped as in a vise. For a 
 moment all his faculties were benumbed and he 
 was conscious only of an intense, stinging pain, as 
 
10 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 though at one stroke his foot had been severed 
 from his limb; and it was not until he recovered 
 himself sufficiently to rise on his elbow, (for he 
 had fallen down on his face when his foot was 
 caught,) that he discovered the nature and extent 
 of his misfortune. A huge, strong wolf-trap had 
 been set, and covered over with leaves to prevent 
 the cunning animals from discovering or smelling 
 it; and Daniel found himself a prisoner without 
 the least hope of being able to escape until help 
 should come to him, for the trap, which had been 
 made strong and secure enough to resist the 
 strength of any wild animal which might be 
 entrapped therein, repelled all his efforts to liber- 
 ate -himself; and despairing of escape he tried to 
 collect his thoughts and look the situation squarely 
 in the face. If he could have wrenched the trap 
 from its fastenings, he thought it might have 
 been possible for him to have dragged himself 
 toward the village, and perchance some one might 
 be coming towards the woods whose attention he 
 might have attracted by his cries; but this hope 
 was vain, for the trap was chained to a strong 
 stake, driven into the ground, and resisted every 
 effort he was able to make to move it. The pain 
 in his foot was intense, his limb began swelling, 
 and he felt faint, sick, and very much inclined to 
 cry; but he was a brave-hearted lad and would not 
 suffer his tears to fall, even though he knew he 
 was alone and no one could see him, as long as it 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 11 
 
 was in his power to keep them back. He called 
 loudly for help in hopes that he might be heard by 
 some chance passer-by, but no help came and the 
 hours wore slowly on. 
 
 The sun was sinking slowly out of sight, and in 
 the woods twilight had already established itself; 
 Daniel had ceased to call for help except at long 
 intervals, but he was sustained by the hope that, as 
 night came on and he did not return, Mr. Ashton 
 would surely come to look for him. He listened 
 intently to every sound, hoping to hear the gallop 
 of horses' feet; but none came. The little gray 
 squirrels who, unknowingly, were the cause of the 
 misfortune, came down to the lower branches of 
 the tree and looked intently at him, as if striving 
 to decide in their own minds whether it would be 
 entirely safe to venture down; then, seeing him so 
 still, they gave a quick bound to the other side of 
 the tree, and running down its branches were soon 
 lost to sight in the dark woods. Poor Daniel, 
 lying there helpless and chained in his bondage, 
 seemed to realize for the first time in his life what 
 a blessed thing it was to be free, and he envied 
 even the little squirrels their liberty. The shadows 
 grew darker, and now only a few faint beams of 
 light could be seen struggling down through the 
 tallest brandies of the giant trees, whose tops 
 seemed almost to come in contact with the blue of 
 the sky; and presently even these rays vanished, 
 and darkness almost impenetrable settled down 
 
12 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 over the wood. Hope did not die out of the brave 
 boy's heart, for he said, "Surely Mr. Ashton will 
 come to look for me, now that night has come and 
 I am not there." The lonely hoot of the owl came 
 from the branches over his head and was answered 
 back from other parts of the wood, but these and 
 the rustling of the leaves by the night wind were 
 the only sounds which fell upon his strained ear. 
 From time to time he called loudly for help, lest 
 any chance of help should pass by him in the dark- 
 ness and he not know it, but echo was the only 
 answer which came back to him; and, as the 
 moments lengthened out, a terrible fear took pos- 
 session of him, and tears for the first time rolled 
 slowly down his cheek. 
 
 "I shall never see mother nor home again," he 
 sobbed. "I am chained here, and before morning 
 the wolves will find me and I shall never be able to 
 keep them at bay. Oh, if I only had a strong stick 
 I might perhaps drive them away, but I have none 
 and can not move a step from here!" 
 
 Again he thought of his bondage with bitter- 
 ness. What would he care for the long and lonely 
 road if only he were free. 'Then the pain of his 
 foot and limb reminded him that he was a .cripple, 
 and if he were free he would not be able to walk. 
 "I could at least climb into a tree and be safe from 
 wild beasts, but now I am helpless;" and unable 
 longer to control his feelings he sobbed aloud, and 
 called upon the names of his brothers and sisters 
 
IN AN EAKLY DAY 13 
 
 without knowing himself that he felt as though he 
 was telling them good-by for the last time on 
 earth. 
 
 When his passion of grief had expended itself, 
 in a measure at least, he leaned his head against 
 the trunk of the tree near which he was chained, 
 and closing his eyes to shut out the dense dark- 
 ness, he forgot to think about himself or the possi- 
 bility of any help reaching him, and gave himself 
 up to thinking of home and what they were doing 
 there. He knew that by this time his little broth- 
 ers and sisters were all in bed, and he tried to 
 fancy which one had first knelt down by his 
 mother to say his prayers. He saw his little curly- 
 haired, blue-eyed sister Lucy, folding her tiny 
 hands, and as he recalled her little prayer a cairn- 
 ness seemed to steal over his soul and he softly 
 repeated: 
 
 "Now I lay me down to sleep, 
 I pray the Lord my soul to keep; 
 If I should die before I wake 
 I ask the Lord my soul to take." 
 
 "Amen," he added, with that emphasis which 
 made the prayer and language his own. "I wonder 
 if I shall be alive in the morning, and if I am 
 not" will the Lord receive my soul to himself, 
 he wanted to say, but an undefined fear prevented 
 his giving utterance to the thought, and he forced 
 his mind again to return to his home. He saw his 
 
14 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 mother bending over her work, and he wondered if 
 perchance some angel might not be whispering to 
 her spirit even then, how sorely her absent boy 
 was in need of help. Of one thing he felt very 
 sure, his mother would never close her eyes in 
 sleep before she commended each one of her chil- 
 dren to the care of her heavenly Father. He knew 
 just what book his father was reading at that 
 moment, and the leaves rustling above him seemed 
 to shape themselves into his father's voice, and he 
 fancied he heard again the words which the night 
 before were the last sounds that had fallen upon 
 his waking senses; and, as they came now to his 
 memory, a great lump rose up in his throat and 
 threatened to choke him "I shall not die, but live, 
 and declare the works of the Lord." 
 
 Then, for the first time, tears, which were quiet, 
 like the drops of a gentle shower, rolled over his 
 cheeks, and the poor boy, though he could not 
 kneel, bowed his head upon his hands and prayed 
 to God for help and strength. He prayed as never 
 before in his life, for he realized fully that if God 
 did not help him, there was no help for him; and 
 in the darkness he seemed to feel the presence of 
 a power which was able to save even to the utter- 
 most, and he repeated to himself, "I shall not die, 
 but live, and declare the works of the Lord." 
 Peace and a sense of security, which during the 
 rest of that terrible night never left him, came to 
 him with the words; nor did it come any too soon. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 15 
 
 Exhausted with fatigue and pain of body, but 
 especially with his emotions, Daniel would have 
 slept, but the pain of his imprisoned foot drove 
 sleep away and he found himself wondering what 
 time of night it might be, and wishing, oh! so 
 earnestly, for the morning, when suddenly his 
 quick ear detected the sound of pattering feet 
 coming over the road he had traveled, and his 
 heart almost ceased beating as he listened. Steadily 
 they came on; not the feet of one, but of many; 
 and soon a low howl, taken up and repeated by 
 others, confirmed his worst fears, and he knew that 
 he was at the mercy of a pack of hungry wolves. 
 The fact that he had been caught in a trap set for 
 them had told him that he must be in a place they 
 were in the habit of visiting, and now his worst 
 fears were confirmed, and he knew if God did not 
 protect him, there was no hope for him. 
 
 Daniel was the child of praying parents, and he 
 had been early taught the great principles of 
 Christianity; but until this night they had been as 
 abstract truths to him, the full force of which he 
 had never realized. He knew that all the ways of 
 his father's house were committed to the watch- 
 care of God, and that whatever his parents did, 
 they invoked the blessing of God upon it; but then 
 he had seen them work just as earnestly to answer 
 their own prayers as they had prayed that God 
 would hear them; and somehow he had come to 
 think that works had just as much, if not a little 
 
16 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 more, than faith, to do with it. But how was it 
 now? He was helpless, chained a prisoner, nothing 
 to defend himself with, and his strength fast 
 ebbing away. Should he believe and trust God, or 
 should he despair and resign himself to die? 
 
 He was young, and life had never seemed 
 sweeter to him than it did then. Thought crowded 
 upon thought, like silver bells of memory ringing 
 in undertones, and above the howling of the 
 angry, blood-thirsty pack, he heard the voices of 
 the loved ones at home, and clearly, distinctly, he 
 heard the voice of his father as he read: "I shall 
 not die, but live and declare the works of the 
 Lord." Then he lifted up his hands and heart to 
 heaven, and there in his captivity and helplessness 
 realized, for the first time in his life, that God was 
 a reality and had power to save to the uttermost 
 all who trusted in him. 
 
 All night long the wolves howled around him. 
 He could see the fierce gleam of their eyes in the 
 darkness, and hear them snap their teeth in anger 
 as if they would fall upon and devour each other; 
 but though he was in their power and helpless as 
 Daniel of old in the den of lions, not one of them 
 touched him; and as the light of morning came 
 and the rays of the sun penetrated the branches 
 here and there, they slunk back to their hiding- 
 places in the wood, and Daniel was left to his own 
 thoughts and hopes. 
 
 "I never heard such a howling in my life as the 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 17 
 
 wolves kept up last night/' said Mrs. Newcomb to 
 her husband that morning. "It came from the 
 direction of your trap, and you may think me fool- 
 ish, but I fancied that one time I heard some one 
 calling for help. Don't you think you had better 
 go over there before you go to work and see what 
 it means?" 
 
 "Yes, let us have breakfast and then I will go; 
 but why did you not tell me last night?" 
 
 "I listened to see if I could hear anything but 
 the howling of the wolves, and as I heard nothing 
 more I thought I must have been mistaken and did 
 not wake you." 
 
 Mr. Newcomb lived near the village, and his 
 farm extended almost to the woods, and just the 
 day before he had concealed the trap, hoping to 
 ensnare some of the pack and frighten away the 
 rest; what was his horror and astonishment there- 
 fore upon going to the place to find Daniel impris- 
 oned, and as he thought at the first glance, dead; 
 for the poor boy, worn out with his long night of 
 the pain and watching, had fallen into a fitful 
 sleep. He awoke with a glad cry of joy at the 
 sight of human help, and soon told the history of 
 his mishap to Mr. Newcomb, whom he remembered 
 to have seen once or twice at his father's house. 
 
 Daniel was soon liberated, but he could not stand 
 alone, and Mr. Newcomb was just starting to the 
 village for help when Mr. Ashton rode up. In the 
 morning when Daniel did not return he had 
 
18 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 become uneasy, fearing that he ought to have 
 looked for him the night before, and as soon as he 
 ate breakfast had saddled his horse and started for 
 the village. Together they lifted Daniel upon the 
 horse, both men feeling that they were more or 
 less to blame for the sad accident. They took him 
 first to the village, where his wounded foot was 
 dressed; and after he had taken some refreshment, 
 they procured a team and took him to his own 
 home. The cheeks of his mother paled when she 
 saw them drive up and lift him out; and after 
 they had laid him on the bed, and were telling his 
 father how it happened, she asked: "What pre- 
 vented the wolves from devouring him?" 
 
 "It must have been the smell of the traps, for 
 you know we have to cover them with leaves or 
 we could never catch one^" said Mr. Ashton. 
 
 Mrs. Clark made no answer to this, but tenderly 
 pressed the hand of her boy and smoothed back 
 his soft hair with a gentle touch. The little ones 
 crowded around the bed, all anxious for a look or 
 smile from brother Dan, as they called him. Oh, 
 how sweet it seemed to the poor boy to be at home 
 again, and in spite of every effort the tears would 
 come to his eyes. After the men were gone he 
 pulled his mother's face down to his and whispered 
 in her ear: 
 
 "It was the power of God, mother, which kept 
 the wolves from devouring me. If God had not 
 preserved me, I should not be here now." 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 19 
 
 "I know it, my boy, I know it;" and kneeling 
 down by his bedside, the little ones kneeling with 
 her, she returned thanks to God for his wonderful 
 deliverance. 
 
 CHAPTER n 
 
 WHY NOT 
 
 // fortifies my soul to know, 
 That, though I perish, Truth is so 
 That howsoe'er I stray and range, 
 Whate'er I do, Thou dost not change. 
 I steadier step when I recall 
 That, if I slip, Thou dost not fall. 
 
 Arthur Hugh Clough. 
 
 ATER in the day, when Daniel and his 
 mother were alone, he told his experi- 
 ence of the night before more fully than 
 he had told it to any one else, especially how he 
 had remembered the verse in Psalms which he had 
 heard his father read the night before he left 
 home. "I can not tell you, mother," he said, "what 
 courage it gave me; and I felt as though the 
 angels might be near me in the darkness. Do you 
 think the angels ever do come to the earth?" 
 
 "Oh, yes, they have many, many times visited the 
 earth. You remember how they came to protect 
 Daniel of old when he was thrown into the lions' 
 
20 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 den? And then they have many times announced 
 to men, and women, too, things which were going 
 to happen." 
 
 "I know that, mother, but I do not mean long 
 ago, hundreds of years before we were born, but I 
 mean now, in the time in which we are living." 
 
 "You, my son, were protected by the power of 
 God, but I do not think that any one sees angels in 
 these days. You did not see any, did you?" 
 
 "No, mother, but I did feel that some one was 
 with me, and I thought then, and have been think- 
 ing ever since, of a story I once read in the Bible." 
 
 "What story do you mean?" 
 
 "It was a story about God having forbidden a 
 prophet to go to a certain place, and when the 
 prophet started to go there, an angel of the Lord 
 met him in the way, and would have killed him 
 only that the ass on which the prophet was riding 
 saw the angel and jumped to one side, out of the 
 way of the drawn sword the angel carried." 
 
 "That was the prophet Balaam, when he was 
 going with the king of Moab to curse the children 
 of Israel But why have you been thinking of 
 this?" 
 
 "Because, mother, if the ass saw the angel when 
 the prophet did not, might not those wolves have 
 seen what I could not see? I felt so sure that some 
 one was near me that I thought when daylight 
 came I should see them." 
 
 His mother did not make any immediate answer 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 21 
 
 to this, but smoothed his brown hair away from 
 his temples with a gentle touch, and her eyes took 
 in the pretty picture framed by the window of the 
 room in which he was lying. The sun was low in 
 the west and the tall trees cast their shadows far 
 toward the east. Through an opening in the 
 woods she saw the clear waters of the Genesee 
 River flowing softly along the shady banks, and at 
 a spot where they sloped gently down she saw the 
 cows stooping to drink; and the distant tinkle of 
 the bell could just be heard as it mingled with the 
 first notes of the whip-poor-will's song, in the 
 branches near by. 
 
 Wild vines were swinging from the boughs of 
 the trees as the wind crept among their branches; 
 and the little chipmunks came from their hiding- 
 places, peeping slyly out from the bushes growing 
 quite near the house. Presently the tinkle of the 
 bell came nearer and nearer, mingling with the 
 merry voices of the younger children as they came 
 trooping behind the cows in happy forgetfulness 
 of all save the perfect enjoyment of their youth, 
 health and freedom. Slowly as from a dream her 
 mind came back, and seeing that Daniel had fallen 
 asleep she went quietly out, closing the door after 
 her; and, moving about softly, she hastened the 
 preparations for the evening meal. 
 
 But while her hands were thus employed her 
 mind was busy with thoughts called up by her con- 
 versation with her boy. She had not answered his 
 
22 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 question directly, in regard to the possibility of 
 the angels having been so near to him in those 
 hours of darkness and danger; but it was not 
 because she had not thought about it, nor because 
 the question was a new one to her. True it had 
 never presented itself in just that light before, 
 never had come quite so near her heart; but it had 
 for many years been present with her, and she had 
 often wondered why it was that people who now 
 live upon the earth might not be visited by the 
 angels, and even have instruction direct from God, 
 as they used to have in other days. 
 
 When she read the Bible there was scarcely a 
 page of its history, from the first chapter of 
 Genesis to the last chapter of Revelation, which 
 did not give an account of some messenger being 
 sent to the earth, or of God making known his 
 will, either by his own voice, by the visitation of 
 angels, or by revealing himself to righteous men 
 called prophets. 
 
 But now for nearly eighteen hundred years 
 there had been no messenger sent, and no prophet 
 had declared to the people the way of life and sal- 
 vation. She had many times put this question 
 away from her, saying, "We have the Bible now; 
 in almost every house it is to be found. It con- 
 tains the full and complete word of God, and there 
 is a woe pronounced upon any one who shall add 
 to, or take from, the words of it." But for some 
 cause, this was not very satisfying to her mind, for 
 
IN AN EARLY DAX 23 
 
 she would find the same question from time to time 
 coming back to her to be answered again, very 
 much like Banquo's Ghost, which would not down, 
 but was always rising when least expected. She 
 had often talked with her husband about this, and 
 at one time he had astonished her by saying, "I do 
 not believe God ever intended it should be so, for 
 he is no respecter of persons." 
 
 "If he did not intend it to be so, why then does 
 it remain so?" 
 
 "I can only answer that by saying, I do not 
 know; but at the same time I can not see how it 
 can be that God is unchangeable and yet after 
 having for thousands of years made known his 
 will to man by angels and through the prophets, he 
 should now, for nearly eighteen hundred years, 
 have been as silent as the Sphinx or the pyramids 
 of Egypt. And moreover, I do believe that it will 
 not always be so, but that you and I may live to 
 see the time when God will reveal himself again to 
 the children of men, and then we shall know why 
 he has been silent so long." 
 
 She had ever found her husband to be in 
 advance of her upon all serious thoughts of this 
 kind, and she knew that his mind was ofttimes 
 busy with problems that seemed to present them- 
 selves for solution. It was his constant habit to 
 read aloud at night, after the work of the day was 
 finished; and while her needle flew busily, she 
 would listen attentively; and frequently they 
 
24 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 would both pause to discuss some passage, and 
 exchange views upon what was being read. 
 
 Books and newspapers being scarce in those 
 days, their reading was almost altogether confined 
 to the Bible and such histories as Rollin, Josephus, 
 Eusebius, and some others, together with some 
 volumes of works standard among the Methodists; 
 of which church they were both members, having 
 been raised in that faith. 
 
 Their cabin consisted of one living-room, which 
 served as kitchen, dining-room, and sitting-room 
 and two large bedrooms opening out of this. 
 Luxuries in those early days, especially upon the 
 frontiers and among those who were subduing the 
 soil, were unknown, even in the shape of house- 
 room. The first settlers usually erected a log 
 cabin out of the material furnished by the for- 
 est, and this primitive building was planned sim- 
 ply to meet the present needs of the family. 
 
 As the farm was cleared and the family 
 increased in size, this was either enlarged or 
 made to give place to a more pretentious one; 
 and conveniences were from time to time added, 
 as the wealth of the occupant increased. But 
 even at that early date the tide of civilization was 
 beginning to flow toward the West, and many 
 times when Mr. Clark was toiling to bring his 
 large tract of land under cultivation, indefinite 
 longings would float through his mind of a home 
 on the far western prairies. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 25 
 
 These, however, took no definite shape at first, 
 and might never have led to actual removal but for 
 circumstances we are about to relate. And we 
 want the children who read this little book to 
 remember that what they read is true. It is 
 written for you by one who knows, and who 
 expects to have to answer before God for every- 
 thing she teaches the young, and who has no 
 earthly object in writing it but to make the truth 
 more real and familiar to you. 
 
 After the frugal evening meal had been par- 
 taken of, the dishes washed and put away and 
 everything arranged, the table was drawn out and 
 all the family, except Daniel, gathered around it, 
 and each in turn took part in reading from the 
 word of God. The younger ones, who were not yet 
 old enough to read, listened, with folded hands; 
 and then the father kneeling with his family com- 
 mended them all to the watchcare of him who all 
 through life had been their protector and friend. 
 Then the little ones were put to bed, and the 
 others amused themselves or listened to their 
 father's reading until they grew sleepy and retired. 
 Shortly after this Mrs. Clark went into Daniel's 
 room, and finding him sleeping with the rest, worn 
 out with the pain and excitement of the previous 
 night, she knelt by his bedside and poured out her 
 thankfulness for his preservation, in silent prayer; 
 and when she resumed her seat she told her hus- 
 band in regard to the boy's experience of the night 
 
26 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 before, and asked his opinion of it. "I did not 
 answer his question," she added, "but I have 
 thought that he may be right. Why should it be 
 more wonderful for those hungry wolves to have 
 been kept at bay by seeing what was invisible to 
 him, than that the ass should have seen the angel? 
 Why should that be more wonderful than the fact 
 of his preservation? It was by the power of God, 
 and we read that the angels are all ministering 
 spirits. This fact, though it has impressed him 
 deeply, seems not to have left such a strong 
 impression as the one connected with it. He feels 
 that he was not only preserved by the power of 
 God, but was preserved because God has something 
 special for him to do 'I shall not die, but live, and 
 declare the works of the Lord.' " 
 
 "Let it be even so," said his father, reverently; 
 and after this he did not resume his reading, but 
 closed his book and placed it on its accustomed 
 shelf, and putting on his hat went out of doors. 
 
 Absorbed in her own thoughts, Mrs. Clark 
 worked on diligently, not noticing how long her 
 husband remained away; for it was nothing unu- 
 sual for him to spend a half-hour or even an hour's 
 time in passing about from one place to another, 
 in order to see that all was safe before retiring. 
 
 This night, however, had her thoughts not been 
 preoccupied, she would have noticed that his stay 
 was much longer than usual, and when he came in 
 he went directly to bed. Midnight, however, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 27 
 
 found her still busily employed with her needle; 
 and even then she might have remained longer at 
 her work, but the candle, which had burnt low, 
 gave one or two flickering gleams, as if threaten- 
 ing soon to be extinguished, and rising hastily she 
 made preparations for bed. Before retiring, how- 
 ever, she visited her boy's bed again, and finding 
 him still asleep she sought her own and soon slept 
 calmly by her husband's side. 
 
 CHAPTER m 
 THE TRAVELER'S STORY 
 
 But truth, they say, will out. 
 
 It is not like a word 
 
 Which comes and goes in uttering. 
 
 Tennyson. 
 
 
 Truth is one; 
 
 And in all lands beneath the sun, 
 Whoso hath eyes to see may see 
 
 The tokens of its unity. 
 
 Whittier. 
 
 T HAD long been known to Mrs. Clark that 
 her husband, though a faithful member 
 of the Methodist Church, was not satisfied 
 with their doctrines, nor with his Christian expe- 
 rience; but she was not prepared to hear him say 
 
28 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 to her as he did the next evening, after the chil- 
 dren had all retired for the night, "Mother" (this 
 is the way in which he always addressed her), "I 
 am thinking of withdrawing my name from the 
 church." 
 
 "Why, Father, you surely are not in earnest," 
 said Mrs. Clark, as her hands fell into her lap and 
 she quickly looked up to his face. 
 
 "Yes, I am very much in earnest, and I have 
 been thinking that as you feel very much as I do, 
 it might be best for both of us to withdraw at the 
 same time." 
 
 "I had not thought it would ever come to this," 
 she answered. "I know we do not believe in many 
 things as they do, but it will be a very hard matter 
 to sever our connection with them. We have both 
 been in the church ever since we were children, 
 and if we leave it now, where shall we go?" 
 
 There was a tremor in her voice as she asked the 
 question, and a tear rolled slowly, though unno- 
 ticed, down her cheek as she resumed her sewing 
 and waited his reply. 
 
 He did not answer immediately, for in addition 
 to being naturally deliberate in* speech, he seemed 
 even in his thoughts very reluctant to move hastily 
 in a matter of such vast moment, not only to him- 
 self, but also to his wife and family, to say nothing 
 of the influence which he knew he possessed in the 
 church. 
 
 He too had asked the question, "Where shall we 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 29 
 
 go?" and yet no definite answer had formed itself; 
 but a vague, unsatisfied longing had taken posses- 
 sion of his soul for something more, something 
 better, something more fully declaring the ways 
 and purposes of God than the doctrine taught by 
 the followers of John Wesley; and, not being able 
 to divest himself of these feelings, to him it 
 seemed little short of hypocrisy to meet with 
 them from time to time, to partake with them of 
 the emblems of the broken body and shed blood of 
 the Savior, and yet feel that they were not teach- 
 ing the same gospel Jesus had suffered so much to 
 bring to the children of men. So many plain pas- 
 sages of the word of God he was required to pass 
 silently over or take in a spiritual sense; a sense so 
 different from what he honestly believed to be the 
 true meaning, that he felt as though it was chang- 
 ing the word of God and bringing it to suit the 
 views or belief of men, instead of men believing 
 that God has the right, because of his infinite jus- 
 tice and mercy, to say upon what terms sinners 
 shall be saved. These feelings had become like a 
 chain of bondage, and he had at last resolved to 
 break loose from them and seek God for himself. 
 "Where shall we go if we separate from the 
 church?" he repeated slowly. "I have asked the 
 question many times in the last few months, with- 
 out being able to answer it to my own satisfaction, 
 but I have come to the conclusion at last, to follow 
 the dictates of my conscience, do what I believe to 
 
30 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 be right, and leave the result with God. I do not 
 believe as I once did, in all the doctrines taught by 
 John and Charles Wesley, and I have made up my 
 mind fully to the belief that God is unchangeable; 
 and if he is unchangeable, so must his gospel be. 
 I believe that just what would save a man in the 
 days of Christ will save him now, and not one whit 
 more or less; and the story you told me of Daniel 
 leads me to believe more firmly than ever that it is 
 our own fault that we do not have the same gifts 
 and blessings God bestowed upon his people 
 anciently. I do not believe God ever intended 
 that the gifts of the gospel should cease with the 
 apostles and early Christians, because the promise 
 is that he will be with them to the end of time. 
 
 "It may be hard for us to stand alone, but my 
 faith is that we will not be alone. I believe that 
 God is leading us by the power of his Spirit, and 
 when we sever ourselves from the fellowship of 
 those who are blind to his truth he will lead us, if 
 we are earnest and prayerful, into the truth. I 
 am going to sever my connection with the Metho- 
 dist Church this coming Sabbath, and I believe it 
 your duty to do the same, but will not urge you." 
 
 "Thy people shall be my people, and thy God my 
 God," said Mrs. Clark as she looked up at her tall, 
 manly husband, who in answer to her glance of 
 perfect confidence, stooped down and imprinted a 
 kiss upon her lips. The next Sabbath their reso- 
 lution was carried out, and no amount of persua- 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 31 
 
 sion upon the part of their friends availed to 
 change their minds. 
 
 After this, Mr. Clark, especially, gave himself 
 more earnestly to prayer than ever before; pray- 
 ing God that if he had a people on the face of the 
 earth, he would direct him to them; and asking 
 him to make known his will to him that he might 
 walk in light and not grope in darkness and uncer- 
 tainty. Many times he would seek the stillness of 
 the forest and for hours pour out his soul before 
 God in prayer. 
 
 One afternoon, while praying earnestly, the 
 forest around him was suddenly illuminated with 
 a bright cloud which descended from above, and 
 while he covered his eyes to shut out its intense 
 brightness, a voice out of the cloud spoke to him, 
 giving him much instruction, and showing him 
 many things which God intended shortly to bring 
 to pass. 
 
 He was told that God had not upon the face of 
 the earth a people whom he recognized as his own, 
 but that he was about to bring to pass a strange 
 work to establish his church again upon the earth; 
 and promised him that if he would study the 
 Scriptures faithfully he should receive great light 
 upon them, and exhorted him to "stand still and 
 see the salvation of God." 
 
 He was also shown the man whom God would 
 choose as his instrument to begin this work; and 
 we want our readers to bear this in mind, for as 
 
32 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 our story progresses we shall come to the time 
 when it was literally fulfilled, as was all the rest 
 which the voice that day declared to him would 
 soon come to pass. 
 
 When the light faded away, in the fullness of 
 his gratitude to God, Mr. Clark fell upon his face 
 and poured out his soul in prayer and praise. So 
 light was his heart that he sang aloud until the 
 woods took up the echo, and from tree-top and hill- 
 side came back, "Glory to God in the highest." 
 
 The talk which followed the children's retiring 
 that night was long and earnest, and the joy of 
 their hearts was almost boundless. Night after 
 night the word of God was read aloud, while in 
 accordance with the promise which had been given 
 him, light accompanied the reading of every page, 
 and the great plan of God's redemption was made 
 plain to their minds. 
 
 In time, the clearing of the farm approached 
 completion, and still the promise in regard to the 
 church remained unfulfilled. It had indeed been 
 organized, but the news of it had not yet reached 
 our waiting friends. A strong desire, however, had 
 arisen in their minds to sell the farm and move 
 farther west, and when a buyer presented himself 
 with a liberal offer, they accepted it and were soon 
 on their way to Pennsylvania. Here a farm was 
 rented; and, still waiting for the fulfillment of the 
 promise, they remained until the year 1832. 
 
 One evening a traveler asked for the privilege 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 33 
 
 of staying over night, and while at supper among 
 other things he asked: 
 
 "Have you heard of Joe Smith and his golden 
 Bible?" And upon Mr. Clark's answering him that 
 they had not, he proceeded to tell them that a boy, 
 by the name of Smith (Joe Smith, he called him), 
 professed to have found a book with leaves of gold, 
 which he had translated by the help of angels, and 
 had now set himself up as a prophet and leader of 
 a church. 
 
 "Where is he now?" asked Mr. Clark, scarcely 
 able to restrain his eagerness as he waited for the 
 answer. 
 
 "They are scattered in many places, and, strange 
 as it may seem, many believe his silly story; but 
 the main body of them, I hear, are now at a place 
 called Kirtland, Ohio, about seventy miles from 
 here." 
 
 "How do they differ from other churches?" 
 
 "Oh, they claim to heal the sick and perform 
 miracles and do things in general about as they 
 did in Christ's time." 
 
 "Do you know whether or not they really do 
 these things?" 
 
 "No, I can not say that I personally know any- 
 thing about them; I hear they are regarded as 
 impostors and a bad set of men, but I have never 
 met any of them." 
 
 "Have you seen the book you spoke about?" 
 
 "No; but it is said to have been a novel, stolen 
 
34 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 from a Presbyterian clergyman who wrote it 
 merely to pass away time, and by some means it 
 has fallen into their hands and they expect to 
 make money out of it." 
 
 "If it is a novel, how can they call it a bible?" 
 
 "Oh, they do not call it a bible, but the Book of 
 Mormon; and it professes to tell about some Jews 
 who came to this country before the time when 
 they were taken to Babylon after Jerusalem was 
 destroyed. You see the novel was in the style of a 
 sacred history, and this is what they claim for it, 
 and call it the Book of Mormon, after a great 
 prophet of that name whose history is in the 
 book." 
 
 Seeing that no further information could be 
 obtained from their guest, the next morning, after 
 he had departed, they consulted together and 
 made preparations for going to Kirtland, that they 
 might ascertain whether what they had heard was 
 true or not; and as they could accomplish the 
 journey in two days, Mrs. Clark resolved to go 
 with her husband. Accordingly, after making 
 hurried arrangements for their departure and 
 probably a week's stay, they started that very 
 morning. 
 
 "I wonder if this is the way the news was car- 
 ried in the days of Christ," said Mrs. Clark. "I 
 have often pictured to myself the scene on the 
 banks of the Jordan where John was baptizing, 
 and have wondered if there were not scoffers and 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 35 
 
 unbelievers there as well as those who went to be 
 baptized." 
 
 "Do you remember, Mother, what is said about 
 the scribes and Pharisees rejecting the counsel of 
 God against themselves, not being baptized by 
 John? I have no doubt they said many wicked 
 things about those who were baptized." 
 
 "Do you really think, Father, that you will know 
 Joseph Smith when you see him?" 
 
 "If he is the man God has raised up to lead 
 his people, I surely shall know him, just as well as 
 I know the face of any friend I have." 
 
 "But John did not know Jesus except by the sign 
 that had been given him by the angel." 
 
 "I saw this man in my vision, and when I see 
 him again I shall know him, and I shall know if he 
 is sent of God." 
 
 "Of course you will know, if you see him, and he 
 is the same one you saw before, that the Lord has 
 sent him." 
 
 "I shall know by the doctrine he teaches as well 
 as by the other. If he is sent of God he will 
 preach repentance and baptism for the remission 
 of sins and the laying on of hands for the gift of 
 the Holy Ghost." 
 
 "Why do you think this?" 
 
 "Because it is what Christ sent his disciples to 
 teach, and it is what they taught; and Peter, on 
 the day of Pentecost, told the people that the 
 promise was unto them and their children and 
 
36 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 unto all who were afar off; and I believe the 
 promise is to us to-day just as much as it was to 
 them." 
 
 "They claim to have the Holy Ghost now, as 
 they did in those days." 
 
 "I know that, but they deny nearly everything 
 which the Holy Spirit gave them power to do. 
 They have the 'form of godliness/ but deny 'the 
 power thereof/ ' 
 
 "They say that we do not need it in this day." 
 
 "Strange if we do not; and if it .be so, why was 
 the promise made 'to all who are afar off?' " 
 
 "Do you believe that if they have the true faith, 
 they will have the gifts Paul speaks of in Corin- 
 thians?" 
 
 "Certainly I do." 
 
 "Well, it will be a glorious day for the world; 
 and if it really is as you think, how can men reject 
 them or deny the truth of what they teach?" 
 
 "They will do it because they are evil. Did they 
 not accuse the Son of God of casting out devils 
 through the prince of devils? Who, do you sup- 
 pose, would believe me, if I were to tell them what 
 I have seen and heard?" 
 
 "Not many, perhaps, but our own case proves 
 that there will be found some willing to believe 
 and obey the truth when they have found it." 
 
 "Yes, there will be many, and in going up to 
 Kirtland I believe we will find many such, for 
 something tells me that we are not going in vain." 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 37 
 
 "It will not be long before we shall know. We 
 will be at the end of our journey by to-morrow 
 evening, will we not?" 
 
 "Yes; if we meet with no accident we will reach 
 Kirtland about five o'clock to-morrow." 
 
 "I have been thinking how strange it is that we 
 should be going on this journey, hunting up, as it 
 were, a chance to be deceived. John was 'preach- 
 ing in the wilderness of Judea/ and they came out 
 to him; he did not go to them, they sought him. 
 Do you suppose that they were led as we are being 
 led now?" 
 
 "I believe that many of them were; and if his- 
 tory were more complete, we would be told many 
 such circumstances. Some, you remember, are 
 recorded. It was shown to Simeon that he should 
 not die until he had seen Christ." 
 
 "Yes, I have often wondered in my mind why 
 Simeon did not make this known to the Jews, that 
 they might have been expecting the Savior. Per- 
 haps it might have led more of them to believe on 
 Him." 
 
 "If I had told our Methodist brethren of the 
 vision I had, do you think many of them would be 
 going up to Kirtland with us to-day?" 
 
 "Some perhaps would have believed; and I con- 
 fess that my mind has been troubled sometimes 
 because you did not make it known." 
 
 "Do you remember the command that was given 
 me by the voice out of the cloud, 'Stand still and 
 
38 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 see the salvation of God'? Had I disregarded the 
 divine command, we might not be where we are 
 to-day. I recall what the prophet Samuel said to 
 the king of Israel: 'Behold, to obey is better than 
 sacrifice; to hearken, than the fat of rams.' My 
 faith is that the time will soon come when the 
 command will be reversed, and I shall be called 
 upon to be a witness to the world of these things. 
 Have you ever thought, Mother, that the time may 
 come when we will be called to sacrifice every- 
 thing which we have, even life itself, in following 
 Christ?" 
 
 "You do not think that in this age of the world 
 men would reject the gospel, and persecute its fol- 
 lowers as they did in ancient times?" 
 
 "We do not have to go back very far in the his- 
 tory of the world to find out that men have not 
 changed very materially. When the government 
 of Switzerland passed sentence of death upon 
 Servetus for differing from Calvin, Calvin could 
 have had the sentence revoked, but would not, and 
 calmly saw him bound to the stake, and the flames 
 consumed him. Later still, after the Pilgrim 
 Fathers had forsaken home and country, enduring 
 all manner of hardships and facing danger and 
 death in almost every form, that they might have 
 the privilege of worshiping God as their con- 
 sciences told them was right, they in their turn 
 banished Roger Williams from their midst because 
 he could not believe as they did. Ann Hutchinson 
 
iN AN EARLY DAY 39 
 
 and John Wheelright shared the same fate. But 
 further than this, you remember that they passed 
 a law in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, banishing 
 all Quakers from their midst, and imposing the 
 penalty of death upon all who returned; and four 
 persons were executed under this law before it 
 was repealed. If men have done this in opposing 
 men, what may we not expect Satan will put into 
 their hearts to do in opposing the work of God?" 
 
 This was a thought that had never occurred to 
 her; and as they drove along the shaded road, 
 with the blue sky showing above them, the birds 
 singing in the branches of the forest-trees and the 
 cool breeze of the evening rustling the leaves, the 
 mother-heart flew quickly toward the home nest, 
 and she thought, "If I knew the way of truth was 
 to lead me through scenes of trial, and even blood- 
 shed, have I courage enough to enter upon it and 
 take my little ones with me to share the same 
 fate?" ' 
 
 Thinking earnestly of this, she lapsed into 
 silence, and shortly stopping for the night, the 
 conversation was not renewed until they resumed 
 their journey next day. 
 
40 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 CHAPTER IV 
 THE VISIT TO KIRTLAND 
 
 They went where duty seemed to call, 
 They scarcely asked the reason why. 
 
 Whittier, 
 
 And evermore beside him on the way 
 The unseen Christ shall move, 
 
 That he may lean upon his arm and say, 
 Dost thou, dear Lord, approve? 
 
 Longfellow. 
 
 ^ARLY the next morning, long before the 
 sun had risen, while the dew lay fresh 
 and sparkling upon the bushes by the 
 
 roadside and the forest was vocal with the song of 
 birds, our travelers resumed their journey. 
 
 As the day advanced the road occasionally led 
 them where from an eminence the blue waters of 
 Lake Erie could be seen in the distance, with here 
 and there a vessel showing like a speck upon its 
 surface. As the miles grew less which separated 
 them from the end of their journey, the intensity 
 of their feelings increased, and an unspoken 
 anxiety took possession of their hearts. They 
 had undertaken this journey wholly upon the 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 41 
 
 information obtained from a stranger, and what 
 if they had been misled? Even if this informa- 
 tion should prove to be correct, they still had no 
 assurance that they should find what they were 
 seeking. 
 
 It had now been some four years since they had 
 left the Methodist Church, and though they had 
 never regretted what they had done, yet at times 
 they had been lonely, and they longed for church 
 privileges and fellowship. Were they to be disap- 
 pointed, and if so, how much longer might they 
 have to wait? 
 
 They were near the village now, and a turn in 
 the road soon disclosed it. Quiet, unassuming, 
 with nothing to especially distinguish it from 
 other villages of its size ; could it be that in this 
 place God had a prophet and a people? And yet 
 why should this seem so strange? A prophet was 
 but as any other man unto whom God made known 
 his will, and the Jews had never been wont to treat 
 them with any great respect while they were alive, 
 though as soon as they had killed them, they would 
 garnish their sepulchers and show great respect to 
 their bones. 
 
 But these people were not Jews, ani such a 
 thing as a prophet among the Gentiles had never 
 been heard of. Once it had crossed the mind of 
 Mrs. Clark to wonder if her husband couli possibly 
 have been deceived, but the time had come to test 
 this. 
 
42 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 The village was built upon the hill overlooking 
 the little river Chagrin, which wound its quiet way 
 along like a thread of silver between its verdant 
 banks. Driving along the principal street Mr. 
 Clark stopped in front of the tavern, and assisting 
 his wife out, he gave his team in charge of the 
 hostler, while they went within to seek a few 
 moments of rest and refreshment, before search- 
 ing further for the object of their visit. Leaving 
 his wife in the sitting-room, Mr. Clark joined a 
 number of men who were in the main room, in 
 order to make inquiries, and found to his satisfac- 
 tion that he had not been misinformed, but that 
 there was a large number of people here called 
 "Mormons," and they did believe "Joe Smith" to 
 be a prophet. 
 
 Mr. Clark was scrutinized closely by these men, 
 but they were too polite to ask his business with 
 this people, and thanking them for their informa- 
 tion, he rejoined his wife. After partaking of an 
 early supper, they left the tavern and proceeded 
 towards the house which had been pointed out to 
 them as the one in which Mr. Smith lived. As 
 they came near enough to observe what was 
 taking place around it, they saw many groups 
 scattered here and there under the shade of trees, 
 while teams and horses hitched outside the yard 
 indicated that many others, like themselves, were 
 in quest of information. The building was a plain 
 wooden one, and upon rapping at the door they 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 43 
 
 were admitted by an elderly man whose hair was 
 sprinkled with gray, but whose mild, dark eyes 
 beamed with intelligence and kindness. Perceiv- 
 ing them to be strangers, after the customary 
 salutation he invited them to walk in. 
 
 "Is your name Smith?" said Mr. Clark. 
 
 "It is, Joseph Smith," was the answer. 
 
 "My name is Clark, and this is my wife. We 
 have come from Pennsylvania purposely to see 
 you." 
 
 "Perhaps you mean my son, whose name also is 
 Joseph. He is not at home now, but is in New 
 York on business, and will not be back for some 
 two or three weeks." 
 
 "I am sorry to learn this, as I can not remain 
 from home so long, and am very anxious to see 
 him." 
 
 "It is possible that if I knew your business I 
 might be of service to you." 
 
 "My business has reference entirely to things of 
 religion. I have heard that your son claims to be 
 a prophet, and is propagating a new faith. Is it 
 correct?" 
 
 "It is correct that he claims to be a prophet, but 
 as to propagating a new faith, that is a mistake, 
 for the doctrine he preaches is very old." 
 
 "Does he not claim to have found and trans- 
 lated a new Bible?" 
 
 "No, not a Bible, but simply a record of the peo- 
 ple who once inhabited this continent. This record 
 
44 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 contains the history of the prophets and kings 
 who lived among them, and also tells of the visit 
 of Christ to this continent, after his crucifixion at 
 Jerusalem. It is called the Book of Mormon, and 
 we hold it sacred." 
 
 "Do you believe the Bible?" 
 
 "Certainly we do, which is more than other 
 Christians can honestly claim; and the Book of 
 Mormon is a strong testimony to the Bible." 
 
 "What do you mean by saying, 'This is more 
 than other Christians can honestly claim'? All 
 Christians believe the Bible." 
 
 "That depends upon how you present it to 
 them," said Mr. Smith, with a quiet smile. "If it 
 is closed they believe it, but if it is open, they not 
 only repudiate it, but cry delusion, imposture, and 
 yet harder names, of those who do believe it." 
 
 "I am not sure that I understand you," said Mr. 
 Clark, not feeling willing to renounce all his old 
 faith and belief in the church of which he had for 
 years been a member, and which of course was 
 included in the term Christians. For a moment 
 he suffered a spirit of antagonism to master him, 
 forgetting what the voice had told him, and the 
 declaration that instead of preaching his gospel 
 they were teaching the commandments of men. 
 This, however, lasted but a moment, and he was 
 ready to receive any message which might come to 
 him from God. 
 
 "May I ask," said Mr. Smith, continuing the 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 45 
 
 conversation, "if you are a church member?" 
 
 "I am not now, but have been a Methodist from 
 my childhood until a few years since." 
 
 "Very good; did you ever hear them explain the 
 last chapter of Mark, where Christ gave commis- 
 sion to his disciples and sent them out to preach?" 
 and opening the Bible he read: 
 
 "And he said unto them, Go ye into all the 
 world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 
 He that belie veth and is baptized shall be saved; 
 but he that believeth not shall be damned. And 
 these signs shall follow them that believe; in my 
 name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak 
 with new tongues; they shall take up serpents, 
 and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not 
 hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and 
 they shall recover. So then, after the Lord had 
 spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, 
 and sat on the right hand of God. And they went 
 forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working 
 with them, and confirming the word with signs 
 following. Amen." Mark 26: 15-20. 
 
 Mr. Clark remembered that upon more than one 
 occasion when he had asked to have these same 
 passages explained to him, he had been told that 
 such things were not needed now and were there- 
 fore done away, and he answered accordingly. 
 
 "But what did Christ call these things?" 
 
 "Signs which should follow the believer." 
 
 "The believer in what?" 
 
46 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "In the gospel, of course." 
 
 "Pardon me, Mr. Clark, but in whose gospel?" 
 
 "The gospel of Jesus Christ; there can be no 
 other." 
 
 "You are right; there can be no other, for 'there 
 is no other name given under heaven or among 
 men . . . neither is there salvation in any other.' 
 Now, admitting this, let us reason together about 
 this parting commission of Christ to his disciples. 
 First, he sent them to preach his gospel unto every 
 creature, and as a sign or a witness that it was his 
 gospel, those who believed and obeyed it were to 
 have power to do certain things, among which 
 were casting out devils, speaking with new 
 tongues, laying hands on the sick for their 
 recovery, etc. Was this, or was it not a part of 
 the gospel?" 
 
 "It must have been a part of it." 
 
 "Yes; and it was the confirmatory part, given 
 for that purpose and having that effect, for we 
 read, 'They went forth and preached everywhere, 
 the Lord working with them and confirming the 
 word with signs following/ Does it not appear to 
 you that to have any message which we are called 
 upon to deliver confirmed, is a very important 
 matter?" 
 
 "It leaves those who reject it without any 
 excuse for doing so." 
 
 "That is just the important factor in the case; 
 for instance, not long since an infidel came to me, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 47 
 
 and he was well versed in the Scriptures. Like 
 yourself, he was ignorant of the fact that it is not 
 every one who professes to believe the Bible who 
 does believe it, and not knowing anything about 
 our peculiar faith, only having been told that I 
 was a minister of the gospel, he in the course of 
 our conversation said to me, 'Mr. Smith, one of two 
 things is evident; either that Christ was a base 
 impostor and his religion a fraud, or that no one 
 believes and obeys his gospel/ ' 
 
 "Why do you come to a conclusion like that?" I 
 asked. 
 
 "Because he sent you into the world to teach the 
 people certain things, and promised that those who 
 obeyed your teachings should do certain works, or 
 certain signs should follow them; but when I have 
 asked in regard to these things, I have been called 
 a seeker after signs, etc. Now, if a friend of mine 
 were to go back on me after that fashion, I would 
 have nothing whatever to do with him afterwards, 
 and yet this is just what your Jesus is doing with 
 you." 
 
 "Hold, sir," I answered, "for I will not hear that 
 name profaned; and moreover I tell you that your 
 assertion is false, for I have seen the words of 
 Jesus verified in hundreds of instances; have seen 
 all the signs which he promised should follow the 
 believer, follow him; and you, sir, may see the 
 same if you will go where there are those who 
 believe on his word." 
 
48 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "Yes," he answered scornfully, "you will doubt- 
 less tell me that every soul which is converted to 
 God, is in itself a stupendous miracle; but I would 
 remind you that I am not speaking of conversions, 
 as you are pleased to term them, but I am asking 
 for the fulfillment of a certain promise, and I tell 
 you your religion is a fraud and a humbug, and 
 your Master promises you things he never intended 
 to perform." 
 
 "Did I mention conversion to you, sir?" 
 
 "No, but that was what you meant." 
 
 "I do not know, sir, who gave you the right to 
 interpret my meaning, and if you will excuse me I 
 will tell you plainly, I meant no such thing. I 
 have no authority to, nor do I wish to cast pearls 
 before swine; we as a people preach the gospel of 
 Christ, and know that the signs Christ spoke of do 
 follow the believers in that gospel, and I invite you 
 to repent of your sins and be baptized for the 
 remission of them, and see whether Jesus is not 
 able to verify his word to the uttermost." 
 
 "How did he answer that?" said Mr. Clark, so 
 absorbed in the thought as to forget his personal 
 interest in the same controversy. 
 
 "He professed utter disbelief, but he asked 
 where our people held their meetings, and I have 
 seen him once or twice among the congregation." 
 
 Mr. Clark refrained from asking if he had seen 
 the power of God when there, for the Spirit was 
 reminding him of what the promise had been, and 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 49 
 
 he knew that in time, if he had found the people 
 of God, he would find these things with them; but 
 now he was more anxious to know of the doctrine 
 they believed, that he might test it by the light 
 God had given in his study of the word. 
 
 As our object, however, in writing this brief 
 sketch is to present a simple narrative of circum- 
 stances as they really happened, we pass over the 
 hours which that night and the following day were 
 given to conversation, and in which Mr. Clark 
 learned to his entire satisfaction that he had found 
 what he had been seeking for, simply remarking 
 that he had been directed to the word of God, not 
 only directed to it, but held there, and in all things 
 required to go according to it. He found no creed 
 but God's unchanging law; no spiritualizing of the 
 word of God, but a simple following out in the 
 most direct manner of all the requirements of 
 the gospel, and as this was what he had been seek- 
 ing, he knew it when found and stood ready to 
 obey. 
 
 Their arrival attracted no great attention, for 
 it was a thing of constant occurrence; and even 
 then the house was filled with people, some from 
 a greater distance even than they had come, 
 hungering for the bread of life. In groups and 
 in companies they were being instructed by 
 Father and Hyrum Smith, and by other elders 
 who lived in the place. They were entertained 
 free of charge, and when baptized, were sent on 
 
50 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 their way rejoicing. Many of them having been 
 ordained to preach the word, carried the glad news 
 with them, and thus the circle enlarged, wave 
 upon wave going out, bearing the glad tidings of 
 great salvation. 
 
 The next day being the Sabbath, a large congre- 
 gation gathered in the morning, and for the first 
 time in his life Mr. Clark listened to a gospel ser- 
 mon from one having authority to preach. In the 
 afternoon the sacrament of the Lord's Supper was 
 administered and then followed such testimonies 
 as many had never heard before, prophecy, 
 unknown tongues, interpretation of tongues, with 
 the melting influence of the Holy Spirit until it 
 seemed a tangible presence felt by all. 
 
 After meeting they adjourned to the water, 
 where the ordinance of baptism was administered 
 to a large number, among whom was Mr. Clark; 
 Mrs. Clark, however, could not quite make up her 
 mind, and was not baptized until the following 
 morning; and the same morning a little babe was 
 born in the house of Joseph Smith, who was also 
 named Joseph, after father and grandfather; so if 
 our young friends want to know the date of what 
 we are telling them, they can find it out by asking 
 Brother Joseph how old he is. 
 
 The mother-heart of Mrs. Clark was already 
 longing for her children, and early on Monday 
 morning they prepared to return home. It was a 
 disappointment to Mr. Clark that he had not seen 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 51 
 
 Joseph Smith, but apart from that his mind was 
 fully satisfied that he had found the Church of 
 Christ, and above all the Spirit of God had borne 
 witness to his spirit of the truth of the gospel of 
 Christ as restored by the angel in the latter days; 
 still it would have been a satisfaction not only to 
 have seen Brother Joseph, but to have tested his 
 ability to recognize him when he saw him. He 
 was standing by the front window which over- 
 looked the street, waiting for Mrs. Clark to come 
 down as their team was ready and waiting. While 
 standing there, absorbed in thought, his attention 
 was arrested by a man who rode up on horse-back, 
 and jumping from his saddle, proceeded to fasten 
 his horse. As he turned to enter the gate, 
 Mr. Clark recognized him immediately, and turn- 
 ing to Father Smith, who was in the room, said, 
 
 "There is your son Joseph." 
 
 "You must be mistaken, he will not be here for 
 three weeks yet;" but as he spoke he rose and 
 walked towards the window. 
 
 "I can not be mistaken, that is Jeseph Smith." 
 
 "You are right; it is Joseph, but what brings 
 him home now?" and he turned towards the door 
 just as his son came in. 
 
 So you see, my young friends, that God showed 
 to one man, at least, the servant he had chosen for 
 the purpose of establishing his church in the last 
 days, and many others have testified to the same 
 thing. Joseph Smith did not in the beginning of 
 
52 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 the work, go out to seek and persuade men to 
 become his disciples, but God himself moved upon 
 the hearts of many who sought for his servants, 
 and in their turn, when authority from God had 
 been given them, they carried the glad tidings of 
 life and salvation to their friends and neighbors. 
 
 CHAPTER V 
 THE HOME CIRCLE 
 
 "'Tis a mother's large affection 
 Hears with a mysterious sense, 
 Breathings that evade detection; 
 Whisper faint and fine inflection, 
 Thrill in her with power intense. 
 Childhood's honeyed words untaught 
 Hiveth she in loving thought, 
 Tones that never thence depart; 
 For she listens with her heart." 
 
 Laman Blanchard. 
 
 UR readers must not suppose that we have 
 forgotten Daniel, for such is not the case, 
 neither had Daniel forgotten his expe- 
 rience of the night in the woods; but with the 
 exception of his mother, he had rarely spoken of 
 it to any one. His parents, but especially his 
 mother, had noticed a great change in him from 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 53 
 
 that time. He was just as lively with his younger 
 brothers and sisters, but when they did not make 
 demands upon his time, he was seldom found, 
 when not at work, without a book in his hand, and 
 most frequently that book was the Bible. And 
 many times, when his mother, before retiring for 
 the night, went into the room where her boys 
 slept, she found him still awake, and knew that he 
 had been listening to his father's reading. 
 
 Like Mary of old, she hid these things in her 
 heart, and sometimes when they chanced to be 
 alone, he spoke to her about the future and the 
 thoughts which entered his mind. 
 
 "I heard father tell you his vision," he said to 
 her one day, "and I believe it is true, and do you 
 know, mother, that I sometimes feel as though the 
 Lord would let me have a pat in the work, for I 
 so often seem to hear again the words, 'I shall not 
 die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord/ " 
 
 "I hope and trust you are right, my son, and if 
 God calls you to do any work for him, that you will 
 be very faithful in it." 
 
 Daniel did not make any answer, but in his heart 
 he was firmly resolved to give his life to the serv- 
 ice of God. He knew that God had sent his angels 
 to protect him the night he was a prisoner in the 
 forest, and when he thought about it he felt that 
 all he could do would be little, indeed, in compari- 
 son with what God had done for him. Having 
 been near unto death, and expecting nothing but 
 
54 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 to be torn to pieces, limb by limb, he could realize, 
 as he never had before, what it meant for Christ 
 to lay down his life for his enemies. Life is very 
 sweet to the young, and Daniel felt unspeakable 
 gratitude for the preservation of his, and never 
 could tell any one how real, how near God had 
 seemed to him since that time. 
 
 It had now been six days since the young people 
 had been left alone, and to-day they expected 
 father and mother to come back to them. Every- 
 thing in and about the house was made to look as 
 neat as possible, and as the afternoon grew towards 
 evening, the children all gathered in a group under 
 the trees in the yard to watch the first turn in the 
 road which would reveal the travelers to them. 
 Lucy, the little blue-eyed sister of whom Daniel 
 had thought so tenderly that night in the woods, 
 was standing by his side, and was the first one to 
 catch a glimpse of the spirited bay horses as they 
 came rapidly down the road towards home. Then 
 there was a general rush for the gate, and no 
 sooner had the carriage stopped than Mrs. Clark 
 sprang to the ground and returned the embraces 
 of her children with a will. 
 
 "I am so glad to be at home again," she said, as 
 after embracing each one, she walked with her 
 oldest daughter towards the house. "Have you all 
 been well?" 
 
 "Yes, mother, quite well, but very lonesome. 
 Did you have a pleasant time?" 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 55 
 
 "Yes, very pleasant, but I have missed my home 
 and children very much, especially when night 
 came, and I would have been much happier if I 
 could have known that you were all well and 
 happy. What a nice house-keeper you are, to be 
 sure," said she, as she took in at a glance the tidy 
 room and the neatly spread table in the room 
 beyond, around which they were all soon gathered 
 and partaking with a relish of the refreshments 
 which their long drive made very acceptable. 
 
 The meal disposed of, amid many questions and 
 answers on both sides, the little trunk which they 
 had taken with them was opened and was found to 
 contain some small present for each one of the 
 children, together with quite a number of books 
 and papers, among which was the Book of Mor- 
 mon. This arrested the attention of Daniel, who 
 asked his father if it was the book spoken of by 
 the stranger who had stopped with them the other 
 night. 
 
 "Yes, it is the same book." 
 
 "Why did he call it a 'Golden Bible'? It looks 
 just like any other book." 
 
 "I presume it is given that name from the fact 
 that it was first written upon plates of gold." 
 
 "Who wrote it, father?" 
 
 "Men who were inspired of God; and after they 
 had written it, it was put into a very tight box and 
 buried in the ground." 
 
 "Who found it, and how long had it been there?" 
 
56 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "One question at a time, boys, and, as the story 
 is both long and interesting, let us first do our 
 chores and then I will tell you all about it." 
 
 The boys moved slowly away as if reluctant to 
 go, but they had been trained to habits of perfect 
 obedience; and the girls, while busy with their 
 work, questioned their mother from time to time 
 about what she had seen and heard while away. 
 At last the work was all completed, and an eager 
 group of listeners gathered around the table, all 
 anxious to know the history of this strange book 
 which was lying so quietly upon the table. 
 
 And just here we are led to pause for a moment 
 and ask if the children of Zion were all collected 
 together, and called upon to rise one by one and 
 tell the story of the finding of the plates from 
 which the Book of Mormon was translated, how 
 many would be able to respond to the call, and tell 
 it in a straightforward, intelligent manner? And 
 yet, is it not most natural to suppose that a story 
 like this, a story at once fascinating and strange, 
 but just as true as it is fascinating, would be told 
 by fathers and mothers to their little ones; and 
 not only this, but that the pure principles of right- 
 eousness which it contains would be taught to 
 them in their youth, that they might grow up to 
 love the word of God, and might know what their 
 parents mean when they hear them bear a solemn 
 testimony that they know it is God's work, and 
 yiust triumph? 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 57 
 
 Said a western man to a stock-raiser, "It is a 
 great mistake to brand the old cattle and not the 
 calves." Do we see the philosophy of this? Let 
 us tell you; the church of God to-day are feeling 
 the effects of it, whether they see its philosophy or 
 not; and sons and daughters who should have been 
 ornaments in the church are bitter scoffers at the 
 religion the truth of which their parents would 
 lay down their lives rather than deny. Was there 
 a time when they might have been "branded"? 
 
 "Of all sad words of tongue or pen 
 The saddest are these, 'It might have been/ " 
 
 "I must first tell you, children," began Mr. Clark, 
 "a little of the history of Joseph Smith, the man 
 whom God chose to translate this book, and then I 
 will tell you how he found it and translated it. 
 
 "He was a farmer's son, brought up to labor, 
 very much like one of you boys, and lived in the 
 state of New York, from which he moved when he 
 came here. When he was in his fifteenth year, his 
 parents were living in Wayne County, in a town 
 called Manchester, and about this time there was 
 a great excitement upon the subject of religion, 
 and four members of his family united with the 
 Presbyterian Church. 
 
 "At this time Joseph himself was much con- 
 cerned in regard to his own condition, and 
 attended the meetings with great regularity, 
 but could not make up his mind which church 
 
58 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 he ought to unite with, although he rather inclined 
 to the Methodist. Being unable to decide, he was 
 reading the Bible, hoping to gain light from that 
 which might help him, when he came to the 
 instruction given by James in his Epistle: 'If any 
 of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God/ 
 
 "This came to his heart with such power that he 
 felt as though it had been written expressly for 
 him, and he determined to carry the matter to 
 God. Accordingly he retired to the woods, but 
 had no sooner knelt down to pray than he was 
 seized by a power of darkness, seemingly bent 
 upon destroying him. In his extremity, he called 
 upon God for deliverance, and exerted all his faith 
 to believe that his prayers would be heard. No 
 sooner had he done this than he saw a pillar of 
 light over his head, brighter than the sun, which 
 descended upon him, and he found himself 
 delivered from the power of darkness. While 
 this pillar rested upon him, he saw two personages 
 whose brightness and glory defy description. One 
 personage called him by name and said to him as 
 he pointed to the other, 'This is my beloved Son; 
 hear ye him/ 
 
 "Joseph had gone to God in prayer, with the sin- 
 cere desire to know which church was right, and 
 which he should join; and as soon as he could 
 speak he asked the question, 'Which of the sects is 
 right, and which shall I join?' 
 
 "To his astonishment he was forbidden to join 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 59 
 
 any of them, and was told that they were all 
 wrong, and that their creeds were an abomination 
 in God's sight. 'They draw near me with their lips, 
 but their hearts are far from me; they teach for 
 doctrine the commandments of men, having a form 
 of godliness but denying the power thereof/ When 
 Joseph came to himself after having had his 
 vision, he found himself lying on his back looking 
 up toward heaven. 
 
 "A few days after this, he was talking with one 
 of the Methodist preachers, when he innocently 
 told him the vision, never suspecting that he was 
 saying anything to make this man or any of the 
 other preachers angry, but from that time they 
 began to slander him, and told him his vision 'was 
 all of the devil'; and they will shortly say the 
 same to me," added Mr. Clark; "for God has told 
 me the same thing, as I told your mother years 
 ago, though I did not then think it best to tell you, 
 my children." 
 
 "I heard you telling it to mother," spoke up 
 Daniel, "as I was lying awake in my room, and I 
 believe it." 
 
 The others looked at Daniel with surprise, won- 
 dering why he had never mentioned it to them; 
 but quickly turned to their father, waiting for him 
 to go on. 
 
 "Joseph received this first vision about the year 
 1819, and being now perfectly satisfied that none 
 of the different sects were right or accepted of 
 
60 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 God, he continued to labor with his father until 
 1823, all this time being subjected to persecution 
 and slander. Being young, and just such a boy as 
 many others are, he was not only tempted into 
 folly and the doing of many things which were 
 wrong, but unhappily he yielded to the temptation. 
 Being very sorry for this, he repented, and again 
 sought the Lord in prayer, asking earnestly to be 
 forgiven for his sins. 
 
 "Again a heavenly messenger appeared to him, 
 and Joseph thus describes his appearance: 'I dis- 
 covered a light appearing in the room, which con- 
 tinued to increase until the room was brighter 
 than noonday, when immediately a personage 
 appeared at my bedside, standing in the air, for 
 his feet did not touch the floor. He had on a loose 
 robe of most exquisite whiteness. It was a white- 
 ness beyond anything earthly I had ever seen; nor 
 do I believe that any earthly thing could be made 
 to appear so exceeding white and brilliant; his 
 hands were naked, and his arms also, a little above 
 the wrists; so also were his feet naked, as were his 
 limbs, a little above the ankles, and his head and 
 neck were bare. Not only was his robe exceeding 
 white, but his whole person was glorious beyond 
 description, and his countenance truly like light- 
 ning. He called me by name and said unto me 
 that he was a messenger sent from God and that 
 his name was Moroni/ This angel told Joseph 
 about the gold plates upon which the Book of Mor- 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 61 
 
 mon was written, and he saw the place so plainly 
 in this vision that he was able to go directly there 
 afterwards. The angel told him that the fullness 
 of the everlasting gospel was contained in this 
 record, as it had been delivered to the people of 
 this continent by the Savior when he visited them 
 here. Also that there were two stones in silver 
 bows hid up with the plates, which had been placed 
 there for the purpose of translating the writing on 
 these golden plates. The angel told him that the 
 time had not yet come when he should obtain the 
 plates, but when he did obtain them, if he showed 
 them to any one, he would be destroyed. He told 
 him, also, that his name should be known in all the 
 world; that some should hold him in great esteem, 
 and some in contempt, or that 'he should be both 
 good and evil spoken of among all people/ When 
 the angel had finished the message he had come to 
 bring, the light in the room began to gather 
 immediately around him, and Joseph saw a pas- 
 sage open, as it were, directly up into heaven, and 
 the angel ascended up through this, until he 
 entirely disappeared. 
 
 "While Joseph was meditating upon these 
 things, the same heavenly messenger returned a 
 second time, and after having repeated what he 
 had said the first time without the least variation, 
 he told him still further, that great judgments 
 were coming upon the earth, with desolations by 
 famine, sword, and pestilence, and that they would 
 
62 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 come in this generation. After having related 
 these things he again departed as he had done at 
 the first. 
 
 "Again, the third time, the same messenger 
 appeared, and after repeating what he had before 
 said, he added a caution to Joseph, telling him that 
 Satan would tempt him to think of using the 
 plates (because they were of gold), for the benefit 
 of his father's family, as they were poor and many 
 times in need of money; but he warned him never 
 to think of this, for he must have no object in get- 
 ting the plates other than to glorify God and help 
 to build up his kingdom; for, if he had any other 
 motive, he would never get them. Again the 
 angel departed, and shortly after this, Joseph 
 heard the cock crow and saw that day was 
 approaching, and knew then that these interviews 
 had lasted the whole night." 
 
 "Was this a vision, father," asked Daniel, "or 
 was he really awake and saw the angel?" 
 
 "He was awake, and saw the angel, and heard 
 him." 
 
 "But if the angel was real and had a body, how 
 could he enter the house without coming in as we 
 do? Could he come right through the wall?" 
 
 "Do you remember how many times Jesus came 
 to his disciples in this manner, after his resurrec- 
 tion?" 
 
 "No, father." 
 
 "If you will turn to the twentieth chapter of 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 63 
 
 John, and read the nineteenth verse, we will 
 ILsten." 
 
 "Then the same day at evening, being the first 
 day of the week, when the doors were shut where 
 the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, 
 came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto 
 them, Peace be unto you." 
 
 "Now read the verse 16 of the same chapter." 
 
 "Jesus saith unto her, Mary. She turned her- 
 self, and saith unto him, Rabboni; which is to say, 
 Master." 
 
 The children listened attentively, but presently 
 Mary said: 
 
 "Might he not have come through the door, 
 father, by opening it just as we do?" 
 
 "Why had the disciples closed the door, 
 daughter?" 
 
 "For fear of the Jews." 
 
 "When we close a door because of fear, what do 
 we do besides?" 
 
 "Oh," said Mary, "we fasten or bolt it." 
 
 "If we did not, there would be no benefit in 
 closing it; for wicked men would enter just as 
 quickly with the door closed as they would with it 
 open." 
 
 "Who was Moroni, father?" 
 
 "You will find his history told fully in the Book 
 of Mormon. He was the son of Mormon, and the 
 one who hid the plates in the place where Joseph 
 found them." 
 
64 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "But, father," said Daniel, "do those who have 
 once lived here on earth ever come back to visit 
 men? I thought angels were beings who had 
 always lived in heaven." 
 
 "The angel who appeared unto Zacharias told 
 him his name was Gabriel, and that he stood in the 
 presence of God. This was the angel that was 
 sent unto the prophet, Daniel, to give him 'skill 
 and understanding' concerning the things which 
 should happen to his people. But can you tell me 
 who it was that appeared to Jesus on the mount of 
 transfiguration?" 
 
 "It was Moses and Elias," answered Mary. 
 
 "They had once lived upon earth, had they not?" 
 
 "Yes, father, but they are not called angels." 
 
 "No, but it is said, 'They appeared in glory/ and 
 it is sure that they did appear unto him. Turn 
 now to the nineteenth chapter of Revelation and 
 read the tenth verse." 
 
 "And I fell at his feet to \yorship him. And he 
 said unto me, See thou do it not. I am thy fellow 
 servant, and of thy brethren that have the testi- 
 mony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of 
 Jesus is the spirit of prophecy." 
 
 "Here, my daughter, you see the angel who had 
 been talking with John forbids John to worship 
 him, and at the same time tells him he was one of 
 his brethren that had been slain for the testimony 
 of Jesus and was only a fellow servant." 
 
 "Yes, I see it now, father, but I never thought 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 65 
 
 of it before. It is good to have so much evidence 
 of the life to come, and know that we shall live 
 again." 
 
 "You are right, daughter, and these things con- 
 firm the words of the apostle when he tells us that 
 our bodies, in the resurrection, shall be like the 
 glorious body of Christ." 
 
 CHAPTER VI 
 TELLING THE STORY 
 
 The servant may through his deafness err, 
 And blind may be God's messenger; 
 But the errand is sure they go upon, 
 The word is spoken, the deed is done. 
 
 Whittier. 
 
 OW long was it after this before Joseph 
 got the plates?" said Daniel. 
 
 "At first he thought that he would not 
 tell the vision to any one," continued Mr. Clark; "but 
 the angel, Moroni, appearing to him again, com- 
 manded him to tell his father of the vision and the 
 commandment which he had received, and when 
 he had done this, his father said, 'It is of God; go 
 and do as commanded/ He left the field, where he 
 had been working with his father, and went a dis- 
 tance of two or three miles to the hill Cumorah, 
 where the angel was waiting for him. Now began 
 
66 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 the struggle in his mind, and the temptation 
 against which Moroni had warned him. 
 
 "As he recognized the place where the records 
 were hid, there seemed to dawn upon his mind all 
 at once the vastness and magnitude of what had 
 been revealed to him. There, buried in the ground 
 just at his feet, was the history of a people who 
 had lived upon this continent long before the time 
 when it had been discovered by Columbus. What 
 an astonishment the publication of such a book 
 would be to the world, and what wealth it would 
 bring to its fortunate owner! If the plates were 
 once in his possession, no one could doubt the truth 
 of his story, for they themselves would be the 
 proof of what he would tell. 
 
 "Thus whispered the power of darkness to him, 
 but the still, small voice replied, 'Did not the angel 
 warn you to beware of ambition and to remember 
 that in getting the plates you must have no object 
 in view but to glorify God? Moreover, were you 
 not warned that if you showed the plates to any 
 one, you would be destroyed?' Again the tempter 
 whispered, 'Who will believe this strange story if 
 you have nothing to show in proof that it is true? 
 What harm can possibly come of your showing the 
 plates? 7 'Beware of disobeying the commandments 
 of God, for if you are not faithful you can not 
 obtain the plates/ again whispered the Spirit to 
 him. 
 
 "Thus the conflict continued in his mind as he 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 67 
 
 stood on the west side of the hill Cumorah, where, 
 not far from the top, under a stone of considerable 
 size, the plates were lying, deposited in a stone 
 box. Joseph removed the earth from the stone 
 covering of the box, and taking a strong stick for 
 a lever, he put it under the cover and raised it up. 
 Upon looking into the box he saw the breastplate, 
 the Urim and Thummim and also the gold plates 
 upon which the history was engraved, but when he 
 stretched out his hand to take possession of the 
 record, he was restrained by an invisible power. 
 This attempt he made three different times, each 
 time with a like result, until he at last exclaimed 
 aloud, 'Why can I not obtain this book?' 
 
 " 'Because you have not kept the commandments 
 of the Lord,' answered a voice seemingly very near 
 him. Joseph looked, and to his astonishment 
 beheld Moroni. Then he humbled himself in 
 prayer, and the darkness began to melt away, and 
 the power of God's Spirit was with him. The 
 heavens were opened to his view, and the glory of 
 the Lord shone round about and rested upon him. 
 While he was looking in great wonder and awe 
 upon this, the angel said, 'Look!' and he saw the 
 Prince of Darkness, surrounded by a great train of 
 associates, and as this passed before him, the angel 
 said: 'This is shown you, the good and the evil, 
 the holy and the impure, the glory of God and the 
 power of darkness, that you may hereafter know 
 the two powers, and never be influenced or over- 
 
68 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 come by the wicked one. You now see why you 
 could not obtain this record, that the command- 
 ment was strict, and if ever these sacred things 
 are obtained, it must be by prayer and faithfulness 
 in obeying the Lord/ 
 
 "Joseph was again told by Moroni that if he was 
 faithful thereafter, he should obtain the plates, 
 and translate them by the gift and power of God, 
 and by them, the Lord would work a great and 
 marvelous work. After this he returned home, 
 and though disappointed, he was determined to be 
 patient and overcome by faith and obedience. 
 Joseph made yearly visits to Cumorah and each 
 time he met with Moroni, and from him received 
 instruction concerning the great work of the latter 
 days and the kingdom which God was about to set 
 up, as shown to the prophet, Daniel, never again to 
 be thrown down nor given to another people. 
 Four years these visits lasted, when on the 22d of 
 September, 1827, Moroni delivered the plates into 
 the hands of Joseph, telling him that he would 
 come for them when he had done what was 
 required at his hands. Joseph soon learned why 
 the angel had given him such a strict charge in 
 regard to them; for no sooner was it known that 
 he had them, than every device was resorted to in 
 order to take them from him, but the Lord 
 watched over them until Joseph had translated 
 the part of them which is contained in this book, 
 and then the angel took them again." 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 69 
 
 "Father," said Daniel, "how is it that God did 
 not have a church upon the earth? Did hot Christ 
 tell his disciples to go into all the world and 
 preach his gospel to every creature? Where is 
 the church they established?" 
 
 "Your question can not be answered without 
 first telling you something about the plan of God's 
 government and the laws by which his church 
 must be governed. It may be a little difficult for 
 you to understand, but I will try to make it plain 
 to you. 
 
 "You will remember that when Christ was 
 teaching his disciples, he told them at various 
 times that he did nothing but what his Father 
 had commanded him to do. He always spoke of 
 his Father as being the one to exercise authority, 
 just as obedient children regard their parents." 
 
 "I think I understand that, father." 
 
 "Very well; now let us read the twenty-ninth 
 verse of the eighth chapter of John: 'And he that 
 sent me is with me: the Father hath not left me 
 alone; for I do always those things that please 
 him/ Jesus here tells the Jews that his Father 
 had not left him alone; what does he say was the 
 reason?" 
 
 "For I do always the things that please him," 
 read Mary. 
 
 "Here, my children, is the reason of the Son's 
 not being left alone. He was sent by the Father 
 with power and authority to do a certain work. 
 
70 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 He was obedient and faithful in doing just what 
 the Father sent him to do, and therefore the 
 Father honored him and was always well pleased 
 with him. 
 
 "When he sent his disciples into all the world to 
 preach, he sent them to preach his gospel, and as 
 his Father had given him power and authority to 
 do certain things when he sent him to the earth, 
 so Jesus gave his disciples power and authority. 
 You must try to understand that neither Peter, 
 James, nor John had any authority as men the 
 power and authority was not in them, but was in 
 the gospel they were sent to preach. Do you think 
 you understand what I mean?" 
 
 "You mean, Father, that if they had not told 
 the people just what Jesus sent them to tell, he 
 would not have been with them, and ff he had not 
 been with them, they would not have had power to 
 do the things he promised they should do." 
 
 "That is what I mean, Daniel, for the power was 
 not in them, but in the gospel they were sent to 
 preach; so, in time, after the disciples were dead, 
 men grew careless of what they taught, and did 
 many evil things; and at last they no longer had 
 any power, for they did not teach men what Christ 
 had taught; neither did they study the word of 
 God to know what he had told them to do. Indeed, 
 the church became so corrupt that they hid the 
 word of God, chained it to the desks in the con- 
 vents and churches, and taught the people that it 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 71 
 
 was a sin for them to read it. Thus you see the 
 people knew nothing about the teachings of Jesus, 
 only as the priests told them, and the priests 
 taught them many things which Jesus never had 
 taught, and neglected to teach the things he had 
 taught." 
 
 "That was before the days of Luther, was it not, 
 father?" 
 
 'Yes, and you remember how zealously Luther 
 contended against their wickedness and what great 
 good he did; but he never claimed to have been 
 sent of God, as Jesus did. After his time came 
 other good men and great reformers, among whom 
 were John and Charles Wesley; but none of them 
 claimed to have direct authority from God; nor 
 said that God had instructed them and told them 
 how to organize a church; but they did the best 
 that human wisdom could devise, and were great 
 and good men." 
 
 "Were they not wiser than Joseph Smith, 
 father?" 
 
 "Yes, far wiser, and while he was but a young 
 and unlearned boy, they were men and had been 
 well educated." 
 
 "It seems strange that God did not choose them, 
 or send Moroni to some one older and wiser," said 
 Daniel, thoughtfully. 
 
 "Do you remember the early history of King 
 David?" 
 
 "Yes, father," 
 
72 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "You remember that after Saul had transgressed 
 the commandments of the Lord, the Lord said to 
 the prophet, Samuel, 'Fill thine horn with oil and 
 go, I will send thee to Jesse the Bethlehemite: for 
 I have provided me a king among his sons/ The 
 prophet feared that Saul would kill him if he 
 heard that he had gone to anoint any one to be the 
 king of Israel; for though he had transgressed 
 against God, he was still king and had great power 
 in his hands and could punish those who did not do 
 to please him. Because of this, Samuel took a 
 heifer and went to Bethlehem and told the people 
 of the town that he had come peaceably to sacrifice 
 to the Lord, and he sanctified Jesse and his sons 
 and told them to come to the sacrifice. 
 
 "You must remember that among the sons of 
 Jesse, Samuel knew there was the one he had been 
 sent to anoint, but he did not know which one of 
 them it was. When Eliab, a tall, noble-looking 
 man, came to Samuel, the prophet, seeing his 
 beauty and his strong, manly person, said in his 
 heart, 'Surely the Lord's anointed is before him!' 
 This was the natural wisdom of Samuel, and you 
 must remember that from the hour when his 
 mother, in agony of spirit, prayed to the Lord that 
 he would give her a son, Samuel had been conse- 
 crated to God. The Lord had many times revealed 
 himself to him, and he had never transgressed the 
 commandments of God. If any man was capable 
 of judging which of Jesse's sons was the one the 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 73 
 
 Lord had chosen, would it not be natural to 
 suppose that Samuel was the man?" 
 
 "Certainly, father, and could he not really tell 
 which one he had been sent to anoint?" 
 
 "Let us see what the Lord said: 'But the Lord 
 said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance nor 
 on the height of his stature; because I have 
 refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; 
 for man looketh on the outward appearance, but 
 the Lord looketh on the heart/ Then, in their 
 turn, the eight sons of Jesse were brought to 
 Samuel, but the Lord gave Samuel to understand 
 that the one he was sent to anoint was not there, 
 and Samuel said unto Jesse, 'Are here all thy chil- 
 dren?' And Jesse said, 'There remaineth yet the 
 youngest son, and behold he keepeth the sheep/ 
 Samuel said unto Jesse, 'Send and fetch him, for 
 we will not sit down till he come hither/ 
 
 "There was but one son left, and he was but a 
 lad, keeping watch over his father's sheep; and so 
 little was he esteemed that, perhaps, had not 
 Samuel asked the direct question, 'Are here all thy 
 children?' Jesse might never have mentioned him 
 or thought of him in connection with the prophet's 
 errand; but when his father had sent for him and 
 had presented him to Samuel, the Lord said, 'Arise, 
 anoint him: for this is he.' 
 
 "You must learn, my children, that God does his 
 own choosing, and it will be easy for you to do 
 this, if you remember that the wisdom of men is 
 
74 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 foolishness in his sight. He chose Abraham to be 
 the father of the faithful because he knew that 
 he would command his children and his household 
 after him that they should keep the way of the 
 Lord to do justice and judgment. He chose David 
 because of the integrity of his heart, and though 
 David, in after-years, did many things which were 
 wicked and for which God both reproved and pun- 
 ished him, just as you, my children, have done and 
 may do again, yet he always repented and sub- 
 mitted himself meekly to the reproofs of the Lord, 
 and confessed his sins in humility of spirit. 
 
 "You must bear in mind that David was a man, 
 and all men are liable to sin against God; yet God 
 chose David, and he will in time vindicate to all 
 men the wisdom of his choosing, whether David of 
 old, or Joseph Smith of our day, be the man 
 selected for his work. 
 
 "A great work is to be accomplished in these 
 last days; and while Luther, Knox, Calvin, and 
 Wesley have all done their part, it remained for 
 Joseph Smith, the last and the least, to step for- 
 ward and say to the world, 'I have received my 
 authority from God, and in his name I call upon 
 every kindred, nation, tongue, and people to 
 repent and obey the everlasting gospel of the 
 Son of God.' Men, without examination even, 
 may reject the message God has given him to 
 declare to this generation, but that will not alter 
 the truth, neither will it vindicate them in the day 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 75 
 
 of judgment to say, 'I truly believed it all an impos- 
 ture/ because God is leaving them without any 
 excuse whatever. 
 
 "Jesus, upon one occasion, said to the Jews, 
 'Believe me that I am in the Father, and the 
 Father in me; or else believe me for the very 
 works' sake/ Not only is the truth of the work of 
 the Lord, brought forth through Joseph Smith, 
 confirmed by hundreds who have sought him, con- 
 fessing like myself that they had been sent of 
 God; but he challenges their belief by telling them 
 fearlessly, even as Jesus did, that the gospel he 
 preaches is a divine message from God, and 
 assures them that upon their yielding obedience to 
 it, God will give them a knowledge for themselves. 
 "How is this knowledge given, father?" 
 "It is given differently to different persons, but 
 it is given by the power of the Holy Spirit. When 
 Peter and the other apostles were brought before 
 the council of the Jews for preaching Jesus and 
 the resurrection, Peter told them boldly that God 
 had raised up Jesus whom they slew and hanged 
 on a tree, and then added, 'We are his witnesses of 
 these things; and so is also the Holy Ghost, whom 
 God hath given to them that obey him/ So do 
 Joseph Smith and his elders tell the people boldly 
 that they are witnesses of these things, and that 
 the Holy Ghost will also bear witness to those who 
 obey the truth. I can tell you, my children, that I, 
 for one, know that this work is true and of God, 
 
76 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 and your mother can tell you, for another, because 
 the Holy Ghost was given to us under the hands of 
 the elders, and thousands besides us can testify to 
 the same thing. In addition to this, the signs 
 which Christ promised to the believers in his gos- 
 pel do follow them. It is possible for man to be 
 mistaken and to think he is bearing witness to the 
 truth when he is not, but it is not possible for God 
 or his Holy Spirit to be mistaken, neither to lend 
 themselves to build up a deceiver. 
 
 "Joseph Smith and his fellow laborers promise 
 to the people that, if they will do the will of God, 
 they shall know of the doctrine, and the people 
 who have obeyed the will of God testify that they 
 do receive the knowledge. How then can the 
 world be left with any excuse for rejecting the 
 servants of God?" 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 77 
 
 CHAPTER VH 
 THE STORY CONTINUED 
 
 Art builds on sand; the works of pride 
 And human passion change and fall; 
 
 But that which shares the life of God 
 With him surviveth all. 
 
 We search the world for truth. 
 
 Wittier. 
 
 said Daniel, as they were 
 gathered about the table the next 
 evening, "I have been reading to-day 
 the in book of the prophet, Daniel, and he told 
 Nebuchadnezzar about the time when the God of 
 heaven would set up a kingdom. I wish I under- 
 stood more about it and about the kingdoms which 
 went before it." 
 
 "I think I shall be able to explain it to you, and 
 as it is the greatest desire of my heart to see my 
 children who are old enough to choose for them- 
 selves, choose the service of God, of course I want 
 you to become subjects of this very kingdom; 
 for your mother and myself are citizens of it, and 
 we shall never be perfectly happy until you are all 
 with us. 
 
78 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "You, of course, remember," continued Mr. 
 Clark, "the very difficult thing which Nebu- 
 chadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had required 
 of the wise men. He had dreamed about certain 
 things but had entirely forgotten his dream, and 
 so great was his anxiety to know the dream, and 
 the meaning of it, that he told the wise men of 
 Babylon they should all be put to death, if some 
 one of them did not tell him what he had dreamed, 
 and also the interpretation of the dream. This 
 was more than any man could do, and they told the 
 king that he had asked more of them than any 
 king had ever done before. This, however, did not 
 cause him to change his mind, and he issued a 
 decree that, if they did not tell him his dream, 
 they should be slain. Accordingly, as Daniel was 
 among the wise men, they sought him with the 
 rest that they might slay him in obedience to the 
 command of the king. When they told Daniel, he 
 quietly asked of the officer, Why is the decree so 
 hasty from the king?' The officer told Daniel the 
 reason, and Daniel went to the king and told him 
 that, if he would give him time, he would tell him 
 his dream and the interpretation. 
 
 "The king granted this and then Daniel went 
 before God in prayer, not without first telling 
 those who were in captivity with him, and asking 
 them to beseech the Lord that he would make the 
 thing known unto him. You remember how God 
 revealed this to Daniel in a night vision; and, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 79 
 
 after thanking the Lord for his goodness and 
 mercy, Daniel presented himself before the king, 
 and when the king demanded of Daniel if he was 
 able to tell him the dream, Daniel answered, 
 'There is a God in heaven that revealeth secrets, 
 and maketh known to the king Nebuchadnezzar 
 what shall be in the latter days.' Then Daniel 
 proceeded to tell the king what he had been think- 
 ing of when the dream came into his mind, and he 
 told the king his dream. In this dream, the king 
 saw an image. Will you, Mary, give me a descrip- 
 tion of the image which the king saw?" 
 
 "The head of the image was of fine gold, the 
 breast and arms of silver, the belly and thighs of 
 brass, the legs were of iron and the feet part of 
 iron and part of clay." 
 
 "That is correct, but what do you understand it 
 to have been the image of?" 
 
 "Of a man, was it not?" 
 
 "Yes, and will you now read from the thirty- 
 seventh to forty-fifth verse of the second chapter 
 of Daniel?" 
 
 Mary found the place and read aloud: 
 
 "Thou, king, art a king of kings; x for the God 
 of heaven hath given thee a kingdom, power, and 
 strength, and glory. And wheresoever the chil- 
 dren of men dwell, the beasts of the field and the 
 fowls of the heaven hath he given into thine hand, 
 and hath made thee ruler over them all. Thou 
 art this head of gold. And after thee shall arise 
 
80 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 another kingdom inferior to thee, and another 
 third kingdom of brass, which shall bear rule over 
 all the earth. And the fourth kingdom shall be 
 strong as iron: forasmuch as iron breaketh in 
 pieces and subdueth all things: and as iron that 
 breaketh all these, shall it break in pieces and 
 bruise. And whereas thou sawest the feet and 
 toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the 
 kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it 
 of the strength of iron, forasmuch as thou sawest 
 the iron mixed with miry clay. And as the toes of 
 the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the 
 kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. 
 And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry 
 clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of 
 men; but they shall not cleave one to another, 
 even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the 
 days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up 
 a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and 
 the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but 
 it shall break in pieces and consume all these 
 kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever. Forasmuch 
 as thou sawest that the stone was cut out of the 
 mountain without hands, and that it brake in 
 pieces the iron, the brass, the clay, the silver, and 
 the gold; the great God hath made known to the 
 king what shall come to pass hereafter; and the 
 dream is certain, and the interpretation thereof 
 
 sure." 
 
 "Daniel, who was this head of gold?" 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY -61 
 
 "Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon." 
 
 "What kingdom did the breast and arms of silver 
 represent?" 
 
 "The Medes and Persians, who took Babylon 
 from Belshazzar and reigned over most of the 
 then known world." 
 
 "What kingdom did his belly and thighs of brass 
 represent?" 
 
 "The Greeks under Alexander, who in their 
 turn subdued the Medo-Persians, and reigned 
 supreme." 
 
 "That is three universal kingdoms; what is the 
 fourth, or the legs of iron?" 
 
 "The Roman Empire, which subdued the Grecian 
 and was divided into the Eastern and Western 
 empires, and finally was subdivided into the 
 various kingdoms of Europe, represented by the 
 feet and toes." 
 
 "Of what were these feet and toes composed?" 
 
 "Part of iron and part of clay." 
 
 "Now I am going to ask you a question, Daniel, 
 and I want you to think carefully before you 
 answer it. When was it that the prophet said the 
 God of heaven would set up a kingdom which 
 should never be destroyed?" 
 
 "In the days of these kings." 
 
 "What kings are meant?" 
 
 "The kings represented by the toes of the image, 
 or the kingdoms into which the Roman Empire 
 was finally divided." 
 
82 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "Do you remember about what time Christ 
 established his kingdom in person?" 
 
 "I do not know just what you mean to ask." 
 
 "Was Christ upon the earth in the days of the 
 Grecian or Roman power?" 
 
 "The Roman power, of course." 
 
 "Was it before or after the division of the 
 Roman government into the Eastern and Western 
 empires?" 
 
 "It was before." 
 
 "Then, as the ten kingdoms represented by the 
 toes of the image were set up long after this, the 
 kingdom or church established by Christ in per- 
 son could not have been this kingdom which 
 Daniel saw set up by the God of heaven, could it?" 
 
 "No, I think not." 
 
 "What did the prophet say this kingdom, set up 
 by the God of heaven, was to do?" 
 
 "To break in pieces and consume all these king- 
 doms, and stand for ever." 
 
 "You must bear in mind, then, that the church 
 or kingdom which Christ established when here in 
 person, was not established at the time spoken of 
 by Daniel, but the kingdom which Daniel saw was 
 set up by the God of heaven and was to consume 
 or break in pieces all these other kingdoms and 
 stand for ever. 
 
 "Daniel, himself, saw the church established by 
 Christ prevailed against and worn out by the horn 
 in the head of the fourth beast which had eyes and 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 83 
 
 a mouth which spake very great things. 'I beheld/ 
 says Daniel, 'and the same horn made war with 
 the saints, and prevailed against them; until the 
 Ancient of Days came, and judgment was given to 
 the saints of the Most High; and the time came 
 that the saints possessed the kingdom . . . and the 
 kingdom and dominion, and the greatness of the 
 kingdom under the whole heaven, shall be given to 
 the people of the saints of the Most High, whose 
 kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and all 
 dominions shall serve and obey him/ 
 
 "History records the fulfillment of many of 
 these predictions, and if we will study it closely 
 enough, we shall see how the Lord has been pre- 
 paring the way for the setting up of his kingdom, 
 which is to be possessed by the saints of the Most 
 High. When the Lord inspired the heart of 
 Columbus to penetrate the unknown realms of the 
 mighty ocean, there was not upon the face of the 
 whole earth a spot of ground where man might 
 worship God according to the dictates of his con- 
 science. America was discovered, and, in process 
 of time, the Pilgrim Fathers came here for that 
 very purpose, and though they themselves become 
 intolerant, God moved upon the framers of our 
 constitution, and not only civil but religious liberty 
 was declared to be the inalienable right of man. 
 This accomplished, and the war ended which 
 secured our independence and freedom from the 
 trammels of all other governments, and from the 
 
84 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 dictation of all narrow prejudice, God then pro- 
 ceeds in fulfillment of prophecy to restore the gos- 
 pel, send it back to the earth by an angel, and set 
 up his kingdom which the saints shall possess; but 
 as civil and religious liberty preceded its establish- 
 ment here, so will it precede its establishment 
 among the nations of the earth." 
 
 "What does it take to constitute a kingdom, 
 father?" 
 
 "Four things at least are necessary to constitute 
 a kingdom, either on earth or in heaven. First, a 
 king; second, laws; third, officers who have power 
 to execute those laws; and fourth, subjects who 
 are governed by those laws. Christ is King by the 
 appointment of his Father: 'But unto the Son he 
 saith, Thy throne, God, is for ever and ever: a 
 scepter of righteousness is the scepter of thy king- 
 dom. Thou hast loved righteousness, and hated 
 iniquity; therefore God, even thy God, hath 
 anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy 
 fellows/ Hebrews 1:8, 9. 
 
 "His subjects are the saints, who have been 
 delivered from the power of darkness: Who hath 
 delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath 
 translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son.'- 
 Colossians 1:13. 
 
 "His officers are those who have been called and 
 sent of God: 'And no man taketh this honor unto 
 himself, but he that is called of God, as was 
 Aaron/ Hebrews 5: 4. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 85 
 
 "The laws of his kingdom are in the gospel, 
 which Paul calls the word of reconciliation which 
 God had committed unto them and says, 'We are 
 ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech 
 you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye 
 reconciled to God/ 
 
 "Let us see now how the claims of Joseph Smith 
 will bear testing. Daniel said, 'In the days of 
 these kings shall the God of heaven set up a king- 
 dom/ Daniel 2:44. Joseph Smith claims that in 
 his first vision he saw the Father and the Son, and 
 they assured him that there was not upon the 
 earth a people or church which was accepted or 
 owned of them, and they commanded him that he 
 should not unite with any of them. 
 
 "John, the Revelator, saw 'Another angel fly in 
 the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel 
 to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and 
 to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and peo- 
 ple/ Revelation 14:6. 
 
 "Joseph Smith claims that the angel Moroni 
 came to him at various times, and finally delivered 
 to him, with his own hands, the plates upon which 
 were contained the fullness of the everlasting gos- 
 pel. John further declares the message of the 
 angel to be, 'Fear God, and give glory to him; for 
 the hour of his judgment is come/ Revelation 
 14:7. 
 
 "Joseph Smith declares that upon the angel's 
 return the second time, he added to his first mes- 
 
86 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 sage the information that great judgments and 
 desolations were about to come upon the earth. 
 They would come by famine, pestilence, and the 
 sword even in that generation. 
 
 "The word of God plainly teaches and declares 
 that, in the church or kingdom of God, no one has 
 any right to preach the word or administer the 
 ordinances unless God gives him authority. If all 
 the churches were wrong, and Joseph was forbid- 
 den to join any of them, where was he to get 
 authority to preach the gospel? They could not 
 give him what they did not have themselves; and 
 if they could have done so, he was forbidden to 
 have anything to do with them. Who was going 
 to say to him, 'Go ye into all the world and preach 
 my gospel'? The Lord had said through Joseph to 
 Oliver Cowdery, 'Behold, the field is white already 
 to the harvest, therefore, whoso desireth to reap, 
 let him thrust in his sickle with his might, and 
 reap while the day lasts, that he may treasure up 
 for his soul everlasting salvation in the kingdom 
 of God. Yea, whosoever will thrust in his sickle 
 and reap, the same is called of God/ Do you not 
 see how very easily Joseph might have taken this 
 general call and commandment, as being a call 
 with authority to the ministry?" 
 
 "It certainly reads very much like it, father, 
 and is not that the way they go into the ministry 
 in other churches?" 
 
 "I believe it is, but it is not God's way, and 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 87 
 
 Joseph would have made a fatal mistake if he had 
 come to that conclusion or acted in that way; but 
 he did not make such a mistake because he was 
 being taught of God. You remember that Jesus 
 went apart into a mountain, and, after he had 
 called his twelve apostles, he ordained them that 
 he might send them forth to preach and that they 
 might have power to heal sicknesses and to cast 
 out devils. His calling them to follow him did not 
 give this power. Jesus called the twelve to follow 
 him, long before he ordained them or gave them 
 authority to act as officers in his kingdom." 
 
 "Did he ever give Joseph Smith this authority?" 
 
 "Yes, he did, but not until after he was bap- 
 tized." 
 
 "Who baptized him?" 
 
 "A man by the name of Oliver Cowdery, who 
 had heard of the plates from Joseph's family. I 
 should have told you that Joseph had been married 
 some time before he obtained the plates. When 
 the persecution became so great that he could no 
 longer remain at his father's, he went with his 
 wife to Pennsylvania, taking the plates with him. 
 At first his wife was his only scribe, but Joseph, 
 becoming anxious to get on faster with the work, 
 prayed to the Lord that he would send him help, 
 which the Lord promised to do. After Joseph 
 went to Pennsylvania, the teacher of the school 
 where his father lived came to his father's to 
 board, and, hearing from the family the strange 
 
88 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 story, became very much interested, and prayed 
 earnestly (though secretly) to the Lord that he 
 might know if it was true. 
 
 "The Lord gave him to know that it was true, 
 and his mind was filled with anxiety to go where 
 Joseph was; and as soon as possible he set out with 
 Samuel Smith, a brother of Joseph's, and when 
 they arrived there, Joseph was expecting them, 
 for the Lord had told him he would send him help. 
 This teacher was Oliver Cowdery, and he became 
 of great help to Joseph in writing down the trans- 
 lation of the plates; and he is one of the three men 
 to whom the angel showed the plates, as you will 
 remember that Joseph never showed them to but 
 few, because God had forbidden him to do so. 
 
 "In translating the plates, they came to instruc- 
 tion concerning baptism, and went to the Lord in 
 prayer, desiring to know more about it. While 
 they were praying and calling upon the Lord, a 
 messenger descended in a cloud of light, and lay- 
 ing his hands upon them, ordained them thus: 
 'Upon you, my fellow servants, in the name of 
 Messiah, I confer the priesthood of Aaron, which 
 holds the keys of the ministering of angels, and of 
 the gospel of repentance and of baptism by immer- 
 sion for the remission of sins; and this shall never 
 be taken again from the earth until the sons of 
 Levi do oif er again an offering unto the Lord in 
 righteousness/ The angel then commanded them 
 to go and baptize each other, telling Joseph to first 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 89 
 
 baptize Oliver and then Oliver to baptize Joseph, 
 and in the same manner to ordain each other to 
 the Aaronic priesthood. The same messenger told 
 them that he acted under the direction of Peter, 
 James, and John, who held the keys of the Mel- 
 chisedec priesthood, and promised that, in due 
 time, this priesthood also should be conferred upon 
 them. Accordingly, in obedience to the command 
 received through this messenger (who was John 
 the Baptist), they baptized and ordained each 
 other; and after they came up out of the water, 
 they experienced great and glorious blessings and 
 prophesied many things concerning the church 
 and the people of this generation. This occurred 
 on the 15th of May, 1829. The full authority of 
 the kingdom, however, had not yet been conferred 
 upon any one, for no one held authority to lay on 
 hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Afterwards, 
 Peter, James, and John conferred the Melchisedec 
 priesthood upon Joseph and Oliver. On the sixth 
 day of April, 1830, the church or kingdom of God 
 was organized with six members. 
 
90 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 CHAPTER 
 
 PREACHING THE GOSPEL 
 
 Did we in our own strength confide, 
 Our striving would be losing; 
 
 Were not the right man on our side. 
 The man of God's own choosing. 
 
 Dost ask who that may be? 
 Christ Jesus, it is he, 
 Lord Sabaoth his name, 
 From age to age the same, 
 And he must win the battle. 
 
 F. H. Hedge. 
 From the German of Martin Luther. 
 
 YOU know the history of the way in 
 which God qualified the men who were 
 chosen to be witnesses to the Book of 
 Mormon, to testify to its truth?" asked Daniel. 
 
 "This is one of the most interesting parts of the 
 history," said Mr. Clark. "You will remember that 
 the charge of the angel was very strict to Joseph; 
 and no one was to see the plates unless God com- 
 manded him to show them. Here are the names 
 of eight witnesses to whom Joseph was com- 
 manded to show the plates, and they testify that 
 they saw them and handled them, and solemnly 
 witness before God that what they testify to, is 
 true." 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 91 
 
 "These were not the three special witnesses, 
 were they?" 
 
 "No; and I want you to notice in what a special 
 manner God guards the testimony in regard to the 
 divine origin of this book. Had there been only 
 these eight witnesses, men might have said, We 
 do not doubt their testimony is honest enough, and 
 that they have seen the plates, but how do they 
 know that this book contains what was written on 
 them? It is not likely that Smith found the plates 
 by accident, just as many other strange things are 
 found, and it has come into his head to build up a 
 system of religion; and by putting himself at the 
 head, he will become a great man. He has there- 
 fore drawn upon his imagination to translate the 
 writing on the plates, and as no one can read it, 
 his deception can not be discovered, and those who 
 are silly enough believe that what he says is true/ 
 
 "But, my children, if the people of this genera- 
 tion reject the Book of Mormon, they will have no 
 excuse left for doing it, because God has not left 
 them any. The record itself told them that three 
 special witnesses were to be provided by the Lord, 
 to whom he would grant that they should see the 
 plates; and when Joseph inquired through the 
 Urim and Thummim who these were to be, he was 
 told, as I mentioned before, that they should be 
 Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, and Martin Har- 
 ris. If he was a deceiver, he here placed himself 
 in a strange position. Moroni had taken away the 
 
92 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 plates and yet these men had never seen them. If 
 Joseph Smith was to practice deception now, he 
 must get the Lord to help him; and truly the Lord 
 did help him, not to practice deceit, but to con- 
 firm the truth of what he had declared through 
 him. 
 
 "Being anxious that these three men whom God 
 had appointed should be qualified to become wit- 
 nesses, Joseph in company with them retired to 
 the woods to ask God for a fulfillment of the 
 promise he had made. Kneeling down, they called 
 upon God in earnest prayer, Joseph leading and 
 followed by the others in turn. This they did 
 twice in succession, observing the same order and 
 each one praying. 
 
 "When at the close of their second prayer they 
 received no manifestation of divine power, Martin 
 Harris proposed to withdraw from the rest, as he 
 felt that in some way the hindering cause was in 
 him. A few moments after he had gone, while 
 they were praying, they beheld a light above them 
 in the air, of exceeding brightness, and an angel 
 stood before them. In his hand he held the plates 
 which they had been praying to see. 
 
 "Slowly he turned over the leaves one by one, so 
 that they could see the engravings oji them very 
 distinctly. Then addressing himself to David 
 Whitmer he said, 'David, blessed is the Lord and 
 he that keeps his commandments/ and imme- 
 diately afterwards they heard a voice from out of 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 93 
 
 the bright light saying: 'These plates have been 
 revealed by the power of God and have been 
 translated by the power of God. The translation 
 which you have seen of them is correct, and I com- 
 mand you to bear record of what you now see and 
 hear.' 
 
 "Joseph then joined Martin Harris, and, uniting 
 their faith and prayers together, he also heard and 
 saw the same things and rejoiced exceedingly, 
 praising God for his mercy. After this, the three 
 witnesses drew up their testimony as they had 
 been commanded, 'To all nations, kindred, tongues, 
 and people/ ' 
 
 "Father," said Mary, "I do not see how it will be 
 possible for people to disbelieve this, when so many 
 witness that God has shown them that it is true. 
 I am anxious to know what is in the book. When 
 will you begin to read it to us?" 
 
 "In a few days, I think; but I want to tell you, 
 Mary, that you must not expect to see people will- 
 ing to give up their old systems of religion without 
 a desperate effort to uphold them. It always has 
 been so, and always will be to the end of time. 
 You know that they refused to hear Christ, and 
 not only rejected his message, but crucified him, 
 and persecuted those who believed on him. The 
 Savior told them that it would be so, that the time 
 would come when those who killed them would 
 think they were pleasing God in doing so." 
 
 "Do you think, father, that the time will ever 
 
94 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 come again when people will be killed because they 
 do not believe as others do?" 
 
 "I do not know, daughter, but it would not be 
 strange. As far as we know the history of the 
 world, it always has been so, and men are very 
 much the same now that they were in the past. 
 Indeed they have already manifested great hatred 
 toward Joseph and his followers, and have circu- 
 lated all manner of falsehoods about them, even 
 arresting them upon the most trivial charges." 
 
 Again the heart of Mrs. Clark throbbed pain- 
 fully for a moment as she looked at her group of 
 little ones, but it was only for a moment; then the 
 calm assurance of faith came to her, and lifting up 
 her heart to God she prayed earnestly that if the 
 covenant into which she had entered led unto 
 death she might have grace given her to endure 
 to the end even to the end and that all her chil- 
 dren might be gathered into the fold. She had 
 made her choice, and for life or death, through 
 evil as well as through good report, she would fol- 
 low the Lord. Then how thankful she felt that 
 God had given her a knowledge of the truth of 
 what she had embraced. It was not a belief, but a 
 knowledge. She had believed before she was bap- 
 tized, but when she had been confirmed a member 
 of the church, the Holy Ghost had descended in 
 power, witnessing to her that she was a child of 
 God. It was the seal of her adoption into his 
 family, and she needed no one to assure her that 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 95 
 
 what she had obeyed was the gospel of Christ, for 
 the witness of God was greater to her than the 
 witness of man. 
 
 When the elders had said, "Receive thou the 
 Holy Ghost," she had felt it come upon her, baptiz- 
 ing her from the crown of her head to the soles of 
 her feet, and from that time no shadow of waver- 
 ing crossed her soul, and she felt that it would 
 never be possible for her to doubt. Never! 
 
 "To-morrow," said Mr. Clark, "is the Lord's Day, 
 and I have invited as many of our neighbors as I 
 could see, in so short a time, to meet with us here 
 at ten o'clock for the purpose of holding a religious 
 meeting. We will retire early in order that we 
 may be up early and have everything in readiness." 
 
 The children looked inquiringly at each other, 
 but they did not ask the question which was in 
 their minds, "Who will preach?" Neither did their 
 father tell them, but they soon went to bed, think- 
 ing there would be great excitement the next day, 
 if half the wonderful things which they had heard 
 of should be told. They knew that some of the 
 neighbors had learned already the object of the 
 recent visit to Kirtland, and they knew that as 
 many as could get there would be there. 
 
 It must not be forgotten that Daniel was now 
 several years older than when he passed that terri- 
 ble night in the woods, and that he was no longer 
 a youth, but a man in stature and in feeling, and 
 there had come to his heart the blissful knowledge 
 
96 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 which sooner or later knocks for admission at the 
 heart of every boy or girl. 
 
 He knew that there was one whose smile he 
 valued above all others, and the lightest touch of 
 whose hand had power to thrill him with such a 
 sense of bliss as nothing besides could do. From 
 all others his heart singled out this one, and with- 
 out measure or reservation gave to her the first, 
 truest, and best love of his manhood. 
 
 Not a dream, not an aspiration of his soul which 
 did not include her; and he had resolved that very 
 soon he would ask her to be his wife, to share with 
 him the journey of life, making its joys dearer and 
 its cares lighter, but now his mind was troubled. 
 He had felt that she understood the nature of his 
 feelings and hoped that she loved him; but this 
 was before his father had brought home this 
 strange news. Now many a doubt arose in his 
 mind as to how it might terminate. 
 
 He believed fully all which his father had said, 
 and he knew that the time was very near when he 
 would be called upon to act. Would she believe as 
 he did, or would action upon his part build up a 
 barrier between them? That he could ever give 
 up the truth did not once present itself to his 
 mind, neither did it enter his heart that he could 
 ever resign Margery; but notwithstanding this, a 
 vague uneasiness took possession of him, and he 
 longed yet dreaded to see the morrow. He felt 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 97 
 
 sure that she would come, for they lived near and 
 she and Mary were friends. 
 
 For years he had felt that he would yet be called 
 upon to preach the gospel of Christ, and his studies 
 had all been entered upon with direct reference to 
 this. True, they consisted mostly of sacred and 
 profane history (not very much towards qualifying 
 a young man to preach in these days); but he 
 found that Jesus was familiar with the Old Testa- 
 ment Scriptures, and Paul exhorted Timothy to 
 search the Scriptures, and a doubt never entered 
 his mind that when the time came for him to 
 "declare the works of the Lord," the Lord would 
 enable him to do it. 
 
 He almost wished that he had asked Margery 
 sooner and put it beyond her power to reject him 
 because of his religion; but no, he was glad he had 
 not done so, for he knew that he would never have 
 held her to the fulfillment of any promise which 
 her heart did not fully ratify, and now he would 
 never ask her to be his wife until he had decided 
 fully on his future course. 
 
 The day dawned clear and bright and promised 
 to be one of the loveliest of a late Indian summer. 
 Rude benches had been constructed under the 
 large forest-trees in front of the house, and as 
 early as half past nine the people began to assem- 
 ble, and by ten o'clock the audience numbered over 
 fifty grown people, besides children of every age. 
 As Daniel had expected, Margery was there; but 
 
98 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 being detained in assisting his father to manage a 
 restless team, he had not been there when she 
 came, and he quietly seated himself at some dis-* 
 tance from her, and found himself speculating as 
 to who was going to preach. 
 
 He had never heard his father address an audi- 
 ence; but for some reason did not feel very much 
 surprised when he arose and announced a familiar 
 hymn, and after the singing offered up a short but 
 fervent prayer. Then the congregation sang 
 another hymn, after which Mr. Clark arose and 
 read the second chapter of Acts. He told them he 
 should confine what he had that day to say to 
 them to a brief review of Peter's answer to those 
 Jews who had cried out, "Men and brethren, what 
 shall we do?" 
 
 He then went back in the history of this same 
 apostle to the time when he had denied the Savior 
 with cursing, trembling to acknowledge him before 
 even a servant-maid; but here, upon the day of* 
 Pentecost, boldly and fearlessly he stands up 
 before the assembled thousands of the Jews, gath- 
 ered from every nation under heaven, and without 
 a tremor in his voice or the slightest hesitation, 
 charges upon them the crucifixion of Christ, and 
 declares his resurrection by the power of God, no 
 stammering tongue now betraying his Galilean 
 origin, but an irresistible tide of eloquence, until 
 pricked to their hearts, unable to bear it longer, 
 they cry out, "What shall we do?" 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 99 
 
 Whence this great change, wonderful in its 
 nature and effects? Searching for its cause, he 
 called their attention to the last interview between 
 Christ and his apostles and the strict injunction he 
 had given them. "John," said he, "truly baptized 
 with water, but ye shall be baptized with the Holy 
 Ghost not many days hence. Tarry at Jerusalem; 
 depart not, but wait for the promise of the Father. 
 I have told you of it; told you that it was neces- 
 sary for me to leave you, for if I did not the Com- 
 forter would not come. You are to be witnesses 
 unto me in all the world, but there is another 
 whose witness is greater, even the Holy Ghost, the 
 Spirit of truth, therefore abide in Jerusalem until 
 ye receive power from on high." 
 
 "Here, then," said Mr. Clark, "we obtain the key 
 to unravel the mystery of this strange transforma- 
 tion. In the baptism of the Holy Ghost, then, 
 resided this wonderful power which even the pres- 
 ence of the Master had failed to confer upon his 
 disciples. Wonderful, not only in the boldness 
 conferred, but in its convincing power. The num- 
 ber added to the church in one day vastly outnum- 
 bered the church previously at Jerusalem, for we 
 read that the number of names together were 
 about one hundred and twenty, but upon this day 
 about three thousand were added unto them. 
 
 "Before this they had prayed to God to direct, 
 and had then chosen by lot one to take the place of 
 Judas in the ministry; but after this we read of no 
 
100 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 more casting of lots in matters like this, but find 
 the Spirit taking up the office work assigned it in 
 the church and speaking with authority, as when 
 they were ministering and fasting at Antioch The 
 Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul 
 for the work whereunto I have called them/ Acts 
 13:2. And again, when they had, in obedience to 
 this direction, sent them away, after going to 
 various places, they would have continued their 
 journey to Asia, but the Holy Ghost forbade their 
 going there. (See Acts 16: 6.) 
 
 "But going back and taking up again the cry of 
 the three thousand Jews, 'Men and brethren, what 
 shall we do?' let us hear the answer; hear it, while 
 we bear the fact well in mind that Peter, who 
 answers this question, was one of the number upon 
 whom the Holy Ghost had been poured out and 
 was therefore doubly qualified to answer it. Quali- 
 fied, because he had been with Jesus during all his 
 earthly ministry, and was one of those to whom 
 the Master had said, 'Ye shall be witnesses unto 
 me'; and now by the baptism of the Holy Ghost he 
 had, as the future companion of his life journey, 
 the Spirit which should guide into all truth, and 
 which was the other witness to the truth of all 
 things taught by Jesus. 
 
 "The words are not mine, neither the doctrine. 
 Christ commanded them to teach to all men just 
 what he had taught to them; and is there any one 
 under the sound of my voice who believes that 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 101 
 
 Peter was disobedient to this command? Then 
 Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized 
 every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for 
 the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift 
 of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, 
 and to your children, and to all who are afar off, 
 even as many as the Lord our God shall call.' 
 Acts 2: 38, 39. 
 
 "Repentance, then, was required of them as the 
 first requisite after faith. They had shown their 
 faith in God when they cried out, 'What shall we 
 do?' and the question evidently implied, 'What 
 must we do if we would be saved?' But further 
 than this there was a command, and the object of 
 the command was most distinctly stated, 'Be bap- 
 tized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ 
 for the remission of sins/ and then follows a prom- 
 ise, positive, unconditional, broad, deep, and far- 
 reaching as the gospel itself: 'Ye shall receive the 
 gift of the Holy Ghost/ because Christ has prom- 
 ised it, and to-day God has ratified the promise of 
 his Son. 
 
 "Turn with me to John 7: 17, and we hear Jesus 
 saying, 'If any man will do his will, (that is, the 
 Father's will,) he shall know of the doctrine, 
 whether it be of God, or whether I speak of 
 myself/ Peter in very few words told them the 
 will of the Father, and finished by saying, Te 
 shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.' 
 
 "I see here to-day many of my friends who, I 
 
102 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 know, belong to different churches, and I want to 
 ask them how it was with them in the years gone 
 by when they inquired of their preachers the same 
 thing; put to them the same question asked by 
 these alarmed and convicted Jews on the day of 
 Pentecost, What shall I do to be saved?' I remem- 
 ber how it was with me, and I doubt not my own 
 experience is similar to yours. 
 
 "I was told to come forward, and they would 
 pray to God to convert my soul; and when I could 
 give sufficient evidence of being converted, then, 
 if I had not been baptized in infancy, they would 
 baptize me and the church would receive me as a 
 member. But Peter had not so learned Christ. 
 The will of the Father was that they should 
 believe on the Son whom he had sent, and having 
 believed on Jesus, they should be baptized in his 
 name, not as a form or a sign, but for a specific 
 purpose; namely, the remission of their sins, and 
 then they had a promise. 
 
 "Before this they had no promise whatever, arid 
 the apostle tells us elsewhere that the 'Spirit of 
 God dwelleth not in unholy temples/ If there 
 remains any doubt in regard to this matter, let us 
 go on a little farther with Saul (or Paul) in his 
 journey upon which he had been sent by the Holy 
 Ghost, and we overtake him while he is sojourning 
 at Ephesus. 
 
 "Here he finds disciples 'certain disciples/ the 
 narrative calls them, but it is evident that they 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 103 
 
 believed themselves to be disciples of Jesus. Paul 
 asks of them a very plain, straightforward ques- 
 tion, 'Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye 
 believed?' They answer in astonishment, 'We have 
 not so much as heard whether there be any Holy 
 Ghost/ 
 
 "It is Paul's turn now to be astonished, and he 
 quickly asks, 'Unto what then were ye baptized?' 
 They answer, 'Unto John's baptism.' 'Some mis- 
 take here,' reasons Paul, 'John verily baptized with 
 the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, 
 that they should believe on him which should come 
 after him'; and it is recorded of John that he told 
 the people, 'He is mightier than I ... he shall 
 baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.' 
 What was the result of this brief dialogue with 
 Paul? 'When they heard this, they were baptized 
 in the name of the Lord Jesus.' 
 
 "Thank God, the record does not close here, for 
 we need all the way-marks we can fid to point us 
 to the straight and narrow way which leads to life 
 everlasting. Jesus said of this way, 'Few there be 
 that find it'; and, my friends, when we consider 
 how this way has been hedged up by the teachers 
 men have heaped to themselves, how they have 
 taught their own commandments instead of the 
 pure gospel of the Son of God; when we consider 
 this, I say, it is not, or should not be surprising to 
 us that it became necessary for God to restore 
 the gospel to the earth by the hands of an angel. 
 
104 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "But let us go back to Paul, and see what tran- 
 spired after he had baptized the disciples he found 
 at Ephesus. The record says, 'And when Paul had 
 laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came 
 upon them; and they spake with tongues and 
 prophesied/ Think you that after this Paul would 
 have found it necessary to ask them, 'Have ye 
 received the Holy Ghost?' Paul had not been with 
 the apostles when Jesus said to them, 'These signs 
 shall follow them that believe/ but he tells us that 
 Jesus was his teacher. 
 
 "Man had not taught him the gospel, and, dear 
 friends, let us bear this one thing in mind, when 
 Christ teaches, perfect harmony will always be 
 found. He will not declare to the messenger he 
 sends to-day, that which he will to-morrow send 
 another to take back, for he himself came from 
 God, who changes not. He was with the Father 
 when the plan of human redemption was framed; 
 and that redemption is in the gospel which was 
 preached in the beginning, as well as in these 
 latter days, and to which 'the law' was afterwards 
 added because of transgression. 
 
 "But let us call your attention to another part of 
 God's word as proof of the way in which Christ 
 intended his gospel should be confirmed to those 
 who obeyed it. This takes us back to the time 
 when Paul was himself a bitter enemy of the 
 church. Indeed he was foremost among those 
 who were persecuting the Saints, and most active 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 105 
 
 in haling men and women and casting them into 
 prison; and because of the fierceness of those 
 wicked persecutors, the saints were scattered 
 everywhere. 
 
 "Among them was one, Philip by name, who 
 went down to Samaria and preached Christ to the 
 people, and many of them believed and were bap- 
 tized by him. When news of this came to Jerusa- 
 lem they sent Peter and John; and the record 
 says, When they were come down, [they] prayed 
 for them, that they might receive the Holy Ghost: 
 (for as yet he was fallen upon none of them: only 
 they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus). 
 Then laid they their hands on them; and they 
 received the Holy Ghost/ Acts 8: 15-17. 
 
 "This again we see is not in harmony with what 
 is taught by teachers sent of men, having only the 
 authority which man can confer; but Peter 
 assured those who mocked upon the day of Pente- 
 cost, that Jesus, having received of the Father 
 what he had promised, even the Holy Ghost, had 
 shed forth what they saw and heard." 
 
 Mr. Clark then proceeded: "I come to you 
 to-day with this same gospel, alike in its origin, its 
 ordinances, and its promises; come to tell you that 
 the Lord has restored again to earth, by the hand 
 of an angel, the authority of his priesthood, or the 
 right to administer in all the ordinances of the 
 gospel, and not only to offer it upon the same 
 terms, but with the same promise associated, that 
 
106 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 if any man or woman will do the will of the 
 Father, he shall know of the doctrine, 'whether it 
 be of God, or whether I speak of myself/ 
 
 "It is a thing unknown in the history of the past 
 that ever a deceiver called upon God to witness to 
 the truth of his words and received an answer to 
 his call confirming that which was spoken. But it 
 is not a thing unknown that the Father promised 
 the Son to confirm his gospel by signs, neither are 
 these signs of an indefinite character, as you will 
 see by reading the last verses of the last chapter 
 of Mark. Jesus there says to^his disciples, 'Go .ye 
 into all the world, and preach the gospel to every 
 creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall 
 be saved; but he that believeth not shall be 
 damned. And these signs shall follow them that 
 believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; 
 they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take 
 up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it 
 shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the 
 sick, and they shall recover/ 
 
 "This was just before Jesus was received up into 
 heaven, it was his parting command to those who 
 had been with him, and the promise was not only 
 to them, but to those who should believe the gos- 
 pel; and Mark adds further, that 'they went forth, 
 and preached everywhere, the Lord working with 
 them, and confirming the word with signs follow- 
 ing/ 
 
 "Jesus commanded them to teach the people to 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 107 
 
 observe all things whatsoever he had commanded 
 them, and he would be with them to the end of the 
 world. I come now to ask of you, my friends, if 
 you have ever heard this gospel presented to you, 
 the gospel which Paul declares came unto the 
 Saints in that day not 'in word only, but also in 
 power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assur- 
 ance/ Many of you have asked the way of life 
 and salvation; have any of you ever been answered 
 as Peter answered the three thousand upon the day 
 of Pentecost? If you have not, would it not be 
 well to inquire the reason? Has the gospel been 
 changed, or have we been hearing that which is 
 not the gospel? Paul pronounced a curse upon 
 man or angel who should preach any other, and 
 declared there was no other. If, then, there is no 
 other, why this change? 
 
 "In writing to the church at Corinth, Paul 
 speaks at length upon the spiritual gifts, and 
 assures them that 'no man can say that Jesus is 
 the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost/ He understood 
 very well that it was the Holy Spirit which was to 
 bear witness of Christ. The apostles were his 
 witnesses also, but the witness of the Holy Spirit 
 was greater than theirs, because one was human 
 testimony, the other divine; but while the Holy 
 Spirit was to bear witness to men that Jesus was 
 the Son of God and that the doctrine he taught 
 was the truth of God, it was at the same time to 
 confer certain gifts upon the church, and Paul ir> 
 
108 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 laboring to instruct the Corinthian church that 
 they may be able to understand these things, and 
 tells them that a manifestation of the Spirit is 
 given to every man, but that these are not all 
 alike. To one is given the word of wisdom, to 
 another the word of knowledge, to another faith, 
 to another the gifts of healing, to another working 
 of miracles, to another prophecy, to another dis- 
 cerning of spirits, to another divers kinds of 
 tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues, 
 but no matter what one of these gifts the follower 
 of Christ may possess, it is bestowed by the same 
 Spirit. (See 1 Corinthians 12: 7-11.) . * 
 
 "I see before me some of my friends who are 
 Methodist, and as I was a Methodist for years, I 
 find myself wondering if their experience corre- 
 sponds to my own. I often inquired why it was 
 that gifts of the Spirit were not now in the 
 church, and I would receive for answer, 'They 
 were only given to establish the church, and not 
 being needed any longer, God had removed them/ 
 This, however, did not satisfy me, and I never 
 read of the wonderful works, done by the early 
 followers of Christ, without believing in my soul 
 that they were intended to be in the church to the 
 end of the world. 
 
 "Reading in a volume of Wesley's sermons, I one 
 day, to my astonishment, came across this passage: 
 'It does not appear that these extraordinary gifts 
 of the Holy Ghost were common in the church for 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 109 
 
 more than two or three centuries; we seldom hear 
 of them after that fatal period when the emperor 
 Constantine called himself a Christian; and from 
 a vain imagination of promoting the Christian 
 cause thereby, heaped riches, honor, and power 
 upon the Christians in general, but in particular 
 upon the clergy. 
 
 " 'From this time they almost totally ceased, very 
 few instances of the kind being found. The cause 
 of this was not, as has been vulgarly supposed, 
 because there was no more occasion for them, by 
 reason of all the world becoming Christian, for 
 this is a miserable mistake, as not one twentieth 
 part was at that time even nominally Christian. 
 The real cause was that "The love of many waxed 
 cold," and the Christians had no more of the Spirit 
 than the heathen. 
 
 " 'The Son of Man, when he came to examine 
 his church, could hardly "find faith on the earth." 
 This was the real cause why the gifts of the Holy 
 Spirit were no longer to be found dn the Christian 
 church; because the Christians were turned 
 heathen again and had only a dead form left/ 
 
 "After reading this, another thought troubled 
 me. If God had called Wesley to organize his 
 church and preach his gospel, why did he not say 
 to him as he said to his disciples, 'These signs 
 shall follow them that believe'; especially, why did 
 he not confirm his work as he confirmed theirs? 
 Wesley was a great and a good man, and he did a 
 
110 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 grand work in his day; but I tell you, my friends, 
 he was not able to restore the gospel. The power 
 and authority had been taken from the earth, and 
 if ever it should be upon the earth again, one 
 would have to be sent from heaven to restore it. 
 
 "Reading still further, we come to his sermon 
 upon the signs of the times: The times that we 
 have reason to believe are at hand, if they are not 
 already begun, are what many pious men have 
 termed the time of the latter-day glory; meaning 
 the time wherein God would gloriously display his 
 power and grace in the fulfillment of the promise 
 that "the knowledge of the Lord shall cover the 
 earth as the waters cover the sea." The gener- 
 ality of Christians can see no signs of the glorious 
 day that is approaching; yet how is this to be 
 accounted for? How is it that men who can now 
 discern the hue of the sky, who are not only great 
 philosophers but great divines, as eminent as ever 
 the Saducees or Pharisees were, do not discern the 
 signs of the glorious times which, if not begun, are 
 nigh even at the door? . . . And yet the wise 
 men of the world, men of learning and renown, 
 can not understand what we mean by talking 
 extraordinarily of God. They can not discern the 
 signs of these times. They see no signs at all of 
 God's arising to maintain his own cause and set up 
 his kingdom over all the earth. . . . What could 
 God have done that he has not done to convince 
 you that the day is coming, that the time is at 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 111 
 
 hand, when he will fulfill his glorious promise, and 
 will arise to maintain his own cause and set up his 
 kingdom?' 
 
 "From this it will be plainly seen that Wesley 
 did not regard himself as being called of God to 
 establish Christ's kingdom, but he looked forward 
 to the time when God would establish it; and, 
 doubtless, if we had a fuller expression of his 
 views, he knew that when God should do this, 
 there would be a restoration to the earth of the 
 power of the gospel. From the time of my read- 
 ing this, I have been looking for God to arise and 
 maintain his own cause; and I thank God he has at 
 last done .this; and to-day I stand before you to 
 declare in your hearing the wonderful things 
 which have lately come to pass in our midst." 
 
 Then Mr. Clark proceeded to give a brief 
 account of the history of the Book of Mormon 
 and of the work God had set his hand to do in the 
 latter days, and concluded by extending to any 
 who might wish, the privilege of being adopted 
 into the household and kingdom of God upon the 
 same terms offered by Peter upon the day of Pen- 
 tecost; and as it is not our purpose to lengthen 
 this part of our story, we will just say that the 
 services were continued from time to time, and in 
 a few weeks a branch of seventy-five members 
 was organized, and the gifts and blessings of the 
 gospel were with them in power. 
 
112 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 CHAPTER IX 
 MARGERY 
 
 She hath a natural, wise sincerity, 
 
 A simple truthfulness, and these have lent her 
 
 A dignity as moveless as the center; 
 
 So that no influence of earth cart stir 
 
 Her steadfast courage, nor can take away 
 
 The holy peacefulness, which, night and day t 
 
 Unto her queenly soul doth minister. 
 
 J. R. Lowell. 
 
 E of the most attentive listeners that 
 day to the sermon of Mr. Clark had been 
 his son, Daniel, and long before his father 
 closed, his mind was fully made up that if God 
 would accept him, he would preach his gospel. 
 New light dawned upon his soul and a burning 
 zeal took possession of him to be numbered with 
 those who should bear these glad tidings abroad to 
 the world. 
 
 Once or twice he glanced where Margery was 
 sitting, anxious to see if he could judge the effect 
 it was having upon her, but save an earnest atten- 
 tion to the speaker, he could discover nothing to 
 indicate the workings of her mind; but knowing 
 that she was truthfulness itself, he knew that she 
 would tell him frankly what she thought of it, and 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 113 
 
 his heart offered one earnest prayer to God that 
 the power of his Holy Spirit might convince her 
 heart. 
 
 When the meeting was dismissed the people 
 gathered in groups to talk over the strange things 
 they had heard. Many questions were asked and 
 answered, and Mr. Clark was solicited to give out 
 other appointments, which he did. 
 
 Margery had gone in with Mary and both were 
 busy preparing dinner, for some of their friends 
 were going to stay with them until evening, and 
 Daniel had no chance to speak with her privately 
 until she started for home, when, saddling his own 
 horse, he prepared to accompany her. 
 
 For some time . they rode silently along the 
 shady road, each absorbed in his own thoughts; 
 then Margery called his attention to the beauty of 
 the woods, robed in the varied tints of autumn. 
 "But, after all, it is only the preparation nature is 
 making for their decay and death," said she; "even 
 now they are falling, and the ground is strewn 
 with them like a carpet. How beautiful they were 
 in the early springtime, and how eagerly we 
 watched their budding, so tired we were of seeing 
 the leafless branches where neither fruit nor 
 flower was growing. I am always glad when the 
 spring comes back, but the autumn days make me 
 sad." 
 
 "We must look beyond them for the return of 
 the gladness nature is even now at work in her 
 
114 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 storehouse to create for us," said Daniel. "See 
 those rich clusters of goldenrod among the purple 
 and white asters. One knows not which to admire 
 most, the early flowers of spring, or autumn's 
 richer treasures. The works of God are all per- 
 fect, and even the decay which we deplore, causes 
 us to look forward to the renewal we know will 
 surely spring from it, with a zest we never should 
 know, if it were always with us in its beauty. I 
 always loved my home; but its light never shone 
 for me with a halo so soft, its voices were never so 
 dear to me and its sheltering care never so grate- 
 ful as it has been since I once faced a terrible 
 death, through the long and lonely hours of a 
 night never to be forgotten." 
 
 "When was that?" asked Margery, with a 
 scarcely perceptible tremor in her voice. 
 "It was years ago, before we came here." 
 "Is the story too long to tell?" 
 "Oh no, not if you would care to hear it." 
 "Tell it to me then, for the evening is so fine I 
 feel like lingering by the way." 
 
 So while their horses walked slowly along he 
 told her the scrap of history with which our read- 
 ers are already familiar; told her all even as he 
 had told his mother, and then said, "Margery, for 
 more than a year I have known that you were 
 more to me than any one upon the earth. I love 
 you without any reservation of heart or soul, and I 
 would gladly make you my wife; but before I win 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 115 
 
 a word from you in answer, a word which would in 
 any way commit your future to be affected by 
 mine, I must tell you that I know my lot will be 
 cast in with the people of God, and if God is will- 
 ing to accept me, I shall offer myself as one of his 
 servants to carry this gospel to the ends of the 
 earth. 
 
 "I now feel that the Lord sent the message to 
 me, when my life was preserved by the presence 
 of his angels, and I feel sure that it will soon be 
 made known to me. I do not know, but I intui- 
 tively feel that the life of an elder's wife will be 
 one of sacrifice from first to last; but if your faith 
 was strong, if you knew that it was a cross, taken 
 up daily through love of God and in his service, 
 I feel that I know you well enough to know that 
 you would take it up with a light heart and a firm 
 hand. 
 
 "I will not ask you to answer me now, for all 
 this must be new to you, and as it is a question 
 which will affect our lives for all time, if not for 
 eternity, it ought to receive your most careful 
 attention. I will not even ask you if my love is 
 returned, but leave you free to reject my suit upon 
 any grounds, for that is your privilege; and your 
 happiness is more to me than my own. It will be 
 to you like the choice of Ruth; for I know that this 
 people are to be a peculiar people, and it may be 
 that the time will come when life itself will be 
 demanded of those who will not deny the truth." 
 
116 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "Why do you think this, Daniel?" 
 
 There was in the tone of Margery's voice, as she 
 asked the question, a subtle tenderness which 
 made the heart of Daniel throb more quickly; and 
 he remembered that in all their former acquaint- 
 ance she had never called him Daniel before; but 
 he steadied his voice as he replied to her question, 
 though one swift glance at her slightly averted 
 face betrayed the joy he felt; and though Mar- 
 gery did not lift her eyes, she felt the glance, and 
 trembled even after it was withdrawn. 
 
 "I think it," he replied, "because it always has 
 been so. Joseph Smith is a prophet and he has 
 been sent to declare repentance to all people alike, 
 to say to saint and sinner that none are accepted 
 before God.- Stephen, in talking to the Jews just 
 before they stoned him, told them that they were 
 doing just what their fathers had always done, and 
 that was resisting the Holy Ghost. 
 
 "Jesus told them that if one should come in his 
 own name they would receive him; but, because 
 he had come in his Father's name, they rejected 
 him. Do you not see that there is the same dif- 
 ference between Joseph Smith and all who have 
 gone before? Luther, Calvin, the Wesleys, and a 
 host of others who from time to time have under- 
 taken reforms in the church and in the world, 
 have never claimed to have any direct revelation 
 from God, but have only contended against the 
 wickedness of the church and people, as men 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 117 
 
 imbued with a deep sense of justice and love of 
 God. 
 
 "Not so, however, with Joseph Smith. The very 
 first claim which he puts forth is to being called 
 of God and commissioned with authority from 
 heaven. Not only this, but he is commanded to 
 tell the world that God acknowledges none of their 
 creeds, but that all their systems of religion are 
 abominable in his sight; not to say that their works 
 of justice and mercy are not acceptable, but that 
 their creeds of religion are hateful to him, for 
 they are not the gospel he sent his Son to deliver, 
 which is the power of God unto salvation, and in 
 which the righteousness of God is revealed. 
 
 "Think for a moment of the righteousness of 
 God being manifested by his choosing some to be 
 eternally saved and others to be eternally damned; 
 not because he foreknew that one would believe on 
 his Son and so have eternal life, while the other 
 would not believe and so come under condemna- 
 tion, but just because having all power, it pleased 
 him to make one to be saved and the other to be 
 damned. Yet this, you know, is the creed of more 
 than one church. 
 
 "Is it any wonder that God is weary of being so 
 misrepresented? Jesus said the 'truth should 
 make us free,' and it is this truth, which is finally 
 to banish from the earth such abominable doc- 
 trines as this, that men will (strange as it may 
 seem) hate and contend against." 
 
118 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "You may be right, but it seems to me so strange 
 that such things can be reconciled with love. It 
 was love which led God to send his Son into the 
 world, but what love is there in that, or what 
 nature could God be possessed of to take pleasure 
 in such things? Why not hope and believe that 
 the time of which Wesley spoke has come, 'when 
 Godwill arise to maintain his own cause and set 
 up his kingdom?' ' 
 
 "That time has indeed come, but the powers of 
 hell will engage in a desperate struggle to defeat 
 it, and the contest may be long and bitter. I learn 
 from my father that some are already making 
 preparation to go to the West, and it is my inten- 
 tion to go to Kirtland very soon and learn if I am 
 needed. But you have not told me yet how you 
 were pleased with what you heard this morning." 
 
 "Perhaps because you have not asked me. I do 
 not know whether it is necessary for anything to 
 please us or not; if it is the truth, it ought to be 
 enough for us to know that it is so, and I think no 
 one could doubt the perfect agreement of what 
 your father said with the word of God. I shall 
 search the Bible more diligently than I have done 
 in the past, and will attend the meetings for fur- 
 ther instruction; and if I be convinced of the 
 truth, believe me, nothing will prevent my obey- 
 ing it." 
 
 "I can not tell you what pleasure it gives me to 
 hear you say this, for I believe that you will be led 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 119 
 
 by the power of God's Spirit; and when the time 
 comes that you shall have decided this, then may 
 I come to you for an answer in regard to myself?" 
 
 "If I unite with your church, I will be your 
 wife, if you still wish it, for I have long known 
 that I love you; but unless I can believe as you 
 believe and know for myself that I am right, I will 
 never marry you, for I would not hinder you from 
 what your heart is set upon doing; neither could I, 
 without faith in the work, take upon myself a 
 responsibility so grave, and one which, like your- 
 self, I feel will demand not only courage, but 
 abiding faith in God." 
 
 "Margery, you will yet be my wife, then," said 
 Daniel; "for I know that God will lead you into 
 his truth. He will confirm it to you, and we will 
 rejoice in it together." 
 
 "I trust we may, Daniel," said Margery, and 
 then there fell a silence between them, as their 
 hearts were too full of joy to admit of talking 
 longer upon topics foreign to this; and the one 
 shadow of uncertainty resting upon the future, 
 the possibility that she might not believe as he 
 believed, sealed their lips from speaking of the 
 future as "ours." 
 
 The sun was low in the horizon and the shadows 
 were long upon the grass. The birds were not 
 singing gaily as in the morning, but in low, chirp- 
 ing notes, or little, twittering songs, as though 
 hushing their nestlings to rest, being themselves 
 
120 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 tired with the songs of the day, and glad of the 
 coming night when they might rest from song. 
 The hush of approaching evening lay like a bene- 
 diction upon all nature, and nothing disturbed the 
 Sabbath stillness of the woods. The feet of their 
 horses fell softly among the leaves which strewed 
 the road, and the rustling sound was like the 
 murmur of the wind among them; the quiet peace 
 of Nature entered their hearts; and, for a time, 
 they asked no questions of present or future. It 
 was enough for each to feel the other's presence 
 and know himself beloved. 
 
 At her father's gate Daniel bade Margery good- 
 bye, asking the privilege of coming for her on the 
 next Sabbath; and then, mounting his horse, was 
 soon far on the road home. Margery stood for 
 some time leaning upon the gate, listening to the 
 sound of his horse's feet, and then turning to the 
 house she went quickly in; and after sending her 
 brother to care for the horse, changed her dress, 
 and busied herself in preparations for supper. 
 
 Margery Boyd was the oldest of her father's 
 family. They had become acquainted with Mr. 
 Clark's family shortly after the latter came to the 
 neighborhood, and a constant, friendly intercourse 
 had been maintained between them. They had 
 been at the meeting to-day, and Margery thought 
 that her father had been pleased with what he had 
 heard, but of her mother's opinion she dared not 
 guess. They had stopped at a neighbor's on the 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 121 
 
 way, but would soon be home now, and she has- 
 tened that the evening meal might be waiting 
 when they came. Like Mary Clark, she had been 
 brought up to assist her mother in the care of the 
 family, and no part of housekeeping was any mys- 
 tery to her. 
 
 Our little friends must remember that in those 
 days the good housewife not only fashioned and 
 made the various garments needed by her house- 
 hold, but spun and wove the cloth from which the 
 garments were made. 
 
 Could any of the fashionable girls of our day 
 have looked in upon Margery that evening, they 
 might have envied the snow-white apron worn 
 over the neat, plaid dress, the smooth, brown curls 
 tied back from her forehead and fastened with a 
 knot of blue ribbon; but if not these, they surely 
 would the rosy cheeks, bright but thoughtful eyes, 
 and the buoyant tread which spoken of health, 
 contentment, and a happy heart. 
 
 Everything which she touched seemed to be 
 transformed by her deft fingers from the ordinary 
 thing of every-day use to a thing of beauty which 
 should be a joy for ever. The snowy cloth which 
 covered the table was the work of her own hands, 
 as was the yellow butter, the crisp, white loaf, and 
 the golden-brown pumpkin pie, placed ready for 
 the frugal supper. Cake and tea were luxuries 
 reserved for rare occasions; but with cool water 
 from the spring nearly and rich, sweet milk, espe- 
 
122 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 cially with appetites sharpened by healthful labor, 
 they were never missed. 
 
 The last touch was given to 'the table, and then 
 Margery went to the window to see if her father 
 was coming. The carriage was not in sight and 
 she sat down to wait. Folding her small, brown 
 hands in her lap, she soon fell into a deep reverie 
 over the events of the past two weeks. 
 
 Mary Clark had told her more in regard to her 
 father's visit to Kirtland and his own experience 
 before going there than he had made public that 
 day; and being naturally quiet and thoughtful, she 
 was now reflecting upon it and trying to analyze 
 her own feelings, to know if her preference for 
 Daniel was not blinding her eyes, and leading her 
 to believe things which in themselves were improb- 
 able. Her father and mother were members of 
 the Methodist Church, and she had been brought 
 up a Methodist. 
 
 "I was baptized when I was a baby," she said, 
 "and it was not possible for me to believe then, 
 neither to repent. Mary says that they do not 
 baptize children until they are old enough to be 
 instructed and know what they are being baptized 
 for, but the elders of the church take them in 
 their arms and bless them as Christ did when his 
 disciples wanted him to send them away because 
 they were troublesome. I remember, when read- 
 ing the Bible last winter, I often wondered why it 
 was that the angels never ct>me to the earth now 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 123 
 
 as they so often did in those days. Why it really 
 seemed lonesome to me to think of so many hun- 
 dreds of years going by without a single messenger 
 or message from the land where Jesus has gone to 
 dwell with his Father. 
 
 "It has been so long that one could almost doubt 
 whether they were remembered or not. How real 
 it makes the word of God seem, to believe as they 
 do that Jesus promised to give to every one who 
 obeyed him a testimony, a witness for himself, 
 that the doctrine he taught them was just what 
 God sent him to teach. 
 
 "I never thought before about the promise 
 Christ made to his disciples, that by certain works 
 which he gave them power to do, they should be 
 distinguished from all others. I wonder that the 
 world has ever believed those to be his disciples 
 who deny the need of such things. If there had 
 been no need of them, why did God give them? I 
 wonder what father will say about Wesley's views. 
 How strange that Wesley did not ask God to give 
 the 'spiritual gifts' to his church. If they are a 
 part of the church of Christ, can the church be his 
 without them? 
 
 "The church is compared to a body, and these 
 different gifts to the different members of the 
 body; and Paul says that when one member of the 
 body suffers, all the others suffer with it. I can 
 see now how the church of Christ must have suf- 
 fered as, one after another, these different mem- 
 
124 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 bers or gifts were taken from it; and when it 
 turned heathen, of course it was no longer the 
 church of Christ, but a heathen church. Daniel 
 says that wicked men wore out the church by 
 their persecutions, and God took from those who 
 pretended to be his followers all authority or 
 power to act for him, and that the Father himself, 
 in a vision, told Joseph Smith that what they 
 taught was an abomination in his sight. 
 
 "I wish I had a Book of Mormon, but they have 
 only one at Mr. Clark's. Daniel is going to bring 
 more when he goes to Kirtland, and then perhaps 
 father will get one. Mary says an angel brought 
 the plates and showed them to three men when 
 they were in the woods praying that God would 
 fulfill the promise he had made. Surely God is 
 able to let me know whether this be true or not, 
 and I will seek to know for myself. Faith in God 
 and his Son and the gospel is required. I believe 
 all this. Repentance for sin and forsaking it is 
 next, and baptism for the remission of it comes 
 before I have any promise of the Holy Ghost, 
 which is to confirm the truth of all I believe. I 
 wonder if Mr. Clark has a right to baptize? I will 
 ask Mary the next time I go there; and now there 
 is father, and I shall soon know how they feel 
 about this strange thing, for despite all I can 
 think about it, it is strange." 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 125 
 
 CHAPTER X 
 QUESTIONS 
 
 If 1 am right, thy grace impart 
 
 Still in the right to stay; 
 If I am wrong, O, teach my heart 
 
 To find that better way! 
 
 Alexander Pope. 
 
 ft|ARGERY'S father did not come imme- 
 diately to the house, but going to the 
 barn, attended to putting up his team, 
 and when he came in, he appeared to be absorbed 
 in his own thoughts so deeply that little was said 
 concerning the events of the day; and her parents 
 remaining silent, Margery's thoughts became 
 absorbed in her own affairs, and most of the con- 
 versation was left to the younger members of the 
 family; consequently the subject upon which she 
 most anxiously desired an expression of opinion 
 was not broached, and after the evening meal was 
 cleared away she retired to her own room, wishing 
 to be alone with her thoughts. 
 
 Once there, she reviewed carefully the subject 
 of the morning's sermon, and taking her Bible, sat 
 down to read. Turning to the sixteenth chapter 
 of Mark, she read it very slowly, between long 
 pauses of thought, from the beginning to the end. 
 
126 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 Her heart was deeply touched as there rose before 
 her mental vision the picture of the weeping 
 women, as, in the dim light of that first-day morn- 
 ing, they hastened to the sepulcher, bearing sweet 
 spices to embalm the body of Jesus. Long before 
 the sun had risen, they had started upon their 
 lonely way, and when his beams first fell upon the 
 hillside, they were standing in front of the sepul- 
 cher, questioning with themselves, "Who shall roll 
 us away the stone from the door?" 
 
 Margery found herself in thought standing 
 beside the women in the garden beneath the bend- 
 ing olive-trees, upon the topmost branches of 
 which the rays of sunlight were resting, but pene- 
 trating scarcely half the distance to the dense 
 shade in front of the tomb. "Whom do they 
 seek?" was the mental question that rose in her 
 mind. 
 
 "A man who lately was crucified by the Romans, 
 upon a cross, between two thieves," was the 
 answer. 
 
 "Who was this man, and why did these women 
 love him so?" 
 
 "He was a malefactor, an impostor, condemned 
 to death by Pilate the governor; but this rich man, 
 being a friend of his, brought his body, and, after 
 wrapping it in clean linen, laid it in his own new 
 tomb. In life they knew him, and love is stronger 
 than death." 
 
 "But what is this; what means that open sepul- 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 127 
 
 cher? Do you see the women entering in? And 
 now they come forth quickly, and, trembling in 
 every limb, hasten from the garden. What have 
 they seen, and whither do they flee so swiftly?" 
 
 "It is known that this impostor told his followers 
 that he would rise from the dead, therefore the 
 Jews demanded from the governor to set a guard 
 over the tomb, and he gave them a band of 
 soldiers, and sealed the rock in front of the tomb 
 with his own seal; but, during the night, these 
 soldiers slept, and while they slept, his disciples 
 came and stole his body. They made haste away 
 with it, for death is the penalty of what they have 
 done, as no one can with impunity break the 
 governor's seal. 
 
 "But these women say they have seen two angels 
 sitting upon the stone, who bade them hasten to 
 his disciples and tell them that this man has risen. 
 Of course this is a delusion, but they believe their 
 fancy to be a reality, and for this cause they are 
 hastening away, poor dupes of an impostor and a 
 deluded fancy!" 
 
 Thus spake the voice of Infidelity and Doubt to 
 the heart of Margery, and she shuddered as the 
 cold, calculating thoughts entered her mind. 
 "What if this should be true?" she questioned. "It 
 is believed unto this day by the Jews, and may it 
 not be true? What, indeed, if Christ be not risen? 
 'Then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also 
 vain; you are yet in your sins/ " 
 
128 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 But Infidelity vanished, and Faith stood by her 
 side, and this was the soul-inspiring answer she 
 brought: " 'But the angels said unto them, Be not 
 affrighted; ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was 
 crucified; he is risen, he is not here; behold the 
 place where they laid him, and go your way; tell 
 his disciples and Peter, that he goeth before you 
 into Galilee; there shall you see him as he said 
 unto you/ See them enter the sepulcher, and 
 mark how they gaze upon the place where Jesus 
 had lain. They find him not; and now their feet 
 are winged with joy, and they hasten to his disci- 
 ples with their message; for they know they shall 
 see him. He told them that he would go before 
 them into Galilee; he never deceived them, and 
 they know they shall see him there, and hail him 
 as their King, their Redeemer." 
 
 "If he was indeed Christ, how could they ever 
 have doubted?" said the Tempter. 
 
 "But his disciples did doubt, an.l they believed 
 not the women," said Faith. "Afterward he 
 appeared unto two others, and when they told it 
 unto the rest, they would not believe, and did not 
 believe until he appeared unto them." 
 
 "I do not wonder," thought Margery, "that Jesus 
 upbraided them with their hardness of heart and 
 unbelief; and yet, had he not promised them when 
 he spake unto the women and sent word for them 
 to go into Galilee saying, 'There shall they see me'? 
 Certainly he had, and therefore they expected it, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 129 
 
 and had a right to look for its fulfillment; but 
 because of this they ought not to have doubted 
 the witness of those who had seen him. This 
 truly was unbelief, and deprived them of much 
 comfort." 
 
 But all thought of the perplexity and unbelief 
 of the disciples vanished from Margery's mind as 
 her whole attention became absorbed with the 
 similar condition in which she found herself: "I 
 have but the testimony of others to the truth of 
 these strange things. This record, this sacred 
 book which I hold in my hand, w;is written by men 
 long since dead, men whom I never saw, and how 
 can I know of a certainty that there is no mistake 
 about it? 
 
 "They did not believe the women, neither the 
 two who first saw Jesus. Can they then enter into 
 judgment with me, and condemn me because I do 
 do not believe them? What was it Mr. Clark said 
 about the witness of God being greater than the 
 witness of men? The disciples who knew Jesus, 
 who saw him die on the cross, and knew that his 
 dead body was laid away in the sepulcher, never 
 could doubt the fact of his being alive, his resur- 
 rection from the dead, after they saw him and 
 talked with him, therefore it was not only good for 
 them to see him, but it was good also for the gen 
 erations unborn. Was it enough? It was not 
 enough for them to depend upon the testimony of 
 others; is it enough for me? 
 
130 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "Perhaps such thoughts never would have come 
 into my mind," she added, rather impatiently, "if 
 I had not heard Mr. Clark this morning; but then 
 I surely ought not to blame any one for presenting 
 to the consideration of others that which is con- 
 tained in God's word. 
 
 "This Bible which I hold in my hand is the same 
 book that I have used from childhood, and here, 
 even in this chapter, is the authorized message of 
 life and salvation to man, 'He that believeth and is 
 baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not 
 shall be condemned/ Yes," she added, as the 
 color rose in her cheeks, "there is here also a 
 promise for me, even as he promised the disciples 
 that they should see him, and this promise is: 
 'These signs shall follow them that believe;' and 
 St. Mark says that the Lord worked with them, 
 confirming the word with signs following. 'Con- 
 firming it with signs/ " she repeated slowly: "this 
 word which Jesus calls the gospel, and which the 
 angels declare was 'peace on earth, good will to 
 men'; this message which the risen Savior sent 
 them to declare, he promised should be accom- 
 panied, or followed, by signs, and it was the 
 believer in the gospel whom these signs were to 
 follow, or be with. Do I believe that gospel? I 
 fear I do not even know what the gospel is do 
 not know what I am to believe. Truly there is 
 need that I search the Scriptures, and from this 
 day I am resolved that I will. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 131 
 
 "When the risen Redeemer appeared unto 
 Thomas, and held forth his wounded hands, and 
 took the hand of the doubting one and put it in his 
 side, immediately he called out to him, 'My Lord 
 and my God!' It may not be in this way that I 
 shall be convinced, but in his own way he will con- 
 vince me; and I am resolved that I will seek this 
 knowledge of him, and him only." 
 
 With these thoughts she closed the book, and 
 kneeling by the bedside, offered her evening 
 prayer, asking for guidance and light, that she 
 might be led into truth and saved from error. 
 When she arose the stars were shining in the 
 heavens, and through her window came the hum 
 of insect life, and mingling with this, the notes of 
 the whip-poor-will sounded from a branch bending 
 close above; but she started as the sharp, low howl 
 of a wolf from a neighboring thicket came borne 
 upon the breeze. 
 
 Then there came over her the memory of what 
 Daniel had that day told her, and she knew why 
 this matter was one of paramount interest to her, 
 for her heart told her that her future happiness, 
 both for time and eternity, was at stake, and 
 dependent upon the way in which she answered it. 
 From the first she had intuitively known that 
 unless her faith assimilated to his, she could never 
 be his wife. There was that in her earnest nature 
 which responded to the earnestness of his, and she 
 knew that it was only a matter of conviction upon 
 
132 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 her part and she would be as earnest, as zealous in 
 the faith as he himself was; but, strange anomaly! 
 strange contradiction of human nature, and one 
 hard to understand! she resolved to contend the 
 more earnestly against this conviction, and not to 
 yield an inch of ground until certain that she was 
 yielding to the convictions of conscience, and not 
 to the persuasions of love. 
 
 If the words of Ruth were ever spoken by her, 
 they would but echo the conviction that his God 
 was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, that 
 his people were a chosen people of the lowly Jesus, 
 and a people who could say with Job, "I know that 
 my Redeemer liveth." 
 
 It is not our intention at this time to follow the 
 mental struggle of Margery in her effort to arrive 
 at a solution of the problem presented to her mind; 
 but, having glanced at the commencement of the 
 struggle, we leave her alone to battle with her own 
 heart, and the opposition met with from her 
 parents, whose silence upon that evening she 
 rightly conjectured did not have its origin in 
 acquiescence or indifference. The fact of her 
 having refrained from inquiring what the opinion 
 of her parents was, led them to suspect that hers 
 was favorable, and intrenched them more closely 
 in their previous silence. 
 
 They had long guessed that Daniel had a pref- 
 erence for Margery, but had no clue to guide them 
 with reference to her feelings. That she was 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 133 
 
 warmly attached to Mary they knew; but they 
 had not the slightest idea in what light she 
 regarded him. As the future chapters of our 
 story will lead us away from these quiet forest 
 scenes, and will constrain us to follow the events 
 of Daniel's life in rapid transition, our readers 
 will pardon us for lingering to delineate the scenes 
 recorded in the next chapters before bidding them 
 farewell for ever. It will be as the quiet sunset 
 which precedes a night of tempest and storm. 
 
 It is related of Epictetus, the great heathen phi- 
 losopher, whose own life is said to have been an 
 example of moderation and other virtues, that he 
 again and again reminded his disciples, "that we 
 might have many, if not all, the advantages the 
 world has, if we were willing to pay the price by 
 which they are obtained. But if that price be a 
 mean or wicked one, and if we should have to 
 scorn ourselves, were we ever induced to pay it, 
 then we must not cast one longing look of regret 
 towards things which can only be got by that 
 which we deliberately refuse to give." 
 
 "Every good and just man," says Archdeacon 
 Farrar, "may gain, if not happiness, then some- 
 thing higher than happiness. Let no one regard 
 this as a mere phrase, for it is capable of a most 
 distinct and definite meaning. There are certain 
 things which all men desire, and which all men 
 would gladly, if they could lawfully and inno- 
 cently, obtain. These things are health, wealth, 
 
134 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 ease, comfort, influence, honor, freedom from 
 opposition and pain; and yet if you were to place 
 all these blessings on one side, and on the other 
 side to place poverty and disease and trouble and 
 contempt, yet, if on this side also you were to 
 place truth and justice and a sense that however 
 densely the clouds may gather about our life, the 
 light of God will be visible beyond them, all the 
 noblest men who ever lived would choose, as with- 
 out hesitation they always have chosen, the latter 
 destiny. 
 
 "It is not that any like failure, but they prefer 
 failure to falsity; it is not that they love persecu- 
 tion, but they prefer persecution to meanness; it is 
 not that they relish opposition, but they welcome 
 opposition, rather than guilty acquiescence; it is 
 not that they do not shrink from agony, but they 
 would not escape agony by crime. The selfishness 
 of Dives in his purple is to them less enviable than 
 the innocence of Lazarus in rags. They would be 
 chained with John in prison rather than loll with 
 Herod at the feast; they would fight the wild beast 
 with Paul in the arena, rather than be steeped in 
 the foul luxury of Nero on the throne. It is not 
 happiness, but it is something higher than happi- 
 ness; it is stillness, it is assurance, it is satisfac- 
 tion, it is peace; the world can neither understand 
 it, nor give it, nor take it away it is indescribable 
 -it is the gift of God." 
 
 We earnestly trust our young friends who have 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 135 
 
 followed the fortunes of Daniel, will read with 
 attentive care the above paragraph; for we wish 
 to impress upon the minds of our young readers 
 that happiness is not the chief good, neither the 
 highest aim to be striven for by man; and in a 
 false estimate of the importance which should be 
 attached thereto, lies one of the most objectionable 
 features of modern fiction in general. In it the 
 good are always rewarded and happy, while the 
 bad are always punished and miserable. This is 
 true as a finale, but the finale is not always reached 
 in this life. It is true as a fact, but not when 
 measured by the false standard raised for our 
 approval. Truth, honor, and virtue are their own 
 reward; but truth often goes clothed in rags, while 
 falsehood rides in a chariot; honor sits in sackcloth 
 and ashes, while villainy wears the purple robe of 
 kings; virtue begs for a crust to sustain life, while 
 vice riots in wanton luxury and fares sumptuously 
 every day. Can you afford to buy the chariot 
 and trappings of falsehood, by giving truth in 
 exchange? Can you afford to barter honor for the 
 purple robes of villainy; or would you exchange 
 the crust eaten by virtue, for the sumptuous fare 
 of vice? Never! never! Let your highest aspira- 
 tions be for the right; let your strong right arm 
 be palsied rather than that it should ever be lifted 
 in defense of wrong, and let your tongue cleave to 
 the roof of your mouth rather than be smeared by 
 the vile slime of falsehood! 
 
136 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 If our story lead you through tempest and 
 storm; if it present to you scenes of suffering and 
 sorrow endured for the truth's sake, let it make 
 that truth more precious to your soul; and let it 
 cause you to resolve anew to love and cherish the 
 gospel of Jesus Christ, to manifest in your own 
 life its pure and life-giving power, and to be faith- 
 ful unto God even if it lead you into the valley 
 and the shadow of death. The Christian is doubly 
 rewarded; for he has, every day, every hour of his 
 life, that which is dearer than life, the peace which 
 comes from a conscience void of offense, and, when 
 faithful unto the end, life everlasting, "an inherit- 
 ance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that f adeth 
 not away." 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 137 
 
 CHAPTER XI 
 
 WHAT SHALL IT PROFIT? 
 
 In having all things and not thee, what have I? 
 
 Not having thee, what have my labors got? 
 Let me enjoy but thee, what further crave I? 
 
 And having thee alone, what have I not? 
 I wish not sea nor land; nor would I be 
 Possessed of heaven, heaven unpossessed by thee. 
 
 Francis Quarles. 
 
 What is eloquence but truth in earnest? 
 
 Cuyler. 
 
 E MENTIONED in a previous chapter that 
 Mr. Clark gave out an appointment for 
 the following Sabbath; and when Daniel 
 rode over to accompany Margery to the meeting, 
 he told her that his father intended to extend an 
 invitation to any who might wish to unite with the 
 church to come forward and present themselves 
 for baptism, and added that it was his intention to 
 be baptized. 
 
 Margery made no immediate reply to this, but 
 the color wavered in her cheeks, and her heart 
 gave a quick bound as if beating against the walls 
 of its imprisonment; for she longed to cry out: 
 "Why should you do this? Why place this barrier 
 between us?" But she controlled her emotion by a 
 powerful effort, and, steadying her voice, said: 
 
138 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "I did not expect that you would act so soon; but 
 then I am forgetting that this matter is not new to 
 you as it is to me." 
 
 "True it is not, and I have great reason to be 
 thankful for the manner in which God has led me, 
 and for the light he has given me in regard to his 
 gospel. I have made my arrangements to start for 
 Kirtland to-morrow, and I earnestly trust that 
 long before my return your mind will be fully 
 made up with reference to the truth of this work; 
 and when it is, I am sure you will not hesitate 
 to covenant with God, as I expect to covenant 
 to-day." 
 
 "The hour which witnesses my conviction of the 
 truth of the work will find me ready to become 
 obedient to all its requirements," said Margery; 
 "but are you not starting for Kirtland sooner than 
 you expected?" 
 
 "Yes, by a few days; but there is a friend of 
 mine going to start to-morrow, and I prefer going 
 in his company to traveling alone." 
 
 "How long will you remain?" 
 
 "That will depend upon circumstances. I am 
 going with the intention of offering myself to the 
 church; and if God so directs that the offering be 
 accepted, then I am no longer my own master, but 
 the servant of Christ and his church." 
 
 "Do you mean that without any preparation for 
 such a work, you will enter at once upon the min- 
 istry?" 
 
iis AiNl i^iiLY DAY 139 
 
 "Not without preparation, but I trust I shall 
 have the same preparation which was given Paul. 
 In writing to the Galatian saints with relation to 
 his conversation, he says: 'When it pleased God, 
 who separated me from my mother's womb and 
 called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, 
 that I might preach him among the heathen, 
 immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood/ 
 Luke, in giving an account of the same thing, 
 says: 'And straightway he preached Christ in 
 the synagogue, that he is the Son of God/ No 
 wonder there was amazement when the Jews 
 heard him." 
 
 "But was not Paul's case exceptional?" 
 
 "Not so much as the others whose history is 
 recorded in the New Testament. Paul had been 
 trained for a religious teacher; but Christ chose 
 fishermen and publicans, and sent them out to 
 preach. I would never dare go in my own 
 strength; but if he calls me, he will give me his 
 Spirit to teach me, and he promises that it shall 
 guide into all truth." 
 
 "We have been told that Paul was taught in 
 Arabia, before he went up to Damascus." 
 
 "Doubtless he was, but not by man; for upon 
 this point he speaks very plainly: 'I certify you, 
 brethren, that the gospel which was preached of 
 me is not after man, for I neither received it of 
 man, neither was I taught it but by the revelation 
 of Jesus Christ/ This declaration is so positive 
 
140 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 that all controversy upon that point should be for 
 ever silenced." 
 
 "I find many prejudices lying in my way, and 
 many doubtful questionings, arising constantly," 
 said Margery; "but I believe that I love truth well 
 enough to seek for it, and embrace it, if I find it. 
 Father will be at the meeting to-day, but I do not 
 think he regards what he has heard with favor: 
 although he has expressed no definite opinion to 
 me, he has warned me to be careful and not to be 
 deceived. I do not think he objected so much to 
 the doctrine, as to the Book of Mormon and the 
 idea of a prophet." 
 
 "I am not surprised at this, for it always has 
 been so. There seems to be a strange antipathy in 
 the minds of most men towards living prophets. 
 You remember Jesus told the Jews that their 
 fathers killed the prophets whose sepulchers they 
 themselves garnished; and upon another occasion 
 he showed them how false was their pretended 
 reverence for the law of Moses, when they were 
 going about to kill him, an innocent man who had 
 done them no harm. I learn that more than one 
 attempt has already been made upon the life of 
 Joseph, and many devices were resorted to in order 
 to obtain and destroy the plates from which the 
 Book of Mormon was translated: But God caused 
 them to fail of their object; for he gave warning 
 to Joseph whenever the plates were in danger, and 
 he would remove them to another place. Do you 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 141 
 
 think that your father will oppose your uniting 
 with the church, should the time come when you 
 are convinced?" 
 
 "I think not; for he is not a man of strong preju- 
 dices, and has never expressed a desire to control 
 the religious belief of his family." 
 
 "It is a relief to me to know this, for I would 
 not like to marry you against the wishes of your 
 parents; but once your consent is obtained, Mar- 
 gery, nothing but death will ever part us. And 
 you will be my wife; I feel it in every fiber of my 
 being. I leave you with perfect assurance that 
 when I return I shall claim you as my own." 
 
 The strong, brave heart of Margery, which dur- 
 ing all their ride had been dwelling on the one 
 thought of Daniel's departure and the uncertainty 
 of the time of his return, broke down completely 
 at this; and lowering her veil to hide the hot tears 
 which sprang to her eyes, she rode for awhile 
 silently by his side. Gaining control of her voice 
 at last, she answered: 
 
 "I am searching the word of God, and praying 
 for light and guidance; but I do not feel so san- 
 guine as you do. To me the future looks dark and 
 uncertain. You will mingle with many new 
 friends, and your heart will be so occupied with 
 your work that time will not pass to you on leaden 
 wings, as it will to me; and if I never can believe 
 as you do, then we shall be for ever separated." 
 
 "Margery," said Daniel, as he reined his horse 
 
142 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 nearer to hers and took her unresisting hand in 
 his, "Margery, be of good courage. It is only very 
 near to the earth that the clouds are hovering. 
 Dear Margery, let me entreat you, lift up your 
 eyes above the clouds, to the mountain tops bathed 
 in the sunlight of God's eternal truth. It is our 
 spirits speaking to each other from behind the 
 prison-bars of these bodies of clay. It is the spirit 
 claiming the companionship of its kindred spirit; 
 and they can no more be separated than the grave 
 could hold the body of Jesus. Clouds may hang 
 low and obscure the sunshine; but in his own due 
 time the Lord will say it is enough, and they will 
 disperse as the vapors of morning before the rising 
 sun. 'Seek and ye shall find,' are the words of our 
 Savior, and I have no more fear that he will not 
 guide you than I have that he will not cause the 
 sun to rise in the heavens from day to day. God 
 only knows how I prize your love. Morning, noon, 
 and night when I kneel before him to thank him 
 for his mercies and to supplicate blessings upon 
 those I love, I thank him for the gift of your love, 
 my Margery, next to the priceless gift of his only 
 begotten Son. 
 
 "Nothing but the firm conviction of duty would 
 ever take you from me, nor shall I be long alone; 
 for God has given you to me for a help-meet, and 
 together we shall walk upon life's journey. My 
 mother and sister will be your friends, and for my 
 sake give an added portion of love to what they 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 143 
 
 have already given you for your own sake; and I 
 know that you will strive to cheer my mother, for 
 this will be our first parting, and her heart is sore, 
 though she bids me go. I have told her of my love 
 for you, and she is ready to welcome you as her 
 daughter. We are nearing the end of our ride. 
 Promise me that you will cheer up and be your 
 own brave self again. With your permission I 
 shall write you frequently, and shall expect to 
 hear from you." 
 
 "If father does not object," said Margery; and 
 just then coming in sight of the grove where the 
 people were already gathering for the morning 
 service, nothing more was said of a private nature, 
 and after showing Margery to a seat and caring 
 for the comfort of the horses, Daniel sought his 
 own room, where, kneeling in prayer, he besought 
 the Lord earnestly in behalf of Margery, that in 
 his own time and way he would bring her to a 
 knowledge of the truth. 
 
 When Daniel had spoken to Margery of a friend 
 who was to accompany him on his journey to Kirt- 
 land, he had not thought to mention to her that he 
 was an elder from a distant town, on his way to 
 Kirtland to report the results of missionary labors; 
 neither had Margery thought to inquire who this 
 friend was, for her mind was too painfully occu- 
 pied with the thought of their near parting. But 
 when Mr. Clark took the stand, he was accom- 
 panied by a stranger. The man was much younger 
 
144 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 than himself, of medium stature, light-brown hair, 
 and penetrating blue eyes which seemed to take in 
 at a glance the congregation already assembled; 
 and then withdrawing their gaze, he appeared 
 absorbed in thought and seemingly unconscious 
 of things transpiring around him. His personal 
 appearance was neat, and his countenance prepos- 
 sessing: but he seemed young for a minister, and 
 Margery found herself wondering if he could be 
 the friend of whom Daniel had spoken, and, if so, 
 whether his faith was the same as Daniel's. She 
 was not long in doubt, for after the opening serv- 
 ice, Mr. Clark introduced to the congregation his 
 friend, Elder Browning, and bespoke their careful 
 and prayerful attention to the subject which he 
 would that morning present to their attention. 
 
 Elder Browning then came forward and in a 
 clear, distinct, well-modulated voice, read for the 
 morning service, portions of the fifth chapter of 
 Mark, taking for his text the words: "What shall 
 it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, 
 and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give 
 in exchange for his soul?" 
 
 Making an impressive pause after enunciating 
 the last question, he again referred to them slowly, 
 deliberately, as though weighing in a mental 
 balance the created universe of God and the soul. 
 There was that about the speaker which from the 
 first sentence spoken, through the entire sermon, 
 held the attention of his audience to its close. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 145 
 
 It was not the eloquence of studied diction, for 
 he was not master of that; neither was it learning, 
 for frequent mistakes in the use of the English 
 language showed that he had not been brought up 
 at the feet of any modern Gamaliel; but it was the 
 unstudied eloquence of the message of truth which 
 he bore, the eloquence which is imparted by faith 
 and knowledge of that which we strive to impart 
 to others, the perfect ease and mastery which is 
 felt by him who comes commissioned to deliver his 
 message as one having authority, and not as he 
 who runs without tidings such eloquence as led 
 men anciently to exclaim, "The gods have come 
 down to us in the likeness of men." 
 
 Going back to the morn of creation, he reviewed 
 very briefly the history of man from the time 
 when God breathed into his nostrils the breath of 
 life and he became a living soul; from the time 
 when the Lord looked upon all that he had made 
 and pronounced it very good, down through the 
 swiftly passing ages of man's disobedience, of the 
 sin and misery wrought out by the fall, of God's 
 covenant of mercy to him, and of the bow of prom- 
 ise hung over the sin-cursed world that the seed of 
 the woman should yet bruise the serpent's head; 
 through the ages when God spoke to them by 
 prophets, until the world awoke to hear the mes- 
 sage of the heavenly host as with a multitude of 
 voices they sang above the plains of Bethlehem a 
 new song to our groaning, sin-smitten earth: 
 
146 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "Glory to God in the highest; and on earth peace; 
 good will to men." 
 
 "For a time the earth rejoiced in the presence of 
 the Son of God; but soon she opened her pores to 
 drink in his life-blood, and her sepulcher received 
 his lifeless body. Then was there gloom, despair, 
 and anguish in the hearts of his sorrowing disci- 
 ples and the burden of their wailing was: 'We 
 trusted it had been he who should have redeemed 
 Israel/ But hark! Sweeter than the song of the 
 angels upon the plains of Bethlehem comes the 
 announcement of the white-robed messengers sit- 
 ting by the open tomb of Joseph of Arimathea: 
 'He is risen, he is not here; he goeth before you 
 into Galilee; there shall you see him, as he said 
 unto you/ Again he ate and drank with his disci- 
 ples, and told them they should be witnesses for 
 him unto the whole world; but charged them to 
 remain at Jerusalem until he should send them 
 the Comforter, who was to bear witness of the 
 truth of their message. 
 
 "Oh, with what joy, what gladness of soul, went 
 his disciples forth to witness unto the world those 
 mighty truths concerning the death, resurrection, 
 and ascension into heaven of Jesus, who should 
 save his people from their sins, declaring as they 
 went: 'There are three that bear witness in earth, 
 the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these 
 three agree in one/ 'There are three that bear 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 147 
 
 record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the 
 Holy Ghost; and these three are one.' 
 
 "But alas! how soon was the earth again left in 
 darkness; and gross darkness covered the minds 
 of the people! The apostles and witnesses of 
 Christ had fallen asleep, many of them sealing 
 their testimony with their blood; and from the 
 very bosom of the church sprang up the seeds of 
 poison and death. False teachers chained the 
 word of God to the cells and desks of their monas- 
 teries and churches, and there was in the whole 
 earth a famine for the word of God. 
 
 "Pass we on to the days of Luther, Knox, Calvin, 
 Wesley, and a host of others who arose in their 
 own names and in the name of outraged humanity, 
 to vindicate the wrongs of bleeding Christianity. 
 Pass we down the stream of time and search the 
 record of each of these; and turning from our 
 quest, let us confess our disappointment in the 
 result. What are we seeking? We are seeking 
 life and immortality; life for the soul, because we 
 have nothing to gain if we lose it; and if the whole 
 world were ours, it would profit us nothing if the 
 soul were lost. 
 
 "'Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou 
 shalt be saved/ Is this the entire message of sal- 
 vation? Is there not implied in the very terms of 
 this declaration an absolute necessity of believing 
 all that he taught? Did not he who said, 'Repent, 
 and believe the gospel/ say also, 'Except a man be 
 
148 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 born of water and of the Spirit, he can not enter 
 into the kingdom of God'? Did not he who said, 
 'Ye shall be witnesses of me unto the uttermost 
 parts of the earth/ command also that they 'depart 
 not from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of 
 the Father'? Why this tarrying, this waiting for 
 the fulfillment of the Father's promise? They 
 were his witnesses, but there was another. One of 
 the three witnesses was wanting; and without this 
 witness the confirming, directing, and sanctifying 
 power of the gospel was wanting. 'The blood of 
 Jesus Christ our Lord cleanseth from all sin/ By 
 faith is that blood applied, therefore faith is nec- 
 essarywe must believe. If, then, we do believe, 
 will we hear him say, 'Except ye be born of water 
 and of the Spirit/ and turn away, not deeming his 
 words of any force or value? 
 
 "It is salvation for the immortal soul which we 
 are in quest of to-day. 'To know God, and Jesus 
 Christ whom he hath sent/ says John, 'is life ever- 
 lasting/ How then shall we obtain this knowl- 
 edge? Is there a provision, a way by which we 
 may obtain it? 'Depart not from Jerusalem/ ye 
 ministers of God's word, until ye are ready to 
 answer this question. 'Ye are my authorized min- 
 isters, my witnesses, but the witness of God is 
 greater than your witness.' Paul, who was taught 
 the gospel by revelation of Jesus Christ, declares, 
 'No man can say that Jesus is the Lord but by the 
 Holy Ghost'; hence, then, the importance of this 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 149 
 
 third and last of the witnesses on earth. To this 
 witness pertains not only a part in the earthly 
 record, but also in the heavenly, as witness on 
 earth and recorder in heaven. 
 
 "Is there one among my hearers to-day who 
 desires the salvation of his immortal soul? One 
 who desires life everlasting? We say to that one, 
 'Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt 
 be saved/ We say unto you in the words of Philip 
 to the eunuch: 'If thou believest with all thine 
 heart, thou mayest.' Do you inquire what is this 
 you may do? Again we answer you in the ques- 
 tion of the eunuch to Philip: 'See, here is water; 
 what doth hinder me to be baptized?' Yonder is 
 water [and he pointed towards the clear-running 
 stream], and it was into just such a stream that 
 John led the Lamb of God in order to fulfill all 
 righteousness; and I, as one of his servants, stand 
 before you to-day, commissioned to baptize you in 
 his name. 
 
 "Neither left we Jerusalem until endowed with 
 power from on high to say unto you as Peter said 
 upon the day of Pentecost: 'Ye shall receive the 
 gift of the Holy Ghost; for the promise is unto 
 you, and to your children/ Have others brought 
 this message to you? Have the followers of Luther, 
 Calvin, Knox, or Wesley ever made you this prom- 
 ise? If so, have you obeyed the call and tested the 
 truth of their words? If you have, then my invi- 
 tation is not to you, for the witness of God is 
 
150 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 greater than that of man; but if you can not 
 to-day say that you know that Jesus Christ is the 
 Son of God because God has given you that knowl- 
 edge, then why not accept the terms of salvation 
 to-day, test the promise of the Lord, and find him 
 true to his word? 
 
 "See from Calvary the atoning blood as it flows 
 from his wounded side. Yonder is the water, and 
 it is his to confer the Holy Spirit. Will you come? 
 Have you ever doubted the testimony of man? 
 Have you ever questioned the life, crucifixion, res- 
 urrection, or ascension of Jesus? Then come and 
 in God's own appointed way receive that witness 
 which is greater than the witness of man." 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 151 
 
 CHAPTER XH 
 
 THE PROMISE FULFILLED 
 
 The haughty eye shall seek in vain 
 
 What innocence beholds; 
 No cunning finds the key of heaven, 
 
 No strength its gate unfolds. 
 
 Alone to guilelessness and hue 
 That gate shall open fall; 
 
 The mind of ptide is nothingness, 
 The childlike heart is all. 
 
 Wittier. 
 
 T THE close of Elder Browning's sermon, 
 it was announced that, as several had 
 requested baptism, the ordinance would 
 be administered at two o'clock in the afternoon. 
 The congregation was dismissed with a benedic- 
 tion; and, as many of the congregation lived at a 
 distance, they had brought lunch, and now sepa- 
 rated into groups, discussing the sermon while 
 enjoying needed refreshment. 
 
 Among these was Margery, with her parents and 
 the younger children. They had spread their 
 repast beneath the shade of a drooping elm-tree 
 that stood close by the river just where a graceful 
 sweep of the stream curved the waters toward 
 them and, after forming a crescent, moved on 
 
152 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 again, in a straighter line past the place of meet- 
 ing, until the bushes and trees hid it from sight. 
 
 Margery was thoughtful and preoccupied; but 
 her father and mother manifested more of a dis- 
 position to talk of the "new religion," as it was 
 termed, than they had ever before done. 
 
 "That man believes every word he says," 
 remarked Mr. Boyd, "and I take it he knows the 
 Bible by heart." 
 
 "Do you know, Father," answered Mrs. Boyd, 
 "that I am almost persuaded that they are right? 
 How would he dare hold out such a promise to the 
 people, if he is trying to deceive them?" 
 
 "I have thought of that, Mother, and I must 
 confess there is one thing that troubles me. You 
 know my experience has never been so clear and 
 satisfying to me as I would like. If this is the 
 gospel of Christ, then it is very different from the 
 gospel we received. When we were convicted of 
 sin, we were invited to the mourner's bench and 
 the prayers of the church asked for us; but the 
 first question asked by the eunuch was: 'See, here 
 is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?' 
 Philip answered immediately: 'If thou belie vest 
 with all thy heart, thou mayest.' And the eunuch 
 answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is 
 the Son of God/ " 
 
 "It seems to me, father," said Margery, speaking 
 for the first time, "that if Philip had been preach- 
 ing when I was alarmed about the salvation of my 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 153 
 
 soul, he would not have repeated so many times, 
 'Believe on the Lord Jesus'; for as soon as the 
 eunuch confessed his belief, he baptized him. I am 
 still on probation. I do not think that I can satisfy 
 my own heart when the question is asked me 
 whether I have experienced a change. Surely, 
 father, if one is the gospel plan of salvation, the 
 other can not be." 
 
 "It begins to look that way, Margery, I confess; 
 but it is not well to be hasty. When we see our 
 minister he may be able to make this all plain." 
 
 "He can not alter the word of God, father; and 
 Peter told the people to repent and be baptized 
 and they should receive the Holy Ghost. It seems 
 to me that there must be something very positive 
 and tangible about this promise and its fulfillment; 
 for if its witness is greater than the witness of 
 men (and the apostles were but men), then how 
 important that we have such evidence as will make 
 us perfectly sure." 
 
 "I think Margery is right," said Mrs. Boyd; "for 
 if to know God and his Son is life eternal, and we 
 can not know that Jesus is the Lord without the 
 Holy Ghost, how necessary then that we are cer- 
 tain we have received it!" 
 
 "Father," said Margery, a sudden light flashing 
 into her dark-blue eyes that shed a radiance over 
 her whole face, "like that eunuch I believe with 
 my whole heart that Jesus Christ is the Son of 
 God. May I be baptized to-day?" 
 
154 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 For a moment the color came and went in Mr. 
 Boyd's face, and he looked steadily away from 
 Margery, not daring to trust his voice for a reply. 
 Not observing his agitation, she went on. "I 
 never have believed that my heart was changed, 
 and if we must be able to say that we know Jesus 
 is the Son of God before we are saved, how then 
 can I ever be saved; for I do not know it? Only 
 last Sunday I read the account of his resurrection 
 as recorded by Saint Mark, and doubts arose in my 
 mind whether, indeed, he ever was resurrected. 
 
 "Do not blame me, father, for you remember his 
 disciples did not believe the women who saw the 
 angels at the tomb, neither did they believe the 
 two to whom Christ first showed himself; but 
 when they saw him, they hailed him with joy. 
 Jesus told them that they should see him, and he 
 showed himself to them; but he also told the Jews 
 that any man who would do his Father's will 
 should know of the doctrine. Until I heard the 
 sermon this morning, I thought I ought to be con- 
 vinced of many things before I was baptized; but 
 Philip asked but one question of the eunuch, and 
 that question I can answer as firmly and positively 
 as he answered it. I believe, but my soul craves 
 this knowledge promised by Jesus, this witness of 
 God which is greater than the witness of man. I 
 must obey; there is something to be done before I 
 can claim it. Have I your consent to obey the 
 gospel of Christ by being baptized?" 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 155 
 
 "Upon one condition, my daughter, I will give 
 my consent, and upon that only." 
 
 "What is that, father?" 
 
 "That if you do not receive this knowledge which 
 shall satisfy your soul, you will confess the mistake 
 you have made, that others may know there is no 
 truth in what they promise." 
 
 "I give you my promise that I will, father; but 
 what if I do not find it here? You confess that 
 you do not feel sure of your conversion, though all 
 who know you fully believe you a Christian. I 
 know that I am not sure of mine, and yet the 
 promise of Jesus was that we should know. Oh, 
 father, ought we not to pray God most earnestly 
 that this word may be confirmed? No people on 
 earth offer such terms to sinners as these people." 
 
 "They may be offering more than they are 
 authorized to offer. I think if I could see the 
 signs following the believer, the same signs which 
 Saint Mark speaks of, I would then believe." 
 
 "But, father, these signs followed belief, and 
 were for the believer, not the unconverted. They 
 were for confirming the believer in the faith, not 
 for creating faith in the sinner; and you remem- 
 ber the parable in which Lazarus tells the rich 
 man: 'If they believe not Moses and the prophets, 
 neither will they believe though one rose from the 
 dead.' Christ was the prophet whom God raised 
 up, like unto Moses; and I believe he will fulfill 
 every promise he has made. Something assures 
 
156 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 me that I shall not have any confession to make. 
 There seems to be a power urging me to obey. 
 Believe me, when I came here this morning I had 
 no more thought of being baptized to-day than I 
 had that I should be buried; but when the question 
 of the eunuch sounded in my ears, it was repeated 
 by a voice, seemingly addressed directly to me: 'See, 
 here it water; what doth hinder?' and the answer 
 I made was, in the words of Mary, 'Behold the 
 handmaiden of the Lord!' I will go now and see 
 Mary, for I shall need to make some preparation. 
 I shall not need any help," she said, in answer to 
 an inquiring look from her mother, "for Mary will 
 assist me." 
 
 Margery turned toward the path leading by a 
 near way to Mr. Clark's house; and finding Mary 
 alone, she was soon sobbing out her joy in her 
 arms. 
 
 "What will Daniel say when he hears of this?" 
 was Mary's first thought; but she wisely refrained 
 from uttering it, and busied herself in assisting 
 Margery to make the necessary changes in her 
 clothing. There was no time to lose, as the people 
 were already gathering at the water; and soon 
 Margery, leaning on Mary's arm, found herself 
 standing in their midst. 
 
 Up to this moment the thought of Daniel's pos- 
 sible surprise and pleasure had not entered Mar- 
 gery's mind; but glancing timidly toward the 
 water, she saw him standing, with Mr. Browning, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 157 
 
 close to its edge, some little distance apart from 
 the rest. Just as her eye discerned him, he was in 
 the act of starting to join the main body of the 
 people; and as he drew near their eyes met. 
 
 For a moment a shade of doubt seemed to hover 
 on his face; but it was followed immediately by a 
 look of gladness and peace, mingled with a tender- 
 ness so plainly visible to the eyes quickly with- 
 drawn from his, that in spite of every effort, the 
 heart of Margery throbbed until she trembled lest 
 its beating should be heard. This was but for a 
 moment, however, for the solemn thought of the 
 covenant she was about to make with her Creator, 
 the act of obedience she was soon to render to his 
 law, banished every thought of an earthly nature 
 from her mind. 
 
 Swiftly back through the centuries her thoughts 
 sped and she pictured to her mind the scene on the 
 banks of the Jordan, when, pausing in the midst of 
 his labor, the prophet, looking toward the shore, 
 beheld there Jesus for whose coming he had so 
 long watched and waited; and seeing him, 
 stretched forth his hand exclaiming, "Behold 
 the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of 
 the world!" 
 
 Her revery was broken by the clear tones of Mr. 
 Browning's voice as he called the attention of the 
 company, and then gave out the hymn commen- 
 cing: 
 
158 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "Salem's bright King, Jesus, by name, 
 In ancient times to Jordan came, 
 
 All righteousness to fill; 
 'Twas there the ancient prophet stood, 
 Whose name was John, a man of God, 
 
 To do his Master's will." 
 
 Clear and sweet the music of many voices 
 floated out on the gentle breeze, while the rustling 
 leaves and the waves, rippling against the mossy 
 banks, kept time to the melody. There was a 
 mellow haze in the atmosphere, and just that inde- 
 scribable tinge of sadness which nature always 
 mingles in the colors of earth and sky when the 
 first breath of autumn stirs in the air. 
 
 When the hymn had been sung, with bared 
 heads the congregation knelt in prayer. Not 
 many dry eyes were there as Elder Browning, in 
 simple but eloquent language, implored the bless- 
 ing of God and the attendant influence of the Holy 
 Spirit upon the exercises of the hour; asking for 
 those who were about to be buried with Christ in 
 baptism, that they might indeed arise to walk with 
 him in newness of life, being henceforth led by 
 that other Comforter, promised by Jesus, who 
 should guide them into all truth; that they might 
 be his witnesses in the world, living and truthful, 
 fully prepared to testify unto all men, even as Job 
 testified, "I know that my Redeemer liveth." 
 
 When the prayer was ended, Elder Browning, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 159 
 
 after having first carefully waded out into the 
 stream until he reached a place of sufficient depth, 
 returned, and taking Mary by the hand, led her 
 -out into the water. Standing there, with his hand 
 uplifted to heaven, he repeated: "Mary, having 
 received 'authority from the Lord Jesus Christ, I 
 baptize you, in the name of the Father, and of the 
 Son, and of the Holy Ghost; Amen." Then, plac- 
 ing his hand beneath her head, he buried her in 
 the yielding waters, which for a moment closed 
 over her, fit emblem of Christ's death. Then 
 raising her up and wiping the crystal drops from 
 her face, he led her to the shore. Others fol- 
 lowed in rapid succession, until some twenty had 
 been baptized; then he dismissed them with the 
 benediction. 
 
 An appointment had been announced for a 
 special meeting at three o'clock, and, after a short 
 intermission, during which those who had been 
 baptized improved the time by changing their wet 
 garments for dry ones, they again assembled in the 
 grove. Margery had joined her parents again, but 
 when those who had been baptized were called for- 
 ward to be confirmed, she took her place with the 
 others in front of the stand. Her face was slightly 
 pale, and her dark-brown hair hung in damp curls 
 about her temples. Her eyes were fixed upon the 
 ground; but her heait ascended in silent prayer to 
 God, asking in Jesus' name that if what she had 
 done was accepted of him, he would, by the power 
 
160 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 of his Spirit, manifest that acceptance unto her, 
 that she might know by the revelation of his Holy 
 Spirit that Jesus was his Son and that his gospel is 
 the power of God unto salvation. Nor did she 
 offer the prayer only for herself, but prayed ear- 
 nestly that each one who had that day been obe- 
 dient to the command of the Father might receive 
 the witness for himself. When Mr. Clark and 
 Elder Browning advanced and laid their hands 
 upon her head, an indescribable feeling of peace 
 enwrapped her; and when, after a short prayer of 
 supplication for blessings to rest upon her, they 
 added: "Receive ye the Holy Ghost, that it may 
 abide with you and guide you into all truth," the 
 tears coursed down her cheeks, and her frame was 
 shaken as a bending flower in the evening breeze. 
 "Lord, it is enough," was the voiceless response of 
 her heart. 
 
 The ceremony of confirming the new members 
 being ended, after Mr. Clark with others had 
 offered prayer and borne their testimony, Margery 
 arose. She was pale but calm; and after relating 
 briefly the conflict she had endured in her own 
 mind and the conclusion to which she had finally 
 come, leading her to obedience, she testified to the 
 witnessing power of the Holy Spirit, and said: "I 
 can now say with Job, 'I know that my Redeemer 
 liveth'"; then suddenly a spell fell upon the entire 
 audience, for, raising her hand slowly, she turned 
 toward where her father and mother were sitting, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 161 
 
 and addressed them in an unknown language for a 
 time. Then quietly seating herself, she bowed her 
 head upon her hands and seemed lost in prayer. 
 
 Margery Boyd was well known in the neighbor- 
 hood, for she had been raised there, and was 
 highly esteemed by all who knew her. Possessing 
 an untarnished character and an enviable reputa- 
 tion for integrity and veracity, it was not wonder- 
 ful that this circumstance should cause a thrill to 
 pass through the heart of the most careless; and 
 when a child, a girl of some ten summers, the 
 daughter of a man who had also been baptized, 
 arose, and turning to Mr. Boyd, gave the interpre- 
 tation of the tongue, every heart was held in sus- 
 pense, and every eye fixed upon him. 
 
 He was reminded of what he had said to Mar- 
 gery concerning the signs following the believer, 
 and warned to lay aside his evil heart of unbelief 
 and obey the gospel, that God might have mercy 
 upon his unbelief. Thoughts which had entered 
 his heart, but which were known only to God and 
 himself, were revealed, and every refuge behind 
 which he had thought to shelter himself was swept 
 away. He sat pale and motionless, like one sum- 
 moned to answer at the bar of justice for an 
 offense which he thought known unto none living. 
 
 To others the gift of prophecy was given; and 
 to such an extent was the Spirit poured out that 
 the most doubting were constrained to admit, "We 
 never saw it on this wise before." 
 
162 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 It was late when the meeting broke up, and 
 many who that morning had met with Elder 
 Browning a stranger, parted from him in the 
 evening as we part with those we love and can 
 never forget. Among the number were Mr. and 
 Mrs. Boyd; and they would fain have had him 
 tarry with them, but his business at Kirtland was 
 urgent and he could not remain. 
 
 Again Daniel and Margery found themselves 
 alone, riding towards home through the shady 
 wood where the low, sinking sun fell occasionally 
 across their path, and the squirrels held up their 
 paws and chatted from between them as if they 
 would remind them that they ought to hasten. 
 
 Hasten they did not, for what to them was any 
 earthly consideration now in the first hours of 
 their avowed love of each other and adoption into 
 the kingdom of God! Heart spoke to heart, and all 
 their garnered fullness was lavishly poured out. 
 
 It is not our intention to intrude upon this first 
 hour of heart's unhindered communion with heart; 
 for it is an hour in which no guest is bidden, nor 
 any made welcome; they are all-sufficient unto 
 themselves, and envy the happiness of none upon 
 earth. Suffice it, therefore, for us, kind reader, 
 that before Daniel parted with Margery that night, 
 he had obtained her father's consent to their union 
 at an early day; but the fullness of their cup of 
 earthly joy did not cause them to forget their zeal 
 and gratitude. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 163 
 
 CHAPTER XIH 
 NEWS OF TROUBLE t 
 
 Father! for thy holy sake 
 
 We are spoiled and hunted thus; 
 Joyful for thy truth we take 
 
 Bonds and burthens unto us: 
 Poor, and weak, and robbed of all, 
 
 Weary with our daily task, 
 That thy truth may never fall 
 
 Through our weakness, Lord, we ask, 
 
 Whittier. 
 
 HE next morning very early Elder Brown- 
 ing and Daniel were quietly wending their 
 way through the forest toward Kirtland, 
 Ohio. It is not our intention to bear them com- 
 pany, but only to glance briefly at a few incidents 
 happening at this period of time. 
 
 When the friends arrived in Kirtland, Daniel 
 was ordained an elder, and the two, after a short 
 delay, proceeded on to Canada, where for some 
 months they labored together. News came to 
 Margery frequently, from Daniel, encouraging 
 and strengthening her, especially when she learned 
 from Mr. Clark that Elder Browning had written 
 him that Daniel held his hearers as though spell- 
 bound while he brought forth from the storehouse 
 
164 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 of God's word things both new and old as witness- 
 ing to the work of God in these latter days. Many 
 times she longed for his company; but she was too 
 brave and true to ever suffer herself to write any 
 but the most cheering words of encouragement 
 and earnest love for the cause so dear to the hearts 
 of both. 
 
 We must not forget to mention that a few weeks 
 after Daniel's departure, both Mr. and Mrs. Boyd 
 had united with the church; and they now awaited 
 news from Daniel almost as eagerly as Margery 
 herself. This will not seem strange to Latter Day 
 Saints who may read it, for they will remember 
 how many times their own hearts have burned 
 within them when tidings came to those, at home 
 concerning the spread of the work abroad, and 
 how earnestly those workers in the forefront of 
 the battle have been borne up in prayer by those 
 at home. 
 
 One morning in early springtime, Mr. Boyd sur- 
 prised his family with the announcement that he 
 had sold his farm and would immediately begin 
 making preparations for the removal of his family 
 to Kirtland. He also said that it was the intention 
 of Mr. Clark to go at the same time, and they 
 would be joined by quite a- number if arrange- 
 ments could be completed in time. "It is not our 
 intention," he added, "to remain there long, but to 
 push on to Missouri, where many of the Saints 
 have already gone." 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 165 
 
 Margery was entirely unprepared for this, as her 
 father had not mentioned his plans to any one but 
 his wife, further than to say that he would 
 embrace the first good opportunity of selling his 
 farm, in order to remove to Kirtland; but she did 
 not know that to go farther than this had entered 
 his thoughts. He was a man, however, who once 
 having made up his mind to a certain course, acted 
 with promptness and decision. 
 
 The first wild heart-throb of Margery, had it 
 been put into words, was, "Shall I see Daniel so 
 soon?" But this was quickly followed by the 
 thought, "How can I leave this home where my 
 girlhood days have been spent and every rod of 
 forest and field has become endeared to me by 
 sacred memories?" Looking from the window she 
 saw the road over which she and Daniel had so 
 many times cantered their horses together; and 
 there came before her mind's eye a mental vision 
 of her absent lover as she had time and again seen 
 him reining in his horse by the little gate and dis- 
 mounting all unconscious of the tender gaze so 
 lovingly bent upon him. Tears came to her eyes 
 in spite of her utmost efforts to repress them, and 
 she hastily left the room and sought her own 
 chamber. 
 
 Sitting down to strive to recover her composure 
 and adjust her thoughts to the situation as it now 
 presented itself, there came into her heart an 
 indescribable emotion of clinging tenderness, not 
 
166 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 only towards the inanimate things of nature with 
 which her own soul had so many times held silent 
 converse, but the peaceful hours of communion 
 which had been enjoyed with those of like precious 
 faith during the months which were past. How 
 many times had they sat together in "heavenly 
 places in Christ Jesus"! Every hour of such com- 
 munion was treasured away in her soul, and there 
 was not one of that little band of worshipers who 
 did not seem to her as dear as the home band who, 
 morning and night, gathered around the family 
 altar of prayer. What a trial it would be to sever 
 these links, to bid farewell to them, and become 
 indeed a pilgrim. 
 
 True, they were not going alone, for her father 
 had said that Mr. Clark and others contemplated 
 joining them; but it would be sundering ties which 
 might never be bound together again in time. 
 
 They had been as one family. The joy of one 
 was the joy of all, and no grief or care came to one 
 with which the other did not sympathize. There 
 were no petty jealousies with their mildew blight 
 to contaminate their minds, and the only strife 
 known was the strife of faithfulness, the effort to 
 be first in every sacrifice of self and personal com- 
 fort for the good of others. 
 
 All this was borne in upon the mind of Margery 
 while sitting there, and a strange, indefinable fear 
 hovered like an unseen presence around her heart, 
 which had it taken form and expression in words, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 167 
 
 would have been: "You are now going forth to be 
 tried in a furnace of fire. You will never be per- 
 mitted again upon earth to find a resting-place like 
 this, a band of God's people so truly one; but from 
 henceforth you must know, as saints of God in all 
 times have known, that you are a pilgrim and 
 stranger upon the earth, and here have ntf sure 
 abiding-place." 
 
 But the thoughts did not shape themselves like 
 this, for it was as the voice of the Spirit speaking 
 to the spirit, and was not understood by the natu- 
 ral man. To Margery it was then only sorrow and 
 regret at the severing of social ties and the sun- 
 dering of the bonds of church relation with those 
 who had entered upon the work with her, and 
 whose company, whose helpful advice in her spir- 
 itual progress, she had learned to prize so highly. 
 Would there ever be in any other place such meet- 
 ings as they had there enjoyed, when the Spirit of 
 God had hovered over and about them like clouds 
 of incense and they had felt that, were the veil 
 only removed which bounded their natural vision, 
 the presence of the angels would have been dis- 
 covered? 
 
 Other thoughts, arising in their turn, banished 
 these, for the time being at least. It was now the 
 early days of March, and, in April, Daniel and his 
 friend would be in Kirtland to attend the general 
 conference of the church. She wondered if her 
 father contemplated being there by that time. She 
 
168 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 had always had an earnest desire to see Joseph 
 Smith and many others whose names had become 
 as household words to her, and she wondered if she 
 would not be able to recognize them among others, 
 from the description given her by Mrs. Clark and 
 also from what Daniel had written. Her thoughts 
 were 1 interrupted by the entrance of her little 
 brother, who handed her a letter which proved to 
 be from Daniel. Her father had forgotten to give 
 it to her upon first coming home, and now sent it 
 up to her. 
 
 From this letter Margery learned that Daniel 
 would soon start for Kirtland; and as he, too, was 
 ignorant of the movement contemplated by his 
 father and Mr. Boyd, he told her he had written 
 his father to come to the conference if possible; 
 and he hoped that his mother and Mary would 
 come with him, in which case he felt sure Margery 
 would join them. 
 
 "I can not," he wrote, "at this time forecast the 
 future further than this. I want to see you and 
 talk with you of that pathway in life we hope to 
 walk together. To be able to write you is a pre- 
 cious boon, but it is not what it would be to talk 
 with you face to face. My feelings are strongly 
 drawn out towards the land of Missouri. News 
 has reached us that the work there is meeting 
 with strong opposition; and while I would never 
 wish to take you into the midst of trouble, my soul 
 burns with an ardent desire to be in the forefront 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 169 
 
 of the battle, to be found among those who are 
 ready to proclaim this gospel, even at the risk of 
 life and at the sacrifice of all which makes life 
 dear. 
 
 "The difficulty between the brethren and the 
 settlers of that State seems to have originated first 
 in a misunderstanding, growing out of an article 
 published in the 'Evening and Morning Star/ 
 entitled, 'Free people of color/ but this is only 
 used as a cloak to hide their intense hatred of the 
 Saints; and as this hatred is without a cause, 
 except as the wicked always hate the good, they 
 have circulated all kinds of malicious slanders 
 about the brethren, seeking by this means to 
 justify their hatred. 
 
 "One would suppose, judging from their own 
 confession, that some strange, new religion had 
 appeared in the world, of which our brethren were 
 the exponents, instead of the religion found in the 
 Bible and taught by the Redeemer of mankind 
 more than eighteen hundred years ago. There 
 have been speeches made by some men of influence, 
 prominent among whom is one Lilburn W. Boggs, 
 calculated to incite the people against the breth- 
 ren; and since then much abuse has been heaped 
 upon them. Some have been tied up and whipped, 
 while others have been cruelly beaten. All of the 
 people, however, do not behave in this unjust and 
 cruel manner. Many of them are friendly and 
 disposed to deal justly; but I fear this is only the 
 
170 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 beginning of troubles, and for this reason I am 
 most anxious to see you; for while I long to be 
 among those who are exposed, to shield if possible, 
 if not to suffer with them, I have not the courage 
 to ask you to go with me, and can not make up my 
 mind to go and leave you behind. When you have 
 read this, consult with your father and mother 
 relative to coming to the conference, and let me 
 know the result." 
 
 Margery slowly folded the letter, and then as 
 slowly unfolded it again, reading it carefully from 
 the beginning to the end. When she had finished 
 the second reading, her eyes took on a far-away 
 look as though she would penetrate the veil of the 
 future to inquire what lay beyond. Suddenly this 
 vanished and there settled down upon every 
 feature a look of calm determination, and a steady 
 light burned in her eyes as one whose purpose was 
 fixed and whose hand had been put to the plow 
 never to turn back. 
 
 "Whither thou goest, I will go; and where thou 
 lodgest, I will lodge; thy people shall be my peo- 
 ple, and thy God my God," Margery repeated; and 
 rising slowly, she went down to make the contents 
 of her letter known to the family. 
 
 "Can it be possible that such things are enacted 
 so publicly, without any effort being made by those 
 sworn to see the laws executed, to bring the offend- 
 ers to justice?" said Mr. Boyd. 
 
 "Yes, father, not only this, but the people are 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 171 
 
 incited to it by officers, occupying high positions in 
 the State. This Boggs, of whom Daniel speaks, is 
 lieutenant-governor, and Daniel believes that it 
 is his intention to work upon the feelings of 
 the people until they will make the effort at least, 
 to drive the brethren from the country." 
 
 "Mother," said Mr. Boyd to his wife, "I was 
 thinking as I came along that I would like to go 
 over to Bro. Clark's, and if you and Margery would 
 like to go, I will drive you over." 
 
 This was just what Margery was wishing for. 
 She longed to see Mary and talk with her about 
 this change, the news of which had come so sud- 
 denly upon her, breaking in upon the quiet of her 
 heretofore uneventful life. Especially was she 
 anxious to talk with her about the removal to Mis- 
 souri and the determination to which she had 
 come that, if anything prevented her father from 
 going, she would never consent to Daniel's going 
 without her, unless his own family should go at 
 the same time. 
 
 Arrived at Mr. Clark's they found them also in 
 receipt of a letter from Daniel, which, being dated 
 a few days after Margery's, contained the addi- 
 tional information that the printing-press of the 
 church had been destroyed by a mob, all of the 
 material being thrown into the Missouri River, and 
 that Bishop Partridge had, with many others, been 
 most cruelly treated by them. In his case, they 
 were not satisfied with tarring his entire person, 
 
172 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 but had filled his mouth with tar, which had nearly 
 suffocated him. 
 
 A meeting of the citizens of Jackson County, 
 numbering about five hundred, had drawn up a set 
 of resolutions declaring that the Saints must leave 
 the country, and warning them that those who 
 refused to comply would be visited with like treat- 
 ment to that which had befallen their confederates. 
 
 This news was really old, it having occurred in 
 July of the previous year, but it had not reached 
 Daniel (except in the form of rumor) until the time 
 of his writing, which was about one month pre- 
 vious. It will be hard for our young friends who 
 read this to understand how it was that news 
 should travel so slowly in those far-away days. 
 But if they will only recall the fact of the wonder- 
 ful progress of inventions in the last fifty years, it 
 will not be so difficult for them to understand. 
 
 After much consultation and deliberation be- 
 tween the older members of the two families, it 
 was decided to put forth every effort to so arrange 
 business that they might start for Kirtland in time 
 to be there by the first of April. Further than 
 this, they could determine nothing, but after their 
 arrival they would be governed entirely by circum- 
 stances. 
 
 "It is all very sudden, and seems so stranje to 
 me, Mary," said Margery when they were alone 
 together in Mary's room. "I felt as though I must 
 talk with you. I do not believe that I can find 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 173 
 
 words to express to you just how I feel, especially 
 about the influence which this persecution may 
 have upon the Saints. If they bear it patiently 
 and suffer it gladly as Saints in former times have 
 done, all will be well; but saints of former days 
 had that in their favor which our people have not." 
 
 "What is that, Margery, I don't know that I 
 understand you?" 
 
 1 'What are the scars that our fathers both bear? 
 Were they not received in battle while fighting for 
 this same principle which is causing our brethren 
 trouble, the liberty of freedom of thought and 
 speech? This liberty has been bought by the life- 
 blood of many whose sons are to-day numbered 
 among our brethren, and is as dear to the sons as 
 ever it was to the sires. I see how it is, Mary. 
 These western men, like those who oppose us here, 
 are not able to defend their faith in argument 
 against the truth of the gospel, and consequently 
 they are angry and will use every' means to har- 
 rass and annoy our people. No harm can accrue 
 to us so long as we bear it patiently; but our 
 fathers and brothers were not born under the rule 
 of princes and tyrants, and if the Government does 
 not speedily put a stop to such injustice, such 
 lawless proceedings, I fear for the effect upon the 
 church." 
 
 "But, Margery, men who are led by the Spirit of 
 God will know that retaliation is not and can not 
 be a part of the gospel of Christ!" 
 
174 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "Yes, Mary, but if there had never come a time 
 when it was just and right to resist unholy oppres- 
 sion, what of the war which secured the indepen- 
 dence of these United States? Would it not have 
 been an unjust war? What of the Declaration of 
 Independence, to the support of which its signers 
 pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred 
 honor? If this declaration of human rights involved 
 principles of wrong, then these men had no sacred 
 honor to pledge, for they were untrue, disloyal to 
 the government which they should have honored; 
 and though good men even then might have been 
 dragged into the contest, it never could have made 
 the quarrel a just one. If the statement contained 
 in it that to every individual God has given ina- 
 lienable rights, is a mistake, then our nation is 
 founded upon a false hypothesis and our govern- 
 ment is no better than the governments of Europe. 
 If kings rule by divine right, then it follows that 
 the people have no right to a voice in the election 
 of their rulers." 
 
 "I can see that your conclusions are just, Mar- 
 gery, but I can not yet see the bearing they have 
 upon this difficulty." 
 
 "I pray God we may never see it, Mary, for it 
 would be worse for the church than the bitterest 
 persecution which could rage against it. But do 
 you not see that if our brethren are to be perse- 
 cuted and driven by the lawless mob, and the Gov- 
 ernment stands by and offers no protection to its 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 175 
 
 citizens who have never violated the law, that the 
 time must inevitably come when they will have to 
 protect themselves and their families? It will not 
 be the Government which they will resist, but mob 
 violence; and in doing this, it will be hard to pre- 
 vent a spirit of retaliation from entering in; and 
 if it should, neither you nor I can estimate the loss 
 it will te to the church." 
 
 "I hope the Saints will bear much and long, 
 before they resort to this," said Mary. 
 
 "I echo your wish, Mary, with all my heart; but 
 my mind is troubled, and I feel that we shall have 
 much to endure because of our religion, before 
 many years pass away. I do not shrink from 
 suffering, and it is not this which troubles me; 
 neither do I fear that I shall ever deny the faith; 
 but if while we profess and cling to it, we lose the 
 Spirit of the gospel, then, indeed, our enemies have 
 prevailed against us." 
 
 "Do not let this trouble you, Margery. If we 
 are humble and faithful, God will strengthen us to 
 resist temptation and to overcome." 
 
 "My only trust is in him, and for this cause I 
 feel that if Daniel goes to Missouri, I must go with 
 him." 
 
 "I am glad of that decision, Margery, for he will 
 need your restraining influence. He loves his 
 friends and would be far more likely to resent 
 insult and injury to them than to himself." 
 
 "That is just the trying point, Mary, and the 
 
176 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 one which troubles me. Even a high-spirited man 
 may bear abuse which is heaped upon himself; but 
 it becomes intolerable when compelled to see his 
 dearest friends abused. How think you our 
 fathers could bear to see us cruelly treated before 
 
 their eyes? But father is calling. I must go. 
 
 Come over soon, for I have much to talk with you 
 about" 
 
 CHAPTER XIV 
 WAS IT WISE 
 
 Cod is not dead, nor doth he sleep! 
 
 The wrong shall fail, 
 
 The right prevail, 
 With peace on earth, good will to men. 
 
 Longfellow. 
 
 Where truth and right are concerned, 
 We must be firm as God. 
 
 Guthrie. 
 
 T WAS a balmy day, early in the month of 
 April, 1834. The sun shone brightly and 
 warmth was diffused from his beams, 
 penetrating even the dense shade made by the 
 evergreens upon the hillside. The buds had swol- 
 len, and many shrubs and trees were clothing 
 themselves with coronals of living green, while 
 the soft carpet of nature's wonderful weaving was 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 177 
 
 strewn here and there with flowers more beautiful 
 than any that ever came from the looms of art. 
 
 The birds sang as they flitted here and there, 
 busy with preparation for building nests and rear- 
 ing their young. The blue waters of the lake rip- 
 pled in the sunshine and, stretching away in the 
 distance, lost themselves in blending with the sky; 
 while ever and anon, there came the voice of sea- 
 men from some passing vessel, heard in song or in 
 the tone of command, issued hastily as they sped 
 towards port or spread their sails to depart. 
 
 Walking slowly along the beach, she leaning 
 upon his arm, are Daniel and Margery. Some 
 days before, their families had arrived in Kirtland 
 and were settled, for the time being, in a small 
 village near to the lake-shore, just beyond the hill 
 which rises abruptly a short distance from where 
 the lovers are walking. They had arrived before 
 Daniel, and this is the first hour of uninterrupted 
 communion which he and Margery have had. 
 There is upon the countenance of each a calm and 
 happy light, but withal in the very step, gesture, 
 and expression, of Margery especially, there is a 
 nameless something, indicating that even in this 
 first hour of reunion, while joy at his presence 
 ripples every wave of her heart's emotion, as the 
 sunshine ripples the blue waves at their feet, there 
 is yet an undertone of sadness, a looking forward 
 to the near future, and a realization of the issues 
 which must soon be met. 
 
178 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "The news which has met us since we came 
 here," continued Margery, "is very distressing. In 
 last October many of the Saints had their houses 
 demolished and were robbed and driven forth 
 without shelter. In some cases, it is said, they 
 resisted this inhuman treatment and, in defending 
 themselves, some two of the mobbers were killed 
 and several wounded. The State militia, under 
 Lieutenant-governor Boggs, was at last called out 
 to preserve the peace; but these State troops were 
 among the most bitter enemies of our brethren, 
 and they saw no hope but by seeking safety in 
 flight. They commenced crossing the river in 
 November. The weather was cold and rainy, and 
 our plundered, half -clad sisters and children were 
 exposed to the bitter elements, without shelter or 
 protection. They are now making homes in Clay 
 County." 
 
 "Much of this is news to me," said Daniel, "but 
 I learn that there is a company going up to Mis- 
 souri very soon, and this is what I wished to talk 
 to you about this morning." 
 
 Margery was silent, but her face grew a shade 
 pale and her eyes were downcast, as Daniel con- 
 tinued, 
 
 "It has been my fond hope to take you with me 
 and to make our home in that distant region; but I 
 can not ask you to go with me now." 
 
 "It is father's intention to start in a few weeks," 
 answered Margery, "and Mary told me that your 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 179 
 
 father had made up his mind to go with him. 
 They will probably go with this same company you 
 spoke of. But, Daniel," and her voice trembled 
 with the depth of her feelings, "if you go, you 
 must take me with you, for I will never consent to 
 be left behind." 
 
 "But, Margery, think of the uncertainty, the 
 danger, to say nothing of the hardships." 
 
 "I have thought of all these and have tried not 
 to undervalue them, neither to overestimate my 
 own strength, but the more I have thought, the 
 more I see but the one way opening before us. 
 You will need me, Daniel, and my place is by your 
 side. I shall not shrink, though the furnace be 
 seven times heated. This gospel, this faith, is 
 very precious to me, and if God calls us to seal 
 our testimony with our blood, let us not shrink nor 
 deem it a hard thing. It is what the people of 
 God have done in all ages of the world and, surely, 
 they never had any brighter testimonies to enable 
 them to stand firm than we have had." 
 
 "You are right upon that point, Margery; I have 
 never told you how greatly I have been blessed in 
 preaching the word. Many times when, foot-sore 
 and weary, we have asked for entertainment and 
 were refused, the Lord strengthened us that we 
 passed over miles, without heeding them any more 
 than if they had been steps, and often, when 
 defending the faith, passages of Scripture have 
 been brought to my mind, and my understanding 
 
180 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 has been opened to discover in them a meaning 
 never seen before; and, when I have needed to 
 refer to any text, my memory has never yet failed 
 me. The Lord has added the confirmation which 
 he promised to those who obeyed, and, altogether, 
 Margery, it is what many have styled it, 'a mar- 
 velous work and a wonder/ " 
 
 "What you say reminds me of one cause of the 
 hatred felt by the people of Missouri towards the 
 brethren. They can not meet them in argument 
 at all, and this has roused the jealousy of their 
 preachers, who are very active in inciting the peo- 
 ple to hostilities. Besides this, they say that our 
 people claim the land as their rightful inheritance, 
 and boast that one day in the near future, it will 
 be given to them by the Lord, and the Missourians 
 will have to give place to them." 
 
 "I fear that some of our brethren may have 
 acted with more zeal than wisdom, yet, making all 
 possible allowance for this, they have done noth- 
 ing to deserve any bad treatment from the people 
 of Missouri. Some have bought and paid for their 
 lands, others have rented farms and paid a stipu- 
 lated price for the use of them, while yet others 
 have worked as farm-hands, mechanics, or clerks 
 for those who needed their services. You know 
 the peculiarity of our people, Margery. To talk of 
 their faith is more to them than meat or drink. It 
 is something new to the people of the West, and 
 when they saw one company after another arriv- 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 181 
 
 ing, especially when they saw the country begin, 
 as if by magic, to become like a garden under the 
 careful culture of the brethren, they became really 
 alarmed, their jealousy became fully aroused, and 
 the result has been their forcing the Saints to 
 leave Jackson County. I had heard enough to 
 convince me that this would be the final result." 
 
 "I hear that the attorney-general, Honorable 
 Robert A. Wells, is very indignant at the conduct 
 of the people of Missouri, and has written to some 
 of the brethren, offering to help re-establish them 
 in their homes. He advised them to remain in the 
 State and organize themselves into a regular com- 
 pany of militia, and promised, if they did so, that 
 they should have a supply of the public arms." 
 
 "I am glad they did not accept the offer." 
 
 "Daniel," said Margery, very slowly, but as 
 though weighing each word before speaking, "I 
 wish they had accepted the offer and demanded 
 their rights." 
 
 For a moment, Daniel paused in their walk and 
 turned his clear, gray eyes full upon Margery with 
 a look of inquiry slightly mingled with astonish- 
 ment. She raised her eyes to meet his and 
 although the color mounted to her face, she added, 
 "Don't be astonished at me, Daniel, I think that 
 the brethren should have taken his advice and 
 demanded a restoration of that which was justly 
 theirs and a recognition of their rights." 
 
 A puzzled look came for a moment over Daniel's 
 
182 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 face, but it was followed by a smile, and as they 
 resumed their walk he said: 
 
 "It is evident, Margery, that you were not raised 
 in the belief of the Friends, but I think their belief 
 is in harmony with the teachings of Christ, upon 
 this point, at least." 
 
 "I may be wrong, Daniel, but, looking into the 
 future, I think I foresee far more evil to result 
 from their yielding to this wrong, than could pos- 
 sibly happen, if they had resisted it. It is not law- 
 ful. These men are violating the law, and is it 
 not the duty of every good citizen to help enforce 
 the law, if called upon by the proper authorities to 
 do so?" 
 
 "Yes, Margery; but you surely have not forgot- 
 ten that Jesus said, Tut up again thy sword into 
 his place, for they that take the sword, shall perish 
 with the sword/ ' 
 
 "I remember it, Daniel, but those who were sent 
 to arrest Jesus were sent by parties who, accord- 
 ing to the law, had a right to make such arrests, 
 and he was taken before a tribunal which should 
 have been a tribunal of justice, and while it was 
 not such in reality, to have resisted it would have 
 been resisting the powers that be, and this we are 
 commanded not to do. I have thought much upon 
 this subject since your letter, in which you first 
 mentioned these troubles, reached me, and I have 
 tried to solve the question, by reference to the 
 word of God, and, while I may be wrong, I confess 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 183 
 
 to you that I am not able to see it in any other 
 light." 
 
 "I have never looked at it in this light; for the 
 Savior commanded us, 'Resist not evil, . . . love 
 your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good 
 to them that hate you, and pray for them that 
 despitefully use you, and persecute you.' " (See 
 note.) 
 
 "I have read and remember all these, but surely 
 there must be a qualifying sense in regard to the 
 kind of evil which we are commanded not to resist. 
 If there be not, then how is it possible that any 
 advancement can be made towards that which is 
 good? Is not the evil here meant, that which indi- 
 viduals have suffered and most likely will suffer to 
 the end of time, from the injustice of human gov- 
 ernments? Connected with the texts to which you 
 have just referred, is the expression, 'If any man 
 will sue thee at law/ and this, to my mind, is the 
 key to the matter. 'The powers that be are 
 ordained of God/ and if they sin, upon them be the 
 wrong; it is plainly our duty to submit; but can it 
 be a duty to submit to a wrong when the officers 
 of the State call upon us to resist it and point out 
 the proper way in which to do so?" 
 
 "Really, Margery, I can not answer you. I have 
 never viewed it in this light before, and I would 
 like to examine it in all its bearings, before ven- 
 turing an opinion with reference to it. Why is it 
 that you have thought so much about it?" 
 
184 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "I do not know, but I have not been able to 
 divest myself of a haunting fear that trouble is to 
 be the result of such a course. As I said, these 
 men are lawless, and having before their eyes 
 neither the fear of God nor man, they will go just 
 as far as they dare go with impunity, and should 
 the time come when our people will tire of being 
 harrassed and driven, they will lose faith in and 
 respect for a government which does not protect 
 its citizens in their rights, and then it will require 
 a double portion of God's Spirit to subdue the feel- 
 ings which will urge them to render evil for evil. 
 To demand the recognition of their rights in a law- 
 ful way is not evil even to those who are the trans- 
 gressors. Were it otherwise, the very foundation 
 would be swept from under every Christian gov- 
 ernment upon the face of the earth." 
 
 "Yes, Margery, but the Saints will appeal to the 
 Government for redress of their wrongs, and I 
 have too much faith in our Government, not to 
 believe the appeal will succeed." 
 
 "Pray heaven it may be effectual and come not 
 too late," said Margery. "One point, just here, I 
 want to ask you about. If called upon by an 
 officer of the State, who, in the discharge of his 
 duty, finds your help necessary, is it not your duty 
 to lend him your help?" 
 
 "Certainly it is." ' 
 
 "Then why is it not the duty of every man to 
 help to put down mob violence, which is itself 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 185 
 
 resistance to the law, and where is the security for 
 life or property, if mob violence is not resisted?" 
 
 "You may be right, I will not say you are not, 
 but the Lord will direct in this matter." 
 
 "The mistakes of the past can not be undone, 
 and we many times suffer because of mistakes 
 ignorantly made. Had the brethren wished to 
 regain their homes in Jackson County, the law- 
 abiding citizens offered to help them do so, and I 
 fear a grave mistake was made when they failed 
 to accept the offer. These men have violated the 
 law with impunity, and, having gone thus far, 
 they will be strengthened in their lawless course 
 by the fact that neither the Government nor the 
 brethren have resisted the wrong done. They 
 have no sense of honor, justice, or shame, and will 
 not scruple to take every advantage possible, in 
 order to follow up what they have begun, and if 
 the Government does not right this great wrong, 
 this outrage upon her honor, as well as injustice to 
 her citizens, to an innocent, unoffending people, 
 then no one who lives under the protection of the 
 Stars and Stripes ought ever to boast of the liberty 
 to worship God according to the dictates of his own 
 conscience. When the attorney-general offered 
 them help in order to redress this outrage, I think 
 justice to themselves, to their wives and little 
 ones, to our country, our Constitution, our common 
 humanity, demanded of them to accept the offer." 
 
 "Has it occurred to your mind, Margery, that in 
 
186 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 this very trouble which the Lord has suffered to 
 come upon the church, he is working out his own 
 purposes, and will eventually overrule it for good? 
 The countless ages of eternity are his, ( and it is 
 impossible that we should be able to judge, even 
 with reference to this brief span of time, that 
 which will be the ultimate result; how, then, can 
 we judge of the unfolding purposes of God?" 
 
 "I see all this clearly, Daniel, and it is well that 
 God does, at all times, overrule; for the wisest and 
 best have found in their time how hard a matter it 
 is to steer clear of mistakes. Even men who at 
 times are inspired of God, when not acting under 
 this inspiration, can only do that which their best 
 judgment approves. I have unbounded faith, 
 also, in the ultimate triumph of right over wrong, 
 and, though we should be entering upon a long 
 night of darkness, God is pledged to the redemp- 
 tion of the pure in heart, and with him they will 
 inherit this earth. The Psalmist has said, When 
 the wicked are cut off, thou shalt see it.' ' 
 
 Before Daniel and Margery returned home, they 
 had fully canvassed the future, and a day for their 
 marriage had been appointed. It was a clear, 
 bright Sabbath in the month of April when Elder 
 Browning united them in the bonds of holy wed- 
 lock, and a very happy family wished the young 
 couple a prosperous and useful life. 
 
 After the ceremony, they met with the Saints at 
 the house of worship, for they were to start upon 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 187 
 
 their western journey the coming week, and were 
 not willing to miss a single occasion of joining with 
 the Saints in prayer- and testimony-meeting or of 
 hearing the word of God preached. 
 
 As the time for starting drew near, and just as 
 arrangements were all completed for the journey, 
 Mrs. Boyd was taken sick. The company delayed 
 starting for a few days, but finally moved on, leav- 
 ing the two families to follow. 
 
 Mrs. Boyd's sickness proved to be a lingering 
 one, and when she began to improve, it was 
 arranged that Mr. Clark's family should go first 
 and look out a location, and Mr. Boyd would follow 
 as soon as his wife was strong enough to bear the 
 journey, and, as Daniel was anxious to resume his 
 missionary labors, Margery advised him to go with 
 his family and she would remain to care for her 
 mother and come when her family came. 
 
 Thus, unexpectedly to both, they found them- 
 selves again called upon to separate, and the sepa- 
 ration was the more painful to Margery, because 
 she knew that if detained long, many times weeks 
 would elapse before she could hear from Daniel. 
 She would be able to write oftener, as letters could 
 be sent from that direction by brethren going up, 
 but few would be returning, and, consequently, the 
 chances were much against her. But long before 
 Margery became Daniel's wife, she had counted 
 the cost and had formed her resolutions. Before 
 he had ever confessed his love for her, she had 
 
188 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 known that it was his intention to enter the minis- 
 try, and when she had given him her promise to 
 become his wife, there had gone with it another 
 promise, for Daniel had said: 
 
 "Can you, Margery, because of the love you bear 
 me, consent to take upon you the burden, the 
 trials, incident to the position which, as my wife, 
 the wife of a traveling elder, will surely fall to 
 your lot? There will be in it the joy of that hope 
 which reaches within the veil, but very little of 
 that which pertains to time. In the world, the 
 Master forewarned us, we should have tribulation, 
 but in him, peace! Have you counted the cost and 
 do you know that Paul fully understood the matter 
 when he said, 'No chastening for the present seem- 
 eth to be joyous'? The cup is bitter to the taste of 
 those who drink, and the 'peaceable fruit of right- 
 eousness' often seems very far away. 'The spirit 
 indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak/ 
 
 "I can promise you nothing, Margery, only that 
 until death do us part, yes, and through the count- 
 less ages of eternity, I will love and cherish you. 
 In life, I will strive to so walk before my God that 
 you may look to me for help in fighting the good 
 fight of faith, yet do I know that in many an hour 
 of weakness I shall turn to you. It is no fairy, 
 joyous picture, but it is a real one, and better we 
 count the cost now than when too late." 
 
 "I have counted it most fully," Margery an- 
 swered. "I believe the Lord knew from the begin- 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 189 
 
 ning that which was needful for man, whom he 
 had created; and woman, when she fills the place 
 allotted her by her Creator, becomes indeed , and in 
 truth a help-meet to her husband. This I desire 
 at all times to be, to supplement your life just as 
 the need may develop. When, weary and worn 
 with its hard-fought battles, you faint by the way, 
 then may God strengthen me to be strength for 
 y >u, even as a fountain of cooling water in a 
 desert place. When my quicker intuition sees 
 danger where your stronger reasoning faculties 
 discover none, then let me persuade you to move 
 with care until time develops the right way. Let 
 my very weakness be to you a source of strength, 
 my dependence, your power, and my God-given 
 equality, your glory." 
 
 There was a mist in Daniel's eyes as he took 
 Margery's hand between both of his and answered 
 with a voice which, despite his utmost effort, 
 trembled as he spoke, "Margery, if ever the time 
 comes when I forget that in the image of God, 
 male and female were created, and that dominion 
 was not given to male, neither to female, but to 
 them then may the Lord forget to answer when I 
 call on him, to hearken when I make supplication 
 unto him. Be my strength, when weary and 
 weak. Be to me like this clinging vine, covering 
 up the rough and unsightly places, twining around 
 the gnarled limbs and storm-scarred body of this 
 giant forest-tree, clinging with a tenacity no storm 
 
190 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 can wrench away, and beautifying, as no youth or 
 strength of the tree ever possessed the power to 
 do; chide me when wrong; bear with me when 
 impatient or hasty, and counsel with me when the 
 time for action comes; and then, whatever may 
 come, whether joy or pain, peace or prosperity, 
 plenty or poverty, the smiles of the world or its 
 bitterest frowns, we will triumph"; and because 
 Margery had answered, "God helping me I will," 
 she now persuaded Daniel that, pleasant as it 
 would be to have him remain with her, the path of 
 duty was plain, she to care for her mother and he 
 to be about the Master's work. 
 
 Let not the reader suppose that there was no 
 conflict in the heart of Margery. The presence of 
 Daniel was to her as sunshine and dew to the 
 flowers. But the words she had spoken to him in 
 the first hour of plighted troth were not idle 
 words, and when the test came, she remembered 
 them, remembered also her covenant with God, 
 and, remembering, she forced back the tears, 
 stifled every murmur before It reached her lips 
 and said -to Daniel, "Go, and the Lord will surely 
 go with you." 
 
 There was little of romance in the scene as the 
 covered wagons moved out on the road and Daniel, 
 plainly clad for his journey, walked by the side of 
 the last one. Neither would it have been detected 
 by the casual observer in the quiet bearing, but 
 deft and rapid movements, of the young girl left 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 191 
 
 in the cottage near the lake shore. But had that 
 observer been gifted with the power to read below 
 the surface he would have discovered beneath that 
 calm and quiet exterior the stuff of which martyrs 
 are made. 
 
 Could he have seen the source of that strength, 
 he would have known that, next to a firm reliance 
 upon God, it was drawn from the fact that she had 
 power to infuse into that strong man a portion of 
 the trust and faith which enabled him to say fare- 
 well to the bride of but a few short weeks and 
 hasten to carry the gospel to those who had not 
 heard its glad sound. 
 
 She knew that, much as Daniel wished to go, a 
 single entreaty from her would keep him with her, 
 but she had promised, "I will be your strength 
 when weak/' and no entreaty was made, but doing 
 the plain duty next her hand to do, she left the 
 result with God. * 
 
 * NOTE. As throwing light upon this point, we append below an extract taken 
 from a recent article in the "Forum," by Archdeacon F. "W. Farrar, entitled, 
 "Count Tolstoi's Religious Views." 
 
 " 'Count Tolstoi,' says Archdeacon Farrar, 'believing that the essence of 
 Christ's teaching is love, humility, self-abnegation, the returning of good for 
 evil, it seems to him that the church has made those virtues only necessary 
 and secondary . . Subjecting the sermon on the mount to theological expla- 
 nations, she has declared it to be the presentation of an Impossible ideal, 
 whereas, it is perfectly within the reach of all who will accept it in a childlike 
 spirit. The inmost essence of all Christ's teaching seems to him to lie in the 
 literal obedience to the command, "Resist not evil," whereas the church has 
 sanctioned resistance to evil in every form. But he holds that Christ's words 
 admit of no limitations or exceptions. For instance, Christ said, "Give to him 
 that asketh thee." Was not his meaning perfectly clear? He meant to incul- 
 cate the universal duty of charity, of quick generosity, of ready almsgiving. 
 But to what monstrous absurdities do we reduce this lovely principle when we 
 take it literally! Is no request to be denied? Are we to give to a child or a 
 
192 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 fool? Are we to give to an oppressor to help him in hurting the innocent? 
 Are we to give a drunkard, who will at once use our gift to reduce himself to 
 the condition of a beast? . . . Again Christ said, "Ask and ye shall receive." 
 Was there ever any Christian who failed to see that the divine promise, so 
 infinitely true in the spirit, is in the letter falsified by all experience? It was 
 intended as a principle and was never meant to be understood in the letter. No 
 Christian asks for any earthly blessing, however intensely he may desire it, 
 without the two expressed or mental reservations, "If it be good for me," "If it 
 be thy will." Paul prayed thrice that the "stake in the flesh" might be removed 
 from him and it was not removed, though something else and something better 
 was granted him. Our Lord himself prayed that if it were his Father's will the 
 cup might pass from him. It did not pass, but there appeared an angel from 
 heaven, strengthening him. . . . [Count Tolstoi will surely admit that in these 
 matters Christ is his own best interpreter]. Thus in the sermon on the mount, 
 immediately after the words, "Resist not evil," which seem to Count Tolstoi to 
 contain the essence of all Christianity, Christ added, "Whosoever shall smite 
 thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also." Yet so little did he mean 
 the injunction to be taken literally, when he himself was smitten on the cheek 
 he remonstrated with the offender (see John 18: 23). What he meant was the 
 duty of suppressing resentment a divine principle. 
 
 " 'We may now directly test Tolstoi's special conclusions and first his pal- 
 mary rule, "Resist not evil." We maintain that in not regarding this as a pre- 
 cept of universal, literal, and exceptionless application, the church has not 
 been inventing glosses whereby to avoid a difficult duty; but has, on the con- 
 trary, been giving to Christ's rule the exact meaning which he intended. For 
 in the present state of the world, resistance to evil in some form is a primary 
 duty. If Tolstoi attaches no importance to the wielding of the sword of 
 Michael from the armory of God, and to the Lamb going forth to war, he need 
 not look beyond the limits of the gospels. Christ's whole ministry was a 
 resistance to evil. He resisted evil with words, when he "blighted the 
 scribes and pharisees with the flash of a terrible invective"; he resisted it in 
 deeds when he expelled with a scourge of small cords the profaners of the 
 temple; and he resisted it by plain counsel when he said, 'He that hath no 
 sword, let him sell his garment and buy one." It is not in the least the result 
 of cowardice or compromise with the world, (as Count Tolstoi thinks,) that 
 the church sanctions the resistance to evil in the form of war and of civil jus- 
 tice. It is, on the contrary, the result of her belief, that cleaving to the letter 
 would be a violation of the spirit of Christ's command. Yearly the wretched 
 Fellahin of Palestine sow their corn, and yearly the bolder Bedawin reap it. 
 If resistance were possible to them their helplessness would be pusillanimity, 
 not virtue. The meaning can not be as St. Augustine taught us fourteen cen- 
 turies ago, that destroyers are to trample the world under their feet and the 
 righteous are not to stay them. . . . 
 
 " 'The possession of property is perfectly lawful, and the only thing that is 
 unlawful is the wrong use of it. False swearing and blasphemy are forbidden, 
 but the solemn oath of a Christian man before a court of justice is sanctioned 
 by Christ's own example. Anger on just cause and within righteous limits, is 
 perfectly permissible; it is only baseless, cruel, rash, implacable anger which 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 193 
 
 Is eternally to be condemned. Resistance to evil Is not only pardonable, but 
 it becomes a positive duty when nonresistance would be nothing but a curse 
 to the offender, to society, and to the world. . . . Will any one aver that there 
 was no nobleness, no fine moral enthusiasm, no inspiring force of a righteous 
 motive in the hearts of the Northern soldiers who marched to war, singing: 
 
 " ' "Christ has died to make men happy, 
 We will die to make them free." ' " 
 
 So writes Archdeacon Farrar, and while we do not Indorse all we have 
 quoted, our readers may see that Margery's views in relation to the justice of 
 resistance to evil, have full support from high authority, and such as would 
 never be suspected of favoring what the world Is pleased to term "Mormonism." 
 There is a harmony in the teachings of Christ upon this point, the key of which 
 the Christian alone possesses. 
 
194 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 CHAPTER XV 
 MARY'S LETTER 
 
 Let him not boast who puts his armor on, 
 As he who puts it off, the battle done. 
 
 Longfellow. 
 
 The tares may flourish, but the grain is not for death. 
 
 Whittier. 
 
 N OUR last, we left Margery busy with 
 the household cares which, because of her 
 mother's sickness, devolved upon her. 
 The days, as they lengthened in reality, seemed 
 long indeed to her as she waited for news from 
 Daniel; but as a low, lingering feyer still confined 
 her mother to her bed, she was thankful for the 
 wisdom of the choice she had made in remaining 
 with her; for in time she saw her patient care 
 rewarded, as the invalid slowly gained strength 
 and was able once more to join her family at the 
 social meal as well as in their hours of devotion. 
 
 Letters came from Daniel, descriptive of the 
 country through which they were traveling, and 
 filled with such incidents as might serve to inter- 
 est her or tend in any way to cheer her spirits. 
 The hope of soon being reunited was her daily 
 and hourly thought, though few who saw her 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 195 
 
 cheerful, loving attendance upon her mother 
 would have dreamed how much she longed for 
 his companionship and counted again and again 
 the hours of separation. The soft breezes of 
 spring had given place to the warmer ones of 
 early summer, when a letter reached her from 
 Mary, which, as it forms a connecting link in our 
 narrative, we will here in part transcribe. , It 
 was dated, "Early June in the wild-wood," and 
 ran thus: 
 
 "Margery, Sweet Sister: Should I undertake to 
 describe the scene by which I am surrounded, I 
 feel sure that I never could do justice to it. 
 To-night we are encamped in a grove of timber 
 skirting the borders of a limpid stream, which in 
 its gentle, rippling flow reminds me of the one in 
 which we were 'buried with him [Christ] in bap- 
 tism' that happy day, which now seems so far in 
 the past. 
 
 "If time is measured by events, then indeed it is 
 long since we two entered into covenant, taking 
 upon us the name of the Son and witnessing to 
 God that we would always keep his command- 
 ments. Ah! Margery, that is a solemn covenant 
 to make, especially when we remember with whom 
 it is made! I look back at the past, as memory 
 brings it before me, and forward to the future, 
 that realm of imagination, and the question comes 
 to me, 'Shall I always be able to do this?' 'Not in 
 our own strength/ I hear you repeating, as you 
 
196 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 have many times said to me, 'but if we daily ask 
 our portion of strength, he will give it daily/ 
 
 "This is what I am trying to do, trying to gather 
 the manna each day as it falls, and use it while 
 fresh and sweet; and, Margery, I have thus far 
 never known it to fail. Is it not, after all, the 
 using of it which is the important part? Those 
 who in their eagerness gathered more than was 
 used, found it filled with worms. I have often 
 thought that if from the heart we asked daily, and 
 daily used the portion given, we would grow in 
 grace and in the knowledge of God; but of what 
 value to our bodies is the food we never taste? In 
 like manner the spirit can not grow and receive 
 strength by the bread we ask for, if unused. 
 
 "If I pray for the grace of patience and never 
 exercise it; for faith and then harbor doubts and 
 unbelief; for charity, and almost as soon as the 
 breath of prayer has left my lips, take up a 
 reproach against my neighbor; for the poor and 
 the needy, and send them away from my door 
 empty; for the success of the gospel and never 
 give towards the sustaining of the ministry, no, not 
 so much as to pay my honest debt of tithing; for 
 the speedy coming of Christ with his saints, 
 when by the neglect of all those duties I am doing 
 all in my power to prevent that coming, of what 
 avail are my prayers? 
 
 "God may hear and place within my reach the 
 power to answer them, but if I do not use that 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 197 
 
 power, will it not be a swift witness against me in 
 the day of judgment? I sometimes think it were 
 better never to pray, never to ask God for grace to 
 overcome, than to ask, and after receiving, never 
 use. But let me return. 
 
 "There is an opening in the woods where we are 
 now encamped, and, as the banks of the stream 
 are high, through it the view opens out over a 
 wide expanse of prairie, covered with the most 
 luxuriant growth of grass, among which bloom the 
 loveliest wild flowers of every shade and hue. As 
 the evening breeze freshens, the grass sways in it 
 like the ripples on the lake; but the waters of the 
 lake never throw back such bright and lovely 
 colors as the flowers give to this prairie sea. 
 
 "Away in the distance, where the sky bends 
 down and seems to lift the land to its embrace, the 
 hues mingle and blend till one knows not where 
 the prairie fades from view and the horizon 
 begins. Truly this is a lovely land and goodly. 
 One can almost fancy that the spies would not 
 have far to go for the grapes of Eschol, as he looks 
 at the trees covered with the half-formed bunches 
 of wild grapes, hanging thickly from vines which 
 have crept to the tops of the tallest ones and have 
 there festooned themselves into garlands of ver- 
 dure, reaching from branch to branch. 
 
 "You heard that our people would not be 
 induced to take up arms in order to defend them- 
 
198 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 selves from being driven, neither to reinstate 
 themselves in their rights. 
 
 "After they left Jackson and settled in Clay 
 County, these mobbers did not feel just as secure 
 as they wanted to feel in regard to their titles to 
 these lands. The guilty conscience, which is ever 
 looking forward to the evil day, whispered to them 
 that sometime they might be called upon to prove 
 their titles, which would be a hard thing for them 
 to do. Accordingly they sent a proposition to the 
 brethren, offering them the government price for 
 their land, but refusing to pay anything for the 
 improvements. 
 
 "Of course our brethren could not accept this, 
 and it was finally agreed to refer the matter to 
 some of the citizens of Clay County. These men 
 had no connection with our church, but were men 
 of good standing and much influence in the county. 
 
 "They met at a town called Liberty, with thir- 
 teen men sent out from Jackson County, and 
 strove to adjust the difficulty. Our brethren were 
 also represented; but after some time the men 
 from Jackson County, seeing that they were not 
 likely to get what they wanted without paying for 
 it, withdrew from the council, and, being very 
 angry, they accused the men of Clay County of 
 sympathizing with our people, and it was only by 
 persistent effort that they were restrained from 
 using knives and guns, which seems to be the best 
 logic they have at command. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 199 
 
 "Prominent among this delegation from Jackson 
 County, was a man by the name of James Camp- 
 bell. In the terrible heat of his anger, this man 
 swore that the war against the Mormons should be 
 renewed, and that he himself intended to kill Joe 
 Smith and 'give his carcass to the buzzards/ 
 
 "That night the heavens suddenly gathered 
 blackness, and peal upon peal of thunder shook 
 the earth, while the vivid lightning flashes blinded 
 the beholder, for a moment lighting up the earth 
 and then leaving it in blacker darkness than 
 before. How well I remember it, and how it 
 required all our united strength to keep our tent 
 from being blown away! The rain fell in torrents, 
 and but for the precaution father always takes of 
 digging a trench around the tent, it would have 
 been flooded with water. In a few hours the 
 storm abated, and next morning the sun shone 
 bright and clear, and the birds sang as joyously 
 and sweetly as though there had been no war of 
 the elements, no crash of thunder, or of trees 
 uprooted by the wind or shivered by the light- 
 ning's flash; but in that storm, Margery, there 
 perished seven of these lawless men. 
 
 "They had embarked in the ferry-boat to recross 
 the Missouri River, and when about half way over, 
 the storm burst upon them in all its fury and the 
 boat upset. Part succeeded in clinging to her until 
 she righted, and then in climbing in, and so were 
 saved, but seven were drowned, and their bodies 
 
200 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 floated down the angry waters of the swollen 
 stream, and some days afterwards the body of 
 James Campbell was found lodged on a sand-bar; 
 but so terribly was it mutilated and torn by the 
 sharp claws and beaks of buzzards, that it was 
 almost impossible for his friends to recognize it. 
 
 "Our enemies claim that Joseph Smith an- 
 nounced to his followers, 'that he had brought his 
 fate upon himself by his threats against the 
 prophet of the Lord'; but if people were wise they 
 would receive such tales as these with many 
 degrees of allowance, for while there is a tempta- 
 tion to ask, 'Was it indeed retributive justice upon 
 this man?' the Christian knows that it is not in 
 ways like this the judgments of God are meted 
 out. Sin brings its own punishment with it. 
 
 "When in the darkness of night, thrown amid 
 the black, angry, and storm-tossed waters, did this 
 man who had profaned the name of his Maker by 
 linking it with terrible threats of evil which he 
 purposed in his heart to bring upon an innocent 
 fellow being, recall the past; and as the light of 
 eternity drew near, and the stern reality of death 
 came home to him, did he regret it? Would he 
 have changed the past? Would he have reinstated 
 those helpless women and children in the homes 
 from which he had helped to drive them? Had 
 life been spared, would he have changed his course, 
 have been a better man? Alas, who can answer! 
 
 "Was it retributive justice? 'Suppose ye that 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 201 
 
 these Galileans were sinners above all the Galileans, 
 because they suffered such things? I tell you, Nay; 
 but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish/ 
 
 "Let us trust, Margery, that our enemies will be 
 the only ones to do this kind of talking, for in this 
 life justice is not always meted out. The wheat 
 and the tares grow together, and John saw under 
 the altar the souls of them that were slain for the 
 word of God and the testimony that they held: 
 'And they cried with a loud voice, saying, How 
 long, Lord, holy and true, dost thou not judge 
 and avenge our blood on them that dwell on the 
 earth?' White robes were given unto them, and 
 rest, sweet, sweet rest; but even they must wait 
 until judgment precede punishment, for, 'He hath 
 appointed a day in the which he will judge the 
 world in righteousness by that man whom he hath 
 ordained; whereof he hath given assurance of this 
 unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the 
 dead/ 
 
 "Death is not an unlimited evil, neither is it in 
 any sense the punishment God has in store for the 
 wicked. Many times it comes to the righteous in 
 a sudden, terrible manner, as much as to the 
 wicked; but come to them as it may, or when it 
 may, it comes as a friend, freeing the spirit from 
 its tenement of clay, and giving in exchange for 
 the toil, care, and perplexity of life, rest. 'It is 
 appointed unto men once to die, but after this the 
 judgment/ 
 
202 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "But how I have wandered from that which I 
 intended to write you. 
 
 "Our trip has thus far been a very pleasant one, 
 and we are now near our journey's end. The 
 stream by which we are now encamped empties 
 into the Missouri a few miles below the point at 
 which we expect to cross it, and unless Providence 
 prevents we will reach our crossing-place in two 
 more days' travel. Yesterday we met with some 
 families, already discouraged, who were returning 
 to the East. They were driven from Jackson 
 County, and, as they expressed it, 'Have had 
 enough of Mormonism/ Already I have oppor- 
 tunity to see that the 'net gathers of all kinds/ 
 The Savior spoke of a class who became offended 
 in times of persecution, and, Margery, there are 
 many such among our people. I know there will 
 none stand, save those in whom the word has taken 
 deep root, and the root itself is being nourished by 
 the ground into which it has fallen. These will 
 bear fruit, and only the fruitful will endure. 
 
 "You would be surprised to know what objects 
 of curiosity we have been to many on the way. 
 It is a mystery to me how the most vivid imagina- 
 tion could possibly invent all the stories in circula- 
 tion about the 'Mormons/ One would think them 
 a newly discovered race of beings, important curi- 
 osities, or creatures caught with a lasso from some 
 Indian jungle. And what a comment, what a 
 living witness of the changes which have occurred 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 203 
 
 since the days when Christ and his apostles were 
 upon the earth, and went about from place to 
 place, preaching this same gospel of the kingdom! 
 
 "This would not be so apparent, would not stand 
 in such bold relief, did the churches not, one and 
 all, profess to be followers of Christ and found 
 their faith upon the same word which is the foun- 
 dation of success. Did they or we profess another 
 religion, holding the religion of Christ as a mistake 
 or an imposition, there would be no room left for 
 astonishment, but as it is, the marvel is that they 
 can not see how far they have departed from the 
 faith taught by Christ. 'To a drunken man the 
 world goes round/ Not being able to see their 
 own departure, they see in us a new and strange 
 sect which by no possible stretch of courtesy can 
 be denominated Christian. 
 
 "We are anxiously waiting further news from 
 you and expect that you will join us before fall. 
 Daniel and father have gone on ahead and will 
 meet us at the river, provided they have been suc- 
 cessful in finding a desirable location. If we do 
 not meet them there we shall camp and await their 
 return." 
 
 We will not follow the letter to its conclusion, 
 but will here briefly (for the benefit of our young 
 readers) throw in a few connecting links between 
 this period and the events which will form our 
 concluding chapters. Mr. Clark met his family at 
 the crossing of the river, and communicated to 
 
204 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 them the good news of having found and pur- 
 chased a place with some improvements already on 
 it. The location he had selected was in Clay 
 County, where the family were shortly settled. 
 Daniel obtained a home near to his father's and in 
 the early fall they were joined by the family of 
 Mr. Boyd, and, for the first time, Daniel and Mar- 
 gery sat together beneath their own roof -tree, and 
 knew in its broadest meaning the truth of the 
 words, "Be it ever so humble, there's no place like 
 home." Before long they were destined to know 
 also, that no spot upon this earth is so sacred as to 
 be exempt from pain and trial. Daniel was 
 attacked by sickness, and despite every effort upon 
 the part of friends to alleviate or heal, gradually 
 grew worse, until it became evident to all that 
 unless help came soon, it would come too late. 
 
 Through the long watches of the night, Margery 
 sat by his bedside, her heart filled with the wildest 
 apprehensions. Could it be possible that he was 
 to be taken from her, that his life-mission was 
 accomplished and the summons home had come? 
 Silently she ministered to his every want, for the 
 sharp pain tugging at her heart rendered speech 
 almost impossible, but every breath was a breath 
 of prayer, that, if possible, God would not yet press 
 this bitter cup to her lips. From time to time the 
 ordinances of God's house had been administered, 
 but with no apparent effect. Medical aid had been 
 sought, but all in vain, and although Margery kept 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 205 
 
 her watch alone, the family of Daniel were all 
 there, for their anxiety was too great to suffer 
 them to remain away. As the first dawn of day 
 stole into the room, he said to Margery, "Call 
 father." 
 
 Mr. Clark was soon at his bedside, followed by 
 his mother and Mary, not knowing but they had 
 been summoned to bid him good-bye. 
 
 "Will you administer to me once more, father?" 
 
 "Certainly, my son," he answered, and kneeling 
 by his bedside, the stricken family once more 
 importuned at a throne of grace for the life of the 
 sufferer, after which Mr. Clark anointed his head 
 with oil, and laying his hands upon it, asked God 
 to remove the disease and restore his son to 
 health. 
 
 God was pleased to hear and answer, and that 
 morning Daniel took breakfast with his rejoicing 
 family, thanking God for his abounding mercy and 
 blessings. 
 
 Three years of peaceful, domestic life followed 
 this event. Much of Daniel's time was given to the 
 ministry, but Margery was happy in the thought 
 that though at home, she was yet a coworker with 
 him; for he never failed to receive from her words 
 of cheerful encouragement, which not only buoyed 
 up his spirit, but incited him to new endeavors in 
 the Master's cause. Hours of discouragement and 
 despondency came to her, as they do to all, but she 
 did not give them a hearty welcome and thus 
 
206 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 encourage them to come again, but struggled to 
 bar the door of her heart against the intruders, 
 and when in need of encouragement, counsel, or 
 help, she went to her closet and laid the matter 
 before God. 
 
 During these years, hundreds and thousands of 
 the Saints had sought and made themselves homes 
 in Clay and adjoining counties. Towns had 
 sprung up as if by magic, and the fertile acres of 
 prairie land had been turned into fruitful fields, 
 yielding in abundance all kinds of grain, vegeta- 
 bles, and fruit, while the wild honey, found in the 
 woods, garnished almost every table. 
 
 Broad lines of distinction were soon drawn 
 between the thrift of eastern settlers and those 
 settlers who had been there before them. The 
 result was that envy was excited in the minds of 
 the early settlers, and they began to cast about for 
 means by which they might get rid of these neigh- 
 bors, whose industry and thrift was a constant 
 reproach to them. 
 
 In addition to this, not one of the Saints was the 
 owner of a slave, for they understood the spirit of 
 the gospel of Christ too well to believe that God 
 ever made one of his creatures to be the bondman 
 of another. It is probable that just here the most 
 serious cause of offense was given. Be that as it 
 may, they were offended, and resolved to once 
 more make an effort to expel them from their 
 homes. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 207 
 
 CHAPTER XVI 
 
 PERSECUTION 
 
 A man can bear 
 
 A world's contempt, when ne has that within 
 Which says he's worthy. 
 
 Alexander Smith. 
 
 A little while the world may run 
 
 Its old mad way, with needle-gun 
 
 And iron-clad, but truth, at last shall reign; 
 
 The cradle-song of Christ was never sung in vain. 
 
 Whittier. 
 
 I IS not and has not been our intention 
 from the first, to enter into particulars 
 with reference to the troubles the Saints 
 encountered in Missouri, but simply to recount a 
 few events in which the family of Mr. Clark par- 
 ticipated. In order to do this, it will be necessary 
 for us to mention in a cursory way, many other 
 things which we shall not undertake to describe. 
 There appeared not long since in the St. Louis 
 "Globe-Democrat" a series of articles from a corre- 
 spondent signing himself "Burr Joyce/' which 
 gives much information upon the history of the 
 transactions in Missouri, from the time the Saints 
 first went there, in 1833, up to the time when they 
 were finally driven out in 1839. 
 
208 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 The morning of July 4, 1838, broke like a dream 
 of splendor over the waving prairies and wooded 
 dells of Caldwell County. Very early the citizens 
 of Far West (a town then numbering some three 
 thousand inhabitants) were astir, and soon from 
 the surrounding country, singly, in groups, on 
 horseback, on foot, in vehicles of every description, 
 the people came flocking in; while at intervals the 
 discharge of fire-arms, mingled with the shouts of 
 boys and men, fully indicated, to an American, at 
 least, the character of the occasion. From a mag- 
 nificent pole some sixty feet high floated the stars 
 and stripes, emblem of liberty and equal rights. 
 
 The day had been chosen by the Saints for the 
 laying of the foundation-stone of a temple to be 
 erected to the worship of God. At ten o'clock an 
 imposing procession formed, Reynolds Cahoon 
 being marshal of the day, which, after marching 
 through the town, encircled the temple lot, where 
 an excavation five feet in depth, one hundred and 
 twenty feet long, and eighty feet wide had been 
 made. Here, with appropriate ceremonies, the 
 corner-stones were laid. 
 
 Music, prayer, and the reading of the Declara- 
 tion of Independence followed; after which a stir- 
 ring oration was delivered to the people. The 
 benediction having been pronounced, the audience 
 separated into various groups; refreshments were 
 spread and partaken of amid laughter, smiles, and 
 tears of joy. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 209 
 
 Had a stranger happened there and been a wit- 
 ness of this innocent mirth, of the whole-souled, 
 warm-hearted hospitality extended, even pressed 
 upon all present not provided for, he would 
 scarcely have been able to realize that he was in 
 the midst of a hated, persecuted people, a people 
 driven and plundered of their earthly possessions 
 and who even now felt that at any time this perse- 
 cution might burst out afresh. Was it ominous 
 of the times of trial so near, that from a clear sky 
 in the afternoon, a vivid flash of lightning struck 
 the erected Liberty-pole, shivering it into a thou- 
 sand fragments? Was it this, or might it not have 
 been the heaven-dealt refutation of its mockery? 
 
 Liberty, what does it mean? If to have one's 
 home invaded in the silent night-watches, to be 
 torn from the clinging embrace of arms enfeebled 
 by sickness, driven out half -clad into the darkness 
 of raging storms and tempests, while the moaning 
 sobs of wife and mother, mingled with the helpless 
 cries of your new-born babe follow you, ring in 
 your ears above the wailing of the storm; if this 
 be liberty, if thus she shelters, thus protects the 
 children whose fathers died for her: then had 
 these people liberty! If to be driven forth from 
 the clinging arms of helpless little ones, bound as 
 a felon, and compelled to stand while men dis- 
 guised as savages set fire to your house and drag 
 you away, leaving your helpless family to their 
 fate: then had these people liberty! 
 
210 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "It was a mob," you say, "and no government 
 can be held responsible for the acts of a mob." 
 
 We grant you this; but when that government 
 is appealed to for redress of such wrongs and they 
 join with the oppressor, what then? These are 
 words of soberness, and to ascertain whether or 
 not they are words of truth we refer you to the 
 state archives of Missouri herself but to resume. 
 
 As the weeks passed by, from time to time 
 rumors reached the brethren of continued out- 
 rages, perpetrated by the citizens of Missouri upon 
 the scattered Saints, and there was no feeling of 
 security, especially among those in the settlements 
 farthest from the main body of the church. It 
 was pretty well understood to be the intention of 
 the people of Daviess County to compel the Saints 
 to abandon the homes they had made there with 
 the full consent of the citizens. 
 
 If the enemies of the church were united upon 
 no other point they were a unit in their hatred of 
 the brethren, and no falsehood could be manufac- 
 tured too wild, too base, or too vile for their 
 capacity or belief. 
 
 Foremost in circulating many of these false- 
 hoods were the various professed ministers of the 
 gospel of peace. Not satisfied with working upon 
 the feelings of the people, they constantly trans- 
 mitted false reports to the governor and other 
 State officers, seeking by every means in their 
 power to incite the minds of the people and the 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 211 
 
 Government against the brethren, and if possible 
 accomplish that which they had resolved upon; 
 namely, to drive them from their homes and 
 beyond the limits of the State. 
 
 It may occur to some to ask, "Was there no 
 foundation in truth, for any of these reports?" Let 
 us answer by an examination of the occurrence at 
 Gallatin. 
 
 Gallatin was the shire town of Daviess County, 
 and the election was on the 6th day of August. 
 Colonel William P. Penniston, one of the leaders 
 of the mob which had troubled the Saints in Clay 
 County, was a candidate for representative. 
 
 He was sure that the brethren would not vote 
 for him, and, if they did vote, his case was hope- 
 less. In this emergency what was to be done? 
 A man who had once engaged in mob violence had 
 no conscientious scruples to stand in the way of 
 doing the same thing upon this occasion. 
 
 About eleven o'clock in the forenoon he ha- 
 rangued the people for the purpose of exciting 
 them against the Saints. After exhausting every 
 vile charge in his power to bring against them, 
 and telling the people that they ought not to be 
 allowed to vote, he closed his harangue with what 
 he intended to be an argument beyond the power 
 of any to refute, the very acme of all the charges 
 he had brought against them: "You know they 
 profess to heal the sick, cast out devils, etc., and 
 you know this is a lie." 
 
212 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 As the legitimate and anticipated result of this, 
 when the brethren stepped up to vote they were 
 met with, "No Mormon ought to be allowed to vote 
 any more than a Negro." 
 
 To which one of the brethren replied, "No man 
 ought to be allowed to vote who can neither read 
 nor write." 
 
 The answer to this came in the shape of a blow 
 from the butt end of a heavy wagon whip, knock- 
 ing the brother down. Another brother seized the 
 arm of Richard Welding, the assailant, to prevent 
 his repeating the blow, when he was attacked by 
 five or six of the mobbers, crying, "Kill him, kill 
 him," interspersing their words with blows and 
 horrible profanity. 
 
 The brethren had been advised to arm them- 
 selves before going to the polls, but they had not 
 done so. They were largely outnumbered by the 
 mob, but defended themselves as best they could, 
 and compelled their assailants to withdraw. In 
 this encounter several upon both sides were 
 severely wounded and two of the assailants were 
 killed. It was claimed by the Missourians that the 
 brethren were the aggressors, but can this claim in 
 honesty be substantiated? 
 
 The brethren were determined to vote, let it cost 
 what it might, but the civil authorities counseled 
 them to return to their homes, as they knew the 
 mob would soon return with largely increased 
 force. After holding a consultation they resolved 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 213 
 
 to go to their homes for the protection of their 
 families. Upon every hand and from every direc- 
 tion they could see squads of men gathering, and 
 they resolved to take their families to a designated 
 spot, where they could stand guard through the 
 night, not knowing what moment they might be 
 attacked. As soon as possible the women and chil- 
 dren were collected and concealed in a thicket of 
 hazel-brush, where all night long they lay upon 
 the bare ground, drenched by the rain which fell 
 in torrents. 
 
 And this, kind reader, is a fair sample of all the 
 difficulties arising between the citizens of Missouri 
 and the brethren in those early days. We do not 
 by any means claim that the brethren were always 
 right, always wise, or free from boasting. A Bap- 
 tist minister once remarked to the writer: 
 
 "The very tendency of your faith is to make you 
 feel that you are right and all others are wrong, 
 and, consequently, there is great danger of your 
 becoming lifted up in your own conceit." 
 
 We saw there was truth in this remark and felt 
 the force of it, but quietly answered: 
 
 "For our faith we are not responsible. Christ is 
 the author of that. 'One Lord, one faith, one bap- 
 tism/ 'He that gathereth not with me scattereth 
 abroad/ But, if we forget that this oneness, this 
 one way, imposes upon us the words of the apostle, 
 'What manner of persons ought ye to be in all holy 
 conversation and godliness,' we will have to learn 
 
214 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 by bitter experience, even as Israel of old has been 
 learning for the last eighteen hundred and more 
 years, that, 'It is a fearful thing to fall into the 
 hands of the living God/ God has no favorites 
 except as men, through their obedience to his com- 
 mands, recommend themselves to his favor. They 
 who know his will and do it not shall be beaten 
 with many stripes, while those who do not know it, 
 though they have done things worthy of many, 
 shall be beaten with few." 
 
 The brethren were but human beings and as 
 such were not only liable to err, but, "Prone to err 
 as the sparks are to fly upward." It is an easy 
 matter to defend the truth when you are in har- 
 mony with it, and this may have caused some to be 
 lifted up in the pride of their hearts, in vain con- 
 ceit, and to have looked upon those whom they 
 could so easily get the better of in an argument, as 
 being in some way less in favor with God than 
 they were. 
 
 We say this may have been so, and we believe in 
 a measure it was so, but we are not prepared to 
 say that we know it was. "History repeats itself," 
 and going back to the days of Moses, we read the 
 promises of God through him set before the people 
 upon one hand, if they obeyed the law, and the 
 cursings upon the other hand, if they did not obey, 
 and we question if this mixed multitude who w^ent 
 up to Missouri, were in reality better than their 
 forefathers in the days of Moses. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 215 
 
 "If thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice 
 of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his 
 commandments . . . the Lord thy God will set 
 thee on high above all nations of the earth." 
 
 Dear young friends, you who are just starting 
 out in the Christian warfare, let us analyze the 
 meaning of this promise. How or why is it that 
 the people who keep the commandments of God 
 will be set on high above all other people? 
 
 In the beginning, the infinite wisdom of the 
 Almighty God devised the gospel of Christ. Per- 
 fection was the object to be attained, and this 
 could only be reached through obedience to the 
 laws made known in the gospel; hence it would 
 follow as a necessity that he who obeyed those 
 laws would most surely arrive at the goal, or in 
 other words, would be set on high, above all other 
 people. 
 
 There is here no shadow of favoritism; for, hav- 
 ing our agency, God himself could not place us 
 there, unless we followed out the means, ordained 
 in their very nature to accomplish the result. Of 
 the gospel Paul says, "For therein is the right- 
 eousness of God revealed." Humility, long-suffer- 
 ing, preferring one another in love, patience, 
 meekness; everything, in fact, which will serve to 
 make us like the divine pattern, the only pattern, 
 Jesus Christ, the Savior of all men, but especially 
 of those who believe, are the rounds by which we 
 must climb to this height. 
 
216 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 The promise of God through Moses was, that if 
 they would observe to do all his commandments, 
 "The Lord shall cause thine enemies that rise up 
 against thee to be smitten before thy face: they 
 shall come out against thee one way, and flee 
 before thee seven ways." 
 
 There is another phase of this matter which 
 should receive its due share of attention. "The 
 net cast into the sea gathers of all kinds," and 
 with the guilty the innocent have always had to 
 suffer. It would be no difficult matter to under- 
 stand that one wrong act seen through a medium 
 so distorted as the flying rumors set afloat by 
 prejudice, hate, and a determination to drive the 
 Saints out of the State, could easily be multiplied 
 into many. To this must be added the most mali- 
 cious falsehoods which it would seem possible for 
 men of corrupt minds to fabricate, or others like- 
 minded to believe. 
 
 That further on, there came a time when the 
 spirit of retaliation, or rendering evil for evil, 
 crept into the church, we do know, and where this 
 spirit exists there is no room for the Spirit of him 
 who said, "But I say unto you, render not evil for 
 evil." But to return to our narrative. 
 
 We have seen in the affair at Gallatin that the 
 trouble arose from the fact that the brethren 
 wished to exercise the rights of freemen, and 
 when attacked by a mob, resisted that attack. 
 Had they rejected the counsel of the civil authori- 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 217 
 
 ties and refused to return to their homes peacea- 
 bly, there would have been some show of excuse 
 for calling them aggressors, but because they did 
 not stand by and see a mob abuse and even kill 
 their brethren, can any conscientious Christian 
 man charge them with wrong? They had been 
 base cowards to have done this, and we don't 
 believe that cowardice and Christianity are com- 
 patible. It would, however, have been wisdom if 
 no reply had been made when the ruffian denied 
 the right of the brethren to vote; but whether a 
 collision could have been avoided by that means is 
 doubtful. 
 
 What a lesson may be learned from the fact of 
 the truth, unwittingly uttered by each party, and 
 through what seas of blood the nation waded to 
 the demonstration of the first, "No more right to 
 vote than the Negro." If, indeed, it be true that 
 certain inalienable rights belong to each indi- 
 vidual, they can not be denied because of color, 
 but it may yet be necessary to demonstrate the 
 fact that a certain amount of education to enable 
 the individual to exercise those rights intelligently 
 is necessary for the perpetuation of a free govern- 
 ment. For ourselves, we believe it is. 
 
 Two days after the affair at Gallatin, a wagon 
 stopped at the gate of Daniel's home, and a man 
 rapped at the door. When Daniel opened it, he 
 found a cousin of Margery's there and learned 
 that he had barely escaped with his life, after his 
 
218 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 wife had been dragged from their house with an 
 infant two days old in her arms. They had carried 
 her out on the bed and then set fire to the house. 
 As soon as they saw their fiendish work completed, 
 they had hurried on to 'the next dwelling. In their 
 haste they had forgotten to set fire to the stable, 
 so creeping out of the bushes where he had been 
 concealed, he harnessed his horses and lifting his 
 wife into the wagon, he covered her as best he 
 could and brought her with him. 
 
 Margery's cheeks grew pale as she listened, but 
 silently she prepared a bed, while Daniel went 
 with Clayten, her cousin, to bring his wife into the 
 house. 
 
 Tenderly and with all the skill in her power, 
 Margery cared for the poor mother and her babe. 
 Many were the thoughts surging through her mind 
 as she strove to cheer and infuse new courage into 
 the heart of the despondent one. 
 
 Not a day passed without bringing tidings of 
 some fresh outrage, and one afternoon two of the 
 brethren stopped at the door who had escaped 
 from the hands of the mob after having been tied 
 up and whipped until their backs were raw and 
 their clothing dripping with blood. They had been 
 torn away from their families and dared not 
 return to learn their fate. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 219 
 
 CHAPTER XVII 
 FOR GOD AND LIBERTY 
 
 For right is right since God is God, 
 
 And the right the day must win; 
 To doubt would be disloyalty, 
 
 To falter would be sin. 
 
 Faber. 
 
 T WAS early in the fall of 1838 that Dan- 
 iel stood by the gate of his cottage in con- 
 versation with a gentleman who had 
 reined in his horse and seemed much interested 
 in the subject they were discussing. Were we to 
 venture the assertion that the troubles then exist- 
 ing between the brethren and the people of Mis- 
 souri formed the theme of their conversation, we 
 would not be wrong. 
 
 "I agree with you fully," continued General 
 Doniphan, the gentleman referred to, "but your 
 people, or most of them, hold peculiar views on 
 this subject, and I am satisfied that your very for- 
 bearance has seemed to these lawless men an 
 invitation to more desperate deeds. I make no 
 profession of Christianity, but I think if I ever 
 should, I would be a disciple of Paul." 
 
 "Paul suffered many cruel persecutions and 
 thanked God that he was counted worthy to suffer 
 them for Christ's sake," said Daniel. 
 
220 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "But, at the same time he demanded his rights 
 as a citizen of Rome, whenever it was likely to 
 benefit him; refusing even to be taken from prison 
 privately, but demanding that the magistrates who 
 had punished him unlawfully should come and 
 bring him out." 
 
 "The name of Rome was a terror to the rest of 
 the world," said Daniel, as his mind took in the 
 force of the argument. 
 
 "She knew at least how to protect her citizens in 
 the exercise of -their rights," said General Doni- 
 phan, "and allowed no man to be punished until 
 he was condemned by law. If this Government 
 does not examine into the merits of the trouble 
 given your people, it will be to her lasting disgrace 
 in the eyes of all right-minded, thinking men. 
 There is always a time, come it sooner or later, 
 when prejudice fades and truth stands forth, and 
 if that time does not come in the history of Mis- 
 souri,, it will be an exception to the rule. 
 
 "I have noticed also that while your ministers 
 counsel forbearance* and the returning of good for 
 evil, the most active men in inciting your enemies 
 are men who are professors of religion. I learn 
 that a certain Captain Bogart, a Methodist minis- 
 ter, is traveling among the people with no other 
 purpose in view than to incite them to hostility 
 against those of your faith. 
 
 "He assures them that the Government will not 
 interfere; and another preacher, a Presbyterian, I 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 221 
 
 believe, by the name of Wood, did not scruple to 
 offer as an inducement, that if your folks could be 
 got rid of before the land sales come off, those who 
 were there would be able to secure all the land 
 they wanted." 
 
 "Has it never occurred to your mind to draw a 
 parallel between this condition of things and those 
 which existed in the days of Christ?" said Daniel. 
 "Then it was the scribes, lawyers, and Pharisees 
 who were constantly stirring up the minds of the 
 people against him. The common people, for the 
 most part, heard him gladly. The poor have the 
 gospel preached to them/ was among the evidences 
 with which he told the disciples of John to 
 strengthen their master's faith. But when the 
 blind leaders of the people came to him he never 
 spared them. 
 
 "Their hypocrisy and falsehood were laid bare to 
 the gaze of others and going away smarting under 
 the lash of his justly merited rebukes, they sought 
 revenge by striving to incite the people against 
 him. These ministers have, on various occasions, 
 been made to know that they were no match for 
 our elders in argument. 
 
 "One by one they have been compelled to retreat 
 from positions they deemed impregnable, and the 
 result is that while they know we preach only the 
 gospel of Christ, they blind the eyes of the igno- 
 rant, and spare no effort to make them think that 
 we do not even believe in Christ; and while we 
 
222 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 hold no faith or form of doctrine which the Bible 
 does not authorize and which we can not sustain 
 by the Bible, they incite the minds of the people 
 by crying, 'Joe Smith, Golden Bible/ etc. Truly it 
 is time for Christians to stop and think when they 
 discover that a church which in every respect has 
 followed the pattern as given by Christ and his 
 immediate followers so closely that it is not pos- 
 sible for them to show any difference, yet so widely 
 does this church differ from any and all others now 
 in existence, that they cry, 'A new religion- 
 imposture deception/ etc." 
 
 "I am free to admit that I have thought of these 
 things, but if you will excuse me, the subject of 
 your peculiar faith is not what most interests me. 
 You may remember that when you went to the 
 election at Liberty, I told you that were I in your 
 place I would vote or die, and I confess to you that 
 had I been in the place of your people, I never 
 would have accepted the proposition of being set 
 off in a county by myself. Think of it! Free-born 
 American citizens, sons of men who forsook all to 
 gain a home where they might worship God accord- 
 ing to the way of their belief, who bathed the land 
 in their own blood, dedicating it to freedom and 
 equal rights, consenting to treatment no better 
 than that of Botany Bay convicts! I tell you, 
 Clark, it makes my blood boil!" 
 
 "But, General," said Daniel, "did you not help in 
 organizing this movement?" 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 223 
 
 "Not in organizing it, but when I saw that 
 obtaining justice was hopeless and your people 
 were willing, not only willing but anxious for it to 
 be done, I helped in the movement, hoping that 
 perchance they might leave you in peace. It was, 
 however, a vain hope, and it will be the part of 
 wisdom for your people to fill up the ranks of the 
 militia and prepare to defend your homes without 
 delay. Far West will not long be safe, for I learn 
 that Captain Bogart with his patrols is scouting 
 through the country, driving every family out of 
 Daviess County and threatening to make Far 
 West a visit soon. If he does not make his word 
 good in this respect, it will be because he can not." 
 
 "I am well persuaded of the truth of this/' 
 Daniel answered, "but the race is not always to 
 the swift, nor the battle to the strong, and yet God 
 many times suffers the wicked, for the time being, 
 to triumph; and I am satisfied that much trouble 
 is before us." 
 
 "My parting advice to you is to do all in your 
 power by way of preparing to defend your homes. 
 It is not, bear it in mind, the Government you are 
 resisting, but a lawless mob." 
 
 The next day after this conversation, Mr. Clark 
 accompanied by Daniel and one of his brothers 
 went to Far West and were duly enrolled in the 
 State militia. Daily the clouds of trouble thick- 
 ened. Hbmeless and plundered fugitives con- 
 
224 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 tinned to arrive, each having his own tale of 
 wrongs to tell. 
 
 One evening late in October, Daniel came into 
 the house, and finding Margery alone, he said: 
 
 "I am summoned to Far West, and the call is 
 imperative, but I can not go and leave you here. 
 I will saddle your horse and take you up to 
 father's. It is nearer town and will be safer 
 there." 
 
 For a moment Margery's heart seemed to stand 
 still and her cheek paled to a deathly hue, but 
 controlling herself with a powerful effort she said: 
 
 "Do you know why you have been summoned?" 
 
 "Yes, Margery, I will not deceive you. Word 
 has reached Far West that Captain Bogart is 
 marching upon us. He expects to be joined by 
 Niel Gillium's band of outlaws, and it is the inten- 
 tion of our general to call for volunteers to meet 
 him before he reaches the town." 
 
 There was no need for Margery to ask, "Will 
 you join these volunteers?" for there was that in 
 the face of Daniel which assured her that his reso- 
 lution was taken, and hastily she put things in 
 order for leaving home, lifting her heart in silent 
 prayer to God for faith and courage to meet the 
 worst. 
 
 "Take a few extra garments with you," Daniel 
 had said, "for it may be some time before we 
 return," and then he had pressed her close to his 
 heart, praying God to care for and shield her. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 225 
 
 Neither dared trust himself to speak, for a fearful 
 weight of foreboding kept each silent. 
 
 We forgot to mention that Margery's cousin had 
 only remained with them a few weeks until his 
 wife was better and had then gone on to his 
 father's, some four miles beyond, thus leaving her 
 and Daniel alone. As Margery passed from room 
 to room, despite her utmost efforts a dull, heavy 
 pain was tugging at her heart and she could not 
 silence the question coming again and again, "Shall 
 we ever return?" Oh, how blessed and sweet 
 seemed now the memory of the quiet hours passed 
 beneath this roof! Hours hallowed by the sweet 
 interchange of soul communion and loving 
 thoughts, hours of worship and praise to the Giver 
 of all good, hours when the death-angel had drawn 
 so near, only to be met by the power of Him who 
 said, "Thus far shalt thou come and no farther." 
 They would never come back, those sweetly van- 
 ished hours, and who could say, who could fore- 
 cast the character of those to take their place? In 
 spite of every effort to force them back, the tears 
 gathered and fell on her cheeks, but she resolutely 
 brushed them away, and tying on her bonnet went 
 to the door, hoping Daniel would be there. 
 
 "Are you ready, Margery?" his voice called out 
 of the darkness. 
 
 "Yes, I am coming," and hastily shutting the 
 door, she turned the key in the lock and joined 
 him at the gate. 
 
226 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 Tenderly he assisted her into the saddle and 
 carefully guided her horse until they were in the 
 main road, when both increased their speed, glad 
 that it was not possible for the other to know how 
 heavy was the heart each bore away. 
 
 A short ride brought them to Mr. Clark's. He 
 met them at the gate, and Daniel, dismounting, 
 was going in when his father said: 
 
 "Do not wait for that, Daniel, let us hasten on." 
 
 "One moment, father, I must see mother just a 
 moment." 
 
 "May God bless and keep you, my son, and bring 
 you back in safety, for if I am bereft of either who 
 goes forth to-night, I am bereft indeed," said Mrs. 
 Clark. 
 
 "Mother," said Daniel, "be careful of Margery 
 and cheer her up a bit, for she is doubly in need of 
 comfort." 
 
 "I will do all in my power, Daniel." 
 
 "God bless you, mother, and don't forget to pray 
 for us. Good-bye, one and all," and he hastened 
 out into the darkness. 
 
 As he reached the gate two clinging arms 
 closed round his neck, and for a moment Margery 
 sobbed upon his bosom. It was but for a moment, 
 however, for, raising her head, she steadied her 
 voice, saying, "I will be brave, Daniel, and let no 
 thought of me unnerve your arm. The God who 
 witnessed to us that he was the Author of this 
 work, will not forsake you; and if life is demanded, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 227 
 
 the cause which is not worth dying for is not 
 worth living for. Prayer will be made for you, 
 unceasing prayer, and the will of God be done." 
 
 "It is hard to leave you at a time like this, Mar- 
 gery, but I can trust you that for my sake, for the 
 sake of the hope we both so fondly cherish, you 
 will be brave of heart and hopeful of spirit. 
 Mother and Mary will both cheer you up. Poor 
 mother, she too needs comforting, and in trying to 
 cheer her, you will in a measure forget your own 
 anxiety. Father is waiting. We will come back 
 soon good-bye." 
 
 One lingering embrace and Daniel tore himself 
 away. Joining his father and brother, they were 
 soon galloping briskly toward Far West. As they 
 came near the town they were met by parties com- 
 ing in from other directions, all pressing toward 
 the public square where the muffled roll of the 
 drum was calling them together. 
 
 Shortly after the arrival of Daniel and his 
 father, the call was made for volunteers to make 
 a rapid night march in order to meet the enemy 
 before they should strike camp for their march 
 upon Far West. Among the first to step forward 
 were Mr. Clark, Daniel, and his brother. In a few 
 moments the ranks were full, and the command 
 was intrusted to Captain Patten. 
 
 Let it be remembered that George M. Hinkle 
 was at that time a colonel in the State militia, and 
 was the highest in command at Far West when the 
 
228 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 news of Bogart's movements reached there. It 
 was under his orders that Captain Patten and his 
 men were acting. 
 
 The delay was brief, and soon, armed and 
 equipped as best they could be, swiftly and silently 
 they left the town, and after a long night ride 
 over the prairie, just at the dawn of day they 
 drew near to the supposed neighborhood of danger. 
 
 Here Patten dismounted and divided his men 
 into three companies. Fastening their horses to a 
 fence and leaving a few to guard them, they 
 started to reconnoiter the premises of a Mr. Field, 
 where they thought perhaps the mob might be 
 encamped. Not finding them, however, Captain 
 Patten, in a short speech, exhorted them to trust 
 in the Lord for victory and then ordered a march 
 along the road to the ford of the river. 
 
 ""It was just at the dawning of light in the east 
 and when near the top of the hill which descends 
 to the river, the words, 'Who comes there,' were 
 heard and at the same instant the report of a gun. 
 Young Paterson O'Banion reeled out of the ranks 
 and fell mortally wounded, whereupon Captain 
 Patten ordered a charge and rushed down the hill. 
 At a short distance the camp-fires of the enemy 
 could now be seen, but it was still so dark that 
 little could be seen by looking toward the west, 
 while the mob looking towards the dawning light 
 could see Patten and his men quite distinctly. 
 
 "When within about fifty yards of the camp, the 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 229 
 
 brethren formed a line. . . . The mob formed 
 under the bank of the creek, below their tents, and 
 fired all their guns upon the brethren. Captain 
 Patten then ordered the company to fire, which 
 was obeyed immediately, and for a few moments 
 the whole wilderness seemed one continued echo 
 of the reports of the deadly rifle. 
 
 "The watchword, 'God and Liberty/ was then 
 given, and Patten ordered a charge which was 
 immediately obeyed, and the mob was soon put to 
 flight, crossing the river at the ford and such 
 other places as they could get over. In the pur- 
 suit, one of the mob wheeled around from behind a 
 tree and shot Captain Patten, who instantly fell, 
 mortally wounded, having received a large ball in 
 the bowels." 
 
 Returning from the attack, Daniel's first thought 
 was of his father and brother. Were they safe? 
 For a moment he paused to gaze upon his friend 
 and brother, David Patten, but other hands were 
 lending him help, and with a sharp pain in his 
 heart that the bravest and best should so have 
 been smitten down by the hands of his enemies in 
 the prime of life, his thoughts again returned to 
 his father and with a heavy heart he pressed on to 
 seek him. 
 
 The sun had risen during the contest, and his 
 kindling beams lit up the woods and the plain 
 beyond. Swiftly Daniel passed from group to 
 group in search of his father. He soon met his 
 
230 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 brother, who, like himself, had escaped unhurt, 
 and joined in the search for Mr. Clark. 
 
 "He was close to Captain Patten when he was 
 shot," said one of the men, "and, if I am not mis- 
 taken, I saw him fall before Patten did. Perhaps 
 he has crawled to the woods back of us." 
 
 A few moments later, Daniel and his brother 
 found him leaning against a tree, pale and bleed- 
 ing from a wound in his side, but still alive. 
 Together they hastily constructed a litter and car- 
 ried him to the house of a brother living near, and 
 while Daniel remained to care for him, his brother 
 started for home to obtain means for his removal. 
 In a few moments after his departure, they 
 brought in the other wounded and the dead, until 
 they could consult what should be done. The 
 wounds were staunched and the dead prepared 
 for burial, as well as their means permitted. It 
 was then decided to return immediately to Far 
 West. 
 
 The men relieved each other in carrying the 
 dead and wounded, until they were met by teams 
 from Far West, and among them was Mrs. Clark 
 with one for her husband, as she could not remain 
 at home after hearing what had happened. 
 
 You who have followed this brief story thus far, 
 know something of the character of some of these 
 men. To the writer the names of David Patten 
 and Patterson O'Banion have been as household 
 words. They were men of God; and if, indeed, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 231 
 
 there was or could be any mistake in their thus 
 taking up arms for the defense of their homes, it 
 was a mistake of the head and not of the heart. 
 They were seeking the injury of no one, neither 
 did they desire any man's lands or gold, and fame 
 had long since lost all its attraction for them. The 
 question had reduced itself to this: Shall we 
 quietly submit to see our families driven from 
 their homes, exposed to all manner of hardships, 
 without food or shelter from the storms of winter, 
 or shall we meet these mobbers and let them know 
 they can not do this thing with impunity? After 
 many a conflict, many a debate with science, the 
 issue had been met.* 
 
 * We wish to direct special attention to a letter found at the close of this 
 TOlume, entitled, "Others with the church in an early day"; in which you will 
 find David Patten in a very different role from the sad one here depicted. 
 
232 
 
 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII 
 WHEAT AND TARES 
 
 Arise! wilt thou be overthrown 
 Like one who leaves a base of stone 
 When some great dome he meant to build? 
 
 G. C. Rankin. 
 
 Behind the dim unknown 
 Standeth God within the shadow, 
 
 Keeping watch above his own. 
 
 Lowell. 
 
 remained standing where Daniel 
 had left her until the sound of their foot- 
 steps died away in the distance. The 
 sky was clear, the stars shone brightly, and ever 
 and anon from the town came the distant sound of 
 the drum, mingled with the notes of the bugle, 
 now faintly heard, now dying away and lost to the 
 ear. 
 
 She pictured to herself the hurried coming 
 together, the painful partings, the hasty march 
 beneath the solemn stars, the encounter in deadly 
 strife, and then but, falling upon her knees, she 
 closed her eyes, and lifting her heart to God, 
 prayed long and earnestly for patience, strength, 
 and guidance; for the safety of those who were 
 going forth and for their speedy return. Lost in 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 233 
 
 her earnest pleadings, she took no note of time, till 
 a step near her and the voice of Mrs. Clark, calling 
 her name, roused her to a sense of time and place. 
 
 "I am coming, mother," she said, as she rose 
 hastily and, throwing one arm around Mrs. Clark, 
 they entered the house together. 
 
 In the large, open fire-place a cheerful wood fire 
 was blazing, for the nights were cool. Drawing a 
 chair into its warmth and light, Mrs. Clark gently 
 forced Margery into it, while she untied her bonnet 
 and unpinned her shawl. Tenderly she smoothed 
 back the soft, brown hair and took the cold hands 
 in her own. 
 
 "Oh, mother, don't!" said Margery, as a quick, 
 convulsive sob shook her frame. "I am younger 
 and stronger than you are and ought to be com- 
 forting you. I will be calm in just a little while, 
 and then there are so many things that I want to 
 speak to you about." 
 
 "We will have the evening all to ourselves, 
 Margery, for I have sent the children to bed, and 
 
 Mary is down with Sr. B , whose husband is 
 
 also away. Sit quietly here and warm yourself, 
 for you are chilled and nervous. I ought to have 
 called you in sooner." 
 
 "I ought not to have waited to be called, but, 
 r sally, I did not know how long I was there, my 
 brain was so busy." 
 
 "Margery, you must leave this trouble in God's 
 hands. The path which we can not see, because 
 
234 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 the mists hang so low, is all clear to his sight. Let 
 us put our hands in his and walk with firm steps, 
 because we walk by faith." 
 
 "You are right, mother, and I will; but there are 
 some things weighing on my mind and I shall feel 
 better when I have talked with you about them." 
 
 "Rest quietly until I finish a little work I have 
 to do, and then I will give you all my time." 
 
 Margery closed her eyes, and as the heat of the 
 fire penetrated her chilled frame, a sense of utter 
 exhaustion and weariness came over her, and the 
 scenes of the day faded from her recollection. 
 
 "Poor child, it is too much for her," said Mrs. 
 Clark tenderly, and, hoping that Margery might in 
 reality be asleep, she moved very quietly about her 
 uncompleted household tasks. 
 
 Before they were finished, however, Margery's 
 eyes were following her, and, taking her kitting, 
 (for her busy fingers knew not how to be idle,) she 
 sat down by her saying: "I am ready now to lis- 
 ten to all you wish to say." 
 
 "Mother, do you believe in presentiments?" 
 
 "That is a hard question to answer, Margery. I 
 do believe that many times God prepares us for 
 the trials which lie before us, even as we at times 
 warn our children when we discover that they are 
 eagerly expecting and surely counting upon events 
 yet in the future, events which we fully realize 
 may never transpire. Our riper experience warns 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 235 
 
 us of this uncertainty, but our fears are not always 
 well grounded." 
 
 "But, mother, if the impression comes from God 
 and really is a warning or a preparation, his knowl- 
 edge is not limited as ours is and, therefore, we 
 can more surely trust it." 
 
 "Yes, if we knew assuredly that it came from 
 him; but as Paul tells us, 'try the spirits,' so ought 
 we to try the impressions upon our minds and see 
 if there is not a natural cause for them. But why 
 do you ask me, Margery?" 
 
 "Because, mother, the feeling has taken such a 
 firm possession of my mind, that I shall not be 
 with you long, and that clouds of trouble will 
 darken around and envelop us, like the smoke 
 from a heating furnace. 
 
 "Do not think that I fear it or shrink from it, 
 but there is one thing which I do fear, and it is for 
 this reason I wished to talk with you. In the long 
 ago (or to me it now seems oh, so long!) you may 
 remember that I talked with you and with Mary 
 about the possible result of the troubles we are 
 now going through. I then felt that the result 
 would be either to make a purer, better people, a 
 people in whom the dross was wholly burned away, 
 or to make a people who, smarting under a sense 
 of cruel injustice, of unmerited wrongs, would 
 finally retaliate evil for evil. I think, however, 
 that I now see with clearer vision. 
 
 "Not all will be purified, neither will all fail in 
 
236 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 this furnace of fire. There will be those who will 
 come forth as the tried gold; but, mother, there 
 will be many who will deny the faith and will have 
 only a form of godliness left, and these will bring 
 upon the true Saints such a weight of reproach 
 that they will stagger and go with bowed heads, as 
 men carrying burdens too heavy to be borne." 
 
 "My child, the wickedness of those who go out 
 from us can not be charged to us." 
 
 "No, mother, but these will not go out; for I 
 have seen the evil overcome the good; not as when 
 the chaff is sifted from the wheat and scattered, 
 but as when the tares choke the wheat. These 
 will bear the name of Saint, and the eyes of the 
 world will be fixed upon them, while the true 
 Saints will be scattered upon the face of the earth. 
 
 "It will surely come to pass, though I could not 
 convey to you in words how I know it. This is the 
 church of God, but these are not the people who 
 shall prepare the way for the coming of the Son of 
 Man. The kingdom shall not be given to another 
 people, but, among the scattered ones, will be 
 found the faithful ones with whom God will 
 intrust his work." 
 
 "Dear child, I fear you are letting our troubles 
 take too deep hold upon your mind, and much of 
 this is doubtless the result of your delicate health. 
 You need to be surrounded with cheerful scenes 
 and loving care, instead of being so exposed and 
 constantly made anxious on account of others. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 237 
 
 But cheer up, for all these things will work out for 
 good, and we have only to submit patiently to the 
 will of God." 
 
 A momentary smile was the only answer Mar- 
 gery gave, and then she added: 
 
 "Mother, I want you to promise me one thing. 
 When I am no longer with you, watch over Daniel, 
 and warn him of the danger I have pointed out to 
 you; for, mother, I would rather they would bring 
 him back cold and dead to us to-morrow, than that 
 he should ever turn away from the faith." 
 
 "Do not fear that, Margery. None know better 
 than Daniel the foundations of that faith." 
 
 "Do you remember when the disciples would 
 have called fire from heaven to destroy the 
 enemies of Jesus? He told them that they did not 
 know what manner of spirit prompted the thought. 
 They were following Jesus then and loved him; 
 but notwithstanding this, an evil spirit had power 
 to tempt them by prompting them to render evil 
 for evil. How far it might have led them but for 
 the kindly admonition of the Master, who can say? 
 I do fear for him, mother, and I want you to 
 promise me." 
 
 "I will cheerfully do that, Margery, but now 
 you must lie down. It will rest you, even if you 
 can not sleep, and I will sit here, for I can not go to 
 bed to-night." 
 
 Margery found herself too weary to resist, and, 
 lying down, she closed her eyes, though not with 
 
238 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 any hope of sleeping. Her thoughts wandered to 
 Daniel, and her heart was lifted to God in one 
 unceasing prayer that he might be kept in safety, 
 and that contact with the enemy might be 
 avoided. 
 
 Every sound from without was eagerly listened 
 to, and she thought of how many families were yet 
 far away from the town and exposed to the enemy. 
 Hour after hour passed away, a faint line of light 
 appeared in the east, the stars began to pale, and 
 soon the rising sun chased the shadows from cor- 
 ners where they were lurking, and Mrs. Clark, 
 putting out the light, went to the door. Long and 
 earnestly, she scanned the prairie, but nothing was 
 to be seen. 
 
 Margery arose, bathed her face and helped to 
 prepare breakfast. Little was eaten by either, 
 though, for the sake of the children, a semblance 
 of cheerfulness was maintained. 
 
 The breakfast things were put away, and all 
 had been done which hands dreading idleness could 
 find to do; it was nearing the hour of ten, when 
 the clatter of a horse's hoofs was heard, and they 
 saw Daniel's brother approaching at a swift gallop. 
 Riding up to the gate, he threw himself from the 
 horse, though still holding the bridle in his hand. 
 
 By this time Mrs. Clark was at his side, while 
 Margery, faint and pale, was leaning against the 
 gate. "Mother," he said, as he threw one arm 
 about her, "you must be brave. I have bad news 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 239 
 
 for you, but far worse for others. Father is 
 wounded, three of the brethren are killed, and 
 David Patten is wounded beyond recovery. 
 
 "Daniel is not hurt, but is with father at the 
 house of a brother near where the battle occurred. 
 I must ride on to carry the news to Far West, but 
 will be back immediately. Tell Fred to harness 
 our best team and have the carriage in waiting by 
 the time I get back; and, mother, put up some- 
 thing in the way of lunch all you can spare, 
 for the men have had nothing to-day." Kissing 
 her hastily, he sprang into the saddle and galloped 
 away. 
 
 It was now Margery's turn to be collected and 
 brave. Calling to Fred, she told him just what to 
 do, then opening the gate, she put her arm around 
 Mrs. Clark, who was standing as if stupefied, 
 gently drawing her into the house and arousing 
 her faculties by appealing to her for the things 
 necessary to be put up. 
 
 It was but for a moment that Mrs. Clark lost her 
 presence of mind, then, collecting her faculties, she 
 directed all things necessary to be done. 
 
 "Will you be afraid to remain alone with the 
 children?" she asked of Margery. 
 
 "No, mother, but will it be best for you to go?" 
 
 "I can not remain; I must get to Father just as 
 soon as possible. Do you have bandages and all 
 things in readiness. I will drive down the lane 
 and George will meet me there." 
 
240 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 But George was already at the gate, and, help- 
 ing his mother into the carriage, he threw the 
 reins of his horse to Fred, saying, "See that he is 
 well fed and cared for, for he has had a hard trip. 
 Good-bye, Margery, and don't be alarmed if we are 
 not here until late, as we will have to drive very 
 slowly. We do not think father's wound is very 
 bad, but he was faint from loss of blood." 
 
 "Tell me all about it, George," said Mrs. Clark as 
 they drove rapidly over the smooth prairie road; 
 and he related to her the circumstances as we 
 have recorded them. 
 
 They had been on the way but about two hours, 
 when they met the sad procession, and, lifting Mr. 
 Clark carefully into his carriage, supporting him 
 with pillows, they started slowly upon their home- 
 ward road, after they had distributed the provision 
 brought with them, which was gratefully received 
 by the hungry men. 
 
 Knowing how anxiously Margery would be look- 
 ing for Daniel, George gave him the reins to drive 
 back, and he joined the other company. 
 
 "I think you may drive a little faster, Daniel," 
 said Mr. Clark, "and if I can not bear it, I will let 
 you know." He said nothing to Daniel of the 
 cause of his anxiety, but it was not necessary, for 
 his own thoughts were busy with the situation. 
 "Join us in Far West immediately," were the part- 
 ing instructions of the officer in command, and 
 Daniel knew that it meant a consultation with ref- 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 241 
 
 erence to the best means of providing for the 
 safety of those who had been engaged in the 
 battle. 
 
 Soon after Mrs. Clark left, Margery saw a body 
 of men enter the graveyard, which could be seen 
 from the window of Mr. Clark's house, and begin 
 preparing for the last resting-place of those who 
 had but that morning been full of life and hope. 
 She stood as though fascinated by the sad sight, 
 while the tears poured down her cheeks like rain. 
 Why had God been so merciful to her in sparing 
 her husband, when others were called upon to 
 mourn with a mourning more bitter than that of 
 Rachel for her children? Then again the thought 
 came to her, "Is this not better than the fate which 
 awaits many another wife and mother whose hus- 
 band and sons will come home to her to-day? I 
 have seen it," she almost whispered, "seen this 
 awful cloud of blackness and darkness; and I know 
 that the day is coming when they will say the dead 
 are the happy ones. I only wish that it was clearer 
 to my mind, that I understood it better, but it is 
 doubtless wisdom that I do not." 
 
 She busied herself in preparations for the return 
 of the family and in providing food in place of 
 that which had been taken away. Shortly after 
 noon, Mary came home, and Margery was glad 
 indeed both of her company and help. Between 
 anxiety, work, and watching, the hours wore away, 
 until, as the sun sank low in the west, Fred, from 
 
242 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 his lookout on the fence, discovered the carriage 
 returning. 
 
 "0, Margery, what is to be the end of this?" 
 said Mary, unable longer to control her feelings. 
 "Would it not have been better to have waited 
 here until the enemy came, than to have bought 
 this brief respite at such a fearful price? It will 
 be many a day before any one like David Patten 
 will seal his testimony with his blood." 
 
 "Ah, Mary, David Patten was indeed a man of 
 God, and thousands will weep for him to-day, but I 
 fear that many will be called upon to lay down 
 their lives and that, too, very shortly, for the sake 
 of the gospel." 
 
 Mary did not reply, for looking out of the door 
 she caught sight of the carriage, and calling to 
 Margery, "Daniel is driving," hastened out to meet 
 them. 
 
 A sudden faintness came over Margery, and 
 Daniel found her, after he had helped his father to 
 bed, sitting by the table, her head leaning upon her 
 hand, and her cheeks pale as marble. 
 
 "Give me a glass of water, Daniel, and then let 
 me go out into the air; I shall be better soon." 
 
 Daniel obeyed, and leaning upon his arm, Mar- 
 gery went out into the bright October sunlight, 
 and, sitting down upon a rustic bench, leaned her 
 head upon his shoulder and wept silently. 
 
 Daniel did not interrupt her weeping, but drew 
 her very close to him with one arm, and with his 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 243 
 
 hand gently smoothed the brown hair from her 
 temples, while the sunshine, as it glinted through 
 it, touched it into hues of gold. As Daniel held 
 her there, it required every nerve, every fiber of 
 his being to control the emotions surging in his 
 bosom. But he mastered himself, and when, in a 
 few moments, Margery raised her head, and, 
 wiping her eyes, looked up into his face, he smiled 
 down upon her, and only the sunlight of love 
 beamed from his dark-brown eyes. 
 
 "Do not think me weak, Daniel, for oh, it is so 
 good to have you back. So good," she repeated, 
 "but we must not be selfish. I am better now, and 
 we must go in and help mother. Is father very 
 badly wounded?" 
 
 "I hope not, but we can not tell until his wound 
 is dressed. Fred has gone to Far West for some 
 one to dress it, and mother and Mary are by him, 
 so stay here for a little time in the fresh air, and 
 let us talk of the future. I am afraid I shall have 
 to leave you, Margery. Father and the brethren 
 think that a demand will be made for all who were 
 in this battle to be given up; and if the demand is 
 not complied with, it will bring trouble upon all 
 those who were not there as well as those who 
 were. There is a chance for us to escape, if we 
 embrace it, but it will have to be done quickly. 
 
 "Even as we came along, we met with some 
 brethren who told us that the enemy have sent 
 scouts and runners to all parts of the country, 
 
244 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 bearing the most unreasonable account of the 
 affair, and manufacturing the most glaring false- 
 hoods. I do not want to be the means of bringing 
 trouble upon others, neither do I want to fall into 
 their hands." 
 
 "That is not to be thought of for a moment," 
 said Margery. "You must hasten beyond their 
 reach; there is no time to be lost." 
 
 "But, Margery, how can I leave you here?" 
 
 "There will be no danger for me. I can stay 
 here or go to father's, but it would kill me to see 
 you fall into their hands." 
 
 "There is danger for you, Margery, and I can 
 not leave until I have made some arrangement for 
 you to go also. You could bear the journey now, 
 but later on the inclement season might be fatal to 
 you, and, if driven from your home here, you 
 would surely die." 
 
 Margery opened her lips to say, "They would 
 not do a thing so inhuman," but remembering the 
 case of her cousin, she was silent. 
 
 "I am going to town immediately to learn what 
 the brethren will do, and, in the meantime, it will 
 be well for you to gather up a little provision, and 
 before I come back I will have fixed upon some 
 plan for getting you away. Go in now to father, 
 and I will be back as soon as possible. Do not 
 worry, my dear wife, for I have the assurance 
 from the Lord that we shall both be saved out of 
 the enemy's hands." 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 245 
 
 "Thank God for that, Daniel. My heart is 
 lighter than it has been since you left. Don't 
 tarry here a moment." 
 
 "One moment," he said, as he bent down and 
 tenderly kissed her quivering lips. "I tell you, 
 Margery, that notwithstanding all this trouble, if 
 you were only in a place of safety, I could rejoice 
 in God to-day, that he ever counted me worthy to 
 have his Son revealed in me. Yes, Margery, my 
 heart has been so light that, had I been going to 
 the stake, I think I could have shouted praises to 
 his name." 
 
 "Then, my husband, why should you not trust 
 me in his hands with the same faith and confi- 
 dence?" 
 
 "I do, I do, but yet I feel these trials and hard- 
 ships for you as it is not possible for me to feel 
 them for myself." 
 
 "What you have told me lifts every cloud from 
 my heart, and you will see me as strong and brave, 
 as ever. Go, now, for every minute is precious." 
 
 When Margery went into the house, Mr. Clark 
 called her to the bedside and bade her to be of 
 good comfort. "Look upon the silver lining of the 
 cloud and trust God with implicit faith, for all 
 things shall work together for good to them who 
 fear the Lord." 
 
 "Surely, dear father, we ought all to be cheerful 
 when you set such an example. Does not your 
 wound pain you?" 
 
246 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "Yes, at times; but my mind is at peace, and the 
 Spirit bids us all be of good cheer, for we shall 
 come through these trials and be saved from the 
 snares laid for our feet. You and Mary must has- 
 ten your preparations now, for the brethren will 
 leave to-night, I am very certain." 
 
 Margery needed no second reminder, and soon 
 both were busy in preparations for the departure 
 of husband and brothers. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX 
 HAUN'S MILL 
 
 All nature holds the promise deep 
 Injustice shall be downward hurled; 
 
 But now all see Nobility 
 
 Walks handcuffed through the world. 
 
 Grandly she moves with flashing eye, 
 Honor and chains her lofty choice; 
 
 Not either arm she lifts to strike 
 But all the cowards know her voice, 
 
 Ella Frances Wellman. 
 
 HE shadows lengthened, the sun went 
 down, and one by one the stars came out, 
 but Daniel did not return. The family 
 were too busy to note the passing hours, and just 
 as the clock struck eight, the sound of horses' feet 
 was heard, and soon Daniel and his brother 
 came in. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 247 
 
 Going to Margery, he said: "I have seen your 
 father and it is all arranged that you are to follow 
 me in a few days. In one hour the brethren who 
 are going with us will be here, and, if we are pur- 
 sued, this early start will put us considerably in 
 advance and we shall, with God's blessing, be able 
 to escape. Pack your household goods and the 
 boys will bring them up here, but do not delay 
 your starting a day longer than possible, as I shall 
 count the hours until I know you are in a place of 
 safety. 
 
 "Your mother with the two boys will go with 
 you, and your father will provide everything in his 
 power for your comfort. We will aim to reach 
 Quincy, Illinois, but you will probably be there 
 before us, as we shall have to travel in a circuitous 
 route in order to avoid our pursuers." 
 
 "I will carry out all your instructions carefully," 
 said Margery, "and now come, you must not start 
 until you have eaten your supper. The others are 
 waiting for us." 
 
 Many things were spoken of as the savory meal 
 was eaten, and many words intended to cheer and 
 comfort each other came from the heart to the lips 
 of each. When the meal was finished, all knelt 
 around the table and Daniel offered a brief, ear- 
 nest prayer, commending the friends he was leav- 
 ing to the care of God and asking his presence to 
 go with those who were going. They had scarcely 
 arisen from their knees when the low call of a 
 
248 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 bugle announced that the others were in waiting, 
 and hastily the good-byes were exchanged and 
 Margery and her friends were again alone. 
 
 Mr. Clark was comparatively comfortable and, 
 worn and wearied, his wife slept by his side, while 
 Margery and Mary retired to another room and 
 soon sought rest in sleep. 
 
 And now, kind reader, we wish before going on 
 with our narrative to glance briefly at the condi- 
 tion of affairs at this time, and note the action 
 taken by the State authorities. 
 
 Captain Bogart, while commanding a company 
 of Ray County patrols, was driving the Saints 
 from their homes whenever he encountered any. 
 He sent word to Far West that he would be there 
 the next day. A detachment of his men captured 
 four of the brethren and took them into his camp 
 the same day. When this news reached Far West, 
 (which was after dark,) Judge Higbee ordered 
 Colonel Hinkle to send men to disperse the mob 
 and liberate the prisoners. When these men came 
 upon Bogart's company and were fired upon by 
 them, they then attacked and dispersed them, they 
 themselves suffering as heavy a loss in killed and 
 wounded as the others. 
 
 Now the question arises, If blame was to be 
 attached to those who were acting in self-defense, 
 what of the aggressors? There is not a school-boy 
 of ordinary intelligence in the land who would not 
 be able to answer this question and present the 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 249 
 
 matter in a light to show the injustice of the 
 action which was taken. 
 
 Messengers were sent out in every direction, 
 calling the people to arms; reports without one 
 particle of foundation in truth poured in to the 
 executive, who without hesitation issued his orders 
 upon the strength thereof, and in less than a week 
 after the band of outlaws had been scattered by 
 David Patten's men, nearly three thousand well- 
 armed men under the command of General Lucas 
 surrounded the town of Far West. These troops 
 were sent there by the command of Governor 
 Boggs with the following instructions: 
 
 "The Mormons must be treated as enemies and 
 must be exterminated or driven from the State, if 
 necessary, for the public good. Their outrages 
 are beyond description." 
 
 Over against this latter assertion, kind reader, 
 we ask you to place the following from the lips of 
 General Doniphan, as stated in the Kansas City 
 "Journal" in 1881: 
 
 "It is true, however, that in an order to me and 
 other officers, Governor Boggs used the expression, 
 'that the Mormons leave the State or be extermi- 
 nated/ whereas this order was entirely illegal. I 
 paid no attention to it. In my reply to Governor 
 Boggs I stated to him that I had disregarded that 
 part of his order, as the age of extermination was 
 over. . . . While the Mormons resided in Clay 
 County they were a peaceable, sober, industrious, 
 
250 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 and law-abiding people; and during their stay with 
 us not one was ever accused of a crime of any 
 kind." 
 
 This is the calm, dispassionate statement of one 
 who had far better opportunities of knowing the 
 Saints than any man not of their faith, connected 
 with the troubles through which they passed. He 
 was an intimate friend of Daniel Clark and stood 
 by him on more than one occasion when the out- 
 laws of Missouri would have trampled upon his 
 rights. 
 
 You have looked upon this picture have seen a 
 band of men, under the direction of officers of the 
 regular State militia move out from their homes 
 to intercept and disperse a mob who were moving 
 upon them, not only threatening them with 
 destruction, but arresting all whom they could 
 reach and threatening them with instant death; 
 and we beg you to bear in mind that this action 
 was pre-eminently one of self-defense. You have 
 seen the result of this, that in but a brief space of 
 time, thousands of armed men have been marched 
 to the rescue of this scattered, frightened band of 
 outlaws, and these people, for this crime, have 
 been surrounded and threatened with extermina- 
 tion: now come with us while we lift the curtain 
 from another scene and let us see whose voice will 
 be raised to cry, "To the rescue!" whose arm 
 uplifted in defense. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 251 
 
 OCTOBER: 
 
 "The month of carnival of all the year 
 When Nature lets the wild earth go its way, 
 And spends whole seasons on a single day." 
 
 The 30th of October, 1838, is a day never to be 
 effaced from the memory of the harrassed and per- 
 secuted Saints of Caldwell County, Missouri. Most 
 of those who have recounted its horrors in the lis- 
 tening ears of their children have been gathered to 
 their fathers and sleep in peace, but their children 
 who survive them are many, and never while life 
 remains, can time obliterate from their memory 
 the picture stamped upon its walls while they 
 listened and wept. 
 
 The morning was fair, and the sun came up in 
 golden splendor from behind a veil of mist which 
 hung low upon the horizon like a fringe to the 
 curtain of clouds bending above it. From among 
 the tall prairie-grass the partridge called to his 
 mate, and the answer came back in notes of shrill 
 gladness from a distant clump of hazel. A mur- 
 muring stream, skirted by tall trees and bordered 
 with an underbrush of hazel and other low-grow- 
 ing shrubs, wound its way through the quiet scene. 
 Here a clump of sumac, robed in flaming scarlet, 
 brighter than the burning bush the prophet turned 
 aside to see, nestled closely up to the towering oak 
 robed in crimson, brown, and green, which in its 
 turn threw out its branches to embrace the maple, 
 
252 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 standing one vast pyramid of waving gold. 
 Scarcely a breeze rustled the leaves or whispered 
 among the ripened fields of corn, which in rank 
 luxuriance dotting the prairie here and there, wit- 
 nessed the fact that man had invaded the far- 
 reaching solitude and was an actor in the scene, 
 while the smoke, curling up through the over- 
 hanging branches, gave evidence that his dwelling 
 was near. 
 
 In this quiet spot a brother by the name of 
 Jacob Haun had erected a mill on the north bank 
 of the stream known as Shoal Creek, early in the 
 year 1836; and here, from time to time, families 
 of the Saints had settled, entered land, erected 
 rude but comfortable dwellings, and planted fields 
 of corn and other grain. 
 
 This, with the exception of believing in a God 
 who changes not and of asking the privilege to 
 worship him after the manner the world calls 
 "heresy," was their only crime. 
 
 As troubles thickened, they had thought to 
 remove to Far West for greater safety, and indeed 
 had been advised to do so, but in case of doing 
 this, they would be compelled to leave their crops 
 (their only supply of provision for the winter) 
 unharvested, and their homes and all they had at 
 the mercy of the mob. The prospect was not 
 inviting, and besides this they could not believe 
 that, without any provocation upon their part, men 
 enough could be found so cruel, so lost to every 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 253 
 
 sense of shame, as to attack a hamlet of peaceful 
 families who had never done them ' any harm. 
 Alas! through what a scene of blood and carnage 
 were they that day to learn * 'man's inhumanity to 
 man"! 
 
 Here we quote from Burr Joyce, the special cor- 
 respondent of the St. Louis "Globe-Democrat," lest 
 the account in its unvarnished horrors should, 
 otherwise, seem overdrawn: 
 
 "BRECKENRIDGE, Missouri, Sept. 27, 1887. 
 
 "In the afternoon of Tuesday, October 30, 1838, 
 there occurred in Caldwell County a dreadful inci- 
 dent, generally termed 'The Haun's Mill Massacre.' 
 From official documents and other records, from 
 affidavits of witnesses, and from statements made 
 by actual participants, I have prepared the follow- 
 ing account. . . . 
 
 "At Jacob Haun's mill, on Shoal Creek, in the 
 eastern part of Caldwell County, about eight miles 
 south of Breckinridge, there had collected about 
 twenty Mormon families. Haun himself was a 
 Mormon and had come to the site from Wisconsin 
 a few years before. He had a very good mill, and 
 clustered around it were a blacksmith shop and 
 half a dozen small houses. The alarm that the 
 troops were moving against them had driven 
 nearly all the Mormon families in the country to 
 Far West for safety. A dozen or more living in 
 the vicinity repaired to Haun's mill, which was 
 
254 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 twenty miles to the eastward of Far West. As 
 there were not enough houses to accommodate all 
 the fugitives, a number were living in tents and 
 temporary shelters. A few families, perhaps four, 
 had come in on the evening of the 29th, from Ohio, 
 and were occupying their emigrant wagons. Not 
 one member of the little community had ever been 
 in arms against the 'Gentiles/ or taken any part 
 whatever in the preceding disturbances. 
 
 "Word that the militia of the State had been 
 ordered to expel them from the country had 
 reached the Mormons of the Haun's mill settle- 
 ment, and following this intelligence came a report 
 that a considerable number of men in Livingston 
 County, together with some from Daviess, had 
 organized in the Forks of Grand River, near- Spring 
 Hill, in Livingston, and were preparing to attack 
 them. Whereupon a company of about twenty-five 
 men and boys, indifferently armed with shotguns 
 and squirrel rifles, was organized at the mill, and 
 David Evans was chosen captain. It was resolved 
 to defend the place against the threatened 
 assault. . . . 
 
 "North of the mill was a body of timber half a 
 mile in width, skirting Shoal Creek; beyond was a 
 stretch of prairie. For a day or two Captain 
 Evans kept a picket post in the northern border of 
 the timber, but on the 28th he entered into a sort 
 of truce with Captain Nehemiah Comstock, com- 
 manding a company of Livingston 'Gentiles' from 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 255 
 
 the settlements near Mooresville and Utica, and 
 the post was withdrawn. By the terms of this 
 truce, which was effected by a messenger who 
 rode between Evans and Comstock, the Gentiles 
 were to let the Mormons alone as long as the latter 
 were peaceable, and vice versa. Each party, too, 
 was to disband its military organization. But on 
 the morning of the 29th the Mormons learned that 
 a company of Livingston militia, a few miles to 
 the eastward, were menacing them, and so they 
 maintained their organization and that night set 
 watches. The latter company was commanded by 
 Captain William Mann, and for some days had 
 been operating at and in the vicinity of Whitney's 
 mill, on Lower Shoal Creek (where the village of 
 Dawn now stands), stopping Mormon emigrants on 
 their way from the East to Caldwell County, turn- 
 ing them back in some instances, taking their arms 
 from them in others, etc. 
 
 "On the 29th, at Woolsey's, northeast of Breck- 
 enridge, an agreement was reached by the Gentiles 
 for an attack upon Haun's mill. Three companies, 
 numbering in the aggregate about two hundred 
 men, were organized. They were commanded by 
 Captains Nehemiah Comstock, William 0. Jen- 
 nings, and William Gee. The command of the 
 battalion was given to Colonel Thomas Jennings, 
 an old militia officer, then living in the forks. . . . 
 
 "Setting out from Woolsey's, after noon on the 
 30th, Colonel Jennings marched swiftly out of 
 
256 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 the timber northwest of the present village of 
 Mooresville, and out on the prairie stretching 
 down southwards towards the doomed hamlet at 
 Haun's mill. The word was passed along the col- 
 umn, 'Shoot at everything wearing breeches, and 
 shoot to kill.' 
 
 "All of the Gentiles were mounted, and they had 
 with them a wagon and two Mormon prisoners. 
 Within two miles of the mill the wagon and pris- 
 oners were left, in charge of a squad, and the 
 remainder of the force passed rapidly on. Enter- 
 ing the timber north of the mill, Colonel Jennings 
 passed through it, unobserved, right up to the 
 borders of the settlement, and speedily formed his 
 line for the attack. Captain W. 0. Jennings' com- 
 pany had the center, Captain Comstock's the left, 
 and Captain Gee's the right. 
 
 "The Mormon leader had somehow become 
 apprehensive of trouble. He communicated his 
 fears to some of the men, and was about sending 
 out scouts and pickets. It had been previously 
 agreed that in case of attack the men should 
 repair to the blacksmith shop and occupy it as a 
 fort or block-house. This structure was built of 
 logs, with wide cracks between them, was about 
 eighteen feet square, and had a large, wide door. 
 The greater portion of the Mormons were, how- 
 ever, unsuspicious of any imminent peril. Chil- 
 dren were playing on the banks of the creek, 
 women were engaged in their ordinary domestic 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 257 
 
 duties, the newly arrived immigrants were resting 
 under the trees, which were clad in the scarlet, 
 crimson, and golden leaves of autumn. The scene 
 was peaceful and Acadian. It was now about four 
 o'clock in the afternoon, and the sun hung low and 
 red in a beautiful Indian summer sky. 
 
 "Suddenly, from out of the timber north and 
 west of the mill, the Gentiles burst upon the ham- 
 let. The air was filled with shouts and shots, and 
 the fight was on. It can not fairly be called a fight. 
 Taken wholly by surprise, the Mormons were 
 thrown into extreme confusion. The women and 
 children cried and screamed in excitement and 
 terror, and the greater number, directed by some 
 of the men, ran across the mill-dam to the south 
 bank of the creek and sought shelter in the woods. 
 Perhaps twenty men, Captain Evans among them, 
 ran with their guns to the blacksmith shop and 
 began to return the fire. Some were shot down in 
 their attempts to reach the shop. 
 
 "The fire of the Mormons was wild and ineffec- 
 tive; that of the militia was accurate and deadly. 
 The cracks between the logs of the shop were so 
 large that it was easy to shoot through them, and 
 so thickly were the Mormons huddled together on 
 the inside that nearly every bullet which entered 
 the shop killed or wounded a man. Firing was 
 kept up all the while on the fleeing fugitives, and 
 many were shot down as they ran. 
 
 "Realizing very soon that he was placed at a 
 
258 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 decided disadvantage, Captain Evans gave orders 
 to retreat, directing every man to take care of 
 himself. The door of the shop was thrown open, 
 and all of the able-bodied survivors ran out, 
 endeavoring to reach the woods. Some were shot 
 before reaching shelter. . . . The Gentiles ad- 
 vanced, and began to use their rough, home-made 
 swords, or corn-knives, with which some of them 
 were armed. The fugitives were fired on until 
 they were out of range, but not pursued, as the 
 few who escaped scattered in almost every direc- 
 tion. 
 
 "Coming upon the field, after it had been aban- 
 doned, the Gentiles perpetrated some terrible 
 deeds. At least three of the wounded were hacked 
 to death with the 'corn-knives' or finished with a 
 rifle bullet. William Reynolds, a Livingston 
 County man, entered the blacksmith shop, and 
 found a little boy, only ten years of age, named 
 Sardius Smith, hiding under the bellows. Without 
 even demanding his surrender, the cruel wretch 
 drew up his rifle and shot the little fellow as he 
 lay cowering and trembling. Reynolds afterward 
 boasted of his exploit to persons yet living. He 
 described with fiendish glee how the poor child 
 'kicked and squealed' in his dying agonies. . . . 
 Charley Merrick, another little boy only nine years 
 old, had hid under the bellows. He ran out, but 
 did not get far until he received a load of buck- 
 shot and a rifle ball in all, three wounds. He did 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 259 
 
 not die, however, for nearly five weeks. Esquire 
 Thomas McBride was seventy-eight years of age, 
 and had been a soldier under Gates and Washing- 
 ton in the Revolution. He had started for the 
 blacksmith shop, but was shot down on the way, 
 and lay wounded and helpless, but still alive. A 
 Daviess County man named Rogers, who kept a 
 ferry across Grand River, near Gallatin, came 
 upon him and demanded his gun. 'Take it,' said 
 McBride. Rogers picked up the weapon and, find- 
 ing that it was loaded, deliberately discharged it 
 into the old veteran's breast. He then cut and 
 hacked the body with his 'corn-knife' until it was 
 frightfully gashed and mangled. 
 
 "After the Mormons had all been either killed, 
 wounded, or driven away, the Gentiles began to 
 loot the place. Considerable property was taken, 
 much of the spoil consisting of household articles 
 and personal effects. At least three wagons and 
 perhaps ten horses were taken. Two emigrant 
 wagons were driven off with all their contents. 
 The Mormons claim that there was a general pil- 
 lage, and that even the bodies of the slain were 
 robbed. The Gentiles deny this, and say that the 
 wagons were needed to haul off their three 
 wounded men, and the bedding was taken to make 
 them comfortable, while the other articles taken 
 did not amount to much. Two of the survivors 
 have stated to me that the place was 'pretty well 
 cleaned out.' 
 
260 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "Colonel Jennings did not remain at the mill 
 more than two hours. Twilight approaching, he 
 set out on his return to his former encampment. 
 He feared a rally and return of the Mormons with 
 a large re-enforcement, and doubtless he desired to 
 reflect leisurely on his course of future operations. 
 Reaching Woolsey's, he halted his battalion, and 
 prepared to pass the night. But a few hours later 
 he imagined he heard cannon and a great tumult 
 in the direction of Haun's mill, betokening, as he 
 thought, the advance of a large Mormon force 
 upon him. Rousing his men from their sweet 
 dreams of the victory, he broke camp, moved 
 rapidly eastward, and never halted until he had 
 put the West Fork of Grand River between him 
 and his imaginary pursuers. He and his men had 
 won glory enough for one day, anyhow! They 
 had not lost a man killed and only three wounded. 
 John Renfrew had his thumb shot off, Allen Eng- 
 land was shot in the thigh, and Hart in the 
 
 arm. 
 
 "The Mormon killed and mortally wounded num- 
 bered seventeen. Here are the names: 
 
 "Thomas McBride, Levi N. Merrick, Elias Ben- 
 ner, Josiah Fuller, Benjamin Lewis, Alexandei 
 Campbell, George S. Richards, William Napier, 
 Augustine Harmer, Simon Cox, Hiram Abbott, 
 John York, John Lee, John Byers, Warren Smith, 
 Charles Merrick, aged nine, Sardius Smith, aged 
 ten. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 261 
 
 "The severely wounded numbered eleven men, 
 one boy (Alma Smith, aged seven), and one woman, 
 a Miss Mary Stedwell. The latter was shot 
 through the hand and arm as she was running to 
 the woods. 
 
 "Dies irae! Bloody work and woeful. What a 
 scene did Colonel Jennings and his men turn their 
 backs upon as they rode away in the gloaming 
 from the little village once all green and peaceful! 
 The wounded men had been given no attention, 
 and the bodies of the slain had been left to fester 
 and putrefy in the Indian summer temperature, 
 warm and mellowing. A large, red moon rose, and 
 a fog came up from the stream and lay like a face- 
 cloth upon the pallid countenances of the dead. 
 Timidly and wearily came forth the widows and 
 orphans from their hiding-places, and as they rec- 
 ognized one a husband, one a father, another a son, 
 and another a brother among the slain, the wail- 
 ings of grief and terror were most pitiful. All 
 that night were they alone with their dead and 
 wounded. There were no physicians, but if there 
 had been, many of the wounded were past all sur- 
 gery. Dreadful sights in the moonlight, and 
 dreadful sounds on the night-winds! In the ham- 
 let the groans of the wounded, the moans and sobs 
 of the grief -stricken, the bellowing of cattle, and 
 the howling of dogs, and from the black woods the 
 dismal hooting of owls. 
 
 "By and by, when the wounded had been made 
 
262 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 as comfortable as possible, the few men who had 
 returned gathered the women and children 
 together, and all sought consolation in prayer. 
 Then they sang from the Mormon hymn-book a 
 selection entitled, 'Moroni's lamentation/ a dirge- 
 like composition, lacking in posey and deficient in 
 rhyme, but giving something of comfort, let us 
 hope, to the choristers. And so in prayer and 
 song and ministration the remainder of the night 
 was passed. 
 
 "The next morning the corpses had changed, 
 and were changing fast. They must be buried. 
 There were not enough men left to make coffins or 
 even dig graves. It could not be determined when 
 relief would come or when the Gentiles would 
 return. There was a large, unfinished well near 
 the mill, which it was decided should be used as a 
 common sepulcher. Four men gathered up the 
 bodies, the women assisting, and bore them, one at 
 a time, on a large plank to the well and slid them 
 in. Some hay was strewn upon the ghastly pile 
 and then a thin layer of dirt thrown upon the hay. 
 
 "The next day Captain Comstock's company 
 returned to the mill, as they said, to bury the dead. 
 Finding that duty had been attended to, they 
 expressed considerable satisfaction at having been 
 relieved of the job, and, after notifying the people 
 that they must leave the State or they would all 
 be killed, they rode away. The pit was subse- 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 263 
 
 quently filled by Mr. C. R. Ross, now a resident of 
 Black Oak, Caldwell County. 
 
 "A day or two after the massacre, Colonel Jen- 
 nings started with his battalion to join the State 
 forces at Far West. BURR JOYCE." 
 
 "Dies irae!" Let us put back the curtain and, 
 "Let the dead bury their dead." Let the wife sit 
 by the still, cold form of her husband, by whose 
 side lies the mutilated body of her murdered boy; 
 let the bride of but a few short months bury her 
 head upon the gory bosom of him whose heart will 
 throb no more when it lies resting there! Let them 
 sleep in peace until the Master shall descend with 
 a shout; for "the dead in Christ shall rise first." 
 
 Put back the curtain, and if, in coming time, the 
 questions should perchance arise, "Did the State 
 government of Missouri justify this horror? Was 
 it done by order of Governor Boggs or any subor- 
 dinate officer under him?" we shall be able to 
 answer only by asking, "Do the archives of Mis- 
 souri contain any order for a suppression of such 
 outrages? Has any act ever been passed con- 
 demnatory of it? Was not Colonel W. 0. Jennings 
 sent back to Haun's mill with his command to hold 
 the women and children in subjection and to see to 
 it that they should not be allowed to call upon 
 their God?" 
 
 Put back the curtain; but before you let it fall, 
 though you should never know the reason why, 
 
264 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 upon this picture write, Approval; but upon that 
 other, Extermination. Let them hang side by side 
 until the day God has appointed in which to judge 
 the world in righteousness, and hath given us 
 assurance of his coming, in that Christ is risen 
 from the dead! 
 
 "God's ways seem dark, but, soon or late, 
 
 They touch the shining hills of day; 
 The evil can not brook delay, 
 The good can well afford to wait." 
 
 "Fear not them which kill the body, but are not 
 able to kill the soul: but rather fear him which is 
 able to destroy both soul and body in hell." 
 
 CHAPTER XX 
 THE HONOR OF A STATE 
 
 The traitor to Humanity is the traitor most accursed; 
 Man is more than Constitutions: better rot beneath the sod, 
 Than be true to Church and State while we ate doubly false to 
 God. 
 
 Lowell. 
 
 HE morning after Daniel's departure broke 
 bright and clear. Long before the dawn 
 of light, Margery and Mary were moving 
 quietly about their household duties. Mr. Clark 
 had rested through the night, and, as it is our 
 intention to follow the events of his life further at 
 this time, we will here say that after a lingering 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 265 
 
 illness caused by his wound, together with anxiety 
 in regard to his family and the condition of affairs 
 in general, anxiety which his physical condition 
 rendered him less able to resist, he finally recov- 
 ered so as to be able to ride on horseback, and went 
 to Illinois, leaving the family to follow him. This 
 was done at their earnest persuasion, as his life 
 had been threatened, and the family knew that 
 spies were watching him, and he would not be safe 
 until out of their reach. 
 
 The sun had not long been risen when friends 
 from Far West began to drop in, and, of course, 
 the theme of conversation was the events of the 
 last few days, and speculations in regard to the 
 future. Many and wild were the rumors afloat, 
 but, wild as they were, they fell short of the 
 reality. 
 
 In the afternoon, the funeral procession of 
 David Patten and Patterson O'Banion wound 
 slowly out of town towards the burying ground 
 just opposite Mr. Clark's, and there amid the sobs 
 and tears of bereaved ones, the discharge of mus- 
 ketry, and the hastily wiped tears of strong men, 
 these loved companions of their earthly pilgrimage 
 were laid to rest. 
 
 Brave men of God! What more could they do 
 than to seal the testimony they had borne with 
 their blood? What more than to lay down their 
 lives in defense of the brethren they loved? This, 
 dear reader, is what they did. Loyal to God and 
 
266 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 their country, they went at the behest of duty, in 
 obedience to the laws of that country, to defend 
 her citizens from unlawful attack. That these 
 citizens whom they were called upon to defend 
 happened to be of like faith as themselves, consti- 
 tuted the crime. If they had been of other faith 
 all would have been well. The facts in the case 
 arse so obvious that comment seems unnecessary. 
 The State authorities of Missouri were in full 
 sympathy with the mob. They hated the gospel 
 of Christ. Then, as now and ever, it denounced 
 their sins and warned them of judgment to come. 
 They were not willing to acknowledge its claims; 
 they could not reason them away, and hence, as a 
 last report, brute force was used. 
 
 What more, we have asked, could they do? 
 Nothing; for they stood in the lot and place 
 ordained of' heaven, faithful to the last. Could 
 men do more? Aye, men have, since those days, 
 done more. Nay, they are doing more to-day. 
 
 It was not a difficult task for Peter to smite with 
 the sword in the heat of passion, even with the 
 sword the Lord had commanded him to buy; but 
 how long, weary, and tedious had been those hours 
 of watching with this same Master he was now so 
 brave to defend. 
 
 It would have been no hard matter to have 
 called fire from heaven upon his enemies, but ah, 
 it was past the strength of Peter's endurance, to 
 acknowledge himself the disciple of that friend- 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 267 
 
 less, bruised, and bleeding man, arrested as a 
 criminal, and soon to be tried before the highest 
 court of the Jewish nation! Even before a maid 
 servant he quailed and denied all knowledge of 
 him. 
 
 Be not, however, hasty in condemnation of him 
 whose courage failed not when the free breezes of 
 heaven were around him, and, as yet, in every test 
 of a mental, moral, or physical nature, he had seen 
 the lowly Nazarene triumph over his enemies, if in 
 this greater trial his courage failed. Poor and 
 humble Jesus was, but what of this? Had he not 
 healed the sick with a word, or a touch of his 
 divine hand; had not the wise and the learned 
 been confounded and utterly routed every time 
 they had sought to ensnare him; had not the devils 
 obeyed him, and the very elements been stilled at 
 the word of his command? Poor, did he say? Had 
 he not power to create and to multiply the fruitage 
 of the earth, to give sight to the blind, hearing to 
 the deaf, and life to the dead? 
 
 But here was a new phase of his life revealing 
 itself to Peter. This was the hour of his humilia- 
 tion and suffering, and yet the supreme hour for 
 which the others were but made, the hour when he 
 took upon himself the sin of the world that he 
 might redeem the sinner and reconcile the world 
 to God. 
 
 It was one thing to follow this man, when all 
 things were made subservient to his will, and while 
 
268 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 there fell from his lips divine wisdom, each sen- 
 tence of which attested the truth of his divinity, 
 but another, and a very different one, to follow 
 him in the hour of his humiliation, when his judg- 
 ment was taken away, and when, as a sheep be- 
 fore her shearers is dumb, so he opened not his 
 mouth. 
 
 What had he to plead? Think of it calmly for a 
 few moments. For himself, everything; but bear 
 in mind he was not there for himself. Hitherto 
 the works which he had done were the works of 
 divine compassion. "He hath sent me to heal the 
 broken-hearted, to preach deliverance to the cap- 
 tives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at 
 liberty them that are bruised." But this work, 
 this that from henceforth even to the end was to 
 be done, was to bear the sin of another. He took 
 upon him the sin which set the world at liberty; he 
 bore the stripes by which we are healed, and 
 because of this he had nothing to plead. 
 
 We said the brethren of those early days bore 
 much, and they did; but we think we are justified 
 in saying that those who, in after-years, embraced 
 the faith, because of their conviction of its truth, 
 and who fearlessly defended it despite all opposi- 
 tion, have borne more; for we honestly believe 
 that the Reorganized Church, even to-day, has to 
 defend the truth from the suspicion, and many 
 times the direct charge of the greatest moral oblo- 
 quy and odium which ever rested upon the gospel 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 269 
 
 of Christ from the creation of the world unto the 
 present day. 
 
 Men who would not shrink from marching up to 
 the cannon's mouth in defense of truth have 
 shrunk from the name of Mormon as from the 
 contagion of leprosy, have even said, "If I knew 
 you had the truth, I could not purchase at such a 
 fearful price." 
 
 If it be a comfort to the champion of the truth 
 to-day to know that this moral sawing asunder is 
 far harder to bear, then surely they are entitled to 
 the full measure of that comfort; for any one who 
 has the moral conviction to stand by the truth 
 when resting under the shadow of this great lat- 
 ter-day apostasy, has in him the stuff of which 
 martyrs are made. 
 
 Jesus said to those of old, "Ye shall indeed drink 
 of the cup that I drink of; and with the baptism 
 that I am baptized withal shall ye be baptized/' 
 Rejoice then if it be this baptism that we suffer 
 because of the wrong-doing of others. But far 
 better than to suffer as an evil-doer. 
 
 Two days after the funeral before referred to, 
 Margery started according to previous arrange- 
 ment to travel overland to Quincy, where she 
 expected to be joined by Daniel, if she did not find 
 him already there. Many inconveniences attended 
 a journey at that late season of the year, but it was 
 undertaken none too soon, in order to escape 
 detention and trouble upon the road. 
 
270 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 On the morning of October 30, it was reported 
 in Far West that large bodies of armed men were 
 approaching the town. The reports proved to be 
 correct, and before night the town was surrounded 
 by more than two thousand armed men. When a 
 flag of truce was sent out to inquire respecting 
 their intentions, the answer returned was: 
 
 "We want three persons out of the city before 
 we massacre the rest." 
 
 The persons specified, who were Adam Lightner, 
 John Clemenson and wife, refused to go, saying: 
 
 "If the people must be destroyed, we will die 
 with them." 
 
 The day wore on and the sun disappeared behind 
 the western horizon, but still the attack was 
 delayed. By this time news had reached Far West 
 of the terrible tragedy at Haun's mill, and as the 
 night settled down upon the besieged town, many 
 felt that before another day their fate might be 
 told by others, even as now their own lips grew 
 pale and voices trembled while repeating the 
 dreadful details of that other massacre. 
 
 But despite all this mental agony, despite the 
 unknown fate awaiting them, not a murmur of 
 complaint, not a wish that they had never forsaken 
 their comfortable and peaceful homes to cast in 
 their lot with God's people was expressed; but 
 from many a family altar, from many a private 
 circle of prayer, the voice of melody was heard as 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 271 
 
 they praised God in psalms and spiritual song and 
 committed themselves into his hands. 
 
 The condition of Mr. Clark forbade his removal, 
 and all the family who were now left remained 
 with him outside the town. Their fences were 
 thrown down, stock driven off, and their fields of 
 grain destroyed or taken to supply the needs of 
 the mob. 
 
 Mrs. Clark, with the bravery of a loving wife 
 and mother, kept all this, as much as was possible, 
 from the knowledge of her husband. After family 
 prayer, she put the younger children in bed, and 
 securing the doors, extinguished the light, when 
 she and Mary took their position by the front win- 
 dow, that, in case of a night attack, they might be 
 in some measure prepared. They could not talk 
 lest the sound of their voices should disturb Mr. 
 Clark, who slept but lightly; and thus, in watching 
 and prayer, the long night wore away. 
 
 The first gray dawn found them still at their 
 post, like loving guardians of the sleeping house- 
 hold. 
 
 With various emotions of hope and fear, the 
 people in Far West greeted the coming of the day. 
 There was as yet no clue to their fate, and they 
 had little to hope for from the men who were 
 drawn up in largely outnumbering forces against 
 them. 
 
 We have no positive facts in relation to the 
 events of the two days following. It is claimed 
 
272 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 by some, that George M. Hinkle betrayed the 
 brethren into signing a treaty after he had by 
 stratagem delivered the leading men, among 
 whom were Joseph and Hyrum Smith, as pris- 
 oners. This charge we have heard denied. Be 
 this as it may, the ultimate result was that the 
 Saints were forced to submit to the following con- 
 ditions, embraced in an address of General Clark 
 which he delivered to them on the 6th of Novem- 
 ber, and which we give below: 
 
 "Gentlemen, you whose names are not attached 
 to this list of names, will now have the privilege 
 of going to your fields and providing corn, wood, 
 etc., for your families. Those who are now taken 
 will go from this to prison, be tried, and receive 
 the due demerit of their crimes. But you (except 
 such as charges may hereafter be preferred 
 against) are now at liberty, as soon as the troops 
 are removed that now guard the place, which I 
 shall cause to be done immediately. It now 
 devolves upon you to fulfill the treaty that you 
 have entered into, the leading items of which I 
 shall now lay before you. 
 
 "The first requires that your leading men be 
 given up to be tried according to law; this you 
 have already complied with. 
 
 "The second is, that you deliver up your arms; 
 this has been attended to. 
 
 "The third stipulation is, that you sign over your 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 273 
 
 properties to defray the expenses of the war; this 
 you have also done. 
 
 "Another article yet remains for you to comply 
 with, and that is that you leave the State forth- 
 with; and whatever may be your feelings con- 
 cerning this, or whatever your innocence, it is 
 nothing to me; General Lucas, who is equal in 
 authority with me, has made this treaty with you 
 I approve of it I should have done the same 
 had I been here I am therefore determined to see 
 it fulfilled. The character of this State has suf- 
 fered almost beyond redemption, from the charac- 
 ter, conduct, and influence that you have exerted, 
 and we deem it an act of justice to restore her 
 character to its former standing among the States, 
 by every proper means. 
 
 "The orders of the governor to me were that 
 you should be exterminated and not allowed to 
 remain in the State, and had your leaders not been 
 given up, and the terms of the treaty complied 
 with before this, you and your families would have 
 been destroyed and your houses in ashes. 
 
 "There is a discretionary power vested in my 
 hands, which I shall exercise in your favor for a 
 season; for this lenity you are indebted to my 
 clemency. I do not say that you must go now, but 
 you must not think of staying here another sea- 
 son, or of putting in crops, for the moment you do 
 this the citizens will be upon you. If I am called 
 here again, in case of a noncompliance of a treaty 
 
274 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 made, do not think that I shall act any more as I 
 have done. You need not expect any mercy, but 
 extermination, for I am determined the governor's 
 order shall be executed. As for your leaders, do 
 not once think do not imagine for a moment do 
 not let it enter your mind that they will be deliv- 
 ered, or that you will see their faces again, for 
 their fate is fixed their die is cast their doom is 
 sealed. 
 
 "I am sorry, gentlemen, to see so great a number 
 of apparently intelligent men found in the situa- 
 tion that you are; and oh! that I could invoke that 
 Great Spirit, the unknown God, to rest upon you, 
 and make you sufficiently intelligent to break that 
 chain of superstition, and liberate you from those 
 fetters of fanaticism, with which you are bound, 
 that you no longer worship a man. 
 
 "I would advise you to scatter abroad and never 
 again organize yourselves with bishops, presidents, 
 etc., lest you excite the jealousies of the people, 
 and subject yourselves to the same calamities that 
 have now come upon you. 
 
 "You have always been the aggressors. You 
 have brought upon yourselves these difficulties by 
 being disaffected and not being subject to rule, 
 and my advice is that you become as other citizens, 
 lest by a recurrence of these events you bring 
 upon yourselves irretrievable ruin." 
 
 The above will give our readers a fair sample of 
 the truth, justice, and clemency to be expected 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 275 
 
 from men such as those who drove the Saints from 
 their homes in Missouri. Well might they invoke 
 the Spirit of the "unknown God"; for he was 
 indeed unknown to them, though many of their 
 companies were led by men professing to be his 
 ministers. 
 
 Were not the events which we are here record- 
 ing matters of history, it would be deemed beyond 
 all bounds of reason and probability. Nor could 
 we wonder at this, for despite the record it almost 
 exceeds the bounds of belief. 
 
276 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 CHAPTER XXI 
 WAITING TO CROSS 
 
 The God we trust is on that shore, 
 
 The Faithful One whom we have trusted more 
 
 In trials and in woes 
 
 Than we have trusted those 
 On whom we leaned most in our earthly strife, 
 O, we shall trust him more in that new life! 
 
 So not alone we land upon that shore; 
 'Twill be as though we had been there before, 
 
 We shall meet more we know 
 
 Than we can meet below, 
 And find our rest like some returning dove, 
 And be at home at once with our Eternal Love! 
 
 Faber. 
 
 HEN Daniel and his companions rode 
 away, there was time in the silence and 
 darkness for thought and reflection. 
 Turning in his saddle and giving his 1 orse the 
 full liberty of the reins, he watched the light 
 streaming from the window of his father's house 
 until intervening objects and distance hid it from 
 view. 
 
 The road for some miles lay over a level stretch 
 of country, and as they rode along, two abreast, 
 each seemed busy with his own thoughts. Daniel 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 277 
 
 was separated from the present, and living in the 
 past. 
 
 How far away in the past now seemed the days 
 of his early manhood, those days when life was all 
 before him; when the love, peace, and joy of the 
 gospel message so filled his own soul to overflowing 
 that he thought all mankind would receive it with 
 joy, if only they could have it presented to them! 
 How soon had his own experience convinced him 
 of his mistake! 
 
 Some, indeed, under his ministry had received it 
 with gladness, and even now, as he thought of 
 those sheaves gathered in for the Master, his 
 heart was filled with gratitude; but many had 
 heard it with indifference, neither opposing nor 
 rejecting, acting only as though it was not a 
 matter in which they had the slightest concern; 
 while yet others had opposed it as though pos- 
 sessed by a spirit of hatred to the principle of 
 truth. 
 
 Foot-sore and weary he had traveled thousands 
 of miles, at times hospitably entertained, at others 
 refused both shelter and food, but never had he 
 been forsaken. Not an instance could he now 
 recall when the Lord had not stood by him and 
 supplied his every want. What, indeed, if his 
 circumstances now were more trying than any in 
 which he had hitherto been placed? Was not God 
 able to defend him, to protect to the uttermost 
 and cause even the wrath of man to praise him? 
 
278 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 Trust and peace settled down upon his soul, and 
 lifting his heart in silent prayer to God, he com- 
 mended himself and his with all the interests of 
 the work he loved into the care of that God who 
 was able to care for him. 
 
 They had ridden some twelve or fifteen miles 
 when word was passed to halt, and in the stillness 
 each plainly heard the tramping of horses' feet 
 approaching them, above which they could hear 
 ever and anon shouts of laughter and snatches of 
 song. This it was which had prevented their own 
 approach from being heard by the enemy (for 
 enemy they were well assured they were). 
 
 The moon had not yet risen, though a bright 
 starlight lit up the night. Fortunately, just off 
 the road was a small patch of brush and low-grow- 
 ing trees. Dismounting, they led their horses into 
 its shelter and silently awaited the coming up of 
 the party now plainly to be seen a short distance 
 down the road. 
 
 As they passed, the theme of their conversation 
 was the Mormons, and the burden of it the ven- 
 geance they would soon wreak upon them. It 
 required trust in God and courage for the brethren 
 to move on, leaving these going directly to their 
 homes, where were the objects dearest upon earth 
 to them. Neither did they remount until each 
 one, kneeling, had asked the blessing and protec- 
 tion of God upon those left behind. 
 
 Remounting, they went some miles further, until 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 279 
 
 warned by the approach of light, they rode into a 
 strip of timber-land and prepared to spend the 
 day, knowing that if they would escape encounters 
 and trouble with the mob, it would not be wise to 
 pursue their journey until night. 
 
 When further away the intention was to travel 
 by the most unfrequented roads, and in as straight 
 a line as possible for Quincy, Illinois. Such prepa- 
 ration as was possible in the haste of their depar- 
 ture had been made; but long before the journey 
 was completed their provision was exhausted, and 
 they were reduced almost to starvation, living for 
 days upon parched corn in small quantities, and 
 bark from the slippery-elm-tree, while the only 
 food for their horses was a small allowance of corn 
 and what they could obtain by browsing, and an 
 occasional patch of dry grass. Many times they 
 lost their direction, and after traveling all day, the 
 night would find them but a few miles ahead upon 
 their journey. 
 
 The suffering occasioned by these things, how- 
 ever, was small in comparison with their anxiety 
 of mind in regard to those left behind. So great 
 did this become that it was resolved to lay the 
 matter before the Lord and ask him to reveal to 
 them the condition of their friends; and he who 
 never refused to hear the prayer of faith, gave 
 them an answer of peace and an assurance that 
 their families were safe. Comforted by this, they 
 journeyed on. 
 
280 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 One morning, just after they had started on 
 their way, the wind which had been blowing 
 through the night increased to almost a gale, and 
 the snow fell thick and fast. They traveled on all 
 day, almost blinded by the storm and chilled by 
 the cutting wind, coming towards night to a strip 
 of timber where they were glad to camp and enjoy 
 the luxury of a fire. 
 
 Hunger pressed them and when they lay down 
 upon the bare ground for the night, some of them 
 were much discouraged. They did not then know 
 what they afterwards learned, that but for the 
 storm which seemed so pitiless to them their pur- 
 suers would have overtaken them long before 
 night. Though only a few miles behind them, the 
 snow had utterly obliterated their tracks, and 
 vowing vengeance when they should overtake 
 them, they were diverted from the track followed 
 by the brethren and never crossed it again. 
 
 Thus, all unknown to them, the Lord protected 
 them. The next morning, after prayer, which 
 morning and night was never forgotten, one of the 
 brethren (we believe it was Samuel Smith, for he 
 was in this company) told them that before night 
 they should be supplied with food, and late in the 
 afternoon they reached the hut or wigwam of a 
 friendly Indian. 
 
 The squaw was cooking some wild game, and 
 upon their making their condition known to her, 
 she gave them very sparingly of the broth at first, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 281 
 
 and afterwards shared her provision freely with 
 them. 
 
 This was the end of their present sufferings; for 
 the next day brought them to Quincy, where the 
 brethren who had preceded them received them 
 and provided for their immediate wants. Of 
 course, the first inquiry of Daniel was for his wife 
 and her friends; but we will take the privilege of 
 preceding him to the house where they had 
 obtained temporary shelter. 
 
 Margery was lying upon a bed in one corner of 
 the room very pale, and, but that from time to 
 time her eyes slowly opened and turned towards 
 the door, you would have thought her sleeping. 
 At such times a close observer would have 
 detected an intense look of yearning, longing, in 
 their depths, as though through these windows 
 was revealed the hope which flooded her soul, even 
 as the crimson and gold of sunset floods the even- 
 ing sky long after the sun has disappeared. Her 
 soft, brown hair was smoothed back from her pure 
 white brow, nestling in wavy folds close to her 
 temples, and one hand, thin and pale, rested out- 
 side the cover, in its very position betraying the 
 weakness of its owner. 
 
 The furnishing of the room was, as might be 
 expected under the circumstances, of the plainest 
 kind; but all that loving hands could do had been 
 done to give an air of comfort to the surroundings. 
 At a table near the open fire-place, Mrs. Boyd was 
 
282 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 engaged in some domestic occupation, while just 
 beyond through a door opening into an adjoining 
 room, you could see, resting in pure-robed white- 
 ness, the outlines of a tiny form, and instinctively 
 you knew that death had preceded you. 
 
 It was but a babe lying there, a beautiful, waxen 
 little form, whose soft, brown eyes had only opened 
 upon this new and strange world for the brief 
 space of twenty-four hours, before the lids drooped 
 as if weary, and the fluttering breath came fainter 
 and fainter, until, like a zephyr sinking to rest, it 
 was stilled for ever. 
 
 Only a babe! Is there a mother who will read 
 this sentence without comprehending what it 
 means? One who will not realize how large a 
 share of the hopes of Margery lay enfolded with 
 that little form? To others it was but a day old, 
 but to her it seemed such a long, sweet dream, 
 that when it faded away, when its light went out 
 in darkness, she felt that the brightest and best of 
 her own life had gone with it. It seemed so long 
 to her since every thought, every feeling of her 
 soul, had clustered around the fruition of this one 
 hope, that its sudden uprooting tore the fibers of 
 her heart and left her like a forest-tree uprooted 
 by the storm, and she knew that her strength was 
 spent. 
 
 The storm would abate and the arms made 
 strong by love would lift her up, but in vain. 
 There was not enough vitality left for the healing 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 283 
 
 of the wounds. Margery knew that she would 
 soon follow her babe, that the separation would be 
 brief. Knowing this, all her thoughts, all her 
 feelings, turned towards Daniel, and silently but 
 unceasingly she prayed for his coming. 
 
 Her senses were intensely quickened. Not a 
 sound, not a step escaped her hearing; and it was 
 this intense longing for his coming vvhich lingered 
 in the depths of her eyes as from time to time she 
 unclosed them in the hope that they might reveal 
 to her what her sense of hearing had not. 
 
 Mrs. Boyd went carefully to the bed, and, seeing 
 that Margery was awake, she sat down by her, 
 stroking her hair gently; but her own heart was 
 too full to trust herself to speak. Friends had 
 been with them through the night, and as the 
 morning light came, they had robed the little form 
 in the garments each stitch of which had been set 
 with a heart-throb of love; and when all was done 
 that the hand of friendship could do, they had 
 gone home for a brief season of rest, and Margery 
 and her mother were alone. 
 
 "What time is it, mother?" she asked, as unclos- 
 ing her eyes, she looked up into her mother's face. 
 
 "It is almost two o'clock, and nearly time for 
 your brothers to be here." 
 
 Margery did not ask where they had gone. She 
 seemed intuitively to know, but taking her mother's 
 hand in both of hers, she said: 
 
 "Mother, you must not let what I have to say 
 
284 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 grieve you, but rather let it be a comfort to you in 
 the days which are near. Do not let them make 
 any preparations yet for laying my baby away, 
 because I feel so sure that he will rest on my arm 
 and lie near to my heart, that we shall sleep 
 together. Don't let this grieve you," she added, 
 as a convulsive sob shook her mother's frame. "It 
 is not because I would have it thus, but it is right 
 and best that it should be so or God would not 
 suffer it. 
 
 "I have for some time had a premonition of this 
 and talked with Daniel's mother about it before I 
 left her. At first it seemed very hard to me, but I 
 thought then that I should have to leave both 
 Daniel and my baby. For his sake even now I 
 wish it had pleased God to have so ordered it, but, 
 mother, he who loves us, who knows the end from 
 the beginning, is better able to judge for us and 
 appoint our ways than we are to appoint our own. 
 
 "It reconciles me to going, and I believe when I 
 am gone it will reconcile him to my loss, for he 
 would always have felt such an anxiety lest the 
 baby should not have tender, loving care. 
 
 "We have talked so much to each other about 
 this, have formed so many plans with reference to 
 his future, and all this time God was silently, 
 wisely planning for us. I have had an intense 
 longing to see Daniel once more, but this is past, 
 for it has pleased God to assure me that he will 
 soon be here. I saw them coming, and before the 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 285 
 
 sun goes down he will be with me. And now, 
 mother, you must not grieve, for the Lord is only 
 calling us one by one to the home prepared for us. 
 Those who bid you farewell here will be there to 
 give you welcome; and if we could only realize the 
 blessedness of those who depart we would not weep 
 for them. 
 
 "There is in the gospel of Christ that which 
 should make us rejoice and praise his name that 
 he ever counted us worthy to suffer for him. It 
 has been to me a constant joy since I first received 
 and obeyed it, and while it has blessed me in life, 
 it does not leave me in death, but the path grows 
 brighter and clearer as I draw nearer the other 
 shore." 
 
 For a time she lay as if absorbed in thought, 
 while Mrs. Boyd withdrew her hand, and, bowing 
 her head upon the pillow, strove to overcome her 
 emotions and check her tears. 
 
 The room was very silent, and through the west 
 window the beams of the sun penetrated and fell 
 aslant the bed. Margery stretched out her hand 
 towards them as though she would warm it in 
 their light, then following their rays to the open- 
 ing where they had entered, she looked out upon 
 the landscape and said: "Mother, though God will 
 soon take me to another and a brighter world than 
 this, this is a very beautiful one, and I am glad 
 that I shall not remain for ever away from it. 
 
 "There are upon it so many spots, made sacred 
 
286 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 to me by memory, that I feel I shall long to come 
 back and revisit them, even as the traveler, when 
 weary of other lands longs for the brown hills, 
 green meadows, and limpid streams of his child- 
 hood's home. 
 
 "I remember when I was a child that I used to 
 watch the birds in springtime building their nests 
 in the lilac-bush and under the eaves of our old 
 home. I felt sad when the cold blasts of winter 
 drove them away, but I always believed they would 
 come back with the spring. I feel sure, too, that 
 they did; for when they first came there was such 
 a chattering and twittering among the branches, 
 such a rapid, joyous fluttering in and out as they 
 never made again the same year. So when we 
 come back, mother, how it will move our souls to 
 gladness to revisit the spots we have most loved. 
 
 "I can almost fancy even now that I am stand- 
 ing by our yard gate, waiting to hear the clatter of 
 horses' feet bringing my lover to me, and, later on, 
 the music of the running stream. I hear it even 
 now where I was buried into Christ's death and 
 sufferings. Oh! when I shall come back with him 
 I will seek that spot to rejoice and praise his name 
 anew, that, as I was planted in the likeness of his 
 death, I shall be also in the likeness of his resur- 
 rection! 
 
 "The scene is changed. We have no home now. 
 The birds will return to build their nests anew in 
 the old familiar places, and the stream will ripple 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 287 
 
 between its mossy banks as in those far away days, 
 but we will go back no more! We are pilgrims 
 and strangers, dependent upon strangers for the 
 roof to shelter us and a spot of earth where we 
 may bury our dead. It is not now a gentle maiden 
 waiting the coming of her lover, but a mother, a 
 mother bereaved of her child, a wife, a dying wife, 
 waiting the coming of father and husband whose 
 heart is to be wrung with anguish and to whose 
 lips this bitter cup is to be pressed. But, mother, 
 its bitterness is all swallowed up in victory, because 
 death leads to immortality and eternal life, since 
 it must precede the power of the resurrection. If 
 trials still await you, bear them patiently; for you 
 shall come forth from them as gold seven times 
 purified." 
 
 Again Margery paused, but this time it was in a 
 listening attitude. Soon a bright smile stole over 
 her pale face and her eyes lit up with a glad light. 
 "They are coming, mother," she said. "The boys 
 are coming and Daniel is with them. I knew he 
 would come; for God has never yet deceived me. 
 Dry your tears, mother, and help him to bear up 
 under the terrible blow which is to meet him on 
 the very threshold." 
 
 Mrs. Boyd, whose heart was almost breaking, 
 and who, during all this time, had not uttered a 
 word in answer to Margery's rapid, and, as she 
 thought, feverish utterances, was glad to leave the 
 bedside and bathe her tear-stained face. She was 
 
288 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 not prepared to believe, as Margery did, that she 
 was going to die. 
 
 The physician who had been with her when her 
 babe was born, and who had called again in the 
 morning, had no such apprehension, or if he had, 
 had given no intimation of it. 
 
 But, notwithstanding her disbelief in this, some 
 power stronger than herself withheld her from 
 checking Margery in her talk, or making light of 
 her fears, which under other circumstances she 
 would have done. 
 
 "If Daniel does, indeed, come soon," she said, as 
 she went to the door, "what can I think, how shall 
 I account for it?" 
 
 Upon opening the door she stood face to face 
 with him. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 289 
 
 CHAPTER XXII 
 
 GATHERED HOME 
 
 "On a far shore my land swam far from my sight. 
 But I could see familar native stars; 
 My home was shut from me by ocean bars, 
 Yet home hung there above me in the night; 
 Unchanged fell down on me Orion's light; 
 As always, Venus rose, and fiery Mars; 
 My own the Pleiades yet, and without jars, 
 In wonted tones sang all the heavenly height; 
 So when in death from underneath my feet 
 Rolls the round world, I then shall see the sky 
 Of God's truth burning yet familiarly; 
 My native constellations I shall greet; 
 I lose the outer not the inner eye, 
 The landscape, not the soul's stars, when I die." 
 
 OLLOWING the directions received from a 
 friend, Daniel was riding rapidly toward 
 the house pointed out, when he over- 
 took Margery's brothers going in the same direc- 
 tion. 
 
 Hastily reining in his horse, he dismounted as 
 they came to meet him, and, grasping a hand of 
 each, he inquired after the family. 
 
 "Mother is well and Margery is better," 
 answered the elder of the two, dreading to impart 
 more. 
 
290 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "Better?" said Daniel, "Tell me all, Richard. 
 Has she been very sick, and how is the baby?" 
 
 "It is well with the child," the boy answered, 
 unconsciously using the poetic language of another, 
 and thereby conveying the full meaning to Daniel 
 who, without asking more, hastened toward the 
 cottage; but not until the tear-stained face of Mrs. 
 Boyd greeted him at the door, did his mind take in 
 the full sense of impending trouble. 
 
 For a moment he stood with his hand clasped 
 in hers, neither uttering a word. The sudden 
 appearance of Daniel was confirmation to the 
 mother that Margery's talk was neither the excite- 
 ment nor the delirium of fever, and, as he noted 
 the pallor which this brought to her face, his worst 
 fears were confirmed. 
 
 For a moment Mrs. Boyd stood irresolute, fear- 
 ing that his sudden appearance might be too much 
 for Margery, but before she could form any plan 
 or decide what to do in the emergency, Margery's 
 voice reached her ear saying, "Mother, why does 
 not Daniel come in?" 
 
 The next moment he was by her bed and her 
 arms were lifted up about his neck. It was but a 
 moment she could hold them there, when they 
 slipped, weak and helpless, down his shoulders 
 and lay by her sides upon the cover; but her eyes 
 undimmed by a tear, filled with a calm and holy 
 light, beamed upon him like stars in a night of 
 tempest, seen between rifts of clouds. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 291 
 
 Gently, very gently, Daniel raised her head, 
 while Mrs. Boyd arranged the pillows, and when 
 he laid her down, for the first time she spoke to 
 him, and there was in the very sound of her voice 
 an anthem of gratitude and praise to God for the 
 bestowment of this last mercy for which her soul 
 had plead so earnestly. 
 
 "Daniel," she said, "thank God you have come! 
 Oh, I am glad to see you once more, my husband!" 
 
 "Margery," he answered, as with soft and gentle 
 touch he smoothed back her hair, "I shall not 
 leave you again until you are strong and well. 
 But you must not fatigue yourself now; close your 
 eyes and try to sleep while I sit by you, and then 
 when you have rested, you will be stronger and 
 better able to talk with me." 
 
 For a moment her lips quivered and an expres- 
 sion of pain passed over her face. It was only for 
 a moment, however, when the light returned to 
 her eyes and she said: 
 
 "No, Daniel, I have much to say to you, and do 
 not be grieved; I have little time in which to say 
 it. God only knows how earnestly I have prayed 
 for your return, and how thankful I am that you 
 did not come too late." 
 
 A spasm of pain contracted Daniel's face and he 
 grew pale even to the lips. 
 
 "Margery, do not talk in this way. I can not 
 bear to hear it. Surely God who has listened to 
 our entreaties so many times will not fail to hear 
 
292 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 us now. Have you lost your faith in the ordinance 
 of his house?" 
 
 "No, Daniel; but I feel that the Lord appoints 
 his own times and seasons, and the life of man is 
 as a vapor. I have for some time felt that this 
 was coming that, if I lived to give birth to our 
 child, I should not remain long after." 
 
 "But, Margery, perhaps you have nourished this 
 feeling into a settled conviction. Let us send for 
 the elders and exercise faith in God." 
 
 "Not yet, Daniel; 1 would rather be alone with 
 you the few minutes I have left rne. The elders 
 have been here, and our friends will soon be here 
 again. They have not been away long, and they 
 will return. Then I shall have no opportunity to 
 talk with you. Put your hand here close to my 
 heart. Don't you remember my telling you one 
 time that I felt sure I was troubled with heart 
 disease? 
 
 "I thought for some time that I might get bet- 
 ter, but for weeks I have felt certain that I never 
 would. I talked with your mother before I left, 
 but I did not tell her why it was that I feared my 
 days were numbered." 
 
 "0, Margery, why did you keep this from me? 
 Do you think I could have left you to seek my own 
 safety? Better had I stayed with you, even had it 
 cost me my life." 
 
 "Daniel, you must be calm, or I shall not be able 
 to improve the moments God has so mercifully 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 293 
 
 granted us. I have gained this composure by 
 much and earnest prayer. 
 
 "I feared I should not live to bring our baby 
 into the world, but God gave me great faith. Then, 
 when I felt that its little life was ebbing away, 
 such a spasm of pain seized me that, had it not 
 been for the mercy of God, I must have gone first. 
 
 "Since then my soul has been lifted without 
 ceasing to God in earnest supplication that he 
 would prolong my life that I might see you once 
 more. Oh, how I longed to see your face once 
 more! But above this, stronger, deeper, and more 
 far-reaching in its intensity was the desire to talk 
 with you of the future. Lean upon God, my hus- 
 band, and consider for how brief a span this sepa- 
 ration is to be, and listen with all your faculties to 
 what I have to say. 
 
 "You remember the morning in Ohio when we 
 walked by the shore of Lake Erie and talked of 
 the future of the church? I told you then that I 
 thought a mistake was being made, and I feel sure 
 now that it was a mistake. 
 
 "That is past and can not be recalled, neither 
 can the consequences of it be arrested. Let it rest 
 now. But, Daniel, the future is before you and 
 you must meet it. 
 
 "It is of this I want to talk, and before I begin, I 
 want to tell you that I know God has revealed some 
 things to me by his Spirit, and these have guided 
 me to judge of others. 
 
294 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 "You believe in the Spirit which guides into all 
 truth, and, although I may not be able to tell you 
 how I know these things, trust my knowledge until 
 time reveals the facts to you. 
 
 "The troubles of the Saints are not to end here, 
 and when they are driven again, they will not be, 
 as most of them now are, an innocent people. I 
 saw them assembled again, and I saw in the streets 
 of their city and in their habitations all manner of 
 unclean beasts and birds of prey. 
 
 "Dark clouds gathered from without, but the 
 defilement was from within; and a voice said, 
 These are rejected and forsaken of heaven/ 
 
 "But all were not thus. Many walked in the 
 midst of this defilement with clean garments, and 
 I saw these scattered among the people, sifted as 
 it were, one here and one there with bowed heads, 
 and wringing their hands as those having no hope. 
 
 "Not so, however, with the others. They formed 
 in close ranks and a great body; and the eyes of 
 the people were fixed upon them so closely that 
 they never saw the fugitives who were flying as 
 for life, one here, another there, and yet others in 
 small companies another way. 
 
 "But it was different with the compact body. 
 They seemed to hate these and follow them wher- 
 ever they went by spies sent out from their num- 
 ber, and, in many cases, I saw them slain by these 
 spies, and, in other cases, dragged back by false 
 persuasions, much against their will. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 295 
 
 "And now, my husband, comes the hardest part 
 of what I have to tell you. Among those fugitives 
 I saw you, and I knew that you had not left me 
 behind, but I felt that I was beyond you, so far 
 away that I could neither warn nor help you. 
 
 "I saw you terribly perplexed and troubled, and, 
 at one time, I thought your face was set to return. 
 Just then, while you were hesitating what to do, I 
 saw them strike down one who was standing near 
 you; and with that you fled as though determined 
 to escape. 
 
 "I saw no more, but this has been with me night 
 and day. I have in the past months, seen with 
 pain the effect which our troubles are having upon 
 some in the church. 
 
 "It may be that the disposition has always been 
 there, and that these sad times only reveal it; but, 
 whether this be the case or not, I have seen 
 enough to know that some in the church begin to 
 cherish resentment and would render evil for evil; 
 and worse, if that could be than this, some, because 
 of these troubles, are proving traitors to the best 
 interests of the church and their own souls. 
 
 "Like Judas, they desire the contents of the bag, 
 and would not hesitate to betray their best friends. 
 I know not how the trouble which I fear which I 
 know is coming will be brought about, but when 
 it comes, the church will be corrupted and it will 
 be no place for honest-hearted Saints. 
 
 "Then, my husband, I want you to leave it, and 
 
296 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 in the world anywhere, no matter where it may be, 
 maintain your integrity before God and man. 
 
 "I do net believe God will suffer his people 
 always to be scattered, neither will he forget you 
 when the time comes to gather them. 
 
 "Do not think that it is necessary for you to be 
 with others of like faith in order to maintain your 
 faith and integrity before God. Communion with 
 those of like faith is very precious, but those will 
 not be of like faith. They will depart from the 
 faith and will persecute those who will not sub- 
 scribe to their wickedness; and it was shown me 
 how hard a matter it is to convince those who 
 themselves were pure, that those were corrupt; 
 for, almost to a man, those who were leading them 
 were defiled from the crown of their heads to the 
 soles of their feet. 
 
 "Many of the leaders were strangers to me; I 
 have never seen them, and I did not see either 
 Joseph or Hyrum Smith with them, nor do I 
 remember seeing them at all." 
 
 "Have you ever thought, Margery, that it might 
 have been some other body of people that you saw? 
 It would be terrible to think that such events were 
 in the future for this people. 
 
 "Our own condition, as well as the condition of 
 thousands of our brethren and sisters to-day, would 
 plead that we have suffered enough for our reli- 
 gious opinions to lead us to expect better things 
 than this in the future." 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 297 
 
 "I can not solve the mystery, though I have 
 tried hard to do so; but one thing I know, our God 
 is just, and, as he has given us greater light than 
 the rest of the world, we are required to walk in 
 that light; and, as the deepest darkness follows 
 the withdrawing of the brightest light, so, If this 
 light of truth becomes darkened, the darkness will 
 be great. 
 
 "Love blinds the eye to many faults, and it is 
 the love which our people have for each other 
 which will in many cases lead them astray. They 
 will think it impossible for men whom they have 
 known as godly, upright, and just, to turn away 
 from the truth and sell themselves to Satan; but it 
 is only history repeating itself, though with a ter- 
 rible rapidity in this case." 
 
 For some moments Margery closed her eyes, as 
 though weary with the excitement and exertion of 
 talking. As she lay thus Daniel marked more 
 plainly the ravages of disease in the thin, pallid 
 face with dark circles beneath the eyes, and, in the 
 flood of anguish and pain which swept over his 
 soul, he forgot all else. 
 
 In that moment the church was nothing to him. 
 He was a father bereft, and a husband soon to be 
 bereaved of one dearer to him than his own life. 
 He longed with intense desire for words of strength 
 and comfort from those pale lips, and never did he 
 realize as now what a tower of strength to him 
 had been the love of his faithful wife. 
 
298 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 It was the light which had both guided and 
 cheered, and with it would go out from earth all 
 its brightness, all its hope. He tried to pray; tried 
 to plead with God for the life so dear, so necessary 
 to his own, but he could not. The billows went 
 over his soul and he could only say, "My God, my 
 God, why hast thou forsaken me?" 
 
 "And now, my husband," resumed Margery, as 
 her eyes were again raised to his face, and her 
 hand nestled into his, "should the time ever come 
 when you feel to doubt the truth of this work, 
 remember the testimonies you have received, and 
 to them add the last one I shall ever bear upon 
 earth; the work is true, and, in his own due time 
 and way, the Lord will establish it never to be 
 thrown down. 
 
 "Do not let the thought of the crosses which 
 have met us upon our brief journey ever give you 
 pain. I rejoice in them now, and would not 
 exchange the blessed peace I have had in bearing 
 them for all the world could give me, even should 
 God prolong my life to enjoy it. 
 
 "You will miss me when I am gone, but you 
 must lean heavier upon God. It is wisdom that I 
 should go, or he would not take me. Do not think 
 that if trials and hardships had been spared me, 
 my life would have been prolonged. 
 
 "We know that he could restore me now, making 
 me every whit whole, if it were his will. The 
 waves are going over you now, but I tell you, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 299 
 
 Daniel, for I know by myself, that through faith 
 and prayer you can so submit to God's will that 
 you would not have your own, if you could. 
 
 "I want you to think of us, not as lost, not as 
 separated from you, beyond your reach, but think 
 of us as at home, waiting for you, thinking of you 
 and longing for your coming. 
 
 "I know not what will be our condition, but it is 
 enough for me to know that God's care will be over 
 us, and that the wicked can not enter there. A 
 home of peace, a place of rest, and the love of God 
 to brighten all its scenes! There we will abide; 
 and when your pilgrimage is finished, we will be 
 the first to meet you, the first to bid you welcome. 
 
 "You have not seen our baby yet, and I will rest 
 now for a time while you go and Jook at him. Oh! 
 he is so beautiful, even in death! I have told 
 mother just what I want done with his little form, 
 and when you -see Mother Clark and Mary, give 
 them the curl I severed from his little head and 
 tell them that when you came, the last earthly 
 wish of my heart was granted and I was willing to 
 depart." 
 
 Daniel had not asked in regard to the babe. He 
 had supposed it already buried. Every thought, 
 every feeling had been centered in Margery. He 
 felt no desire even now to go, but she had asked 
 him to, and perhaps as she had said, she would 
 rest. Bending down, he pressed his lips tenderly 
 to hers and rose to go. 
 
300 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 But Margery knew that when she rested it 
 would be upon the other shore. She would save 
 him the agony of witnessing the last struggle, and, 
 admonished that it was near, she suggested this. 
 Her eyes followed him until the door of the little 
 room closed behind him; then asking her mother 
 to put down the curtain, she awaited the message 
 of release. 
 
 Long and earnestly Daniel gazed upon the babe 
 lying as a bud, plucked in untimely haste by some 
 careless hand; but, even while he gazed, his 
 thoughts were more with Margery than upon the 
 little form before him. 
 
 The soft, brown hair, clustering in tiny curls 
 about its marble brow, was so like hers, and the 
 contour of the face was like hers, too. 
 
 Kneeling in the silence and stillness, he poured 
 out his soul in prayer, wrestling, not for her life, 
 but for the mastery of self, for the power to sub- 
 mit to the will of God. 
 
 As he arose from his knees and stood again ear- 
 nestly regarding the little form, for the first time 
 there swept into his soul a great flood of parental 
 tenderness. Every fiber of his being yearned over 
 the babe, so soon taken from its earth life to the 
 paradise of God. 
 
 With this feeling there seemed borne in upon his 
 soul the question, "If my child were living, would 
 it be possible for me to give pain or sorrow unnec- 
 essarily to him?" He knew it would not, and, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 301 
 
 realizing this fact, self-condemnation came with it. 
 
 Was not God the very embodiment of justice 
 and love? Should he trust himself when he could 
 not trust God? Was his love, his justice, his 
 mercy superior to the love, justice, and mercy of 
 God? 
 
 He recalled the text of Scripture, "God so loved 
 the world that he gave his only begotten Son." 
 Oh, what a thought! Gave him while those for 
 whom he suffered and died were in rebellion 
 against him, rejecting his authority, scorning his 
 mercy, and trampling upon his love. 
 
 The reaction was as intense as sudden, and with 
 it there came reproach that he had not been more 
 true to his trust; that he had not sustained and 
 encouraged Margery instead of leaning upon her 
 for help in the hour of their extremity. 
 
 He would be strong now, and she should lean 
 upon him. Once more he would have the elders 
 come and administer to her, and, if it was not 
 God's will to spare her, he would say from the 
 heart, "Thy will be done." 
 
 Softly he unclosed the door and returned to the 
 room where Margery was. Mrs. Boyd raised her 
 hand in token of silence, believing that Margery 
 slept. Daniel listened but could hear no breathing, 
 
 A strange presentiment seized him, and very 
 carefully he went nearer. Still all was silent, and, 
 bending over Margery, his worst fears were con- 
 firmed. 
 
302 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 He knew then why she had sent him away. 
 Strong in her love to the last, she would have 
 shielded him, had it been possible, from all pain. 
 She had desired that he should remember her as at 
 rest in sleep, and not as passing through the agony 
 of dissolution. 
 
 One hand was pressed above her heart, and, 
 upon her face, the closely-drawn lines of pain yet 
 lingered, but a smile hovered around her lips, and 
 the peace in which her soul had triumphed was 
 fast spreading its light over her face. 
 
 For a few moments Daniel stood as one trans- 
 fixed. Again the floods of bitterness surged up, 
 but with a strong hand he shut the door and 
 barred it. He took her hand, yet warm as in life, 
 into his own, but the pulse was stilled. He placed 
 his ear close over her heart, but it had ceased to 
 beat. The spirit had returned to God who gave it; 
 the fitful race of life was ended; Margery was 
 dead. Two days after this, with her babe folded 
 closely to her breast, they laid her away. Surely 
 it requires no vivid imagination to picture a very 
 sorrowful and lonely group as the shadows of the 
 coming night gathered around them. 
 
 Wanderers and outcasts from home, with no 
 earthly prospects before them, they had buried 
 their dead out of their sight, but ah! the aching; 
 void in their hearts! what should ever fill that? 
 
 Daniel would have gone out into the night to 
 wrestle alone with his great sorrow, but the worn, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 303 
 
 pale, and patient face of her mother appealed to 
 his heart, and, steadying his voice, he said: 
 "Mother, when you are ready to get a light, we 
 will read from the Bible. I feel that its words will 
 comfort us." 
 
 Without answering, Mrs. Boyd placed a lighted 
 candle and the Bible upon the table. Tears were 
 streaming from her eyes and she dared not trust 
 herself to speak. 
 
 Daniel opened the book at the eleventh chapter 
 of Hebrews, and, as he read, the words took on a 
 wonderful meaning which they had never had 
 before. There passed before him a long proces- 
 sion of those who through faith had pressed on to 
 inherit the promises of God. 
 
 He walked with Abraham to the mount where 
 his faith was tried and sojourned with him in a 
 strange land. He dwelt in tabernacles with Isaac 
 and Jacob, heirs of the same promise, and with 
 Jacob went down into Egypt. He saw the afflic- 
 tions of the people there and the mighty hand of 
 God stretched out for their deliverance. 
 
 He saw Moses refusing to be called the son of 
 Pharaoh's daughter, and choosing rather to suffer 
 affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the 
 pleasures of sin for a season, because he esteemed 
 the reproach of Christ greater riches than the 
 treasures of Egypt. 
 
 With Moses he traveled through the wilderness, 
 and with Joshua went in to possess the land of 
 
304 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 promise. Then there passed before him a mighty 
 host, among whom were those he saw stoned, sawed 
 asunder, tempted, scourged, imprisoned, and slain 
 with the sword. 
 
 He dwelt with them in dens and caves of the 
 earth, wandered about with them in sheepskins 
 and goatskins, being afflicted, destitute, tormented, 
 while they were tortured to death, not accepting 
 deliverance, "That they might obtain a better 
 resurrection." 
 
 Then there opened before him in its broadness 
 and fullness the meaning of the words which 
 before had fallen upon heavy ears: "And I heard 
 a voice from heaven saying unto me, Write, 
 Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from 
 henceforth, yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest 
 from their labors; and their works do follow them." 
 
 There fell a calmness and peace upon their 
 spirits as Daniel read, and after he had offered up 
 thanksgiving and prayer to God, they talked long 
 and earnestly of the future, not the future of this 
 life, but the rest which remaineth for the people 
 of God; and when they retired at a late hour, they 
 felt to thank God that he counted them worthy to 
 suffer afflictions for his name's sake. 
 
 In the silent watches of the night Daniel lived 
 over again his last interview with Margery, and 
 every word she uttered, every tone of her voice 
 came to him as a living reality, and he prayed that 
 it might abide with him for ever. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 305 
 
 CHAPTER XXIII 
 
 Oh, for the death the righteous die, 
 An end like Autumn's day declining, 
 
 On human hearts, as on the sky, 
 
 With holier, tenderer beauty shining; 
 
 As to the parting soul were given 
 
 The radiance of an opening heaven! 
 
 Whittier. 
 
 The battle of our life is brief, 
 
 The alarm the struggle the relief 
 
 Then sleep we side by side. 
 
 Longfellow. 
 
 E PASS briefly over the intervening years 
 until, by the flight of time, we draw near 
 the bloody tragedy enacted in Carthage 
 Jail on the 27th day of June, 1844, which was to 
 prepare the way and make possible the great 
 latter-day apostasy. 
 
 Of the causes leading up to this event our pen is 
 silent, save to express the belief that Joseph and 
 Hyrum Smith were betrayed by false brethren. 
 
 The Prophet protested against his brother's 
 going with him, for he knew only too well that he 
 was going to his death; but the love in the heart 
 of that brother was stronger than death, and his 
 only answer was, "Joseph, if you go, I shall go with 
 you." 
 
306 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 Many now living will remember the morning 
 they rode out of Nauvoo. This place had grown 
 up under the hands of diligent industry and faith- 
 ful toil, until a city met the eye, where, a brief 
 space before, Nature had reigned in solitude undis- 
 turbed. True the dwellings were not palatial, but 
 they were both neat and substantial, while crown- 
 ing the eminence of a high plateau, in the very 
 center of the city, stood the temple, erected by 
 loving hands, and which should have been dedi- 
 cated to the worship of God. Alas! alas! how 
 would the faith have been riven from the hearts 
 and the energy from the hands of those toilers, 
 could they have known how soon "riot one stone 
 should be left upon another." 
 
 As the temple at Jerusalem, from which Christ 
 cast out those who sold doves, was polluted by 
 those who were once the children of God, so was 
 this edifice, which should have been sacred to his 
 worship, polluted by those who had entered into 
 covenant with God to walk in newness of life and 
 obey all his commandments. 
 
 It has many times perplexed the mind of the 
 writer to understand how it was possible for this 
 people who had the truth, who knew the way of 
 the Lord, and who time and again were the recipi- 
 ents of his grace and witnesses of his power, to 
 turn so soon from the truth! 
 
 While we have contemplated the marvelous 
 rapidity with which the restored gospel won its 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 307 
 
 way, not only in America, but all over Europe and 
 the islands of the sea, until it numbered its actual 
 converts by the tens and hundreds of thousands, 
 we have asked ourselves the question, But for the 
 apostasy, what would have been the result? We 
 are constrained to believe that millions would 
 to-day be rejoicing in the truth, and yet other 
 millions would be following this grand army for 
 the loaves and fishes. 
 
 Success is sooner seen in this world than honest 
 endeavor, and thousands would have flocked to the 
 church for popularity. This is no mere picture of 
 the imagination, but one which the rapid growth 
 of the church, despite every effort put forth to 
 check and crush it, fully justifies. 
 
 We said that many would remember the morn- 
 ing when Joseph and Hyrum Smith rode out of 
 Nauvoo. Hands are yet nerved with vitality 
 which that morning clasped theirs in a lingering 
 farewell pressure, and eyes yet look forth upon 
 life and its changing scenes which then were 
 bathed in tears. 
 
 But what shall we say of the home-coming? 
 How describe the sad and silent procession which 
 at evening, not many days after, wended its way 
 into the silent city, silent save for the sobs of 
 grief, of questions spoken with bated breath, and 
 the steady tramp of the sorrowing multitude as 
 they pressed nearer and nearer the returning 
 dead? 
 
308 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 Not a heart of man, woman, or child but bled 
 that day, and the wail which went up to heaven 
 was more bitter than David's lament for Absalom. 
 
 And well it might be, for could the veil of the 
 future have been held back and the people have 
 seen that which lay before them, which was clos- 
 ing in around them, they would have turned away 
 from the spectacle aghast, and like one of old, 
 would have exclaimed, "Is thy servant a dog that 
 he should do this thing?" 
 
 Let us say to our readers that our stay with the 
 church is about to end. In a very feeble and 
 imperfect manner we have attempted to depict 
 some of the scenes of its early history, and that we 
 have not done them justice, none feels more sensi- 
 bly than we. - 
 
 We have treated of one of those unwritten his- 
 tories handed down in many a family, and only of 
 occurrences which in the main we know to be true. 
 That events many times more thrilling and tragic 
 could truthfully be narrated, hundreds who are yet 
 living can testify. 
 
 Our object has been to give a plain, unvarnished 
 statement of facts, and to present to our readers, 
 as far as we were able, the mental and moral quali- 
 ties of a few of those who embraced the work in 
 its first rise. Had an abler pen than ours essayed 
 the task, it might have found ample scope and 
 abundant material for placing before the world 
 evidences of mental power and reasoning faculties 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 309 
 
 second to none in the land; but this remains yet 
 to be done, for before uneducated men of God in 
 this nineteenth century, the wisdom of wise men 
 has perished and the understanding of the prudent 
 has been hid, and it will yet be recorded for the 
 encouragement of others. 
 
 After the death of Margery, Daniel gave him- 
 self entirely to the ministry, never seeming to seek 
 or desire rest. From a distant field of labor he 
 wrote to his mother, "I have found in proclaiming 
 the gospel, a sweet peace and rest which I had 
 never hoped to know again, and often am com- 
 forted with the feeling that Margery is near me. 
 Of late, however, I have a great desire to see you 
 all once more, and if Providence does not prevent, 
 I shall make my way toward home, and may be 
 with you by the latter part of summer." 
 
 With the waning of the summer months he came 
 came to find the great change so brief a time 
 had wrought, and remembering the dying words of 
 Margery, he entreated his father to leave Nauvoo 
 and save his family from the evil influences which 
 he was forced to believe were at work for ensnar- 
 ing the innocent. 
 
 "But for her warning, mother, I never could 
 believe what I am compelled to admit; but I have 
 not forgotten the promise I made her, and I will 
 escape from the pollutions of this place. But 
 first, mother, I must see you and father away from 
 here." 
 
310 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 Are there any who will read this that will not 
 remember how difficult a task it was to escape 
 from the thraldom of those spiritual tyrants? 
 Daniel did not do this until his own life had been 
 sought, and even as Margery had told him, one 
 was murdered in cold blood by his side, and he was 
 compelled to flee, not daring to turn and look upon 
 the face of -the dead. 
 
 "By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down, 
 yea, we wept, when we remembered Zion. We 
 hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst 
 thereof. For there they that carried us away cap- 
 tive required of us a song; and they that wasted 
 us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the 
 songs of Zion. How shall we sing the Lord's song 
 in a strange land? If I forget thee, Jerusalem, 
 let my right hand forget her cunning. If I do not 
 remember thee, let my tongue cleave to the roof 
 of my mouth; if I prefer not Jerusalem above my 
 chief joy." 
 
 From the time when this touching] y sweet and 
 pathetic poem was written, it has been the admi- 
 ration of the learned, the comfort of the humble, 
 weary ones of earth, and in the dark and cloudy 
 day of latter Israel's dispersion and captivity, it 
 found a response in thousands of toil-worn and 
 weary hearts. How came they in a strange land, 
 both former and latter Israel? Disobedience had 
 brought them there, and while the disobedient 
 wended their way to a "salt land" with singing and 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 311 
 
 dancing, it was not thus with the scattered ones, 
 for with heavy hearts they found it impossible to 
 sing the songs of Zion in a strange land. 
 
 In a small village situated far up among the 
 hills of Pennsylvania, in an upper chamber, over- 
 looking the windings of a clear, beautiful river, 
 one of those exiles lay dying. It was the early , 
 hour of morning, and the eastern sky was faintly 
 tinged with rays of light, growing brighter and 
 brighter as the sun came nearer into view. Daniel, 
 for it was he, lay with his face to the east, gazing 
 upon the view through the open window long and 
 silently. By the bedside sat Mrs. Clark, changed 
 since we first knew her, but w r ith the same deep, 
 thoughtful eyes and placid brow as of yore, though 
 there were lines about the mouth and face beto- 
 kening much sorrow, lines not there when we met 
 her last. 
 
 "Mother, put the curtain further back/' said 
 Daniel, "and let us see the sun when he rises; for 
 I shall not live to see him rise another day." 
 
 Without replying, she rose slowly and did as he 
 requested, and then arranged his pillows, placing 
 his head in the best position to obtain a view of 
 the distant hill. 
 
 " 'As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, 
 so the Lord is round about his people from hence- 
 forth even for ever," he repeated slowly. "There 
 is comfort in knowing that the mercies of the Lord 
 are sure as the everlasting hills. Those distant 
 
312 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 hills remind me of the mountains of Jerusalem. I 
 am glad, mother, that my pilgrimage is so near its 
 close; for I long to enter into rest." 
 
 "Your faith is firm and unwavering, is it not, 
 Daniel?" 
 
 "Yes, mother. I have been tried, but thank God, 
 like Job I can say, 'I know that my Redeemer 
 liveth.' Precious knowledge! I shall soon test its 
 reality shall soon pass the river and enter into 
 the city. I regret to leave you and father in 
 your loneliness and old age, but be of good cheer, 
 for the Lord will comfort you; and you, mother, 
 will live to see his work again established in the 
 earth." 
 
 "Pray God I may, for then I would be ready to 
 go," she added with great earnestness. 
 
 "It will surely be, mother, and there was a time 
 when I longed to live to see it, but of late, since I 
 have been so ill, I have lost this desire, and I now 
 long to depart and be with Christ. Margery, too, 
 and the baby seem to be waiting for me, and the 
 veil is so thin that at any moment I feel as though 
 it would part and let me in." 
 
 For a time he lay silently regarding her, for her 
 head was bowed and her face averted. He seemed 
 to realize all that she was suffering, and he longed 
 to comfort her. "Mother," he said, and his voice 
 was very tender, "you have known much sorrow, 
 and many hardships have fallen to your lot, but 
 there is a blood-stained throng standing near the 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 313 
 
 throne of God, who came up out of great tribula- 
 tion. For this reason they stand next the throne. 
 All tears are dried there, and there is no more sor- 
 row. Cheer up, mother, for he will strengthen you 
 to endure to the end." 
 
 "God bless you, my boy," she said. "You have 
 always been a loving and dutiful son to me, and 
 my heart is torn with pain to think of parting with 
 you now." 
 
 "It will not be for long, mother, and now call 
 father, for I have something to say to him while I 
 have strength left." 
 
 Mr. Clark came, and for some time Daniel con- 
 versed with him in reference to the work of God 
 and the future of the church; then the rest of the 
 family came in, for it was evident the final 
 moment was very near. 
 
 But why linger over scenes at once triumphant 
 and painful? Triumphant to him who feels the 
 everlasting arms beneath him, and knows that for 
 him to die is gain; but sad indeed to the little 
 band whose numbers are now so small, where 
 death has so often entered, claiming the brightest 
 and best, the staff and stay of those now far down 
 the vale of life. Called early into the work of the 
 ministry, Daniel had been faithful to the trust 
 imposed upon him. He had fought a good fight 
 and had kept the faith. 
 
 In a beautiful spot overlooking the clear waters 
 of the Monongahela they laid his mortal remains 
 
314 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 to rest. There let them return to dust in the dark 
 and silent bosom of Mother Earth! Kindly and 
 tenderly she shelters her weary children, waiting 
 with them the final redemption of herself, her 
 sons and daughters from the fall, when he who 
 redeemed them "shall descend from heaven with a 
 shout, with the voice of the archangel and with 
 the trump of God; and the dead in Christ sha^l 
 rise first." "Comfort ye one another with these 
 words/' said one of old, and to-day, through the 
 long lapse of centuries, they come down to us 
 heavy with the fragrance of hope, and precious as 
 the oil which ran down upon Aaron's beard. "Th 
 dead in Christ shall rise first!" What did not the 
 ancient saints endure in order to obtain this better 
 resurrection! 
 
 "They were stoned, they were sawn asunder, 
 were tempted, were slain with the sword; they 
 wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins* being 
 destitute, afflicted, tormented; of whom the world 
 was not worthy; they wandered in deserts, and in 
 mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth." 
 
 How had this family wandered since first we 
 met them, and for what? We answer, for the same 
 hope which had inspired the people of God in all 
 ages, that hope which led them to refuse deliver- 
 ance from trials by the faithful endurance of 
 which they knew they should obtain the promise. 
 "Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first 
 resurrection: on such the second death hath no 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 315 
 
 power, but they shall be priests of God and of 
 Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand 
 years." 
 
 One other page from this history and we close. 
 One year after the death of Daniel, a little hand- 
 ful of Saints were met together in a room in the 
 same village for the purpose of prayer and testi- 
 mony. It was a calm, peaceful Sabbath day, and 
 a quiet restel upon all animate nature. 
 
 Over the little assembly a solemn feeling of awe 
 settled, as they listened attentively to the testi- 
 mony of an aged man, who, bent and feeble, leaned 
 for support upon the post of a bed from which he 
 had risen to bear his farewell testimony to the 
 truth of the latter-day work. Those were there 
 who knew of the heavy trials through which this 
 aged man had passed, and they listened intently, 
 fearful that a word of his dying testimony might 
 be lost. The evening sun shone in through the 
 open door and rested tenderly upon his white locks, 
 while a faint breeze just lifted them from his 
 shrunken temples. Two are yet living of those 
 who composed that little band, and by them neither 
 the scene nor the testimony will ever be forgotten. 
 
 "Gird up now the loins of your minds, beloved 
 Saints, and put your entire trust in God, for the 
 Lord will remember his people, and he will raise 
 up a leader for them and bring back the scattered 
 ones who are now dispersed over the face of the 
 earth. Yea, he will bring them back, and they 
 
316 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 shall build again the waste places of Zion which 
 have been thrown down, and with everlasting 
 mercy he will comfort them. As for me, I shall 
 soon be gathered to my fathers, for my hours on 
 earth are numbered. I go to my rest, and my 
 dying counsel to you is, 'Hold fast to the rod of 
 iron/ We have not followed any cunningly 
 devised scheme of man, and our faith has not 
 stood in man's wisdom. Sorrow, dispersion, and 
 weeping may endure for a night, but the morning 
 is near and healing is on her wings. 'Let not 
 your hearts be troubled/ dear wife of my bosom 
 and children whom I love. I leave you in a 
 strange land, far from kindred and home, but the 
 God who spake to me years ago concerning the 
 coming forth of this work, the God who has led me 
 all my life long, has given me assurance that he 
 will be with you, and in his care I leave you. Be 
 faithful in his service and he will never forsake 
 you. I have seen the flock scattered as sheep 
 without a shepherd, but God has his eye upon 
 them and will gather them up, and 'at evening- 
 time it shall be light/ Fear not, beloved Saints, 
 but put your trust in God. Fully realizing that I 
 shall soon appear before him, I have longed with 
 great desire to leave my dying testimony with you. 
 This is God's work. Be faithful to the end and he 
 will reward you with everlasting life. Amen." 
 
 The trembling voice ceased, and loving hands 
 helped him to the pillow, and at his request they 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 317 
 
 sang one of Zion's songs, but their hearts were 
 heavy, and its notes died away in smothered sobs* 
 It was not easy for faith to triumph when hearts 
 were wrung with bitterness, and the last prop and 
 stay of life for some of those was being removed. 
 
 Slowly the hours wore on, and one by one the 
 friends sought their homes, for Mrs. Clark desired 
 to be alone with her husband. Darkness settled 
 upon the earth, but the darkness of despair was 
 closing round her heart, and her silent cry to 
 heaven was, "Let this cup pass from me." This 
 was not to be. But again why linger? Rest came 
 to the sufferer and they laid him by the side of 
 Daniel, while the living went back to take up the 
 burden of life anew. 
 
 Mrs. Clark now found herself a widow in the 
 midst of strangers, without a home or means of 
 support. Many times she asked herself the ques- 
 tion, "Shall I be able to stand and keep the faith?" 
 She had always leaned so implicitly upon her hus- 
 band that she often felt it would be impossible but 
 that she would falter and fall by the way now that 
 his strong arm was no longer to protect and sup- 
 port her, his counsel to direct and cheer her; but 
 she lived to test and prove the truth of his words 
 who has promised to be "a father of the fatherless, 
 and a judge of the widows," and to know that he 
 will never suffer any to be tempted above what 
 they are able to bear. Though life to her was no 
 flower-strewn path, she lived to rejoice in the reor- 
 
318 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 ganization of the church, and to spend many hours 
 'in peaceful communion with His people before she 
 passed away from earth; and many are yet living 
 who were strengthened and cheered on their way 
 by her testimonies. Before she entered into her 
 rest, she was permitted to see the crown which 
 awaited her, and died triumphantly rejoicing in 
 her Redeemer. 
 
 In her beautiful poem, "The graves of a house- 
 hold," Mrs. Hemans has said: 
 
 "They grew in beauty side by side, 
 They filled one house with glee; 
 Their graves are sundered far and wide, 
 By mountain, stream, and sea." 
 
 And the description will apply to the family of 
 Mr. Clark. But at the last great day, when "the 
 Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a 
 shout," we are assured "the dead in Christ shall 
 rise first." 
 
 Small matter then, where shall be resting "the 
 earthly house of this tabernacle," for he who lived 
 and died to establish this gospel will bring with 
 him those who are his, and then shall all those who 
 have suffered trials and persecution for his name's 
 sake know the meaning of those words, "For our 
 light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh 
 for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of 
 glory." 
 
 THE END. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 321 
 
 OTHERS WITH THE CHURCH IN AN 
 EARLY DAY 
 
 AVING read with interest the serial 
 entitled, With the Church in an Early 
 Day, I thought perhaps you would like 
 to hear a little about some others who were with 
 the church in those days. What I shall write will 
 be in accordance with dates at hand, and in as 
 nearly as possible the same words it was told to 
 me by the one who herself was healed. It was so 
 impressed upon my mind that I could never forget 
 it, and if the "Autumn Leaves" had been printed 
 in her lifetime, I believe she would have written 
 an account of her conversion and the way in which 
 she was healed. 
 
 Father Cutler was born February 29, 1788, at 
 Plainfield, Cheshire County, New Hampshire; and 
 about the year 1832 found him with family located 
 in Chautauqua County, New York. Some years 
 previous to this he had been very sick, and the 
 attending physician being unable to help him, he, 
 to all appearances, died. The doctor pronounced 
 him dead, and while preparations were being made 
 for laying out the dead, the grief-stricken wife 
 and mother went out into the dooryard, where she 
 was giving vent to her sorrow, when one of the 
 children came running up to her and said, 
 "Mother, father has revived." 
 
322 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 In great surprise she hurried into the house to 
 find her husband sitting on the side of the bed, 
 telling the doctor what he had seen. He declared 
 that his spirit left his body and he went to para- 
 dise, but was told that he must return to earth 
 again, as the Lord had a work for him to do, in 
 helping to build up his kingdom, which was soon 
 to be set up on earth again. He was also told 
 that when the true gospel of the kingdom should 
 be presented to him, the Lord would grant him a 
 testimony of it, if he was faithful, and that when 
 the Spirit testified to him of the truth, he should 
 see a heavenly light. 
 
 Father Cutler began from that time to recover, 
 and firmly believing in the truth of what had been 
 told him, he was continually looking forward for 
 its fulfillment. 
 
 Sometime in 1832 his daughter Lois, who was 
 about twenty years of age, and who had been in 
 poor health for some years, began to decline in 
 health, and the doctors, who pronounced it con- 
 sumption, said she was in the last stage of that 
 dread disease. 
 
 In the latter part of that summer, she was con- 
 fined to her bed, unable longer to walk about, and 
 continued to grow weaker, as the doctor could do 
 nothing for her recovery. But in the fall a friend 
 of Lois', who had been away from the settlement 
 for some time, returned with glad tidings for her, 
 (as it afterwards proved). This friend, during her 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 323 
 
 absence, had met with "a marvelous work and a 
 wonder," a new religion, as it was called, which 
 though new and strange, was yet the same old gos- 
 pel taught by Christ and his apostles, and accom- 
 panied by the same gifts and blessings promised 
 the believer. This friend had embraced the gos- 
 pel, and from the fullness of her heart she sought 
 to tell Lois of the latter-day work. Hope began to 
 revive in the heart of the afflicted girl, and as she 
 read in the New Testament of the blessings that 
 followed the believers in those days, she began to 
 wonder if it were possible that God would or could 
 bless believers in this day and age of the world, 
 the same as then. 
 
 About the middle of January, 1833, two minis- 
 ters of this new sect arrived, and, desiring a house 
 to preach in, Father Cutler gave them permission 
 to hold meetings at his house. As the country was 
 new, services were often held at private houses. 
 Perhaps some of our readers will remember those 
 two elders. They were David Patten and Reynolds 
 Cahoon. Meeting was held in the room where 
 Lois was confined to bed, as that was the largest 
 room in the house. The minister spoke of the 
 restoration of the gospel and of the book that was 
 to come forth; and as he told them of the stick of 
 Judah and of Joseph, and held aloft the Bible in 
 one hand and the Book of Mormon in the other, he 
 clapped the two books together, saying, "And they 
 shall be one in the Lord's hands." 
 
324 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 Then to the surprise of all present, especially to 
 her own surprise, Lois said, "And I believe it." 
 She was bolstered up in bed with pillows, and had 
 been listening attentively, unmindful of aught else 
 but the sermon, and had no thought of speaking 
 aloud until she had done so. At the close of the 
 meeting, the most of the congregation went home, 
 but some of the young people gathered in the old- 
 fashioned kitchen with Lois' brothers and sisters, 
 leaving her parents and the elders with Lois. At 
 her request the elders proceeded to anoint her 
 head with oil, in the name of the Lord Jesus, and 
 then, laying their hands upon her head, they 
 prayed God the Father, in the name of the Son, to 
 heal her of her afflictions. 
 
 Shortly after their prayer was ended, Lois told 
 her mother that she wished to get out of bed, but 
 her mother said, "Lois, you are too sick and your 
 feet are not dressed." 
 
 One of the elders said, "Dress her feet and let 
 her get up." 
 
 This was done, and she arose and walked across 
 the room as easily as if she had not been sick. In 
 a few moments, she expressed a desire to go into 
 the kitchen, where her brothers and sisters and 
 young companions were; but her mother, who 
 could scarcely believe that she was healed, began 
 to object, telling her it was too cold in the hall 
 through which she must go, and she had not 
 been out of the warm room for so long; but again 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 325 
 
 the elders said, "Let her go, it won't hurt her." 
 
 Throwing a shawl around her, she went through 
 the hall, and as she entered the kitchen door, the 
 young people began to look at her in fright, as 
 though they had seen a ghost; but Lois said to 
 them, "You need not be frightened, it is I. I have 
 been healed by the power of God." 
 
 But they were almost speechless with surprise 
 and could scarcely believe their own eyes. 
 
 Of course the news flew like wildfire through 
 the settlement, and one of Lois' friends, a Mrs. 
 Fisk, who had been sick for some time, sent word 
 to Lois, "If you are really healed, come and 
 see me." 
 
 In a day or two Lois was taken in a sleigh to see 
 Mrs. Fisk, and as the sick woman heard Lois tell of 
 her wonderful recovery, she, too, began to believe, 
 and the elders were invited to hold services at her 
 house that night They did so, and after the first 
 hymn was sung, and the opening prayer offered, 
 the elder said that before proceeding further they 
 would attend to one of the ordinances of the Lord's 
 house. They then proceeded to anoint and pray 
 for Mrs. Fisk, who was immediately healed, and 
 she arose from her bed and, walking across the 
 room, joined in the singing of the second hymn. 
 
 Lois and Mrs. Fisk both gave their names for 
 baptism, which was to be attended to the following 
 Sabbath. Lois was very anxious for her parents 
 to join the church also, but when she spoke to her 
 
326 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 father about it, he replied, "I have received no 
 evidence of the divinity of this work, and shall do 
 nothing until I do." 
 
 This hurt Lois' feelings some, as it seemed to 
 her that the fact of her being healed ought to be 
 evidence enough to convince her parents. 
 
 'On Sunday morning as they were making ready 
 to go to the river, her father came in and speak- 
 ing to his wife, said, "Can you find me some clean 
 clothes? I think I shall go into the water." 
 
 Then his aged mother, who sat listening, burst 
 into tears and said, "My dear son, if you are going, 
 I am going too." 
 
 This information comforted Lois very much, and 
 as they were going, well wrapped up, in their 
 sleighs to the river where the ice had been cut for 
 baptisms, Lois thought to herself, "Now, here are 
 father and grandmother and Mrs. Fisk, all older 
 than I am, and they will surely be baptized first; 
 so I need not feel at all timid about going into the 
 water." 
 
 But as they gathered at the water's edge and 
 offered prayer, the elder who was to officiate said, 
 "The Spirit tells me that Lois is the first to be bap- 
 tized; and if any of you wish to know the reason, 
 it is because she was the first to believe." 
 
 After those four were baptized, then Mrs. Fisk's 
 husband and her hired girl and another person 
 came forward and were baptized also, making 
 seven in all. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 327 
 
 t 
 
 This was on the 20th of January, 1833. That 
 evening, after they were confirmed by the laying 
 on of hands for the reception of the Holy Ghost, 
 Father Cutler told the congregation that the night 
 previous, as he was praying to God, the Spirit had 
 witnessed to him of the truth of this work, and 
 that a heavenly light had shone round him in the 
 dark room, until, as he expressed himself, he could 
 have seen to pick up a pin. 
 
 Afterwards the rest of the family united with 
 the church and received many blessings. 
 
 Lois herself received the gift of unknown 
 tongues, a gift which she enjoyed at times until 
 the close of her life. 
 
 Father Cutler and family removed to Kirtland, 
 Ohio, in the spring of 1834, and afterwards to Ray 
 County, Missouri. After there enduring the trials 
 and persecutions in common with the rest of the 
 Saints, they were compelled to leave Missouri in 
 1839, by the exterminating order of Governor 
 Boggs. They then went to Illinois, and some time 
 after the death of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, 
 moved to Iowa, where he died a firm believer in 
 the work established by Joseph Smith. 
 
 Lois and her mother united with the Reorgani- 
 zation in 1875, and she lived a faithful member of 
 the church until her death. Some of her children 
 and brothers, also one of her sisters still live, and 
 know the truth of the things I have written. 
 
 EMMA L. ANDERSON. 
 
328 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 
 
 Sister Emma, we are thankful for this contribu- 
 tion, and we only wish that others of the Saints 
 would follow your example and send to us the tes- 
 timonies of which they are living witnesses, or the 
 well-attested ones of their friends. One by one 
 they are accumulating, but very slowly, when we 
 remember how many there are who have received. 
 Some hesitate because not being accustomed to the 
 use of the pen they fear to undertake the writing. 
 In a case like this, why not call in the aid of some 
 young Saint, and let him write while you dictate? 
 If but one half the sober, unvarnished truth of the 
 power of God displayed in these last days was 
 recorded, the volume would astonish the world. 
 Why should you not send in the "leaves" - 
 "Autumn Leaves" drifting from this last dispen- 
 tion, when God has established his work upon the 
 earth his kingdom which shall never be destroyed 
 and shall not be left to another people? Let your 
 testimonies be given to the men and women of this 
 generation that they may be left without excuse 
 and the Saints built up in their most holy faith. 
 
 Who that reads the above brief history can not 
 see how it would be possible for Lois and her 
 father to suffer martyrdom rather than deny the 
 truth of this work the restored gospel? Who 
 that has the soul of a Christian within him, when 
 he reads such plain, straightforward accounts as 
 this, but can realize what such men and women 
 must have suffered when they saw iniquity creep- 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 329 
 
 ing into the church? What could they do? Where 
 should they flee? They knew God was its Author, 
 for it had come to them in much assurance and in 
 power, the power of the Holy Ghost with signs 
 following the believer. Where should they turn? 
 Blinded, bewildered, not fully understanding the 
 purposes of God, not realizing that the prophets 
 had foretold a second great apostasy from the 
 faith, the marvel is that all did not follow the lead 
 of blind guides. Had not these men, these guides, 
 received the seal of divine approval to their works? 
 Had their words not been confirmed "by signs fol- 
 lowing?" Unto whom then should they go? 
 
 Thank God it was not thus! Many followed the 
 lead of wicked men to the mountain fastnesses of 
 Utah, but more (yes, let the world remember this), 
 far more went every man to his way, and mourned, 
 every man apart from his neighbor. Then began 
 a searching of the word of God such as had not 
 been before. Men and women stood in the ways 
 asking for the old paths, not understanding the 
 dealings of God with them, but never, no, not for 
 one moment, doubting the divinity of the work, 
 never doubting that God had raised up Joseph 
 Smith as an instrument in his hands for restoring 
 the gospel to the earth, translating the Book of 
 Mormon, and helping to establish that kingdom 
 which was never to be destroyed nor left to 
 another people. 
 
 "Unto whom should they go?" If this work was 
 
330 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 not to be left to another people, who should bear it 
 off for this people? 
 
 Could it be done by the professed leaders of 
 Utah, those false shepherds who were oppressing 
 the flock, stripping, wounding, beating them and 
 leaving them worse than dead? Never! The 
 handwriting was upon the wall, and they with 
 their followers were under the curse of a justly 
 offended God, for "cursed is he that trusteth in 
 man or maketh flesh his arm." And yet it shall 
 not be left to another people. 
 
 The prophet said: "When the enemy shall come 
 in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a 
 standard against him." The standard was lifted 
 up, and at the behest of the Lord a proclamation 
 was sent forth calling upon the scattered Saints to 
 organize and build up the waste places of Zion. 
 
 From that day to this, the work of rebuilding 
 has been steadily going on. That it has been slow 
 when compared with the spread of the work at the 
 beginning, should not in the least surprise any 
 reflecting individual; for everywhere our ministry 
 have gone, they have had to wage a hand to hand 
 contest against the prejudice which has preceded 
 them. They have had imputed to them the bad 
 deeds to those from whose company they years ago 
 separated themselves, while they were yet respect- 
 able, compared with what they afterwards became, 
 and all the wreck and rubbish have had to be 
 cleared away before it was possible to preach the 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 331 
 
 gospel. This will not always be the case, for the 
 time is near when the Lord will cut his work short 
 in righteousness. EDITOR. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 333 
 
 HE THAT BELIEVETH 
 BY J. F. M'DOWELL 
 
 "He that believeth." These words have racked 
 many a brain, and puzzled the masses. Theolo- 
 gians have floundered upon the rocks of uncer- 
 tainty. Students have become wrecked upon the 
 shifting sands of unwarranted theories. The 
 populace have depended upon the scholastic, 
 whilst the latter have significantly failed. 
 
 No compromise could be found. All creeds 
 were but fragmentary. Life had been promised 
 upon obedience; but what to obey they knew not. 
 The human failed to interpret the divine. The 
 carnal perceived not the spiritual. The darkness 
 comprehended not the light. Strange predica- 
 ment indeed! 
 
 There was a time when the truth in Jesus was 
 understood by many, but discordant elements 
 entered the church and dethroned the spirituality 
 thereof, and the church passed into darkness. 
 
 By and by the Nicene creed was formulated and 
 promulgated, as containing the whole truth neces- 
 sary to be believed. Life and death were held out 
 with the "He that believeth." 
 
 It was then, "Believe and be saved"; "Believe, 
 or be damned." These words were made to 
 resound through the Gothic arches, to encircle 
 
334 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 Corinthian columns, and re-echo from towering 
 domes with a thundering sound that made the pew 
 occupants quake with fear. 
 
 The pulpit or altar had to be recognized as 
 entrenched in an authority that exercised no mis- 
 takable influence. The robe, mitre, and all must 
 be heard "He that believeth not shall be 
 damned!" 
 
 Oh, what ponderous words! Those words were 
 caused after a while to mean stake, fagot, sword, 
 torch, rock, pincers, fire, rack, cross, dungeon, 
 thorns, block and tackle, stretchers, etc. It was 
 hell here and hereafter; fire now and for ever. 
 These were the brutal arguments used by a 
 degraded church. 
 
 The time came when John Wycliffe translated 
 the Bible into the vulgar tongue. It was well. 
 Others followed. Luther also gave it in his lan- 
 guage. That was right. The people must have an 
 open Bible. They ought to read God's word. Cer- 
 tainly every one should read it. 
 
 But for centuries it had been virtually lost to 
 the world. Now, after a long lapse of tradition, 
 with a Bible to read, how were the people to know, 
 "save some man teach them," what to believe? 
 
 Presently we have the Augsburg Confession of 
 Faith; then the Westminster Catechism; then the 
 Forty-two Articles of King Edward; then we get 
 the Armenian Creed; then the formula of Knox. 
 
 While the people are expecting good results to 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 335 
 
 follow the possession of an open Bible, these creeds 
 intercept them; and each framer claims his creed 
 to be perfectly correct. Everybody should believe 
 each one or be damned! 
 
 All over Europe, upon the proclamation of the 
 creeds and dogmas, were heard the telling words: 
 "He that believeth shall be saved; he that believeth 
 not shall be damned." All cathedrals, churches, 
 chapels, palaces, courts, and temples, echoed the 
 fatal words. But they did not bring peace, nor 
 create good will among men. 
 
 In May, 1620, Robinson admonished the Pilgrims, 
 then about to sail for America, thus: "If God 
 reveals anything to you by another instrument, be 
 as ready to receive it as you ever were to receive 
 any truth by my ministry; for I am verily per- 
 suaded, I am very confident, that the Lord has 
 more truth yet to break forth out of his holy word. 
 . . . The reformed churches are come to a period 
 in religion. . . . The Lutherans can not be drawn 
 further than what Luther saw; and the Calvanists, 
 you see, stick fast where they were left by Calvin, 
 . . . who yet saw not all things." 
 
 Each creed claimed to possess divine authority. 
 Life and death were in their power. Each one 
 strongly antagonized the other. To believe one 
 was to disbelieve all the others. No two harmon- 
 ized. How then were men to be saved? 
 
 By what right were they taught? By what stand- 
 ard were they to be tested? Did Catholicity hold 
 
336 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 the right? She claimed it, but her claim was not 
 well founded. A man of that time was placed in 
 the following position: Here he stands, sur- 
 rounded by the Nicene Creed, Augsburg Confes- 
 sion, Armenian Creed, Westminster Catechism, 
 Edwards' Forty- two Articles, and Knox's Formula, 
 and each one declares to this man with apparently 
 equal force and authority: "Believe, or be con- 
 demned! Believe, or be condemned! Believe, or 
 be condemned!" 
 
 If he accepts one, it promises him life; while 
 that acceptance implies rejection of the others, 
 which declare, "He that believeth not shall be 
 damned." He finds himself saved by one, and 
 damned by five. There is no mistaking this. 
 These are stubborn facts born of the Reformation. 
 
 The authority of these creeds was exercised by 
 the religio-civil officers. European states were 
 stained with human gore, European atmosphere 
 was rank with the fumes of frying flesh; and the 
 vibrations of cracking bones sounded in the air. 
 Desolation lay in their pathway. Homes were 
 destroyed, families disrupted, relatives severed. 
 
 And as the states took issue they also decided. 
 England became Episcopal; Germany, Norway, 
 Sweden, and Denmark became Lutheran; Scotland, 
 Wales, and Switzerland took up with Calvinism 
 and Knoxism. Others were divided with Catho- 
 licity and Armenianism. Men's consciences were 
 ruled by authority, and not by reason or judgment. 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 337 
 
 The history of the Reformation is not a clean 
 one. The manner after which men were made to 
 believe was not the Nazarenean method. No 
 peace was found in the Reformation. Discord 
 everywhere existed. The papacy endeavored by 
 every and any means to hold universal power over 
 all men. 
 
 Its authority was not to be disputed upon pen- 
 alty of death. He that believeth not was branded 
 as a heretic. Of such we read: "A heretic merits 
 the pains of fire. . . . Heretics must be burned. 
 All persons may attack heretics or any rebels to 
 the church, and despoil them of their wealth, and 
 slay them, and burn their houses and cities. "- 
 Directory for the Inquisition, part 2, chapter 2. 
 
 This gives but a faint glimpse at the power once 
 exercised by the church in consequence of the text 
 named. 
 
 The same spirit was carried into the Protestant 
 ranks. Burning was the heated argument of the 
 times. It seared the broad brims of our Friends' 
 hats. It became a chord on the Puritanical harp of 
 New England. It chimed in cordially when they 
 manufactured witches at Salem, Massachusetts. 
 
 "He that believeth shall be saved, and he that 
 believeth not shall be damned," served as a sweet 
 enunciation by way of introducing much wifery of 
 David and Solomon, in 1852. It fanned the flames 
 that burned Servetus, Cranmer, Latimer, and hun- 
 dreds of others. 
 
338 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 No man has any divine, human, ecclesiastical, or 
 civil right to preach anything he may choose, fine- 
 spun theories or otherwise, and convey the idea by 
 intimation of speech or gesture that what he says 
 is necessarily appended with, "He that believeth 
 not shall be damned." There is but one, one mes- 
 sage divinely authorized to be told to which those 
 words ever can be appended, and that not by way 
 of divine vengeance; but by letting the hearer 
 understand that to be condemned means that his 
 rejection of the message of mercy has been 
 unwise, and that by this rejection he voluntarily 
 assumes to abide the result of his own act, to be 
 assigned to a lower realm hereafter than that of 
 celestial light. 
 
 No man's opinion can save or condemn. Opinion 
 is not always a divine decision. Opinion may b? 
 right or wrong. Divine decision never expressed 
 an error. It is an embodiment of eternal wisdom; 
 therefore must be right. 
 
 "He that believeth." 
 
 Herein consists the problem of problems. 
 Believe what? Who shall determine what? To 
 every edict, % every bull, issued by pontifical 
 authority, was appended the words, "He that 
 believeth not shall be damned." Every measure 
 adopted by councils or issued from the Vatican con- 
 tained the horrid sentence.. Horrid because that 
 phrase, "shall be damned," was made to present to 
 the auditor pits of flame, demons of fiery eyes, 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 339 
 
 groans of souls writhing in flame and agony, fallen 
 angels turning over condemned souls with three- 
 tined forks and shoveling on brimstone. This was 
 a picture over the sight of which "he that 
 believeth" should rejoice! 
 
 There was no "peace and quietness in the Holy 
 Spirit" in this doctrine. Men were not persuaded. 
 Coercion was the rule. Reason was not in demand. 
 Brute force overstocked the market. 
 
 The clergy, feigning wisdom, were naught but 
 ecclesiastical imbeciles. Ignorance stalked through 
 the land with sword, flame, and rack. Superstition 
 abounded everywhere. The people were asked to 
 believe the grossest absurdities. Nothing was too 
 incongruous to be presented and to have asked for 
 it the credence of the populace. The sublime sim- 
 plicity of gospel word became lost in the mists of 
 the wildest vagaries. Debaucheries of crudest 
 name, licentiousness of most debasing character 
 were indulged in. 
 
 Protestantism gave forth an uncertain sound. It 
 held not Saint Peter's keys, nor yet had genuine 
 biblical assent to its divided efforts. Its effort to 
 lead the people from idolatry under pretended 
 Christian sanction was well enough; but her defi- 
 cient plans of salvation led to confusion and fore- 
 cast the shadows of possible lawful doubt as to its 
 divinity. 
 
 If Protestantism as a system is to be found, exist- 
 ing without divine sanction, then is it of no prac- 
 
340 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 tical force so far as its pretended ability to save 
 mankind, and for them gain an entrance into the 
 heavenly kingdom, is concerned. 
 
 Its moral phases are well enough in their sphere; 
 but Christianity embraces more than that; and, as 
 Jesus represented it among men, it was a powerful 
 system for good, based upon broad, simple, demon- 
 strable truth and fact. And this should not be lost 
 sight of among theologians of to-day. 
 
 If Christianity was once a religious unit, it 
 should be such now. If it existed as being repre- 
 sented by purely one religious organization in 
 which were to be found the unity expressed by the 
 following words, then should it be so now. The 
 words are: "That they all may be one, that the 
 world may believe that thou hast sent me." 
 
 Disunity detracted from the force of evidence 
 otherwise to be recognized. Herein is where 
 Catholicity makes a strong point: One church, 
 one faith, one baptism, etc. 
 
 She recognizes, even in her darkened condition, 
 that unity was essential to successful claim for 
 divine approval, that God never acknowledges 
 division among his followers, or "believers/' and 
 that division always would prove prejudicial to 
 divine interests. 
 
 In this respect Protestantism is extremely lame. 
 In a few years past it has been feigning unity; but 
 in it there is no basic principle found, and to the 
 query of the people, "What shall I do to be saved?" 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 341 
 
 Protestantism to-day can not, or at least does not, 
 answer. If the Protestants are God-authorized 
 men, why do not they intelligently answer this 
 ever, and all-important question? Did the primi- 
 tive ministry ever hesitate to answer it? And 
 when answering were they ever known to have 
 diversely answered? Not so far as the record 
 shows. 
 
 The Catholic Church is right when she teaches 
 that in order to her proper existence as a church 
 she ought to be found in possession of an authority 
 that is immediately divine. 
 
 If the Church of Jesus Christ be a divinely 
 instituted concern which Protestantism largely 
 denies then her ordinances can not be legiti- 
 mately administered without a divine call. 
 
 Catholicity says: "God has given no revelation 
 direct of his will since the time of Saint John." 
 Rome's only hold then is to the legality of her 
 successorship to Saint Peter. When she lets go of 
 that, then is the Catholic Church a human insti- 
 tution. If human, then she can not deal with 
 divine and eternal spiritualities. This truth and 
 fact all her ecclesiastics keenly recognize. Prot- 
 estantism has no claim at all. All Protestant 
 divines know well that by direct, divine, revelatory 
 sanction their conflicting systems do not exist. 
 
 They all chime in with their foolish mother; 
 and believe what she says is true, that there has 
 been no revelation since Saint John. The mother 
 
342 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 laughs at their foolhardiness, and tells them their 
 estrangement from her has left them with no 
 claim for divine recognition in God's religious 
 scheme. 
 
 Who, then, shall tell us what to believe in order 
 to secure eternal life? We must believe something 
 in order that we may act. Action, independent of 
 faith, would be unwise. How were we to know 
 what to do without first knowing what to believe? 
 Something should be clearly presented to the 
 world, the acceptance of which by faith would give 
 them to understand that to act upon that faith 
 would be safe, that safety being warranted by 
 enlightened reason, and having clearly the consent 
 of plain Messianic precept and command. 
 
 Can Protestantism give this? Something is to 
 be believed, something to be done, else salvation 
 can not be secured. 
 
 Believeth what? is a question ever confronting 
 us upon every hand. The sinner, warned of 
 impending future danger, in whose ears the thun- 
 der tones of oratorical speech ring with startling 
 force, asks the question. The person who becomes 
 convicted of sin and its terrible consequences as 
 portrayed by a Calvin or an Edwards, asks the 
 same question. The party before whose eyes lurid 
 flames dance their fantastic images wishes to know 
 what he shall believe. 
 
 If escape from the power of sin is the chief 
 thought of the convicted one, and if that escape is 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 843 
 
 to be found in a genuine faith, he must know 
 where that faith may be found and in whom it is 
 to be reposed. Herein attaches all the importance 
 which shall secure to him a full and thoroughly 
 completed assurance that escape is not only found, 
 but has been actually obtained, and the escaping 
 one becomes the happy possessor of the power of 
 liberty. 
 
 If a mistake occurs at the inception of this move, 
 all the future hope may be solemnly blighted, and 
 every brightened prospect bedimmed. If there be 
 "One God and Father of us all"; if there be one 
 "mediator between God and man, the man Christ 
 Jesus"; if there be one hope of our calling, and we 
 "are baptized by one Spirit" into that "one hope," 
 then surely there can be but one answer to the 
 question involved. If but one answer, who shall 
 be the one permitted to give the answer? 
 
 We can not now listen either to Catholicity or 
 Protestantism, for neither is recognized in Holy 
 Writ as valid claimants. Primitive Christianity 
 anticipated no such monstrosity of wrangling sects 
 to become representatives of the religion of the 
 Bethlehem Jesus, or the Nazarene Christ. 
 
 Christianity, pure and good, was as unpreten- 
 tious as the village where was born its magnificent 
 Author. It knew nothing of the glittering splen- 
 dor of towering spires, nor the soft-toned light of 
 stained windows; nor of the subdued, thunder- 
 toned melody of pipe-organs, nor the simpering 
 
344 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 giggles of a vain quartette; it knew of, and pos- 
 sessed a power that reached fallen humanity and 
 saved, redeemed, by the grandeur of its own sweet 
 simplicity, human souls stained in sin. for a 
 revival of the genuine Christian power that sees 
 sin as it is, and God's love to take us from out its 
 galling grasp! 
 
 Who shall answer an anxious, inquiring world? 
 The question is legitimate, and the response must 
 be divinely authoritative. Man's opinion savors of 
 no good upon an eternal destiny. God attends to 
 destiny; man attends to the way leading thereto, 
 therefore it is left with him to "seek that he may 
 find." If naught is to be found for which he seeks, 
 why then seek? If no door of life is to open at the 
 "knock," then why knock? 
 
 So many answers resound through one's brain 
 that he tires of hearing; for it sounds so much 
 like mere senseless jargon that reason's light 
 seems to have no just claim upon the confusion 
 that so strangely and embarrassingly abounds. 
 
 Shall the soul of man be burdened by intricacies 
 of uncertain sound, and so laden with speculative 
 theology and the claims of science as to be lost 
 altogether to the one excellent answer that comes, 
 "not in word only, but in power, and full assurance 
 of the Holy Ghost"? Many are so burdened, but 
 not all. We should never be concerned regarding 
 minor matters, nor let our eyes become dimmed by 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 345 
 
 the flying dust of glittering theories which rest 
 upon no "sure foundation." 
 
 "Go ye into all the world," said Jesus. The 
 broad universality of the commission's command 
 implies universal adaptability and capability, 
 adapted to all classes of mankind, capable of 
 saving all who might strictly adhere to its holy 
 demands. 
 
 "And preach the gospel to every creature." The 
 student and inquirer will please notice that that 
 which is to be preached to the "unconverted" is 
 defined as "the gospel." "He that believeth," was 
 to be "saved" upon baptism having been complied 
 with, the act of baptism signifying an acceptance 
 upon the part of the devotee of that which had 
 been preached to him. 
 
 The thing preached thus proving a "savor of 
 life," how could an unqualified person deliver such 
 a message? How could an opinion serve the same 
 purpose as could a positive statement of fact? 
 Jesus sent men forth armed with some one or 
 more special facts and truths; one of these was 
 the fact of all facts, the truth of all truths! 
 These men in treating of the work of salvation, 
 had no opinions respecting "the way" of life; they 
 either knew, or knew not. They were either cor- 
 rectly informed, or incorrectly. 
 
 The Master who sent them evidently knew what 
 he was to do under the then existing circum- 
 stances. The men sent knew what they were to 
 
346 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 answer all inquirers after the way of life! This 
 grand absence of opinion, and presence of knowl- 
 edge, gave potency and glory to the message deliv- 
 ered. Not one of the apostles dare say: "Well, 
 my opinion respecting the question of salvation is 
 this!" With a human soul hanging by the slender 
 and uncertain thread of mortality, where was or is 
 there room for opinion? 
 
 Human destiny demands an answer concerning 
 which there can be left no room for doubt. The 
 primitive ministry "spake as one having authority 
 from God"; and so should it be to-day. 
 
 If the pulpit is not supposed to be entrenched 
 with an authority believed or known to be divine, 
 religion wavers and becomes contemned, and the 
 pulpit totters, and becomes deposed. It assumes a 
 common level with the lecturer's rostrum, from 
 which mere oratorical effect is displayed, and from 
 which sound the expressions of learned opinion only. 
 
 This is an important issue of eternal signifi- 
 cance, and can not be lightly passed by! Our faith 
 must be well directed; some certain objective point 
 kept in view, else harm accrues. When people 
 look upon a man in ministerial garb and think him 
 to be a messenger for Christ to humanity, how 
 happy their souls must be when they truly learn 
 that that man shall teach them what he has not 
 been "taught save by revelation of Jesus Christ." 
 
 The formula used by ministers of one certain 
 church in administering the rite of baptism has 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 34? 
 
 always sounded to the writer as of such grand 
 import; and never has he heard it used without 
 the eyes becoming moistened with tears that start 
 at the bidding of a heart, moved by a recognition 
 of that conceded by him and others to be an unde- 
 niable and holy truth, that Almighty God has 
 again commissioned men to teach people what to 
 believe unto salvation! 
 
 The words are these: "Having been commis- 
 sioned by Jesus Christ, I baptize thee," etc. Who 
 could be so strangely and daringly forgetful as to 
 use such words before heaven and men, if not 
 "called of God as was Aaron"? Who, professing 
 to "preach Christ and him crucified," could assume 
 such blasphemy? For blasphemy it ever is to him 
 not so called! 
 
 We, in the Acts of the Apostles, read that upon 
 the day of Pentecost, Peter spake concerning 
 Jesus and his mission to the world, his death and 
 resurrection and glorification, to become "both 
 Lord and Christ." Upon hearing and believing 
 this statement, and asking what they should do, 
 Peter answered: "Repent, and be baptized every 
 one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the 
 remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of 
 the Holy Ghost." 
 
 In the eighth chapter of the same book you 
 may read of Philip and the eunuch. We find 
 this statement made: "Then Philip opened his 
 mouth, and began at the same Scripture [Isaiah 
 
348 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 53 : 7, 8], and preached unto him Jesus. . . . 
 and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what 
 doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, 
 If thou believest with all thine heart, thou 
 mayest. And he answered and said, I believe 
 that Jesus Christ is the Son of God." The eunuch 
 was baptized. Now for the words of Jesus: "He 
 that believeth and is baptized, shall be saved." 
 
 Paul said: "We preach Christ crucified, unto 
 the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks 
 foolishness."! Corinthians 1:23. "For other 
 foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which 
 is Jesus Christ."! Corinthians 3:11. "When 
 Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall ye 
 also appear with him in glory." Colosssians 3:4. 
 Jesus Christ, his Sonship, Lordship, and Saviorship, 
 are the leading ideas of all gospel truth. The 
 word "gospel" is said to mean "glad tidings." Of 
 what do these glad tidings consist? 
 
 1. Man is recognized as living in sin, and sin is 
 destructive to all human interests. 
 
 2. Penalty attaches unto all law; hence the 
 infliction for transgression of law, which is sin. 
 
 3. All persons dying in a sinful state must pay 
 the penalty. 
 
 4. God promises if Jesus Christ be accepted by 
 man, as his Son, and man repent of his sins by for- 
 saking them, and being heartily sorry for having 
 committed them, and be baptized for their remis- 
 sion, his receiving the Holy Ghost of God as the 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 349 
 
 seal of witness affixed to this sacred act and prom- 
 ise, and that person continuing to live in right- 
 eousness thereafter, when he shall die, "shall die 
 in the Lord," pay no penalty for former transgres- 
 sions; go to no hell or prison, incur no punishment 
 otherwise so justly due be eternally freed from 
 future distress of conscience, etc. If this is not 
 "glad tidings" to a guilty soul, what could be? The 
 person who can not appreciate such mercy and love 
 must be of peculiar mind. 
 
 Herein consists the preaching of Christ. These 
 thoughts were surely taught the eunuch, else why 
 the question: "See, here is water, what doth 
 hinder me to be baptized?" How could Philip have 
 successfully "preached Christ" without presenting 
 these important facts to him? Such tidings gave 
 him joy! They gave joy on Pentecost. They give 
 the same joy to-day! There were not weeks of 
 serial meetings. 
 
 Jesus Christ is the pivotal fact and truth of all 
 the widening truths of Christianity. Humanity 
 requires knowledge of "what must we do." And 
 the first thing of all to such classes, is Jesus Christ! 
 After that they have entered the church, having 
 been "born of God," they can learn more of him. 
 This one truth seems to have been the only test of 
 fellowship, the one chief requirement for admis- 
 sion into the church! 
 
 Preach the glad tidings, "He that believeth and 
 is baptized shall be saved." No other tidings than 
 
350 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 glad ones! No other man held up to men, save 
 "the man Christ Jesus." . Hold him up; let his 
 light shine over a benighted world. Keep him 
 before the people. No other foundation! "No 
 other name given among men, under heaven, 
 whereby we must be saved." No creeds in this 
 plain story of Jesus! No confession but one: 
 "Whosoever shall be ashamed to confess me before 
 men," etc. Jesus, clothed in his prophetic and 
 historic facts, is the "Lord of all"! If this kind of 
 preaching to the world was acceptable then, why 
 not now? 
 
 We do not learn that the apostles preached first, 
 "the divine calling of John the Baptist"; but they 
 "preached Christ and him crucified." Any one 
 becoming "convicted of sin," accepting of salva- 
 tion's plan through Christ, should never be 
 debarred from the initiatory step of baptism. 
 Any one intelligibly taught, who honestly believes, 
 will ask for baptism at the hand of God's minister. 
 
 To the authorized minister of this age has been 
 given these words: "All those who humble them- 
 selves before God and desire to be baptized, and 
 come forth with broken hearts and contrite spirits, 
 and witness before the church that they have 
 truly repented of all their sins, and are willing to 
 take upon them the name of Jesus Christ, having 
 a determination to serve him to the end, and truly 
 manifest by their works that they have received 
 of the Spirit of Christ unto the remission of their 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 351 
 
 sins, shall be received by baptism into his church." 
 
 No other test than this. It was the one 
 anciently, it is the one now! All other truth 
 connected with Christianity will grow about the 
 honest heart, so they shall be found "growing in 
 grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ/' 
 
 While "the whole counsel of God" should be 
 declared unto the church, as the ministers are 
 taught "to feed the church of God over which the 
 Holy Ghost hath made you overseers," it should 
 not be forgotten that "meat is not for babes," but 
 rather "the sincere milk of the word." 
 
 The great initiatory steps for all sinners to be 
 first taken are the first to be taught, Jesus Christ 
 in his commendatory, saving office to be the cen- 
 tral thought of all. He that believeth this one 
 truth, the concentrated of all the gospel primary 
 facts, and is baptized, shall be saved! 
 
 This is not provisional for formularies of con- 
 cocted creeds, which in themselves contain not 
 even the primaries of the glad tidings, can not in 
 the multiplicity of their contorted expressions, 
 inapplicable to even the parties addressed, be or 
 prove of saving efficacy to any one. 
 
 The world is to be saved by obedience; that 
 obedience should be implicit; it can not be implicit 
 without definiteness attaching to the message 
 taught and asked to be complied with. Hence the 
 necessity of one certain way, the way leading unto 
 life, being correctly taught. A way leading from 
 
352 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 heaven, can not lead unto heaven. Herein Protes- 
 tantism is at fault, its answers are multitudinous. 
 Catholicity can not answer, for it is "defiled with 
 the blood of saints and martyrs of Jesus." 
 
 Catholicism and Protestantism have each de- 
 manded a belief in the whole Bible as essential 
 unto salvation. Saint John Chrysostom in his 
 thirty-seventh Homily on Genesis writes: "What- 
 ever is contained in the Scripture is a doctrine 
 absolutely divine," etc. 
 
 Men with such ideas before them are startled, 
 for we are confidently assured that we should 
 decidedly object to many historic narratives being 
 taught or enforced as doctrinal nowadays. Prot- 
 estantism, breaking away from the gross darkness 
 of Catholicism, was wild in its assumptions. And 
 while denouncing the "mother" as infamous, they, 
 the Protestants, blindly fell in with many of her 
 "errors and gross superstitions." 
 
 Although Protestantism claimed to give "the 
 right for private judgment and interpretation" of 
 the Bible, it committed a fatal error by the inter- 
 ception between the "right" extended and the 
 people of its conflicting creeds, compelling the 
 people after all to confine the expressions of their 
 "private judgment and interpretation" to the 
 limited proscriptions of the provisions found in 
 the creeds; causing all who expressed a "private 
 interpretation" contrary thereto to become at once 
 
IN AN EARLY DAY 353 
 
 heretics, and their interpretation an unacceptable 
 heresy! What a dilemma they were in! 
 
 But Protestantism had its fatal weakness, 
 division, and after all the "right" became limited 
 unto certain leaders, and the people were unreas- 
 onably obliged to accept or abide the consequences. 
 But, as we stated in our first chapter, the populace 
 could not accept all, so every one of them was a 
 heretic in each other's estimation! and no remedy. 
 
 If Protestantism recognized Jesus Christ as the 
 Savior, and he said: "Except a man be born of 
 water and of the Spirit he can not enter into the 
 kingdom of heaven," that was sufficient for a start. 
 There would have been incipient unity at least. 
 
 But it was a sowing to the wind; and it was and 
 is yet a conglomerate system of "every wind of 
 doctrine," and is by the "sleight of men," hence 
 can not be tangible nor abiding. 
 
 It is irreconcilably divided, and it has the seed 
 of its own downfall within it; namely, division; 
 and Jesus said: "A house divided against itself 
 can not stand." And his kingdom is never to be 
 thrown down. Having not been especially sent of 
 God, it had no special tidings to deliver. 
 
 Protestantism can not save, for "salvation is of 
 God"; and it claims no godsend. It may elevate 
 morally; to save men eternally it can not! It can 
 not answer intelligently the one saving question; 
 and being unreliable there, it is unreliable 
 throughout. 
 
354 WITH THE CHURCH 
 
 When the primitive ministers were commis- 
 sioned of Christ "to go into all the world and 
 preach," they were supposed to know what they 
 should preach. They could not consistently go 
 without tidings. 
 
 If they had a message to bear, it was a message 
 in the singular number. It was well defined; else 
 they had no right to tell a good story wrong. Life 
 and death spiritual, eternal rested upon its 
 proper delivery. It was a message that came 
 with authority. 
 
 The authority was not self-assumed, but im- 
 posed. The imposer held the divine right to 
 bestow. Because God was the giver of life and 
 dispenser of death (?) the message borne by the 
 ministry carried with it the essence of either. The 
 saving and condemning were resultant upon the 
 personal action of the parties hearing the mes- 
 sage. It became a savor of life or death simply 
 as it might be received or rejected; hence its 
 importance.