United Order.--Indian Troubles.--Mission to England.
In the winter of 1873 and 1874 President Young visited Dixie, and
taught the people the principles of the United Order. I received a
letter from him requesting me to meet him at Rockville. I took my
son Ferra, then a lad of eight years, and crossed the mountain on
horseback. The snow was three feet deep on the divide, and the weather
stormy. In fact, we faced a blizzard for eight hours. When we reached
Rockville, the afternoon meeting was in session, the house being
packed, and people standing in the aisles. President Young, having
called me to the stand, and there being no room to pass, the brethren
lifted me up and I walked forward from shoulder to shoulder.
The interest in the president's message was intense, and the awakening
general in the south. I attended ten meetings and listened to the
prophet at every one of them. How great was my joy! I felt that an era
of prosperity and happiness had dawned upon the Saints. How pointed and
rich were the instructions! "Give your hearts to God." "Do unto others
as you would have others do unto you." "The way the world does business
is a sin before God." "If you are not one in temporal things, how can
you be one in spiritual things?"
All these utterances, it seemed to me, pointed to the happy time when
there would be no poor in Zion, and the idler should not eat the bread
of the laborer. I received a written appointment, signed by Brigham
Young and George A. Smith, authorizing and instructing me to visit
our southeastern frontier settlements and organize them into working
companies in the United Order; the object being to enable them to
become self-sustaining by encouraging home production.
With Bishop Levi Stewart I visited and organized the Pahreah branch.
I also organized working companies at Glendale and Mt. Carmel in Long
Valley. I was sustained as president of the working companies in Kanab,
while Levi Stewart was sustained as bishop of the ward. This was wrong
in principle, and led to division, retarding the growth of the ward.
In the winter of 1874, four Navajos, the sons of a chief, were on a
visit to the Utes. On the return trip, as they were camped one morning
in a deserted house in Circle Valley, they were set upon by some
stockmen, led by Mr. McCarty, and three of the Indians were killed.
The fourth one was severely wounded, an ounce ball having passed
clear through his body, just below the shoulder blades; yet he lived,
traveled one hundred miles over mountains and deep snow, swam the
Colorado river, reached his home, and told his story.
The Navajos believed the Mormons to be the perpetrators of this cruel
tragedy. Two Mormon families and a few Indian missionaries were living
at the Moancopy and Mawaby. Peokon, a war chief, visited these and
demanded two hundred head of cattle as pay for their murdered sons, and
thirty days was given in which to get the stock.
John L. Blythe and Ira Hatch dispatched the word to Bishop Stewart
and me, and we telegraphed it to President Young. Upon receipt of the
message, John W. Young telegraphed for me to raise a company of men
and bring the families and all the missionaries to this side of the
Colorado river, and leave the Navajos alone until they should learn who
their friends are.
Andrew S. Gibbons of Glendale, Thomas Chamberlain of Mt. Carmel, and
Frank Hamblin of Kanab, with six men each, responded promptly to the
call. We reached the Moancopy two days before the time set by the
Navajos to make their onslaught. I found my task a hard and delicate
one. Jacob Hamblin and John L. Blythe were older and more experienced
in frontier life than I. Each of them, moreover, was presiding in some
capacity over that particular mission, and so they were reluctant to
yield to my counsel and suggestions. I have always felt thankful to
Frank Hamblin and Ira Hatch; for, by reason of the loyal manner in
which they supported me, the task was accomplished without loss or
accident of any kind. This was my last labor in Indian matters.
In 1876 Bishop Stewart and I were released from our positions, and
L. John Nuttall of Provo was sent to preside. I was disheartened at
the way things had gone, and believing that my days of usefulness at
Kanab was ended, I returned to Long Valley, and associated myself
with Orderville United Order. In this community I formed valued
acquaintances and cherished friendships.
The people were poor, humble, and prayerful, and therefore fruitful in
faith and good works. Had President Brigham Young lived, the history of
that community would have been different. For the good I witnessed I
have words of praise; for the faults, only charity and silence.
The problems of cooperative labor, equal wages, and boardinghouse
economy were not fairly tested; the future may give these questions a
test under more favorable conditions. The fact is that in the death of
Brigham Young, Orderville lost its guiding star and pilot.
In the spring of 1877 I was called on a mission to England. The health
of my family was not good, and I felt sad at leaving them; but I
responded to the call, trusting that the sacrifice would bring its
blessing.
On the 20th of April I started for England, in company with Elder
Samuel Claridge. We left home in a snow storm. The brethren of
Orderville, having given me a pair of carriage horses, I sold them
to my Brother William G. and thereby purchased a good outfit. Our
company of missionaries traveled in care of Apostle Joseph F. Smith,
going by rail to New York, then by cabin passage, first-class steamer,
to Liverpool. The journey both by land and sea was pleasant and
interesting.
Upon reaching England, I was appointed to labor in Wales, under the
presidency of Samuel Leigh. He was ever kind and fatherly to me. On
July 3, 1877, in company with Elder Joseph W. Taylor, I spent the day
down in the Dyfern coal mine. The pit is seven hundred feet deep and
employs four hundred fifty hands--men, boys, and women.
It has a thirty-horse-power steam engine, and forty-two horses down in
the pit. The property is worth one million dollars.
While in the mine we were joined by the government mine inspector from
London. He was curious to hear a Mormon elder preach, and prevailed
upon the superintendent to signal the miners together, and devote an
hour to a meeting.
I spoke forty minutes on the first principles of the Gospel, and its
restoration. I found the Welsh people warm-hearted and excitable. The
history of the Welsh Saints abounds in incidents of marvelous healings
and spiritual manifestations of God's power.
August 31st I visited Tredagar, and held meeting in St. George's Hall.
I preached to a large gathering of people, and two native elders
followed me, bearing powerful testimonies. On September 1st I walked to
Merthyr and received the following telegram:
"John R. Young: President Brigham Young died yesterday, August 29th,
at four p.m., of inflammation of the bowels, superinduced by cholera
morbus. Received cablegram this morning.--Signed Joseph F. Smith."
On Sunday, September 2, 1877, our meeting was well attended by Saints
from the neighboring branches. Elders Leigh, Rowland, Joseph W. Taylor,
Walter J. Lewis, and Thomas F. Howells from Utah were present. The news
of President Young's death had spread, causing this gathering. The
meetings were addressed by all the valley elders.
The Spirit of the Lord was poured out upon us; and many comforting
words were spoken. I bore testimony of the purity and prophetic power
of Brigham Young's life, and the Saints returned home, strengthened in
their faith and determination to serve God.
I labored four months in Wales, and formed many pleasant acquaintances;
but it would be unjust to name a few, when all were so kind to me.
I walked eight hundred miles, preached seventy times, and wrote
forty-five letters. I was satisfied with my work; I had been humble,
faithful, and diligent; the result I left with my Heavenly Father.