EVENTFUL NARRATIVES,
THE THIRTEENTH BOOK OF THE
FAITH-PROMOTING SERIES.
Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day
Saints.
JUVENILE INSTRUCTOR OFFICE, Salt Lake City, Utah. 1887.
PREFACE.
It affords us much pleasure to be able to present to the public the
Thirteenth Book of the FAITH-PROMOTING SERIES. The favor shown these
little publications by both old and young among the Latter-day Saints
encourages us in the belief that they are read with interest, and, we
trust, with profit. The principal object in issuing them has been and
is to increase faith in the hearts of those who peruse them, by showing
how miraculously God has overruled everything for the benefit of those
who try to serve Him.
If, by our efforts, faith can be implanted or increased in the hearts
of any we will certainly feel that our labors have not been in vain.
We trust this little work will find its way into many homes and afford
pleasure and instruction to all who read it.
THE PUBLISHERS.
CONTENTS.
LEAVING HOME.
CHAPTER I.
Birth-place--Parentage--William H. Scott--An Interview with a Baptist
Minister--A Testimony to the Truth of "Mormonism."
CHAPTER II.
The First Latter-day Saint Meeting--William H. Scott has an Interview
with my Mother--She Forbids me Having Anything to do with the "Mormons."
CHAPTER III.
A Companion--How I Saved my Emigration Money--An Important Letter from
America.
CHAPTER IV.
Richard and Myself Determine to Emigrate with the Saints--Receive
Baptism--The Notification Papers--First Attempt to Leave Home.
CHAPTER V.
Arrival at Sunderland--On the Steamer "General Havelock"--In London--On
Board the "American Congress"--Unpleasant News--A Meeting of the
Saints--An Awful Surprise--"I Want You!"--Taken Prisoners.
CHAPTER VI.
The Scene in the Cabin--One of the Saints Defends us and is
Threatened--John Nicholson, President of the Company, Comes
Forward--The Parting Scene--Good-by to the Saints--Taken to the Thames
Police Office--Trying to get the Passage Money--Locked in the Cell.
CHAPTER VII.
How the Time was Spent in the Cell--A True Testimony--An Officer from
Middlesbrough--Handcuffed--Leave London--Arrival at Middlesbrough--The
Police Office.
CHAPTER VIII.
In the Cell--A Visit from Richard's Father and my Mother--The
Trial--The Decision of the Court--A Few Words of Explanation.
CHAPTER IX.
A Clipping from the "Middlesbrough News"--A Promise Made but Not
Fulfilled--The Second Attempt to Leave Home.
CHAPTER X.
Planning to Leave Home a Third Time--Leave Middlesbrough--Arrival
at Newcastle--Leith, Edinburgh and Glasgow--A Peculiar Situation:
No Money, No Friends--Make up my Mind to go to New York--Arrival at
Liverpool.
CHAPTER XI.
Arrival at Queenstown--In Suspense--"It's only a Runaway Boy they're
After"--Arrival at New York--A Proposition Accepted.
CHAPTER XII.
Leave New York--Arrival at Wyoming--Incidents on the Plains.
CHAPTER XIII.
Arrival in the "City of the Saints"--Keeping "Bach"--My Parents Join
the Church--They Emigrate to Utah.
CHAPTER XIV.
My Parents in Zion--Arrival of Richard Sedgwick in Salt Lake City--His
Story of Leaving Home in 1867--How the President of the Middlesbrough
Branch was Emigrated--Re-union of the Middlesbrough Branch.
A BOY'S LOVE: A MAN'S DEVOTION.
CHAPTER I. William Anderson's Heart and Hand--His Early Life, Home and
Surroundings.
CHAPTER II. Boyhood Sports--An Amateur Militia--A Campaign
Incident--Will Anderson's Gallantry--Christmas Morning Greeting--The
Afternoon Service--A Combat Among the Boys.
CHAPTER III. The Progress of the Age--Will Anderson's Courtship--The
Christmas Sermon.
CHAPTER IV. William Anderson's Marriage and Journey Westward--He and
his Wife hear the Gospel--Visit Nauvoo--Gather with the Saints--The
Battle of Nauvoo.
A TRIP TO CARSON VALLEY.
CHAPTER I. Description of the Route--Object of the Journey--Confronted
by Indians--Discovery of Rubies--More Indians Visit Camp--An Inspired
Suggestion--The Indians Become Friendly.
CHAPTER II. Indians' Stratagem to get one of our Horses--Proceed on our
Way--How Inspiration is Received--An Illustrative Incident.
CHAPTER III. Out of Provisions--Live on Horse Flesh--Arrival at
Carson--Start back for Home--Description of the Journey--Aided by Red
Men--Meet with more Indians--Our manner of Dealing with them.
CHAPTER IV. Premonitions of Danger--Learn of an Attempt to Kill us--An
Indian's Advice--Undecided about what Course to take--Appeal to the
Lord--Prayer Answered--Reach Home in Safety.
LEAVING HOME.
By Robert Aveson.
CHAPTER I.
BIRTH-PLACE--PARENTAGE--WILLIAM H. SCOTT--AN INTERVIEW WITH A BAPTIST
MINISTER--A TESTIMONY TO THE TRUTH OF "MORMONISM."
The writer, the second son of Thomas and Ann Aveson, was born in the
town of Bradford, Yorkshire, England, on August 22nd, 1847.
My father was an honest, hard-working man; he was not a believer in
any particular religion. My mother was more religiously inclined; her
maiden name was Fawcett. Both my father and mother were strict in
training their family, which consisted of nine children (seven sons and
two daughters), five of whom are now dead.
In the early part of 1860 we removed from Bradford to Malton, in
Yorkshire, staying there only about six weeks, and then went to reside
at Middlesbrough, Yorkshire, a very pretty town at that time. We
arrived there February 29th, 1860.
On the 11th of February, 1862, I was engaged to work at Mr Joseph
Gould's printing office in Middlesbrough. My wages were three shillings
per week. Mr. Gould was a printer himself and did most of the work. He
had only one other employee working for him, and that was a boy named
Richard Sedgwick, through whom I procured my situation, and whose
acquaintance I had made a few months previously.
On the 5th of the following May I was bound apprentice to Mr. Gould.
After I signed the indenture, Mr. Brown, one of the witnesses to it,
said to me:
"There, my boy, you have tied a knot with your hand which you can't
unloose with your tongue."
The indenture stated that my wages should be three shillings and
sixpence per week the first year, with a yearly raise of one shilling
per week until I had served my time, which was seven years.
About a week after this, a young man, named William Henry Scott,
was engaged to work for Mr. Gould, and shortly afterwards was bound
apprentice to him for three years. Mr. Scott was from Seaham Harbor,
county of Durham, where his parents and their family resided.
The following August, Richard Sedgwick left Mr. Gould's employ and
went to work for a Mr. Thomas Carter, picture-frame maker, and was
afterwards bound apprentice to him.
William H. Scott was a fine, courteous young man, to whom I became very
much attached. He had resided in Middlesbrough only a short time when
his brother John wrote to him from Seaham Harbor, stating that his
mother and himself had become members of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, and earnestly desired William to investigate the
principles and doctrines of that Church. He told his brother to go to
a man named Anderson, who was a Latter-day Saint and a resident of
Middlesbrough.
Notwithstanding William had recently become identified with the
Methodists, he went, according to request, and had an interview with
Brother Anderson regarding this new religion; and becoming convinced of
the truth of "Mormonism," was baptized a member of the Church.
Brother W. H. Scott became a useful member of what was then known as
the Middlesbrough and Stockton branch. We often conversed together on
the first principles of the latter-day gospel.
At this time (the Summer of 1862) I was feeling more religiously
inclined than I had ever before. One reason for this, probably, was
because a religious revival was in progress. The Wesleyans, Primitive
Methodists and other religious sects were very energetic and obtained
many converts.
About a year and a half previously my mother had become a member of the
Wesleyan Reformers, and I had told her that I did not think it would be
long before I should join one of the religious sects.
I was a regular attendant at a Baptist chapel and Sunday school, and
firmly believed that the principles and doctrines promulgated by the
Baptists were nearer like those the Savior taught than were set forth
by any other religious denomination I was acquainted with, and my mind
was fully made up to identify myself with that body.
One Summer evening in 1862, I attended a Baptist prayer meeting with
the firm intention of becoming converted to their faith and afterwards
applying for baptism. I was under the impression that they made
converts in the same way the Methodists did, but found I was mistaken.
At the close of the meeting I spoke to one of the members, and asked
him why they did not make converts at their prayer meetings. He said
that was not their mode of receiving members; he told me that when
he joined the Baptists he prayed to his Heavenly Father for the
forgiveness of his sins, and after doing so he felt an inward feeling
of happiness, which proved to him that his sins were forgiven; he
said after informing his minister to that effect he was baptized. The
young man asked me to see the minister. I did as he wished me, and the
minister appointed the following Saturday evening for an interview with
him.
According to promise, I went to his house at the appointed time and was
invited into the parlor. The minister's name was William Bontems. He
appeared to me to be a very good man. We were alone in the parlor and
conversed together for quite a while. He told me I must pray to the
Lord and get forgiveness of my sins, and then I could receive baptism.
Another appointment was made for me to see him in one week from that
day.
I went home, thinking seriously over the matter. That night I retired
to rest a little earlier than usual. As soon as I entered my bed-room
I prayed most fervently and humbly to my Heavenly Father, asking Him
to forgive my sins and to produce that happy feeling within my bosom
which others realized before receiving baptism. I spent about fifteen
minutes, at least, in prayer but experienced no happy feeling whatever.
Next evening I again engaged in secret prayer, but realized no benefit.
I tried this for a week, with no marked effect. At the end of the week
I again went to the minister: told him I had prayed every night, but
found no relief; and asked him if he could not pray for me. He replied:
"If all the ministers in the world were to pray for you they could not
save you."
After further conversation he requested me to continue my prayers,
believing the Lord would answer. I did as he told me several nights
more, but without success.
As soon as William H. Scott was identified with the Latter-day Saints
he became a zealous and energetic member, and was desirous that all
those whom he was acquainted with should embrace the gospel. Working
together in the same establishment--in the same room--we had a good
opportunity to converse upon any topic that presented itself. I told
William concerning my interviews with the Baptist minister, and that I
had been praying nightly to the Lord to obtain forgiveness of my sins,
but, seemingly, without effect.
William listened attentively and eagerly to my story. He had wished,
hoped and even prayed that I should be convinced of the latter day
gospel. But I told him I could not see clearly into the principles
taught by the Latter-day Saints.
One evening shortly after this (the early part of August, I think)
feeling as if my continued prayers for a newness of heart were in vain,
I made up my mind to try once more, and if I experienced no difference,
would give up the idea of becoming identified with the Baptists and
would try the "Mormons."
That same morning while at work, William conversed with me again on the
principles advocated by the Latter-day Saints, and smilingly said:
"You'll have to join the `Mormons.'"
While conversing with him I experienced a heavenly feeling; a mist came
over me, I felt within me an influence I had never before realized. The
principles and doctrines of the latter-day gospel came clearly before
me. The Spirit of the Lord was with me, and I received a testimony of
the truth of "Mormonism"--a testimony which I shall never forget. I was
supremely happy, rejoicing with "joy unspeakable." I told William I was
ready for baptism and asked him to introduce me to the Saints the next
Sunday.