FATHER JOHN PARKIN A PUGILIST--DEFENDS A MORMON ELDER--SHELTERS HIM
FROM A STORM AND LEARNS SOMETHING OF MORMONISM--WHOLE FAMILY EMBRACE
THE GOSPEL.
Brother Parkin recalls some incidents of his childhood, that tend
especially to illustrate the character of his father, and the effect of
the Gospel in shaping the lives of individuals.
His father was a pugilist--by instinct rather than by profession
though--for he did not follow it for a living. He was not a large man,
but had a closely knit, muscular frame, no surplus flesh, was about
as active as a cat and possessed unbounded courage. While not of a
quarrelsome nature, he just naturally enjoyed a scrap.
He taught his older sons "the manly art of self defense," and gave
them to understand that he had no patience with molycoddles. He didn't
want them to pick a quarrel, but if any one ever attempted to impose
on them, or their friends, he expected them to give a good account of
themselves. He would be ashamed to have any body who bore his name ever
show the white feather.
The father was passing along the street of his native hamlet in England
one day when his attention was attracted by a rather large and noisy
crowd of people who were, as he learned on joining them, listening to
a local "Mormon" Elder advocate his doctrines, with frequent and noisy
interruptions. The interruptions he soon found were mainly made by
three preachers, one a Baptist, another a Methodist and the third a
Church of England minister. He recognized these when he saw them, for
they were well known and somewhat popular in their special lines of
religion, but the "Mormon" Elder was a stranger to him; in fact, he had
never before met a "Mormon," or heard or read of "Mormon" doctrines.
He had not listened long when his sense of fairness became so outraged
by the sneering, ridiculing, captious interruptions by the preachers,
and the laughter of their sympathizing auditors, that he pushed his way
into the center of the crowd and asked the lone "Mormon" Elder to allow
him to say a few words.
The privilege being granted, he told the crowd that he was not a
preacher, and knew nothing about the doctrines this man was preaching,
but he believed in free speech, and fair play, and thought the man
ought to be allowed to tell what he had to say without interruptions.
Then if the preachers could controvert it, they might fairly do so.
His remarks had the effect of quelling the disturbance momentarily,
but the Elder had scarcely resumed his speaking when the preachers,
apparently bent upon not allowing him to proceed, burst forth again
with their interruptions.
With indignation now thoroughly aroused, Mr. Parkin shook his fist in
the faces of the preachers and demanded fair play. "I don't know this
man," said he, "but he looks and talks decently, and he's got to have a
hearing, if I have to smash the men that interrupt him."
The Baptist preacher had a wooden leg, and perhaps presumed upon that
in being the first to cry out in ridicule when the "Mormon" again
essayed to proceed.
Grabbing him by the collar and shaking him, Mr. Parkin angrily
demanded, "Are you going to compel me to hit you, even though you are a
cripple? Now keep your mouth shut, or I'll have to do it!"
He had scarcely let loose of the preacher's collar when a stalwart son
of the preacher rushed out from the crowd and made a pass at him with
his brawny fist; but Mr. Parkin saw the movement, and, nimbly dodging
the blow, struck out with his good right hand with such force that his
big assailant went down as if he had been hit with a sledge hammer.
While friendly hands began fanning the youth and throwing water in
his face to resuscitate him, Mr. Parkin with blood boiling and eyes
flashing defiance, proceeded to deliver this challenge to the whole
crowd in true bantam fashion: "Come on now, all of you, one at a time,
and I'll whip the crowd!"
None of them chose to accept the challenge. On the contrary, they
neither manifested any disposition to fight him or further listen to
the preaching, for they soon dispersed, their departure being doubtless
hastened by a brisk shower just then coming on.
Turning to the "Mormon" Elder, Mr. Parkin inquired: "Where do you live?"
"At Langley Mills, nine miles from here," was the reply.
"You can't go home in this shower; you had better walk home with me,"
said the pugilist, and his invitation was accepted.
The shower didn't pass as soon as expected; but rather increased in
severity as night approached, and it became apparent that the guest
must be provided with lodgings, as the family hadn't the heart to
turn him out in such a storm. Then, too, there was another reason
for it--they had become somewhat interested in listening to his
explanations of his belief, the doctrines being all new to them.
The eldest son, a boy about ten years old, solved the question of
lodging by offering to give up his bed, and the mother helped out the
matter by arranging for the boy to occupy an improvised bed in the room
in which his parents slept.
When the time for retiring arrived the stranger asked, as a special
favor, the privilege of praying with the family, and the father replied
to this by the declaration that he was not a religious man, that he was
a pugilist, a cock-fighter, a man who didn't believe in prayer and had
no regard for things which others considered sacred; but if it would
afford him any gratification, they would be willing to listen to him
pray.
The prayer was offered, and in it the guest thanked the Lord that he
had found one man who would accept the truth.
The eldest son, the boy who gave up his bed for the stranger to sleep
in, recalls hearing his father ask his wife some time after retiring
for the night, what the man could have meant by alluding, in his
prayer, to one man whom he had found in that town who would accept
the truth. She said she had no idea what man he had in mind, and the
husband told her he would find out by asking him the next morning. And
ask him he did, the next morning, and was not a little surprised when
the Elder turned and, pointing to him, said, "You are the man, for I am
sure you will yet embrace the Gospel!"
That local Elder (whose name was Aaron Nelson, and who afterwards
migrated to Utah, and died only a few years since in St. George)
continued to come every Wednesday and hold meetings in Loscoe, and Mr.
Parkin generally attended his meetings and stood by him, to see that he
got fair play.
Finally, at the close of one of the meetings Mr. Parkin asked the
privilege of making an announcement. Consent being granted, he said: "I
want to give out notice (Elder Nelson being willing) that on Wednesday
night next I will be baptised by him, at Loscoe Dam, for I have become
convinced that 'Mormonism' is true."
He was deliberate about embracing it, but he was as true to it
thereafter as ever needle was to the pole.
The family all embraced the Gospel and came to Utah, and the manner
in which they first became interested in and were led to investigate
"Mormonism" furnished a theme for many a fireside conversation.
As an indication of the effect the Gospel had upon the elder Parkin
it may be mentioned that after he joined the Church he generously
entertained all the missionaries who visited his part of the country,
made them presents, and went to the limit of his ability in manifesting
his love for them and his interest in the work in which they were
engaged.