OLIVER COWDERY COMMENCES WRITING FOR JOSEPH--THEY ATTEND TO THE
ORDINANCE OP BAPTISM.
When Mr. Smith, and myself arrived at home, we found Samuel and
Sophronia very sick, indeed, they were so low that Hyrum had left his
own house, and quitted business, in order to take care of them during
our absence. They continued sick a length of time--Samuel did not
altogether recover for a number of months.
Soon after we returned from Harmony, a man by the name of Lyman
Cowdery, came into the neighborhood, and applied to Hyrum, (as he
was one of the trustees,) for the district school. A meeting of the
trustees was called, and Mr. Cowdery was employed. But the following
day, this Mr. Cowdery brought his brother Oliver to the trustees, and
requested them to receive him instead of himself, as circumstances had
transpired which rendered it necessary for him to disappoint them,
or which would not allow of his attending to the school himself; and
he would warrant the good conduct of the school under his brother's
supervision. All parties being satisfied, Oliver, commenced his school,
boarding for the time being at our house. He had been in the school
but a short time, when he began to hear from all quarters concerning
the plates, and as soon began to importune Mr. Smith upon the subject,
but for a considerable length of time did not succeed in eliciting any
information. At last, however, he gained my husband's confidence, so
far as to obtain a sketch of the facts relative to the plates.
Shortly after receiving this information, he told Mr. Smith that he
was highly delighted with what he had heard, that he had been in a
deep study upon the subject all day, and that it was impressed upon
his mind, that he should yet have the privilege of writing for Joseph.
Furthermore, that he had determined to pay him a visit at the close of
the school, which he was then teaching.
On coming in on the following day, he said, "The subject upon which we
were yesterday conversing seems working in my very bones, and I cannot,
for a moment, get it out of my mind; finally, I have resolved on what I
will do. Samuel, I understand, is going down to Pennsylvania to spend
the spring with Joseph; I shall make my arrangements to be ready to
accompany him thither, by the time he recovers his health; for I have
made it a subject of prayer, and I firmly believe that it is the will
of the Lord that I should go. If there is a work for me to do in this
thing, I am determined to attend to it."
Mr. Smith told him, that he supposed it was his privilege to know
whether this was the case, and advised him to seek for a testimony for
himself, which he did, and received the witness spoken of in the Book
of _Doctrine and Covenants_, section viii.
From this time, Oliver was so completely absorbed in the subject of the
Record, that it seemed impossible for him to think or converse about
anything else.
As the time for which we had agreed for the place was now drawing to a
close, we began to make preparations to remove our family and effects
to the house in which Hyrum resided. We now felt more keenly than ever
the injustice of the measure which had placed a landlord over us on our
own premises, and who was about to eject us from them.
This I thought would be a good occasion for bringing to Oliver's mind,
the cause of all our present privations, as well as the misfortunes
which he himself was liable to if he should turn his back upon the
world, and set out in the service of God.
"Now, Oliver," said I, "see what a comfortable home we have had here,
what pains each child we have has taken to provide for us every thing
necessary to make old age comfortable, and long life desirable. Here,
especially, I look upon the handiwork of my beloved Alvin, who even
upon his death-bed, and in his last moments, charged his brothers to
finish his work of preparing a place of earthly rest for us; that if
it were possible, through the exertions of the children, our last days
might be our best days. Indeed, there is scarcely anything which I
here see, that has not passed through the hands of that faithful boy,
and afterwards, by his brothers, been arranged precisely according to
his plan, thus showing to me, their affectionate remembrance, both of
their parents, and of the brother whom they loved. All these tender
recollections render our present trial doubly severe, for these dear
relics must now pass into the hands of wicked men, who fear not God,
and regard not man. And upon what righteous principle has all this been
brought about? Have they ever lifted a finger to earn any part of that
which they now claim? I tell you they have not. Yet I now give up all
this for the sake of Christ and salvation, and I pray God to help me to
do so, without a murmur or a tear. In the strength of God, I say, that
from this time forth, I will not cast one longing look upon anything
which I now leave behind me. However, in consequence of these things,
Oliver, we cannot make you comfortable any longer, and you will be
under the necessity of taking boarding somewhere else."
"Mother," exclaimed the young man, "let me stay with you, for I can
live in any log hut where you and father live, but I cannot leave you,
so do not mention it."
In April, Samuel, and Mr. Cowdery set out for Pennsylvania.
The weather, for some time previous, had been very wet and
disagreeable--raining, freezing, and thawing alternately, which had
rendered the roads almost impassable, particularly in the middle of the
day. Notwithstanding, Mr. Cowdery was not to be detained, either by
wind or weather, and they persevered until they arrived at Joseph's.
Joseph had been so hurried with his secular affairs, that he could not
proceed with his spiritual concerns so fast as was necessary for the
speedy completion of the work; there was also another disadvantage
under which he labored, his wife had so much of her time taken up with
the care of her house, that she could write for him but a small portion
of the time. On account of these embarrassments, Joseph called upon the
Lord, three days prior to the arrival of Samuel and Oliver, to send him
a scribe, according to the promise of the angel; and he was informed
that the same should be forthcoming in a few days. Accordingly, when
Mr. Cowdery told him the business that he had come upon, Joseph was not
at all surprised.
They sat down and conversed together till late. During the evening,
Joseph told Oliver his history, as far as was necessary for his present
information, in the things which mostly concerned him. And the next
morning they commenced the work of translation, in which they were soon
deeply engaged.
One morning they sat down to their work, as usual, and the first thing
which presented itself through the Urim and Thummim, was a commandment
for Joseph and Oliver to repair to the water, and attend to the
ordinance of baptism. They did so, and as they were returning to the
house, they overheard Samuel engaged in secret prayer. Joseph said,
that he considered this as a sufficient testimony of his being a fit
subject for baptism; and as they had now received authority to baptize,
they spoke to Samuel upon the subject, and he went straightway to the
water with them, and was baptized. After which, Joseph and Oliver
proceeded with the work of translation as before.