WOMAN'S WORK IN CANADA AND GREAT BRITAIN--HEBER C. KIMBALL'S
PROPHESY--PARLEY P. PRATT'S SUCCESSFUL MISSION TO CANADA--A BLIND WOMAN
MIRACULOUSLY HEALED--DISTINGUISHED WOMEN OF THAT PERIOD.
By this time (1840, the period of the founding of Nauvoo), the Church
has had a remarkable history in Canada and Great Britain. To these
missions we must now go for some of our representative women, and also
to extend our view of Mormonism throughout the world.
Brigham Young was the first of the elders who took Mormonism into
Canada, soon after his entrance into the Church. There he raised up
several branches, and gathered a few families to Kirtland; but it
was not until the apostle Parley P. Pratt took his successful and
almost romantic mission to Canada, that Mormonism flourished in the
British Province, and from there spread over to Great Britain, like an
apostolic wave.
Presently we shall see that the romance of Mormonism has centred around
the sisters abroad as well as at home. Frequently we shall see them
the characters which first come to view; the first prepared for the
great spiritual work of the age; the first to receive the elders with
their tidings of the advent of a prophet and the administration of
angels, after the long night of spiritual darkness, and centuries of
angelic silence; and were it possible to trace their every footstep in
the wonderful work abroad, we should find that the sisters have been
effective missionaries of the Church, and that, in some sections, they
have been instrumental in making more disciples than even the elders.
Here is the opening of the story of Parley P. Pratt's mission to
Canada, in which a woman immediately comes to the foreground in a
famous prophesy:
"It was now April" (1836). "I had retired to rest," says he, "one
evening, at an early hour, and was pondering my future course, when
there came a knock at the door. I arose and opened it, when Heber C.
Kimball and others entered my house, and being filled with the spirit
of prophesy, they blessed me and my wife, and prophesied as follows:
'Brother Parley, thy wife shall be healed from this hour, and shall
bear a son, and his name shall be Parley; and he shall be a chosen
instrument in the hands of the Lord to inherit the priesthood and
to walk in the steps of his father. He shall do a great work in the
earth in ministering the word and teaching the children of men. Arise,
therefore, and go forth in the ministry, nothing doubting. Take no
thought for your debts, nor the necessaries of life, for the Lord will
supply you with abundant means for all things.
"'Thou shalt go to Upper Canada, even to the city of Toronto, the
capital, and there thou shalt find a people prepared for the fullness
of the gospel, and they shall receive thee, and thou shalt organize
the Church among them, and it shall spread thence into the regions
round about, and many shall be brought to the knowledge of the truth,
and shall be filled with joy; and from the things growing out of this
mission, shall the fullness of the gospel spread into England, and
cause a great work to be done in that land.'
"This prophesy was the more marvelous, because being married near ten
years we had never had any children; and for near six years my wife had
been consumptive, and had been considered incurable. However, we called
to mind the faith of Abraham of old, and judging Him faithful who had
promised, we took courage.
"I now began in earnest to prepare for the mission, and in a few days
all was ready. Taking an affectionate leave of my wife, mother and
friends, I started for Canada, in company with a Brother Nickerson, who
kindly offered to bear expenses."
Away to Canada with Parley. We halt with him in the neighborhood of
Hamilton. He is an entire stranger in the British Province, and without
money. He knows not what to do. His narrative thus continues:
"The spirit seemed to whisper to me to try the Lord, and see if
anything was too hard for him, that I might know and trust him under
all circumstances. I retired to a secret place in a forest, and prayed
to the Lord for money to enable me to cross the lake. I then entered
Hamilton, and commenced to chat with some of the people. I had not
tarried many minutes before I was accosted by a stranger, who inquired
my name and where I was going. He also asked me if I did not want
some money. I said yes. He then gave me ten dollars, and a letter of
introduction to John Taylor, of Toronto, where I arrived the same
evening.
"Mrs. Taylor received me kindly, and went for her husband, who was busy
in his mechanic shop. To them I made known my errand to the city, but
received little direct encouragement. I took tea with them, and then
sought lodgings at a public house."
Already had he met in Canada a woman destined to bear a representative
name in the history of her people, for she is none other than the wife
of the afterwards famous apostle John Taylor. She is the first to
receive him into her house; and the apostolic story still continues the
woman in the foreground:
"In the morning," he says, "I commenced a regular visit to each of the
clergy of the place, introducing myself and my errand. I was absolutely
refused hospitality, and denied the opportunity of preaching in any
of their houses or congregations. Rather an unpromising beginning,
thought I, considering the prophesies on my head concerning Toronto.
However, nothing daunted, I applied to the sheriff for the use of the
court-house, and then to the authorities for a public room in the
market-place; but with no better success. What could I do more? I had
exhausted my influence and power without effect. I now repaired to a
pine grove just out of the town, and, kneeling down, called on the
Lord, bearing testimony of my unsuccessful exertions; my inability to
open the way; at the same time asking him in the name of Jesus to open
an effectual door for his servant to fulfill his mission in that place.
"I then arose and again entered the town, and going to the house of
John Taylor, had placed my hand on my baggage to depart from a place
where I could do no good, when a few inquiries on the part of Mr.
Taylor, inspired by a degree of curiosity or of anxiety, caused a few
moments' delay, during which a lady by the name of Walton entered the
house, and, being an acquaintance of Mrs. Taylor, was soon engaged in
conversation with her in an adjoining room. I overheard the following:
"'Mrs. Walton, I am glad to see you; there is a gentleman here from
the United States who says the Lord sent him to this city to preach
the gospel. He has applied in vain to the clergy and to the various
authorities for opportunity to fulfill, his mission, and is now about
to leave the place. He may be a man of God; I am sorry to have him
depart.'
"'Indeed!' said the lady; 'well, I now understand the feelings and
spirit which brought me to your house at this time. I have been busy
over the wash-tub and too weary to take a walk; but I felt impressed to
walk out. I then thought I would make a call on my sister, the other
side of town; but passing your door, the spirit bade me go in; but I
said to myself, I will go in when I return; but the spirit said, go in
now. I accordingly came in, and I am thankful that I did so. Tell the
stranger he is welcome to my house. I am a widow; but I have a spare
room and bed, and food in plenty. He shall have a home at my house,
and two large rooms to preach in just when he pleases. Tell him I will
send my son John over to pilot him to my house, while I go and gather
my relatives and friends to come in this very evening and hear him
talk; for I feel by the spirit that he is a man sent by the Lord with a
message which will do us good.'
"The evening found me quietly seated at her house," says Parley, "in
the midst of a number of listeners, who were seated around a large work
table in her parlor, and deeply interested in conversation like the
following:
"'Mr. Pratt, we have for some years been anxiously looking for some
providential event which would gather the sheep into one fold; build up
the true Church as in days of old, and prepare the humble followers of
the Lamb, now scattered and divided, to receive their coming Lord when
he shall descend to reign on the earth. As soon as Mrs. Taylor spoke
of you I felt assured, as by a strange and unaccountable presentiment,
that you were a messenger, with important tidings on these subjects;
and I was constrained to invite you here; and now we are all here
anxiously waiting to hear your words.'
"'Well, Mrs. Walton, I will frankly relate to you and your friends
the particulars of my message am the nature of my commission. A young
man the State of New York, whose name is Joseph Smith, was visited
by an angel of God, and, after several visions and much instruction,
was enabled to obtain an ancient record, written by men of old on the
American continent, and containing the history, prophesies and gospel
in plainness, as revealed to them by Jesus and his messengers. This
same Joseph Smith and others, were also commissioned by the angels
in these visions, and ordained to the apostleship, with authority to
organize a church, to administer the ordinances, and to ordain others,
and thus cause the full, plain gospel in its purity, to be preached in
all the world.
"'By these apostles thus commissioned, I have been ordained as an
apostle, and sent forth by the word of prophesy to minister the baptism
of repentance for remission of sins, in the name of Jesus Christ; and
to administer the gift of the Holy Ghost, to heal the sick, to comfort
the mourner, bind up the broken in heart, and proclaim the acceptable
year of the Lord.
"'I was also directed to this city by the spirit of the Lord, with
a promise that I should find a people here prepared to receive the
gospel, and should organize them in the same. But when I came and was
rejected by all parties, I was about to leave the city; but the Lord
sent you, a widow, to receive me, as I was about to depart; and thus I
was provided for like Elijah of old. And now I bless your house, and
all your family and kindred, in his name. Your sins shall be forgiven
you; you shall understand and obey the gospel, and be filled with the
Holy Ghost; for so great faith have I never seen in any of my country.'
"'Well, Mr. Pratt, this is precisely the message we were waiting for;
we believe your words and are desirous to be baptized.'
"'It is your duty and privilege,' said I; 'but wait yet a little
while till I have an opportunity to teach others, with whom you are
religiously connected, and invite them to partake with you of the same
blessings.'"
Next comes a great miracle--the opening of the eyes of the blind--which
seems to have created quite a sensation in Canada; and still the woman
is the subject. The apostle continues:
"After conversing with these interesting persons till a late hour,
we retired to rest. Next day Mrs. Walton requested me to call on a
friend of hers, who was also a widow in deep affliction, being totally
blind with inflammation in the eyes; she had suffered extreme pain
for several months, and had also been reduced to want, having four
little children to support. She had lost her husband, of cholera, two
years before, and had sustained herself and family by teaching school
until deprived of sight, since which, she had been dependent on the
Methodist society; herself and children being then a public charge.
Mrs. Walton sent her little daughter of twelve years old to show me the
way. I called on the poor blind widow and helpless orphans, and found
them in a dark and gloomy apartment, rendered more so by having every
ray of light obscured to prevent its painful effects on her eyes. I
related to her the circumstances of my mission, and she believed the
same. I laid my hands upon her in the name of Jesus Christ, and said
unto her, 'Your eyes shall be well from this very hour.' She threw
off her bandages--opened her house to the light--dressed herself, and
walking with open eyes, came to the meeting that same evening at Sister
Walton's, with eyes as well and as bright as any other persons.
"The Methodist society were now relieved of their burthen in the person
of this widow and four orphans. This remarkable miracle was soon noised
abroad, and the poor woman's house was thronged from all parts of the
city and country with visitors; all curious to witness for themselves,
and to inquire of her how her eyes were healed.
"'How did the man heal your eyes?' 'What did he do?--tell us,' were
questions so oft repeated that the woman, wearied of replying, came to
me for advice to know what she should do. I advised her to tell them
that the Lord had healed her, and to give him the glory, and let that
suffice. But still they teased her for particulars. 'What did this man
do?' 'How were your eyes opened and made well?'
"'He laid his hands upon my head in the name of Jesus Christ, and
rebuked the inflammation, and commanded them to be made whole and
restored to sight; and it was instantly done.'
"'Well, give God the glory; for, as to this man, it is well known that
he is an impostor, a follower of Joseph Smith, the false prophet.'
"'Whether he be an impostor or not, I know not; but this much I know,
whereas I was blind, now I see! Can an impostor open the eyes of the
blind?'"
The widow Walton was baptized, with all her household; John Taylor and
his wife, also; and John soon became an able assistant in the ministry.
And here we meet two more representative women--sisters--whose family
were destined to figure historically in the church. The narrative of
Parley continues:
"The work soon spread into the country and enlarged its operations in
all that region; many were gathered into the Church, and were filled
with faith and love, and with the holy spirit, and the Lord confirmed
the word with signs following. My first visit to the country was about
nine miles from Toronto, among a settlement of farmers, by one of whom
I had sent an appointment beforehand. John Taylor accompanied me. We
called at a Mr. Joseph Fielding's, an acquaintance and friend of Mr.
Taylor's. This man had two sisters, young ladies, who seeing us coming
ran from their house to one of the neighboring houses, lest they should
give welcome, or give countenance to 'Mormonism.' Mr. Fielding stayed,
and as we entered the house he said he was sorry we had come; he had
opposed our holding meeting in the neighborhood; and, so great was the
prejudice, that the Methodist meeting house was closed against us, and
the minister refused, on Sunday, to give out the appointment sent by
the farmer.
"'Ah!' said I, 'why do they oppose Mormonism?' 'I don't know,' said he,
'but the name has such a contemptible sound; and, another thing, we do
not want a new revelation, or a new religion contrary to the Bible.'
'Oh,' said I, 'if that is all we shall soon remove your prejudices.
Come, call home your sisters, and let's have some supper. Did you say
the appointment was not given out?' 'I said, sir, that it was not given
out in the meeting house, nor by the minister; but the farmer by whom
you sent it agreed to have it at his house.' 'Come, then, send for
your sisters, we will take supper with you, and all go over to meeting
together. If you and your sisters will agree to this, I will agree to
preach the old Bible gospel, and leave out all new revelations which
are opposed to it.'
"The honest man consented. The young ladies came home, got us a good
supper, and all went to meeting. The house was crowded; I preached,
and the people wished to hear more. The meeting house was opened
for further meetings, and in a few days we baptized Brother Joseph
Fielding and his two amiable and intelligent sisters, for such they
proved to be in an eminent degree. We also baptized many others in that
neighborhood, and organized a branch of the church, for the people
there drank in truth as water, and loved it as they loved life."
Arriving at home the apostle Parley met continued examples of the
fulfillment of prophesy. Sister Pratt is now the interesting character
who takes the foreground. He says:
"I found my wife had been healed of her seven years' illness from the
time Brother Kimball had ministered unto her, and I began to realize
more fully that every word of his blessing and prophesy upon my head
would surely come to pass."
"After a pleasant visit with the saints," he continues, "I took my wife
with me and returned again to Toronto, in June, 1836. The work I had
commenced was still spreading its influence, and the saints were still
increasing in faith and love, in joy and in good works. There were
visions, prophesyings, speaking in tongues and healings, as well as the
casting out of devils and unclean spirits."
The work inaugurated by Parley P. Pratt seemed to have achieved a
signal triumph almost from the very beginning. Indeed all had come to
pass according to the prophesy of Heber C. Kimball, even not excepting
the promised son and heir, who was born March 25th, 1837. But with this
event came the mortal end of Parley's estimable wife. She lived just
long enough to accomplish her destiny; and when the child was dressed,
and she had looked upon it and embraced it, she passed away.
The following personal description and tribute of the poet apostle to
the memory of his mate is too full of love and distinctively Mormon
ideality to be lost:
"She was tall, of a slender frame, her face of an oval form, eyes large
and of a dark color, her forehead lofty, clear complexion, hair black,
smooth and glossy. She was of a mild and affectionate disposition and
full of energy, perseverance, industry and cheerfulness, when not borne
down with sickness. In order, neatness and refinement of taste and
habit she might be said to excel. She was an affectionate and dutiful
wife, an exemplary saint, and, through much tribulation, she has gone
to the world of spirits to meet a glorious resurrection and an immortal
crown and kingdom.
"Farewell, my dear Thankful, thou wife of my youth, and mother of my
first born; the beginning of my strength--farewell. Yet a few more
lingering years of sorrow, pain and toil, and I shall be with thee,
and clasp thee to my bosom, and thou shalt sit down on my throne, as a
queen and priestess unto thy Lord, arrayed in white robes of dazzling
splendor, and decked with precious stones and gold, while thy queen
sisters shall minister before thee and bless thee, and thy sons and
daughters innumerable shall call thee blessed, and hold thy name in
everlasting remembrance."
The interesting story which Parley tells of the visit of the spirit
of his wife to him, while he was lying, a prisoner for the gospel's
sake, in a dark, cold and filthy dungeon in Richmond, Ray county,
Missouri, will be to the foregoing a charming sequel. While tortured
with the gloom and discomforts of his prison, and most of all with the
inactivity of his life of constraint, and earnestly wondering, and
praying to know, if he should ever be free again to enjoy the society
of friends and to preach the gospel, the following was shown to him,
which we will tell in his own language:
"After some days of prayer and fasting," says he, "and seeking the Lord
on the subject, I one evening retired to my bed in my lonely chamber
at an early hour, and while the other prisoners and the guard were
chatting and beguiling the lonesome hours in the upper part of the
prison, I lay in silence, seeking and expecting an answer to my prayer,
when suddenly I seemed carried away in the spirit, and no longer
sensible to outward objects with which I was surrounded. A heaven of
peace and calmness pervaded my bosom; a personage from the world of
spirits stood before me with a smile of compassion in every look, and
pity mingled with the tenderest love and sympathy in every expression
of the countenance. A soft hand seemed placed within my own, and a
glowing cheek was laid in tenderness and warmth upon mine. A well-known
voice saluted me, which I readily recognized as that of the wife of my
youth, who had then for nearly two years been sweetly sleeping where
the wicked cease from troubling and the weary are at rest. I was made
to realize that she was sent to commune with me, and to answer my
question.
"Knowing this, I said to her, in a most earnest and inquiring tone:
'Shall I ever be at liberty again in this life, and enjoy the society
of my family and the saints, and preach the gospel, as I have done?'
She answered definitely and unhesitatingly: 'Yes!' I then recollected
that I had agreed to be satisfied with the knowledge of that one fact,
but now I wanted more.
"Said I: 'Can you tell me how, or by what means, or when, I shall
escape?' She replied: 'That thing is not made known to me yet.' I
instantly felt that I had gone beyond my agreement and my faith in
asking this last question, and that I must be contented at present with
the answer to the first.
"Her gentle spirit then saluted me and withdrew. I came to myself. The
noise of the guards again grated on my ears, but heaven and hope were
in my soul.
"Next morning I related the whole circumstance of my vision to my two
fellow-prisoners, who rejoiced exceedingly. This may seem to some like
an idle dream, or a romance of the imagination; but to me it was, and
always will be, a reality, both as it regards what I then experienced
and the fulfillment afterwards."
The famous escape from Richmond jail forms one of the romantic chapters
of Mormon history, but it belongs rather to the acts of the apostles
than to the lives of the sisters.