PRECIOUS MEMORIES
SIXTEENTH BOOK OF THE
FAITH PROMOTING SERIES
DESIGNED FOR THE INSTRUCTION AND
ENCOURAGEMENT OF YOUNG
LATTER-DAY SAINTS
COMPILED AND PUBLISHED BY
GEO. C. LAMBERT
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
1914
PREFACE
The assurances received of the beneficial effects of the earlier
volumes of the Faith-Promoting Series encourage the hope and belief
that the present volume may be none the less helpful and appreciated.
Narratives of personal experience, especially when they relate to
people familiar to the reader or the community in which he lives
possess a peculiar charm to most people, and especially to the young,
and may convey helpful lessons more effectually than homilies or
treatises, however carefully written, are apt to. The reason therefor
probably is that in the narrative the moral is applied in real
experience whereas in the treatise or homily the moral is expressed in
the abstract only, and doubt may exist in the mind of the reader as to
just how to apply it in real life.
The hope is entertained that not only may the narratives contained
in this volume entertain and at the same time tend to promote faith
in those who read them, but that they may also incite others in the
community whose lives have been fraught with incidents that would
be faith-promoting if published to have the same reduced to writing
and supply us therewith for use in the Faith-Promoting Series, or
else furnish us with the facts and allow us to prepare the same for
publication.
G. C. L.
CONTENTS
SUFFERING AND SERVICE OF THOMAS BRIGGS.
CHAPTER I.
Withered Limb Restored to Use--Sister and Mother Instantly
Healed--Saints Preserved in Cholera Epidemic--Prophetic Advice to
the Briggs Family--Consequences of Failure to Follow it--Voyage
to America--The Mother Healed in Answer to Prayer--Satanic Threat
Fulfilled in Mother's Death--Sickness and Recovery of Thomas--His
Marriage--Premonition of Death--Death of Father.
CHAPTER II.
Thomas' Responsibility--Journey to Wisconsin--Disappointment--A New
Home Sought--Strenuous Life--Knee Injured--Intense Suffering--Given Up
to Die--Stimulating Vision--Birth of a Daughter--Novel Runaway--Remedy
for his Lameness--Sundry Efforts to Earn a Living--Chinch Bugs Threaten
Destruction of Crop--Crop Saved by Inspiration.
CHAPTER III.
Start to Utah--Obstacles in Traveling--Strained From
Over-Lifting--Halted Through Illness--Journey to Utah Abandoned--Go to
Springfield, Illinois--New Occupation--Money Made and Lost--Journey
Resumed--Providentially Helped--Unexpected Meeting of Relatives--Work
at Outfitting Post--Journey Across the Plains--Arrival in Salt Lake
City.
CHAPTER IV.
Locates in Bountiful--Generosity of Neighbors--Recognized Home Shown
Him in Dream--Burned Out--Runs a Saw Mill--Death of Wife--Child
Terribly Scalded, Recovers--Brigham Young's Promise--Marries
Again--Comforting Testimonies.
CHAPTER V.
Unstinted Service--Inspiration--Goes to the Northwestern States
as a Missionary--Health Fails and he Returns--Shocking Death of
Son David--Limb Amputated--Patriarchal Blessing--Incident in Logan
Temple--Trip to England to Obtain Genealogy.
CHAPTER VI.
His Life's Mission Found--Extensive Genealogy Obtained--Blessed in
His Wives and Children--Death of Wife and Others--Third Marriage--Leg
Amputated a Second Time--His Benediction.
GEORGE L. FARRELL'S MISSIONARY EXPERIENCE.
CHAPTER I.
Visits Birmingham Conference--Dying Girl Healed When Administered
to--Prediction That She Should Be Baptised Fulfilled--Goes to Utah,
Gets Married, Has a Child and Dies--Other Conversions in the Challis
Family.
CHAPTER II.
Mr. Clark's Intolerance--Elder Farrell's Influence Over Him--Baptisms
in Stanwick--Clark Family Migrate.
PREPARED FOR THE GOSPEL.
John Anderson's Search for the Truth--Providential Way in Which He Was
First Led to Attend a Meeting of the Saints--Embraced the Gospel--Firm
Adherence Thereto.
A PREDICTION AND ITS FULFILLMENT.
Prediction that an Apparently Barren Woman Would Give Birth to a
Son--Its Literal Fulfillment--That Son's Reverence for the Elder Who
Made the Prediction.
A TONGUE OF UTILITY.
Elder Bastian Inspired to Preach in the Danish Language Before He Had
Learned It.
JUDGMENT UPON AN ANTI-"MORMON."
Thug Hired to Assault a "Mormon" Preacher--His Mission Divined by the
Elder--A Prediction Concerning the Instigator--Its Literal Fulfillment.
Suffering and Service of Thos. Briggs
CHAPTER I.
WITHERED LIMB RESTORED TO USE--SISTER AND MOTHER INSTANTLY
HEALED--SAINTS PRESERVED IN CHOLERA EPIDEMIC--PROPHETIC ADVICE TO
THE BRIGGS FAMILY--CONSEQUENCES OF FAILURE TO FOLLOW IT--VOYAGE
TO AMERICA--THE MOTHER HEALED IN ANSWER TO PRAYER--SATANIC THREAT
FULFILLED IN MOTHER'S DEATH--SICKNESS AND RECOVERY OF THOMAS--HIS
MARRIAGE--PREMONITION OF DEATH--DEATH OF FATHER.
BROTHER THOMAS BRIGGS, of Bountiful, Utah, a man who is noted for his
zeal and integrity, has had a rather eventful life, the principal
incidents of which he has had reduced to a type-written narrative for
the benefit of his posterity. From this compilation and information
otherwise obtained, the following items are culled:
He was born August 20, 1832, at Newark, Notting-hamshire, England. When
six years of age he removed with his parents to Hull, where his father
owned and operated a small vessel that plied about the coast and on the
rivers, where the water was too shallow for large ships to navigate.
His parents were religious people, but dissatisfied with the sects of
the day, and therefore not members of any of them.
In the year 1848, the father heard of the Latter-day Saints, and, on
attending one of their meetings, was immediately attracted by their
doctrines. The mother could not be persuaded to attend a meeting for
a long time because of the unpopularity of the "Mormons," and for the
reason that their place of worship was in a somewhat disreputable part
of the town.
When she did finally hear the "Mormon" Elders, she too, as well as
Thomas, became interested, the latter especially so on hearing a
discourse on "the gifts of the Gospel and the signs that follow the
believer." Thomas at that time was sorely afflicted with what the
doctors called a withered limb. What he heard set him to thinking,
reading the Bible and praying. His parents had spent a large amount of
money on having his left leg, (which had ceased growing, and was very
painful,) treated by various doctors, but all in vain.
In the fall of 1848 the Father embraced the Gospel, and near the same
time he took Thomas to a very noted doctor, in the hope that he would
be able to cure him; but the doctor, after examining the boy, said his
was a very bad case, and told the father confidentially that he could
not live much longer.
On leaving the doctor's office the boy asked his father what the doctor
had said about him, and received the discouraging reply that, in the
doctor's opinion, he could not live to be a man.
Thomas determined to rely no more upon the doctors' treatment, but to
appeal to the Lord, and if he could not be healed in answer to the
prayer of the Elders to be satisfied to die.
The Elders at that time frequently held meetings at the Briggs home,
so the very next time they met there the father informed the President
of the Branch of the boy's wish. He was accordingly anointed with oil,
after which the Elders laid their hands upon his head and prayed for
him. He slept well that night and when he arose the following morning
his lame limb was as sound and well as the other, and of the same
length, although it had previously been fully two inches shorter,
causing him to walk with a decided limp. A pair of shoes had been
ordered for him with a specially thick cork sole upon the left one, to
enable him to walk without limping, but as they had not been finished
before he was administered to, the thick sole feature was the next day
countermanded. The left limb had never been as vigorous as the other
from the time he was three months old, and it was a few weeks after
the incident referred to before it became as fleshy, although it was
equally strong. After that one could not have told from the appearance
of his limbs when nude which had been affected; nor, in fact, that
either ever had been.
Near the same time Thomas' sister Elizabeth had a large and painful
swelling come under her ear, and when the mother was almost worn out
with sitting up and waiting upon her, the Elders also administered to
her. Immediately afterwards she fell asleep, slept soundly all night
and when she awoke the next morning the large swelling, which had been
round and hard like a ball, had disappeared, and the loose skin hung
down in the place of it like a bag upon the shoulder, with no evidence
whatever of any discharge from it. It always remained a mystery where
the discharge had gone to. Within a few days the loose skin dried up
and peeled off, and new skin succeeded, without any sign of a scar.
An account of these two cases of healing was published in the
Millennial Star of April 24, 1850, over the signatures of Henry
Beecroft and James McNaughton, the two Elders who officiated, both
of whom, as Brother Briggs remarks in his narrative, afterwards
apostatized, which serves to illustrate the fact that however much the
power of God may be made manifest through an Elder, he may still be
overcome by the evil one unless he leads a pure life and remains humble.
Brother Briggs also relates an instance of his mother being healed
in answer to prayer soon after the family joined the Church. She
had been so ill for several weeks as to be unable to leave her bed,
when one evening the Elders called and administered to her. She was
healed immediately, arose and prepared supper for her guests, of which
she also ate heartily herself, and then joined in singing hymns and
entertaining until midnight, as if she had never been ailing.
On the 27th of January, 1849, Thomas, who was then in his 18th year,
was baptized, and from that time bore a fervent testimony to the truth
of the Gospel.
During a meeting of the Saints held in Hull soon after Thomas was
baptized, a person spoke in tongues, and when the interpretation was
given (which was by another person, and which was evidently inspired)
it was found that it related wholly to Thomas. It was said that he
would have many trials to pass through in life, and much suffering to
endure, but they should be shown to him beforehand, and if he remained
faithful he would come off victorious, and in the end wear a martyr's
crown.
Thomas was not specially impressed with this incident at the time, but
he had occasion to think of it many times afterwards, and also to see
much of it verified.
In the year 1849 the cholera was very prevalent in Hull, and though
many of the Saints suffered from it, but few of them died, being mostly
healed by the power of God in answer to prayer.
In the year 1850 the Briggs family were greatly prospered, and were
strongly advised by one of the Elders who enjoyed the gift of prophecy,
to migrate to Utah. He said: "Brother Briggs, when you get sufficient
means to take you to new Orleans, you go; then go from there to St.
Louis, or you may never get to the valleys of the mountains."
The father, however, delayed starting until misfortune began to
overtake him, when he was reminded of the counsel he had received, and
hastened to obey it. They took passage on the ship Ellen, which sailed
from Liverpool, January 8, 1851. The vessel had not proceeded far when,
during a heavy gale, she collided with another ship, and was so badly
damaged that she had to run into Cardigan bay, North Wales, and remain
there three weeks while undergoing repairs. While there one of the
sailors was badly hurt, and was sent to Liverpool; and Thomas Briggs,
the subject of this sketch, volunteered to take his place, and work his
passage across the ocean, and was allowed to do so.
After a fairly prosperous voyage the ship anchored at New Orleans on
the 14th of March, and the Briggs family proceeded by steamboat up
the Mississippi to St. Louis, where they landed March 26, 1851. There
they met a man who had borrowed some money from the Briggs family in
England, and who was now prepared to repay the loan, which helped them
to make a new start, for the means with which they started had become
exhausted.
Father and son sought employment and worked at whatever job was offered
them--as boat hands, farmers' hired help, bottle washers in soda water
factories, teamsters, putting up ice, chopping cordwood, etc. Sometimes
they were home at night, at other times absent for a considerable
period. The cholera was very bad in St. Louis at that time, and
one night while Thomas and his mother were the only members of the
family at home, she was stricken with the cholera, and appeared to be
dying. He was prompted to get some oil and administer to her. Though
inexperienced, he anointed and prayed over her, and she immediately
revived, and in a short time took some nourishment. Before many days
had passed she was as well as ever.
Soon afterwards, while Thomas was lying awake in bed one night, there
suddenly appeared before his vision a personage dressed in black, who
looking straight at him, said in a sneering tone: "You have saved
her life this time, but I will have it next time. And when I get her
life I will have yours." Thomas boldly answered: "You shall not!" He
understood the personage to represent the power of darkness, and the
person referred to as having her life saved to be his mother. He had
reason to feel very soon that it was no idle threat that the evil one
indulged in.
Thomas obtained work at a dairy, and by his diligence soon worked his
way up to the position of foreman. In consequence of the prevalence
of cholera and the frequent changes in the force of employees as a
result, he was under the necessity of making occasional trips around
with the milk wagons to keep familiar with the routes and see that
the drivers were doing their duty. One morning while thus engaged he
was met on the street by his father, who was greatly agitated, and
who asked him to hurry home with him, as his mother was dying. Thomas
hastened to her bedside, ready and anxious to do anything in his power
to save her life. As he entered the room she turned her eyes upon him
and said faintly: "Tom, be a good lad to your father!" These were
her last words. Her life was ebbing fast away. She soon lapsed into
unconsciousness, and in a very short time her heart ceased to beat.
The mother had not been long dead when Thomas was reminded of the
threat made by the evil one, that he would get her next time, and
also of that against his own life. About one year had elapsed since
the threat was uttered, and he had now (on the 18th of August 1851)
partially executed it.
After the burial of his mother Thomas resumed his work at the dairy,
and his sister Elizabeth, who had been out at service, returned home
and kept house for her father.
About the first of the year 1852 Thomas was taken suddenly ill with
bilious fever, and brought home for treatment. The father, very
much against the wish of Thomas, sent for a doctor, who attended
him for five or six weeks without any sign of improvement; in fact,
he continued to grow worse. The father became greatly alarmed and
discouraged, lest he also should die.
Finally Thomas determined to have his own way in the matter of
remedies, and the next time the doctor called he told him he had
decided to take no more of his medicine, and to dispense with his
services. He asked his father to throw away all of the doctor's
medicine that he had, and to get him a bottle of olive oil, and he
would take that and trust in the Lord for the result.
He took about half of the bottle of oil, which caused nausea, and he
really felt for awhile as if he was dying, but after vomiting very
freely, and thus relieving his system of a good deal of the poison
which had accumulated therein, he felt better, and from that time
improved.
As the winter approached Thomas felt the necessity of seeking a
warmer climate to recuperate in, after being confined to his bed for
eight or nine weeks, so went south to New Orleans, where he was soon
rejoined by his father. They obtained work and did well, and had every
encouragement to remain there permanently, but Thomas especially felt
that his destiny would not be completely filled until he had joined his
fortunes with the body of the Saints in the mountains. Furthermore, he
felt that he had reached a proper age for marriage, and as he had made
the acquaintance of a young woman in St. Louis, of his own faith, and
in every way suitable, he was anxious to marry her. He laid his plans
before his father, and they were heartily approved.
They accordingly returned to St. Louis, where Thomas was shortly
afterwards married to the girl of his choice, Miss Ann Kirkham, by the
Presiding Elder in St. Louis, Brother Horace S. Eldredge. He and his
wife set up a temporary home in St. Louis, hoping to have the father
live with them while making preparations for the journey, and then go
with them to Utah.
The summer of 1853 was very hot in St. Louis, and much sickness
prevailed, and many deaths occurred. On Sunday, the 27th of August,
Thomas and his wife entertained his sister and his wife's sister at
luncheon, and afterwards walked to the cemetery and looked at his
mother's grave. While standing around it he was impressed to say,
"Girls, it will not be long before we shall lay another in this
cemetery lot!" It produced a profound feeling, and he tried, but in
vain, to reason away the idea.
They returned home, feeling very sad and filled with foreboding. Even
Thomas, though he felt sure his premonition would be fulfilled, was
uncertain as to who the victim would be. When they arrived home, to
their surprise they learned that Father Briggs had just been brought
there in a cab, stricken with yellow fever. His feet were very cold,
and when they were placed in hot water he said he could not feel any
warmth in them. Thomas realized then that his symptoms meant death, but
kept his thoughts to himself. The father, though confident when first
brought home that he would recover, evidently soon changed his opinion,
for he said to his son: "Tom, I shall never get to the mountains; but
you will, and you must never forget the dead!" He died the following
day (August 18, 1853), and was buried beside his wife, thus fulfilling
the son's unwitting prediction, and leaving his son bereft of both
mother and father within one short year.