The day that I first went to meeting Ann Eliza was sent for to go home to
assist in taking care of her brother Lorenzo W. who was sick with
consumption he died the 28th day of Jany 1845 he was buried in the same
place that Daniel W. was, side by side, he was a good young man he was
inteligent and industrious his age was 26 years 7 months 11 days. I was sent
for to go and make his coffin or assist in it. after he was buried we
returnd to fathers.
during the winter of 1845 I was finishing off a house which was an addition
to the main house until the month of December when an Elder by the name of
Edward Wilard was sent to me to tell me the time had come for all the Saints
to gather for the church was going to move to Vancovers Island or someplace
in the far west, it was not known yet whare, but we ware required to do as
Abraham did to go to a land that should yet be shown to us. I told mother
the word that I had received but she did not like it much. I said that the
Lord had called me to save my fathers house and it was for her as much as
any. She said that if she was never saved till I done it she should be
damned to all eternity I talked much to her about my faith and the hope that
was before me, but she did not believe me. She said she had one consolation
and that was I had not any means that I could command to go with and she
guesst that I would have my match to get away I told her that the God that I
served was rich for the earth was his and the fullnes thareof and I had no
fears but what I should get away inasmuch as I done the best I could the
Lord was bound to open the way for me and he surely would do it. Yes ! said
she, the god that does such things is made of silver and gold and if I was
smart enough to get it then I might start but no doubt I should be back to
winter. This she said because it was generly in the fall that I had come
home but it was not because I wisht to, but it was their desire that I
should for it was in the fall that they kneeded me most, In a few days I
went down to fatherinlaws to see him about some timber for a waggon he said
that if I would make him one he would give me lumber for one for myself and
board me while I was makeing them both, & I went at it. I made his in part
but he mad up his mind that he should not want it and tole me to go on with
mine and finish it as soon as I could I had a few notes which I had worked
for before one was against P. Leonard for the house that I sold him 25
dollars and for which he paid me a small cook stove at 18 dollars and the
rest he paid in money I had a note against John Seales of about 10 dollars
he paid me two thousand shingles and some money. I sold a cow to a man by
the name of Roberts of Grand Rapids for 12 dollars I sold two bedsteads to
mother and a table and some other things and she paid me in money so that in
all I raised enough to buy my iron for my waggon and paid a blacksmith the
stove for doing the iron work for me and had money left. While I was makeing
my waggon Ann Eliza was spinning wool and was at work with Eliza making a
piece of cloth cotton and wool. Mother scolded so much that she could not
stand it and she moved into a room in the house whare father Orr lived (with
Eliza for he had moved away and Hall had moved in) Ann Eliza took the south
room it was 7 feet wide and 12 feet long with a stairway in one corner. When
mother found she was going in their she tried to persuade her not to go for
sais she what will the neighbors say. She answered she could not help what
they said she could not stand it any longer in the way she had. Mother
thought that Ann Eliza had but little faith in Mor-manism and she wanted her
to persuade me not to go but she could not accomplish it which vext her by
night and by day. She tried every scheme in her power but all her plans
failed She would invite in the neighbers to talk to me, one by the name of
Woodruff he was Deacon in the Congregationalists church he said all he could
think of but he was headed on every hand and as a last resort he broke out
in the following You have been a Methodist and a Universalist and now you
are a morman and no one knows what you will be next for you are of your
father the devil and the wo*ks of your father ye will do, for he was a liar
from the beginning and the father of it.
Just before we ware ready to leave thare came an apostate from Nauvoo by the
name of Hiram Cook with the story that the rnormans had more than one wife,
but we did not believe him but after all it was something of a trial for the
fel*w come directly from Nauvoo and he said that he had seen it with his own
eyes, and told of those that we knew And we could not prove to the contrary
but we was careful not to let it come to mothers ears for fear that it might
be told of again.
However I was determined not to back out, nor have it said that the God that
I served had faild to do as I told them he would do about this time Salmon
told me that he had laid in for a team for me and when I was ready to start
he would have it on hand for me. he said he had seen me in hell long enough
and he would help me off and he calculated to go with me himself and family
When he told me this I felt to thank the Lord for his goodness in opening
the way for me by providing means for my exit from babalon and all her
abomnations This I considered another miracle which was in answer to my
prayers, one other I will notice before I proceed farther. I had always been
afflicted with the tooth ache, one day as I was husking corn in the month of
November in the barn, it came on to me the hardest kind Something seemd to
say to me what church do you belong to I answerd I belong to the mormans.
Why they believe in miracles dont they Yes sais I, I believe they do Well
then why dont you try the medecine yourself. At this I fell onto my knees
and asked the Lord to heal me of the tooth ache, and it lef me forthwith and
it has not troubled me since and it is now 10 years.
In the time I was geting my wagon ironed by the blacksmith I turned in and
helped him by blowing and stroking this saved me about 1/4 of the expence
Hall also had one done at the same time and I made him a box and frame to
put the cover on which cost me about 12 days laber which was worth about $1.
50 pr day he was expecting to go with me but he failed in setling his farm
so he could not raise a team as he intended And he told me that if the
mormans ware as corrupt as they had been represented he did not wish to go
with them, but he wanted me to go on down to Kanzas or on the Misissippi
river and find out what I could about them, and make a claim and he would
come on to me in the coarse of the sumer or fall and he would settle with
me.
When father found I was about to get away he came to the barn whare I was at
work and said since I was determined to start off I should not go without
some money here is five dollars which I make a presant of to you I took it
and thanked him this made me $22. 50 in my pocket. I had about 10 bushels of
wheat as I had supposed but when I was ready to load up I learned that
father had carried it all to mill both his and mine while I was away at work
on my waggon and got it ground together and I had none. I asked him why he
done so. he said that I had no share in it whatever I told him I had done
the laber to rais it and supposed I was entitled to a share of it. he said
it did not make any differance if I did it was his and he should keep it. I
told him then if he could live with it I would do without it, for as it
hapened I had a little money left and as long as that lasted I should not
starve and went to loading up, but finaly mother told him if she was in his
place she would let me have a little flour finely he consented and came out
and told me to bring in a sack and he would let me have some flour. So I did
so and he masered me out about 50 or 60 Ibs and that was all I could have I
had a water keg which I intend to take but it could not be found at last I
found out that it had been sent off full of whiskey and of coarse it was
safe also a trowel was put away for safe keeping but I was determined
nothing should stop me. I put up what I had and roaled out as I drove out at
the gate I said good by mother, as she stood in the door, she seemed to be
somewhat affected but father stood near by and said never mind He'll be back
to winter, sais I father this is the last time you will ever see me this
side of the grave, then sals I shall die before winter, he said! no sais I
you will live long enough to find that I am not so easey to back out this
time. Ann Elizas sister Aurealia was presant when we started and bid us good
by and wanted to go with us but her father was not willing for she had asked
his consent but he declined making my waggon. I had forgot to mention that
while I was at his house I read the book of morman through to him and told
him all that I knew about it. He was not against it but rather in favor but
not enough to receive it. I bade farewell to my home and all that seemd dear
to me as far as this world was concerned, the gospel was all that seemd of
any worth to me. I was determined to serve my God the rest of my days. My
heart was heavy with grief at leaving my father and mother although they had
been somewhat unkind in their treatment to me. I knew that his days ware not
many on this earth, as I had told Eliza that in two or three years he would
be laid low in the grave and it would be a sorrowful time and I did not wish
to witness it. he was a good man and was always kind to his family as a
general thing, but mother used to scold him many times for not doing as she
thought was as it should be and he sometimes would resent it and sometimes
say nothing but get up and go off out of hearing to get out of the nois
Mother was an industrious woman and always for going ahead to make money so
much so that it was hard for her to treat her family as they should be but
still she learned everybody that came to dwell with her how to be
industrious and prudent she was very saveing and prudent in all her business
and taught her children to be the same. I told her she had many years to
live that she would yet see the day that she would be glad that I was a
morman,
Eliza kept us all with tears in her eyes as she said she had dreamed that
she did not know when she should see us again for they did not come as they
expected but staid till she just got away in time to save herself and
children We started off but my spirits ware heavy and I was much tempted for
I was starting for a country that I knew not of a land of strangers whare I
knew that I should have to stand alone and I had exper-eance enough to know
that the this world was full of snares and pitts and that the people that I
had enlisted with had a bad name and all things that was calculated to
discourage me seemed to be brought before me and the powers of darkness
strove might -ely with me Hall went with us as far as Gull Corners about two
miles but he did not percieve that I was tried When I left him I shook his
hand and I perceived that he possessed the feelings of a natural brother and
here my spirits seemed to possess a double load and it seemed all that I
could bear but I roused myself as If by the power of magic as I turned from
him with a smile saying God bless you Salmon and all that you have from this
time forth and for ever, as these words fell from my lips I felt the power
of God resting upon me and I knew that they would be fulfilled. Here again
the dark clouds of dispalr broke away and the light of the spirit dawned
gently on my mind and as we proceeded on our journey I grew lighter and
lighter until I felt as cheerful as in former times.
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