Lucy recounts
her involvement and management of building a new
schoolhouse in Kirtland. Joseph and Hyrum return
from Zion’s Camp. They relate details to their
mother about the journey, including the terrible
outbreak of cholera, Hyrum’s vision of Mother
Smith praying for them while they were attacked
by the disease, and their healing.
April 1834
to August 1834
Previous to their
leaving for Missouri,
[1] the brethren had commenced a small
building which was designed for a meetinghouse
and a school. Brother Reynolds Cahoon was left
to finish this house, in order that it might be
in readiness to hold meetings in the ensuing winter.
When the brethren were gone, we that were left
at home held meetings in the schoolhouse, although
it merely served as a shelter from the sun. But
it seemed as if the prince of the power of the
air was permitted greatly to prevail against us,
for several successive Sabbaths before meeting
was closed, we were overtaken by dreadful storms.
This troubled us greatly, as we were unusually
anxious to meet together, in order to unite our
faith in behalf of our brethren who were either
settled in Missouri or were journeying thither
at the peril of their lives.
With winter coming,
we accordingly began to rather urge upon Brother
Cahoon the necessity of hurrying the building,
but he said he could do nothing about it, for
he had neither means nor time. This made me feel
very sorrowful, for we much needed a house of
worship where we could hold meetings without being
interrupted, as we must be in a dwelling where
a family resided. I studied some time upon it,
and at last I told my husband that I thought that
I could collect the means for finishing the house
myself, and if he would consent to it, I would
try and see what I could do. My husband told me
he should not hinder me in anything of that kind,
and he would be glad if I could raise anything
toward helping the work along.
I then wrote a subscription
paper in which I agreed to refund all the money
that should be given, in case it could not be
appropriated to the purpose for which it should
be subscribed. When I had written this subscription
paper, I took it to each one of my daughters and
my boarders, two of whom were Mary [2] (who was afterwards
married to Hyrum, my oldest son) and Agnes
[3] (who was married to my youngest
son, Carlos). They all gave me what pocket money
they had by them. I then went to Brother Bosley’s
and received something from each of his family.
As I was leaving
Brother Bosley’s house, I met Brother Cahoon and
informed him of what I was about. He told me to
go on and prosper. And it was even so, I did prosper,
for in about two weeks I had everything in fine
order for commencing the work. I employed a man
to case and make the doors at a reduced price
and engaged the sash and casing for the windows
of one Mr. Bar, who agreed to make the sash for
four cents a light.
[4] This man went immediately to the
house and began to take the measurement of the
windows, but in consequence of some misunderstanding,
Brother Cahoon forbade his doing the work. Accordingly,
Mr. Bar came to my husband to get some explanation
of the affair. A council was called, and after
a three-hour sitting, it was voted that Mother
Smith should go ahead and finish the house as
she thought proper. I then proceeded to collect
means, employ hands, and get together the necessary
materials, until I had the house entirely completed,
and there was but six dollars left unpaid. This
debt Mr. Smith paid by selling produce, and the
house was thoroughly finished, for there was not
a door fastening which was wanting. [5]
Late in the fall,
Joseph and Hyrum returned. [6] Their joy at meeting us again in health
was exceeding great, above measure, because of
the perils which they had passed through during
their absence. They sat down one on each side
of me, Joseph holding one of my hands and Hyrum
the other, and related the following sketch of
their journey:
“When we got started
on our journey, we made arrangements so that the
company should be made as comfortable as possible,
but the sufferings which are incident to such
an excursion soon made some of the brethren discontented,
and they began to murmur against us, saying that
the Lord never required them to take such a tiresome
journey, and that it was folly for them to suffer
the fatigue and inconvenience which they underwent
just to gratify a foolish fancy. [7] We warned them in the
name of the Lord to stop their murmuring or the
displeasure of the Almighty would visit them in
judgment, but many of them persisted in complaining,
until one morning, when they came to harness their
horses, they found them so lame as to be unable
to travel. This gave them great uneasiness, and
said Joseph, ‘I called them together and told
them if they would repent and humble themselves
before the Lord, the curse would be removed, but
if they did not, a greater curse would come upon
them.’ This had a good effect with all save one,
who was more turbulent than the rest. When he
brought up his horse, he found that it would not
be possible for him to travel, and after a little
delay, the animal died. Soon the spirit of dissension
arose again and was not quelled, so that we had
any degree of good feeling, until we arrived in
Missouri.
“Soon after arriving
at the point of destination, the cholera broke
out among us, and the brethren were so violently
attacked that it seemed impossible to render them
any assistance. They immediately sent for us to
lay hands on them, but we soon discovered that
this also was the judgment of the Almighty, for
when we laid our hands upon them in the name of
the Lord in order that they might be healed, the
disease instantly fastened itself upon us. And
in a few minutes we were in awful distress. We
made mute signals to each other and left the house
for the purpose of going into some secluded place
to join in prayer that God would deliver us from
this awful influence; but before we could get
a sufficient distance to be secure from interruption,
we were scarcely able to stand upon our feet and
we were greatly alarmed, fearing that we should
die in this western wilderness so far from our
families, without even the privilege of blessing
our children or giving them one word of parting
counsel. Hyrum cried out, ‘Joseph, what shall
we do? Must we be cut off from the face of the
earth by this horrid curse?’
“‘Let us,’ said Joseph,
‘get down upon our knees and pray to God to remove
the cramp and other distress and restore us to
health, that we may return to our families.’ We
did so but without receiving any benefit, but
still grew worse. We concluded, however, to make
a second effort, and when we kneeled again, the
cramp seized the calves of Joseph’s legs, gathering
the cords into bunches, and then the operation
extended in like manner all over his system. He
cried heartily unto God, but the heavens seemed
sealed against us and every power that could render
us any assistance shut within its gates. The universe
was still. ‘When we arose again,’ said Joseph,
‘I found Hyrum was in the same situation with
myself.’
“We soon came to
the resolution of appealing again to God for mercy,
and not to rise from our knees until one or the
other got a testimony that we should be healed,
and he who received the first intimation from
the Spirit should inform the other of the same.
We prayed some time, first one and then the other,
and soon perceived that the cramp began to loose
its hold. In a short time Hyrum sprang to his
feet and exclaimed, ‘Joseph, we shall return,
for I have seen an open vision in which I saw
Mother on her knees under an apple tree praying
for us, and she is even now asking God, in tears,
to spare our lives, that she may behold us again
in the flesh. The Spirit testifies to me that
her prayers and ours shall be heard’—and from
that moment we were healed and went on our way
rejoicing.”
“Oh, my mother,”
said Joseph, “how often have your prayers been
a means of assisting us when the shadows of death
encompassed us!”
“William had the
same symptoms, but was not so severely affected
as we had been and a sister took him home with
her. She was extremely kind and attentive to him,
insomuch that in a short time he was well again.
“But our poor cousin
Jesse was taken so severely, that we could not
render him any assistance, and he died in a short
time. Brother Thayre [8] was also taken and called upon us at
first to lay hands upon him, but he afterwards
said, ‘No, you need not do so. I will go into
the river.’ And he commenced dipping himself in
the water until he was better. His example was
followed by others, and those who did this recovered.”
[9]
After hearing this
recital, I related to Joseph and Hyrum the circumstances
of building the schoolhouse. They highly approved
of my zeal and blessed me for what I had done.
We all had a time of great rejoicing.
Notes
