Arthur William Morrison
Nephi, Utah, Sunday Morning, January 3, 1937
To All of My Children & Family
Dear Ones All:
I have just written a letter to Frederick, the philosophy of which is intended and meant to each and all of our dear family. So have decided to act upon the thought which occurred to me while, as the Prophet Daniel of old said, "my head lay upon my bed last night and my and saw so clear and bright, glorious truths that if lived in the light of Him whose guide is ever and always right, our family would steer clear and free from the many snares and pitfalls that are so saturated about us on every hand in this great and glorious land which God has provided for our comfort, growth and happy development, if we will but heed the warnings and guard and guide our footsteps against the evils on every hand around and about us, and toward that wholesome and happy course that will assure us safety and success in the things of life and exaltation in the Celestial Kingdom of our Father."
In so doing I may mention part of the experiences of my own life and may even mention part of the experiences of my cherished and beautiful and ever devoted wife, and that of each of our children, and trust it may be to your interest and so impress you that it may be an aid to your own growth and development, and a safeguard to your lives, that you may peruse, as my father, a Patriarch, once said to me in a blessing upon my head, as my advice and counsel, to you my dears, and each of you, when I am numbered among the dead. For what better purpose could I use this beautiful winter's Sabbath day, the first Sunday of the year?
I was born on March 21, 1881, at about 1 o'clock AM in a little one or two room adobe house built by my father as a home for my mother and her family, located one block west and across the street from the Sevier County Court House, at Richfield, Utah. Further described, figuring from the street intersection, the northwest corner of 2nd North and 1st West, Richfield, Utah. My parents were then like most immigrants and pilgrims of their day, poor but pure. They had left wealth and comfortable surroundings in foreign lands to seek this new home in the then wilderness of the Rockies in order that they might worship God in peace and contentment and without hindrance or hamper from any established world and worldly government, according to the dictates of their own conscience, and according to the revelations of God direct to His people, who were willing and anxious to accept and abide thereby.
When I was two years old, my father had traded for a ranch in Mill Creek, a branch of Clear Creek Canyon, in the Mountains located in the Southwest Portion of Sevier County, Utah. To which place father took my mother and her family to live and make their livelihood. Under these rather lonely conditions my childhood and youth was lived. I was my parents youngest son, and if I have the history correctly, my father's 25th child. Father with his first family came from Aberdeen, Scotland. Mother from Liebelle, Langeland, Denmark. Father had the advantages of a college education; Mother of the common schools of Denmark and what father could assist her after they were married here. But both had excellent minds and were good, plain, sturdy people. True to the Faith, and devoted to the truth for which they came here.
These good people, though educated and cultured and above the average in clearness of mind and thought, were not concerned about worldly fashions and the whims of social circles, or as to their station in world affairs, or what the world had to offer them by way of distinction, which might have been considerable, as father came from among the most influential stock and society of Scotland and England, and was in the lead of his companions when he left there, some of whom became noted characters in that country after he left them. But my parents' concern was first to live the Gospel of Jesus Christ in its fullness and purity as it should be lived, and to teach their children to do likewise and thus avoid the pitfalls and snares and downfall and sorrow inevitably to come to those who fall into worldly indifference and short-sighted abuses that could only result in misery, gloom and hardship lest they repent and turn away from worldly ways.
For they knew that many of these distresses came from the socially prominent, the short-sighted satisfying of natural passing whims, and the yielding without restraint to passions uncontrolled. The greed for worldly wealth which largely leads to these other abuses. The ill effects of conceit and deceit. The debauchery that follows moral deficiency. The sad plight that follow those who yield to worldly flattery (Satan's most effective tools) and disregard the revealed truth of God.
Not only did they point out these things, but in their stead they taught us the truth Gospel of Jesus Christ, and instilled into our hearts the grave importance of making these revealed truths the whole purpose and part of our lives. And that to achieve true and lasting happiness there was no other way.
How well they succeeded can only be reflected in the lives of their children. My father died August 26, 1889, on the ranch, alone with my devoted mother, her oldest son, Charles, and her three youngest living children, and a deaf man boarder by the name of Dan Woods.
The morning before he died mother with her three young children, the four of us kneeling side by side, and father on his sick bed in the bed room of our three-room log cabin not far distant, said the family prayer. I knelt next to her. During the course of her prayer she stopped for considerable time, unable to speak, but as we children had our eyes shut, which we had been properly taught while saying prayer, did not know why she stopped. Finally, she continued on until she finished her prayer. Then I looked up and saw her crying. Never before had I felt such terror. I had never been known to cry sentimentally. I had never known its meaning. But that I could not stand. In horror I flew into a burst of tears, asking hurriedly, "What's the matter ma?" And without waiting for an answer, sprang to my feet, swung out of the door, and sprang on to my pony which I had stood in front of the porch waiting until we said prayer, turned the horse on the run toward our little herd of cows, which I had prepared to drive off on to the foothills for their days feed, and cried with intensity never before known, until I had driven the cows far enough and found myself exhausted from crying, when of its own accord, my crying ceased, and I finally made my way back home as best I could. Nothing was said of my crying, but that night at midnight my older sister, Henrietta, came crying and awoke me, stating that if I ever wanted to see pa alive again I must get up at once -- that pa was dying. I got up and went to his bed. He was talking incoherently and trying to answer their questions. When I arrived, they asked him if he knew me, his little son, Arthur. And he answered, "who is it?". "Little Arthur, don't you know your son, Arthur?" "Yes, I know I have a son Arthur, but where is he?" And so on. And at that moment my younger sister, Isabella, came forward -- we had been sleeping together -- and the same questions were asked him concerning her, or about the same as had been asked of me, and were answered by him in about the same manner. He talked continuously and almost incessantly as I recall, for probably half an hour. Then he seemed to catch his stomach or side, or feel about with his hands, and then began with these words: "Oh! She couldn't stand it; Oh! She couldn't stand it." Which he repeated for some time. Mother and others tried to learn who he meant, and he once or twice tried to answer them, only to return to the same expression, which he repeated continuously until in a few moments when he fell asleep, from which he never awoke, and he died about 4 o'clock that morning. I was called by Etta between twelve and one o'clock, probably about 12:30 AM and watched most of the occasion until the end. Then it was plain to see that my dear mother, alone in her distress, had seen the death warning in my father's eyes the morning before, and without uttering a word to we small children, and without doctor to be thought of, she had bravely stood her trial alone, and broke only once which she could not withhold -- while pouring out her feelings to her God with only her three small children and her dying husband at her side.
I was just past eight years then. I recall that the day previous to his death the family sent me six miles to old man Reilly's or Rylly, who had a fruit orchard at the mouth of Clear Creek Canyon, to try and get some fruit that father might be able to eat, and thus give him some nourishment and help during his dying hours, but as I recall, to no avail. We may think of horror and distress. We may feel to some extent the loneliness there felt by my own dear modest, plain and devoted mother. There is no question but that it was hard and lonely. But how beautifully she bore it -- without murmur or complaint -- just steady, plain and straightforward. But that was her character, and no more beautiful was ever expressed, and no truer ever lived.
Father even then had taught me the Gospel. He had taught me to rise early by getting me up occasionally at 4 o'clock AM. Then, after a little breakfast or something to assure me that I was up and not to forget it, he would permit me to go to bed and rest again. But it was an impressive lesson. He had taken me out with him after poles on fast day, which at that time was the first Thursday in each month, and had me fast until noon day with him, and then take out our lunch, which dear mother had prepared, and we would eat it while the horses ate their noon feed, and we sat on a pole or something while we ate our lunch, which was always our first meal on fast day -- children and all my father's family. That's living the Gospel in daily life. How better could he teach it? Actual doing is the best teacher.
Then, to lose no time, I reached my 8th year on March 21, 1889. Upon reaching my eighth year, I was eligible to baptism. There was no ward where we lived, but plenty of water in Clear Creek, a couple of miles away. He was sickly and nearly bed fast, so unable to attend to my baptism myself, but his oldest son, William George Cruikshank Morrison, who lived two miles from our ranch on the banks of Clear Creek, he sent me to Willie's place (as Pa called him) with my dear mother, and asked that he baptize me. He had his oldest son there also who was about 11 months or nearly 12 months older than I was. So W.G.C. decided that while he was at it he would baptize his own son, William, also. So there was a bend in Clear Creek about seventy-five yards or so from his house which made a hole two or three feet deep. There was ice on both sides of the creek. I was baptized first in that cold, icy stream, and then his son after me. Mother stood and listened and watched all the proceedings. As soon as I was baptized, I ran to the house up the hill and at least 75 yards away, and in to a bristling pitch pine fire in an old log cabin fireplace customary in those days. The fire was roaring, and as soon as Willie was baptized he came running to the house and fire likewise. When we had taken off our wet clothes and were just getting ready to dress, my dear mother had called W.G.C.'s attention to the fact that he had made an error in the baptism prayer. So on that cold day in the mountains with ice on both sides of the creek, in order that there should be no mistake, as my mother insisted that it should all be done right (for which I am proud of her) we were required to put on our wet clothes again and run down to the creek and be baptized over again, which was done, running both ways, to and from the creek to the house in our wet clothes on March 21, 1889. That shows how my dear parents were on having things done right and that there was a right way.
My dear father confirmed us both, as I recall, that same evening, as W.G.C. brought his son there for the occasion, and father did not want very important matters of that kind neglected a single day. Willie would have been 9 years old, or was 9 years old, during the month of April following, I think the 15th.
I was now prepared to go forward in life with the added support and guidance of the Holy Ghost, as my confirmation had included the conferring of the Holy Ghost upon me by the authority of the Holy Priesthood which my father held and which followed baptism by one holding the Priesthood with authority to perform that function. So, after father's death I became my mother's main stay. Most of my work was done on horseback. And in this I had been early trained, as I had been required to handle horses both in teams and under the saddle and many times without a saddle considerable before that time. On one occasion father got out a load of wood for his family at Richfield. I was about 3 years old at that time. Father took me to W.G.C.'s place to see if someone else there could not be secured to drive the load of wood to Richfield. No one came, so I was put on the load of wood and took the lines of the wood team, and father rode in a light spring wagon or buggy ahead of me with another team. We arrived at Richfield, as I recall, about midnight.
Another time while father was away from home I was sent on horseback to Richfield on an errand for mother regarding ranch business, when as reported, I was five years old, this time making the trip alone, a distance of 25 miles.
After father's death I carried milk in gallon cans to the mines some 7 or 8 miles up into the tops of the mountains from our ranch, placing 2 gallon cans filled with milk on each side of the horn of the saddle to balance each other, and rode several times a week with this cargo to what was then called the Sevier Mine in Piute County, particularly to the homes of John Moore and Willard Snyder and their families. These were two among the first mining prospectors that ever came into that county. Most of the mining developments of that country and Marysvale District came into being after this time, and following their original prospecting and beginnings.
When I was ten years old these same people employed me to carry their mail from the nearest post office, i.e. Joseph City, to the Sevier Mining properties and camps, a distance of about 22 miles. I made 3 trips a week; one day going to Joseph City to get the mail, and the next day take it to the mines. For this they paid me $15.00 a month for myself and pony, and I, or mother, boarded me and fed the pony. I became general errand boy for the whole mining district for the next several years, during which years I was out in the mountains a great deal, and mostly alone. Here I had freedom of air and thought nothing to do but to think and watch nature in all her majesty in all the seasons of the year, except in the dead of winter, and as I grew older even some trips on snow shoes or skis in the dead of winter. My thoughts were left to my environments and teachings and unhampered by associations of other children, so great were the imaginations of my mind during many of these trips and experiences. But one good thing among these experiences -- there were none that had a tendency to divert my mind and attention from the things I had been taught. But since I went early and late I met many diverse circumstances, sometimes of a very frightening effect, such as seeing and hearing mountain lions late at night on lonesome mountain trails where there were no roads except as trails had been made by the repetition of horse travel, etc. in the most rugged type of mountain territory.
One night I had been sent on an errand to get a saddle right to the tops of the mountains. It threw me late into the night getting home. Coming down one long ridge on a narrow and winding horse trail I heard leaves move ahead of me, such as a lion being disturbed as he was lying in the oak brush rising to his feet, turning and trotting away. My horse shied and my hat loosened. But I drove the horse straight toward the sound until it disappeared into the steep drop off to the creek, no far away. Then I watched the trail until I was out of danger, but I was nevertheless frightened. Another time, a few weeks later, coming over the same trail, I had just descended a very steep high mountain into a deep, narrow canyon called "The Red Narrows". Just as I reached the bottom of the canyon I came under a large evergreen tree at the right of which was a large bluff of solid rock extending upward several hundred feet and forming somewhat of a cave toward the bottom. I looked around at a large limb of the tree as I passed under it, and as I turned my head and eyes saw a light with a double flash just like sheet lightening, but it seemed only to extend just over my horse and myself. Again my hat loosened. My horse flinched as though he, too, had seen something that frightened him. I looked back several times to see if such would occur again. It was toward the cave. But it did not occur the second time. It was a clear night. The stars were thick and beautiful. It was not moonlight, but the sky was clear. No clouds. Two very bad places to cross the creek lay just ahead of me. I thought it might be a lion whose eyes chanced to strike directly in mine just as I looked around, and it blinked, causing two flashes. So I was frightened almost stiff. I took a slow course until my pony had crossed the two bad places in the creek. Then he was anxious to go, and I did not restrain him. But he galloped rapidly about a hundred yards to the next creek crossing, which was between two great ledges and less than a hundred feet apart.
Just as my pony got into the creek and we were between these two great ledges a terrible noise suddenly broke loose. At first I thought it might be a late train whistling, probably 12 or 15 miles away, but an instant showed me it was not a train, for a great scream followed, then a garble or warbling sound breaking quickly into a catlike whine, and much resembling the cry of an infant child, then a screech like a woman, and finally a great ferocious roar that was so fearful that one would think nearly all the mountains roundabout were tumbling down all at once. At first I thought it was right ahead of me between the two ledges, but as the final roar died away, it sounded like the lion was roaring from the very point where I had seen the 2 flashes of light, bearing out my fears that it was a lion's eyes that had met mine, and with a moving sound that as it concluded the roar (which might have been a signal to its mate) had the rebound of a plunging lion. So I felt that my surmises were right, and that he had waited long enough for me to get that far away when he decided to follow me, which he may have done, but my pony started on the run, and although there were more bad places in the creek I did not stop him but clung on with gun in hand, and as he made good road and bad safely as fast as he could go, I made sure of clinging to the pony and to the gun, and if a lion had come into view I would have done my best to have frightened him away with the few cartridges I had at my command. But he did not show up, and my pony ran about 4 miles and nearly home before he stopped. But I shall never forget that fright. In all such experience, however, I was protected, and my prayers were answered so that I was never harmed, and I was taught many very valuable lessons which proved my parents' teachings to be true.
I was not able to get into the school room until after I was 10 years of age. Then only parts of school years. One year I was out of school entirely. Another when my dear mother said she would remain on the ranch alone to allow me to go to school, which I consented to until I could stand the thought of her being so far away from neighbors and help alone no longer, when I quit school and went back to the ranch and to her, for I could not stand to leave her longer all alone as she was, and so far away from anyone, even though she was willing to do it for me to make it possible for me to get schooling which I very much needed.
I did, however, succeed in getting to school sufficiently to reach the eighth grade and most of that school year, but was taken away from school to go to work about 3 months before that school year was completed, hence, did not complete or graduate from the eighth grade.
Then, on March 3, 1898, I left school upon receipt of a telegram asking me to come to work at Ironton, as a section hand on the railroad, where I remained until August 19, 1898, when the soldiers returned from the Spanish American War, and I went to Salt Lake from Eureka to meet the soldiers along with many thousands of others throughout the state on that day. Then worked a couple of years in Salt Lake in the car department of the OSL Railroad, and was promoted quite rapidly until I got to be one of their most responsible and dependable men in that department, and helped build some of their trial cars by putting four pairs of wheels on the tracks and building the car on to them. Myself and partner doing all the truck or iron work, and car carpenters putting on the car body.
I was later sent to pick up wrecks and to repair cars that sometimes others had been sent out in pairs to fix up, and had come back leaving their work undone and claiming they could not be repaired on the road but would have to be hauled in for repairs. And the foreman has then come and sent me to do the jobs alone, with permission to get section gangs to help me, and I always did the job and never came back without finishing it.
One time, while going to Mammoth, Utah, to repair a car or to get added material to finish the job already started and the Mountain Crew had ditched a car loaded with ore on the side of the steep mountain, knowing I was coming on that day's train, had tried in vain to put the car back on the track by pushing it back up the mountain on the tracks it had made when it jumped the track, which was impossible, as the car was so wrecked that it stood as a brace against itself on such a proposition. So they came for me and met the train I was on, asking me to come with them immediately and put the car on the track for them, stating that they had jacks and frogs blocking all on their engine ready for me. So I went along, and as they brought the blocks to me I began preparing them to pull the trucks back in place. And the conductor (more than twice my age and a railroader longer than I was years old) asked me what I was going to do, with the statement -- "You can't pull it that way, can you?" To which I answered, "Certainly, what would you do?" And he said they had tried to push it back the way it came off. I smiled and went on. When I got my blocking properly set and placed under both sets, or front and back trucks, I asked the conductor if he could signal or have the engineer start and stop abruptly as soon as I said to stop, and he said, "Yes." I said, "All right, give him the signal to go ahead." Three pulls put the car completely on the track in probably from 20 to 30 minutes after I reached the car, and they said they had spent about 2 hours trying to get the car back on the tracks before they came for me, and that they had never seen anything like that done before.
I was then just a kid, nineteen years of age, but upon leaving home and going out to meet the big world on my own account, I had determined to do my duties more fully probably than I had ever done before. And that instead of saying prayers but once a day while at home, i.e. in the evening as I retired to bed, I would more fully attend to this duty by saying my prayers twice a day, i.e. morning and evening, that I might ask our Father's kind and protecting care and guidance against harm and danger thoughout the day, and success to attend my efforts for the day, and at night thank him for His blessings attending me during the day, and for His protection to be over throughout the night. And what has been the result?
And what has been the result? This poor, obscure boy, raised in the mountains with but few boy companions, and but scant schooling through this move and employment in Salt Lake, was put directly in the path of a life's companion for time and eternity whose equal is conceded to have been few and scarce in the annals of the world's history. No greater joy could have come to the heart of any man than has come to mine as a result of this union. No girl could have been more true. She, too, has been greatly blessed, for she has been contented and happy although distressed, and has been required to meet much hardship. But I believe if you ask her she would not wish to change. Do you know that that girl waited for me two and half years while I was gone across the seas to perform a mission, right at a time of a girl's most glowing years. Is she sorry? Ask her and I think she will say no. If need be she would do it all again. But if she could not do it more perfectly, more beautifully and more sweetly and devotedly than she did. Was I blessed? Did the Lord hear my humble prayers? That girl is now your mother, children. Be proud of her. Be loyal to her. Stand by her and cherish and love her and look after her with all your souls, for she is worthy of it all and more. You children do not fully sense the pure gold you have in your mother, nay, more gold in all its luster cannot compare with the beauty, and purity and the high-minded glowing standard of her character and the quality of her soul. Do not neglect her. Do not fail her. But all of you strive to reach her goal. She is worthy of the best. Her heart in anguish bleeds for the welfare of each and every one of you children. Comfort her. Please her. Ease her burdens and her worry, and if you will lighten them you will yourselves guard against every danger. Shun every evil and cautiously take every precaution to avoid mistakes that could in any way endanger your own happiness and progress, either in this life or in the life to come.
Remember you are all of a choice lineage. You are entitled to the best. It is open for you to grasp, for your birth and heritage gives you this right. But remember the evil one is jealous of you and each of you. He will do all in his power to overcome you and ruin your chances for good and success, and he is and will be ever alert and determined to get you and each of you in his power and under his control. This he cannot do if you will be ever on the alert. And in the face of all adversity and all the sorrowing circumstances surrounding us and keeping to guard and protect you against every pitfall and snare. This can only be done by keeping His commandments. And those who do, though they may be required to endure hardship untold and meet many things probably not yet heard of or understood, but if we will be faithful, true and devoted unto the end, all the powers of Satan cannot hinder our progress.
Now let me call to your attention some things for you to each and all consider. Do you know that the Lord has control over the elements? That He can fly or travel through the air. He has shown that He can walk on the water and not sink. He has caused and permitted others to both walk on the water and stand in the air raised above the floor. That He can look through the buildings and even cause others to look through buildings without hindrance, and show them things at distant places that they could not see or see through with their natural eye. Do you question this? I believe that with the Lord's perfected eye He can see the center of the earth from the outside and know all that is going on therein. I believe that He can look directly into the mind of man and know just what is there and what has been. Do you doubt this? Well, think of this: I once looked at a book of apparently several hundred pages. Two pieces of metal were placed within the leaves of the book. With my natural eye alone I could not see the metal placed between the pages of the book. Neither could I see my own hand placed at the bottom of the book when I looked directly at the top of it. But an instrument with an x-ray light was turned on, and looking through that instrument the book did not show but I could see the shadow of the pieces of metal within its leaves and the bones within my own hand beneath the book. I closed my hand and saw the joints in action as I opened and closed my own hand. This was with man's invention. Now, if man can develop instruments that will look right through paper and flesh without even showing that it is in the way or there at all, could not God who is the author of nature, and knows all the elements and their purposes and ingredients, with his perfected eye, could He not see the center of the earth from the outside, and read the truth in a man's heart and mind when He is the author of them all? Of course He can, at least to the extent it is needed for all He needs to know. So, if we are intelligent and wise, we will learn the true meaning of the words of Solomon when he said after full experience of life -- "let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter, Serve God and Keep His Commandments, for this is the whole duty of man".
One of the blessings promised me in my mission blessing was "That through my faith and faithfulness no blessing would be withheld from me." This put the whole matter squarely up to me. I determined to do my part, and if it was thus left to me, I would receive this promised blessing.
I was greatly blessed. Opportunities were put in my way. I met them apparently successfully. I was thrown into the presence of evil minded men who designed to do me harm. Was led to the door and threatened. My cheek actually quivered, lest I should be hit by the man much larger than I who was leading me to the door and outside of the house. But he did not hit me. He called his great, large hound and set him on me. The dog came bounding at me with all the speed he seemed to command. My heart was, or seemed to be in my throat. I did not know what to do. To run was useless. To fight such an animal would have been impossible, as my strength nearly left me. I all but groaned as this monster dog bounded toward me. But finally, I turned and face him and looked squarely at him, and stood still. At this the dog slowed his pace, whined and stopped, looked at me just a moment about two rods away from me, then dropped his head and tail, turned off the road into the brush toward his home, and skulked away. Trembling, I walked on. But I soon came to more houses, one of which the people asked me to hold a meeting in their home and they would invite their neighbors, and I gladly accepted their kind invitation for an appointed meeting the next day (Sunday), appointed another in the same place for Sunday after that meeting, thus holding one meeting that Saturday evening and a two meetings the next day. And some years later I learned that at least one of these people present at this first meeting and her children joined the Church.
I met other people and circumstances who had been pronounced ugly to meet, and usually came to create trouble. When I spoke in the meeting they attended, complete silence prevailed for a couple minutes after I had spoken and the meeting was dismissed, and for once in the history of the missionaries, these people got up quietly from the first one or two rows of seats next to the speakers' stand, and walked out without comment, which, as I understood, was decidedly a new experience with them. My mission blessing also stated that "The Righteous would be made to rejoice, and the wicked to fear and tremble as a result of my utterances". These things all came true in particular instances, and in my own hearing and seeing.
And when my mission was ended at the Stockholm's Conference where I was released, considerable was state concerning great blessing from the Lord, and special mention was made of what a great blessing a mission had been to one of the missionaries about to go home. There were three of us released. But the Mission President himself came down to me and put his arms around my neck and stated, "Elder Morrison, you have been greatly blessed, haven't you". I responded, "Yes sir". But the way this was put and the way the other statement was made, it was particularly plain that is was I, the one of the three about to go home, whose mission had been a great blessing to him. These are truths, children, we cannot question or deny. If there were any greater blessings I might have enjoyed I do not know of them, and doing my own part as best I knew, no blessing was withheld from me.
When I arrived home it was my belief and testimony that if through my faith and faithfulness no blessing would be withheld from me in the mission field, that through my faith and faithfulness at home no blessing would be withheld from me either. And I believe it to be true through life. Look now at the blessings that have been mine at home. I have been given a companion whose equal, I believe, could not be found the world over. We have been prospered and blessed with ten beautiful children, nine of whom are living, and one most beautiful child has been called to the other side. And if we do our full duties, we may be blessed with more.
We are generally healthy and strong. We have met hardships but none harder than we have been able to endure. We have not been on the government dole. When turned down by men on employment for which we were particularly fitted and trained the way has been opened for us to make employment for ourselves, and when the greatest depression ever known in history, as so stated at least, came upon the world like a thief in the night and remained like a conquering foe, we were blessed to pull through even in better shape than when we depended upon others in prosperous times. True, we have been behind, but we have not suffered, and when you think of it, we have nearly ever needed luxury. When it has seemed that we were down and out and nearly doomed to despair, the way has been opened and we have received what we needed. We have had automobiles. We have had a home. We have had some comforts. But we have never been failed, when it has come to a pinch we have always gotten what we needed.
In a new district and community in practically a year I was made a bishop of a new ward where they hardly expected a ward could exist, and where a number of the scattered few Church members had, if not denied their Church membership, they had failed to make it known in some cases. When under such circumstances our little Ward was organized, and we got down to active work, our little Ward led the Stake in Church activities. And in two years' time we had baptized as I recall, 22 souls, about half of whom were adults, and some very fine peole have been developed in Church duties from that community as a result of the efforts put forth in that Ward. And within two years from the time we moved into that community, I was elected to the State Legislature to represent that County, was probably given more space than any other man in the newspapers of those who were in the Legislature, most of which was of an unfavorable nature, however, which under the circumstances was decidedly complimentary to me. The reason for their unfavorable comment was because I could not be bought, tampered with, urged or coerced into doing what I did not think was right. And to lessen or hinder my influence, their strenuous effort was put forth to crush me. But men of honor and honesty who watched the proceedings honored me for the stand I took, and I came through clean and without besmirch. And with the honorable confidence of every honorable thinking man of the House.
Now, children, I have told you herein pretty thoroughly the story of my life. There are many more things that might and could be said. But I believe sufficient has here been said to show you our blessings and the kind of a man your father is, the blessings he has enjoyed, and that his prayers have been answered.
There are other things I have been shown and experienced with added testimonies of the truth, but if occasion is permitted, they may come to view in due course and in a proper way. But herein is sufficient to show the truth and which we cannot question or deny. And I now desire to point out some things for you children to think about and to guard against that you may be strengthened against wrong doing, and to turn away from and avoid temptation so overwhelming everywhere.
You have been taught the Gospel to some extent. That the Savior came and opened the way for the resurrection by living a perfect life and committing no sin. That death is the reward of sin, or that death came as a result of sin. Hence, the Savior came and committed no sin, therefore, death had no claim upon Him for He committed no sin. However, He submitted to death by the hands of His enemies, though, as He stated, He could have called legions of angels to His assistance had He so desired. But He put forth no such effort, as he told the Lord, His Father, that "if this cup may pass me by, let it pass, nevertheless, not My will but Thine, oh Lord, be done". Showing his willingness to submit to whatever was required of Him. And by submitting to death when death had no claim upon Him, the grave could not hold Him, and death had no claim upon Him. So when His work in the Spirit World was completed, He came back and took up His body, thus breaking the bands of death and bringing to pass the resurrection. So that all who would might be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the Gospel which He gave. The first principles and ordinances of which were, First Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ; Second, Repentance; Third, Baptism by immersion for the remission of sins; and Fourth, Laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. This you have all done. By direct revelation from the Lord, the Prophet Joseph Smith, His chosen messenger, has brought the Gospel again to the earth with the Priesthood and all the various powers necessary to carry on the Lord's work in the earth, and these are the things we must all learn and abide by, and we will not be excused by our failure so to do when they are brought to our attention.
His truths will save us if we learn and abide by them, or they will condemn us if we fail to heed them. So we cannot stand still.
In addition to Faith, Repentance, Baptism and the Laying on of Hands, we must go on to all the other works the Lord has revealed that will lead us on to perfection.
Aside from the Church duties required of us, such as taking part in whatever duties may be asked of us, and to look after our dead, and be married in the Temple by the proper authority, and be married for time and all eternity, and pay our tithes and offerings, and do all of our duties in the Priesthood, we have many other things to do in and of and for ourselves, and it is these things that I wish now to call to your attention, all of you, for we want none to be left out or lost or to be hindered or set back or to fail to get the highest reward our Heavenly Father has been so kind to prepare for those who are faithful to the end.
The things I want to now call to your attention are such as pertain to your own individual progress and advancement, and that which is required of each individual as such. Your moral habits and responsibility. Your character. Your cleanliness of life. Your honesty, your purity of life, and your devotion to truth. Also, the great dangers all about us to guard against and with which you must not take any chances with.
Sometimes I as your father have been apparently severe. You have not understood its importance. You have felt that I was wrong and you have even questioned my judgment. In some cases I have been too harsh. For this I am very sorry. In fact, I feel largely responsible for most of your mistakes. But remember, I, too, have had to learn, and must yet learn many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God. But even though I have not aimed to do wrong, and my purpose in fact, was not wrong, but the way I have done many things, and the way many things have been understood by you, and each of you, has been wrong. But in all these things I now ask you to forgive me wherein I have been wrong and have hurt you, and from now on I ask that you each and all of you try to forget the mistakes I have made unintentional or otherwise, and try to think of me for the good things I have had in mind and meant to do for you. And then know that my heart and soul is wrapped up in you, and in fact, are part of you. You, my dear children, are my own flesh and blood, and all my happiness, as well as that of your mother, rests in you, our dear children. We, therefore, want you to prosper and succeed. We want you all to be happy. The Prophet Joseph told us that Adam came that many might be, and man is that he might have joy. This is what we are seeking for. We are here upon this earth for experience and development, and to prove ourselves as to what we are and what we will be. And to succeed we must take advantage of our great opportunity while we are here and let nothing stand in our way of accomplishing this purpose.
Therefore, do not waste time on simple things of no importance. Do not indulge in passing arguments that mean nothing but distress and take our attention away from the greater things that we should attend to. Do not backbite, or quarrel, or accuse, or abuse. But think kindly of and help each other. Be big and broad and thoughtful and helpful to each other. If you have ambition for a good cause, tell each other, and if worthy and worthwhile, each one work to help the other to get it. If an unworthy cause, try to explain in kindness its unworthiness. Remember also that you cannot cheat except you get cheated. Remember that you cannot hide the truth and that sly and dishonest practices accomplish the most distress to the one who practices it, and that temporary achievement on such a basis reverts back double fold to the one who does it. Remember that we cannot break the commandments of God without suffering the consequences and that we cannot get away from it worlds without end. Do not engage or elicit conduct or practice with any one in any form. Do not commit adultery. Keep yourselves clean and do not permit contact with any unclean person or thing. Watch and guard against the cunning and crafty. Remember you are all beautiful and draw attention because of that fact. The crafty and desperate who use nicety and flattery to catch their victims, and when they get their victims into their clutches, then they use them for their own purposes and force them to do their bidding under threat of death. Therefore, take no chances.
If admiring men pretend to know you girls, be wise and keep clear from them. Do not be a dupe for anyone. Do not shake hands with anyone you do not absolutely know, even if they do say they know you. That is just where you should shun them and let them know you mean to shun them, even if your boss is watching, and do not let the boss laugh at your ignorance by shaking hands with someone you do not know when they pretend to know you and pretend a friendly show. They are dangerous, and when they show up, boss or no boss, shun them and show them you will have nothing to do with such. Remember your bodies are your tabernacles. Keep them clean and worthy and give no man or woman the chance to defile them. This applies to both our sons and daughters.
If any should have done that which would defile their bodies in any way correct it without delay. Repent of it and never let it occur again. And then ask your Heavenly Father to forgive you, and plead with him in all earnestness to give you strength and wisdom to enable you to keep away from these things, and to help you live pure and honorable and honest lives. Be open and above board. If you want things and need them, do not evade the issue to try to conceal your thoughts and acts for this is dishonest and only serves to shrink the soul and render it less competent. But be big and broad and say like a man what you want, and if worthy and justified, we will all help you get it. And may our Heavenly Father help us all to do our full duties, is the earnest prayer of your loving father.
