neers ized Church" article.... REYNOLDS, GEORGE.-Testimonial on REYNOLDS, GEORGE.-Book of Mor- SMITH, MARY.-A Letter from. SMITH, JOSEPH F., JR.-"Reorgan SMITH, JOSEPH F.-Discourse at Da- SMITH, LUCY MACK.-Her letter to 252 256 372 .25, 52 TEASDALE, GEORGE.-Testimonial on the Elders' Journal.. 244 84 "UNCLE GEORGE"-In Good Standing 169 113 PUBLISHED SEMI-MONTHLY BY THE SOUTHERN STATES MISSION Office, 711 Fairview Avenue, Chattanooga, Tenn. P. O. Box 417 A SCRAP BOOK OF MORMON LITERATURE Entered as second-class mail matter at Post Office, Chattanooga, Tenn. "This paper is intended to be a vehicle of communication for all the Elders of the Church of Latter Day Saints, through which they can com municate to others, all things pertaining to their mission, and calling as servants of the living God, and as messengers of righteousness to the nations among whom they are sent. As there have been many desires expressed by the Elders of said Church to have a periodical of this kind published, it is hoped that the present proposals will meet with their unqualified approbation, and will find a patron and a friend in all those into whose hands it comes."-JOSEPH SMITH, THE PROPHET, IN THE ORIGINAL ELDERS' JOURNAL, 1837. Vol. IV. OCTOBER 1, 1906 No. 1 A Mother's Influence. A FEW WORDS ABOUT Tthe fieldinGS AND THE BIRTH OF PRESIDENT John Fielding and his wife, Rachel, were natives of Yorkshire, England, having been born in 1759 and 1768, respectively. They were married at that place, and afterwards moved to Bedfordshire, where they lived together for forty years in the humble and happy sphere of farm life. They were both devoted Methodists, Mr. Fielding having the distinction of being a local preacher, in which capacity he labored most faithfully, often riding from ten to thirty miles to fill his appointments, but never accepting a penny for his work from the society which voted to compensate him for his services. Together with his faithful wife, he lived a life of industry, sobriety and integrity before men, fearing God and keeping his commandments to the best of his knowledge with all the sincerity and humility of his soul. Nine children were born of this union, among whom were Joseph and Mary, whom we wish on this occasion particularly to single out in our sketch. The mother died in 1828, and in 1832 young Joseph left his nativity to go to America to prepare the way for the rest of the family to follow. He located in upper Canada, being subsequently joined by the members of his family from England, his two sisters among them, who, together with himself, and also other progres sive spirits of the village, applied themselves closely to the Scriptures. A little body of seekers after truth was organized, in which was found John Taylor, who afterwards became president of the Church. The Society met several times a week in company with a Methodist preacher, to study the different religions, and to pray for the Lord to send them the Holy Ghost; for through their research they had been led to believe many of the principles of the Gospel contrary to the orthodox dogmas of the times. It was during this time that Apostle Parley P. Pratt went on his mission to Canada, and was directed to the home of Brother Taylor. He was admitted into the association of investigators, and as a result Joseph Fielding, his two sisters and his family, and also John Taylor accepted the Gospel and subsequently moved to Kirtland. The Methodist minister. being chided by his members, rejected the truth and became a persecutor of the Saints. In 1837 the wife of the Patriarch Hyrum Smith died, leaving him with six small children. Later he married again, taking to wife Mary Fielding, one of Joseph Fielding's sisters, who had embraced the Gospel in Canada through the labors of Apostle Pratt. In June, 1837, in company with Apostles Heber C. Kimball and Willard Richards, Joseph Fielding left Kirtland to open up the Gospe! in England, being joined at New York by three other missionaries. Brother Fielding remained on his mission four years, during which time approximately 7,000 souls accepted the truth. It was while he was in England that he received the following letter from his sister Mary, whom it will be remembered was the wife of the Patriarch Hyrum Smith, in which she tells of the birth of her "dear little Joseph F.," as the devoted mother expressed it, who is now our worthy and honored president of the Church, the letter "F" being the initial of the sirname of his uncle, Joseph Fielding. The letter is as follows: "Commerce, Illinois, N. America, June, 1839. "My Very Dear Brother-As the elders are expecting shortly to take their leave of us again to preach the Gospel in my native land, I feel as though I would not let the opportunity of writing you pass by unimproved. I believe it will give you pleasure to hear from us by our own hand; notwithstanding, you will see the brethren face to face, and have an opportunity of hearing all particulars respecting us and our families, front their mouths. "As it respects myself, it is now so long since I wrote to you, and so many important things have transpired, and so great have been my afflictions, etc., that I know not where to begin; but I can say, hitherto has the Lord preserved me, and I am still the living to praise Him, as I do this day. I have, to be sure, been called to drink deep of the bitter cup; but you know, my beloved brother, this makes the sweet the sweeter. I feel at this moment, while reflecting on the events of the past seven months, so full of matter, that I am ready to wish I could convey myself into your presence for a short time, so that I might communicate verbally more than I can possibly do by the pen. "You have, I suppose, heard of the imprisonment of my dear husband, with his brother Joseph, Elder Rigdon, and others, who were kept from us nearly six months; and I suppose no one felt the painful effects of their confinement more than myself. I was left in a way that called for the exercise of all the courage and grace I possessed. My husband was taken from me by an armed force, at a time when I needed, in a particular manner, the kindest care and attention of such a friend, instead of which, the care of a large family was suddenly and unexpectedly left upon myself. and, in a few days after, my dear little Joseph F. was added to the number. Shortly after his birth I took a severe cold, which brought on chills and fever; this, together with the anxiety of mind I had to endure, threatened to bring me to the gates of death. I was at least four months entirely unable to take any care either of myself or child; but the Lord was merciful in so ordering things that may dear sister could be with me all the time. Her child was five months old when mine was born; so she had strength given her to nurse them both, so as to have them do well and grow fast. "You will also have heard of our being driven, as a people, from the state and froin our homes; but you will hear all particulars from the elders, so as to render it not necessary for me to write them. This happened during my sickness, and I had to be removed more than two hundred miles, chiefly on my bed. I suffered much on my journey; but in three or four weeks after we got into Illinois, I began to amend, and my health is now as good as ever it was. It is now little more than a month since the Lord, in his marvellous power, returned my dear husband, with the rest of the brethren, to their families, in tolerable health. We are now living in Commerce, on the bank of the great Mississipi river. The situation is very pleasant; you would be much pleased to see it. How long we may be permitted to enjoy it I know not; but the Lord knows best what is best for us. I feel but little concerned about where I am, if I can but keep my mind staid upon God; for, you know in this there is perfect peace. I believe the Lord is overruling all things for our good. I suppose our enemies look upon us with astonishment and disappointment. "I greatly desire to see you, and I think you would be pleased to see our little ones: will you pray for us, that we may have grace to train them: up in the way they should go, so that they may be a blessing to us and the world. I have a hope that our brothers and sisters will also embrace the fuliness of the Gospel, and come into the new and everlasting covenant; I trust that their prejudices will give way to the power of truth. I would gladly have them with us here, even though they might have to endure all kind of tribulation and affliction with us and the rest of the children of God, in these last days, so that they might share in the glories of the celestial kingdom. As to myself, I can truly say that I would not give up the prospect of the latter-day glory for all that glitters in this world. O! my dear brother, I must tell you for your comfort, that my hope is full, and it is a glorious hope; and though I have been left for near six months, in widowhood, in the time of great affliction, and was called to take, joyfully or otherwise, the spoiling of almost all our goods, in the absence of my husband, and all unlawfully, just for the Gospel's sake (for the judge himself declared that he was kept in prison for no other reason than because he was a friend to his brother), yet I do not feel the least discouraged: no, though my sister and I are here together in a strange land, we have been enabled to rejoice in the midst of our privation and persecutions that we were counted worthy to suffer these things, so that we may, with the ancient Saints who suffered in the like manner, inherit the same glorious reward. If it had not been for this hope, I should have sunk before this; but, blessed be the God and Rock of my salvation, here |