Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-01-20
ANOTHER TESTIMONY.
Statement Of William Smith, Con.
CsTl.ng Joseph, ll3 Prophet


Some lime ago the NrUs contained a
notice OF the death OF William Smith,
the la,t surwyin. brother OF the mar
iyrgd Prophet. aud also biographical
notes ON the career Of thIs member Of
the celebrated family The readers Of
the News viii perus, with interest the
following account VI an interview with
him some time before hil death. 10 is
written Tor /f0H5 kHfigG "a paper pub
lishld 40 Independence, No.
BgAuIyutJ, WIS., am under prom.
isc 10 Bro T.. e. Briggs and Others, TO
send TO YOU paper % transcript OF au in
tcryicw between Uncle VIM. 49, Smith
and T.. e. Briggs. herewith submit the
following taken from notes aud also from
mcm0r,
Bro. Briggs and ! visited him next dry
after be returned from ST. Paul being
about two weeks before bis DEATH We
found him able 90 bs about she house
and quite willing 90 talk After passing
the time of day, etc.. ITO. Bugg md hc
spoke of former meetings and finally
dfilicd un to the subject OF Bro. Smiths
early hoyho0d and bis knowledge Of the
rise oil the Church, Book OF Mormon, etc.
Fro, Briggs then handed me pencil
and asked Bro. Smith u he ever SAYS the
plates DIS brother had had. Gom which
the Book o. Mormon was translated.
Tie replied 81 did not see them un.
covered. but ! handled them and heltgd
them while wrapped in tow itoCk and
Judged them 90 have weighed about siN-
ty pounds. could tell they were plates
ui some kind aud that they were fast.
cntd together b. r.ugi running through
the back. Their size was as described
IN mothers history"
Bro. Briggs then asked, Did any
Others Of the family see them"
YES" said he; Father and my
brother Samuel saw them as ! did while
in tie llock. SO did iymm aud others
Of the family"
Was this irock one that Joseph took
with him especially 10 wrap the plates
in"
NO, /, was his every day frock such
MS young men used 20 wear then"
Didn't you want 10 remove the cloth
and see the bare plaits}" said Bro. b..
NO" he replied; "ior father bad Just
asked II he might not De permitted TO
do so, and Joseph. putting bis hand on
them said; no, am instructed nos 20
show them To any one. II do. will
ifausgrgss and lose them again Besides
We did not care TO have him break the
commandment aud suffer as ho did
before
Did you not doubt Ioscphs tosti-
mouy sometimes said FRO Briggs
mo, was thg reply, I've HAD the
most implicit confidence in what he
said. te wls a truthful bUW Father
and mother believed h.m, why should
not the children ] suppose nj De- had
told crooked stories about other things
we might have doubted Dis word about
the plates, bot lo.yph was a truthful
boy That father and mother believed
his report ,ul suffered persecution for
that belief shows that lc was truthful.
No sir We rcyer doubted bus word for
one minute
"Wcll," said FRO. q. 1T is said that
Joseph and tie rest Of the family were
lazy and incident"
I'VE never heard Of such q thing until
alter Joseph told bis yislun,au not then,
by our friends Whenever the ncighhoTs
wanted o good days work done they
knew where they could get q good hand
and they were not particular 90 take any
o the other boys before Joseph either.
We cleared sixty acres Of the heaviest
timber ! ever saw. We had good
place. We also had ON d from twelve
TO hlteeu hundred sugar trees. and 10
gather the sap and make sugar aud mo-.
lusscs Rom that number Of trees was no
lazy job. We worked hard to clear our
place and the nC.rhhOB were a little
jealous, II YOU will iigufc up how much
work u would take 10 clear sixty acres
OF heavy timber land, heavier than any
here, trees you could not conveniently
cut down, you can tell whether we were
lazy or not, and Joseph did his share OF
the work with the rest OF the boys.
we never knew we were bad folks
until Joseph told his vision. We were
considered respectable till then, but at
once people began to circulate false.
hoods aud stories in wonderful way. q"
Were your folks relgiuusly inclined
before Joseph saw the augel3' asked
brother Briggs
"Yes, we always had family prayers
since ! can remember well remember
father used TO carry his spectacle In
his vest pocket Ugcling in bis lower
right hand pocket 70 show as how aud
wherel and when US BOYS saw him feel
Tor his specs, We knew that was a
signal TO get ready for prayer and II wc
dld not notice h mother would say
William, or whoever was the negligent
one, get ready for prayer Aler the
prayer We bad song We would sing,
remember part Of it yet,
Another day BIAS passed and gone
We ly our mrWcnN by,
'Hyrum, Samuel Katharine and
mother were members Of the presbyte.
Ran church. My father would not ioin.
lie did not like il because q Rev. Stock.
ton had preached my brothcTs funeral
sermon and minated very strongly that
ne had gone 20 hell, for Alvin was not a
church member but he was o good boy
and. my father did not like II.
what caused Joseph to ask for guild.
ance as to what church he ought To
join, asked Bro. &.
HANl..