Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1894-06-16
John LYMAN SMITH.
Ne Relates Interesting Experiences
OF Many Years Ago,
CALLED 10 rnE PROPHETS AID,

ST. GEORGE, Washington Co., Utah,
lunc ". 1901

June y, 1894.
Eiior D0pd NoeU
Though at late hour desire {,
Mace few items at your disposal
John Smith. my father was born ir
Dardcld. ~ H., July 20, 1881 Clanssl
t,mln. my mother. was born In Leb
anon. IS. H., June 27ih, 1879. They
were married Sept Isl, 1915 THEFT
children were: George Albert, born June
,5,h. 1917, Caroline, born June 9th, 1890.
and myself John Lyman, born Nov rub
1875. aIl at the town OF potsdlm, ST.
lawrence Co, y. Y.
Ms father was baptized on the 9th Of
lan. 1884. and was ordained an Elder.
Mother was baptized one year preyi.
ously After spending considerable
time preaching, and baptising some.
a.hgr disposed OF bis farm in ST. Law.
renee Co.. s. v, aud 100 May, 1888. re-
moved 10 Kirkland, Geluga Co., Ohio.
De hborcd ia and around that place
under the direction OF the Prophet
Joseph, taking several preaching cxcur
s0ns, and upon The Temple.
Twas baptized by my father ON the
18th Of Now, 1880. In the Chagnn river.
a, Kirkland, Gcauga Co., Ohio. Oar
clothes were frozen upon returning
home. Al this age / had read all the
small histories OF men and countries I
could get generally being first in my
class. out OF school hours ! carried
many q pail Of water Tor the wurkmcu
on the Kirkland Temple walls. and when
school was opened inside the building
laueudcd q class taught by my cousin
ELIAS Smith. In 1898 my father moved
Go Davies County, Missouri. where we
assisted In building am.ondi.Ahmln.
Our house, bull, OF logs. was located in
% point OF timber near the edge OF the
prairie. A few hundred yards from our
door. toward Grand river the ground
seemed 10 have dropped squlrcIy OIL
from twenty To- thirty icgt. leaving line
ui almost perpendicular rocks Tor two or
three miles, running nearly parallel with
the river. This piece of bottom land
was covered with q rank growth Of
LIav. occasionally Interpreted with
shfubhrry. Il was called the Grand
river bottoms, and varied 10 width from
one 20 two miles. This ledge formed a
fence through which q passage was sci.
dom found from one To the other
Along this edge of clIu, we often traced
rock walls win angles two or three feet
To- hight the angle, containing pieces Of
ancient potterywarc, all looking as " a
hurricane had swept the buildings away,
W au earthquake had split the ledge IN
Two and sent 10 destruction the build
ings so easily traced along lbs edge aud
extending prairc-wards several hun.
deed feet
About q quarter Of a mile down the
road. toward the river crossing, three
o. four rods TO the LEFT Of the road, was
"a copsc OF trees and bushes. 10 the
center OF which was q raised stone work,
which showed marks OF lire, coal, etc.
The falling OF the leaves and blowing in
OF sand and dust had rounded up this
knoll until b. was some feet above the
road. This place was where tic Prophet
Joseph said Adam offered sacrifice and
blessed his children. looked upon
this as q sacred spot, and often used 20
hide there when strangers passed along
the road,
Upon one occasion Iran across the road
Go this dell. when two men hailed me aud
asked me u ! was Mormon replied
] was - - Mormon, but had doubts
about the other part Of the blasphrm0us
speech. They then asked what / car.
ned hickory club for ] told them TO
Hill snakes with, After inquidug about
horses. where my father was, aud asking
many questions, all of which were thick.
ly Interpreted with blasphemy. they
said ! was q fool and they would shoot
me then and there I replied, "You can
shoot me u you like, as you are the
strongest party but ! should not think
there would be much honor or bravery
in kil.lng a ten year old lad" They
then wished TO know II ! was no, afraid
10 talk so. | replied mo, / have done
no one any harm; why should ] leaf''
They then rode on curing iearlu ly,
after which ! retired TO the messy dell
and upon my knees thanked Father Tor
preserving me and removing from me
every sensation Of fear aud trembling
which had troubled me at the time /
entered the copsc, Here ! found the
efficacy Of my early teaching TO ask OF
my Father IN heaven aud He would give
abundantly
During those days OF toll and care,
as the Saints could not get their corn
ground, the brethren Iorlsed with q
will and built horse mill. or corn
cracker where we could get iair
sample Of coarse corn meal. ln Octn.
brr we were compelled by the mob TO
leave Dayless county and gathered in
ana around Far West, Caldwell county,
Missouri
Being OF an age 20 see and hear un-
molested a great deal that passed /
may say ! was not always asleep or idle.
as the mobbIng and duylngs OF the
saints and their Iuhuman treatment by
missouri mohucrats has been told by
many eye Witnesses and older persons
man myself, / need only say we reached
quincy Illinois, In February 1889.
amer few days OF res, my father sue
geeded IN renting q small place Of
Mr. Mcmahon at Green Pllius.slX miles
nom WARSAW, and put la crop.
10 luly We removed 20 Commerce,
afterwards called Nauyoo, our hpt
location there WAS in a log stable be-
longing to a widow White, some blocks
east Of what was known as the Temple
block, This hovel was made Of q small
class of crooked poles, between which
! often crepi instead of raising the quilt
lung over the doorway; this part OF
Nlmmerce NJ that time was Ihickly
covered with blackberry bushes mixed
WIN oak aud hazel brush our family
were an sick with ChiIs and fever
uamlliarly known as the shakesl except