Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-05-07
er Journey to Winter Quarters.

neer journey to Winter Quarters.
went In the spring, as he told me- and
took my family. We came one even
ing to one of the brethren's houses In
Indiana Several of us were there
Orson Hyde had team as well as my
self We drove into a long yard.
set my carriage within six inches OF
his. had my wife and children with
me. i tied my animals to an oak tree
on the other side of where we camped
/ went to bed In my carriage. As
laid down, the Spirit of the Lord told
me to get up and move my carriage
l did not ask the Lord what He
meant. did as l was told. The same
Spirit told me to so and move my
animals away from that tree. I did
that. My wife asked me why | did II.
| told her i did not know. l had not
been in bed twenty minutes wilvn
there came whlrlwind and took thar
oak tree, which had stood there per-
haps fifty years. split 1t right through
the trunk, and 1t swept through both
of those fences where my carriagi had
stood. 1t never touched Brother Hyde $
carriage. but II would have crushed
me and my family to the earth
IL had not listened to the voice of the
Spirit. After spending two years and
n half In New England ana Canada,
getting the Saints out, ! started back
with the last lot. about hundred
from Boston. We landed In Pitts
burg at dusk. We were anxious not
to stay there, but to go on to st.
Louis. I saw steamer making steam
ready to go out. l went to the cap
tain and asked him how many passen-
gers he had Three hundred and flf-
ty." Gould you take another hun
dred?" YES" / was just about to
tell him we wanted to go aboard when
that Spirit said to me. Don't go
aboard that steamer, you nor your
company" All right, said !. l had
learned something about that still,
small voice / did not go aboard that
steamer, but waited till the next morn
ing. In thirty minutes after that
steamer left, 1t took fire. 1t had ropes
instead of wheel chains, and they could
not 20 ashore. 1t was dark night,
and not a soul was saved. II / had
not obeyed the influence Of that moni-
tor within me, l would have been there
myself. with the rest of the company.
The Thirteenth ward would not have
had an Atwood for Bishop; the
Church would not have had Leonard
w. Hardy as Bishop. They were both
with me. and their families, including
Brother Samuel Hardy. who is In st.
George now, upwards of ninety years
old. 1 never disobeyed that Spirit
but once in my life; l did 1t then
through the urgency of other persons.
and it nearly cost me my life. l have
been acquainted with this Spirit. 1t
was not the blow of trumpets nor
thunder and lightning; it was the still
small voice to me. All the way from
my boyhood have been governed and
controlled by that Spirit. My missions
have been by that Spirit of revelation.
I was told to 90 to Fox Islands by
that same still small voice. In the
time of the great apostasy in Kirkland
the Spirit of the Lord said to me. Get
you a partner and go to Fox Islands"
knew no more what was in Fox
Islands than what was in Kolob.
went there, however, baptized a hun,
dred and brought them up to Zion with
me. 1t was upon that island where l
received letter from Joseph Smith,
telling me that was called by revela-
ton to fill the place of one Of the
Twelve who had fallen. You will see
It in the Doctrine and Covenants. That
thing was revealed to me before I re-
ceived the letter from Joseph Smith,
but did not feel disposed to tell 1t to
any mortal man. for knew 1t was my
duty to keep such things to myself.
Through all my life and labors, when
ever have been told to do anything by
the Spirit of the Lord, have always
found II rood to do 1t. / have been
preserved by that power. That power
was with me when / went to Hereford
shire. was preaching every night
with Brother Gordon. and one night we
held n meeting in the town hall at
Hanley. in Staffordshire. The Spirit