Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-09-24
BISHOP wHlTNEy's ADDRESS.

II cannot but feel that my proper
place Is more with the lmourners than
with those who are expected TO COM
Tort those who mourn; related as am
TO the departed one and to many who
are Immediately bereaved by her de-
parture. But | am not one to mourn
without hope, and see nothing In the
qeath or righteous person, such as
dear Aunt Melissa, that should cause any
but feelings OF, satisfaction, beyond the
natural sorrow that loving hearts al
ways experience at parting. | have
known her all my lfe she IL one OF
my earliest recollections; and | know
OF nothing In her life and character
that does not command my respect and
admiration. True as steel to her con-
victions, she bravely and patiently la
bored and suffered for the holy prin-
ciples she had espoused and after a
long life OF usefulness aud honor she
mas entered into her well-earned rest
In the paradise OF God Is not this u
cause for congratulation? | think So
and with all my heart congratulate
her that the warfare IL over and the
victory won, so far as she is concern.
ed. And ] only hope we will all be
good enough TO go where she Is, or II
u De our lot TO remain TIL she comes
back to us, that we may be worthy ia
meet her and mingle with the lust, who
viii come with the Savior when He an.
pears In glory.
1T is our belief, as Latter-day Saints
mat we lived before we came into this
world. and that between this mortal
state and the resurrection, there Is an
interval In which the spirit, temper.
arlly disembodied, rests In paradise.
preparatory to the reunion OF the spir.
II and the body, IN which condition
alone can man inherit a fulness of ioy.
we are taught that those who die i'm
christ shall come with Him I'm glory.
and that those who live In Christ shall
be caught up to meet Him, and this In
the morning OF the Rrst resurrection
al the beginning az the great Mllen.
MUM. This viii he the lot of our he
loved Aunt Melissa. they don't make
better women than she; she made her
calling and election sure; and she
Us one OF those of whom II is written,
Blessed are they who die I'm the Lord
yea, saith the Spirit, for they rest from
Their lahors and their works do follow
them"
But II IS not my purpose 10 preach
2 doctrinal discourse on this occasion
thought | would prefer to give a lit
tle OF her personal history. She be-
longed to a family that came from
yorkshire, England, In the year 1877
sailing from the port of Huh. and set
Ting at PoultneyVllle Ontario county
New York, This was the same neigh
Dorhood, or the same county, In which
The Prophet Joseph Smith ~ a boy OF
fourteen years received his first mani
festalon from on high II was AT
Manchester Ontario county. New York
that he witnessed the glorious appear.
ing OF the Father and the Son. i'm an
swer TO MS prayer for light and guild.
anoe, IN the spring Of 1890. II seems
as II the hand OF destiny was leading
the Burton family into proximity 10
the principles which they afterwards
embraced and the people whom they
subsequently Joined After residing al
Poultneyyille for two or three years
they removed TO western Canada. and
there Melissa was born. March 3. 1925.
During the same year the family re-
turned to the United states taking I'M
farm OF 1850 acres at the mouth of the
Maumee river where the city OF Toledo
now stands They afterwards removed
70 Adrian, Michigan and We're among
the early settlers in that region. Sub
aequently being unable to DISPOSE OF
their property In Canada, they returned
10 their old home at Amersberg. and Il
was there, In the year 1897. that NOR
monism FOUND them. The Church Of
Jesus Christ OF Latter-day Saints, or.
ganized ~ Fayette, New York, In April,
1880. had changed It's headquarters TO
Kirkland, Ohio, and two Elders from
hlrtland came preaching the Gospel In