Part 10 (1/2)
”Feeling my weakness to go upon such an errand, I asked the Prophet if Brother Brigham might go with me. He replied that he wanted Brother Brigham to stay with him, for he had something else for him to do. The idea of such a mission was almost more than I could bear up under. I was almost ready to sink under the burden which was placed upon me.
”However, all these considerations did not deter me from the path of duty; the moment I understood the will of my heavenly Father, I felt a determination to go at all hazards, believing that He would support me by His almighty power, and endow me with every qualification that I needed; and although my family was dear to me, and I should have to leave them almost dest.i.tute, I felt that the cause of truth, the Gospel of Christ, outweighed every other consideration.
”At this time many faltered in their faith; even some of the Twelve were in rebellion against the Prophet of G.o.d. John F. Boynton said to me, 'If you are such a fool as to go at the call of the fallen prophet, Joseph Smith, I will not help you a dime, and if you are cast on Van Dieman's land, I will not make an effort to help you.' Lyman E.
Johnson said he did not want me to go on my mission, but if I was determined to go, he would help me all he could; he took his cloak from off his back and put it on mine; which was the first cloak I ever had.
”Brothers Sidney Rigdon, Joseph Smith, Sen., Brigham Young, Newel K.
Whitney and others said, 'Go and do as the Prophet has told you, and you shall prosper and be blessed with power to do a glorious work.'
Hyrum, seeing the condition of the Church, when he talked about my mission, wept like a little child; he was continually blessing and encouraging me, and pouring out his soul in prophecies upon my head; he said: 'Go, and you shall prosper as not many have prospered.'”
Elder Orson Hyde, who had had some disagreement with the authorities and was thought to be disaffected, gave a n.o.ble proof of his integrity by asking forgiveness of the brethren, and requesting the privilege of accompanying Apostle Kimball on his mission to England. He was accordingly set apart, with Elder Kimball and Priest Joseph Fielding, for that purpose.
Says Heber: ”The Presidency laid their hands on me and set me apart to preside over the mission, and conferred great blessings upon my head; said that G.o.d would make me mighty in that nation in winning souls unto Him; angels should accompany me and bear me up, that my feet should never slip; that I should be mightily blessed and prove a source of salvation to thousands, not only in England but America.
”After being called on this mission, I daily went into the east room in the attic story of the temple and poured out my soul unto the Lord, asking His protection and power to fulfill honorably the mission appointed me by His servants. A short time previous to starting, I was laid prostrate on my bed with a st.i.tch in my back, which suddenly seized me while chopping and drawing wood for my family. I could not stir a limb without crying out from the severeness of the pain.
Joseph, hearing of it, came to see me, bringing Oliver Cowdery and Bishop Partridge with him; they prayed for and blessed me, Joseph being mouth, beseeching G.o.d to raise me up; he then took me by the right hand and said, 'Brother Heber, I take you by your right hand in the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, and by virtue of the Holy Priesthood vested in me I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to arise, and be thou made whole.' I arose from my bed, put on my clothes, and started with them and went up to the temple, and felt no more of the pain afterwards.”
Though amazed and overwhelmed at his call to this duty, the voice of the Spirit in his own heart had long since told him that he would some day be required to perform just such a work. As with all men of destiny, the mountain of his mission loomed before him dimly in the distance, casting its shadow athwart his soul, and there were times when, worn and wearied with life's common cares, he sought within that shade shelter and repose from the noontide's heat and toil. Thus doth the ideal subserve the real, of which, what is it but the prophecy?
Some months prior to his appointment, in a conversation with Willard Richards in the streets of Kirtland, soon after the latter was baptized, Heber, filled with the spirit of prophecy, had predicted for himself a mission to the sh.o.r.es of Europe.
”Shall I go with thee?” enquired Willard.
”Yea, in the name of the Lord, thou shalt go with me when I go,” Heber replied.
But Willard was now in the eastern states, on a special business mission, and the day of Heber's departure was drawing near. Just one day before he left for England, Elder Richards returned, and was reminded by the Apostle of the prediction he had uttered five months before. Willard, being involved in business, and not having received a formal call, did not see how he could go. But, on consulting with the First Presidency, and obtaining their consent, and his partner in business, Brigham Young, agreeing to take charge of their affairs in his absence, he was enabled to fulfill his covenant with Heber, and was set apart the same evening to accompany the mission to England.
Heber received the following letter of recommendation from the First Presidency:
”At a conference of the Elders of the Church of Latter-day Saints, held in Kirtland, Geauga County, Ohio, on the fourth day of June, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and thirty-seven, Elder Heber C. Kimball, the bearer of this, was unanimously appointed, set apart and ordained to go at the head of this mission to England, to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the people of that nation, as it is believed and practiced by us.
From the long acquaintance which we have had with this our worthy brother, his integrity and zeal in the cause of truth, we do most cheerfully and confidently recommend him to all candid and upright people as a servant of G.o.d and faithful minister of Jesus Christ.
We do furthermore beseech all people who have an opportunity of hearing this our brother declare the doctrine believed by us, to listen with attention to the words of his mouth.
”JOSEPH SMITH, ”SIDNEY RIGDON, ”HYRUM SMITH,
”_Presiding Elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints_.”
The day of departure came; Tuesday, June 13th, 1837. The solemn scene of Heber's parting with his family cannot be more tenderly or graphically told than in the words of Elder Robert B. Thompson, who thus describes it:
”The day appointed for the departure of the Elders to England having arrived, I stepped into the house of Brother Kimball to ascertain when he would start, as I expected to accompany him two or three hundred miles, intending to spend my labors in Canada that season.
”The door being partly open, I entered and felt struck with the sight which presented itself to my view. I would have retired, thinking that I was intruding, but I felt riveted to the spot. The father was pouring out his soul to that
'G.o.d who rules on high, Who all the earth surveys: That rides upon the stormy sky, And calms the roaring seas,'
that he would grant him a prosperous voyage across the mighty ocean, and make him useful wherever his lot should be cast, and that He who 'careth for sparrows, and feedeth the young ravens when they cry'