Part 18 (1/2)
”'LIVERPOOL, April 15, 1838.
”'_Beloved Brethren_:
”'Having given all diligence to make known unto you the common salvation of our Lord Jesus Christ, which ye have so joyfully received from my lips, I feel now to write to you a few words for your consolation, and the confirming of that hope which is possessed by you, that ye may be steadfast and immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, that it may be made manifest unto all men that our labors have not been in vain.
”'Be kind and affectionate one towards another, manifesting your faith by your works--doing as well as saying. If there is any one among you dest.i.tute of daily food, feed him; if any one be naked, clothe him; if any one be cast down, raise him up; if any among you are sick, send for the Elders, or Priests, that they may come and pray for you, and lay their hands upon you, and the prayer of faith shall heal the sick; therefore, brethren, let your faith be centered in G.o.d, for He is able to do all things, to forgive sins and heal the sick, for you know this, that G.o.d has said _these signs shall follow them that believe_.
”'Now, brethren, I exhort you in the name of my Master, to contend for that faith which was once delivered to the Saints; for the same faith will produce the same effects; for G.o.d has not changed, neither has His word changed; heaven and earth shall pa.s.s away, but there shall not one jot or t.i.ttle of His word fail; all shall be fulfilled, whether it be by His own voice or the voice of His servants, it is all the same; therefore, brethren, do not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of G.o.d.
”'Dear brethren and sisters, be patient, be humble, be prayerful, visit your secret places. Pray in your families morning and evening, ye who are heads of families, and neglect not the a.s.sembling of yourselves together; but speak often one to another concerning the things of the kingdom, and diligently follow after every good thing, remembering that the diligent hand maketh rich.
Let these things be and abound with you, and ye shall be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of G.o.d. Let your eyes be single, and your bodies shall be filled with light.
”'Now, to you, brethren, who have been ordained to watch over the flock, I would say, stand in your places and magnify the offices which ye have received of the Lord Jesus, to feed His sheep. Feed the lambs; watch over the flock in all things; be not partial to any one; remember these things, and the blessing of G.o.d shall attend you in all things.
”'Dear brethren and sisters, I give you the grat.i.tude of my heart for the kindness which you have bestowed upon me and my brethren; for when I was hungry, ye fed me; when I was naked, ye clothed me; when I was dest.i.tute, ye gave me money; when I was a stranger, ye took me in and lodged me; and, as ye have done these things to me and my brethren in our necessities, my heavenly Father shall minister unto you in your necessities; for I am not forgetful of those things and I do ever remember you in my prayers, praying my heavenly Father to sustain you, and enable you to walk worthy of the holy vocation unto which ye have been called, unto the end.
Amen.
”'Finally, brethren and sisters, farewell. Pray for me and my brethren; and may the G.o.d of all grace sanctify you wholly, and bring you into my Father's kingdom.
”'Adieu. This from your beloved brother in Christ,
”'HEBER C. KIMBALL.'”
One more incident remains to be told, ere with the Elders we take leave of England. At Liverpool, April 13th, ”Good Friday,” Apostle Kimball penned the following:
”_Dear Brothers and Sisters in Preston_:
”It seemeth good unto us and also unto the Holy Spirit to write you a few words which cause pain in our hearts, and will also pain you when they are fulfilled before you; yet you shall have joy in the end. Brother Webster will not abide in the Spirit of the Lord, but will reject the truth, and become the enemy of the people of G.o.d, and expose the mysteries which have been committed to him, that a righteous judgment may be executed upon him, unless he speedily repent.
”When this sorrowful prediction shall be fulfilled, this letter shall be read to the Church, and it shall prove a solemn warning to all to beware.
”Farewell in the Lord.”
This letter, signed by the two Apostles, Heber C. Kimball and Orson Hyde, was sealed in the presence, and committed to the care, of Elders Joseph Fielding and Willard Richards. These brethren, on returning to Preston, had Elder William Clayton and Deacon Arthur Burrows examine the sealed missive critically, and placed marks and dates upon it, in order to be able to testify, if necessary, that it had not been opened.
The fulfillment of the prediction was most accurate. Thomas Webster, the individual referred to in the epistle, was a member of the Preston branch, a man of promise and ability, quite popular with the Saints, and his integrity at the time unquestioned. Desiring that he should prosper. Presidents Fielding and Richards watched over and prayed for him, and ”he continued to grow in the knowledge of the kingdom, and spoke with power for some months.” A change then came over him; he became dissatisfied, and preferred certain charges against the presiding Elders. These charges were proven to be false, or of no account, and Webster was required to acknowledge his error, or cease acting in his office. He refused to do either. On the following Sunday, in a private house, he administered the sacrament to six of his followers, one of whom had been excommunicated from the Church, while another had not even been baptized. For this offense Webster was deprived of his members.h.i.+p.
The letter of the Apostles was then opened and read to the Church, Brothers Clayton and Burrows first testifying publicly that the seal had never been broken. It was feared that Webster's popularity would draw many after him, but the reading of the prediction concerning him utterly destroyed his influence, and more fully confirmed the Saints in their faith.
Webster, ambitious to create a following, and well aware of his popularity, applied for permission to come before the Church and publicly plead his cause, which request was wisely denied, as he had refused to appear, when required, the Sabbath before. Soon after placards were posted up in different parts of Preston reading as follows; ”A lecture will be delivered at Mr. Giles' chapel, to expose the mysteries of Mormonism, by Thomas Webster.” This announcement he fulfilled, though with little effect, thus making good in strictest detail the prophecy of Heber C. Kimball, uttered six months before.
Return we now to the Apostles and Elder Russell, in Liverpool, about to take pa.s.sage on board the _Garrick_, bound for New York.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
THE ELDERS SAIL FOR HOME--A STORM AT SEA--HOW HEBER FOUND FAVOR WITH THE STEWARD--ARRIVAL AT NEW YORK--THE ”GARRICK” AGAIN VICTORIOUS-- JOURNEY TO KIRTLAND--ON TO FAR WEST--HAPPY MEETING WITH JOSEPH AND THE BRETHREN.
Homeward bound!