Part 23 (1/2)
”Be merciful and you shall obtain mercy.” The word of the Lord unto His servant Heber. The word of the Lord unto His disciples in days of old. The voice of universal charity, breathing forth the spirit of Christ upon a weak, a sinful and a fallen world.
”Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
Why should we rail at the fallen? Why not rather weep, when a brother or a sister sins? Why hate them for what is their misfortune? The heavens wept over fallen Lucifer, and even Michael, the archangel, contending with him for the body of Moses, ”durst not bring against him a railing accusation?”
None but the tempted know what trials are; none but the fallen what the fallen suffer, or how they endured ere they fell. None but G.o.d can fully know the why and wherefore of their fall.
”We see but half the causes of our deeds, Seeking them wholly in the outer life.”
What we deem chance, may be destiny; what we term accident, design. A greater knowledge than man's, the knowledge of a G.o.d, can alone elucidate the mystery of mortal actions, as seen by the dim uncertain light of the flickering lantern of human wisdom.
He who is the Judge; who ”putteth down one and setteth up another;”
who is angry with none save with those who will not in all things acknowledge and obey Him; who bringeth order out of chaos, light out of darkness, strength from weakness, life from death, and victory from seeming failure and defeat; He only can entirely tell why some succeed where others fail, why some are weak and some are strong, why false and true are found together; why ”there must needs be an opposition all things;” why demons as well as angels are essential; why sun and shadow cross each other; why joy and sorrow, sweet and bitter, wine and wormwood, are in life's cup commingled; why the beacon lights the breaker's foam; why the stranded wreck, and the bark safely anch.o.r.ed, each must tell its tale and point its moral for the welfare of future generations.
”Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.”
”To err is human; to forgive divine.”
”And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these is charity.”
”About this time,” says Heber, ”Orson Hyde came to me feeling very sorrowful for the course he had pursued the past few months; he said it was because of fear (Brother Hyde was sick just before the Far West troubles commenced), and now lamented his folly and asked me what he should do. I told him to give up his school, remove his family and gather with the Church. He wanted to know if I thought the brethren would forgive him. I said, 'Yes.' He then asked, 'Will you defend my case?' And I promised him I would.”
Heber was as good as his word, and through his mediation Brother Hyde was forgiven, after a humble confession, and restored to fellows.h.i.+p.
He was also reinstated in his Apostles.h.i.+p, which he thenceforth magnified unto the end of his days.
Heber enlisted as his fellow champion of the cause of Brother Hyde, President Hyrum Smith, great-hearted and merciful as himself, and when, at the next conference of the Church, Joseph presented the name of Orson Hyde to the congregation for their action, Hyrum and Heber pleaded for him so earnestly that the Prophet said: ”If my brother Hyrum and Heber C. Kimball will defend Orson Hyde, I will withdraw my motion.”
Thus did the voice of mercy, the voice of G.o.d, in two of His n.o.blest sons, plead and not in vain for the fallen.
And what of Oliver, and David, and Sidney, and scores of others who fell from grace, but many of whom, penitent at life's eleventh hour, returned to lay the offering of a broken heart and a contrite spirit upon the altar of G.o.d's infinite love? Will they not find mercy, and meet a judgment more just, than we in our narrow charity know how to mete out to the erring?
Verily they will; and more joy will there ever be in the mansions of our Father, over the returning prodigal, the soul that was lost and is found, than in the steadfast faith of the righteous mult.i.tude, whose reward is that they need no repentance.
Another Elder who fell away during this time of trouble, was Isaac Russell, Heber's fellow missionary to England. About thirty families followed him, accepting him as their leader. Viewing with sorrow the fall of such men, his former faithful companions in the ministry, Heber's mind turned with some solicitude to the church in England, which they, with himself, had been instrumental in founding. He wrote to Joseph Fielding, President of the Church in that land, as follows:
”I have only received two letters from you since I came here. If you knew the feelings I have for the welfare of that people your pen would not be so idle. May G.o.d stir you up to diligence to feed His sheep; for they are children of my begetting through the Gospel. Think it not strange that I speak thus; for you know the feelings that a father has for his children.
”Now, brethren, be faithful and visit the churches, and exhort the Saints to be faithful in all things, and not lay down their watch for a moment; for there is great danger of falling beneath the powers of darkness. Don't think hard of me, brethren, for my plainness, for I am a plain man, and G.o.d requires it of me, and the same of you. Don't keep the Saints in ignorance of those things I have made you acquainted with--that is, our sufferings, for they will know them when I come, and they will have to pa.s.s through similar scenes. Don't be selfish; for it will not impoverish you to tell them all that I tell you.
”Your sister Mary left here about eight weeks ago, also the rest of the wives of the prisoners, thinking that they would be out in a few days. There are ten in prison; they are all well and in good spirits. I am going to see them to-morrow if the Lord will.
”Mobs are common in this country; it is getting so that there is no safety anywhere in this land. Prepare yourselves for trouble wherever you go, for it awaits you and all others that love the Lord and keep His commandments.
”Brethren, I want you to go to the north where Brother Russell labored, and see what situation the Saints are in, for I have some fears about them. Go and strengthen them in the name of the Lord, for I think that Russell is leading them astray.[A]
[Footnote A: This letter preceded, only by a few weeks, an epistle from Isaac Russell to the Saints in Alston, England, of a nature ”calculated to deceive and lead astray.”]
”Brethren, I can truly say that I have never seen the Church in a better state since I have been a member of it. What there are left are firm and steadfast, full of love and good works.