Harrison's journey continues........................
"I removed my family to Daviess County and in a short time my wife was taken sick with the chills and fever which rendered her nearly helpless for about six months, during which also the terrible tragedies of persecution were enacted in Missouri. Daniel Carter, and some of his family, were sick and on my hands to provide for. Thus, surrounded by affliction , I, with my brethren, were compelled to remove our sick family to Caldwell County. We tarried there till the next March and were then obliged to leave the state. In addition to removing my own family, I made two or three trips with my team to assist in the removing of the destitute.
I removed to Nauvoo in April, 1840. I remained during the summer and in the fall I took a mission to the east in company with Daniel Carter. We took our families, and by request of Hyrum Smith moved into his large and commodious house in Kirtland to which was attached a most beautiful orchard. We then proceeded farther east on our mission as we were authorized to visit the branches of the church and gather means for the Nauvoo Temple. I was gone two years when I returned to Nauvoo.
In June of 1844 the storm of persecution arose against the leaders of the church, which terminated in the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. During this scene I had the command of one of the companies of the Nauvoo Legion and I was on duty about three weeks. I saw Joseph and Hyrum's dead bodies and was called on to act as one of the guards at the burial.
At the organization of the seventies I was appointed one of the Presidents over the Second Quorum and was ordained to that office under the hands of Elder Orson Pratt. During the spring and summer I assisted in ordaining several hundreds of the seventies and organizing them into quorums.
In the fall of 1845 the mob spirit revived and after due reflection and counsel the church as a body concluded to leave the states and seek a home in the wilderness.
Every possible exertion was then made to hasten the completion of the temple, that the saints might therein receive their anticipated blessings and endowments before their departure. The temple was dedicated and the giving of endowments commenced."
As you have been reading the blog you may have noticed that the Carter surname has come up on several occasions. Elder Simeon Carter first preached the gospel to Harrison in New York. John Carter died in Harrison's arms during the march of Zion's Camp. Jared Carter was present on the occasion of William Harrison's confirmation. Daniel Carter is assisted in the exodus by Harrison. The Carter brothers were missionaries as well. I researched the Carter boys while we were in Kirtland and found some information about them. Unfortunately, only Simeon remained true to the gospel and came west with the Pioneers. He did not live long after their arrival in Utah but the Burgess descendants owe a great debt to the Carter family for all they suffered through together.
We know that Harrison served in the Nauvoo Legion (if you would like more info on this group you can Google it or read what's available in numerous church history books.) Willaim Burgess served with the local military in Utah. How grateful I am to these good men who were willing to serve and protect, even as today our relative, Nick Kolowich is willing to serve and protect his country while being deployed in Afghanistan. Grandpa Don Higginson served for more than twenty years in the U.S. Navy as well. I am sure there are others of you who have willingly given service to protect and defend this great country of ours. We are all grateful to you for your service.
Monday, March 31, 2014
Saturday, March 22, 2014
Zion's Camp, Temple Visions, and the School of the Prophets
We left off last time with Harrison barely escaping death from cholera on the famous Zion's Camp march. The story continues:
"When the camp broke up I received an honorable discharge from Lyman Wight our Commander in Chief. After this I started for home in company with Heber C. Kimball, and arriving at Kirtland, Ohio about the last of July I found my friends well and the saints were exerting themselves to the utmost in their poverty to build the temple. I received my endowments there in the spring of 1835. (This endowment was not the complete endowment as we know it today. Harrison and his wife received the full endowment in the Nauvoo Temple and we will hear more about that later.)
The Lord blessed His people abundantly in that temple with the spirit of prophecy, the ministering of angels, and visions. I will here relate a vision which was shown to me.
It was near the close of the endowments--I was in a meeting for instruction in the upper part of the temple with about a hundred of the high priests, seventies and elders. The saints fell to shout "Hosanna" and the spirit of God rested upon me in mighty power and I beheld the room lighted up with a peculiar light such as I had never seen before. The room looked to me as though it had neither roof nor floor to the building and I beheld Joseph and Hyrum Smith and Roger Orton enveloped in the light. Joseph exclaimed aloud, "I behold the Savior, the Son of God." Hyrum exclaimed, "I behold the angels of Heaven." Brother Orton exclaimed, "I behold the chariots of Israel." All who were in the room felt the power of God to that degree that many prophesied and the power of God was made manifest, the remembrance of which I shall never forget while I live upon the earth.
The winter of 1836 I attended a high school together with brothers Joseph and Hyrum and most of the heads of the church. (This is the school of the prophets we study about in church history. If any of you have been to Kirtland you sureley visited the Newel K. Whitney store. The school of the prophets was held upstairs. It was wonderful to visit there and know that Harrison actually spent time in that very room.) It was a fine opportunity for instruction. The evenings were mostly spent in meetings for instruction in the principles of our faith and religion. It was then and there that the lectures in the forpart of the book of Doctrine and Covenants were given. During this winter and spring members of Zion's Camp were called together to receive an especial blessing, according to a promise which had been made in the before mentioned revelation. Out of this number most of the Twelve were selected, and also the first Seventy, of whom I was one.
We had a meeting every Saturday to bless and ordain such as had been called. I was blessed and ordained under the hands of Joseph Smith, Jr., Joseph Smith Sr., and Sidney Rigdon.
I started the eighteenth of April on a mission to New York and Vermont and returned home September twentieth. Nothing of importance transpired with me in 1837. In the winter of 1837 I took a short mission to Ohio in company with Lucious N. Scovil. While upon this mission, we heard persecution had been raised against the church in the burning of the printing office and the church was leaving for Far West, Missouri. We returned home immediately and I made preparations and started west with my family on the twenty-sixth of March in company with several other families among whom was Brother Hyrum Smith. We had an exceedingly hard journey in consequence of a great deal of rain and mud. Arrived at Far West on the twenty-seventh of May, 1837.
The next day I went to Daviess County with Joseph and Hyrum Smith and some others to look out a new location. I remained there nine days and helped survey the site for a city. As a reward for rendering this assistance at that time, Brother Joseph selected me a very fine city lot."
It is exciting to read about all of the historical events we learn about in Sunday School as we study the Doctrine and Covenants and know that our ancestors were there, they were a part of it, and it strengthened their faith and testimony. I wonder what our descendants will say about us and our historical contributions to the church. Hopefully they will be grateful for what we did.
"When the camp broke up I received an honorable discharge from Lyman Wight our Commander in Chief. After this I started for home in company with Heber C. Kimball, and arriving at Kirtland, Ohio about the last of July I found my friends well and the saints were exerting themselves to the utmost in their poverty to build the temple. I received my endowments there in the spring of 1835. (This endowment was not the complete endowment as we know it today. Harrison and his wife received the full endowment in the Nauvoo Temple and we will hear more about that later.)
The Lord blessed His people abundantly in that temple with the spirit of prophecy, the ministering of angels, and visions. I will here relate a vision which was shown to me.
It was near the close of the endowments--I was in a meeting for instruction in the upper part of the temple with about a hundred of the high priests, seventies and elders. The saints fell to shout "Hosanna" and the spirit of God rested upon me in mighty power and I beheld the room lighted up with a peculiar light such as I had never seen before. The room looked to me as though it had neither roof nor floor to the building and I beheld Joseph and Hyrum Smith and Roger Orton enveloped in the light. Joseph exclaimed aloud, "I behold the Savior, the Son of God." Hyrum exclaimed, "I behold the angels of Heaven." Brother Orton exclaimed, "I behold the chariots of Israel." All who were in the room felt the power of God to that degree that many prophesied and the power of God was made manifest, the remembrance of which I shall never forget while I live upon the earth.
The winter of 1836 I attended a high school together with brothers Joseph and Hyrum and most of the heads of the church. (This is the school of the prophets we study about in church history. If any of you have been to Kirtland you sureley visited the Newel K. Whitney store. The school of the prophets was held upstairs. It was wonderful to visit there and know that Harrison actually spent time in that very room.) It was a fine opportunity for instruction. The evenings were mostly spent in meetings for instruction in the principles of our faith and religion. It was then and there that the lectures in the forpart of the book of Doctrine and Covenants were given. During this winter and spring members of Zion's Camp were called together to receive an especial blessing, according to a promise which had been made in the before mentioned revelation. Out of this number most of the Twelve were selected, and also the first Seventy, of whom I was one.
We had a meeting every Saturday to bless and ordain such as had been called. I was blessed and ordained under the hands of Joseph Smith, Jr., Joseph Smith Sr., and Sidney Rigdon.
I started the eighteenth of April on a mission to New York and Vermont and returned home September twentieth. Nothing of importance transpired with me in 1837. In the winter of 1837 I took a short mission to Ohio in company with Lucious N. Scovil. While upon this mission, we heard persecution had been raised against the church in the burning of the printing office and the church was leaving for Far West, Missouri. We returned home immediately and I made preparations and started west with my family on the twenty-sixth of March in company with several other families among whom was Brother Hyrum Smith. We had an exceedingly hard journey in consequence of a great deal of rain and mud. Arrived at Far West on the twenty-seventh of May, 1837.
The next day I went to Daviess County with Joseph and Hyrum Smith and some others to look out a new location. I remained there nine days and helped survey the site for a city. As a reward for rendering this assistance at that time, Brother Joseph selected me a very fine city lot."
It is exciting to read about all of the historical events we learn about in Sunday School as we study the Doctrine and Covenants and know that our ancestors were there, they were a part of it, and it strengthened their faith and testimony. I wonder what our descendants will say about us and our historical contributions to the church. Hopefully they will be grateful for what we did.
Tuesday, March 18, 2014
Harrison Burgess: Another Heavenly Visitation, and Zion's Camp Experience
Harrison is the older brother of William Burgess, Jr. and son of William Burgess, Sr. and Violate Stockwell. He is the only brother who kept a lengthy journal and I will attempt to share as much of that as I can. He served a mission to Scotland and has a separate journal for his mission. I made a copy for Matthew Higginson when he was called to serve and would be happy to make copies for any others who are preparing for missions. I think I gave one to Kingston Matua also.
"I was born September third, 1814 in the town of Putnam, Washington County, State of New York. I lived with my parents until I was fourteen years and a part of the time afterward, and being the eldest of my father's family, I was kept constantly at work and had but little opportunity of acquiring an education.
My father made no profession of religion but led a moral and virtuous life.
My childhood was not marked with any crime, although I paid but little or no attention to religion until the seventeenth year of my age. In July 1832, when I first heard the fullness of the gospel proclaimed by Elder Simeon Carter, I was convinced that the scriptures were true and that the Book ov Mormon was a divine revelaton from heaven. I was baptized and spent the following winter in going to school, working for my board and in meeting with the saints. In the spring of 1833 I started in company with Brother John S. Carter to the state of Vermont where we labored about two months and then returned to New York state.
On the third sabbath in May while speaking to a congregation, I declared that I knew the Book of Mormon was true, the work of God. The next day while I was laboring, something seemed to whisper to me, "Do you know the Book of Mormon is true?" My mind became perplexed and darkened and I was so tormented in spirit that I left my work and retired into the woods in misery and distress and therein cannot be described.
I resolved to know whether I had proclaimed the truth or not, and commenced praying to the God of Heaven, for a testimony of these things, when all at once the vision of my mind was opened, and a glorious personage clothed in white stood before me and exhibited to my view the plates from which the Book of Mormon was taken.
In September, 1834 I started with my father's family for Kirtland, Ohio, as it was necessary for him to stay (behind) to transact some business. On my journey I accidentally met with the Prophet Joseph Smith in Springfield, Pennsylvania. I there saw him for the first time and heard him preach. I arrived in Kirtland and tarried there during the winter which Brother Joseph received a revelation calling for the strength of the Lord's House to go to Jackson County, Missouri for the redemption of Zion. I was one among the rest that volunteered to go and fulfill this commandment. (Harrison is referring to Zion's camp. If you are not familiar with the history of Zion's camp you can read about it in History of the Church or even google it. It was an important part of our LDS history, many of the leaders of the early church were tried and tested during their time on the march to Missouri.)
I started in March, 1834, in company with Joseph Smith and others. We had a long and tedious journey and arrived in Missouri on the last of June. While the camp tarried there, Brother Joseph received the word of the Lord by revelation, relative to the camp, informing us that we were not to fight at that time, that Zion could not be redeemed then, and that He had required us to come thus far as a trial of our faith, that He had accepted of our offering. Some individuals of the camp fell to murmur at this decree and wanted to fight the enemies of God. Brother Joseph said that the Lord would send in a scourge upon us in consequence of this murmuring. The cholera was upon us in a few hours after this prediction and some eighteen of our brethren fell vistims to its grasp. Among the number that I attended upon, and helped to bury, was my beloved Brother John S. Carter (his former mission companion.) My feelings on this occasion can never be described. At length I was violently seized with it myself, but through faith in God and the kind assistance of Brother Zerah H. Cole I was rescued from the grasp of death.
"I was born September third, 1814 in the town of Putnam, Washington County, State of New York. I lived with my parents until I was fourteen years and a part of the time afterward, and being the eldest of my father's family, I was kept constantly at work and had but little opportunity of acquiring an education.
My father made no profession of religion but led a moral and virtuous life.
My childhood was not marked with any crime, although I paid but little or no attention to religion until the seventeenth year of my age. In July 1832, when I first heard the fullness of the gospel proclaimed by Elder Simeon Carter, I was convinced that the scriptures were true and that the Book ov Mormon was a divine revelaton from heaven. I was baptized and spent the following winter in going to school, working for my board and in meeting with the saints. In the spring of 1833 I started in company with Brother John S. Carter to the state of Vermont where we labored about two months and then returned to New York state.
On the third sabbath in May while speaking to a congregation, I declared that I knew the Book of Mormon was true, the work of God. The next day while I was laboring, something seemed to whisper to me, "Do you know the Book of Mormon is true?" My mind became perplexed and darkened and I was so tormented in spirit that I left my work and retired into the woods in misery and distress and therein cannot be described.
I resolved to know whether I had proclaimed the truth or not, and commenced praying to the God of Heaven, for a testimony of these things, when all at once the vision of my mind was opened, and a glorious personage clothed in white stood before me and exhibited to my view the plates from which the Book of Mormon was taken.
In September, 1834 I started with my father's family for Kirtland, Ohio, as it was necessary for him to stay (behind) to transact some business. On my journey I accidentally met with the Prophet Joseph Smith in Springfield, Pennsylvania. I there saw him for the first time and heard him preach. I arrived in Kirtland and tarried there during the winter which Brother Joseph received a revelation calling for the strength of the Lord's House to go to Jackson County, Missouri for the redemption of Zion. I was one among the rest that volunteered to go and fulfill this commandment. (Harrison is referring to Zion's camp. If you are not familiar with the history of Zion's camp you can read about it in History of the Church or even google it. It was an important part of our LDS history, many of the leaders of the early church were tried and tested during their time on the march to Missouri.)
I started in March, 1834, in company with Joseph Smith and others. We had a long and tedious journey and arrived in Missouri on the last of June. While the camp tarried there, Brother Joseph received the word of the Lord by revelation, relative to the camp, informing us that we were not to fight at that time, that Zion could not be redeemed then, and that He had required us to come thus far as a trial of our faith, that He had accepted of our offering. Some individuals of the camp fell to murmur at this decree and wanted to fight the enemies of God. Brother Joseph said that the Lord would send in a scourge upon us in consequence of this murmuring. The cholera was upon us in a few hours after this prediction and some eighteen of our brethren fell vistims to its grasp. Among the number that I attended upon, and helped to bury, was my beloved Brother John S. Carter (his former mission companion.) My feelings on this occasion can never be described. At length I was violently seized with it myself, but through faith in God and the kind assistance of Brother Zerah H. Cole I was rescued from the grasp of death.
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