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.
No comments:
Post a Comment