SPECIAL PROVIDENCES.

CIRCUMSTANCES UNDER WHICH THE EARLY TEMPLES WERE BUILT—HOW THE WORKMEN WERE ENCOURAGED—ARRIVAL OF BROTHER L—IN NAUVOO—HIS WILLINGNESS TO WORK WITHOUT PAY—HIS EXTREME WANT—APPEALS TO GOD FOR HELP—MONEY MIRACULOUSLY PROVIDED—PRAYER FOR FOOD ANSWERED—PROVIDENTIAL FINDING OF A PAIR OF SHOES ON THE PLAINS—A CRIPPLED SHOULDER RESTORED WHILE DEFENDING THE CHARACTER OF JOSEPH SMITH.

If a record had been kept of all the facts connected with the building of the Kirtland and Nauvoo Temples, it would tell a curious story of poverty, self-denial, dependence upon God and wants providentially supplied.

No doubt such a record has been kept, but not here on earth. We have not access to it. But many, very many of those who had the privilege of aiding in the work of building those temples have gone to meet that record. Some doubtless will meet it with satisfaction, with joy untold; others with remorse and self-reproach.

Could the Saints of the present day peruse that record, it would put many of them to the blush to think they had done so little in aid of such works. They would see that, though they have enjoyed peace and plenty, they have done almost nothing towards the temples in our day, compared with what the poor Saints did in building those earlier houses of God.

The Kirtland Temple was built when the Saints were few in number and in great poverty, and though comparatively small in size, the erection of such a building by the tithes and voluntary donations of those who were faithful, was a very great undertaking. That it was finished in so short a time was remarkable, and this fact speaks volumes for the devotion of the Saints of that early day.

When the Nauvoo Temple was commenced, the Saints had increased considerably in numbers, but were, as a rule, even poorer than in the days of Kirtland. They had been persecuted by their enemies, driven from their homes and plundered of their property. Finding a temporary rest in a bend of the Mississippi river, a locality noted for its insalubrity, they had struggled in the midst of malarial sickness and severe privations to establish new homes, and had only just begun to gather a few comforts around them when they were required by revelation from the Lord to build a temple to His name.

Upon that temple, many of the Saints labored month after month, with an energy and interest that only religious zeal can impart. They had learned something of the use and importance of temples, before that building was commenced, but as the work advanced more light was given them from time to time. The Prophet of God would visit the workmen and instruct and encourage them in their labors personally, frequently pronouncing blessings upon their heads for their diligence and faithfulness, and when persecution became so strong that he was obliged to hide from his enemies, he sent the written word to stimulate them in their labors, and explained the doctrine of baptism for the dead, then newly revealed.

While living thus in seclusion, he wrote to the Saints in Nauvoo, on the 1st of September, 1842: "And again, verily thus saith the Lord, let the work of my temple, and all the works which I have appointed unto you, be continued on and not cease; and let your diligence, and your perseverance, and patience, and your works be redoubled, and you shall in nowise lose your reward, saith the Lord of hosts. And if they persecute you, so persecuted they the prophets and righteous men that were before you. For all this there is a reward in heaven."

Again, on the 6th of the same month, he wrote additional words of encouragement, unfolding still farther that glorious saving principle as it had been revealed to him, and roused the workmen to action by this stirring appeal: "Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceeding glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free."

Being thus encouraged, and knowing that the time allowed for building the house was limited, the men worked with a will and determination that made success certain. Though they had to stand guard at night to prevent their enemies from surprising the city during the darkness and slaying its defenseless inhabitants, they did not cease their exertions during the daytime to erect the house of God. Though they went on short rations till some of them actually fainted beside their work, from sheer hunger and exhaustion, still they persevered. Though the mechanics employed upon the temple had tempting offers of abundant work and ready pay if they would go outside of Nauvoo and labor, many of them preferred to remain and work without pecuniary reward in rearing that sacred structure.

The case of one of those workmen will serve to illustrate the self-sacrificing disposition manifested by many of those who labored upon that building, as well as the way their simple wants were sometimes supplied by the Almighty.

Brother L—arrived in Nauvoo from England, his native country, in March, 1844. He was an excellent mechanic, had held good situations and been in good circumstances in the "old country," and his skill as a workman was such as to command ready employment and high wages in any of the large cities of America, had such been his object.

But he had embraced the gospel and received a testimony of its truth, and afterwards the spirit of gathering with the Saints, which enabled him to brook the taunts and ridicule heaped upon him by friends and relatives for his unpopular faith, and resist the pleading of aged parents, who were loath to part with him.

His faith and zeal were such that he had left friends and property and all that he had formerly held dear, and come to America that he might be with the chosen people of God and assist in building up Zion.

He was ambitious to labor upon the temple, and applied for work immediately upon his arrival in Nauvoo. When informed that there was plenty of work but nothing to pay with, he replied that pay was no consideration.

He took hold with a determination, and worked with all the energy with which the young, strong and enthusiastic nature was capable from that time until the work upon the temple ceased, upwards of two years, and during that time only received in cash for his services the small amount of fifty cents.

Many a time he felt the pangs of hunger, and went to his work fasting rather than join with his family in eating the last ration of food in their possession, but the Lord sustained him by His Spirit, gave him joy in his labors and provided a way for more food to be obtained to sustain the lives of himself and family.

He and his young wife had a habit of appealing to the Almighty in prayer when in an extremity, and they invariably found comfort in so doing, and generally had their prayers answered.

Upon one occasion, their infant child was dangerously sick, and they felt the want of twenty-five cents to procure some medicine with. Where to get it they did not know, and so, as usual, they prayed to the Lord to open their way to obtain it. They felt an assurance on arising from their knees that their prayer would be answered, but they knew not how. Soon afterwards the husband happened to feel some hard substance in the waistband of his pants, and called his wife's attention to it, wondering what it could be. The pants were almost new. They had been made to order for him only a short time before. There was no hole in the band, and it seemed that, whatever it was, it must have been inserted between the pieces of cloth when the pants were being made, and yet he thought it strange that he had not discovered it before.

To solve the mystery, a few stitches were cut, and the waistband opened, when, lo! there were two new ten cent pieces and one five cent piece—just the amount of money they required to buy medicine with.

Lest the money might have been lost by the tailor who made the pants, a very poor man who lived neighbor to them, he took it to him and asked him, but that impecunious individual said he knew it could not be his, for he had never had a cent of money in his possession for months.

They accepted it as a gift from the Lord, bought the medicine their child needed and he was soon well.

When the work on the temple was nearing completion, the food supply for the family became entirely exhausted, and there seemed no prospect of obtaining any more without quitting the work on the temple and going elsewhere for employment. That, of course, Brother L—was averse to doing, and in this, as in other cases of extremity, he and his wife retired to their bedroom to lay the matter before the Lord. They had scarcely finished their prayer when a knock was heard at the door. On opening it, they found a man there who said he desired a particular job of work done, which he did not feel like entrusting to anyone else but Brother L—. However, he was in no particular hurry for it, it need not be done till the work on the temple was completed, but he wanted to arrange and pay for it then, as he was going on a foreign mission. "But," said he, "I have nothing to pay you for it but wheat; can you use that?"

It was the very thing the family stood most in need of; it was gratefully accepted and regarded as a direct answer to their prayer, and within a short time the wheat was ground and a good supply of flour returned from it.

When the Saints were preparing to leave Nauvoo, wagons for the journey were in great demand, and every person among them who had ever worked at wagon-making, and very many also who never had, set to work making them. Good timber was tolerably plentiful, but iron cost cash, and that was a scarce article. All sorts of nonedescript vehicles were hastily improvised, many of them so rude in their construction as to put the veriest bungler of a wheelwright to the blush for their appearance. Yet under the blessing of God they did good service. Some of them, for the want of iron, were made almost entirely of wood. In some extreme cases they were even made without the usual iron tires, strips of rawhide being nailed on the felloes as a substitute. One, at least, of the wagons made in this fashion stood the trip across the plains, and was used for several years after its arrival in Salt Lake Valley.

Brother L—had been fortunate enough to get the wood work of a wagon made, but how to procure the iron was a question which greatly perplexed him. However, he knew that he was engaged in the Lord's service, and he felt that he had a claim upon His mercy and blessings. Accordingly, he and his wife made their want a subject of earnest prayer, and then went on about their duties, trusting in the Lord to answer their petition.

Soon afterwards Brother L—had occasion to go out on the prairie in search of his cow, which had strayed off, and during his absence encountered a drenching shower, so that when he returned home he found it necessary to change his clothing. He hung his wet clothes before a fire in the open fireplace to dry, and as he did so a bright gold sovereign, a ten and a five cent piece dropped to the floor, apparently from his pocket. He knew, however, that he had no money previously, and he could account for its presence there only by its having been sent by the Lord. It was the exact amount required to purchase the iron for his wagon, and it was soon obtained and the wagon finished.

With such manifestations as these of God's goodness, he was encouraged to continue in his labors upon the temple of God, and when it was so far completed that the holy ordinances for which it was designed could be performed in it, he felt repaid in the blessings which he therein received for all his efforts towards its construction.

A rather remarkable case of special providence occurred when Brother L—was crossing the plains, coming to Salt Lake Valley. His shoes gave out, and his feet became very sore from having to walk so much while driving his ox-team, etc. Early one morning, when he, in company with another brother, were out hunting for their cattle, he exclaimed to his companion as he limped and hobbled over the rocky ground, "Oh! I do wish the Lord would send me a pair of shoes!"

He had not walked many rods after expressing this wish when he saw something lying a short distance ahead of him, and called the attention of his companion to it, who remarked that it must be the bell and strap lost off one of the oxen, but to the inexpressible joy of Brother L—, he found, on approaching the object, that it was a new pair of shoes, which had evidently never been worn, and which he found, on trying them on, to fit him as well as if they had been made for him. He thanked the Lord for them, for he felt that it was through His merciful providence that they had been left there, and went on his way rejoicing. The shoes did him good service.

While alluding to Brother L—, another incident may be related from his experience to illustrate the manner in which the Almighty sustains and blesses those who are valiant in defending His cause and the character of His anointed servants.

At an early period in the settlement of Salt Lake Valley, Brother L—had a severe attack of inflammatory rheumatism and bilious fever, from which he suffered a long time, and which drew his shoulder out of place and left him in a very helpless condition. He was in that fix for about six months—able to walk about, but unable to make any use whatever of one arm. He could not even dress himself. Surgeons examined his shoulder, and assured him that it was out of joint, and urged him to have it set. He, however, declined accepting their advice, as he had faith that the Lord would make him whole in answer to his prayer.

Living neighbor to him in Salt Lake City, and holding an office to which he had been appointed by the vote of the members of the Ward, was a man by the name of Gallup, who was a rank apostate at heart, although he had a standing in the Church.

In conversation with Brother L—one day, this man Gallup advocated the doctrines of a certain man named Cladden Bishop, who had once belonged to the Church but who had apostatized and attempted to start a church of his own.

Brother L—became so disgusted with his false reasoning and bitter, malignant spirit that he went to the Bishop of the Ward and made complaint about such a man as Gallup being allowed to hold an office in the Ward or even a membership in the Church.

The result was, a Priesthood meeting was called and Mr. Gallup was cited to appear and state his views upon the subject of religion.

In the course of his speech he declared: "Joseph Smith was a wicked and adulterous man; he ate and drank with the drunkard, his lot was cast with the hypocrite and unbeliever, and he has gone to hell."

This was too much for Brother L—to stand, even in his crippled condition. He could not tamely submit to hear the character of a man assailed whom he loved dearer than his life. Jumping to his feet and springing over the benches that stood between him and Mr. Gallup, he made for him with the intention of administering summary vengeance. Several persons immediately interposed to prevent him from inflicting any bodily injury upon Gallup, and it was noticed that he made use of his crippled arm, and when the excitement subsided he discovered himself that his shoulder had assumed its natural position and that he was as well as he ever had been.

Gallup, of course, was cut off from the Church, and thought himself fortunate, no doubt, in escaping a castigation, and Brother L—went home rejoicing, and entered his house swinging his arm which had been so long useless and shouting for joy, while his wife wept tears of gratitude for the goodness of God in bringing about his restoration to health and soundness.