Life of Heber C. Kimball, an Apostle Part 48

"I will give you a key which Brother Joseph Smith used to give in Nauvoo. He said that the very step of apostasy commenced with losing confidence in the leaders of this Church and kingdom, and that whenever you discerned that spirit, you might know that it would lead the possessor of it on the road to apostasy. * *

"No man or woman can have the spirit of prophecy and at the same time do evil and speak against their brethren; and you will find that man or that woman barren and unfruitful in the knowledge of G.o.d, and filled with disputations."

Next come some reminiscent allusions, coupled with a prophecy:

"How much would you give for even a cane that Father Abraham had used, or a coat or ring that the Savior had worn? The rough oak boxes in which the bodies of Joseph and Hyrum were brought from Carthage, were made into canes and other articles. I have a cane made from the plank of one of those boxes, so has Brother Brigham and a great many others, and we prize them highly and esteem them a great blessing. I want to carefully preserve my cane, and when I am done with it here I shall hand it down to my heir, with instructions to him to do the same.[A]

And the day will come when there will be mult.i.tudes who will be healed and blessed through the instrumentality of those canes, and the devil cannot overcome those who have them, in consequence of their faith and confidence in the virtues connected with them. * * * *

[Footnote A: This cane is now in the possession of Bishop Abram A.

Kimball, who testifies that healing virtues attach to it.]

"If I had those relics of Abraham and the Savior which I have mentioned, I would give a great deal for them. In England when not in a situation to go, I have blessed my handkerchief and asked G.o.d to sanctify it and fill it with life and power, and sent it to the sick; and hundreds have been healed by it; in like manner I have sent my cane. Dr. Richards used to lay his old black cane on a person's head and that person has been healed through its instrumentality, by the power of G.o.d. I have known Joseph hundreds of times to send his handkerchief to the sick, and they have been healed. There are persons in this congregation who have been healed by throwing my old cloak on their beds."

This of the Church organization in heaven:

"When you go into heaven, into the celestial world, you will see the Church organized just as it is here, and you will find all the officers down to the Deacon. Our Church organization is a manifestation of things as they are in heaven, and you are all the time praying that the Church here may be brought into union and set in order as it is in heaven."

CHAPTER LXV.

GEMS FROM HEBER's WORDS CONTINUED--HIS STRIKING VIEW OF TIME AND ETERNITY--HIS WORDS AND WORKS AT THE LAST CONFERENCE PRECEDING HIS DEATH--HIS LAST SERMON.

As President Kimball advanced in years the tone of his mind seemed to deepen, and often was displayed not only that quaint originality which made him a marked individual throughout his life, but he frequently flashed out thoughts at once brilliant and profound. Here, for instance, is a philosophical spark on "Time and Eternity," struck from his mind at the age of sixty:

"People talk much about time and eternity, and they say they do not care so much for eternity as they do for time. And again, others say they do not care so much about time as they do about eternity. They do not think for a moment what they are talking about. What is time?

(striking the pulpit.) That is all there is about it. That little circ.u.mstance of my striking the pulpit is in eternity. It is eternity on the right and on the left, behind and before, and the time being, as it appears to us, is the centre of it. So we pa.s.s on from time to eternity every day we live. We are in eternity. Civilized nations have divided a portion of eternity into seconds, minutes, hours, days, months and years for their own convenience, to mark their pa.s.sage through time.

"The uncivilized or savage tribes of men, the American Indians, for instance, have no other calendar than incidents in nature, such as the rising and setting of the sun, hence they count by so many sleeps; the full and dark of the moon, hence they count by so many moons. In short, the only idea we have of time is gathered from natural phenomena in eternity. We might introduce here a comparison of a ship in the middle of the Atlantic. Is it not a pathless waste of waters all around to the pa.s.sengers on board, except on the frail timbers where they stand? So it is with eternity, with this difference, eternity is sh.o.r.eless.

"Let the brethren and sisters come to the conclusion that now is the time to set out anew, and then continue from this time henceforth and forever in doing right. If any of you have been in the practice of drinking spirituous liquors to excess, cease at once the wicked and destructive practice. If such a practice is committed, it has its time, and makes its mark on the broad face of eternity; if you cease the practice no time is given to it, and it cannot leave its trace on eternity from that instant until you again commit the same wrong. This reasoning will apply to every other wrong committed by the children of men.

"Let us spend time in doing right, and we shall receive in the Lord's time right for right, grace for grace. If we do not a.s.sociate with the wicked world any more than is unavoidably necessary for the time being, do you think they will have anything in common with us in eternity?--or we with them? No."

The thought that the present moment is the centre of all eternity is worthy of a philosopher and a poet. So also is the idea that our evil deeds, performed in time, make their mark "on the broad face of eternity." His figure of the ship in mid-ocean with "the pathless waste of waters all around," is decidedly beautiful. In fact, these pa.s.sages, with many others that might be quoted from his sermons and sayings, show how largely Heber C. Kimball was endowed with those qualities of mind known as causality and comparison. Who can doubt that, had he been cla.s.sically educated, he would have taken high rank among profound and learned men?

The thirty-eighth annual conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the last conference he attended. He there spoke several times. Of his first address the reporter says:

"President H. C. Kimball reasoned on the principle of unity, its growth among the Saints, and the course to be pursued by them--the obedience, faithfulness and diligence necessary to reach that condition of unity required of us. We look forward with antic.i.p.ation to building up the centre stake of Zion; and many are anxious for it and will expect to be included among those called to go to Jackson county, who realize but little of the progress they have to make before they are prepared to do so. We have to become much more united, to put away evil from us, to shun evil speaking, and realize the full meaning of the injunction, 'touch not Mine anointed, and do My Prophets no harm.' If we do wrong we must make rest.i.tution, cease all wickedness, shun iniquity of every kind, and live to so possess the Spirit of G.o.d that it will guide and direct us. The angels and holy beings in the eternal worlds are interested in the work of G.o.d in which we are engaged; they watch its progress; and they exercise care over those who are laboring to spread truth and righteousness."

Of his address to the Saints at a succeeding meeting of the conference, the Church reporter continues:

"President H. C. Kimball said if anybody wished to see a miracle they had only to look upon the congregation before him, and look back over the growth of the Church from the time when the entire members of it could be seated in a small room; and we are increasing rapidly. He urged the exercise of increasing watchcare over our growing sons and daughters. They should all attend meetings regularly, learn the principles of truth and grow up to be more useful. He was in favor of ordaining the boys to the Priesthood, and watching and training them with great care, that they might learn of the power and importance of the blessing thus bestowed upon them. The spirit and sealing power of Elias are with President Young, to seal together the fathers and the children, that they may be one and that the whole people may be united in working out salvation. We should all take a course to save our offspring; and the man who cannot save his children--his family, cannot save himself."

The following is the notice of his last public speaking, which occurred on the 7th of June, just previous to his death:

"President H. C. Kimball spoke at some length on the power and order of the Priesthood, instructing the congregation upon various things connected therewith. He pointed out the blessings flowing from obedience to the authority which the Lord has conferred upon His servants on the earth; and the evil results which follow disobedience and rebellion; for the Lord governs and rules in all worlds, and we cannot, if we would, get to any place where His power is not."

His closing words at this time were almost a prophecy of his approaching end; being upon the subject of family training, during which he quoted from the revelation wherein the Lord commands His servants to set their houses in order.

CHAPTER LXVI.

DEATH OF VILATE, THE WIFE OF HEBER'S YOUTH--PRESIDENT BRIGHAM YOUNG PREACHES HER FUNERAL SERMON--HIS FEELING TRIBUTE TO HER MEMORY--HEBER PROPHESIES OF HIS OWN DEATH.

On the 22nd of October, 1867, there was gloom in the household of Heber C. Kimball. On that day died Vilate, the partner of his youth, the n.o.ble and unselfish sharer of his life's joys and sorrows. In the sixty-second year of her age, after an almost unexampled life of toil, heroism and self-sacrifice, G.o.d called her home to a glorious rest.

One of the immediate causes which led to her death--though for months she had been a sufferer, and the sun of her life was visibly setting--was the untimely end of her son, Brigham Willard Kimball, who died on the plains while returning from a mission to England. Vilate took the death of her son very much to heart, and her grief over the event is supposed to have hastened the termination of her own life.

Her loss was a heavy blow to her sorrowing husband. Heber's struggle, in faith and prayer, to hold her to earth, was almost as great as that of death to take her away. He related that when she first fell sick, on going into her room to administer to her, he saw, standing at the head of her bed, an evil spirit, a female. Kneeling down he prayed, and then rebuked the apparition in the name of Jesus. It disappeared, but soon returned with a host of fallen beings.

He then called in several other Elders, and unitedly they rebuked the evil spirits, when they departed, and he saw them no more at that time.

Thus he struggled on, hoping and praying to the end that she might be spared. Sometimes, in his yearning for the continuance of their companionship here a while longer, it seemed as though he would prevail with the Lord. But the last hope of this at length faded, the end came, and he bowed in resignation to the inevitable.

"I shall not be long after her," was the sad prophecy that fell from his quivering lips, as he followed the remains of his beloved partner to the tomb.

The thread of Vilate's life has been fully traced in that of her n.o.ble husband, at whose side she stood as a helpmeet and a heroine for five and forty years. But the record has only been traced, not told, and angel tongues must take up the theme which mortal pen were powerless to unfold.

Her pure spirit took its heavenward flight at about three o'clock in the afternoon. The funeral services over her remains were held on Wednesday the 24th of October, at her residence in Salt Lake City.

There were present on the occasion to pay their last respects to her sainted memory, President Brigham Young, Elders Orson Pratt, John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff, Geo. A. Smith, Geo. Q. Cannon, Joseph F.

Smith, of the Twelve Apostles; Patriarchs John Smith, John Young; President Joseph Young; Bishops P. H. Young, Lorenzo Dow Young, John Sharp, E. F. Sheets; many princ.i.p.al citizens and a vast concourse of friends.

After appropriate singing, and a prayer by Elder Joseph Young, President Brigham Young p.r.o.nounced the funeral address. He said that he had not come to weep because the body of Sister Kimball was laid in the coffin; if he wept it was because he saw his friends weeping around him, but there was no cause for weeping, and he would say, let us dry up our tears. He was reminded of the time when the deceased and Brother Kimball stood by him when his first wife was taken from him.

He felt then to rejoice in the glorious hopes which the gospel had revealed to them, and he could say of those who had died that there was no period known to them in which they could experience so much joy as when they had pa.s.sed through the portals of death and entered upon the glorious change into the spirit world. He had known intimately Sister Kimball for nearly forty years, and from that time to this, if any person ever found fault with her, it was more than he knew. Her life, conversation, feelings, kindness to her family and to her neighbors seemed all to come before him, and he could say of a truth that a better woman never lived--according to her knowledge. She was ever disposed to do good and to meet every obligation that devolved upon her. He had been cherished and comforted by her in hours of affliction, and knew her kindness of heart. Since he had heard of her death, he had experienced none but joyful feelings--for she had lived the life of a Saint--till he had come to sit beside her bier. It did not belong to the manhood which G.o.d had given them to mourn on such occasions, but it was through the weakness of their fallen nature that they were overcome. Her spirit had now pa.s.sed into the spirit world, to wait with the spirits of the just the morning of the resurrection.

She had kept the faith, and with all who had partaken of the holy Priesthood, was beyond the powers of death, and can no more be afflicted. It was his faith that Joseph the Prophet would be the first resurrected of the last dispensation, and that to him would be committed the keys of the resurrection, and through him would the powers of the resurrection be extended to others till all who had been faithful would be resurrected in glory. He concluded with kindly words of the deceased, reiterating affectionate sentiments, and a.s.suring the afflicted family and friends that her life had been as honorable as any woman who had ever lived, and that she had secured her resurrection with the just.

President Young was followed by others, including President Kimball, who spake most touchingly of the virtues of his faithful wife.

Her remains were laid in the family burial ground.

So closed the mortal career of one of the n.o.blest of women, the purity and loftiness of whose character will loom as a monument through coming ages, while the memory of her good deeds will shine forever like the pathway of the just.

CHAPTER LXVII.

DEATH OF APOSTLE KIMBALL--ALL ISRAEL MOURNS--EXPRESSIONS IN HONOR OF THE ILl.u.s.tRIOUS DEAD.

The words of Heber were indeed prophetic, that he should not be long on earth after the departure of the beloved wife of his youth. The event for which both had earnestly prayed, that they might live and die, and rise and reign together, was destined by the heavens to be.

On the morning of the 22nd of June, 1868,--eight months later to a day--death again entered the household, leveling his fatal shaft at the mighty heart of its patriarchal head. At the age of sixty-seven years, his mind yet unimpaired, his iron frame unbent by age, but with health shattered by toil and trial in the service of his Maker, Heber C. Kimball, the Apostle of Jesus Christ, the tried and trusted friend of G.o.d, pa.s.sed peacefully from earth away.