February 1909

Meadow. Utah.

I rode with Bp. Beckstrand from Meadow to Holden after having spent an hour or more with the new Bishopric instructing them. Pres. Hinckley, Pres. F. R. Lyman and Bro Reave in another conveyance. At Holden I ordained Andrew Stephenson an High Priest also John C. Poulson and blessed and set apart Geo. Wm. Badger an High Counselor. Assisted in setting apart 2nd counselor and Secretary of the 2nd Quorum of Elders. and in administering to Bp. Stephenson. I being mouth in Sealing the anointing administered by Pres Hart.

We drove on from Holden to Burtner a distance of about 30 miles where we held evening meeting and organized a branch to be known as the Burtner branch of the Hinckley ward with Bishop [blank] Maxfield from Wayne Stake as president. Pres. C. H. Hart set apart one Bro. [blank] Anderson a President of Seventies. I presented the business to the people after having made a talk of about 20 minutes in which I referred to the Utah Pioneers & their experiences &c. The action was unanimous sentiment of meeting 87 being in attendance. A lengthy but satisfactory meeting. [p. 33]

I slept at Bro. Bishop’s.

Burtner, Utah.

I arose at 7 A.M. and before breakfast wrote up my journal for the past two days.

This is Woodchuck day and a beautiful sun shine day it is. According to the Legend we are to have six weeks more of winter weather. My health good.

Pres. Fred Lyman, Pres. Hart and I went to Abraham and looked the country over on the way. Drove to Bro. Parker’s where we met the Hinckley Bishopric and Pres. Hinckley and clerk Reeve joined us. After dinner we went to meeting. There were present 77 people. We talked to Bro. John H. Hilton whom the brethren thought would make a good Branch President. He was using tobacco. Promised to try and quit.

At the meeting I presented the business and we decided to organize a branch & made Bro Hilton President. Everything harmonious and unanimous.

We drove to Hinckley where we held meeting in the evening. The attendance good and attention marked. Speakers Bro Fred R Lyman, Chas H Hart and myself. I spoke deliberately and with freedom & occupied 60 minutes addressed my remarks to young people & to parents. Took supper with Bishop Pratt who drove us to Oasis to get the 12:20 oclock train for home Our visit has been one characterized by the amount of work done & the successful way in which it was done & some [p. 34] what remarkable. We got the train at 1 o’clock A.M.

Reached Salt Lake at 7 A.M.

Bathed and trimmed my beard and Attended the three regular meetings of Wednesdays. At Council meeting I recommended a division of the Millard Stake and made a showing of distances, population and auther [other] reasons for the recommendation. Received an appointement to Cassia Stake this week.

I wrote several letters and visited at my mothers in the evening an hour. At Circle 21 were in attendance and I talked Prohibition for about 10 minutes.

Folks usually well. My health is good. Weather pleasant, ground dry. Word comes from Pres Francis M. Lyman at Rochester, Minn. that he sat up some Sunday & is improving nicely from the effects of an operation by Doctor Charles Mayo of that place for the removal of the Prostrate glands.

Word also comes from Tooele this evening that Pres. Gowans is in a critical condition having hemorage of the brain. The folks sent for.

Home

I attended a joint committee on church School matters. I moved that we recommend to the General [p. 35] church School Board that the College work for training teachers for High School work be located at the B.Y.U. Provo and that all college work not necessary to this training of Teach<ers> be eliminated from the Church Schools. The motion carried. We discussed the above question for about two hrs. We were at meeting from 10 to 2 oclock. I sent out checks paying bills for the past month.

I attended to some business down town and then put in the remainder of the day writing letters, brining records up to date &c.

I wrote to Mr. Miles Harvey of Iola, Kansas with reference to lands in the Burtner tract, Millard Co.

I took train for Burley Idaho 10:45 P.M. Bp. O. P. Miller accompanied me.

<A Stormy day. Snow>¹

On train to Burley. Awoke while train was at Pocatello.

Arrived at Burley about 12 o’clock, Noon. We were met at depot by Bro. Wm S Matthews of Marion ward and Bro. Jacob T. Spencer of Burley the latter by request of Pres. Jack. We went to restaurant to dinner without expense to me. Bro. Matthews came for Bro. Miller and me and after dinner drove us to Oakley a distance of 23 miles between 1 & 5 P.M. We were driven to Pres. Jack’s where we made our staying quarters. The weather was blustery, blowing the snow and quite cold. More mild as we approached Oakley. Health good. [p. 36]

Oakley, Idaho.

Attended 10 AM meeting. Present 263 and at conclusion of other exercises I spoke about 50 minutes on quorums of Priesthood. Get recommends of members by Bishops, of H. Priests by H Priests & so of Elders & Seventies by their presidents it having developed that there are many of each in the stake not identified with their quorums. How to make good Elders, Seventies & H Priests. Commence with the 8 yr old boy & prepare him for the office of deacon & so on up. Then commence the cle[a]ning process at the head and work down.

Attended 2 P.M. meeting and at end of services made some comments on Relief work referred to Outlines of Davis Stake Relief societies and the temple work done by them for poor. occupied the 15 minutes remaining after Bp. O. P. Miller concluded his talk.

At 4 P.M. met in council with the brethren to select brethren to be ordained Seventies.

At 7:30 attended a Special meeting of the Sisters held in 4th ward meeting house. The attendance large. Sister McBride lectured on Hygiene of the body, Sister Jack on Hygiene of the mind and Sister Wilson on Deportment of Young Ladies toward young men. Sister Thomas, I, Pres. Harker and L. J. Robinson each spoke briefly

I took supper with Bro Loren & Sister Sarah [p. 37]

Oakley, Idaho

Yesterday we had wind and cold weather. This morning we have several inches of new snow and it is snowing hard.

My health and spirits are first class and Mormonism is still true. May the Lord be praised for ever.

Attended 10 A.M. meeting and was in counsel with the Seventies from 12 to one o’clock and with the Bishops & the Stake Presidency from 1 to 1:40 and with the Seventies & Stake Presidency from 1:40 to 2 p.m.

Attended the Afternoon meeting and after meeting I ordained 14 Seventies and set apart 13 of them members of the 78th quorum. The 14th just ordained as that filled the quorum. Others sustained who were not present to be ordained.

At 10 A.M. meeting the attendance was 458 S[t]ormy weather. The Sacrament was administered. The following recently returned missionaries Spoke in the order named.

Wallace Hale of Burley

Grant Webb Burley.

Joseph A. Martindale paptized 41

Parley Matthews

Geo W. Brunson

Synes Hunter

I occupied the remaining 20 min. urging these to continue faithful

At 2 P.M. meeting the Authorities were sustained and other business attended to. Attendance 666 <[illegible] 657> <9>² [p. 38] Elder Archibald Yates of Yost recently returned missionary spoke. Bp. O. P. Miller occupied 35 minutes. Sundry topics. I took the remaining 45 minutes Subject. Faith in God. Considered Atheism. Had fair liberty. Read 32 chapter of Alma quoted from Rom. 1: Heb. 11: 2nd Lecture 55 Par. Moses 5: & 6:62. <I ordained 14 Seventies and set apart Chas. G. Larson Clerk of 78th Quo Seventies.>

I was not out of the meeting house from 10 to 5 o’clock 7 hours. A strenuous time. After Supper at Pres. Jacks having fasted all day, I wrote up my journal and issued certifacates to Seventies ordained.

Attended conjoint mutual meeting and as there were no prepared lectures I was requested to speak first. I occupied 25 minutes with medium freedom Subject. General Mutual work. Some benefitted more than others all benefitted according to application. Extend usefulness; do individual missionary work; read good books; read Era & Journal Read scriptures; prove weapons of warfare. Both associations reported and Bp. Miller made a talk of about 20 min.

Oakley, Idaho.

Bro. Franklin Robinson drove us from Oakley to Milner 22 to 25 miles. The wind blowing cold. We made the trip in (2:45) two hours & 45 min. We went over and saw the Milner dam which is the head of the Twin falls project on the south and the [blank] project on the North of the Snake River. We reached Twin Falls [p. 39] about 1 P.M. Bp. Miller and I went to the best hotel in town and got dinner. Bro. Swenson Pres. of the Branch offered to pay for same.

At the 3 o’clock meeting there were about forty present. Bro. Swenson reported conditions of Branch and Bro. Miller spoke about 30 minutes and I followed for about 40 minutes. Had good liberty. Advised the people to live in peace with those not of them and with those who are of the Same faith. Avoid contention. Be honest, punctual, exemplary & missionaries. Be active & retain the fact. The act of any man no matter of how much importance in the church can not make the truth a lie or render baptism, faith in God and repentance unnecessary.

If some are not what you would have them to be, pray for them &c.

Bp. O. P. Miller and I left Twin Falls at 6:30 P.M. for home. Took supper at Minidoka. Called on Bro. & Sis. Stout at Twin Falls.

On train returning from Cassia Stake, Idaho. Reached Salt Lake at 9:20 A.M. Called at Presidents office also at my Son George’s office. At home I answered correspondance. Prepared 14 Seventies certificates of ordination for mailing. In the evening Alice and I attended the re-opening of the Social hall. A Good old time was had in a good old fashioned way. Bp C. W. Nibley offered the dedicatory prayr. The speakers [p. 40] Pres. Joseph F. Smith, Bros. Musser, Romney, Geo., J. T. Canene, H. B. Clawson & his wife & Pres. Winder. Dancing and Supper. No round dancing to be had in the building and entertainments to close at 12 o’clock.

Home.

I attended regular weekly Council meeting in the temple, weekly R. Class Bd. Meeting in Presidents Office and Circle meeting in the temple at 6:15 Present at Circle 16. Called at my mother’s and visited for about an hour on my way home in the evening. Wrote letters &c. I received appointment to visit Plymouth ward in Bear River Stake next Sunday and dedicate their new meeting house. I sat up and wrote letters until 11 P.M. Wrote to Joel Munsell & Sons of Albany, N.Y. to learn something of genealogies of the Longstroths & Gills. Also wrote Arnold D. Miller at Gridley, Cal. & J. B. Pratt ward Clerk of Hinckley, Millard Co.

Our little girl Edna Moselle was taken sick this evening and LeGrand & Joel & I administered to her. Joel Anointed & LeGrand sealed the Anointing. Edna Moselle complained of sore <throat>

Home.

I finished ruling my Commentary in red. Attended a missionary meeting in the Annex of the temple where there were about fifteen missionaries set apart and instructed by Elder Heber [p. 41] J. Grant, Pres. Seymour B. Young and myself. I blessed and set apart the following.

1. Benj. A Critchlow of Ogden to Gt .Britain

2. James Olsen of College Ut. to Scandinavia.

3. Earl Ray Berrett of North Ogden to Swis & German m.

4. Daniel Ray Shurtliff of Ogden to Gt. Britain

5. Henry Jacob Amundsen of SL City to Scandinavia

I attended to some business down town. Read the papers, wrote letters &c.

In the evening Alice & I attended the theatre Florence Roberts in “The House of Bondage.”

Edna Moselle not feeling very well but up and dressed. Throat sore.

Home.

This is the 100th Aniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln. I remained home all day studying. Ina Jane Ashton with LeGrand, my Son Geo. F. Jr & Edith his wife and my daughter Nerva and her husband & little girl Thelma were with us an hour or two to-wards evening and took Supper with us.

Edna Moselle had not been feeling very well in the afternoon and when we came to look into her throat we discovered a quite a large white patch on her tonsils. We next tried her pulse and found it to be about 150 per min and her temperature to be 104° This alarmed us and we sent phoned to Dr Gill Richards. He was very much occupied and sent Dr. [blank] Sharp who suspected Typhtheria but was not certain. As a precaution we had the Doctor administer to her the Anti toxin 5000 units the dose.

She rested fairly well during the night. [p. 42]

Home.

Edna Moselle is feeling better. At 8 A.M. her temperature was 101½° She was quite bright through the day. Dr. Gill came up about 11 A.M. He swabbed from Edna’s throat a piece of membrane and put it in a solusion and had it analized by a chemist and about 6 P.M. phoned up that it showed a diptheretic germ and that it would be necessary to place us under quarantine. LeGrand was off at work and Joel out to a party.

Anticipating such a condition I had notified Elder John Henry Smith and he arranged with Elder Rudger Clawson to fill my place at Plymouth, Boxelder Co to dedicate their new meeting house. I phoned my brother Fred at Fielding to that effect and requested that he so notify Bp. Archibald of Plymouth and to have the Bishop meet him at Plymouth siding about two miles from Plymouth

This has been a very stormy day. Rained during the night and snowed nearly all day. The street car snow plow was in use.

Home.

A pleasant day but snow & slush out doors. This is Valentine’s day and the children were delighted in the valentines received The health officer came about 11 A.M. and put up the yellow flag indicating diphtheria within. Later Dr. Gill Richards came and adminis[p. 43]tered anti-toxin to Sarah and those younger, seven in all not including Edna Mosell[e] who had her’s Friday night. Moselle has but sleight fever 99°, the white cleared from the throat and she is otherwise feeling bright and cheerful. We have administered to her several times and believe the Lord has taken cognizance of same and sanctified to her good what has been done for her. I believe the Antitoxin to be a splendid spacific. (effectual remedy)

The clothing of LeGrand, Joel, Sarah and Ruby were spread out in the boy’s room and fumigated for six hours or more when these four each had a bath, washed their heads in Bichloride water three tablets to a quart of water and went out of quarentine. All went to Aunt Seney’s for the night. The girls to remain there for the time being and the boys to find another place in the morning to Stay. I spent most all the day and evening reading vol. 7 & 8 of Improvement Era.

Home.

Weather pleasant.

Edna Mosell very much improved Temperature normal. Soreness of the throat almost a thing of the past. Others all well.

I spent the entire day reading, studying and writing. Considered the subjects of Reorganized Church [p. 44] and Reincarnation of the Soul. Also read several articles on Prohibition of the liquour trafic. Read from bound volumes of the Improvement Era.

Answered many phone calls one of which was from Elder John Henry Smith enquiring after our little girl’s condition. I enjoy immense<ly> remaining in doors. If only our family members keep well I will have great cause to rejoice. Praise the Lord.

Home. Weather pleasant

Edna Moselle still improving, temperature normal. Her general condition is good but we still keep her in bed against her will. Others well.

I spent the day reading and studying and am thankful for the privilege. I have much to be thankful for. May the Lord be praised for ever. He is a loving and merciful father.

Home. Weather pleasant.

I spent the day reading, studying and writing. I read the Bible for hours, ruling in red ink important & impressive passages. Worked until after 10 o’clock.

Edna Moselle is still improving and the other members of the family are well.

Home. Weather pleasant.

Edna Moselle was up and tressed all day and playing with the children. She and Estella coughed some at night. Others well. I Studied the Old Testament all day and ruled in red Choice passages. [p. 45]

Home under quarantine.

Weather cold, wind, snow and sun shine.

Our little girl Estella was quite sick in the night with cold, cough & fever. I administered to her between one & two o’clock and she went to sleep and rested well the remainder of the night. Edna Moselle coughed considerable. This morning we discover<ed> white on Nina’s throat but we succeeded in removing it after two or three times swabbing it. Her temperature was normal and she seemed well otherwise. I was first up and made the fires and worked all day and until after 10 o’clock ruling in red the New Testament important passages I had marked while reading it a year ago this month and some others. This is a good review of the bible.

Home. Weather Clear.

Our baby coughed considerably and was restless during the night. She was up all day but looks pale and indisposed. Others usually well.

I studied the Scriptures and ruled in red important passages finishing the bible and commenced on the P of G Price. This day Pres. Francis M. Lyman leaves Rochister, Minn. for home having been operated upon for removal of the Prostrate glands. This day his daughter Lois Dunyon was operated upon for appendicitis and other trouble and her case is serious.

Home under quarantine for Dyphtheria. Edna [p. 46] is convalescing nicely. Estella is threatened with Pneumonia. At 4 P.M. her temperature was 103½°, pulse 145, respiration 60 and the wheezing of both lungs was quite audible. I administered to her; her mother put mustard poultices or plasters rather, on chest & back and other treatment and she commenced to feel better. She took a nap and in about three hours the temperature was reduced to 101½°.

Others usually well.

I read the Pearl of Great Price through and ruled in red some of the most important passages commenced last evening.

Home.

Washington’s birth day. Holliday. Children better. George & Joel called to see us. We had a quiet day at home. I read and studied all day.

Weather Cold.

Home.

Weather pleasant.

This is my 48th birth day. I do not know if I was ever in better health or in better faith and Spirits although I am in quarantine with my family, Edna Moselle having had typhtheria but she is now about well.

This day Prest Francis M. Lyman my next door neighbor returned from Albany Minn. where he underwent an operation on the 28th ult. for the removal of the prostrate glands. [p. 47]

I spent the day studying the Scriptures. In the evening my Son LeGrand called and brought from his girl Ina Jane Ashton a box of Home made candy and a nice birth day card.

My Sons LeGrand & Joel are staying at a room between State & Main Streets on 4th South St. Sarah & Ruby are staying at my sister Asenath’s since the 15th inst.

Our little girl Estella had a temperature of 102° about 4 P.M. We bathed her and applied mustard plaster back & front. I administered to her and she went to bed and had a good sweat. She rested well all night.

I had a phone conversation with my brother Fred now at my Sister Asenaths.

Home under quarantine.

Our baby had a good night last and is feeling well to-day.

My brother Fred called and we had a lengthy conversation from a distance with respect of his disposing of his properties in Fielding and going into business in Salt Lake.

I continued my study of the Scriptures. All day on the Doctrine & Covenants I read two daily papers each day, the News and the Republican.

Home.

Children all fairly well. I read the papers and read the Doctrine & Covenants Ruled in red important passages and [p. 49] entered in loose leaf Commentary such references as I thought I might make use of in the future.

It has snowed several times during the day.

Home under quarantine

I spent the day studying the Scriptures.

Folks fairly well. None now sick.

Weather pleasant but quite cool. <dry> grou[nd]³

Studied until 10:45 P.M.

Home under quarantine. Folks well. Weather pleasant. Quarantine lifted this day.

I just finished reading through the Doctrine & Covenants. I read the Pearl of Great Price through last week and last winter read all the Church Standard works through. Have under scored in red important passages in Book of Covenants; P of G. Price and the Bible since having been under quarantine.

Home.

Quarantine just yesterday having been raised I felt a delicacy about attending School & meeting in my ward so refrained from so doing. I attended the Tabernacle Services at 2 P.M. Alice, my wife, my daughter Nerva and her husband and daughter Thelma attended also. Elder O. F. Whitney was the speaker. I offered the benediction.

We called at my Son George’s after meeting and he walked home with us. We called at our daughter Nerva’s. George spent the evening with us we spent most [p. 49] of the time looking up gospel references to gospel subjects.

I spent about 30 minutes visiting with Pres. Lyman in the forenoon. He told me of his experience in the East where he had undergone an operation for the removal of the prostrate glands.

The weather this day has been delightful. I went to meeting without an overcoat. This is a beautiful world our Father has made for us. The earth will be prolific productive and fruitful if we will not polute it.