Apostle Lyman’s Mission to the Indians

APOSTLE LYMAN'S MISSION TO THE INDIANS. BY EDWARD H. ANDERSON.

The Latter-day Saints have always taken great interest in the promulgation of the Gospel to the Indians. Apostle Francis Marion Lyman's mission to the Lamanites in the central part of

Utah is one of peculiar interest. He was called by President Taylor on November 17, 1882, at a time when there was a general revival in missionary work among the Indians, to labor among the Shoshones of Tooele County and the Utes of Uintah. At the same time, other brethren were called to preach among the Indians both to the North and to the South. Itwas nearly six months after his call that the eastern portion of Apostle Lyman's mission was filled, the Apostle having in the mean time attended several conferences, and made preaching tours in several stakes, among them being the Weber Stake, January 20, 1883, (when President L. W. Shurtliff was installed as president of that stake,) Tooele, Sanpete, Emery and Millard. He had also filled his Indian mission to the West, where William Lee had been accepted as the President of the Indian Mission in Tooele County, with 0. H. Barrus, John A. Erickson, Benjamin L. Bowen, and families, as missionaries. He had, between March 13, and 21, of that year, established the Indians in Deep Creek on a thousand acres of land, with water and some improvements, having also with his brethren preached to them the Gospel and its restoration through the Prophet Joseph, and taught them the doctrines and history contained in the Book of Mormon. It was, therefore, in the early part of May, of that year,

before his labors began towards filling his mission to the Utes, m

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Uintah. On May 5 and 6, he attended the Wasatch Stake Conference, in Heber City, where he made the necessary preparations for the journey eastward. From the beginning, it seemed that everything worked against the success of this undertaking. At length, after much delay from the breaking down of their wagons, the party, consisting of President Abram Hatch, Frank A. Fraughton and George T. Giles, were camped in Strawberry Valley where they were joined by Bishop John Spencer and Elder Hyrum Seeley of Sanpete. These latter brethren had been compelled to leave their supplies with an Indian named Nephi, as guard, on top of the mountains in four feet of snow. The Sanpete brethren returned to their homes, having come only to help get the supplies over the mountain from Spanish Pork. While the party rested on Current Creek waiting for the arrival of the supplies which were taken from the abandoned wagon, the following peculiar incidents occurred. Apostle Lyman took his gun on the morning of May 10, and went out two and a half miles from the camp on Current Creek to a sugar loaf mountain which towered about one thousand feet above the table land in the vicinity. Arriving at the foot of the mountain, a sudden impulse seized him to climb it. He did so slowly, and upon arriving on the summit, he found a large flat

stone, smooth as a table, which he stood upon. In passing, it should be stated that when he had been given this mission of President had approached him for Taylor, and instructions as to what to do, no definite plan of work had been outlined. He had been told that he was personally entitled to a knowledge of the work, and the spirit of his mission. The same was the result when President Woodruff of the Quorum of Twelve had been asked for advice and instruction. Apostle Lyman was therefore troubled to know what course to pursue — whether to go right in among the Indians, or whether to ask permission of the agents to perform the mission assigned to him, in the latter case running the risk of being refused, and so having a stop put to his work without accomplishing any good, which had been the case with some of the other missionaries in other missions, to whom permission to preach had been denied. While on this stone, with these thoughts in mind, he took off

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his hat, fell upon his knees, with his face turned to the east,

towards the field of his labors, and poured out his soul in prayer to God: "I went right before the Lord, and told him all about

my troubles," he says, "how everything was against us, how little I knew about the work; how I had learned that the agents at Uintah and Ouray were bitterly opposed to the Mormons and their doctrines; and then asked for the successful opening of the mission to the Lamanites in that region, and that God might guide me aright, and soften the hearts of the agents with favor towards us and our cause." Just as he kneeled to pray, the atmosphere having been perfectly quiet up to that moment, a wind began blowing which continued to grow stronger as he continued his prayer, until at the close of the half hour in which he was engaged, it blew with the velocity of a tempest, so that he could scarcely remain in his position. When he finished praying, the wind as suddenly abated as it had begun, and he retraced his steps to camp. He felt convinced that to go right on with his mission, visit the agents and the Indians and preach to them, was the right thing to do. His ability to receive impressions of approbation in his work when he is doing right, is strongly developed in Apostle Lyman. In many of the important steps of his life, he has been approved through dreams and inspirations, and even visits of men of God who have gone before. It has been thus made perfectly clear to him that his course is approved and his actions upheld. These visits and inspirations have been a source of great comfort to him.

So in this instance, while he saw no vision, he was strongly impressed with the idea: "Go ahead, you are on the right track." He felt that his troubles and obstacles would be like the wind, perhaps strong, but soon over with. And so it occurred. But he scarcely looked for such a terrible personal affliction as was soon to come upon him. On the 11th of May, he engaged with the men in lassoing some wild horses that had been brought into camp. He was an expert at this business, and could lay a rope around the front feet of the animals to perfection, often taking ten in a stretch without a miss. On the morning of the 12th the camp was up early, and it appeared that all the difficulties which had so far surrounded them were at length

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overcome. He was sitting on a camp stool just before breakfast and reached over to pick up some object, when he was suddenly seized in his left side with the most excruciating pain that could be imagined — was a threatened rupture. it It was so severe and agonizing that all hopes of his recovery were given up. Everything that could be thought of was done to relieve him, but all to no avail. They had no medicines of any kind; one of the brethren proffered to send fifty miles away for a doctor, but Brother Lyman forbade him, saying that he could not last till the arrival of a physician. It was suggested that he be taken back, but it was impossible to move him, the pain was so tormenting. For two hours he remained in such terrible agony that the cold sweat stood out in great beads upon his face. During this time he says that every good act of his life passed before him, and, strange to say, not an evil thing that he had done came to his mind — nothing but good. He saw himself carried home dead, and beheld the consternation of his family at his death, and at what had overtaken him. During all this time, strange to relate, neither he nor his companions, although they had done every other thing to alleviate his sufferings, had once thought of the ordinance of administration. "It never once entered my mind," he says, "nor did the brethren think of it." At the close of that time, one of the brethren suggested administering to him, which was accordingly done. No sooner were the hands of his brethren lifted from his head than the pain left as suddenly as it had come. He became perfectly free, and had thus been healed by the power of God by the laying on of hands by the Elders. "Then," he says, "I thought, how good it is only to be free from pain. It is the greatest heaven of all. And yet the most of our lives we are free, but scarcely appreciate it." He fell into a sweet sleep, and in a comparatively short time was able to proceed on the journey. Up to this time, Satan seemed determined that the mission should not be opened up. But from this time on, the trouble was over, the way was clear, everything was favorable, and it seemed that every obstacle was removed without hands. Arriving among the Indians, the missionaries were received with marked kindness by both the Lamanites and by Agents J. J. Chritchlow of Uintah, and J. F. Minness of Ouray. Everybody attended the meetings. The

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Gospel and the Book of Mormon were freely taught by Elder Lyman and his brethren, and by Elder Nephi who was surnamed Lehi by Elder Lyman. Chief Tabby also preached, together with many others of the chief Utes who were firm Latter-day Saints. They bore powerful and fearless testimonies. Missionaries were selected, sustained and set apart, at a conference in Ashley, on the 19th and 20th of May, and were called to continue the labors, which they did with much spirit. They were: Jeremiah Hatch, Israel Clark, Jeremiah Hatch, Jr., Thomas Karren, George Glines, and Thomas Bingham, Jr. The Indians were largely converted and baptized, and both chiefs and laymen rejoiced in the word of God. Temporal good was also accomplished. The missionaries found an old chief who was more interested in temporal than in spiritual affairs. He had arranged a canal straight up the banks of the river to his land, and was waiting for the water to mount into it to irrigate his possessions. The missionaries remonstrated with him saying that water would not run up hill. He insisted, however, in a surly manner, that the "Mormons" made it run up hill. It was explained to him

that it was only appearances that seemed to him so, and that water ran only down hill. They taught him how it could be done, however, whereupon he wished them to do the work. They asked permission from the agent to build a canal to water the possessions of the old chief, which was gladly granted. The six missionaries set to work upon their task. They obtained plows, scrapers, and horses, and in the course of ten days had a canal ready which proved a great success in watering the lands of the elated chief. For this useful labor, the missionaries were afterwards allowed one thousand dollars, which they divided among them, thus receiving both temporal and spiritual blessings. Apostle Lyman returned to Prove from his successful mission on the 28th of May of the same year. He has, however, been interested in the red man ever since. For several years, the missionary labors were continued by the brethren named, and by others who were afterwards called; but the work was finally stopped as far as preaching on the reservations was concerned, the agents objecting. Then the Indians were approached when visiting the settlements, and were taught, as opportunity offered,

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in common conversation and otherwise, concerning the principles of the Gospel. But generally, some one has had charge of the work who kept the truth before the Lamanites. Some three or four years ago, Elder Ira Hatch was appointed to this work. Apostle Lyman has continued his labors, and has come to be known among the Indians of Utah as Big Chief. In his preaching tours, he makes frequent visits to the Pi-Utes, the original, ignorant root- diggers of whom early explorers spoke as inhabiting the region about the Great Basin, and who are now scattered about in various parts of southern and central Utah, following the peaceful pursuits of their white friends. They live in small colonies in Thistle Valley, Koosharem, Rabbit Valley, Panguitch, Kanab, St. George, Cedar, Parowan, Beaver and Kanosh, and are generally members of The Church. They have their chiefs, or leading men, who, on the solicitation of the Indians themselves, are frequently chosen by the aid of the "Big Chief" and his white brethren. They till the earth, care for their horses and stock, on a plan imitative of that of the white man. Many of the old Indians, who were staunch warriors when the Pioneers first pitched their tents in the Basin, are still alive. Strange to say, the inhabitants of these colonies do not increase — the deaths are more numerous than the births, and the children of the wilderness are slowly but surely dwindling. The Indians have learned not only to love the "Big Chief" for his teachings and kind counsels to them, but also for the small stipends of flour and beef which he causes to be distributed on his preaching tours among them. They likewise love the country where they live, and have become greatly attached to the fields, the hills, the springs, mountains and ravines of their allotted homes. They will not hear of leaving them. In 1897, there was talk of dividing the Uintah and Uncompahgre reservations among the Indians, giving each person a certain share of the land. The Pi-Utes were visited and informed of the scheme, for it was not desired that they should be denied their rights in such a divi-

sion, since they might then arise and say that they had been unfairly treated. They might say: "Why did you not tell us, that we also might have homes?" The whole plan was explained to

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them in detail, but they spurned the idea, and would not hear of leaving their present homes. They answered that in the winds they could hear the voices of their fathers. The spirits of their parents could be heard in the music of the creeks, and in the singing waters of the springs. Their children were buried here; they knew every hill, and could hear familiar sounds in the fields and upon the mountains. They begged to stay, protesting they were "Mormons." In some instances they became excited, believing it was only a scheme to drive them from the land to give place to the aggressive white race. But they remain in peace, and live in simple happiness. It has been the theme of Apostle Lyman's sermons to the Indians that they abide on their allotted farms without roaming about, that they work, and avoid idling away their time, that they improve their premises and gather about them some of this world's goods. "Sit down, sit down; be quiet, don't run," hasbeen the constant song he has sung to them. They have generally heeded the advice as far as their roving natures would allow, but compliance, even as far and as imperfectly as they have rendered it, has been a severe trial and a heavy sacrifice to them. An amusing incident is related of Weber Tom, a leader of the Tooele Shoshones. This tribe is more intelligent, if not more progressive, than the On one occasion recently when Pi-Utes. Apostle Lyman, forgetting his own constant peregrinations, had been giving the red man's camp the usual admonition, Tom was evidently annoyed at the sameness of the song. He got up at the close, and gave a sermon himself on precept and example, saying: "'Postle Lyman he all the time say, 'Indian, sit down, sit down!' 'Postle Lyman, he never sit down." The Apostle's reply is not recorded.