--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Joseph J. Cannon collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 6 number: 12 published: 1903-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Joseph J. Cannon, "President Lyman’s Travels and Ministry", *Improvement Era* 6, no. 12 (October 1903): 922–924.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0612unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0612unse start_page: 922 end_page: 924 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1903-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0612unse publication_year: 1903 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1903, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # President Lyman’s Travels and Ministry 916 IMPROVEMENT ERA, Germany — one of the hired Hessians who came over here to fight Washington." "Oh, you have no cause to be ashamed of him," she added, seeing my look of almost comical dismay; "he was a soldier, too, and a brave one, if tradition goes for anything, even if his inter- ests were for the time being on the wrong side. So was Saul's of Tarsus, you remember, and, like Paul, the Spirit of God came upon him, and he did not long remain an enemy and an alien. To his credit, he down the sword for the pruning hook, identified laid himself with the country he in his ignorance came to help subdue, partook of her spirit, was true to her institutions, and founded the American branch of, the family." We can well believe that the prospect of a government by the people and for the people, in this fair, new land of liberty, was very attractive to the soldier-serf of an over-crowded fatherland. It also seems reasonable to believe that he possessed deep rever- ence for religion, as that is a distinguishing trait of so many of his descendants, and I like to believe that it was given him to know that his coming was a direct dispensation of Providence, that his children might have not only political liberty but the restored gospel of Jesus Christ pure and undefiled. From this ancestor, his great grandson Nathan, the subject of this sketch, inherited the German characteristics of pride of country, love of family, thrift, sterling integrity, and a quick temper. He was also gifted in faith, and singularly spiritually minded, and these same traits predominate in many of his descendants. In early manhood, he married Jane Richmond, an English lady of gentle birth and great beauty, and, as one of the facetious members of the family re- marks, no doubt that is where we get our good looks. The newly married pa*r "moved out west," as so many under similar circumstances did in that day, to found a home among the virgin forests, and "grow up with the country." They labored diligently to build them a home, and he raised the usual farm crops, together with maple. sugar making; and she carded, and spun, and wove, and did herown household work and sewing for the family, which grew gradually larger as the years rolled by. In those days "the beauty of their garments" were, indeed, "the workmanship of their own hands;" in fact, utility was A LIFE SKETCH. 917 considered before beauty. Today we are whirling along by elec- and some of us going at the pace that kills, with half the tricity, work and double the worry which oar grandmothers had. Nathan had been raised a Methodist. He was a Bible stu- dent, a class leader, and very devout; and he and his busy little wife had each winter of their voluntary exile looked forward to this season of comparative relaxation from labor with pleasant antici- pations of social festivities with distant neighbors, and also of revivals in religion, when the music of the popular hymn, Poor, mourning soul in deep distress, Most worn away with trouble, would pulse on the air with true Methodistic fervency and fre- quency. True, a feeling of unrest and dissatisfaction with his pro- fessed religion, from a Bible standpoint, had of late taken posses- sion of him, but Methodism was the best that he knew anything about, and he tried to make the best of it. As this particular winter season approached, however, of which I wish to speak, one of their little ones sickened, and, in spite of all their devoted care, grew steadily worse, until he lay at death's door. The parents were worn out with watching, and the mother discouraged and despairing. They knew nothing of authority or priesthood, those potent agents which have won the aid and favor of the Almighty in these glorious days of the restored gospel, but Nathan believed that the prayer of faith shall save the sick, and he tried to live for it- For two days he fasted, and then retired secretly into the woods to pray. Kneeling down by the side of a log, he poured forth his whole soul in prayer that God would stay the hand of the destroyer, and give back to the stricken mother the life of her little one. And gloriously was his prayer answered,f or an angel came in person, and, laying his hands upon his head, blessed him for his persever- ance and faith, and promised that his child should be spared adding, for himself, he should yet live to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ and bring many souls into the true fold. Npw this had long been the secret ambition and desire of his soul, but he had no idea, 918 IMPROVEMENT ERA. at the time, that the promise of the angel meant anything else than the preaching of Methodism. In speaking of his experience afterwards, he said that he seemed for the time being to be taken out of the body, for though the angel stood directly behind him, he could see him distinctly, and described him as a shining personage, with robes of exceed- ing whiteness, and the hands which lay upon his head were trans- parent; and not only could he see the angel, but he could see himself kneeling beside the log. Never, through all his life after- ward, could he speak of this glorious experience without weeping. After the angel departed, he returned to the house. As he appeared in the door, his wife, who sat by the bedside of the sick child grieving over it, looked up, and was awed and frightened by his appearance and expression. "What is the matter, Nathan?" she cried. He tottered toward the bed, and with the words "Be com- forted, the child shall live," fell over upon the bed in a deep swoon. She thought for a moment he was dead, and wringing her hands in anguish, cried, "He has given his life for the child. Oh, I have done wrong in clinging to my babe as I have done. I should have submitted without murmur to the will of God." But after a time, he revived, and told her what he had seen and heard, and their hearts were filled with thanksgiving and a solemn joy. PART II. As we get "line upon line and precept upon precept," so afterwards was the true gospel brought to them, and you know Jesus says, "My sheep hear my voice, and they follow me." Then did they begin to understand in full the glorious promises made by the angel. They made the usual sacrifices to gather to Zion, and tarried for a time in Kanesville, where several members of the family contracted smallpox, and the faithful mother died of it. As she lay ill upon her bed, entirely blind by the disease, they brought her baby to her to nurse, but he cried and clung to his sister, and would not go to his mother at all."Ah, I must be an awful sight