Public Workers: John Jaques

PUBLIC WORKERS. JOHN JAQUES.

Among the men who devoted their time and talents to the public works, in the early days of Utah, John Jaques stands prom- inently to the front. His portrait, taken in 1900, appears as a frontispiece in this number of the Era. One of the most famous hymns of the Latter-day Saints, a hymn whose words and music have echoed in all the valleys of the mountains, and sounded in many nations and languages, — a hymn that will always live because of its broadness —was written by him:

0, say,what is truth ? Tis the fairest gem That the riches of worlds can produce; And priceless the value of truth will be, when The proud monarch's costliest diadem Is counted but dross and refuse.

Yes, say, what is truth? 'Tis the brightest prize To which mortals or Gods can aspire: Go search in the depths where it glittering lies, Or ascend in pursuit to the loftiest skies; 'Tis an aim for the noblest desire.

The sceptre may fall from the despot's grasp, When with winds of stern justice he copes, But the pillar of truth will endure to the last, And its firm-rooted bulwarks outstand the rude blast, And the wreck of the fell tyrant's hopes.

Then, say, what is truth? 'Tis the last and the first, For the limits of time it steps o'er: Though the heavens depart and the earth's fountains burst, Truth, the sum of existence ,will weather the worst, Eternal, unchanged, evermore.

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This hymn, and one other work, will cause the name of John Jaques to be long remembered among the Saints. The latter is his Catechism for Children, exhibiting the prominent doctrines of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Up to 1888, thirty-five thousand copies had been sold. For years this catechism was used as a religious text book in the Sunday Schools. With all that has been written, there is no work, even at this date, that is

more useful, concise and accurate, in the treatment of the doctrines of the Church, for the student and investigator. Other writings and hymns by Elder Jaques have become very popular among Saints and strangers. His last years were spent in the Historian's office of the Church, where he labored as assistant to the historian from 1889 to 1900. He died in Salt Lake City, June 1, 1900. The annals of his life are noted as follows by Assistant Church Historian Andrew Jenson:

John Jaques was the son of Thomas Jaques and Mary Ann Heighing- ton, and was born Jan. 7, 1827, at Market Bosworth, Leicestershire*

England. At the age of seven years he entered the Market Bosworth grammar school, and became at once a bright and diligent student. When about fourteen years old he was apprenticed to learn the trade of a cabinet maker. Becoming a convert to "Mormonism," he was baptized by Thomas Brown Ward, in the fall of 1845, at Gresley, Derbyshire. He was ordained an Elder at Whitwich, Leicestershire, Sunday, Jan. 9, 1848, under the hands of John Fidoe, Thos. Stevens and Wm. Cartwright. At the time of his baptism he became a member of the Branstone branch, but was later identified with the Stratford-on-Avon branch, of the War- wickshire conference, in which conference he labored as a traveling elder. Subsequently, he was appointed to labor in the mission office at Liverpool. While thus engaged, he married Miss Zipah Loader, of Ox- fordshire, England, Oct. 31, 1853, at Liverpool. Having received an honorable release from his missionary labors in Great Britain, he emi- grated with his family to America, sailing from Liverpool, May 22, 1856, on the packet ship "Horizon," which arrived in Boston, Mass., June 30, 1856. Reaching the frontiers, Elder Jaques made the necessary arrange- ments for crossing the plains in Captain Martin's handcart company. This was one of the companies that suffered so much in the snow storms on the mountains, and in which so many emigrants lost their lives; among those who succumbed to the hardships of that memorable journey was Brother Jaques' eldest child, a daughter, who died near Green River

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Nov. 23, 1856. Elder Jaques with family, arrived in 'Salt Lake City Nov. 30, 1856; and he soon afterwards found employment on the public works. He was ordained a Seventy, Feb. 2, 1857, by Wm. Bur- gess, and became a member of the 9th quorum of Seventy. When John- ston's army approached Salt Lake City, in 1858, Brother Jaques and fam- ily, together with many others, moved to Springville, Utah county, but

returned to the city the same year. In the latter part of 1859, he was called by President Brigham Young to labor as a clerk in the Historian's office, where he was employed until September, 1863. Next, by the con- sent of President Young, he associated himself with Thomas B. H. Sten- house, and became assistant editor of the Daily lelegraph, a newspaper published in Salt Lake City. Subsequently he located temporarily in Ogden, where the Telegraph was continued in 1869; and Elder Jaques re- mained with the paper until he was called on a mission to Great Britain. During this mission, which lasted from 1869 to 1871, he labored princi- pally in the Liverpool office as assistant editor of the Millennial Star. After his return from his mission be entered the Deseret News office,

where he was employed about eight years, or until he became perman- ently associated with the Historian's office, where he now labored the remainder of his days. From 1889 till his death, he was sustained as assistant Church historian. Besides the numerous ecclesiastical posi- tions held by him, both at home and abroad, he served two terms in the Utah .legislature, was a commissioned captain of topographical engin- eers of the Nauvoo Legion, and was twice elected school trustee in the Twelfth ward, Salt Lake City, where he resided. For many years he acted as private secretary to President Wilford Woodruff, and was also secretary of the Genealogical Society of Utah. In 1872, he yielded obedience to the law of plural marriage by taking to wife Miss Mary Ann Amott, who bore him two sons. (She died April 24, 1901, in Salt Lake City.) He was the father of eleven children, seven sons and four daughters, of whom six sons and one daughter sur- vived him. His oldest son was born on the journey across the plains, near Florence, Nebraska, in 1856. Elder Jaques was set apart as a pres- ident of the 8th quorum of Seventy, April 19, 1876, and in December, 1893, he became senior president of said quorum, which position he held till December 31, 1898, when he was ordained a High Priest by Angus M. Cannon.

At his death, the following character picture of the man appeared in the Deseret News:

John Jaques was a strong man, his abilities rising high above the