--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Orton, Joseph collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 11 number: 8 published: 1908-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Joseph Orton, "For the Increase of Faith: Aid in Vicarious Work," *Improvement Era* 11, no. 8 (June 1908): 582–585.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1108unse 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: improvementera1108unse start_page: 582 end_page: 585 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1908-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1108unse publication_year: 1908 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 1908, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # For the Increase of Faith: Aid in Vicarious Work — . FOR THE INCREASE OF FAITH. AID IN VICARIOUS WORK. BY ELDER JOSEPH ORTON. Those on the other side of the veil are ready and anxious to aid in the ac- complishment of the labors that devolve upon us in performing vicarious work in the temples, Heber J. Grant. Confirmatory of the foregoing, the following is submitted: During a mission to England, in 1880, I visited a city for the purpose of searching records in the interest of a dear friend, deceased, whose family temple work I had years before sacredly promised Elder Daniel H. Wells I would perform. Cash was scarce with me, and as there were four parish churches in that city, each one haying records, I was anxious to search them at the least possible expense. On making enquiry, it was ascertained that a certain law office had a full copy of all the church records. Having made application there, the liberty was given to search the copies at forty shillings per parish, which meant in United States coin at least thirty-nine dollars for the four sets of records The work of searching was begun. The office closed on Sat- urday at one o'clock p. m. At that time I asked what I should pay for time spent. Six shillings and eight pence was the reply. Paying the amount I left, but had walked only a short distance into the country when a voice said to me, "If you will go to each of the parish churches you shall search all of their records by pay- ing the price of one at the lawyers." On doing as directed, I found on completion of the search, having paid, without demur, all charged for the use of the four FOR THE INCREASE OF FAITH. 583 sets of records, that the cost, including the amount paid the law- yer, did not exceed the price asked for one set at the lawyer's office. Thus proving that the blessing asked of Brother Daniel H. Wells, his exaction of me, the word given by the wayside, together with ministers of the respective churches applied to for search of records, W3re all influenced by "those behind the veil in the ac- complishment of the great vicarious work" now going on in the temples of our God. St. George, Utah. MY FATHER REWARDS ME. BY SOLOMON F. KIMBALL. After the Saints had been driven West, and had established themselves in these valleys, among the first things that the leaders of the Church did was to get their historical records together. They realized that Church history would be dependent upon these records to a great extent. The Lord through the Prophet Joseph had instructed them to keep a record of all principal events of their lives, which made it doubly important. I well remember the interest manifested by my father in relation to such matters. He had been an apostle for twelve years, and one of the First Presi- dency for twenty. During the drivings and mobbings of the Saints, he had lost the part of his journal that contained an account of his second mission to England. This he felt keenly, as it made a break into one of the most important periods of his life. When time permitted, he would have Brother Thomas Bullock come to his house, and they sometimes spent a week or two straightening out these records and compiling his history. In order to do this, they had to wade through hundreds of pages of blurred and dingy journals, and package after packag*^ of old, musty letters. Father would then let this work rest for a year or two, or until the spirit came upon him again. He would then get Brother Robert Camp- bell, or some other competent man, to assist him. He continued in this way as long as he lived. After his death, there was noth- ing more done with his history until the fall of 1876. I was living 584 IMPRO VEMENT ERA . with my sister Helen at the time. We were in possession of all of father's letters, journals and manuscripts. We knew that he had prophesied that Edward W. Tullidge would write his history, so I visited Mr. Tullidge several times in relation to this matter. He finally agreed to write the history and publish three thousand vol- umes of it for three thousand dollars. He was present when father made the prediction concerning him, and knew about the lost rec- ords. With this fact in view, and while writing the history of the Prophet Joseph and President Young, he made a note of any historical facts bearing upon this part of father's life. This ad- vantage enabled him to write the history in about six months. In the mean time, I had taken up a labor with my father's family, and found the majority of them not in sympathy with this movement. However, I managed to collect thirteen hundred dollars in cash, and five hundred dollars in real estate. This I turned over to Mr. Tullidge, and from that on it seemed like fate was against us and we were forced to let this work rest here. That summer I went to Arizona, where I remained nine years. After I returned, I spent several weeks visiting the family. The history spirit came upon me again stronger than ever. I was quite successful in uniting the family upon this subject. I was out of means, and went to Mayor Armstrong to see if I could get employment. He told me that the jailor had just broken his arm, and that I could come to work the next morning." Soon after I had commenced work, it seemed to me at times as though I was in the very presence of my father. I could plainly feel his spirit working with me. It be- came so strong that I could not rest until we had called the repre- sentative members of the family together and laid this subject be- fore them. At that meeting a committee of five was chosen, and we decided to employ Bishop Orson F. Whitney to write the his- tory over again. He was our father's grandson; while, on the other hand, Mr. Tullidge had publicly declared himself to be an apostate. We had a settlement with him, and he was allowed thir- teen hundred dollars for his work. He deeded the real estate back to us and let Bishop Whitney have his manuscript of the history. The "boom" came soon after, and we sold the lot for just eighteen hundred dollars clear of expenses. Those of us who had contrib- FOR THE INCREASE OF FAITH. 585 uted the eighteen hundred dollars nine years before received back the exact sum that we gave, and this put the family on an equal foot- ing. Before I went to Arizona the Kimball estate had been divided, and the administrators discharged. When I returned, we found four lots on the hill that had been overlooked, and which were almost worthless when I went away, but now had become valuable. We sold them for four thousand five hundred dollars,which was just enough to carry this enterprise through. This belonged to all of us, and we now were all in sympathy with the movement. The day that the history was to be bound and placed upon the market, one of the most wonderful events of my life took place. As I was giving the prisoners their breakfast, imagine my joy and satisfaction when I heard the voice of my father's spirit saying to me that he had something more to go into the history, and would give it to me as a reward for my faithfulness in helping to bring that work forth. As soon as I could get the prisoners to work, I took a pencil and tab, and father's spirit told me what to write. Under his dictation I wrote for about twenty minutes. I scribbled as fast as I could, and a minute or two before I had finished, several prisoners who were doing janitor work came into the room, and father's spirit left. I undertook to complete the unfinished part but was unable to do so. Then I began to feel uneasy, fearing that Bishop Whitney would reject the communication. I went into the old Council Chamber and prayed to the Lord to prepare his mind to receive it. When he came to work that morning, I told him that I had just received a visit from father, and he had given me something more to go into the history. I handed him the communication. He read it over carefully and said "that is splendid." He completed the unfinished part, and corrected my mistakes. We decided to say nothing about it, and it went into the history in that form. This event was kept quiet until the spring of 1906, eighteen years later. At a High Priests meeting, held in the Brigham Young Memorial building at that time, I was called upon to speak. The moment I stood' up it seemed to me as though my father was standing by my side. I was so filled with the Spirit of the Lord that I for the first time made this event public, Bishop Whitney being present at the time. Salt Lake City. Utah.