Portrait and Sketch of Charles W. Penrose

Charles W. Penrose.

Elder Charles W. Penrose, son of Richard, and Matilda Sims Penrose, recently ordained one of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, comes of an old Cornish family, and was born at Camberwell, London, Feb. 4, 1832. While in childhood his father died, and Charles left school at an early age, engaging in various occupations, until he heard and received the gospel. He was baptized May 14, 1850, ordained a deacon June 30 following, and called as a missionary and ordained an elder, January 6, 185 1. As an inducement not to engage in the ministry he was offered a good position under the government. However, he chose the ministry, and left London early in March, walking to Maldon, Essex, an entirely new mis sionary field, where he began his labors without purse or scrip Here he raised up a branch, also branches in Danbury and othei places. Later he presided over the London Conference and was pastor of Cheltenham, Monmouthshire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire conferences, also of Birmingham, Warwickshire Staffordshire and Shropshire. During his ministry, there were wonderful cases of healing, and he baptized many converts. Besides, he composed songs and hymns for the Saints that have become household words, and wrote articles for the Millennial Star. Having spent ten years in the mission field, he emigrated to America in April, 1861, assisting in the charge of 620 emigrating Saints from Liverpool to New York. They were thirty days crossing the water, in the steerage. He continued with the company on trains to St. Joseph, Missouri, and then up the river to Florence, Nebraska, crossing the plains with ox teams. The company were eleven weeks on the way from the Missouri river to Salt Lake. He settled in Farming-ton, where he spent his time in the summer farming, and in the winter teaching school. On the 27th of October, following his arrival, he was ordained a Seventy, and became one of the seven presidents of the 56th quorum. In the fall of 1864, he removed to Logan, where he taught school. The following spring he was called on a mission to Great

342 IMPROVEMENT ERA Britain,and went with a company having mule teams. He left his family in a log cabin and walked most of the journey to Omaha. When it is remembered that the Indians were then on the warpath, and that many of the travelers over the plains were killed, the journey was remarkable. Crossing the sea in the steerage, with other missionaries, he was thirteen days from New York to Liverpool. With vigor he again took up his missionary labors in Liverpool, and later was changed to Essex, and then again to London, presiding over each of these conferences. He was later called to be the assistant editor of the Millennial Star, for which he wrote many articles and poems, and helped in the emigration of the Saints. After the shipping season of 1868 had closed, he was released and sailed for New York in a Guion boat, taking rail to the frontier, and then by rail went to Point of Rocks, at the end of the track of the Union Pacific, taking a stage from there to Salt Lake. He was absent three and a half years. Arriving in Utah, he engaged in the mercantile business with the firm of Shearman and Penrose, and when Z. C. M. 1. was organized, in 1868, the firm turned over their business to the Logan branch of that which Elder Penrose became the institution, of secretary, During this period he also bookkeeper and treasurer. acted as a home missionary in Cache county. In 1870, he was called to Ogden to edit a semi- weekly newspeper which had been established there by President Franklin D. Richards, named the Ogden Junction, of which he became editor and manager, and in the course of a short time made it a daily. He was ordained a High Priest on the 9th of April, 1871, and became a member of the High Council, also of the city council, serving besides as a home missionary. In 1876 he was elected to the Territorial Legislature from Weber county, and the following year was called by President Brigham Young to the Dcseret News, of which he afterwards became editor-in-chief. In 1880-2 he was again elected to the legislature from Salt Lake county, and served on important committees, framing many bills. In 1882, he was a member of the Constitutional Convention, and helped frame the proposed constitution of Utah. Two years later, inbecame second counsellor to President 1884. he Angus M. Cannon, of the Salt Lake Stake of Zion, in which

CHARLES W. PENROSE 343 capacity he served until the Salt Lake stake was divided, in [904. In 1885 he went on a mission to New York and Washington and then to Great Britain, and while on this mission he traveled over the British Isles, also in Denmark, Sweden, Norway. Germany and Switzerland, preaching in the principal cities. He wrote much for the Millennial Star during this period. After scarcely a year's absence, he was called home to take personal charge once more of the Dcscrct News, in which capacity he continued until the paper was taken in hand by Cannon and Sons, in October, 1892. He then went to the Salt Lake Herald, as assistant editor, and subsequently became editor-in-chief. In 1895 he was appointed to labor in the Historian's Office. In this capacity he compiled much Church history, wrote mainarticles for magaines aznd encyclopedias, besides pamphlets, etc., and on the 4th of April, 1896, became assistant historian of the Church. Three years later, on the 1st of January, 1899, he was again called to the editorial leadership of the Deseret News. On the 7th of July, 1904, he was ordained one of the Twelve Apostles, and immediately began his travels throughout the stakes of Zion, at the same time writing daily for the News, until October, 1906, when he was called to preside over the European mission, arriving in Liverpool on the 2nd of November that year. He began the next day to visit conferences, and from December 1, 1906, until June, 1909, he wrote all the editorials for the Millennial Star, besides many articles for various newspapers, on the "Mormon" question. At the same time he traveled over Great Britain, attending all the conferences twice a year in England. Ireland, Scotland and Wales, besides holding numerous district and branch meetings, and visiting the missions many times in Holland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, etc. In addition to this, he supervised the work in South Africa, Turkey, and Greece, and directed the financial and emigration work at Liverpool. During this mission he made many converts, and ordained many officers in the Church. It was his business also to instruct missionaries, which he did, keeping up these activities during the entire time. Being released, he returned from Liverpool to Salt Lake, arriving June 2T, 19 10, in a little less than nine and a half days, which is a record trip.

Since his arrival home he has been very active in the ministry, visiting quarterly conferences and preaching among the peo-

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pie. On the 7th of December, 191 1, he was called to be the second counsellor in the First Presidency of the Church. He will be eighty years of age on the 4th of February, 1912, and is receiving congratulation from "Mormon," Gentile and Jew —people of all

classes, creeds and parties. Active and devoted, earnest and firm in the faith, he is one of the most remarkable men that the Church has produced. He has a large family, but has had no time to gain wealth, having devoted all his time to the public; yet his business qualifications are such that had he desired he could easily have turned his mind in the direction of the acquisiton of wealth, and doubtless would have succeeded. He has been regarded for many years as an authority on doctrine and discipline, and is known and beloved by the people in every part of the Church. Among his writings are, The Rays of Living Light, published in English, Danish, Dutch, German, and Greek, etc., and circulated in Great Britain by many millions of copies ; and Presidency, which is extensively also Priesthood circulated;Mormon Doctrine; Blood Atonement; The Mountain Meadows Massacre; Salvation for the Living and the Dead A Spirited Controversy ; besides many articles in the Contributor, Improvement Era, and other Church magazines, and volumes of editorials on current topics in the Deseret News. Edward H. — Anderson.