--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Barker, F. E. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 18 number: 11 published: 1915-09 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Barker, F. E., "Nathan, Come Home!," *Improvement Era* 18, no. 11 (September 1915): 986–988.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera18011unse 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: improvementera18011unse start_page: 986 end_page: 988 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1915-09) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera18011unse publication_year: 1915 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 1915, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Nathan, Come Home! Nathan, Come Home! BY F. E. BARKER "Nathan, come home !" These were the words of President Brigham Young, received in a brief letter by his nephew in ?bout the year 1850. They were words indited with all the wis- dom of a philosopher and the inspiration of a prophet. Obedience to them might have resulted to a promising young man in a life of honor, happiness and perchance of immortal fame and unfading glory. But mark the lesson. It was in a Hospital for Old Men, in the city of Parra- matta, about 20 miles inland from Sidney, New South Wales, Australia, on the 24th day of July, 1899, these words were rehearsed, in pathetic sadness, by Nathan Young to two or three "Mormon" elders, for whom he had sent, after learning that they were in that vicinity. Nathan Young was then appar- ently a broken down old man, 72 years of age, and having the appearance of being in the last lingering weeks of a wasted life. He was a nephew, he said, of President Brigham Young, the latter having married a Miss Angell, sister of architect Truman O. Angell, and a sister also of Nathan's own mother. Nathan had been baptized when 16 years of age in the Mississippi River by Brigham Young, and was in Nauvoo at the time of the martyrdom of the Prophets Joseph and Hyrum Smith. He started westward with his people in the great Exodus, and became a member of the "Mormon" Battalion. After the long march of that heroic band, he re-enlisted, in California, in July, 1848 ; and after eight months further service for his country, he was mustered out in the midst of the gold excitement of those days. He went to the gold fields, and accumulated a considerable sum of money. It was then that he wrote to President Young: "Uncle, what shall I do?" The answer also was brief as it was fraught with prophetic wisdom — "Nathan, come home!" But Nathan loitered, and soon his money slipped through his fingers. He caught the gold fever of Australia, then coming to its height, and hastened to that far off land. When the writer saw him there, nearly fifty years afterward, he appeared to be the veriest wreck of his former self, dissipated, disappointed, and probably in the last ligering stages of disease. Good for- tune had failed to attend him in that land ; his life had been a varied and a hard one, full of trials and vicissitudes. He shed NATHAN, COME HOME 987 bitter tears, indeed, as he contemplated what he had lost, com- pared with what had been achieved by his people as recounted by us. Among other things, he gave vent to such thoughts as these : "Yes ; if I had followed Uncle Brigham's counsel, no doubt I would have lived and prospered with my people ; my hopes would have been anchored, and I would have been happy. Instead, I have lived a life of dissipation a wandering celi- bate, and have become an object of charity. I have reaped my harvest, and it means to me the depths, yea the very dregs of disappointment and failure. Had I obeyed that short message, I would have been one with my people, married one of the fair daughters of Zion, and would have had a posterity to bear my name in honorable remembrance to future generations, and the name of Nathan Young would not, perchance, have been destined to be lost from the earth. But now I am alone — no children, no home, and until I heard of you I felt I had no people, no dear ones on earth." As we talked to him, tears of joy filled his eyes at the thought of having been brought back into communication with his people. Then I said : "Yes, brother, it has been a great disappointment to you, indeed, during a very long period, and now your Uncle Brigham has gone to the other side ; but yet you may picture, in your mind's eye, that he is still calling, beckoning from the realms of immortality, 'Nathan, come home!' But, said I, there is another call first, if you wish to heed it. There is a cousin of yours, Brigham Young, yet living, an apostle of Jesus Christ, teaching a gospel truth that if you will you may yet come and partake, and you may weld links that will give you a life of eternal increase and immortality, even in the world to come. Brigham Young says now to you, 'Nathan, come home!' As the president of the Australian Mission, I will write him, and let him tell you himself." Then the old man's hopes seemed to return with great buoy- ancy, and he rejoiced beyond description as we blessed him, as the servants of the Lord, and promised to remember him in our prayers. In a few weeks, his health had, in a degree, returned, and I befriended him by preparing application and proofs for a pension, which afterward resulted in his getting a neat sum from the American government. In due time loving words came from his own sister, Rachael Frazer, of Wanship, Utah; and from his cousin Brigham, in Salt Lake City, came the message again : "Nathan, come home." In course of time, he was sent to Zion with emigrating Saints, and rejoiced with his relatives and his beloved people, and his bones were there laid to rest, by the tender hands of his loved ones, after he had reached an advanced old age. But all through his life, from the days of his early man- hood, there rang through the ears of Nathan Young that mes- sage, so searching and full of meaning — "Nathan, come home !" Nathan, when youthful, was loyal and true, And in ranks of true patriots stood, And he marched 'neath the flag: the red, white and blue, In the cause of the just and the good. But temptation was strong that allured him to roam, When a message from Brigham called — "Nathan, come home!" The glint of fair fortune and gold in their gleam Beckoned hard to his young heart to spurn That voice of the Seer, and he followed his dream Ere homeward again he would turn. But it burned in his heart — "O Nathan, don't roam!" 'Twas the voice of the Prophet — "Now, Nathan, come home!" As he wandered afar 'neath the Cross of the South, And fortune ne'er came to his hand, Though his feet oft were blistered, and thirst-parched his mouth, While vainly he searched through the land, There would come to his soul, like the wind in its moan, "Uncle Brigham has called you — O Nathan, come home!" His heart oft was faint in that land far away, Where the seeds of his ruin were sown, For sad was the gloom, the awful dismay, To think of that message, and own That unheeded it came ere he wandered alone, When his loved one, the Prophet, called — "Nathan, come home!" ****** But a message from Brigham there came once again, When Nathan was aged and infirm, And his heart, being softened, he gladdened that then There was help and he homeward could turn; And he roused, and accepted that call o'er the foam From Brigham, the younger— "Now, Nathan, come home!" He came forth to Zion his loved ones he met, And accomplished his mission before He was bidden beyond by those words, ringing yet, E'en that message repeated once more — "O Nathan, now come, on the earth cease to roam" — 'Twas Brigham, the Prophet, called — "Nathan, come home!" SALT LAKE CITY