Reminiscences of President Joseph F. Smith

Reminiscences of President Joseph F.

Smith

By Charles W . Nibley, Presiding Bisliop of the Church

The Era has asked me to write a few remembrances of inci-

dents connected with my personal association with the late Presi-

dent Joseph F. Smith, while they are yet fresh in memory, and

it is a pleasure to comply.

The first time I ever remember seeing Joseph F. Smith was

in the then little village of Wellsville, in the year 1867. He was

twenty-eight years of age, and had recently been chosen one of

the Twelve Apostles. President Brigham Young and company

were making a tour of the northern settlements, and the new

apostle, Joseph F. Smith, was among the number. I heard him

preach in the old meetinghouse at Wellsville, and I remarked at

the time what a fine specimen of young manhood he was —

strong, powerful, with a beautiful voice, so full of sympathy and

affection, so appealing in its tone, that he impressed me, although

I was a youth of but eighteen. He was a handsome man.

At that time I was clerking in a little store owned by Father

Ira Ames, one of the old Kirtland veterans of the Church.

Apostle George A. Smith was one of that company and he was

entertained at Brother Ames' home, where I also lived. I recall

that at the dinner table, Father Ames asked George A. who of

the Smiths this young man Joseph F. was.

George A. replied that he was Hyrum's son; his mother,

Mary Fielding Smith.

Brother Ames remarked that he looked like a likely young

fellow, and George A. replied in about these words :

"Yes, I think he will be all right. His father and mother

left him when he was a child, and we have been looking after

him to try and help him along. We first sent him to school, but

it was not long before he licked the schoolmaster, and could not

go to school. Then we sent him on a mission, and he did pretty

well at that. I think he will make good as an apostle."

Some years ago I related this incident to President Smith,

and he told me that the reason he had trouble with the school-

master was that the schoolmaster had a leather strap with which

he used to chastise the children. He was a rather hard-hearted

schoolmaster, one of the olden type that believed in inflicting

bodily punishment.

192 IMPROVEMENT ERA

I

President Smith said: "My little sister was called up (Aunt

Martha, now living in Provo) to be punished. I saw the school-

master bring out the leather strap, and he told the child to hold

out her hand. I could not stand for that. I just spoke up loud-

ly and said, 'Don't whip her with that,' and at that he came at

me and was going to whip me, and instead of him whipping me,

I licked him good and plenty."

At the time of this incident, Joseph F. (for by that name

he was affectionately called) was about fifteen years of age. But

he was a strong, powerful youth, and his big heart could not

tolerate such punishment, especially if it bordered on the cruel,

to be inflicted upon a little child.

Another incident which I have heard him relate which

shows his courage and integrity, occurred when he was returning

from his mission to the Sandwich Islands, in the fall of 1857.

He came home by way of Los Angeles, by what was called the

Southern Route. In that year Johnston's Army was on the move

for Utah, and naturally enough there was much excitement and

bitterness of feeling concerning the "Mormons." In southern

California, just after the little train of wagons had traveled only

a short distance and made their camp, several anti-"Mormon"

toughs rode into the camp on horseback, cursing and swearing

and threatening what they would do to the "Mormons." Joseph

F. was a little distance from the camp gathering wood for the

fire, but he saw that the few members of his own party had

cautiously gone into the brush down the creek, out of sight.

When he saw that, he told me, the thought came into his mind,

"Shall I run from these fellows? Why should I fear them?"

With that he marched up with his arm full of wood to the

campfire where one of the ruffians, still with his pistol in his

hand, shouting and cursing about the "Mormons," in a loud

voice said to Joseph F.,

"Are you a 'Mormon'?"

And the answer came straight, "Yes, sir, true blue, through

and through."

At that the ruffian grasped him by the hand and said,

"Shake, young fellow, I am glad to see a man that stands up for

his convictions."

These incidents show the inherent bravery, courage, in-

tegrity, of the man, and also tenderness and pity for the little

helpless sister. These are the qualities upon which great men

are builded.

In the spring of 1877, I was called to accompany President

Smith on a mission to Europe. I was called by him to labor in

the business affairs of the Liverpool office, and from that time

until the day of his death, I think I have enjoyed his personal

confidence more than any man living. When I look back on it

REMINISCENCES OF PRESIDENT SMITH 193

all now, I can see what a treasure, a blessing, a favor from the

Almighty it has been to me.

During the last eleven years, especially, I have traveled with

him almost constantly whenever he has gone from home. I have

been with him on three different trips to Europe, including the

first missionary trip above mentioned, and on four trips to the

Sandwich Islands. Everywhere, and on all occasions, I have

found him the same great, brave, true-hearted, noble and mag-

nificent leader, so simple and unaffected, so entirely democratic

and unassuming.

He was always careful with his expenditures, too. He ab-

horred debt, and no man have I ever known who was so prompt

to pay an obligation to the last penny. He could not rest until

the Church was out of debt, and though hundreds of schemes,

and many of them extra good schemes, too, were presented to

him, which no doubt would have meant an increase of wealth

for the Church, yet he resolutely set his face against debt; and

would not, under any conditions or circumstances involve the

Church in that way. Neither would he himself become involved

in debt in his own individual affairs, but persistently stuck to the

old motto, "Pay as you go."

Many of the older people now alive can recall that forty

years ago, or even less, he was considered a radical, and many

a one of that time shook his head and said, "What will become

of things if that fiery radical ever becomes president of the

Church?" But from the time he was made president of the

Church, and even before that time, he became one of the most

tolerant of men; tolerant of others' opinions, and while he

would denounce sin with such righteous wrath as you would

seldom see in any man, yet for the poor sinner he had compas-

sion and pity, and even forgiveness, if sincere repentance were

shown. None more ready than he to forgive and forget.

One touching little incident I recall which occurred on our

first trip to the Sandwich Islands. As we landed at the wharf

in Honolulu, the native Saints were out in great numbers with

their wreaths of leis, beautiful flowers of every variety and hue.

We were loaded with them, he, of course, more than anyone else.

The noted Hawaiian band was there playing welcome as it often

does to incoming steamship companies. But on this occasion

the band had been instructed by the Mayor to go up to the "Mor-

mon" meetinghouse and there play selections during the festiv-

ities which the natives had arranged for. It was a beautiful

sight to see the deep-seated love, the even tearful affection that

these people had for him. In the midst of it all I noticed a

poor old blind woman, tottering under the weight of about

ninety years, being led in. She had a few choice bananas in

her hand. It was her all — her offering. She was calling, "Iosepa,

194 IMPROVEMENT ERA

Iosepa." Instantly, when he saw her, he ran to her and clasped

her in his arms, hugged her, and kissed her over and over again,

patting her on the head saying, "Mama, Mama, my dear old

Mama."

And with tears streaming down his cheeks he turned to me

and said, "Charlie, she nursed me when I was a boy, sick and

without anyone to care for me. She took me in and was a

mother to me."

Oh, it was touching — it was pathetic. It was beautiful to

see the great, noble soul in loving tender remembrance of kind-

ness extended to him, more than fifty years before; and the

poor old soul who had brought her love offering — a few bananas

— it was all she had — to put into the hand of her loved Iosepa!

Oh these ocean trips there was much spare time, and we

often whiled away an hour or two playing checkers. He could

play a good game of checkers, much better than I. In fact, he

could beat me four times out of five, but once in a while, when

I played more cautiously, and no doubt when he was more care-

less, I could beat him. If he was beating me right along and I

made an awkward move, and could see instantly that I had moved

the wrong checker, he would allow me to draw it back if I

noticed it immediately; but on the other hand, if I had beaten

him for a game or two and should put my finger on a checker

to draw it back, even though it were on the instant, he would

call out with force enough, and in that positive way of his, "No

you don't, you leave it right there." It is in these little inci-

dents that we show the human side of our natures.

He loved sport — manly sport. He was a natural athlete;

and in his youth at foot-racing, jumping, wrestling, which were

among the primitive sports of primitive days, he was a match

for anyone. In later years I had induced him to take up with

the ancient and royal Scottish game of golf. He got so that he

could play a very good game, excellent indeed for a man of his

years. But on one occasion, down at Santa Monica, when we

were playing, we were up within about one hundred feet of the

flag at the hole we were making for. A slight stroke should

have driven the ball nearer the flag, but the inclination to look

up as one tries to hit the ball got the best of him, and the

consequence was he topped the ball and it rolled only a couple

of feet or so. He bent over for the next stroke, and the one

thing which all golfers most fear, and the hardest to overcome, is

that habit of looking up or taking the eye off the ball just as

you go to strike. This he did, the second time, when he topped

it again and it moved but a few feet further. The third time he

went up to it and hit it a whack that sent it rolling one hundred

feet beyond the flag. His son, Wesley, who was playing with us,

called out, "Why, papa, what did you do that for? You knew

REMINISCENCES OF PRESIDENT SMITH 195

it would roll away down there in the ditch!" The President

straightened up and said, rather severely, "Well, I was mad at

it !" I have laughed hundreds of times at that, "I was mad at it."

Of course, we agreed well together, otherwise we would not

have been companionable during all these years. But sometimes

I could not fully agree with him on some matters that we dis-

cussed. I recall one night we were on shipboard returning from

Europe, in 1906. It was a bright moonlight night, and we stood

there leaning over the railing enjoying the smooth sea and balmy

summer night air. The Smoot investigation, which had just

occurred a little while before and which had stirred up so much

controversy throughout the land was fresh in our minds, and we

were talking of it. I took the position that it would be unwise

for Reed Smoot to be re-elected to the United States Senate. I

was conscientious in my objection, and I had marshaled all the

facts, arguments, and logic, that I could; and I was well in-

formed, I thought, on the subject, and had presented them to

him in as clear and yet in as adroit a manner as I possibly could.

It would take too much space here to go over the arguments,

but it seemed to me that I had the best of it. I could see he

began to listen with some little impatience, and yet he let me

have my say, but he answered in tones and in a way that I shall

never forget. Bringing his fist down with some force on the

railing between us, he said, in the most forceful and positive

manner:

"If ever the Spirit of the Lord has manifested to me any-

thing clear and plain and positive, it is this, that Reed Smoot

should remain in the United States Senate. He can do more

good there than he can anywhere else."

Of course, I did not contend further with him, but accepted

from that hour his view of the case and made it mine, too.

Twelve years have passed since that time, and looking back on

it now, I cannot help but think how marvelously and splendidly

the inspiration of the Almighty has been vindicated, while my

argument, facts and logic have all fallen to the ground.

During the last six or eight years, hundreds of prominent

people, Democrats as well as Republicans, passing through Salt

Lake City, even Secretary McAdoo, himself, among them, have

stated to President Smith that Utah had a great big man in the

United States Senate in the person of Senator Reed Smoot.

President Smith's judgment, or rather his inspiration in this

matter, has been vindicated to the last degree.

As a preacher of righteousness, who could compare with

him? He was the greatest that I ever heard — strong, powerful,

clear, appealing. It was marvelous how the words of living

light and fire flowed from him. He was a born preacher, and

yet he did not set himself up to be such. He never thought

196 IMPROVEMENT ERA

highly of his own great qualities. Rather, he was simple, plain

and unaffected to the last degree; and yet, there was a dignity

with it all which enabled anyone and everyone to say : "He is a

man among men!" As preacher, leader, teacher, husband,

father, citizen and man, I ask, who among our mighty ones can

be likened unto hirn?

He loved a good story and a good joke. There was a good

laugh in him always. He had no patience with vile stories, but

there was a fine vein of humor in him, and he could relate inci-

dents of his early life and entertain the crowd about him as few

men ever could.

He was the most methodical in all his work of any person I

ever knew. Every letter that he received had to be endorsed by

him with the date and any other information, and all carefully

filed away. He could not stand for disorder. Everything in

connection with his work was orderly. He could pack his suit-

case or a trunk and line out and smooth out every piece of cloth-

ing in it so that it would hold more and be better packed than

if anybody else had done it. His clothes, too, were always clean.

Most men as they grow old are likely to have their clothes more

or less spotted through dropping food on their clothing. But

not so with him. To his last day his clothes were as clean and

as well taken care of as if he had been a young man of thirty.

He was a most strenuous worker and never considered saving

himself at all. You could go up to his little office in the Bee-

hive most any night when he was well, and find him writing

letters or attending to some other work. Perhaps some dear old

soul had written him a personal letter, and he would work into

the night answering it with his own hand. Indeed, he over-

worked himself and no doubt injured his strong constitution.

He was careless about eating — careless as to what he ate and

when he ate. His living was exceedingly simple and plain. He

rarely got to bed before midnight, and the consequence was he

did not get sufficient sleep and rest.

He was very fond of music and loved to sing the songs of

Zion.

His love for little children was unbounded. During the trip

we took last year down through the southern settlements to St.

George and return, when the troops of little children were

paraded before him, it was beautiful to see how he adored these

little ones. It was my duty to try and get the company started,

to make time to the next settlement where the crowds would be

waiting for us, but it was a difficult task to pull him away from

the little children. He wanted to shake hands with and talk

to every one of them-

Once in a while someone would come up to him and say,

"President Smith, I believe I am a kinsman of yours."

REMINISCENCES OF PRESIDENT SMITH 197

I knew then that we were good for another ten minutes'

delay, for that great heart of his, that went out to every kinsman

as well as to the little children, could not be torn away quickly

from anyone claiming kinship with him.

I have visited at his home when one of his little children

was down sick. I have seen him come home from his work at

night tired, as he naturally would be, and yet he would walk the

floor for hours with that little one in his arms, petting it and

loving it, encouraging it in every way with such tenderness and

such a soul of pity and love as not one mother in a thousand

would show.

While he was a hard-headed, successful business man, yet

very few in this dispensation have been more gifted with spir-

itual insight than he. As we were returning from an eastern

trip, some years ago, on the train just east of Green River, 1 saw

him go out to the end of the car on the platform, and imme-

diately return and hesitate a moment, and then sit down in the

seat just ahead of me. He had just taken his seat when some-

thing went wrong with the train. A broken rail had been the

means of ditching the engine and had thrown most of the cars off

the track. In the sleeper we were shaken up pretty badly, but

our car remained on the track.

The President immediately said to me that he had gone on

the platform when he heard a voice saying, "Go in and sit down."

He came in, and I noticed him stand a moment, and he

seemed to hesitate, but he sat down.

He said further that as he came in and stood in the aisle lie

thought, "Oh, pshaw, perhaps it is only my imagination;" when

he heard the voice again, "Sit down," and he immediately took

his seat, and the result was as I have stated.

He, no doubt, would have been very seriously injured had he

remained on the platform of that car, as the cars were all jammed

up together pretty badly. He said, "I have heard that voice a

good many times in my life, and I have always profited by obey-

ing it."

On another occasion, at a function which was held in the

palatial home of Mr. and Mrs. A. W. McCune, he made an ex-

tended talk to the gathering. He then said that when a certain

brother who had been called to a responsible position in the

Church was chosen for that position, he himself had never heard

this spiritual voice more plainly and more clearly telling him

what to do, than in this naming of the individual who was to be

called for that certain office.

He lived in close communion with the Spirit of the Lord,

and his life was so exemplary and chaste that the Lord could

easily manifest himself to his servant. Truly he could say

"Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth." Not every servant can

198 IMPROVEMENT ERA

hear when He speaks. But the heart of President Smith was

attuned to the Celestial melodies — he could hear, and did hear.

What shall I say of the grand and glorious work that he has

done in rearing the large and splendid family that he leaves be-

hind. What a noble work for any man! Indeed no man with-

out great nobility of soul could have accomplished it. Is not this

bringing up a good family, and a large family of good citizens,

good men and women, good for the Church, for the State, and

for the Nation ? Is not this, I say, about the most God-like piece

of work that a man can do in this world? The thinking mind,

who goes into this question deep enough, will see that here is

the work, not only of a man, of a great man, but of a God in

embryo. The whole Church can take pride in the vindication

of the great principle which he has so successfully wrought out.

No ordinary man could accomplish that. Happy the wife who

can call him husband. Happy and blessed indeed the children

who call him father. Never was man more moral and chaste

and virtuous to the last fiber of his being than he. Against all

forms or thoughts of licentiousness, he was set, and as immovable

as a mountain. "Blessed are the pure in heart," and as he was

of the very purest — he shall see God.

It is written that a truly great man is known by the number

of beings he loves and blesses, and by the number of beings who

love and bless him. Judged by that standard alone, where is

his equal to be found in all this world!

I can say of Joseph F. Smith as Carry le said of Luther, that

he was truly a great man, "great in intellect, in courage, in affec-

tion, and in integrity. Great, not as a hewn obelisk, but as an

Alpine mountain." No heart ever beat truer to every principle of

manhood and righteousness and justice and mercy than his; that

great heart, encased in his magnificent frame, made him the

biggest, the bravest, the tenderest, the purest and best of all men

who walked the earth in his time !

"His life was gentle, and the elements

So mix'd in him, that Nature might stand up

And say to all the world, 'This was a Man!'"