Peter soaked up knowledge the way a dry field takes a stream of water. He read eagerly, peppered his two adopted sisters-in-law with question after question, and took whatever they could fire at him.
About an hour into their session, the door to the cabin opened. Nathan was standing in the doorway. “How’s it going?” he asked.
Jessica smiled, then reached out and laid a hand on Peter’s arm. “I’ve never seen one quite like this,” she said.
“He’s wonderful,” Lydia agreed. “He’s very bright and has a marvelous feeling for words.”
“Good,” Nathan said matter-of-factly. “I thought as much, based on what Jessica had said earlier.” He turned to the boy. “So Peter, I have a surprise for you.”
Peter was taken aback. “You do? What is it?”
Nathan stepped inside the room, holding the door open. “Come in, brethren.”
There was a little exclamation of surprise as Joseph Smith entered the room. “Peter,” he said, stepping across the room in three strides. “How are you, young man?”
“I’m fine, Brother Joseph.” Peter was a little dazed. A second man had entered the cabin now too. He was finely dressed and had a stack of books under one arm.
“How are the newlyweds doing?” Joseph asked cheerfully, looking around.
“Great,” Lydia answered. “Mother Steed has taken Rebecca in to buy her some things for their house. Derek is out with Matthew and Father Steed doing something or other.”
“Peter,” Nathan said, “this is Brother John Taylor. He’s one of the new Apostles the Lord named to fill the vacancies in the Twelve.”
John Taylor smiled at Nathan. “Well, I’ve been called, but I’ve not actually been ordained as yet.”
“You will be, Brother John,” Joseph said easily. “Otherwise how can you leave on that mission next spring?” He turned back to Peter. “He’ll probably be going back to your native land.”
That surprised everyone except John Taylor. “England?” Lydia said. “Really?”
“Well,” Joseph explained, “the Lord didn’t actually specify England in the revelation. All he said was that the Twelve were to leave on their missions ‘over the great waters’ come next April twenty-sixth. Along with Brother Taylor, the other men called were Wilford Woodruff, John Page, and Willard Richards. And as you know, Peter, Brother Richards is still over in England, serving as the president there. So I just think the Twelve will be headed back to England again.”
“That’s exciting,” Peter said. “I always liked Brother Richards.”
“Everyone likes Brother Richards.” Joseph walked over to the table and looked down at the books. He nodded in satisfaction. “Nathan tells me of your interest in learning, Peter.”
“Yes, Jessica is teaching me my letters and some arithmetic.”
Jessica laughed. “This boy already knows his letters better than many twice his age.”
“That’s wonderful, Peter,” Joseph said. “Remember what the Lord said. ‘The glory of God is intelligence, or light and truth.’ So the more knowledge and intelligence we get, the better off we will be.”
Peter nodded gravely. “One of my favorite scriptures in the Doctrine and Covenants is the one that tells us to learn about all kinds of things—things in the heavens and in the earth, and all that.”
“Good for you,” Joseph said. “The Lord wants us to learn all about this wonderful world he has given us.”
John Taylor stepped forward and laid the pile of books on the table. He smiled at Peter and spoke for the first time. “There’s another scripture about learning in that same revelation,” he said.
Peter looked up in surprise. John Taylor spoke with a British accent. He seemed to read Peter’s thoughts, for he smiled and nodded. “Yes, I’m from England too. My wife and I came to Canada though. That’s where Nathan and Parley Pratt found us.”
“Oh, that’s right,” Peter said. “I remember now Nathan telling us about that.”
“But as I was saying, there is another related passage from that same revelation. Do you know it? The one about good books?”
Peter’s face twisted a little as he thought. “I don’t think so.”
“ ‘Seek ye out of the best books words of wisdom,’ ” Brother Taylor began quoting softly. “ ‘Seek learning even by study, and also by faith.’ ”
“I remember it now.”
Brother Taylor reached out and laid a hand on the pile of books he had brought. “The scriptures are the best of all books, Peter. Are you reading them regularly?”
“Yes, sir. Every day, sir.”
“Good for you. But there are other good books too. I too have loved to read since I was a boy. And I know that good books are hard to come by out here on the frontier. So when Nathan told me about you and how much you like to read, I thought I would share some of my books with you.”
Peter was staring at him; then he looked down at the books. His eyes were filled with awe. “Really, sir?”
“Yes, really. Will you take especially good care of them?”
Peter’s mouth was half-opened. “Of course. Yes. Yes, I will. Very good care of them.”
Joseph laughed and then sobered almost immediately. He leaned down and put his face close to Peter’s. “I didn’t have much chance for schooling when I was a boy, Peter. I am an unlearned man. It is something I very much wish I had. But Brother Taylor is a man who has much learning and much faith. You will do well to emulate him.”
“I will, Brother Joseph.” He looked to John Taylor. “Thank you, Brother Taylor. Thank you very much.”
The newly chosen Apostle smiled broadly now. “You’re welcome, and when you’re through with those, bring them back and we’ll get you some more. I think a boy who loves to read should have as many books as possible.”
Chapter Notes
The Prophet’s journal entry for September first is found in his history, as are the letters written by General Parks and General Atchison saying that the Mormons were not in a state of rebellion (see
HC
3:67–68; 84–85).
The passage from the book of Alma that Rebecca cites can now be found in Alma 7:23.
John Taylor and the other three Apostles named were called in a revelation given to Joseph Smith on July 8, 1838. They replaced the four Apostles who had left the Church during the apostasy in Kirtland. In that same revelation, members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles were told that they were to take their journey over the great waters, leaving from Far West on April 26, 1839. (See D&C 118:4–6.)
The Lord’s statement to which Joseph refers is now D&C 93:36; the scripture referred to by Peter is now D&C 88:78–79; and the scripture quoted by John Taylor is now D&C 88:118.
Chapter 11
Even though the weather had turned considerably cooler, during the last week in September 1838 it turned warmer again and Indian summer came to Missouri. With as many people as there were in Far West, when the weather turned bad there were too many branches of the Church to all meet in the school-courthouse building. So some met in their homes, while others met in stores or other public buildings. But with the weather turning good again, larger groups could meet together outside. On this Sunday, even though Joseph had ridden out to visit outlying settlements, the people all gathered to the public square for worship services, and Hyrum Smith and Sidney Rigdon, the other two members of the First Presidency, preached to them.
When the services were finished, several people came over to the Steeds to say hello to the family members who had come into Far West to visit. As one group gathered around Jessica and John, and another, even larger, began talking with the newlyweds, Nathan sidled up to his mother. “Mother, Lydia and I are going to go on ahead and put the baby down for a nap.”
Mary Ann turned to him. “All right. Dinner won’t be for at least an hour or so.”
Lydia, who was right behind Nathan, had Elizabeth Mary in one arm and held on to little Nathan with her free hand. “That’ll be about just right,” she said.
“Let the children come home with us,” Mary Ann suggested. “They’re anxious to get as much time as possible with their cousins before they leave again tomorrow.”
“That’s fine,” Lydia said.
Nathan reached down and held out his arms to his son, but Nathan, who would turn three in a couple of weeks, darted around him and burrowed into his grandmother’s skirts. “I wanna stay too, Mama.”
“No, Nathan,” his father said. “You need to take a nap too, young man. Then we’ll go to Grandma’s and play.”
Nathan ignored his father and looked up at his grandma. Joshua and Emily were as dark-haired as their mother, but Nathan had broken the trend. His hair was so blond it looked almost white. “Oh, please, Grandma,” he cried, clutching at her leg, “please let me go with you.” His eyes were large and of the palest blue color. Now they were so filled with imploring hope that Mary Ann had no will to resist.
She reached down and swooped him up. “Of course you can go with me, darlin’.” She looked at Lydia and gave a helpless shrug. “How can I turn that down?” she said. “He’ll be fine.”
Benjamin was standing with Heber Kimball, Parley Pratt, and Derek and Rebecca. When he saw his wife talking to Nathan and Lydia, he excused himself and came over to join them. “You leavin’?” he asked Nathan.
“Yes. Lydia wants to feed the baby and give her a quick nap.”
“All right. We’ll see you in a while.”
“Pa?”
“Yes?”
“Lydia and I have a request.”
“What’s that?”
“After dinner today, once things settle down a little . . . well, we’d kind of like to have a family meeting.”
One eyebrow lifted slightly as Benjamin looked at his son. “A family meeting?”
“Yes,” Lydia answered for Nathan. “A family council. While we’ve got everyone here. Well, not Joshua and Caroline, of course, but the others.”
“Is something wrong?” Mary Ann asked.
“Oh, no,” Lydia responded quickly. “It’s just that Nathan and I have an idea. We’ve talked a lot about it.”
Nathan was nodding. “We’d like to talk to the whole family about it.”
Benjamin shrugged. “All right. Let’s do it right after dinner.”
* * *
When the time finally came and the children were settled into various corners—the smaller ones given something to keep them quietly occupied, the older ones placed so they could fully participate—Nathan seemed quite nervous. He was standing at one end of the room. Lydia was seated next to where he stood and watched him fidgeting. He had a copy of the Doctrine and Covenants in his hand and kept turning it over and over as he waited for everyone to get settled in their places. When they finally quieted and all the faces turned to look at him expectantly, he cleared his throat.
He looked first at his father, then at his mother. “Thank you for letting us have this time.” He paused again, fingering the book. Mary Ann could see now that he had small pieces of paper stuck into it as page markers.
Lydia jumped in. “We first got this idea just after everyone was here last time, for the wedding. Nathan and I have talked a lot about it. And the more we’ve thought about it, the better we like it.”
“We thought about waiting until Joshua and Caroline come up again,” Nathan said, “but with Joshua called into the militia that could be a long time. So we decided it might be best to go ahead today while we are all together. Then, if we all agree, we can write to Joshua and Caroline and tell them about it.”
He looked down at his wife. She smiled her encouragement up at him.
“I’d like to start with some things the Lord has said to us.” He brought up the book and opened it to the first marker. But he did not look down at it immediately. “One of the things I find most appealing about the church we belong to is that it is practical as well as spiritual. It’s not all just focused on the hereafter. It gives us principles and concepts to bless our daily lives here.”
Matthew raised a hand. “Brother Brigham says that if a church can’t help its people in this life as well as save them in the next, it’s not good for much.”
“I agree,” Nathan said heartily. Now he glanced down at the book of scripture. “In the revelation that Joseph called the law of the Church, the Lord gave some important commandments—spiritual commandments, if you will—don’t kill, don’t lie, don’t steal. But immediately following those, he gave some very practical commandments too—remember the poor, be good stewards over the property you have been given, don’t take your brother’s garment without paying for it.”
Benjamin was nodding thoughtfully. Without thinking, he reached out and put his hand through Mary Ann’s arm.
“And,” Nathan went on, “right in the midst of those practical commandments, the Lord said this.” He started to read. “ ‘Thou shalt not be idle; for he that is idle shall not eat the bread, nor wear the garments of the laborer.’ ”
The adults were all listening carefully, but, surprisingly, so were most of the children. Young Joshua was especially intent on what his father was saying.
Nathan found his next marker. “In another place he says, ‘Verily I say unto you that every man who is obliged to provide for his own family, let him provide and he shall in no wise lose his crown. . . . Let every man be diligent in all things.’ And then again he says, ‘And the idler shall not have place in the church, except he repents and mends his ways.’ ”
He was getting into it now, and his nervousness was pretty well gone. “One more, and then I’ll make my point.” He turned to the last page he had selected. “ ‘A commandment I give unto you, to prepare and organize yourselves by a bond or everlasting covenant that cannot be broken. . . . Behold this is the preparation wherewith I prepare you, . . . that through my providence, notwithstanding the tribulation which shall descend upon you—’”
He stopped and let his eyes run across the faces of those in the room. “Did you note that?” he asked. “I suppose you could say that what Derek went through up at Gallatin, and what Joseph’s going through being charged with rioting and disorderly conduct and who knows what else, and what our people have been going through with mobs riding the countryside and threatening them—all that could be called tribulation.”
This time almost every head in the room, except for the youngest child’s, was nodding soberly.