A Child of the Sea; and Life Among the MormonsWilliams, Elizabeth Whitney
History
A Child of the Sea; and Life Among the Mormons
Williams, Elizabeth Whitney
Beaver Island (Mich.); Latter Day Saints -- Michigan; Strang, James Jesse, 1813-1856
There was a very comfortable school house, built by the Mormons. It was
a frame building containing a large library of fine books which belonged
to the King. There were books of Greek and Latin, with histories and law
books. Our school was taught that winter by Mr. Isaac Wright from
Illinois. The Mormons had always had good schools, as the king wanted to
have his subjects educated, but would not allow them to go outside to be
educated. The teachers being their own people.
About a mile back from the shore on high, level land was Mr. Campbell's
farm. This was a beautiful location on the south side of the harbor.
This family had remained when the Mormons had left. They were glad to be
left in peace and had become tired of Strang's rule. They were my
neighbors for many years and proved themselves kind and true friends.
Mrs. Campbell had been one of Strang's greatest enemies in preventing
his enforcing the laws of polygamy. She carried her family Bible to the
temple, and there with many other women read God's laws from its pages
faster than the king could explain it in his way. She told me all this
herself, and said many times when she started for the temple it was with
fear and trembling, not knowing sometimes whether she would ever return
to her home.
She knew she was defying the King, and no one at the time could tell
what the outcome might be, adding, "But we knew we were right and were
fighting for our homes. We kept agitating and gained time. Strang began
to find his power was not absolute. We women banded ourselves together
and fought him with words so strong he had to stop to consider where he
stood. Before it was settled the king was shot."
DR. McCULLOCH'S RESIDENCE.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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