Jacob Hamblin: A Narrative of His Personal Experience as a Frontiersman, Missionary to the Indians and Explorer, Disclosing Interpositions of Providence, Severe Privations, Perilous Situations and Remarkable Escapes: Fifth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series, Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day SaintsHamblin, Jacob
History
Jacob Hamblin: A Narrative of His Personal Experience as a Frontiersman, Missionary to the Indians and Explorer, Disclosing Interpositions of Providence, Severe Privations, Perilous Situations and Remarkable Escapes: Fifth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series, Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Hamblin, Jacob
Frontier and pioneer life -- Utah; Hamblin, Jacob, 1819-1886; Indians of North America -- Utah; Latter Day Saint churches -- Utah
I replied, "We are the only people I have met during the last forty
years that do believe the Bible. Many profess to believe it, but when I
open and read it to them, I find they do not."
Said he, "My dear sir, I believe every word of it."
I replied, "Then we are brethren." I spent nearly half a day with him.
He assented to the principles of the gospel as expounded in the New
Testament and to the patriarchal order of marriage.
When asked to explain what was meant by the stick of Ephraim and the
stick of Joseph, in the 37th chapter of Ezekiel, he said he thought it
meant that both Judah and Ephraim should write. He believed the Bible
to be the stick of Judah, but where the stick of Ephraim was he did not
know. He had thought much about it, but it was a mystery to him.
I told him to wait a short time, and I would bring him the stick of
Ephraim. I went out and came back with a copy of the Book of Mormon,
which I had brought from home. He appeared much surprised, and grasped
the book with some energy. He examined the testimony of the three
witnesses, and said, "Surely this book is the best or worst thing that
ever was."
I permitted him to keep it. When I left the place he told me he had
read some thirty pages of it, and had not discovered anything in it
contrary to the Bible.
Matters were settled between the "Mormons" and Navajos on the basis of
our great peace talk at the same place, the 2nd November, 1871. The
truth was brought to light, and those who wished to throw the blame of
murdering the young Navajos upon the Saints were confounded.
This business was finally closed at Fort Defiance, on the 21st of
August, 1875. The Navajos expressed themselves as fully satisfied that
I had told them the truth when I visited them the previous winter.
I felt that the Lord had greatly blessed me in filling the mission
assigned me, of convincing the Indians that we had not injured them,
and thereby maintaining peace.
Doubtless a war had been prevented, and the faith of the Indians on the
east side of the Colorado greatly strengthened in our people.
It is evident to me that I was indebted to the special favor of my
Heavenly Father, for the preservation of my life to accomplish this
work. At the close of these labors I found myself three hundred miles
from home, rather jaded and careworn, but full of thanksgiving for the
happy termination of my labors.
On our way home we had some very pleasant visits with the Indians.
In the winter of 1874-5, I assisted in carrying on a trade with the
Navajos at Lee's Ferry. One of my sons was with me. I introduced the
boy to Ketch-e-ne, the father of two of the Indians killed in Grass
Valley. He turned away and wept, apparently much dejected. His friends
told me that the loss of his sons was killing him. I afterwards learned
that he died about two months after I saw him at the river.
The Navajos carried on quite an extensive trade with our people,
principally in exchanging blankets for horses.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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