New Witnesses for God (Volume 2 of 3)Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Religion
New Witnesses for God (Volume 2 of 3)
Roberts, B. H. (Brigham Henry)
Book of Mormon; Smith, Joseph, Jr., 1805-1844
of Mormon, a thing he did repeatedly, both before public assemblies and
in private conversation. He was received into the Church on renewing
his covenants in baptism and reconfirmation. After spending some time
in Salt Lake City, Mr. Harris moved to Smithfield, in Cache county,
Utah; and subsequently he moved to Clarkston, where he continued to
live at the home of his son, Martin Harris, Jr., until his death,
which occurred on the 10th of July, 1875. In these later years of his
life he continued to reaffirm his testimony to the truth of the Book
of Mormon. It was the one theme above all others which occupied his
mind and of which he loved to speak. A few hours before his death the
bishop of Clarkston, Simon Smith, called upon him, and as the bishop
drew near his bed the now aged Witness (he was in his ninety-third
year), stretched out his hand with the remark: "Bishop, I am going."
The Bishop, in answer, said he had something of importance to tell
him about the Book of Mormon, viz., that at the request of Indians in
Central America the Book of Mormon was about to be published in the
Spanish language. "Upon hearing this," says his son, Martin Harris,
Jr., in his letter describing the incident to George A. Smith, the
Church historian--"Upon hearing this, father brightened up, his
pulsation improved, and, although very weak, he began to talk as he
formerly had done previous to his sickness. He conversed for about two
hours, and it seemed that the mere mention of the Book of Mormon put
new life into him."
Speaking of his condition a little later--the day before his death, in
fact--his son says:
He has continued to talk about and testify to the truth of the Book
of Mormon, and was in his happiest mood when he could get somebody
to listen to his testimony; if he felt dull and weary at times,
and some one would come in and open up a conversation and give him
an opportunity of talking, he would immediately revive and feel
like a young man, for a little while. We begin to think he has
borne his last testimony. The last audible words he has spoken were
something about the Witnesses of the Book of Mormon, but we could
not understand what it was. [2]
The next day, July 10th, 1875, he died.
Footnotes
1. See Stevenson's account of Harris' return to the Church, _Millennial
Star_, vol. 44, pp. 78, 86, 87.
2. _Deseret News_ (weekly) for July 28, 1875.
CHAPTER XIX.
DIRECT EXTERNAL EVIDENCES--REFLECTIONS UPON THE TESTIMONIES OF THE
THREE WITNESSES.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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