Precious Memories: Sixteenth Book of the Faith Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Religion
Precious Memories: Sixteenth Book of the Faith Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Briggs, Thomas, 1832-1917; Farrell, George L.; Latter Day Saints -- Missionary experiences
He walked towards his home very slowly, and with apparent reluctance,
but he was soon seen coming back on the run, and bubbling over with
happiness, for his parents were willing that he should be baptized.
When Elder Farrell was about to descend into the water he gave Mr.
Clark a pocket handkerchief, and told him to stand on the bank and help
each one down into the water, and, after he was baptized, to help him
out again, and when he was safely on the bank to wipe the water out of
his eyes.
He did so, and his wife told Elder Farrell the next morning that he had
never felt happier in his life than when assisting the people in and
out of the water. She begged him to go and wake Elder Farrell up and be
baptized by him, but he said "No."
The next morning after breakfast Mr. Clark said: "Now Mr. Farrell, I
am going to walk with you to the station, and carry your valise. I may
never see you again."
When they got out of town he stopped Elder Farrell, and, standing in
front of him, said: "I want to tell you that you have made a 'Mormon'
of me from the ground up, and I cannot help myself; but I will never
be baptized until I pay for every bill or account that I owe; then if
anyone says anything to me about being baptized I will tell him it is
none of his business; that I am not beholden to him, but if you are in
this country and one hundred miles away I shall want you to come and
baptize me."
When they reached the train Mr. Clark bade the Elder good bye, while
tears ran down his cheeks. He also thanked him for his good advice and
teachings, and the good example he had set before him and the world,
and said he hoped to see him again.
Three months after Elder Farrell arrived home he received a letter
from Mr. Clark stating that he had been baptized, and had stood in
the meeting of the Saints and borne his testimony to the truth of the
Gospel, in the house which he and a few other residents of Stanwick had
generously leased and paid the rent on for one year in advance, so that
Elder Farrell would not be under the necessity of preaching out in the
open air. He knew the Gospel was true, and that it would save and exalt
mankind inas-much as they were true and faithful to its principles.
In two years from that time Mr. Clark and his family arrived in Salt
Lake City, and in course of time removed to Smithfield, where he worked
at his trade as shoemaker.
He did well and entered all work that he did in a book, and at the
close of every year took that book to the Bishop and had a careful
computation made of his earnings and paid one-tenth for tithing.
The whole Clark family joined the choir, and the father continued to
take his part in the choir until he was past 87 years of age and had
grown so weak that other members used to be under the necessity of
helping him up the stairway.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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