Labors in the Vineyard / Twelfth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-Day Saints.

by Various

CHAPTER I.

CALLED TO AUSTRALIA—MY IGNORANCE—PRES. H. C. KIMBALL'S PROPHECY CONCERNING ME—ARRIVE IN SYDNEY—ADVENTURE WITH A DOG—GO TO CAMDEN WITH A FELLOW-MISSIONARY—SOUGHT FOR BY A DRUNKEN MOB—GOD BLINDS THEIR EYES AND WE ESCAPE—AT PICTON WE PREACH IN THE COURT-HOUSE—THE WRITING ON THE WALL—OUR SUCCESS.

In the Spring of 1856, in the days of my youth, I was called by the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to go on a mission to Australia, to preach the gospel. I was young and inexperienced, and had but very little education. I had been to school but six months in my life, although I had been raised in the Church from infancy, and had been taught by my mother that God had spoken from the heavens in these last days and had sent a holy angel to reveal the gospel that had been lost from the earth. These things I understood; but the scriptures I never had read, from the fact that I could not read. Under these circumstances I went to President Heber C. Kimball and asked permission to stay at home one year, and I would go to school and learn to read and write, and then I would go. But he said that he had called me to a mission and he wanted me to go now. I received my endowments, and President Kimball blessed me and prophesied many great things which should happen to me in the next three years and a half; for he said that I would be gone that time, and should learn to read and write by my close application and the help of the Holy Spirit. I bade farewell to my aged mother and started, in company with some other Elders, for Australia.

We arrived in Carson Valley, where Judge Drummond was holding a court at the time. President Orson Hyde was probate judge in that valley, and had held a court a short time before we arrived. He had decided a case of law between Col. Reese and another in the case of a mill. A. P. Chessley, one of our missionaries, filed a demurrer against Brother Hyde's decision, and the case was tried by Judge Drummond. Col. Reese lost the mill. Brother Hyde told Chessley that he had better not go on his mission, if he did, he should never see home again; for he had sinned, with his eyes open, to get gain. Brother Hyde told us all that if we went with that man we should share with him the displeasure of God.

We arrived at San Francisco and there was a ship about to sail for Australia. Half of the Elders said that they would go on that ship with Chessley, and the remainder of us concluded to wait for another vessel. They started, and, in about thirty days afterwards, a clipper bark was advertised to sail and we embarked in that ship. In thirty-six days we arrived at Sydney, Australia, having sailed about 10,000 miles and had a pleasant voyage. The other brethren had not been heard of. One hundred and fifteen days passed and they arrived at Melbourne. They had almost starved to death, and had sold nearly all of their clothing to the natives for fruit, chickens and pigs, etc., to live on. Thus was Brother Hyde's prediction to them fulfilled.

I was now in Sydney, a large, beautiful city, containing 175,000 inhabitants. I concluded that I would travel through the city a day or two and get something of importance to write home. I was traveling my first day on a back street, and I saw some birds with fine plumage, and several monkeys, performing on some wires that were stretched in a yard near a mill. Not understanding the customs of that country, I stepped through the gate to see the birds and monkeys. Just then a man let loose a large dog and gave a whistle. I looked around and saw the dog coming towards me at full speed. I sprang for the gate and got hold of it; at the same time the dog got hold of my back, and a struggle ensued. I finally extricated myself from the dog, but he had torn my coat off and left me only the sleeves and the collar. I then concluded that I had got something to write home, and I would not travel any further in that city.

We found the opposition to the gospel very great in this place, so I started, in company with another young Elder, to go to the interior of the island to commence our labors preaching the gospel. When we came to a city called Camden, forty miles from Sydney, we concluded to try to get a place to preach in. We were refused all public houses that we asked for. Finally we tried to get the privilege of stopping at a public house, or tavern, all night. We told the landlord that we were missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and we were traveling without purse or scrip, according to the pattern that Jesus had left on record in the Bible. The landlord asked us if we were "Mormons." We said that we were called that name by the world. After talking some time with him he ordered us out of the house, and told some drunken Irishmen to run us out of the town and he would give them a gallon of rum each. It was now after dark, and we went down one of the streets and called at a large boot and shoe shop. The owner said that he would keep us and we were having a good discussion on the principles of the gospel when a rough voice called to the master of the place, and said,

"Are you going to keep them d——d Mormons here all night?"

We looked towards the door and saw there a mob of drunken men, armed with native war clubs, spears and the boomerang. The boomerang is a weapon with which the natives formerly fought.

I said to my companion, "We must get out of here."

He replied, "How shall we do it without getting hurt?"

I told him that God had not sent us here to be killed in this manner, and if we would now trust wholly in the Lord, He would deliver us.

I had no more than said these words when the owner of the house caught the same spirit as the mob and said to us, "Get out of my house, or I will kill you," and, at the same time, struck at my partner with a hammer, but missed him as he sprang to one side.

The mob said, "Drive them out and we will use them up in a hurry."

I picked up my carpet-bag and umbrella and went to the door with a prayerful heart to God that he would protect us, and I walked out between many of them. It appeared that they did not see me or they did not notice me. The mob was arranged on both sides of the door, with their weapons drawn ready to strike at the first sight of us; and as my partner came out the leader of the band called the attention of his men to give some instructions how to deal with us, and thus he slipped past them unseen. I took him by the arm and we started down the street. In the darkness of the night they could not see us. About this time the owner of the house came to the door and they asked him where the "Mormons" were. He replied that they had gone out just that minute. They said they knew better; "for," said they, "they have not passed us, and you had better bring them out, or we will knock your house down." At that they broke into the house and, not finding us, they took the master and journeymen out and beat them almost to death.

In this deliverance we see the prediction of President Heber C. Kimball fulfilled; for he said that I should be brought into many close places, and it would seem that death stared me in the face; but, if I would be faithful to my mission, the angels of God would deliver me in all trials, and I should return in safety to the Church and to my home. In all of my travels on that island for two years and a half, I found that when there was a good work to be done in a city, we met with the greatest opposition; for in this same place, where we received such cruel treatment, we afterwards preached, and baptized, and organized a branch of the Church with many members.

We next went to a city called Picton, and, by this time, the Lord had made us bold to declare His gospel, for such light had burst upon our minds as we had never thought of before; and by this time I had learned to read and write, and had learned arithmetic very well. We applied for the court-house and obtained it from the judge of the district. We appointed a meeting for Friday evening, and we then put up some cards stating the time of meeting. At the time appointed the people assembled and filled the house. For two days my companion had been marking passages in the Bible, and on this occasion he was intending to deliver a fine discourse. The meeting was opened and he arose, took his text and commenced with great importance. He had not spoken more than five minutes when he got to the end of his sermon, for he could not say more than "Amen." Then I was introduced to the congregation as Elder Potter, with the remark that I would continue the subject of the gospel. I arose with fear and trembling; for it was the first time in my life that I had stood in a pulpit. Before me was a large Bible and prayer book. I must say that my mind was confused; but I took a text from the Bible that lay open before me. It was from the Prophet Amos:

"Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets."

After reading it I spoke a few more words and became dumb that I could not speak. I stood there without speaking about two minutes, when the words of President Heber C. Kimball came to me: He said that the time would come when I should be at a loss to know what to say to the people, "and, at that time," he said, "if you will commence to declare the divine mission of Joseph Smith in this our day, and the divine authenticity of the Book of Mormon, the Lord will loosen your tongue and you shall say the very things that are needful to be said to the people." When this came to my mind I commenced declaring these things to the congregation. I had spoken but a few minutes, when I thought I saw several lines of large letters printed on the walls of the house, and I commenced to read them and spoke about one hour. When the letters faded from my sight I then stopped speaking. I could not tell all that I had said; but my companion told me it was an excellent discourse. When meeting was dismissed the judge came to us and said if we wanted the court-house again we could have it; so we gave notice that we would preach at that place on Sunday evening next. The next day we went through the city and talked with many of the people, and when Sunday evening came we lighted the chandeliers in the house, went up into the pulpit and sat and read the scriptures. The time arrived for the people to gather, but not a soul came. We waited half an hour, sung a hymn and dedicated the house for meeting. We still waited; but, as no one came, we locked up the house and went to our lodgings.