Anson Call depended upon no man for his knowledge of the truth of "Mormonism." His confidence in the Lord was supreme. His loyalty to the Church and the Church leaders was unwavering. His consecration to the service of the Lord was without reservation, and from the time he embraced "Mormonism" up to the very day of his death he hesitated at no sacrifice required of him in that service. Many made greater pretensions to piety than he did, but no man surpassed him in sincere devotion to the cause of God and in the modest practice of true religion as he understood it, and this included strict honesty, charity, self-denial and unfeigned love. He had a large family—six wives and twenty-three children in all, though only eighteen grew to maturity and had families. He was a kind and provident husband and father, but exacting withal. He had strict ideas of duty, and expected every member of his household to conform thereto.
He was essentially a man of peace. That he did not lack courage, was amply proven by the personal risk he deliberately assumed in numerous instances throughout his life, but he was wise enough to see that the ends so often sought by quareling and fighting might be more easily and effectively attained by peaceful methods, and so he advocated and practiced peace and discountenanced strife and contention.
At no time in Anson Call's life was he really wealthy; in fact, he was generally financially strained in carrying out his numerous enterprises; yet he never contented himself with simply providing for his own family; but always sought to give employment to many others, and not always because of their being profitable employes.
One of the most striking characteristics that Anson Call possessed was his ability to return good for evil. If he was ever wronged by any one he attributed the act to the ignorance or prejudice of the individual, and felt it to be his duty to impress that person with the friendliness of his motives, and would go out of his way to do him a kindness. He was full of charity, and abhorred a disposition to harbor malice.
Anson Call never betrayed a trust. When he gave his promise or conceived it to be his duty to do anything it was as good as done. If he had adopted "Do it now" as his motto he could scarcely have been more prompt in action throughout life. He was the very embodiment of probity. The Church authorities understood his character, and when they required anything of him they had the utmost confidence that he would not only do it promptly but well, for it was his habit to give his very best service to whatever task he undertook. He was not a theorist, not given to much meditation; but quick in deciding and instant in executing. He was essentially a man who did things. His energy was boundless; his perseverance unlimited.
[Elder Brown's Experience]
[CHAPTER I.]
FRIGID TRIP ON LONELY ROAD—TEAM EXHAUSTED—AGONY OF FREEZING—PRAYER FOR DELIVERANCE—FRIEND INSPIRED TO GO TO HIS RELIEF—SHEEP HERDER INSPIRED TO MOVE CAMP—EFFECTS OF FREEZING ON FEET.
Brother Jedediah M. Brown, of South Bountiful, is a man of great faith. He feels that he has inherited the gift of faith, for he does not remember the time when he did not possess it. When he is in need of anything it is just as natural for him to appeal to the Lord therefor as it is to work for it, and he is an industrious man, who never fails when possible to combine works with faith.
When he was twenty-three years old he was employed by a co-operative sheep company, as superintendent of its three large sheep herds, that ranged during the winter on the Western Utah desert. One part of his duty was to furnish supplies to the several sheep camps, and for this purpose he made occasional trips to the nearest settlements.