When his daughter Emma was baptized for his grandmother he received a powerful testimony that his ancestor had accepted of the work done in her behalf.
They all greatly rejoiced in the work they were privileged to do in the Temple, and felt amply repaid for the trouble and sacrifice which the trip involved.
They worked in the Temple during the whole of the week, and Thomas each day removed the bandage from his leg when he entered the Temple, as he had been advised to do, and noticed with interest and gratitude to the Lord, that there was no discharge whatever from the ulcers, but when he left the Temple in the afternoon each day, the suppuration recurred and continued until he entered the Temple the following day. Nor did he suffer any pain while in the Temple.
After finishing the work for all the dead whose names and genealogies they had, they drove out on their return journey a few miles and camped. That night, soon after Thomas had retired to rest in his bed under the wagon, his mother appeared to him. "You have made a mistake in giving in my genealogy," she said. "You have given the date upon which I was married instead of the date of my birth; but you need not go back now, as some of the family will soon come here, and then you can have the error corrected." She disappeared when Thomas was about to embrace her. This visit and the purpose of it, were testimonies to Thomas that the dead have a knowledge of the work being done in their behalf. It was also an answer to the prayer offered by Thomas when he sought for information upon that point. It was an evidence too, that the dead have some foreknowledge of things that are going to transpire; for, although Thomas was not aware that any of his family would visit the St. George Temple soon, he was informed by his son, David, almost as soon as he reached home, that he had decided to marry, and he accepted the father's advice to go to St. George and be married in the Temple.
CHAPTER V.
UNSTINTED SERVICE—INSPIRATION—GOES TO THE NORTHWESTERN STATES AS A MISSIONARY—HEALTH FAILS AND HE RETURNS—SHOCKING DEATH OF SON DAVID—LIMB AMPUTATED—PATRIARCHAL BLESSING—INCIDENT IN LOGAN TEMPLE—TRIP TO ENGLAND TO OBTAIN GENEALOGY.
DURING the succeeding few years Thomas spent more time even than usual in the performance of his public duties in the ward, and the marvel is that he was able to make a living and do so much gratuitous work. He pays a high tribute in his memoir to the devoted service and efficient help he received from his wife, who was as kind to his children as if they had been her own, and of great assistance and comfort to him.
He and his sons generally worked in partnership in the raising and marketing of garden produce. In this they were prosperous, and their relations harmonious. The following is casually mentioned in his narrative, and will serve to illustrate the inspiration Thomas frequently enjoyed.
One day his son David had started to town with an extra big load of garden truck, and some time later, while Thomas and his wife were eating breakfast, he said to her: "Ann, David has broken his wagon, and is in a bad fix, as he is some distance from where he expected to sell his load."