LETTER
FROM ELDER WILLIAM HOWELL
A PLEASANT PASSAGE FROM LIVERPOOL TO
NEW ORLEANS, IN ABOUT FIFTY DAYS.--FIFTY ADDED TO THE CHURCH BY BAPTISM ON THE
OLYMPUS.--TWENTY-ONE BAPTIZED IN THE OPEN SEA, FROM A STAGE LET DOWN BY THE
SHIP.--MEETINGS OF THE SAINTS ON BOARD.--PECULIAR KINDNESS OF THE
CAPTAIN.--GENERAL INCIDENTS OF SHIP LIFE, &c.
New Orleans, April 27th, 1851.
"The ransomed of the Lord shall return, and come to Zion
with songs, and everlasting joy upon their heads, they
shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away."
The purposes of Jehovah are all yea and Amen, in Christ Jesus our Lord. The
above precious promise has been literally fulfilled in our pleasant voyage Zionward across the great Atlantic ocean.
On Monday, March 4th, the splendid ship Olympus,
left her moorings in the docks, for to anchor in the river, previous to the
commencement of her racing course over the billows of the mighty ocean. This
spectacle drew not the multitude together, not being so
congenial to the Spirit of this world as that of the Olympian games. Yet, we
have reason to believe that the eye of the Host of Heaven was upon us for good
in answer to the prayers of thousands of our brethren throughout the British
isles, "that we should prosper,
and have the winds and waves controlled in our favor."
Tuesday 5th. When the great courser
of heaven reached the meridian, the beautiful Olympus with her white
sails spread forth to catch the healthy ocean breeze, commenced her course with
flying speed of 200 miles per diem, having besides her cargo about 250 jewels,
as lively stones for the building up of Zion on the sides of the north, that
the Lord may appear in his glory. We also enjoyed the company of about
60 fellow-passengers, kind and benevolent, who, in seeing the love, order, and
harmony, that prevailed, were ready to ask with the prophet of old, "Who
are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to
their windows?" I could not help interrogating
myself, also, with the same question, "Who are these," &c., from
the grey-headed sage and dames, full of life and vivacity, down to the innocent
babe. In taking a retrospective view of the company of
brothers and sisters enjoying themselves on deck on a fine morning, the sun
being veiled with a thin atmosphere covering, made the balmy breeze sweet,
healthy, and temperate, with the great span of ethereal blue, dancing billows
pleasing to the sight, extending around us for miles, the ship steadily running
her course Zionward, the helmsman keeping her bows in
a direct line with the setting sun. On the poop I observed a number of
our young brothers and sisters listening with attention to an instructive
lecture on the science of grammar, delivered by old father Waddington, who,
Diogenes like sat in the midst of his pupils, asking them various questions, to
engrave this important part of education more deeply upon their memories.
The whole length of the deck being crowded with interesting
groups worthy of an artist's pencil: in one place I observed one of the young
sisters teaching others the art of knitting lace in various patterns; opposite,
on the larboard side of the vessel, a number of mothers amusing their little
ones, at the same time conversing with one another with grateful hearts, about
the goodness of God, in delivering them with their families from the confusion
and poverty of Babylon, that often caused their hearts to fail within them, but
now going to their homes in Zion, containing peaceful habitations, sure
dwellings and quiet resting places, where God has promised "abundantly to
bless her provision, satisfy her poor with bread, clothe her priests with
salvation, and cause her saints to shout for joy." The brethren in
various groups here and there, some singing, some reading the Bible, Book of
Mormon, Doctrine and Covenants, Millennial Stars, Voice of Warning,
Spencer's Letters, with brother O. Pratt's profound philosophical works,
&c., a library more valuable in the estimation of the Saints than all the
gold of California. If this should reach the eyes of any not in the Church, and
if they should doubt this statement, let them peruse the WHOLE of these
invaluable books, and I doubt not, let their prejudice
be ever so great, by the time they are rad all
through, that with hardly an exception, all must come to the same conclusion. But I exclude all those who gain a livelyhood
wholly or in part from their religious services. Some families in
groups partaking out of various dishes of sweet food, well seasoned with
hunger, for the sea appetite is sharp; the little children taking up with
spoons their food from tin plates, and in chewing looking up to the faces of
their parents with lamb-like innocence, just as if they said, "we are
happy, indeed." One boy said, "Father, we must not leave this vessel,
for we have plenty to eat here." The evening shades of
darkness caused all to retire to their berths, on each side of our extensive
bed-room, about thirty yards long by eight wide, containing about 300 devotees
of Morpheus, but this night he received little
attention, for Borcas, by 10 p.m., caused, under a
covering of darkness, one of his light artillery to go forth in sharp breezes,
causing the ripling billows to increase into wild
mountainous waves, that caused the ship to tremble, shake, crack, and rock from
side to side, like a drunken man. The Saints being novices in sea life,
the sight and circumstances were new to all. The raging and roaring of the
boisterous elements, with the noise of falling and rolling tins and bottles
caused not the least confusion or fear in the bosoms of those who have been truly likened to Mount
Zion. A few of
the most lusty brethren soon gathered all together, and having lashed them with
ropes, they returned to join the sweet voices of the young men and maidens who
had been cheering them and us with lively songs of Zion, and through that night
the dancing billows played their various antics to the sweet music of songs of
joy, praise, and thanksgiving, that rose as sweet incense of faith and
confidence in the Great Redeemer, the mighty governor of the boisterous
elements.
Sundays. One of our brethren from Scotland
compared our religious services on this day to the conferences held in England.
We have the morning and evening prayer-meetings on deck, also
the preaching services, when five or six of the brethren deliver short
important discourses; Saints meeting in the afternoon, baptizing, confirming,
blessing of children, partaking of the elements of the Lord's Supper; the interesting
testimonies borne by the brothers and sisters; the exercising of spiritual
gifts for the edification and exhortation and comfort of the Saints, such as
prophecy, tongues, interpretation, praying with the Spirit and with the
understanding, teaching the Saints important principles in connection with
their present prospects and future unsefulness in the
kingdom of God, until the evening shades of night informed us of the propriety
of retiring to rest. Spending the first day of the
week thus with life and diligence in the work of God, prepared us for further
exercise of usefulness through the other six days in the following manner:
daily prayer-meetings, morning at 10, evening at 9; daily school for the
children of fellow-passengers, as well as those of the Saints, to learn the
rudiments of the English and French languages; evening lectures at 5 p.m., the
congregation sitting around the lecturer, on the deck floor, the subjects being
various, such as astronomy, geography, agricultural improvements, conversational
meetings to refresh the mind with history, themes, essays. &c., a
grammar school, preaching meetings; giving out the excellent provisions
provided for us by the President in the British Isles, fully sufficient, (with
the addition of a few potatoes) and in quality no one desired better. Giving
out the daily allowance of water, which continued pure to the
end of our voyage. Cooking carried on in the galley by
three of our brethren, in turns of four hours each, all vessels looked in order
as brought up, and sat down without any partiality to the Saints more than our
fellow-passengers, cleaning operations, amusing ourselves in various ways in
the exercise of the body, and all things put together kept us in full
employment, (we had no idle time for finding faults, backbiting, quarrelling,
&c.) tending to make us truly apleasing pic nic party of
pilgrims on their way Zionward in merry mood.
My beloved counsellors brothers T. Brandshaw, T. Smith, J. Lindsay, and W. Henshaw,
have gained the affection of the Saints by their unceasing labours
of love to all; the many excellent discourses delivered by them and other
brethren, caused the captain, officers, crew, and fellow-passengers, to honour and respect us, and show us kindness in various
ways. Never shall we forget the captain of the Olympus.
His comprehensive knowledge of navigation, his sober
deportment, the attention paid to the discourses, the enquiries made about our
principles, his persevering spirit in reading our books, the attention given to
our health and comfort, his alacrity and willingness in throwing overboard a
stage for baptising, his erecting our pulpit with his
own travelling box, and carrying out of the cabin
chairs and benches to decorate our deck, Olympic synagogue, &c. Such
conduct caused us all to pray earnestly that Jesus, the captain of our
salvation would be pleased to bless the captain of the Olympus,
and his good hearted crew.
On the quiet evening of the --th inst., the young
brothers and sisters having formed themselves into two ranks, under the
superintendence of our excellent brother, S. Reed, singing our interesting
baptismal hymns, when twenty-one candidates fell upon their bonded knees, and
joined with us in prayer previous to their being baptized for the remission of
their sins. I cannot well describe to you the joyful feelings of all present, seeing so many fathers and sons, and daughters,
and sailors, passing through the singing ranks one after the other in returning
from their water baptism.
"Jehovah saw his
darling Son,
And was well pleased in what he'd done,
And own'd him from the skies."
The same Lord smiled upon us, for many were the tokens we received of His apporbation, and of rejoicing in the presence of the angels
of God. The following day, at 3 p.m., we enjoyed a happy confirmation meeting,
when twenty-one ranked themselves in order, that the elders of the church might
lay hands upon them in the name of the Lord Jesus, to receive the gift of the
Holy Spirit, and we all felt to sing,
"Behold thy sons and daughters, Lord,
On whom we lay our hands;
They have fulfill'd thy gospel word,
And bow'd at thy commands.
"O, now send forth the heav'ly dove,
And overwhelm their souls,
With peace and joy, and perfect love,
As lambs within the fold," &c.
You will forgive me for being so poetical, for I
can assure you the time was a time of inspiration.
Our fellow-passengers feel so happy with us, that they often testify they shall
write to England
to their friends in all parts, desiring them, if they emigrate
to America, to
be sure to come with a company of Latter-day Saints, for they say, with the
captain and crew, "We never before saw such a people as these
Mormons." Who are our persecuting enemies, that
speak all manner of evil falsely against us? are they not strangers that know
us not, the precepts, doctrines, and principles we preach and practice, the
moral and godly deportment of the tens of thousands of the members of the CHurch, the patience and love displayed in their conduct
when persecuted and made to suffer in character, property, and liberty? in truth, the virtue of our holy religion, and the conduct
of our members, are not known to our enemies, who in all their opinions and
conclusions about us, are guided by as false reports as thos
circulated about the Redeemer himself. Oh! that they would be wise, and get our
books and read them, so that they might truly know the nature of the Mormon
fountain of Life, truth, and intelligence, and not stamp their character for
ever, by continually acting the part of the fool described by Solomon,
"judging a matter before it is known."
I have not seen finer young men, calculated to do more
good in carrying the Gospel to the nations of the earth, than some of the
sailors, and young men baptized. They etstify that
they feel to rejoice in the thought that the Lord may some day, in foreign
nations, make them instrumental in warning the inhabitants by the power of the
Spirit, of sin, righteousness, and judgment. One fine sailor stated that
"Mormonism" revived him as a sailor; "for (says he) before I was
baptized, I was afraid to go up the rigging, lest I should fall down and be
sent to hell for my sins." I have nothing to say about fevers, plagues, quarellings, &c., of such we know nothing; we lived in
another element that produced joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness,
faith, meekness, against such, I believe, you will find no law. The effect of
such exemplary conduct in this company, has tended to
the conviction and conversion of fifty, who have been added to the branch in
this vessel by baptism, &c. Two deaths of infants, one
birth.
With respect, your brother in the Lord,
WM. HOWELL.
