John Duggan Gibbs
John Duggan Gibbs, the oldest son of Francis and Martha Duggan Gibbs was born
18 Dec. 1815, at Haverfordwest, Pembroke, Wales. Little is know of his boyhood
days. The first we have of his life is when he was serving his apprenticeship
as a shoemaker in the shop of a shoemaker by the name of Mr. George Tompkins,
at Bristol, Gloucs., England. It was here in this shop that he met Julia Ann
Tompkins, the daughter of his employer. After a happy courtship they were
married 17th of Oct. 1841.
John and his wife worked in her father's shoe shop until Sept. 1842, when they
moved to Haverfordwest, Pembroke, Wales; where he set up a shop of his own.
Business now grew rapidly, and he and his wife were very happy.
George Duggan Gibbs, his brother, became interested in a new religion called
Mormonism. John and his wife were baptized 7 Feb. 1852 by George Duggan Gibbs.
This was the first sacrifice; business dropped off and friends left them. It
was very hard to make a living at his trade.
On 17 Mar. 1852 John Duggan was ordained to the office of a Priest by Elder
John Price, president of the Pembrokeshire Conference. The 24th of May 1852 he
was ordained an Elder, and appointed clerk of the council and auditor of the
Emigration Fund. He was called to labor as a traveling Elder and Branch
President. He labored in these capacities for eleven years. He was an honest
tithepayer, and donated to the Temple and Emigration Fund.
He started his missionary work with Elders David Thomas and John Griffiths.
They traveled a week at a time, returning on the week end to their homes. They
taught the first principles of the Gospel and taught them to be united and to
watch and pray and to attend church.
He did not record any of his labors in the year of 1853, but started to record
in Feb. 1854. He taught the saints to be united and to love each other. We
find in reading his journal, that when they neglected their meetings for
sometime, and then came back to church they would have to ask forgiveness and
promised to be more faithful in the future. On the 26th of March 1854, they
held a priesthood meeting at the home of Elder George Duggan Gibbs, at
Haverfordwest Branch, and received some good instructions from Pres. John
Price, and united in prayer and thanksgiving unto the Lord for the blessings of
the day and the good spirit they received; then they went home to supper.
On the 7 April 1854, he attended the funeral of one of his uncles. They had
asked Elder John Griffiths to preach for them that day.
On the 21 April 1854, the day was appointed for humilitation by the government
to pray for the restoration of peace. He taught the Saints the necessity of
keeping counsel, and to pray for the will of the Lord to be done.
The 6th of June 1854, he attended a preaching on the Castle Back; Pres. Price
preached. I bore testimony; there was strong opposition on the part of
Wesleyans and a Baptist student by the name of Cole, who made a strong effort
to prejudice the people against us by stating that the Prophet Joseph Smith was
a bar character, and they would have to beat us; but the powers of God were
made manifest in delivering us, for the mob became divided and some of our
enemies became our protectors.
Again preaching on the Castle Back and after the close of our meeting, a man by
the name of Owens brought forth a newspaper to prove our doctrine false.
On another day while preaching on the Castle Back Mr. Owens annoyed us by
putting the boys to hoot us through the street.
A very interesting experience is recorded in his journal dated Sat.. the 13th
and Sun. the 14th of Jan. 1855. He states, "I went to Pembroke in the evening
and slept at Bro. George Sinnett's house, and attended prayer meeting on Sun.
the 14th, at 10 a.m., and the saints, meeting at 2 o'clock. We had a glorious
meeting, and taught the saints their duty in the kingdom by contributing to the
support of our president and the emigration and Temple Funds, after which the
meeting was opened for the gifts of the Spirit of God. When Sister Sinnett,
wife of Elder George Sinnett, had the following vision:
"I saw a man standing by the window holding a flag with these words inscribed
on it, "Home--Home to Zion," afterwards I saw two personages coming in and they
laid their hands on Elder John Duggan Gibbs and said, "We are messengers sent
from Heaven to bless you." They placed something on his head with an anchor
star and a crown on it, and one looked in his face and said, "I am Paul, thy
brother, and have preached the same Gospel that has been committed into your
charge to preach to the inhabitants where you live, and they will raise up in a
coming day and call you blessed. You shall become noble and mighty, and you
shall be called to High Priesthood, and you shall hold a scepter, for your
spirit has been kept in reserve from before the foundation of this world."
We had victuals and slept at Bro. Sinnett's house, and preached in the evening
at six o'clock.
Monday the 15th of Jan. 1855, I returned home from Pembroke in the morning and
attended Saints' meeting in the evening.
In May 1863, with the sanction of Pres. Jeremy, John Duggan and his family of
his wife and five sons, left their native home.
Feb. 1861 he was appointed to preside over the Pembrokeshire Conference and
continued to labor in that capacity until he was released to come home to Zion,
"having traveled through the different branches of the Conference preaching to
the Saints the Gospel and strengthening them to the best of my ability."
On the 1st of Jan. 1862, I in company with Pres. Thomas Jeremy, and several of
the presiding elders of Wales, went to the Birmingham Conference which lasted
three days. We had a good time and the spirit of the Lord filled the speakers,
which made our hearts rejoice. On Monday evening there was a tea party which
was numerously attended as was also the previous meetings, especially Sunday
afternoon and evening.
I left on Tuesday morning for home, calling on my way to see my wife's sister
and her husband, Samuel and Louisa Warner. They received me very kindly, but
felt indifferent to the Gospel.. They lived in the town of Leornimster,
Herfordshire. I arrived home well and found my family in good health and happy
to meet me. I found the saints in good health and they welcomed my return
home, to whom I was indebted for the expense of my journey.
They left Liverpool, England, where they boarded the sailing vessel Cynosure
with 754 Saints, arriving in New York harbor 19 July 1863. In New York, they
boarded rail cars for the West. While they were loading into box cars, as the
passengers, cars were all taken to transport the soldiers to the war which was
raging at the time between the North and the South. At St. Joseph, Missouri,
they boarded a steamer for Florence, Nebraska.. Water in the river being low,
the passengers had to walk several miles to lighten the load so the steamer
could cross the sand bars. The Colored sailors sang, "We'll hang Jeff Davis On
A Sour Apple Tree," and other songs which made the trip quite lively.
Arriving at Florence the 10th of Aug. 1863, where ox teams were waiting for
them, they were booked for the Thomas Ricks Co.; which consisted of 100 wagons
with four yoke of oxen to each wagon which made it very crowded. At night a
bed would be made in the wagon for my wife; the rest of us would sleep outside.
Arriving at the North Platt River they found the river dried up, leaving only
riverlets of water six to eight inches deep. The men would put a wagon cover
in the water, holding one end up and weighting the other down under the water.
Others would go up the river and scare the fish onto the wagon cover. Then
they would take up the end of the wagon cover, letting out the water and
leaving the fish. In this way enough fish was caught to feed over 500 people.
In the history of his son, William Henry Gibbs, Sr., we find the following:
"We arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, the 4th of Oct. 1863, all in good health.
We left Salt Lake City for Willard, Box Elder Co., Utah. Bro. John T.Thain
took us to his home for two weeks. Father rented a log cabin from George Ward.
In the spring of 1864, father purchased a house and two lots from John Lowe..
On the 2nd of Feb. 1864, he was ordained a Seventy by Richard J. Davis, and
joined the 29th Quorum of Seventies. Father hired a team to plow the City lot.
It was very rocky and he put us boys to picking up the rocks and carrying them
off the lot to a low place in the street. He plowed and harrowed the lot
twice, and we followed and picked up rocks after each plowing and harrowing.
We also carried manure from the cow yard in baskets and covered the lots all
over. Father raised the first potatoes in Willard, east of the county road
running north and south."
In the last part of John Duggan Gibbs' Journal, we find the following: "In the
month of June 1864, Bishop Cordon called me to act as ward teacher in the ward;
which I filled to the best of my ability. I was also called to preside over
the teachers' quorum; which I filled until I moved from there. I was honorably
released. I was also recommended by Bishop Cordon, to join the School of the
Prophets in Brigham City, and continued a member of the same until it was
discontinued. I also filled the office of Sunday School Supt., and through the
blessings of God our Father collected sufficient means, ($109.00) to start a
library in connection with it; which proved a great blessing to the school,
being an aid to the scholars in the advancement of useful knowledge. I was
also elected by the people to fill the office of school trustee, which I held
until I moved from the city, when I resigned."
In May 1870, John Duggan Gibbs and family moved to East Portage. Here they
built a log house. In the year of 1871, they moved their house and family to
the west side of the valley.
While attending a stake conference 27 Jan. 1884, at Brigham City, Utah, Bro.
Gibbs was called to open the meeting with prayer, and when the prayer was
concluded Pres. Wilford Woodruff (then pres. of the Twelve Apostles) enquired,
"Who was that Brother?" On being informed of his name and residence, Bro.
Woodruff said, "Let him be ordained a Patriarch"; and before the conference was
closed this was attended to under the hands of Pres. Woodruff and Apostle
Lorenzo Snow.
Patriarch Gibbs delighted in laboring in his calling, and in blessing the
people; and many are the hearts he has lightened by his words of cheer and in
greeting all who visited him, and in carrying equal comfort and blessings to
the homes of every family who were so fortunate as to receive a visit from him.
He was a born gentleman, exerting and wielding a gentle influence on all his
associates and even impressing strangers with his high sense of humor.
He labored faithfully and in all diligence for the cause of truth; having
received in his early manhood an evidence of the divinity of the mission of the
Prophet Joseph Smith. That testimony never waned nor lessened with him, but
grew brighter all the day long.
After his death the 28th of Feb. 1892, a letter from Seymour B. Young, portrays
the life of John Duggan Gibbs. It reads as follows: "A good man has passed
away. Humility and meekness characterized his worship to the Almighty; and
love and kindness of heart was shown in all his actions toward his fellowmen;
and the words of the poet are a litteral fulfillment in him, 'An honest man is
the noblest work of God.' For he was an honest man."
Full of years, honored and loved by all who knew him, he has gone to his rest.
It can truly be said of Bro. John D. Gibbs that he, like Paul, "..has fought a
good fight. He has kept the faith, and from henceforth there is a crown of
glory laid up for him."
On my return from the Indian farm on Saturday last, I learned without surprise,
that he had passed away; and when I had stepped into the room where his
inanimate body lay, I said in my heart, "There is no death here, but the spirit
of our brother will live forever, and that precious part has gone to a higher
state of existence to continue his labors, to wait with his brethren and fellow
servants the sound of the Trump of God that will call the saints from their
graves in the morning of the first resurrection; and then no weeping wife and
sorrowing children, if they are faithful; but have the exquisite joy of being
again in the arms of their Patriarch, husband, and father, in a reunion of
eternal and ever-lasting life. May his loved ones who are today sorrowing for
the loss of his society, follow his bright example; that when their time shall
come to pass through the shadowy valley, that it may be said of them, "They
have listened to the teachings of him who was their earthly head and counselor,
and that they have been so faithfully committed to them, that his life and
admonitions have not been in vain. And the excellence which he taught them,
both by precept and example, have born in their lives much good fruit to the
honor and glory of God.
I say to his family and friends, "Be comforted, all is well with him. It only
rests with us to be honest, earnest, and faithful as he has been; then shall we
surely meet him in the better land, where pain and tears and sorrow and parting
are no more; but God shall say to such faithful ones, "Come ye blessed of my
Father and enter ye into the joys of your Lord; you have been faithful over a
few things, and I will make of you rulers over many things."
"You have received the testimony which I sent to you, and so you also my
message, and in receiving my messengers, you have received me, and he that
receiveth me, received my Father, and he that receiveth my Father, much will be
given unto you."
Praying God to comfort the mourning family, and to bless them abundantly with
the peaceful influence of His Holy Spirit, and with the blessings for all the
saints of the Malad Stake of Zion, I subscribe myself.
Your brother and fellow laborer in the cause of truth.
Seymour B. Young
Lord, let me bring a little grace,
To every dark and gloomy place.
Let me rejoice that I can give
Some splendor to this life I live--
A little faith when I am tried,
A little joy where I abide,
A touch of friendship now and then,
To make my comradship with men.
Lord, let me bring a little mirth
To all who share my days on earth,
Let something I have said or done
Remain, when I have traveled on,
To prove the man I tried to be
And make men glad they walked with me.
A flower, a smile, a word of cheer,
Make these my gifts from year to year.
Lord, let me carry wher're I go
A little joy to all I know,
Let these into my life be wrought--
A little faith, a little thought,
A little mirth, a little grace
To glorify the common-place.
Lord, let some little splendor shine
To mark this earthly course of mine.
John Duggan Gibbs was a shoemaker. He and his brother George Duggan catered to
fine work. They hardly knew how to do any hard rough work.
Ellen Phillips Gibbs was present at a testimony meeting in Haverfordwest,
Wales, at a cottage meeting when she saw a dog come in the door and take
possession of the body of William White, and he barked and gnashed his teeth
just like a dog and got down on the floor. It threw the meeting into
confusion. Some said, "Let's call the police," but John D. Gibbs said, "Let's
use the power of the priesthood and rebuke the spirit that has taken possession
of him." The brethren then made a circle around him and laid their hands on
him. He started to go away; John D. said, "Follow him up--" After they
administered to him he fell exhausted on the floor, and Ellen saw the same dog
leave his body and leave the room. At the next meeting William White admitted
that he been guilty of doing something wrong, which had lain himself open to
the power of the adversary for an evil spirit to take possession of him.
Afterward he became a powerful man and leader among the saints. He became
presiding Elder.
