GEMS OF REMINISCENCE

SEVENTEENTH BOOK OF THE FAITH PROMOTING SERIES

DESIGNED FOR THE INSTRUCTION AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF YOUNG LATTER-DAY SAINTS

COMPILED AND PUBLISHED BY GEO. C. LAMBERT
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH 1915

PREFACE

"Gems of Reminiscence," the title selected for this volume, is sufficiently comprehensive to include incidents from real life on a wide variety of subjects, so long as the effect is to promote faith.

The articles included in this volume are sufficiently varied as to subject matter to interest most of those into whose hands it may come.

In making this volume double the size—that is, double the number of pages—of its predecessors, we have acted upon the suggestion of a literary friend who has had enough experience in publishing books to realize how difficult it is to secure any profit from publishing small editions of books of 96 pages each and binding the volumes separately at the low price of 25 cents per volume, retail. The opinion was expressed that most of those whose taste would lead them to buy such a book would just as willingly pay 50 cents retail for a volume that contained double the number of pages in the same style of binding. We decided to try the experiment and if this venture meets with encouragement, future volumes issued will probably be in the larger size and the price 50 cents per volume instead of the smaller volumes at the price of 25 cents each, as in the past.

That there is an abundance of material in the experience of faithful members of the Church to furnish subject matter for an indefinite number of volumes, of a faith-promoting nature, and that the young people of the community may be benefited more by that class of reading than any other, is as evident now as it ever has been in the past.

We bespeak the interest of all faithful members of the Church in this work of providing the best of reading matter and at the same time perpetuating a knowledge of incidents in their lives that might otherwise be lost to posterity, and trust that all who have had experience that would be faith-promoting if published, will furnish us the material to continue the publication of the Faith-Promoting Series as long as there is need for it. We can not promise them pecuniary profit for so doing, but to those who will conscientiously and intelligently help in the manner indicated we can promise the kind of reward that has thus far encouraged us, that is, a consciousness of having placed benefits within the reach of young Latter-day Saints that will be appreciated in the future if not now.

CONTENTS

AMONG CANNIBALS.

CHAPTER I.

James S. Brown's Experience Previous to Being Sent as a Missionary to the Society Islands—Remarkable Predictions by Presidents Brigham Young and Willard Richards—Perilous Journey to California—Tragic Fate of Most of the Company—Arrival in San Francisco—Landing in Tahiti—Opposition from Priests and Ministers—Governor of French Protectorate Arrayed Against Him—Elders Scatter Out—Lewd Women Instigated by Ministers try to Entrap him—His First Convert—Recognized by a Native who had seen him in a Dream.

CHAPTER II.

Catholic Priests Jealous of his Success—Arrested on a Trumped-up Charge—Tried Before Governor's Aid-de-Camp—Frightful Scene Among a School of Whales—Farce of a Trial before the Governor of the Protectorate—Inspired to Plead his Own Cause—Impression Made Upon the Governor—American Consul's Friendly Act—Banished from Tahiti—Befriended by a Queen.

CHAPTER III.

Land Among Cannibals—Denounced as the American Plant—His Destruction Demanded—Sentenced to be Roasted and Eaten—Fire Prepared—His Defiance of the Rabid Host—Effect Upon the Wild Horde Who Were Eager to Roast and Devour Him—Fierce Fight Among His Opponents.

PARKIN REMINISCENCE.

CHAPTER I.

Promise to Pay Money With Only Faith to Back It—How the Money was Provided—Lesson His Wife Drew From It.

CHAPTER II.

Ashamed to Pay Tithing—Loss of Crop—Lesson He Learned By It—Potatoes Purchased to Pay Delinquent Tithing—No Loss of Potato Crop Since.

CHAPTER III.

Farming on Shares—A New Vocation—Future Home Shown in Vision—Home Recognized When First Seen in Utah—Reputation Gained as a Faithful and Thorough Worker—Providential Fulfillment of Vision—Home Viewed as a Sacred Heritage.

CHAPTER IV.

Ambitious to Work in a Goal Mine—Day Spent in Mine as a Spectator—Fatal Accident—His Narrow Escape from Being a Victim.

CHAPTER V.

Resort to Mining—Caught in a Snowslide—Carried a Mile Down the Mountain As If Fired From a Catapult—Miraculous Escape—Fails to Find Companion—Return to Mine and Then Home—Companion's Subsequent Escape.

CHAPTER VI.

Father John Parkin a Pugilist—Defends a Mormon Elder—Shelters Him From a Storm and Learns Something of Mormonism—Whole Family Embrace the Gospel.

CHAPTER VII.

Selling a Load of Carrots to An Ex-Missionary, Whose Parsimony is Exhibited—Some Reflections Thereon.

A SAILOR-SAINT'S ADVENTURES.

CHAPTER I.

E. R. S. Schnelle's Belief in a Providence Over His Life—Birth and Succession of Accidents—Goes to Sea as Cabin Boy—Gruel Treatment—Pumping Sugar and Water—Ship Crushed Against Breakwater—Reckless Jump—Woes as a Cook.

CHAPTER II.

Embarks as Ordinary Seaman—Captain's Premonition and Sailors' Fear—Amazone Wrecked—Dying Sailor's Vision—Grewsome Seat—a Typhoon—Ship Seized by French—Travel in Russia—Finds A Wife—Converted to