Transcript

Title: Eli Bell autobiographical sketch, undated

Call Number: MS 4040 5

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[89 stamped in blue at the upper right corner of the page]

A Historey of the travels + labors of
Eli Bell Son of Alfred + Martha L.
Bell, Born in Shelbey County Ill in the
year of our lord 1834. Nov 12th our
Parents haveing joined the Church of
Jesus Christ (of Laterday [Latter-day] Stnts) [Saints] Previous, when I was about
4 years old, journeyed up to Nauvo [Nauvoo] also
in this State with theire famaley which
cons(si)ted of Father + Mother my half
Bro on Mothers Sid [side] Claborn Elder
my older Bro William + my self.

    Arrived at Nauvo [Nauvoo] in the year 1838
finley setled in (Nashvil) [Nashville] a little town on the
other Side of the Mississppi [Mississippi] River in
the State of Iowa 3 Miles below Montrose
after which we mooved cross the River
in to Ill, where we remained untill
after the deth of the Prohet [Prophet] + Patriarch
Joseph + Hyrum Smith in June 4, 844 [1844]
in the year 1846 in the Month of
February 1846 we started with the
main Bodey of the Church on their
journey in to the Western wilderness
Crossing the Miss-- [Mississippi] River on the Ice,
Our famaley consisting of 5 Souls
with Provisions Clotheings + c. [etc.]  Piled
in to 7 wagons, drawn by one yoke of
Oxen, we begen our (which afterwas
d proved) to be a long and tedious
journey.  we traveled on as best we
could Stopin at times to work untill
in the Spring of 1847 we turned off
the Main Road and went down in
to the Stat [State] of Missouri, in the vicinity
of St. Joseph on the Misouri [Missouri] River
(where) we remained eaarning an "outfit"
to cross the Plans [plains] with, untill the
Spring of 1851 when we started on

 

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[90 stamped in blue at the upper left upper corner of the page]

Our journey to Salt Lake or Utah
which had ben located and settled by
the Pioneers of the Church in 1847.
by this time we had 2 wagons
with 3 yoke of Cattle to each wagon
and our Provisions for the journey, with
our Clothing filled the wagons to the
Bows.  Thus we journeyed cross the
Plains arriveing in Salt Lake City
in the month of Oct 1851. Mooved to
Lehi in Utah Valley about 31 miles
South of S.L. City, where we builed [built] a
log-House dureing the fall + winter and
of evened up a farm and I remained
with the faimaley till the fall of
1853 when I was called to go on a
Mission to [two words erased] Southeren [Southern] Utah to
Strengthen those Settlements in
that Part about 300 miles to the South
I located my self at Cedar City in
Iron County, I boarded with a bro
John Jacob + began the studeying of
the language of Indians of that
Part of the contry. I procured 5 acres
of land and got Some Material
to gether to build me a house.  in
the Spring I returned to Lehi +
found my fathers famaley all well
Attended the general Conferance in
Salt L. Citty [City] and in the afternoon
of the 3 day of Conferance
Apr 9th, 1854, I was called in conection
with Silas Smith Joseph F.
Smith and 17 others to go on a
Mission to the South Pacific Isles
I was ordained an Elder and other [word smudged]
wise prepared. the 19 of (us) Bound for
this Mission Started for Sanfrancisco [San Francisco]

 

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91 [Stamped in blue at the upper right corner of the page]

6th May 1854       I Bid my Mother + Bro good-by and
Father and I Started and went to
Provo where I left Father to return home
and myself in companey with Silas
Smith and 4 others Started in one
wagon drawn by 4 horses croosing
the Southwestern Deserts to Sanbarnar
dino. [San Bernardino] Her we remained working to
obtain means to carrey us on our
journey untill the 1st of July we
Started to the Coast where we Secured
passage on a Steam-Ship bound
for San Francisco.   this took us 2 days
and nights, and in the morning of
July 4th 1854 landed in San Francisco.
A big fire Broke out and consumed
1 Block and part of another, this was
a very large fire, the Buildings mostley
being Merchantile Buildings.
We remaned in the vicinity of San Frisco
working for Money to Pay our way to
the Sandwich Islands. until the 8
8 Sept 1854. when 9 of us Bros Silas, Silas S.
+ Joseph F. Smith Geo Spiers Sipson
M Molen + others Set Sail for
Honolulu S.I.   Our jouney on Sea was
very pleasant and we landed in
the harber at Honolulu in the
morning of
27th. Sept 1854 [Four words crossed out] On the
Island of Oahu S. I. This is the
Capital of the Kingdom.   also where
the King resides.--   Some of us went
up to the Island of Hawaii and
remained thare and learned the
Language of the People.  which
took me about 6 moths [months] when
comenced Traveling among the Natives.

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92 [Stamped in blue at the upper left corner of the page]

Preaching + teaching the Gospell as
best we could Stoping at diferant times
to earn Money to clothe our selves with
and to travel with untill we had
performed a Mission of upwards of
3 years, baptising may [many] of the Natives
into the Church + Strengthening those
already baptised by the Elders
who was laboring on the Islands for
near 4 years previous until the [word erased]
had nearly arived for us to be released
we went to viset the burning Volcano
on the Island of Hawaii, I also
labored on all of the Ilands [Islands] in this
Groope [Group], and on the Midle of October
I got My release from the Presidencey
of the Church to return home as Soon
as I could   I then went to work to
earn money to carey me home, which
took me utill the begining of Dec
9th. Dec 1857   I in companey with Some of the
other Brethren Sailed on the Bark
Yankee for San Francisco

See page 159. [centered on page, written with darker ink, and possibly a different hand] 

Grandmother Bell born in Shelby Co. Ill. [Appears to be written by yet, a different hand]