Transcript

Transcript for Missionary reports, 1831-1900, Church History Library

Bishop Edward Hunter Sir, in conformity with a revelation making it the duty of the elders to render an account of their ministry to the Bishop the following is submitted as a summary of the history and ministry of Erastus Snow son of Levi & Lucina Snow born Nov. 9th 1818 in St Johnsbury Vermont. viz: He I Was baptised by his my brother Wm Snow in Charleston Vt Feb. 3rd 1833, was ordained a teacher in the St Johnsbury branch June 28th 1834 by John F. Boynton, and on the 13th November following was ordained a Priest by Elder Wm Snow, commenced travelling and preching, In Vermont and New Hampshire. Built up a branch of the church in Lyman & Lisbond, New Hampshire, Zadok Parker being first person I ever baptised during the summer of 1835 and in August 16th of that year was ordained an elder by Luke Johnson, then one of the twelve Apostles. By consent of my Parents I left my fathers House and native land on the 8 Nov. 1835, (the day before I was 17 years old) and went to Kirtland O. about 1600 miles where I spent during arrived Dec 3rd & during the winter I attended “Kirtland High School”, The Elders School” and received first washings and anointings in the Temple, was ordained into the 2nd Quorum of seventies under the hand of Prest Lyman Sherman. was present at the first Solemn Assembly and the dedication of Kirtland Temple. I left Kirtland April 16th 1836 on a mission to the Eastern port of Ohio & the western and middle portions of Pennsylvania, and thenceforth continued traveling preaching, baptising and organizing churches through Ohio Penn, Maryland & Virginia untill the summer of 1838 when I went up to Far West Missouri, where I arrived July 18th and shared with my brethren in the bloody persecution of the following fall and winter. Was for a short time confined in Prison with the Prophet Joseph Smith the Prophet, and others in Febuary 1837. After the expulsion of the church from Missouri and its location at Nauvoo, I continued laboring preaching & baptising in Illinois & Iowa untill the spring of 1840 when I was sent by the Prophet Joseph to the East where I laboured in Philadelphia and the Eastern part of Penn- and in New Jersey & Delaware, untill the fall of 1841, was then appointed by Presidents Hyrum Smith & Wm Law to go and Labour in the New England States, where also I was much helped in my labour and established branches of the church in Boston, Salem, Lynn, Marblehead & many other places, gathered up a large company of saints and returned with them to Nauvoo, in the fall of 1843. Was appointed a member of the “council of fifty” by the Prophet & served therein untill In the spring of 1844 I went by appointment to Vermont to direct the 2nd Page labours of the elders and preside over the conferences in that state After the martydom of the Prophets I returned to Nauvoo and subsequently was appointed to labour in the western states, collect Tithing, etc, which I did to a considerable extent while the church remained in that land. I was one of the first camp who left Nauvoo in Febuary 1846 enroute for the Rocky Mountains. Left my family with the body of the Saints at Winter Quarters April 8th 1847 and accompanied the 173 Pioneers to Salt Lake Valley, not one of and in company with Orson Pratt was first to enter and explore it. returned to Winter Worters 31st October and during the following winter took a tour through the middle and Eastern States, as far as Boston, visiting the churches and gathering means from saint & sinner to aid the poor saints in the wilderness. Returned via St. Louis to Winter Quarters in April, thence with my family accompanied the Presidancy over the plains to Salt Lake City. At the fall confer- ence was appointed counsellor to the Prest of the Stake, & served in that calling untill Feb. 12th 1849 when I was ordained one of the 12 Apostles, and served assisted in that capacity calling under the direction of the Presidency, aiding in organising the various Wards & settlements of the Saints in this Teritory. In the fall of 1849 I was appointed a mission to the Kingdom of Denmark, to open up the Gospel to that Nation, and left Salt Lake City in company with many others Oct. 19th We’d encountered many perils and hardships on the Journey out of which the Lord delivered us. Crossing the plains and deserts to Kanesville, I Journeyed thence by land through the States via St Louis, Cincinnatti, Washington Philadelphia New York & Boston, whence I sailed by Steamer Niagary April 3rd and landed at Liverpool April 16th spent near 2 months in visiting and preaching to the principle conferences in England & Scotland, Parting with the Apostles John Taylor, L. Snow & F.D. Richards at London I took with me Elders J.P. Dykes & J.E. Forssgreen and sailed from Hull in the east of England, for the North of Europe where the fullness of the Gospel had not penetrated in this dispensation. We landed at Copenhagan the capital of Denmark June 19th 1850. Thence Elder Forssgreen proceeded to Sweeden. Elder Dykes remained with me in Denmark as also P.O. Hanson who had arrived before us. I commenced to study the Danish Language and to form acquaintances with families and individuals and make friends, and thus opperated in a comparitively unobscrued manner untill on the 12th of August 1850 I began to baptise, and Ole Mőnster formerly Page 3 A seaman was the first man baptised in Denmark and so far as I know and believe the first on the continent of Europe. I baptised 15 on that day and from that time forth continued to instruct baptism and confirm untill the saints numbered 50 when I called them together September 15th 1850 and organised the first European branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I had chiefly used Bro. P. O. Hanson to interpret for me but was by this time making good progress in the Language and but or yet I had not permitted any public meetings neither had the knowledge of our movements reached the government, otherwise we might not have been permitted to remain in the country and to organ- ize the church, but now that Danish citizens were duly initiated and organized they could not legally forbid them to meet accordingly to their faith. We now procured a hall for meetings and duly informed the Kings minister by letter or also the Magistracy of Copenhagen of our mission and organization, and after some delay obtained leave to hold meetings. I now began to call and ordain Priests, and teachers, and instruct them in their duties and the work continued to spread, the Holy Ghost was poured out upon the Saints, the sick were healed, Devils were cast out & many were added to the faith. Bro. Christian Christenson a soldier & tailor was the first Elder ordained in that Country. I soon commenced the transla- tion of the Book of Mormon in connexion with Bro. P.O. Hanson and laboured constantly at that business about 7 months, and sent it to press as fast as made ready and by the month last of May 1851 I had 3000 copies published in the Danish language and the book dealers furnished with them. I continued preaching and publishing in that language untill the 4th March 1852. The publications I issued besides the Book of Mormon were as follows a translation of the Doc. & Covenants 800 copies, a hymn book 2500. Also 1000 copies of a monthly paper during the last six months besides seven different pamplets which amounted to about 10.700 copies. I also Published 1000 copies of a work of 52 Octavo pages in the Swedish Language on the history and faith of the saints. I ordained and sent out labourers throuout the Kingdom and also Sweeden, Norway & Iceland, and at the last conference held in Febuary before I left. There were represented branches organized in nearly all the principle Islands and provinces and also in Norway Sweeden and Iceland and the baptism during a period of 21 months after our arrival in the Kingdom was about 700. March 9th 1852 I left Denmark on my return home with a small company of Danish saints. On arriving in Liverpool I shipped there via New Orleans, and tarried myself about 2 months in England and visited the saints in Ireland & Wales & varies parts of England and organized a company for the manufacture of Iron in Utah Territory and on the 8th May saild from Liverpool for New York, visiting Washington and St Louis in my route I reached Kanesville June 24th where I fitted out a train of goods and the small company of Danish Saints and left them in charge of Capt. E.B. Kelsey and started ahead of the train leaving them on the Platt July 15th and in company with Elders Taylor, Richards, Benson and others reached home in great Salt Lake city August 20th having been abscent 2 years 10 months & 1 day. At the Conference next evening I was appointed to travel and labor among the saints in the southern portion of this Territory and I have since visited the settlements south as far as they extend a distance of about 300 – every fall and spring besides distincts visits to the saints of Filmore, Monto and several other settlements, and in the mean time have acted as manager of the Iron companies affairs and attended to the providing for my family. During the Past winter I attended the Legislature of Utah as a Representative from Salt Lake county. and at the April conference was appointed a mission to St Louis Mo. to establish a stake of Zion there. I am now about prepared to depart for that place to enter upon the duties assignd me there. Erastus Snow G.S.L. city July 6th 1854