Friday, January 2, 2009

Flashback and Flash Way Back Friday

Happy New Year to everybody!

I just found this pictures of Mom with the kids. I don't know how I missed it for her birthday slideshow, I think it's a great picture.



Now flashing back from LaJean to Odell to James to Perrigrine Sessions.

On September 15, 1852, Perrigrine left Utah with 73 other men for a mission to Europe. According to the Church newspaper in England, "The Millennial Star," the missions were primarily to prepare the new members in Europe for the "Patriarchal Order or Plurality of Wives" once they arrived in Utah. The paper stated, "it is consistent with the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and the Doctrine and Covenants of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."

Perrigrine writes very interesting accounts about his trip across the Atlantic Ocean to England where he served. Here are some of the excerpts.

Dec 16, Left the docks (of New York) and Ankored in the river

Dec 20, Fair day and wind, the weather warm as summer and the passengers laying about the decks like pigs while the vessel rolling and pitching over waves mountain high.

Dec 24, Christmas morning, a heavy gale, the sea looking like mountains covered with snow and the wind blowing the snow. There we spent the day with some Catholics and all kinds of men and women whores and Masters cursing and swearing and drinking. Here the night was spent in this way with several fights to make it interesting to me. Some sick and groaning, vomiting and so thick that the room smelt like a pig pen more than the home of human beings. I cannot describe my feelings but suffice it to say that if Jonah was in the belly of hell so was I with my brethren. Here I lay in by berth and see the lice crawling on persons that made the scene more interesting while I am holding myself in my berth or else I should have been thrown out in the slush by the rolling of the vessel as the night passed off in this way.

Dec 25, Fair weather and warm but a heavy sea until evening the sea became calm and I preached to the Passengers with good attention. One or two of the Brethren sick but were healed by the laying of of hands. Wind Blowing.....

Dec 28, Cool weather and a man died and in a few minutes was sewed up in a blanket and thrown over board by the sailors with no other ceremony than God damn him except he has gone to the shark land. This scene is a novel one to me to see the spirit in mankind when at sea, not a friend to drop a tear.

Dec 30, Held meeting and the Gifts of the Gospel were enjoyed by us.

Dec 31, Fair wind and has been since we left port, have not changed Sail since we left New York.

Jan 1, 1853, A fine, fair day and saw some fish along side of the ship, they followed us all day. Here we spent the day on deck with everything but that which was good. I took a sever cold and was quite sick....

Jan 3, Fine weather and land in sight. It is the mountains in Ireland, this made us feel well although my health poor. Saw many vessels and five or six lighthouses. The wind raised and the ship had to cast Ancor, lay by the Irish channel that is narrow.

Jan 5, Rainy and cold. A pilot came on board with a steam tug and took us into Liverpool and at 2:00 in the afternoon landed in Liverpool. Went through the custom house from thence to Great Cross Hall Street to a public house kept by Mrs. Powel. Met with a large number of American Elders and some two hundred Saints from Denmark on their way to Salt Lake Valley.

Jan 6, Went to the Millennial Star Office in the evening. Held a meeting and I spoke in connection with others of the Elders. I was called to speak in a large hall and a large congregation and bore testimony of the blessings of God that had been over us since we left our homes.

Jan 8, Bought myself a suite of clothes and an umbrella with boots and hat, an umbrella as it rains every day. Got my appointment for labour to preside over the Manchester Conference.

Here's a map of the area where Perrigrine served. I wonder if Ethan was in any of these places?



3 comments:

Jeni said...

So interesting Glenn! I loved reading his journal entries.

Kim-the-girl said...

Ethan was in a few of these places... I;ll make sure he sees this. Thanks!

Ethan said...

Yep, I was trained in the Stockport ward (4 months), then went to Bolton (3 months), then Salford (3 months). I also served in Ashton-under-Lyne (1 month), and downtown Manchester (most of my mission was spent in the Greater Manchester area). I've been to Liverpool for a couple day trips. I served 8 months in the Preston Stake, but not in Preston, more in the outlying country in Lancashire. I did tour some of the notable LDS sites in downtown Preston, like the obelisk, river Ribble, and Pres. Hinckleys flat. I feel very blessed to have been able to serve there. I think I may have met some of those seedy people Peregrine Sessions described on that boat. There were a lot of people that needed our message, desperately.