Editor Deseret News. ¶ You have asked me
to give my you a page of Hhistory from my jourls ^journals^
for the News. I can barely answer that
request, in the time allotted me to me, in a manner ^manner^
to satisfy my own minded. But it being the ownly Church paper devoted entirely to the Church I
will ^endeavor to^ give you a few items.
Concerning myself I will say I was
born , ^at [blank] county, Connecticut.^ ^In^ My early Life was ^I worked^
^as^ a farmer & a Mmiller. oOf course my childhood
was ^passed^ under the influence of the remnants of the Blue Laws of Connecticut. I remember the
day well when ^the^ Baptists & Methodists in Con^necticut^ with
wasere almost as unpopular as Mormons ^are^ to day. presbyterians & Congregationalists wasere the ruling ^ only ruling^ religions of New England in my boy ^child^hood. In attendings the Su^n^day School in my
early Boyhood, under Dr Noah, porter and
learning [cler◊◊ts] by heart, I saw what Jesus Christ
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And the Apostls taught. These principles were
so finely imprinted in my mind ^that^ I could never
join any chor^urch,^ [receive] the churches of to ^that^ day
did not Believe in them, untill I heard Zera Pulsipher, a Mermon^ormon^ Elder preach to me
& my Brother Azmon ^* and a large congregation of neighbors^ in Richland, Oswego Co.,
N^ew^ York, ^before^ witha large congregation of Neighbours, at the same time on the . On
^hearing^ the first sermon I & my brother Azmon ^were convinced, and we^ went
forth & wasere Baptized on the ,
which will be 59, years ^ago^ the 31^st^ of this month.
1862 ^¶^ I went up in Zion's Camp, in the spring
of 1834, to Missouri, to the assistance of our
people who had been driven out of Jackson CO^unty^. There are but Very few of the ^members of that^ Camp ^are^ still
Living to day. That thousand miles journey with the
prophet Joseph Smith, in 1834, gave ^was to^ me a
school of Experience that I shall never forget
in this world nor the world to come.
While the prophet returned to Kirtland with most
of his company, I rem^ain^ed in Clay County, Moissouri,
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OFFICE OF
The First Presidency
of the
Church of Jesus Christ
of
Latter-day Saints
untill the , when I left Lyman
Wight's, in company with Harry Brown, to go on a
Mission to the Southern States. We passed through Jackson Co.^unty^ Mo.^issouri^ and through Arkansas, and from Little Rock to MemphisMemphis, Tennessee. I spent 2 two years in Tennessee & Kentucky. wWhile there
I was ordained to the office of an Elder & a Member
of the 2nd quorum of the seventies under the
Hands of David Patten. I ordained A. O. Smoot
to the office of an Elder in 1836, and he travelled
with me through Kentucky & Tennessee, and
accompanied me to Kirtland in the fall of 1836,
I organized 4 ^four^ Branches of the Church in Tennessee
& Kentucky. In 1837 I traveled through ^part of^ Canada, New York, Mass^achusetts^, Conn^ecticut^, & Maine, ^and^ and ^Fox Island.^ During this mission I baptized my Father & his household, including
a Methodist Class Leader I baptized seven
hundred ^persons^ & organized several5 ^five^ Branches of the
Church one in Farmington& 4 in ^Connecticut,^ Maine ^&^ Fox Island.
Father's second wife, Azubah Hart,
born . They were
married . Had six
children — Philo, born , died by poison administered by
a physician ; Asahel
Hart, born , died in
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L. D. S. Historian's Office,
P. O. BOX 1678. Salt Lake City, Utah, [blank] 189
My father at 18 worked in a flouring
& saw mill, and continued about 50 years,
laboring 18 hours a day most of the time.
I baptized him and all his house-
hold into the Church of Jesus Christ
of Latter day Saints .
He was very honest & very charitable,
freely loaning ^to neighbors,^ or giving to the poor,
always saying yes to those who asked a
favor.
I was born in north part of
Farmington, now called Avon, Hartford
county, Conn. . I
worked with my father till 20 years old.
In April 1827 I took the flouring mill of
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L. D. S. Historian's Office,
P. O. BOX 1678. Salt Lake City, Utah, [blank] 189
my Aunt, Helen Wheeler. In May,
1830, I took charge of the flouring mill
of Mr. Collins, at manufacturersouth
Canton, Conn. In March 1831 I took
charge of flouring mill of Richard B Cowles, New Hartford, Conn. In spring of
1832, with my brother Azmon, I went
to Richland, Oswego County New York,
and purchased a farm & saw mill.