UNSTINTED SERVICE—INSPIRATION—GOES TO THE NORTHWESTERN STATES AS A MISSIONARY—HEALTH FAILS AND HE RETURNS—SHOCKING DEATH OF SON DAVID—LIMB AMPUTATED—PATRIARCHAL BLESSING—INCIDENT IN LOGAN TEMPLE—TRIP TO ENGLAND TO OBTAIN GENEALOGY.

DURING the succeeding few years Thomas spent more time even than usual in the performance of his public duties in the ward, and the marvel is that he was able to make a living and do so much gratuitous work. He pays a high tribute in his memoir to the devoted service and efficient help he received from his wife, who was as kind to his children as if they had been her own, and of great assistance and comfort to him.

He and his sons generally worked in partnership in the raising and marketing of garden produce. In this they were prosperous, and their relations harmonious. The following is casually mentioned in his narrative, and will serve to illustrate the inspiration Thomas frequently enjoyed.

One day his son David had started to town with an extra big load of garden truck, and some time later, while Thomas and his wife were eating breakfast, he said to her: "Ann, David has broken his wagon, and is in a bad fix, as he is some distance from where he expected to sell his load."

It was learned when David returned in the evening that he had broken his wagon, and had great difficulty in securing another wagon and transferring his load to it, all of which delayed him about three hours, and when he arrived in town all the stores were supplied. Feeling very much discouraged, he was about to start for another part of the city, when a man from Park City happened along and looked at David's load, and, as he found it included just the things he wanted, he bought the entire load. The father told him it was through the power of the Lord that the man was sent to him, so that he might sell his produce.

One day when he and his wife were eating breakfast an impression came over Thomas that they were going to have trouble of some kind before night, and he mentioned it to his wife. Just then his son Ephraim came in and remarked that he was going to the canyon. His father asked him not to go, but to remain at home and work, as he thought that some trouble was going to occur. However, after the father had started to the city, Ephraim went to the canyon, and, in felling a tree, accidently killed one of his horses, by the tree hitting it.

About this time the Bishop of Bountiful was absent from home a great deal, and Thomas, acting as head teacher, was required to assume the Bishop's duties to a large extent; indeed from his memoir it appears that his public service consumed nearly all of his time. It is little to be wondered at that his sons and son-in-law, who had been associated with him in the raising and marketing of garden produce, decided to dissolve partnership and operate separately. Thomas, in his memoir, expresses gratitude to them for their forbearance in having been willing for him to devote such a large share of his time to caring for the poor, and other public duties.

One member of a company or association may feel willing (as Thomas did) to devote the whole of his time, if necessary, to gratuitous service, but if his interest in the partnership or association is based upon the assumption that his time belongs to the company, his associates in business necessarily become servitors when he serves, whether willingly so or not. Thomas' sons and son-in-law were good men, and not ungenerous, but were not prepared in their feelings to make unlimited sacrifice for the public good, and their revolt was quite natural. Later, however, his son Ephraim decided to still work with his father, and they built a greenhouse to be the better able to carry on their business.

The year 1882 marked the half century of Thomas' life, and he was deeply grateful to the Lord for having spared his life so long—much longer than he had hoped to live, and the joy he experienced in contemplating the future of his posterity. His love for the poor found expression on the first day of the year in his entertaining the poor residents of Bountiful, about fifty in number, at his home, and on the following day all of his children and all of his wife's children by a former husband came to his home loaded down with good things, and gave him a genuine surprise party, and had a time of rejoicing.

Having received a call from the First Presidency to fill a mission to the Northwestern States, a number of his relatives and friends gave him another surprise party on the 22nd of April, 1883, and presented him with a purse of $30.00 to help defray his expenses, for which he felt very grateful. He mentions in particular one poor widow who had to work for her living, who sent him $1.00 and a silk hankerchief.

On the 1st of May he left his home to labor as a missionary under the direction of Elder W. M. Palmer, and in his diary expresses a doubt whether a missionary ever set out under such circumstances as he did. The two running sores on his leg were very painful, and he walked with difficulty. While on the way Elder Palmer evidently realized for the first time how serious Thomas' ailment was, and expressed a doubt about his being able to endure the hardships incident to missionary life, and especially the damp climate prevailing in the northwest.

On reaching Minnesota, he was assigned to labor with Wm. H. Wright, of Ogden, but was taken so desperately sick soon after reaching his field of labor in Wisconsin that Elder Palmer hastened to release him, lest he might die there.

He arrived home a little less than four months after he left, having slightly improved in health during the journey home.

As soon as he was able to walk about, he resumed his former labors of caring for the poor and comforting and encouraging those who were weak in the faith. He records in his diary the fact that he was prompted by the Spirit to visit a poor woman who had been abandoned by her husband. As she had not previously been dependent upon the ward for help, he disregarded the prompting until the Lord warned him a second time to call upon her. He found then that she had been subsisting upon a few potatoes, and was really in need of food. He soon provided her with what was required to make her comfortable, and asked the Lord to forgive him for failing to act promptly upon the warnings of His Spirit.

About the middle of June, 1884, Thomas had a visit from his son David, who informed him that he had been so greatly blessed, and done so well materially, since he was married, that he had decided to go to school during the following winter, and prepare himself for a mission. Nothing that he could have proposed would have pleased his father more than this for he desired above all things that his posterity should devote themselves to the service of the Lord.

Only a few days later, June 19th, 1884, David stepped in front of the sickle bar of his mowing machine to unhitch his horses, after having been engaged in cutting grass about two miles from home, when the horses suddenly started, catching his feet in the sickle bar and nearly severing them. He had to go ten miles for medical aid, and the doctor amputated his feet. The weather was very warm, and blood poisoning set in, and on the 27th of June, eight days after the accident, he died.

Thomas was quite sick at the time, and was grief-stricken over his son's death. He had counted so confidently on his son's death. He had counted so confidently on his son's future development as a good and useful man, and the head of a large family, that he felt the disappointment very keenly, and could hardly be reconciled to his death.

During the summer of 1885, his sons were necessarily absent from home much of the time, and Thomas was under the necessity of working alone. While doing so he accidentally fell from his wagon one day, and hurt his lame leg very severely. The neighbors carried him into the house, and persuaded him to send for a doctor. The doctor came, and said the leg was very badly hurt, and that his patient would have to lie in bed for fully a month.

One night soon afterwards Thomas had a vision. He saw a bright light come through the east window of the room in which he lay, which seemed to move along the wall until it was opposite to where he was lying, when it stopped. A voice came from the light, which said: "Go to the hospital, and have that limb taken off; for you have a work to perform which you cannot do with the limb on."

Thomas was amazed, and kept looking at the light, when the voice was again heard, saying: "You doubt it, as you think if you go you will leave your family in debt, as you have not much money; but you need not fear, for means will be provided for you. And when you get the limb off, send for another limb, and you will astonish both saint and sinner, as you will be able to put it on as soon as you get it; and the train which shall bring your limb shall be delayed for a short time."

This was the vision, as far as he could relate it, and the light vanished the same as it had come. He told his family of it, and requested his son Ephraim to see Dr. Anderson, and tell him he was ready to have his limb amputated.

He went to the hospital on the 15th of December, 1885, and two days later the leg was amputated six inches from his body. Many of his friends, knowing his condition, expressed the belief that he would never come out of the hospital alive, but all went well, and on the 31st of January, 1886, he rode home from the hospital in a surrey.

While lying in the hospital, Brother Briggs asked a patriarch who called to see him, if he had a blessing for him. After looking at him for some time, the patriarch said he had, and placing his hands upon the patient's head, told him not to fear, for he should get well. He also said that angels were watching over him, and that he would live to accomplish a great work in the Temple—such as he had never conceived of.

For many months after Thomas returned from the hospital he experienced the sensation of pain in the missing foot. He could get no relief from it day or night, and found that it was wearing his wife out, waiting upon him. After much persuasion he induced his sons to exhume his leg, which was buried in the cemetery, straighten out the toes, which he felt must be in a cramped position, and put it in a larger box. About the time when the leg was dug up and the box opened, Thomas, though fully two miles distant, felt two sympathetic throbs in the stump of the limb, and then it turned ice cold. He remarked to his wife that they had taken the lid off the box. After the limb had been carefully wrapped in absorbent cotton and placed in a larger box, he felt very comfortable.

Early in March, 1886, he received a bill from the hospital for $85.00 and one from the doctor for $100.00, but had no money with which to pay either. Besides, the Spirit told him to get an artificial leg as soon as he could, and that would cost $100.00, if paid in advance. Money was very scarce at the time, and loans hard to obtain; but after praying to the Lord to direct him where to go to get some money, he had his son take him out with a horse and buggy for the purpose of borrowing some, without having any definite idea where to go to.

They had only driven a short distance when they saw some one coming towards them with a horse and buggy, and Thomas asked his son to stop his horse when they met. It proved to be Ether Coltrin, and Thomas told him he would like to borrow a little money. Brother Coltrin immediately asked if he could get along with $100.00, and was told that he could. The loan was immediately arranged for, and part of it paid to the hospital and the balance to the doctor.

Thomas then appealed to the Lord to know where he could go to obtain the price of the artificial leg, and a few days later Daniel Davis came to him and said: "Thomas, if you want to get a little money, I can let you have some." When told that he needed $100.00, he said he could have it.

He had the stump of the limb measured and the limb ordered in April, and in due time received, and the delay predicted occurred while the train bearing it was on the way. He was able to wear it immediately, and during the latter part of the year he and his family were laboring in the Logan Temple (which had just been dedicated) for the living and the dead.

Brother Briggs has recorded in his diary this circumstance, which occurred in the Temple while he was present: As a great many persons were on the stairs of the assembly room, President Taylor discerned in the multitude a woman unworthy of admission. He did not know her, but he said to President Card, "Turn that woman back." He afterwards explained that the Spirit had told him that she had no business there. It was subsequently discovered that she had a forged recommend.

Being unable to cultivate his land that year, Thomas let it out on shares to his sons, who planted it to tomatoes and cucumbers. Just as they had made sufficient growth to be looking fine, a terrific hail and wind storm occurred, one of the worst ever known in that region, but, although nearly all the surrounding crops were destroyed, those in Thomas' field were not injured—which he naturally considered very providential, and thanked the Lord for favoring him.

With the advent of 1888, Thomas was strongly impressed with the fact that it was his duty to go to England and seek genealogical information; in fact, this feeling had been with him ever since he was in the hospital, at the time his leg was amputated, and when many regarded his recovery as very doubtful. The Spirit of the Lord had said to him then, "Prepare to go to England in 1888, and hunt up your genealogy."

He was in poor health and without funds, but didn't feel that those facts would excuse him from complying with the requirement of the Lord, if he could borrow the funds, for whenever he had borrowed anything in the past because duty required it, the Lord had afterwards provided a way for repaying the loan. With a desire in his heart that the Lord would enable him to obtain the necessary funds, he attended the April Conference, and as he entered the Temple Block gate he saw a man standing there whom he was prompted to apply to for a loan. He explained the purpose for which he wanted it, and obtained the desired amount without hesitation.

He went to England, traveled 1800 miles after he arrived there, met many relatives, was kindly received, collected two hundred names of his kindred dead, and arrived home seventeen weeks after he started.

In the spring of 1889 prospects indicated a great scarcity of water to irrigate with, and Thomas was worried as a consequence. Besides, he found himself burdened with a heavy indebtedness as a result of his trip to England, but, by cultivating four acres of land in addition to his own, he paid off all his indebtedness and had enough left to keep his family well provided, so that he felt that the Lord had blessed him for following the promptings of His Spirit.