Show LIFE AND DEATH of N T PORTER PIONEER SABBATH SCHOOL WORKER ala superintendent OF THE SUNDAY SCHOOLS OF DAVIS COUNTY filled five foreign missions crossed the plains sever times by team stake high counselor Counsel cr and sunday school superintendent since organization of stake nathan tanner porter sou son of sanford and nancy IV porter was born july 1820 at corinth orange 0 county vermont the same year the family moved to augusta oneida co NY nyana and three years later to liberty trumbull co ohio it was liere here tile the child of ono one summer passed tile the first of a ion long ad series of experiences common to frontier life four years was long enough to await tile tho coming za of near neighbors and in 1627 the westward journey was resumed traveling gravelin by flat boat as far as evansville indiana transfer was made to a truck wagon which carried the boy and his family associates as far as the banks of the illinois river near peoria it was here that elders lyman ivri wright ht and caarol succeeded through divine intervention in malting making ad the elder members of the family followers of tile young n prophet thereupon when the gathering 0 place was pointed out another home was abandoned and during ta the the winter of I 1 2 a trying M and hazardous journey was made to jackson co afo mo the fifth or prairie branch included the inheritance hezi tcp of jl ather Port ernd and family and once more they pitched their tent on the outskirts on the day of june of the following 0 year the twelve year old boy sought a and aad ad received baptism elder jonathan sumner officiating while this date marks ills his entry into the fold of christ it by no means indicates the beginning ca of faith in the gospel and prophet of god however it began inthe in the life of the youth the long epoch of suffering dufferin for the right just one year and the haven of peace and sacredness had become the place of greatest peril what is known in history as tile the first Alis missouri persecution brought him to the banks of the grand river a refugee 0 there to behold the fireworks of heaven a scene that brought victory to the outcast and defeat to his oath bound enemy moving down the river the foundation of another home was laid only to bo be left unfinished some five year slater the dallof 1839 found the young C man mail together with liis ills parents on the west bank of the mississippi river opposite the town of nauvoo the second missouri persecution had taken place another ill now joined forces with the persecutor through over exertion a sickness of the fatal class followed aud and then and there it was that for a return of health arid and strength t the all of life was placed upon the altar As ag a volunteer the boy of nineteen summers began his mission ary labors which were to cover a period in this life of more than half a century in the spring of 1811 1841 18 11 he returned effrom from ills his first mission to the eastern states and returned to the fild field again in 1844 when he be was summoned home at the time tac of the martyrdom at the the timo time of tile the exodus from nauvoo in 1846 1840 he bo was called to remain behind to care for interests left and did not reach winter quarters until the first of june ie here he joined the family a and aad ad on of the same retith began the long jour journey neV westward following the trail of the pioneers at sweet water a most happy meeting with the return party of pioneers took place and on the first day of oct 1847 they obtained their first view of tile the promised land the selected spot f for or another homestead was located near mill infill creek which was abandoned a year later for a cabin in the old fort the first home he enjoyed in wedlock as he had joined hands for eternity with rebecca ann cherry a member of tile the same pioneer company in which he had traveled in the spring 0 of 49 he joined ills his f father ather in law who with others founded a colony some twelve miles north of the present site of salt lake city and here in tile centreville Cen treville of today a home was founded with a tenure for life it was the home only that had become fixed tho the chief habitant was far from the journeys ending again the call to the foreign ministry came this time to the distant fortress of gibraltar sealed to the invading ca force of nations yet open to the delivery from heaven here we discover that spiritual calm in the god fearing man A mastey as seen by contrast lying undisturbed on the verge of the severest trial th the e following t is taken from his diary sept 1852 arose early saddled pony and made fast to it a few earthly effects noticed the in gate leading to our humble cot had not been hung 0 tied up pony it hung ca gate and made a few repairs put my tools away went into the house kiss ids s ed any mn y wife and babe goodbye good bye commended them to god mounted my horse and rode to salt lake where I 1 found my companion elder Elde edward rEdward stevenson a waiting awaiting ca in readiness for the journey traveling 0 by mule train to st louis thence by boat to cincinnati thence by rail to new york embarking C here for liverpool thence by rail to south hampton and lastly by steam packet to the famous rock they entered th alie garrison march esth 1853 the discovery of their presence led at once to hostilities f from rom the clerical circle and later from tile the civil authorities which ended in the expulsion of elder porter he not being a native from the fortress and town on the first day of april of the same year through divine interposition he succeeded in reaching 5 southhampton South Hampton and here began his labors in the english miss mission lorl during 0 ills his stay here lie he labored as traveling elder in the reading CI essex and kent conferences and as presiding officer in the Worster shire conference commencing his bis lio journey feb ast 1st 1856 on ills his arrival in new york he was stricken down with a fever and for weeks his life was despaired of by those who attended him the chan change chane e for the better came however 0 and with it many striking manifestations as to the future and the conditions in the great beyond which seemed to weld into a single unit of purpose the whole of his after afterlife life sept found him again 0 at the missouri crossing crossin 0 and thou though gh late in the season they were instructed to cross the great waste the dreaded storms came and with them the thoughts of perishing in the snow all baggage save provisions was consigned to the flames and though travel had bad been reduced to the minimum the ther cheer of success remained at the last crossing of the platte they beheld a sight that could never become dimmed they had overtaken the hand cart company if their breth em with their wives and children were to perish they would share their fate with them the food was divided the dying cared for as best they could and the end awaited help came from salt lake and the rescue accomplished december ath 1856 the gate before the humble dwelling yielded to the hand that had placed it in position four years and three months before A few days of rest and the preacher had turned soldier johnstons army was approaching the crisis over lio lie returned to the plow and on the 13 th day of april 1857 added to his home circle another partner in the person of eliza ford with whom lie ile formed an eternal companionship rome home duties together with those belonging to a counselor in the ward bishopric home missionary and superintendent of the ward sunda sunday y school 1804 9 made up his chief doings until the fall of 1869 when lie he was again called to the eastern states mission from whence lie he returned in the fall of 1870 the home labors were now resumed until 1872 when liis ills services were again again required in the east cast central states this last of his foreign missions lasted but a short time and lie he returned in in the fall of the s same ame year at the organization of the davis stake his duties dutie s as bishops counselor and ward superintendent of sunday schools terminated and those of stake supt bupt of sunday schools and member of the hii hi high ca I I 1 council began continuing up to the time of his demise at the stake conference held in june 1894 he was called b by y revelation to t 0 ali the e 0 ace bof of patriarch ind and under his hands many have received a blessing such are t the h e land marks of his work fort for the h e living and in a record kept by his is own hand are the names of thousands of the dead to whom he stands as a savior on mount zion the very last thou n glit I 1 it ere he fell asleep was of them and the closing labors of abife alife a life of incessant toil and unwavering integrity for truth was given in behalf of tile silent watchers for the hour of redemption on the ath day of april 1897 at 6 am a m liis ills mission ended and without a struggle a groan or even a sigh he passed into a now field of labor two devoted women ten children and thirteen grand children remain to mourn his loss and yet how can they in mourn 0 urn |