| Show DEATH OF WILLIAM GREENWOOD william greenwood was born august ath 1822 at burnley lancashire england his bis parents being robinson greenwood and elizabeth cryer greenwood brother greenwood was reared in the midst of plenty and in a large city which was characterized by the allurements allure ments of vice and sin incident to human beings his naturally sober serious and religious inclination in connection with the teachings of kind and devout parents served as a strong protection against the participation in the sins and view vices surrounding his early boyhood his sober habits and constant application in industrial and praiseworthy ways induced his father to make a confidant of him in his extensive milling bu business sinew A religious inclination and spiritual turn of mind led to a meditation of the fallen and corrupt condition of man and an imaginary view of the many jarring and conflicting sects and denominations in the world this meditation and view inspired a pra prayerful erful disposition to know the true gospel Gosp elof of christ almost immediately an opportunity port unity to hear the elders of the mormon church preach was afforded the doctrines and principles enunciated seemed to satisfy that longing and in very deed proved to be the much sought for knowledge brother greenwood after having been thoroughly convinced by an investigation and perusal of the scriptures and the inspiration of god was inducted by baptism into the chur church c h of jesus christ november 29 1840 at 10 a m by elder rodger bodger dewhurst his acceptance ol oi the gospel was a t sufficient cause to induce his father to banish him not only from his him confidence but from his bis house in order to show bow the nature and manner of that banishment the following lines are quoted from elder greenwood greenwoods Green woods Is journal 1 I returned home that is shortly after baptism baptis mand and remained some two or three weeks during this time drue all manner of evil reports was carriea to my father insomuch that he banished me again from his home it if seemed wrong that I 1 possessed the spirit of the latter day work I 1 had no friends in this world and it seems all the powers of earth and hell were cow con bained against those who brought the gospel as revealed to joseph smith I 1 again refu reTh rued to my brother john and was treated kindy kindly in the meantime I 1 paid a visit to my folks but the same cruel treatment was wag meted out to me my brother robin son while I 1 was in my fathers father Is house took a horsewhip horse whip and whipped me out of doors pil deceased embarked on the ship Ra hanover nover at liverpool march 12 1842 and after a prosperous and pleasant voyage landed in new orleans leans april 16 15 1842 immediately by steamer he proceeded to the city of nauvoo arriving may 15 fourteen days after arrival he was seized with a direful disease awas gradually restored to strength b by the administrations of the elders among whom were brothers john taylor and brigham young the following re circumstance is record ed and at one time a holy angel from the mansions of glory administered unto me the messenger at the time took me by the band as he be stood before me and told me who he was and it seemed I 1 had known him before the brightness of his hia person was above the splendor of the sun at noon day his words though simple and easily to be under stood such was their power they ran through every vein and part of my abdy neither tongue nor language can describe this only can it be known by those who paw pass through it ft suffice it to say that many words oi of comfort consolation and promise were given to me which have been fulfilled 11 this affliction was endured without a murmur in the midst jofs of a scarcity of the common necessaries of life with an acknowledgment of the protection of the god of heaven from apostasy apo stacy and death on september 1842 elder greenwood commenced in company with esaias edwards a mission in wisconsin territory after performing his mission by proclaiming the of salvation to many he returned to nauvoo from there he proceeded as far as devonport at this place he mot met a number of his old shipmates tea among whom was the family orma or William houghton on may soth 1848 william greenwood was married to alice houghton daughter of william houghton on the of june 1843 in company with his bis wife he started for england to procure the sum of left him at the death offis of bis father after getting possession of about he returned to america on jan 15 1844 sometime after his arrival lu iu america be returned to devonport the home of his cifes parents he purchased a farm of acres adiol adjoining ni ng the city of devonport port at every available opportunity port unity he joined with the saints during their sufferings and eions in the trying times of nauvoo and rendered every assistance possible by way of means to the leaders of the church in the face of much opposition aroln his cifes relatives who at that time had apostatized from frem the church lie be remained steadfast with the people d disposing esposi ng of his farm at devonport and making general preparations to move to the unknown west with the latter day saints brother and sister greenwood received their endowments dow ments in the temple at nauvoo january 1846 on february ath received the sealing of the new and everlasting covens covenant pt were adopted into the family of president brigham young october 9 1845 and was ordained a seventy in the alst quorum of seventies in reference to the memorable exodus of the mormons cormons from the states the following Is 18 copied from brother greenwoods green woods journal As soon as the spring of 1847 dawned preparations were commenced forthe for the journey to the wesl A majority of the quorum of the twelve with many others were in readiness xea diness to start by the of april 1847 their course was westward their object was to find a place that the saints might have peace from their enemies and be far from a wicked world As ever since the first introduction of the gospel joseph and his brethren were like the deer on the mountains and our foes were con on the alert their hopes were now low that we would go into the wilderness and there perish with hunger away went the noble band of pioneers trusting in god to lead them few in jo number umber seeking for a country they knew not where in may 1847 1 I af carted down the river with some two or th three ree to obtain n an ou outfit afi t preparatory to following the pioneers I 1 exchanged considerable property such as clothing watch etc I 1 was blessed in obtaining bread etc in the middle of june 1847 1 I left my little home that I 1 had bad wintered in and felt full of the faith of the most high god I 1 joined in d the main camp on the horn mo baver ve th there re being about wagons teams cows etc we traveled up the platt river in companies offo of 50 and wagons having captains captAn oer soNar tens afif nos and nd hundreds sometimes all the wagons would be in sight eight at atone one time it truly was a wonder to all and could our oar tow foes have seen us they certainly would have ack acknowledged now ledged we deserved I 1 salvation al temporal and eternal to see hundreds of men women and children rejoicing to leave houses and lands which they had bad bought and paid for trusting in gud god to bring us safe through to our journeys s end IJ the record goes on we continued our journey over the deserts high mountains following the track of the pioneers that path was almost in places impassable going through narrow passes of the mountains at baht we burst forth in an open space spaced a beautiful valley the chaos place where gods servants have led the b e way by inspiration a place apart from our foes on october 28 1847 we arrived at the old fort salt bait lake city a day ever to be remembered by me and my wife alice who had to carry in many places because of the dangerous road in the mountains her two little children a burden endured without utterance of complaint but rejoicing in tribulation brother greenwood remained in salt city until 1851 he was conspicuously identified with the growth and development of this city up to his departure leaving this moe place he moved to american pork fork he e built one of the first houses on the stream and by his physical moral and intellectual energies assisted in the settlement and development of american fork financially anci ally socially morally and intellectually ly july ast 1st 1860 he wap wan chosen counselor to bishop L E harrington Harringt cn and remained in that position until the death of bishop harrington in company with elders john hindley and chipman he in 1871 performed a mission to the united states returning september on september ath 1874 he started on a mission to england returning home in march 1875 on march ath 1874 he was ordained a high priest by president A 0 smoot and on the reorganization of the bishopric he be was again chosen as counselor to bishop W M bromley some two years prior to his death a dreaded disease prevalent in this region of country caused by the mineral in the water fastened upon him and continued until it wore him away inch by inch on monday january 26 1891 at 7 rm he succumbed to the fell destroyer with a portion of his bis numerous family around him to close his eyes in death during lis his many days and long weary nights of constant and continual pain and suffering a murmur never his lips he bore his burden with the patience of job the courage of paul the love of john the beloved and the faith of abraham he was the father of nineteen children fifteen of whom survive him he was also the grandfather of sixty four grandchildren grand children fifty one of whom are am still alive american fork independent |
