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Show f iTrtrgiriTjr wii'i'hiiiH'i Page Inc. e, Messenger-Enterpris- Emergency services available during Pageant K ?V V f (f y - V" 4tt v fjfh'f s , iS f I J', f I d t y t ( i ! T v: ' - ;,,' ,f - AV U'-'- ' f T .- X ft- - V V I Author of famous Mormon music is buried in Manti gray granite marker de- The hymn, written by an impoverished English elder, has been sung at every General Conference of the LDS Church since its original publication in 1863. The this author of the words to piece of sacred music was born in 1830. His father, John Fowler, was a native of Sheffield, Yorkshire, England, who enlisted in the British army at 21 years of age. The elder Fowler was stationed in Ireland, where he met and married Bridget Niel. From Ireland, Fowlers regiment went to Australia, and it was there that his son was born. well-know- n At 3 12 years of age, William made the perilous trip by sea to the East Indies, where he lived with his family for the next five years. After that tour of duty, his father was discharged from the m ilitary and the family returned to Sheffield. When William was 11, his father died and his mother died three years later, leaving the boy an orphan at the age of 15. Both of Williams parents had been converted to the Wesleyan Methodist faith (his mother had been Roman Catholic, his father a Protestant). At the age of 18, William studied the principles ofWesleyan faith and became dissatisfied with some of their tenets. At this time, a friend took him to hear the Mormons speak at the Hall of Science on Rock- ingham Street. It was the winter of 1848. William delved into study of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-daSaints, and on July 29, 1949, he was baptized by Elder J.V. Long. He was ordained a priest March 3, 1851, and following the practice of the time, labored as a missionary in the Deepcar Branch, under Elder William Memmott. Fowler had worked as a cutler in a factory at Sheffield, but was fired when it was learned he had joined the LDS Church. y His missionary diary speaks of the hardships, persecution, and trials of a missionary of the Mormon church in those early days in England. His diary records, Walked 21 miles today, rode 7,, and March 27, 1853: Mob assembled and broke up afternoon meeting. In the evening we met a Brother Craigs house and had a good meeting. The mob assembled outside and expected to pelt us with goose eggs, but as we did not open the door they did not know where exactly to look for us, so they pelted each other." In spite of the hardships and his loss of a job because of his religion, Fowler struggled on. He married Ellen Bradshaw, and managed to support her, and their three children. He was a man and studied and gave instruction in music. There is no record showing exactly when We Thank Thee, 0 God, For a Prophet was written, but President Joseph F. Smith once recalled that when he was serving a mission in self-educat- England (1860-1863- ), The Manti Ambulance Association, a volunteer Emergency Medical Technician organization, provides emergency medical transportation and service for the area. The Ephraim Ambulance Association furnishes such emergency service for the Ephraim area. The Manti Association keeps an ambulance on standby at the Pageant grounds during all performances. These EMTs also provide first-ai- d service on the emergency dispatch number 911. Ephraim callers may use e county-wid- e Mr. Fowler brought his new song to a meeting of the Saints, where it was sung for the first time. The hymn was published in LDS hymnbook. Fowler 12th the sailed for America on June 3, 1863, on the ship Amazon, and he and his family arrived in New York July 25, 1833. After arriving in Manti, Fowler taught school until his health declined so much that he had to retire. A contemporary once wrote that he had called at Fowlers home and found him living in grinding poverty, with few possessions and little means of heating his sparse quarters, but found Fowler totally cheerful about his circumstances, and undismayed. On August 27, 1865, the Englishman who had traveled nearly the entire circumference of the globe died in his humble pioneer cottage in Manti, possibly of tuberculosis. He was only 35 years of age. I lis wife, Ellen, lived for another ten years, and then joined him in the modest plot in the southwest corner of the Manti City Cemetery. Both their graves were marked with native stone headstones until the LDS church erected a larger granite monument to William. Manti-Sterlin- The county-wid- e dispatch system is capable of channeling calls for ambulances, police, fire, state park personnel, social services, Division of Wildlife officers and other agencies through this emergency network. The caller needs only to give hisher name, the telephone number from which he is calling, and information on the nature of the emergency he wishes to report. The dispatcher will summon the proper agencies immediately. For the information of Pageant visitors, there are two hos- needed. excavated over the hill. President Anderson put his arm around me, and waving his other hand back and forth, he said: Brother Nelson, some day this will be the most beautiful spot of the entire temple hill. And now I am going to tell you something that you cannot at this time comprehend, and I dont know what it is that is going to happen. You will live to see it; but I will not; but there will be thousands of people come to this hillside. He repeated again, I will not see it, but you will. largest-attende- tion: In the summer of 1956, I was working for the Oakland Construction Company with my large dump trick engaged in making the south parking lot at the Manti Temple Hill. I would park my truck and the huge machinery would load it. I would always stand away from my truck while it was being loaded. This gave me the opportunity for a few minutes chatting with President L.R. Anderson, who was president of the temple at that time. He would come out from time to time to see how the work was progressing. One day as we stood on the south rim of the hill I told him I didnt like what we were doing as we would haul the huge rock . - t i 7 It ran through my mind at that time that it must be the gathering of the ten tribes or some such event during the millennium, or some far-oftime, but now I know he envisioned the Mormon Miracle Pageant which his own son, R. Clair Anderson, was instrumental in starting which sees over a hundred thousand yearly come to the spot L.R. Anderson was talking about. T ld .WV I I l; Jc r , Third North and The John W. Patten House, on the corner of of Utah First West, is now a museum operated by the Daughters Mormon and will be open during the days of the Pioneers, Miracle Pageant. Patten House open to Pageant visitors The Patten House, a classic example of the pioneers use of sultant for the Utah State Historical Society, said that legend has been proved a myth. In preparing the site for restoration in the summer of 1980, a careful study was made of the builders masonry which showed that the pioneer builders had used an adobe mud containing red sand in laying up the exterior walls. The mud became the victim of wind and water over the years, until finally the only mortar of this type remaining was buried deep between the layers of stone. Pioneers. The home was constructed in about 1854. Its builder, John Patten, Jr., was an inventor, engineer, farmer, city councilman and sheriff. His home was built outside the Big Fort during a brief Peterson Masonry, Mayfield, period of relative calm between completed the restoration of the the native Indians and the settlers. The primary material for exterior walls, striving to remain true to the original apconstruction was oolite rock the same material was later used pearance and architecture. A to build the Manti Temple. soft mortar required special to enable it to exLacking stonecutting materials, formulation and contract with temthe pioneers who used the rock pand crackwithout for construction purposes in this perature changes the stone. period generally utilized loose ing stone for wall construction. Title to the Patten House is in Manti City. The Manti vested For years, legend had it that Camp of the Daughters of the the Patten House was conUtah Pioneers has been responstructed .of rocks simply piled sible for maintenance on the each other without mortar. atop project. architectural con Larry Jones, -- Welcome to the Pageant! Many people have stories or recollections like this which they have repeated to family members, observed Mrs. Jane Please Be Patient and Courteous Driving When you Leave the Pageant! V I 0 The letter was signed by Mr. Nelson and presented to LDS Church officials. Braithwaite, a granddaughter of President Anderson, but so few actually take the time to write these things down and to even have them witnessed. How fortunate we are that Mr. Nelson took this action before he passed away, and left posterity this record. Mr. Duncan, who was with him, is now dead, too, and this memory might have died away if (Mr. Nelson) hadnt taken the time to preserve it" i -- available building materials, will be open to visitors daily during the Mormon Miracle Pageant, according to Mrs. Elta Alder, the president of the Manti Camp of the Daughters of the Utah Temple president foresaw Mormon Miracle Pageant A VO... ' g grounds each evening. Officers from Manti City, the Sanpete County Sheriffs office and Sanpete Search and Rescue Patrol, and the Utah Highway Patrol will be directing traffic in the Pageant area. Most of these officers are equipped with radios to summon other emergency aid if pitals located in Sanpete County: Sanpete Valley Hospital in Mt. Pleasant, about 21 miles north Manti Temple president foresaw by several years the production of the Mormon Miracle Pageant which has come to be an annual event on the south slope of the temple hill and has d earned the title of the outdoor pageant in the United States. In the summer of 1956, Glen A Nelson, a local workman, along with a friend, Billy Duncan, was engaged in hauling rock to create a parking lot on the south slope of the temple. According to local sources, Mr. Nelson was a straightforward individual who was not afraid to speak out. Although he had accepted the job of working on the excava-- . tion, he felt the action was tantamount to desecration of the temple hill, and when the opportunity afforded, he confided his feelings to the temple president In a later, witnessed letter, Mr. Nelson recalled the circumstances of that conversa- .,,71 of Manti. - Tombstone of William Fowler in Manti City Cemetery. Smaller headstone marks his wifes grave. A Hospital, about 14 miles south v v' notes the Final resting spot of William Fowler, whose brief life was snuffed out possibly by tuberculosis shortly after his immigration to the United States and his subsequent settling in Manti. of Manti, and Gunnison Valley law enforcement assistance is available from any point in Sanpete County by dialing the toll-fre- V The author of the famous Mormon hymn, We Thank Thee, O God, For a Prophet, died in Manti in 1865 and is buried in the Manti Cemetery. Emergency medical, fire and Enjoy a Cool Drink While You Walt for the Pageant to Begin! Just the thing for a hot summer day Can't Beat V OASSIC. Richfield The Feeling! Coca-Col- a 896-644- Bottling 8 Pine Valley Buyers Group offers Fresh Basics in Food Storage Our Best Wishes to the Mormon Miracle Pageant See our Booth at the Pageant! We ship anywhere in the Lower 48 states. and all it's Guests! Order directly from your local Pine Valley 8 Distributor, or call direct or write to us at 305B N. Main, Mapleton, Utah 489-972- Serving your banking needs. We sell grains, rice, popcorn, flour, beans and lentils, pasta, dry milk, honey, oil, as well as food storage containers and emergency kits. 84 Years of Service From 1805 to 1989 72-ho- ur U WUII ! And Please, Enjoy the Pageant! I |