| Show BISHOP JOHN PARKER 1 the life of an cilc man the sketch whose demise has already been noticed was the son of john and ellen haskin parker and was born in Chaidy lcy lancashire england feb 14 1811 ho was among those who heard the gospel preached by the elders in alie early days of the english mission was among ahe first of his family to receive the and became a member of the church by baptism in 1838 he was afterwards ordained and his faithful labors in that conn try as a minister of the gospel were attended with considerable success in adding numbers to the church in 1845 he migrated with his three motherless children nauvoo and was among those who were favored with the ordinances of the temple before his expulsion from that city in the general exodus of the saints in 1846 he with his then somewhat numerous family acquired by marriage with an estimable widow lady found it necessary to find employment by which they might be able to procure the necessary means to enable them to join the main body of the church at that timo moving to the western wilds at as early a date as possible for this purpose he removed his family to st louis where hia success in realizing the object of his sojourn was a special manifestation of gods favor to those choso whoso hearts are set upon the up building of his kins donai while there he was hot un mindful of the poor nor of the needs af tho branch of the church there but his generau gene ruu contributions were quite in with hia success in business and his departure from tha place was recognized as an appreciable loss to both the spiritual and temporal interests of the branch in 1852 he gathered up hia family and effects and journeyed across the plains to salt lake city in charge of the company with which he traveled arriving about the first of october of that year here he lo 10 caad in view of making a permanent home but in 1862 ha was called upon to go and assist in p the settlements in the southern part of the territory in answer to the call he with the principal pak nf his family re paired forthwith to virgen on the virgen river where lie engaged i with the characteristic energy as a zealous worker in all those general improvements requisite to trans form a dreary desert land into pleasant and desirable homes lu this be labored with hia own hands and by hia example encouraged others whose hearts and faith were not BO strong in efforts needed to bring water upon the land and make it fruitful as a possible dwelling placa for man on the day of may 1864 he was ordained a bishop by prest E snow of the twelve apostles and officiated in that capacity to the great satisfaction of the people of the ward as well as the presiding authorities to the day of his death occurred on the oi March last hw failing health hag for some years prevented to some extent that active service which characterized his career in every place were energy was necessary in connection with great wisdom to achieve important results but the weadom of his counsel which was eagerly sought was equal to every emergency and brought mm honor both in hia bishopric and as a judge in karael his well spent life of 75 years was less alemi hed with indes cre tion less characterized with indi vidual ambition than the elivea of ordinary mortals usually are hia labors were for the dead as well as the living and departed ones will ever honor his name fur acting a part so eminently in unison with a saviors regard for the welfare of others and in keeping with the highest order of Celea lial law revealed to mun he lived to eee and bless hia third generation and left a poster ity almost as numerous as were his years to blesa and revere his name in generations and eternities to come ho reeta in peace and hia reward is ure COM |
