At this crisis in the affairs of the Church, the Lord revealed to Joseph
Smith that "something new" must be done for its salvation. The good
ship Zion, storm-tossed and tempest-driven, her sails rent, her timbers sprung,
a portion of her officers and crew in open mutiny, was drifting with fearful
rapidity toward the rocks and breakers of destruction.
Joseph was denounced as a "fallen prophet" by men who had been his
immediate friends and confidential advisers, and the divinity of his mission
was being doubted by many who had received through him a testimony of the
truth, the gift of the Holy Ghost, a knowledge of God and Christ, whom to know
is life eternal.
"No quorum in the Church," says he, "was entirely exempt from
the influence of those false spirits who were striving against me for the
mastery. Even some of the Twelve were so far lost to their high and responsible
calling, as to begin to take sides, secretly, with the enemy."
"On Sunday, the 4th day of June, 1837," says Heber C. Kimball,
"the Prophet Joseph came to me, while I was seated in front of the stand,
above the sacrament table, on the Melchizedek side of the Temple, in Kirtland,
and whispering to me, said, 'Brother Heber, the Spirit of the Lord has
whispered to me: "Let my servant Heber go to England and proclaim my
Gospel, and open the door of salvation to that nation."'"
The thought was overpowering. He had been surprised at his call to the
apostleship. Now he was overwhelmed. Like Jeremiah he staggered under the
weight of his own weakness, exclaiming in self-humiliation: "O, Lord, I am
a man of stammering tongue, and altogether unfit for such a work; how can I go
to preach in that land, which is so famed throughout Christendom for learning,
knowledge and piety; the nursery of religion; and to a people whose
intelligence is proverbial!
"Feeling my weakness to go upon such an errand, I asked the Prophet if
Brother Brigham might go with me. He replied that he wanted Brother Brigham to
stay with him, for he had something else for him to do. The idea of such a
mission was almost more than I could bear up under. I was almost ready to sink
under the burden which was placed upon me.
"However, all these considerations did not deter me from the path of
duty; the moment I understood the will of my Heavenly Father, I felt a
determination to go at all hazards, believing that He would support me by His
almighty power, and endow me with every qualification that I needed; and
although my family was dear to me, and I should have to leave them almost
destitute, I felt that the cause of truth, the gospel of Christ, outweighed
every other consideration.
"At this time many faltered in their faith; even some of the Twelve
were in rebellion against the Prophet of God. John F. Boynton said to me, 'If
you are such a fool as to go at the call of the fallen prophet, Joseph Smith, I
will not help you a dime, and if you are cast on Van Dieman's land, I will not
make an effort to help you.' Lyman E. Johnson said he did not want me to go on
my mission, but if I was determined to go, he would help me all he could; he
took his cloak from off his back and put it on mine; which was the first cloak
I ever had.
"Brothers Sidney Rigdon, Joseph Smith, Sr., Brigham Young, Newell K.
Whitney and others said, 'Go and do as the Prophet has told you and you shall
prosper and be blessed with power to do a glorious work.' Hyrum, seeing the
condition of the Church, when he talked about my mission, wept like a little
child; he was continually blessing and encouraging me, and pouring out his soul
in prophecies upon my head; he said, 'Go, and you shall prosper as not many have
prospered.'"
Elder Orson Hyde, who had had some disagreement with the authorities and was
thought to be disaffected, gave a noble proof of his integrity by asking
forgiveness of the brethren, and requesting the privilege of accompanying
Apostle Kimball on his mission to England. He was accordingly set apart, with
Elder Kimball and Priest Joseph Fielding, for that purpose.
Says Heber: "The Presidency laid their hands on me and set me apart to
preside over the mission, and conferred great blessings upon my head; said that
God would make me mighty in that nation in winning souls unto Him; angels
should accompany me and bear me up, that my feet should never slip; that I
should be mightily blessed a prove a source of salvation to thousands, not only
in England but America.
"After being called on this mission, I daily went into the east room of
the attic story of the temple and poured out my soul unto the Lord, asking His
protection and power to fulfill honorably the mission appointed me by His
servants. A short time previous to starting, I was laid prostrate on my bed
with a stitch in my back, which suddenly seized me while chopping and drawing
wood for my family. I could not stir a limb without crying out from the
severeness of the pain. Joseph, hearing of it, came to see me, bringing Oliver
Cowdery and Bishop Partridge with him; they prayed for and blessed me, Joseph
being mouth, beseeching God to raise me up; he then took me by the right hand
and said, 'Brother Heber, I take you by the right hand in the name of Jesus
Christ of Nazareth, and by virtue of the Holy Priesthood vested in me I command
you in the name of Jesus Christ to arise, and be thou made whole.' I arose from
my bed, put on my clothes, and started with them and went up to the temple, and
felt no more of the pain afterwards."
Though amazed and overwhelmed at his call to this duty, the voice of the
Spirit in his own heart had long since told him that he would some day be
required to perform just such a work. As with all men of destiny, the mountain
of his mission loomed before him dimly in the distance, casting its shadow
athwart his soul, and there were times when, worn and wearied with life's
common cares, he sought within that shade shelter and repose from the
noontide's heat and toil....
The day of departure came; Tuesday, January 13, 1837 [nine days after the
call]. The solemn scene of Heber's parting with his family cannot be more
tenderly or graphically told than in the words of Elder Robert B. Thompson, who
thus describes it:
"The day appointed for the departure of the Elders to England having
arrived, I stepped into the house of Brother Kimball to ascertain when he would
start, as I expected to accompany him two or three hundred miles, intending to
spend my labors in Canada that season.
"The door being partly open, I entered and felt struck with the sight
which presented itself to my view. I would have retired, thinking I was
intruding, but I felt riveted to the spot. The father was pouring out his soul
to 'That God who rules on high, Who all the earth surveys: That rides upon the
stormy sky, And calms the roaring seas, 'that He would grant unto him a prosperous voyage across the mighty ocean,
and make him useful wherever his lot should be cast, and that He who 'careth
for the sparrows, and feedeth the young ravens when they cry' would supply the
wants of his wife and little ones in his absence. He then, like the patriarchs,
and by virtue of his office, laid his hands upon their heads individually,
leaving a father's blessing upon them, and commending them to the care and
protection of God, while he should be engaged preaching the gospel in foreign
lands. While thus engaged his voice was almost lost in the sobs of those
around, who tried in vain to suppress them.
The idea of being separated from
their protector and father for so long a time was indeed painful. He proceeded,
but his heart was too much affected to do so regularly. His emotions were
great, and he was obliged to stop at intervals, while the big tears rolled down
his cheeks, an index to the feelings which reigned in his bosom. My heart was
not stout enough to refrain; in spite of myself I wept, and mingled my tears
with theirs. At the same time I felt thankful that I had the privilege of
contemplating such a scene. I realized that nothing could induce that a man
tear himself from so affectionate a family group, from his partner and children
who were so dear to him -- but a sense of duty and love to God and attachment
to His cause."
In order to realize the situation so touchingly described, it must be
remembered that in those early days, ere the age of steamships and railways had
fairly arrived, a mission to Europe, comparatively easy now, seemed almost like
a voyage to another world.
(Orson F. Whitney, _Life of Heber C. Kimball_, pp. 103-109)
