Isaac Missionary Letter: 1879

IJW to family apr 3 1879
Lamerdale [I could not find this town with Google maps, perhaps Ainsdale] Lanchastershire ED Spr 3 1879
To my Dare famaley Wives and Children knowing that you Wood Like to hear from me i take this opetunety to Right to you hoping tht thes fue Lines Will find you all Well as it Leves me at this time; thank god for it[.]  my feet is a grate Deal Beter[.]  i have Been to Day to a toune Callad onsknk [Ormskirk] to see the sants[.]  But i honley found 1 famaly in that Large Citey[.]  i ham staying to Night With old Bro and sister Rapley Wich takes Water and she Washis my feet for me and she gives me all the harbe Beer Drink to that i Want and thay firnish me a bad to sleep in Whan i call to see tham and give me the Bast they have to heat When i Call on tham[.]  so you see that the Lord as given me a home in the Land of stranges[.]  i have got [page two] some very     kind frends in this Districk Wich Dow all thay Can for me but it is Not Lik Beene at home[.]  i have Been so bisey that it seems that i have Not Left you but 8 or 9 Days[.]  April 1 i Baptized 7 more in to the Church[.]  i start in the Morning to the toune of Limm[.] i have Been thaire once before[.]  i Expet to Baptize 3 more then and then go to Liverpool; stay 3 Days and then Come Back to Wigan my hade quartes[.]  i hope to Baptize 5 more on my Way Back so you see that the Lord is Blesing my Lavers[.]  i have taken a Little Deferent way to What the other Elder as in the past i have visited some of the people in thayre houses and found it to bee very good so far[.]  but Whan they old man find it hout he may make a [page three] Nayse[.]  but that make no Difrence[.]  When the Birds are Caut in the Lord trap i Entend to [do] all i can in This Way[.]  Whan i Cant do Eney more in the houses then i Expet to Cal on some of the Local Breathen and sisters and go in the streets and see What We Can Du thaire[.]  i Think that the Lord Will happen up the Way so that We shall have a good havest of soles this somer[.]  We have got 13 (6 in my lat leter, 7 this) all Ready this spring in the Wigan Districk sinc i Came[.]  i hope to have some Newses from home before Long[.]  it seems that you have for got me but i hope Not[.]  send my Leters to Liverpoole as thay knouse Whare I am Most of the time and thay Will send them to me[.]  Bisness is getting Worse Evry Day[.]  it seems that peepel Will all most starve to [page four] this somer[.]  thousands of men are out of Work and Du not knowe What to Do to feed thare famaley on[.]  this Whick [wee] 2 man has hung them selve; 1 Last Whick because that thaire Children was cr[y]ing for Bread and thay had none to give them so thay tooke this Way to get out of truble[.]  i feel more thankful Evrey Day that i live that i Left this contry When i Did and that my Wives and Dear Children is Not hear now to see and feel What i Now Do[.]  i hope that you and all of the sants in South Jorden Will Make goo youse [use] of your time this yeare and Rase all you Can and Whan you have got a good harvist take god Care of it[.]  i think that With What i have seen it Will Not be Long till you [page five] Whantit Worse that you Do Now[.]  i Want you john to pay all our Dets and then keep out of Det[.]  Do all you Can for your mother and Sophia and the Children[.]  tell Willey to bee a good boy till I Come home and Joseph & Chales to bee god and Eniley & Mintez and Hannah to not for get What I told them before I left[.]  i Dow Not think that I shall bee hable to send them Eny thing[.]  if I Can get a Long with out Calling on you i shall Do[.]  Well i may have to send home for some More Closes but i shall Do s the Breathen in Liverpool offices tells me to Do[.]  if the people Can give the Elders some think to heat thay Will Do Well[.]  some of the Breathen have got help from home all Ready but i Du Not [page six] [intend] to call on you till i ham forst [forced] to Do[.]  i had a Little Money Left When I got to England but it took me some in fiting up so that I Cood go a round Respctble[.]  you Can not go heare as you Can at home[.]  We have got to Look lick gentlemen Whether We are or Not or We Can not get in With the peeple to talk to them!  Sen me Word how the sheep as Dun this Winter and how Maney Lams you have got and the i Will right to you and tell you Wht to Do about giving up sheep: tell all the fokes to Right to me[.]  give my love to all[.]  i must Cnclud With my love you and pray god to Bles you all[.]  your husband and father[,[ I J Wardle
Tell Bro Wit Bills to send Me small pees [piece] temple Rock in it Neus paper and the Mountian Wable and i be much bliged[.]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

Isaac's Missionary Letter; March 1879

IJW to home from Wigan march 11 1879
Wigan March 22 1879 England
been Caled away on the 9 Not having time to send my leter before going Whay[.]  i thought i Wood thake a fue more Minits before leving again[.]  i started for 2 visit among the sants but on starting i got a leter from my president in forming me to met him on the 13 of this Month at Upton Branch so i Was away 2 Days[.]  it is 10 clock[.]  i start at 11 on visiting thrue Branch to get my Report Ready for the president to see What i have been doing for 8 Dayes[.]  i Du Not knowe Whan i shall have the time to Right againe as i Canot Right in Evry plase that i go to[.]  i expet to bee away 8 to 14 Dayes[.]  i ham Well thank god in helth and sprit But Wood like to hear from home[.]  give my Love to all the Brothen[.]  i expet som of tham think i hught [ought] to Right to them But i have Not had time as yet so i shud Bee glad if they Wood Wate a little Wile[.]  i hope to have More time in 1 or 2 yeares from Now But tell them to Bee kind enug to Whrite to me[.] [page 2]i thought i shud Like to say one Word to my family in Regard to our tampral Walfare Before Closing[.]  I have not thought of tmprel things much since I left hom Which suprises my self ant Been Much of a spritel Minded Man befor Leving home)  i Wold like to have my son john send me Word how the sheep is getting along-and the horses of panados on the Winmucks and hou the Boys are Duing With the sheep and hou he is getting on in Every Respet with the family Walfare hoping that all is Whrite[.]  Du no fret about me as god is With me by is sprit and Will take Care of me and you all so if you Do What is Wright) if you Can get you Liknes taken send them to Me[.]  Marthannehave your and your Children taken gogather and Sophia and here Chjildren with William in with yours John a lone)  this Will give you some hiday [idea] of Wat i Want[.]  i must conclude With my Best Respet to you all[.]  i Remain fath Isaac Wardle[.]  good by for the present[.]

Book Report: The Mormon Experience

Book Report The Mormon Experience: A History of the Latter-day Saints Leonard J. Arrington and Davis Bitton  Alfred A. Knopf  new York 1979
This book, published in 1979, provides a look at the history of the Church, as well as a look at the present day church in 1979.  I wanted to read this book to take a look at Mormon History after they had arrived at Salt Lake, although this book provided helpful insight into the earlier church and moves; and the reason for the moves—from New York to Kirtland and Missouri, and then to Nauvoo, and finally to Utah.  It has a very good section on the church in England, and the immigration of the Saints from England.  One thing I had neglected was the influence of the Book of Mormon in the conversion experience.  Membership in the church was hard; I don’t think many people jointed the Church for help with immigration or economic reasons.  There was a different motivation.
However I wanted to get some idea of the economic system, strengths and weaknesses, after they arrived in the valleys of the mountains.  The economic system of the Mormons had its foundation in agriculture.  This was hard work, but very doable.  The field of mining for the most part, was left to “gentiles.”  However the Mormons were active in developing railroads as well as telegraph offices across the state and West.  There were attempts to develop the iron business which at first were unsuccessful. 
This book deals extensively with the relationship between the church and the government.  This includes the Utah War, as well as the Edmunds Act and the Edmunds Tucker Act and their effect on the Mormon way of life, as well as the financial stability of the Church.
The last section did not proof very helpful to my study, as it dealt with modern and current issues, including people in the sciences and the arts.

My purpose in reading this book was to help in getting a feel for the environment Isaac raised his family.  There is a poem I found interesting.  It does not have a title or author: 
We plow, we sow and irrigate,
To raise the golden grain;
And diligently labor
To independence gain;
Some haul the wood from canyons wile,
Some tend the flocks and herd,
And all our moments are beguiled
By industry’s reward.
My Valley Home, my Mountain Home,
The dear and peaceful Valley.  (Arrington and Bitton p 142)

I see Isaac in several lines of this poem.  I understand he helped establish the road up Bingham Canyon to get wood.  He also grazed sheep over a large expanse of the South Salt Lake Valley.  At the reunion someone mentioned that the grazing area extended through three Mormon Temples, Jordan River, Draper and Oquirrh.

Walk the Path of Faith

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gQyvr_7er4k

I think this video explains why am so intereted in Isaac's story.

Your Heart Will Burn: Act Two Scene Four, Near Chimney Rock

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=63Dwurjv_w8&feature=player_detailpage

In this scene, we start with the pioneers talking about the Indian attack on the A.W. Babbitt wagon train in which a baby was killed as well as a couple teamsters.  The baby's mother, who had been part of the handcart company, but left with the wagons and a faster ride at Florence, was kidnapped by the Indians.  We see Peter teasing Mary Ashton.  This teasing of course is fictional.  Also is the relationship between the Baileys and the Ashtons.  There is no way of knowing what the relationships were.  However we do know Isaac was affiliated with the Baileys.

In this scene I make my most serious error historically in that I have Langley walking and helping with the handcart.  Langley was blessed that we would survive to Salt Lake.  Langley either road in Isaac's handcart, or after meeting the rescuers, road in a wagon, all the way to Salt Lake.  He weighed less than 90 pounds upon arriving, but he did survive, and slowly regained his strength.

Another thing that happened this date was the death of Sarah Ashton, the two-week old baby.  Her death is recorded in John Jaques journal and it indicates that she was buried near the baby from the Babbitt Company.

Your Heart Will Burn act 2 Scene 3, Florence, Nebraska

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgpwcyDV8rE&feature=plcp

This scene starts with a meeting the Franklin Richards held with the Saints in Florence.  This is an actual meeting (at least two meetings were held) in which the Saints decided to continue onward as Florence represented the last opportunity to winter in the East.  The song "Cheer Saints Cheer" is an original song from this era and is in the book "Handcarts to Zion." 
This scene also presents the blessing which Langley received at the hands of Franklin Richards.  In one of Langley's histories he mentions that he was unconscious during this blessing.  His mother had originally petitioned Brother Toone, leader of a group of 100 for the blessing.  He had responded that he couldn't cure a dead man.  Elder Richard's blessing promised him that he would reach Salt Lake City alive.  
This scene also presents the death of Sister Sara Ashton.  She passed away in child birth at Cutler's park a day after leaving Florence.  Although not actually Florence, it is a community which had been inhabited during the winter of 1846 by the Saints that had fled Nauvoo.
One of my favorite parts in the musical is presented: The Campfire Dance.  This was choreographed by Tamara McGhie.  Music is played by Joe Eliason and Elaine Morris.  Mark (my son) and I wrote this music.  I wrote the violin line (melody) and Mark everything else.