THE LIFE OF

CHARLES FREDRICK ZITTING

ONE OF GOD'S NOBLE MEN
Written by his wife, Laura Tree Zitting
With Some of Charles' Own Words
Copyright 19
LIVES OF GREAT MEN ALL REMIND US WE CAN MAKE OUR LIVES
SUBLIME, AND DEPARTING LEAVE BEHIND US FOOTPRINTS ON
THE SANDS OF TIME.
Charles !redri"# Zitting, the memoirs of whom $
write, perhaps would not be "onsidered great in the
eyes of the world% Only a few noted his ad&ent into
this life and "omparati&ely few, his demise% 'et, his
name was #nown for good or ill in a wide "ir"le(
surely he has left his mar# in the hearts of ea"h
member of his family be"ause of his faith, "ourage
and integrity and the stand he too# for "o&enants'
and prin"iples' sa#es when he seemed to &irtually
stand alone and was held behind prison bars for two
years and se&en months% 'es, his footprints will be
mar#ed on the sands of time and shall "arry on
down through the ages as long as his "hildren and grand"hildren "ontinue to uphold
and sustain the prin"iples for whi"h he li&ed and fought and died%
Charles sprang from sturdy pioneer sto"# from both his father's and mother's
families% )is grandfather, Carl *ugust Zitting, was a nati&e of Sto"#holm, Sweden,
ha&ing been born +une ,, 11( and his grandmother, Sophia Wilhelmina -r&older
Zitting was born in Copenhagen, .enmar#, on +anuary 9, 1/0% 1oth emigrated to
2tah for the gospel's sa#e when the West was still an un"on3uered wilderness% The
paths of their li&es met after they "ame to 2tah and they were united in the holy
bonds of matrimony in the -ndowment )ouse in Salt La#e City on *pril 45, 156%
7randfather Carl *ugust Zitting was &ery e8pert in fine "arpentry and he did a
"onsiderable amount of wor# on the Taberna"le in Salt La#e City% )e also wor#ed
on the Taberna"le organ when it was in the ma#ing% )e built all the original musi"
pipes with his own hands% )e was fired on"e by 9r% :idges, the builder of the
organ, be"ause he was so slow at his wor#% They "ould find no one else who "ould
do the wor# good enough so 1righam 'oung instru"ted 9r% :idges to put him
ba"# on the ;ob again and let him ta#e the time he needed%
7randfather Carl *ugust Zitting was also an a""omplished piano player% )is son,
*ugust !redri"# Zitting, followed in his father's footsteps as a "arpenter and was
&ery apt with "arpenter tools whi"h he used often down through the years as a
supplement to his means of li&elihood%
The grandmother, Sophia Wilhelmina -r&older, as a "hild helped her parents in
ma#ing a li&ing for the family% )er mother died when she was only 16 years old%
She li&ed with her aunt after she graduated from s"hool at age 16% *fter this time
she wor#ed for her own support, ;oining the 9ormon Chur"h in the "ourse of a few
years against the wishes of her father% She had to wal# a long distan"e o&er the i"e
and snow at midnight in the month of +anuary to the pla"e of baptism% They had to
"ut away the i"e in the stream to bapti<e her% She wor#ed hard to earn money to
pay her way to 2tah, 2%S%*% Starting her ;ourney in the spring of 154, she was ten
wee#s on the o"ean and then "rossed the plains by o8 team% * good deal of the way
was tra&eled on foot and many hardships were endured before arri&ing in Salt La#e
City in September of 154%
She be"ame a"3uainted with 9rs% +ulia 9% 7row of Salt La#e City, and did a good
deal of #nitting for her family as a means of helping to support herself% $t was
e&idently through 9rs% 7row =4> and her husband that she met and later married
Carl *ugust Zitting% 9rs% 7row's husband was one of the foremen wor#ing on the
Taberna"le at the time when Carl *ugust Zitting was wor#ing there%
$n 159 they mo&ed to )arrie&ille, Weber County, 2tah, where they homesteaded
and raised their family of three boys and two girls( Charles +%, *ugust !%, *braham,
Wilhelmina, and Ce"elia% $n 195, 7randfather Carl *ugust Zitting passed away%
7randmother then mo&ed to $daho with her youngest daughter Ce"ilia, and li&ed
there until 1910, when they returned to Ogden, 2tah% She li&ed in Ogden until her
death, .e"ember 1, 1916%
Charles' maternal grandfather, -lisha Wheat ?an -tten, sprang from the
@ennsyl&ania .ut"h% )is birthpla"e was Aewar#, Aew +ersey% +ust when he
a""epted the gospel and mo&ed to 2tah is not #nown% )owe&er, he did li&e in the
Salt La#e ?alley during 1righam 'oung's lifetime%
)e had a large li&esto"# ran"h and fruit or"hard in West +ordan% )is sheep and
other li&esto"# gra<ed on most of the land in the Salt La#e ?alley west of the
+ordan :i&er% )e brought the first 400 head of merino sheep to 2tah, dri&ing them
a"ross the plains% *lso, he owned fine "attle and imported e8pensi&e breeds of
horses from the -astern States%
)e tra&eled some with 1righam 'oung and fol#s say he tried to ha&e as ni"e a
"arriage, horse and harness as 1righam 'oung owned%
)e was a polygamist with se&eral families% )owe&er, it ie reported that he too# his
first wife and family and went ba"# -ast where he spent the rest of his life, lea&ing
Charles' maternal grandmother, Lu"y *nn Cutler ?an -tten and two other wi&es
with small "hildren to fare for themsel&es% Charles' grandmother had three little
daughters at the time he left and later she married *rthur +% Crane and raised a
large family with him% Their home and farm were in !arr West, Weber County,
2tah%
The grandmother, Lu"y *nn Cutler, tra"ed her lineage ba"# to +ohn and @ris"illa
*lden, who "ame o&er with the pilgrims on the 9ayflower in 1540% She was born
in @ottawatomie County, $owa, 9ar"h B1, 164% -&idently, her parents were
among the saints who were dri&en out of Aau&oo, $llinois, after the martyrdom of
the @rophet +oseph Smith and his brother )yrum, and had found a resting pla"e in
$owa before "ontinuing on to the Salt La#e ?alley%
Lu"y *nn Cutler was the granddaughter of .a&id @ettigrew, who was the oldest
man and the "haplin of the 9ormon 1attalion% They "ame to 2tah by way of
California after ma#ing that famous mar"h% They arri&ed in 2tah in September,
1/,, ;ust two months after 1righam 'oung's arri&al% .a&id @ettigrew was the first
bishop of the 10th Ward of Salt La#e City, and was the father of se&eral families%
Lu"y *nn's father, )armon Cutler, homesteaded and de&eloped a farm where the
town of 9id&ale is now lo"ated% )e too had se&eral families% )is forefathers "ame
to *meri"a soon after the landing of the 9ayflower% They "ame in the ship !ortune
in 1541%
Charles' father, *ugust !redri"# Zitting was born in )arris&ille, Weber County,
2tah on *ugust 14, 1,1% Charles' =B> mother, Susannah ?an -tten Zitting, was
born in the Sugar )ouse se"tion of Salt La#e City, about 14th -ast and 1th South%
*s mentioned before, her mother married again after her husband deserted her and
from then until her marriage to Charles' father, Susannah was #nown as Susannah
Crane%
Aow we "ome to the life story of Charles !redri"# Zitting% While in"ar"erated in
the 2tah State @enitentiary, from 9ay 16, 19/6, to .e"ember 16, 19/,, be"ause of
his religious "on&i"tions, Charles attempted to write his life history, in a rather
dis"onne"ted strain as memories "ame to him, and so from here on, mu"h that is
written will be "opied from his own re"ord or in other wordsCC
We ha&e gathered bou3uets !rom other men's flowers(
Aothing but the &ase that holds Them is ours%
)e "ommen"es his story as followsD
E$, Charles !redri"# Zitting, was born at )arris&ille, Weber County, 2tah on 9ar"h
B0, 19/% The house $ was born in stood where a ser&i"e station now stands, on the
first bend of the )arris&ille road running northwesterly from !i&e @oints in the
north part of Ogden City, and ;ust about two miles from the pla"e where my father
was born%
E$ am the oldest son of *ugust !redri"# Zitting and Susannah ?an -tten FCraneG%
9y brothers and sisters are +ohn *lbert, Lu"y, Cora, Oli&er *ugust, :osie, and
Lola% One brother, +esse, died in infan"y when we li&ed in or near *mmon, $daho%
E$ li&ed in )arris&ille and !arr West, Weber County, 2tah, until $ was fi&e yearE
old, then we mo&ed to *mmon, $daho%
E$ still remember se&eral e8perien"es in the first fi&e years of my life whi"h $ will
try to relate here% $ first remember a large bed of red roses in front of 7randfather
Crane's home% $ remember also, mother peeling apples with an apple peeler, one
summer out in an or"hard% $ would pi"# up the apples in my little wagon and haul
them to her% $ had to "ross a narrow foot bridge in doing this and one day while
"rossing, my wagon ran off the edge of the bridge% $ held to the tongue of the
wagon until wagon, apples and $ were pulled into the water by the for"e of the
stream% 9other heard me holler and "ame to my res"ue%
E$ also remember going into a field of green tomatoes owned by a 9r% :andall, on
whose pla"e we were li&ing at that time, and pi"#ing the green tomatoes and piling
them in little piles% $ didn't #now $ was doing wrong until 9r% :andall got after me
and mother "orre"ted me%
E$ remember too, of "limbing on a shed with a willow and straw roof on it% $t ga&e
way letting me fall into a pig pen with two &ery large pigs in it% $ thought the pigs
were going to eat me so $ s"reamed and again, mother "ame to my res"ue%
E$ remember the day we left for *mmon, $daho where my father had gone
sometime before to get established before sending for us% $t was the day after my
fifth birthday%
E*s my mother, my brother +ohn *lbert, who was about three years old, and
myself waited for the train at the )ot Springs depot, $ found a dime in the sand on
the sidewal# whi"h thrilled me &ery mu"h% When the train pulled up to the depot, $
got frightened, thin#ing the engine would run o&er me, and $ ran away from it% The
entire trip to *mmon, $ remember as if it were yesterday%
E9y father's brother, 2n"le Cal, For Charles +% ZittingG, met us at the station in
$daho !alls that night and too# us in his buggy o&er rough dusty "ountry roads
through nothing but sagebrush all the way to *mmon about fi&e miles southeast of
$daho !alls% $t was &ery dar# and it seemed as though we would ne&er get there as
the roads were rough and we had to go so slowly%
EWe found the town of *mmon "onsisted of a few log "abins, surrounded in e&ery
dire"tion by sagebrush% The s"hool house, a one room log building where the
s"hoolmarm taught the three :'s to all eight grades, was also the "enter of all so"ial
a"ti&ities in that little "ommunity% We went there to dan"es, "hur"h and any other
meetings of importan"e%
E$ remember the first time $ attended Sunday S"hool in the s"hool with my father's
sister, *unt Ce"ilia% $ remember parta#ing of the Sa"rament but $ didn't understand
it% When $ returned home $ told mother, they ser&ed us lun"h but all they ga&e us
was water and one tiny little pie"e of bread with no butter on it% 9other e8plained
the purpose of the Sa"rament to me% !rom then on, all my life, $ attended Sunday
S"hool and other "hur"h gatherings and ward "elebrations regularly%
E9other always dressed my brother +ohn and me in red "ali"o waists so she "ould
more easily see us when we wandered a long distan"e away from the house in the
sagebrush% We would find many bird's nests and wild flowers in our rambles,
butter"ups that loo#ed li#e yellow shiny wa8 flowers, lar#spurs, wild pin#s, et"%
One day $ found a beautiful flower and too# it home to mother% $ found it in the
sagebrush pat"h ;ust west of the s"hool house% 9other told me it was a sego lily,
the 2tah State !lower% lt was the only one $ e&er remember seeing in the Sna#e
:i&er ?alley%
EOne day $ "ame home with a little animal $ had "aught in the sagebrush and $
thought it was &ery beautiful% $ told mother to open her hand and $ would gi&e her
something &ery pretty% When she held out her hand, $ pla"ed a horny toad in it% She
was &ery frightened and s"reamed and dropped it% $ felt badly be"ause $ thought she
had hurt it%
E*s a youngster, they would ha&e me on e&ery program to re"ite as $ "ould spea#
loud and "learly enough for all to hear% 9y dear father and mother always
en"ouraged me in my "hur"h a"ti&ities and s"hool wor# and always taught me
"orre"t prin"iples of life%
E$ remember the little town of *mmon always had a large Christmas tree,
de"orated and loaded with presents for the "hildren and lighted with "andles e&ery
Christmas% $n "onne"tion with this they would ha&e a good program of re"itations
and musi" and a dan"e for the "hildren, nuts and "andy for all and a dan"e at night
for the big fol#s%
=6> E$ was nearly se&en years old when $ started s"hool% $ remember the first day% $t
was midCwinter and the ground was "o&ered with a hea&y blan#et of snow% $
remember the "old snow spar#ling li#e thousands of diamonds as $ trotted off to
s"hool that "old winter morning%
E9y first tea"her was 9iss Swan#% She taught all eight grades in that one room
s"hoolhouse% $ belie&e some of the boys were older than the tea"her% Two of them
had musta"hes%
E.uring my first year of s"hool, $ tal#ed &ery bro#enly and many of the older girls
would gi&e me "andy and gum if $ would wal# home with them% They li#ed to hear
me tal#% The girls of my age li#ed to play with me, too% $ would put a string on
their arms to play horse and dri&e them around in pairs% Sometimes $ would dri&e
three pairs at on"e% On"e $ brought a large red apple to s"hool and announ"ed to the
girls that $ would gi&e the apple to the one that would gi&e me a #iss% * beautiful
little girl by the name of :ebe""a stepped up and #issed me and got the apple%
E*nother little girl by the name of La"resa F$ "alled her CresaG, was out in the
sagebrush with me one day% We had dug up a beautiful butter"up to ta#e home%
*fter we had it dug, Cresa felt badly be"ause she was afraid the butter"up would
die% She "arefully replanted it and put her little hand#er"hief o&er it to shade it from
the hot rays of the sun so that it would go on growing% She said that little flower
wanted to li&e as well as we do% That was her last day with me as she went home
si"# that day from s"hool and a few days after, she died% *ll the s"hool "hildren
went to her funeral and saw her in her "offin% The ne8t day at s"hool $ was feeling
&ery sad and lonely be"ause of my lost friend and while thin#ing of her $ wandered
out where we had last played together% There $ found her little hand#er"hief o&er
the flower and it was fresh and growing% $ ha&e prayed for her to this day and hope
some day she may belong to my #ingdom%
EWhen $ was a few months past eight years old, they too# a number of us "hildren
to a stream in *mmon and bapti<ed us, and "onfirmed us members of the Chur"h
of +esus Christ of Latter .ay Saints% *s $ was put under the water, my foot "ame up
so they had to do it o&er again% The se"ond time, my whole leg "ame up so the
third time, 1rother Cooley who was bapti<ing me, held me under the water long
enough to loo# around before he brought me out and it strangled me%E
H H H H H H H H H H H
Charles' boyhood days were spent &ery mu"h as other "ountry boys', playing when
he "ould and wor#ing when he had to% $n the summertime they would swim and
fish in the Little Sand and 1ig Sand Cree#s running through *mmon and in the
wintertime they s#ated on the fro<en streams and went bobCsleigh riding% )e
earned "onsiderable money trapping mus#rats and would o""asionally "at"h a min#
or a weasel%
*s he grew older he and his brother +ohn wor#ed for the farmers in and around
*mmon in the beet fields or potato pat"hes or where&er wor# was a&ailable%
=5> $n his re"ord, Charles stated that his father was always a good pro&ider for his
family% !or twel&e years he tra&eled for the +% :% Wat#ins Company as a salesman
and often, as most of his tra&els were among the farming "ommunities, he would
get produ"e for his pay rather than money% )e would often bring home a dressed
beef, mutton, pig, honey, or fruits and &egetables% To supplement this, he was a
great hand at fishing and hunting% $n those days )enry's Cree# and Taylor's Cree#
abounded with fish% @ine hens, sage hens, and prairie "hi"#ens were in abundan"e,
to say nothing of wild berries that grew along the mountain streams%
Sometimes their father would let Charles and +ohn go along to help him pi"#
berries% )owe&er, he always "laimed Charles was too loudCmouthed to go fishing
with him as his shrill &oi"e would dri&e the fish away%
* few more "hildhood memories, Charles states as follows(
EWhen my sister Lu"y was born, father left my brother +ohn and me at 7randma
Zitting's home and said he was going to get a little pig for us% When he brought us
ba"# home and showed us our new sister, we were &ery pleased% )e told us he had
traded the pig for the sister%
EOne day when father "ame home from one of his trips for the Wat#ins Company,
he found that $ had gathered up se&enteen "ats from around the neighborhood% )e
as#ed me what $ was going to do with so many "ats% $ told him $ intended to raise
"ats and s#in them and sell their furs% )e said it would "ost too mu"h to feed them
whereupon $ stated that there would be no e8pense whate&er be"ause as $ s#inned
the "ats $ "ould use the dead "ats to feed the li&e ones%
EWhen $ was about se&en years old my mother sent me to the store for arti"les and
would wrap the money in a pie"e of paper or "loth so $ wouldn't lose it% One day $
found some tin foil from the wrapper of "hewing toba""o% $ dis"o&ered $ "ould "ut
it and ma#e a little dis# about the si<e of a ni"#el and by laying a ni"#el on it and
tapping it with a hammer the print of the ni"#el would be on the tin foil% $ wrapped
it in a pie"e of paper as mother would do and too# it to the store and bought a
ni"#el's worth of "andy, lea&ing the store before the "ler# unwrapped it% $ was too
young to #now there was anything wrong in ma#ing money% 9other soon found it
out, told me it wasn't right and had me ta#e a ni"#el out of my ban# and go pay the
"ler# for the "andy% *ll my plans that $ had made while eating the "andy, to
be"ome suddenly ri"h by ma#ing money from tin foil, were blasted when $ was
informed it was wrong%
E$ well remember the day @resident 9"Iinley, @resident of the 2nited States, was
assassinated% $t made me feel &ery sad% $ also remember when $ rode my first horse
alone% !ather put me on the horse and sent me to the post offi"e for the mail% $ was
about se&en years old and it was in the winter% The horse went slowly on the way
to the post offi"e, but on my way ba"# he was in a hurry to get home and started
out on a fast trot% $ saw that $ "ouldn't stay on and at the same time $ saw a large
snow drift =,> ahead% $ lay on my stoma"h and put my arms around the horses ne"#
and held on until we rea"hed the snow drift and then $ rolled off into the drift
without getting hurt% $ remember later getting thrown from a horse a few times%
On"e a horse threw me head first on a hard road and $ lay in bed that time for a
"ouple of wee#s, si"# and di<<y% On"e a wild "olt ran away with me for se&eral
miles but $ managed to stay on him and didn't get hurt%
E$ had the usual "hild diseases su"h as measles, "hi"#en po8, and s"arlet fe&er% The
measles left me with &ery wea# eyes and my parents were about to get me glasses
but my mother taught me the prin"iple of faith and by faith $ o&er"ame my wea#
eyes%
E$ suppose one should write the bad as well as the good in one's +ournal, so here
goes% Two other small boys and $, one day in our rambles "ame a"ross a sheep
"amp% Ao one was around so we entered the wagon and too# two sa"#s of .urham
toba""o and some mat"hes and made "igarettes and smo#ed them% We didn't inhale
the smo#e% $t was the only day in my life that $ e&er used toba""o in any form and $
ha&e ne&er been drun# nor used strong nor hot drin#s as a be&erage any part of my
life% $ ha&e tried to li&e the Word of Wisdom and other prin"iples of the gospel to
the best of my ability and understanding%
EWhen $ was a &ery young boy, almost as far ba"# as $ "an remember, in the early
morning hours when $ awo#e and loo#ed up, an e8tremely beautiful personage
stood in the air abo&e my bed, bent o&er me and ga<ed at me with a hea&enly
smile% $t was so real that it would frighten me and se&eral times $ pulled the 3uilts
o&er my head and didn't dare to loo# up for some time% Other times it would seem
to disappear as &apor% This "ontinued until $ was a grown man%
E*s a young boy $ was bothered often by Satan in my dreams% $ would dream of
bulls and bears and other fier"e animals after me% They seemed as big as a meeting
house, and $ "ouldn't get away from them% +ust as they "aught me $ would wa#e up
and was always so glad to find it was ;ust a dream% *t other times $'d dream $ was
falling from a high "liff but $'d always wa#e up before $ landed and was so glad it
was ;ust a dream% One dream $ ha&e had repeated time and time again% $ dream that
$ wal# up through the air o&er people and abo&e telephone lines and high buildings%
$t seemed more real e&ery time $ had that dream% On"e as a boy after ha&ing this
dream, $ thought $ "ould to it% $ got on top of a haysta"# to get a good start% $ loo#ed
down and de"ided to try something lower so $ wouldn't ha&e so far to fall in "ase it
didn't wor#% $ then got on top of the manure pile, about three foot high, to try the
e8periment% With both hands out in front of me $ started up through the air% $t didn't
wor# and $ went to the ground with both hands in a pla"e where the "ow had been%
$t seemed so real in my dream that $ "ouldn't understand why $ "ouldn't do it%
EWhene&er a "ir"us "ame to $daho !alls, !ather would put his family in his white
top buggy and ta#e them to see the "ir"us% On"e a great wind "ame up and pulled
the large "ir"us tent loose and busted up the "ir"us%
=> EOne day they had the elephants down at the edge of Sna#e :i&er to gi&e them
a drin#% Somehow they got away from the "areta#er, and ;umped into the ri&er% We
stood on the bridge and saw them go end o&er end down the middle of the ri&er and
under the bridges% !irst a trun# would "ome up and then their hind legs as they
rolled down stream% They lodged on an island a mile or two down the ri&er and
lu"#ily they sa&ed them all%
EWhen $ was ten years old, mother too# her "hildren on their first trip ba"# to !arr
West and Ogden, 2tah, to &isit her fol#s% There was only one automobile in Ogden
at that time% $t was a little one "ylinder "ar with no top and no windshield, owned
by a do"tor% -&ery afternoon at the same hour he would "ome along a road leading
to the hospital past my aunt's pla"e where we were &isiting% @eople would line up
in front of their homes on both sides of the road as far as you "ould see, e&ery day
waiting to see him pass at the unbelie&able high speed of about ten miles per hour%
)e tra&eled on the rough dusty roads on the ben"h east of the business distri"t%
EOne day 7randpa Crane too# us on a trip up Ogden Canyon and at a resort in the
"anyon $ saw and heard for the first time the -dison phonograph with a large brass
horn% $t was one of the first ones out% $ also remember when the "ream separator
was in&ented, and the flying ma"hine of 190B%
E$ always too# an a"ti&e part in the "hur"h organi<ations and be"ame a dea"on
when $ was twel&e years old and later, a tea"her and then a priest before $ left
$daho% The summer after $ be"ame a dea"on, my 7randmother Crane and mother's
brother Sam Crane &isited with us for se&eral wee#s at our home in *mmon,
$daho% We boys had mo&ed our beds out in the granary for the summer% * hallway
ran through the "enter of the granary with a large grain room on ea"h side% $n one
room 2n"le Sam and my brother +ohn had their beds and in the other room $ had
mine% One day e&erybody went to $daho !alls lea&ing my brother +ohn and me
home alone% They hadn't been gone long when $ said to my brother, JWhat #ind of
a tri"# "an we play on 2n"le Sam when he "omes homeK' $n a few minutes $ said,
J$ ha&e it, there's a rafter high up o&er 2n"le Sam's pillow% $ am going to get a beer
bottle and fill it full of water and after putting the "or# in it, $ will tie it upside
down to the rafter o&er 2n"le's pillow% Then $ will fasten a string to the "or# and
run the string o&er the rafters to my bed% *fter we get to bed, $ will pull the string
while 2n"le Sam is asleep and the "or# will "ome out and let the water down on
his head%' 9y brother agreed it was a good plan so we fi8ed it up ;ust that way%
E$n the early e&ening $ went to my dea"on's "lass, lea&ing my brother home alone% $
had been gone only a few minutes when the fol#s "ame home% 2n"le Sam went
into the granary to get his "hore "lothes on to help with the mil#ing and he noti"ed
the bottle tied to the rafter o&er his pillow% )e "alled my brother in and found it all
out% Then he got +ohn to play traitor and help him put some boards a"ross the
rafters o&er my pillow and a leaning fi&e gallon "an on the boards nearly full of
water and pie"es of potatoes% The &ery string that $ was to pull was dis"onne"ted
=9> from the "or# in the bottle and tied to the sti"# holding the leaning "an from
tipping%
E$ "ame home from my "lass after playing hide and go see# with some boys of the
town until about ten o'"lo"#% $ got a friend of mine, +ay to sleep with me that night
to e8perien"e the fun% +ay was somewhat taller than $ and his feelings were &ery
easily hurt% *fter we had been in bed about half an hour, $ whispered to +ay and
said, J$ belie&e 2n"le Sam is asleep now%'
E)e said, JSure he is, let it go%'
EWe were both lying flat on our ba"#s with our eyes open when $ ;er#ed the string%
*bout four gallons of water and pie"es of potatoes hit us in the fa"e% $t was the
biggest surprise of our li&es% The first thought that "ame to us was that the Lord
had ta#en re&enge on me for playing su"h a tri"# and that the s#y had bro#en in on
me% $ immediately "alled upon the Lord in prayer for forgi&eness while +ay was
bawling li#e a baby and brushing the water from his underwear% 9y brother and
2n"le Sam got a big laugh out of it%E
H H H H H H H H H H
Life went on in the grade s"hools for Charles pretty mu"h as it did for all the other
boys in the neighborhood% )is friendship with his boyfriends was enduring% +ay
Walters, .a&id Owen and -dwin Soelberg seem to ha&e been the "losest to him%
$n his ;ournal Charles re"ords the in"ident when he had the only real fight in his
grade s"hool days% $t was with +ay Ower a marble game and that wouldn't ha&e
happened if they hadn't been egged on by some bigger boys% $t turned out to be a
real blood and thunder fight Charles "ame out with a bro#en nose and +ay with two
front teeth missing%
Charles graduated from the *mmon S"hool eighth grade in the Spring of 1909%
The graduating "lass "onsisted of si8 members% Charles was a &ery apt pupil in
arithmeti"% )e states that he and .a&id Owen "ame through their arithmeti" finals
with a 100L grade%
*bout the same time that Charles graduated from the grade s"hool, his father filed
on a homestead of 150 a"res and later when the enlarged )omestead *"t was
passed, he was able to get another 150 a"res ad;oining it% This dry farm was fi&e
miles or more from where they had li&ed in *mmon% )is mother was &ery mu"h
against her husband's homesteading and &owed time and again that she would
ne&er go into that dry wilderness to li&e% When the house was built, despite her
protesting, she mo&ed out there and did &ery well as a pioneer along with the rest
of the family% There were doors in ea"h end of the gable roof, and through the
summer Charles and +ohn slept in the loft%
)is father mo&ed his family ba"# to *mmon ea"h winter so the "hildren "ould go
to s"hool% 1efore Charles started high s"hool, his father bought a four room house
in $daho !alls and the mother and "hildren spent their winters there%
Charles and +ohn found themsel&es plenty busy helping to build the house and
strawCroofed sheds for their "ows and horses =10> and a "oop for the "hi"#ens%
They helped get "edar posts to fen"e the farm% They helped "lear sagebrush off
about 460 a"res of the land and plow it all with a hand plow% They also helped dig
a well by hand, about a hundred feet deep% *fter all their labor they found no water%
* neighboring homesteader got a drilling rig and dug se&en hundred feet deep with
no better su""ess% *ll the years they li&ed on their farm they had to haul water in
barrels from )enry's Cree#, a distan"e of about fi&e miles round trip, for their
"ulinary use and their li&esto"#%
They grew good "rops of tur#ey red wheat, pearl barley, oats, white na&y beans,
brown #idney beans, potatoes, melons and other garden foods% When funds got
low, Charles and his mother too# a few sa"#s of "hoi"e dry farm potatoes to $daho
!alls, a distan"e of about twenty miles round trip, in their white top buggy and got
a good pri"e for them%
One spring, when supplies were rather low, a man who had been a s"hool friend of
Charles' father, told him to "ome and get a load of potatoes to help out until his
were ready for digging% This man had a large potato farm not far from their dry
farm% )e was #nown as the potato #ing of $daho at that time% Charles' parents were
&ery than#ful for his #indness to them%
!or the ne8t three and a half years, Charles spent a good deal of his time on the dry
farm helping his father% When the wor# sla"#ed up there, he'd hire out to some of
the farmers around about% One summer he wor#ed on a large irrigated farm at the
mouth of )enry's Cree#% There Charles learned a good deal about farming% )e
learned how to sta"# hay, how to "at"h a swarm of bees and many other useful
things% )e mentioned how he li#ed to sit in the parlor at e&ening and listen to their
phonograph% )is fa&orite re"ord was EWhen 'ou and $ Were 'oung 9aggie%E
While li&ing on the dry farm with their father, Charles and +ohn often made a trip
to $daho !alls in the white top buggy for pro&isions, or to *mmon to thin beets or
other farm wor#% On their way home, tired from the days wor#, they would often
fall asleep% The horses #new the way home and would pull up to the gate and stop
and the boys would sleep on until awa#ened by their father or mother%
Charles was gifted with an in&enti&e mind% .own through the years he in&ented
some &ery pra"ti"al and useful arti"les but ne&er had the means to build and patent
them% )e li&ed to see se&eral of his in&entions built and "ome into use by others%
When he was in the si8th grade in s"hool he in&ented a new #ind of "alf mu<<le%
)e tried to get his tea"her to finan"e a patent on it but he would ta#e no interest in
it%
While wor#ing in the beet fields, he in&ented a beet topper that would "ut the tops
at the "rown of the beet and pile the tops in windrows to be hauled off and then the
beets would be plowed and loaded in wagons%
One summer after the dry farm "rops were planted, Charles wor#ed for a month or
two with an old friend Lorin on his father's dry farm near O<one, $daho, plowing
and preparing ground to plant in winter wheat%
=11> Of this o""asion Charles says, EWe nearly always had bread and mil# suppers%
Lorin and $ were growing boys and we had su"h an enormous appetite that his
sister Aeta would get angry be"ause we "ould eat bread almost as fast as she "ould
"ut it% $ then in&ented a bread sli"er but did nothing to get a patent on it and years
later, $ found the same thing in "ommon use%E
$n the summertime on the dry farm, nearly e&ery Sunday Charles wat"hed for a
dust to appear o&er the ben"h, be"ause that meant that his friend, .a&id Owen was
"oming to spend the day with him% They often went to )enry's Cree# to gather
ser&i"e berries and "ho#e "herries and to fish% $n those days the mountain streams
were full of trout% They often "aught forty or more in one afternoon%
Charles had a dog and a gray pony% )e taught one of his dogs to eat ser&i"e berries
and "ho#e "herries from the limbs% The dog got in the habit of howling when he
"ame to a bush until Charles "ame ba"# and bro#e down a limb for him% On these
trips they often found $ndian arrow points%
Two or three winters after Charles graduated from the eighth grade, he spent time
on the dry farm with his father helping get out 3ua#ing asp and red bir"h poles,
"edar posts and dry "edar for firewood% * part of one winter, he also helped a
friend get out timber on se&eral feet of snow% )e helped a do"tor who had
homesteaded near his father's dry farm% $n fro<en ground he dug post holes and
built a fen"e%
Charles and his brother +ohn got orphan lambs from the herds of sheep and raised
them on "ows' mil# with a bottle and a nipple% They helped to dri&e large herds of
sheep to the foothills in the springtime and if a sheep should gi&e out or get lame so
they "ouldn't #eep up with the herd, the sheep herders would lea&e it behind, telling
the boys they "ould ha&e it% O""asionally, they found a stray sheep lost from the
herd and would "arry it home before the "oyotes got it%
On"e Charles and +ohn "ornered a beautiful wild ewe on the edge of a high "liff%
When they tried to "at"h her, she ;umped off and lodged between some ro"#s about
ten feet down and "ouldn't mo&e either way% Charles wat"hed her while *lbert
went home for some long ropes% Charles "limbed down and tied the ropes around
her, and with great effort, they got her out and too# her home% * few wee#s later
she had a pair of beautiful twin lambs and raised both of them% 1y 1911 they had
raised 3uite a herd of sheep whi"h their father sold%
While Charles was still in grade s"hool he bought a good line ba"# mil# "ow for
thirty fi&e dollars, the money he had earned wor#ing for different farmers% )e #ept
the in"rease and by the year he started high s"hool he had se&en "ows, and they all
had a white line the full length of their ba"#s% )e ga&e them all to his father when
he started s"hool%
One summer Charles, his father and brother +ohn "ontra"ted to thin, weed and
har&est twenty a"res of beets% The last few piles they had to dig out of the snow%
=14> *nother summer, about 1914, while Charles was still li&ing on the dry farm,
he hired out to a sur&eying "rew to sur&ey mountainous go&ernment land% They
sur&eyed the township east of his father's dry farm whi"h too# in a big part of
)enry's Cree# and the town of O<one%
)e started out as a flagman but soon learned mu"h about go&ernment land
sur&eying in rough "ountry% )e says those days ga&e him a hearty appetite and
plenty of blisters on his feet%
The head man of the sur&eying "rew said he li#ed to tell ;o#es to Charles be"ause
he got the point so 3ui"#ly and got a hearty laugh out of it%
The men Charles was wor#ing with were a rough bun"h% They were from the large
"ities and had plenty of e&il ways% They wanted to tea"h Charles how to smo#e and
other bad habits but he refused to ;oin them in their ways%They boarded at the
home of an old friend of Charles' from *mmon who had ta#en up a homestead at
O<one% *fter they had eaten their brea#fast, there were plenty of fried eggs, "heese,
meat and other things left on the table and ea"h man fi8ed his own lun"h to "arry
with him% The men used to laugh at the large lun"h Charles fi8ed, saying it would
weigh him down so he "ouldn't wor# well% They had to tie their lun"hes in large
hand#er"hiefs to the ba"# of their o&eralls%
When Charles finished grade s"hool, he had a great longing to go on to high s"hool
and "ollege% )e saw a friend go away to Logan to the 1righam 'oung College that
ne8t fall and se&eral others of his friends had gone away to s"hool, but Charles'
fol#s were poor and his father had ;ust ta#en up his homestead and needed his help%
)e tu"#ed his longings away in his heart and went manfully about the business of
helping his father% )e spent the latter part of one winter and the early spring sorting
potatoes% )is un"le *be Zitting was helping on this farm with the lambing% One
e&ening as Charles "ame into the #it"hen of his mother's home, he heard his un"le
tal#ing with his mother in the li&ing room% )e said that 9r% *nderson had made the
statement that Charles was one boy who would ma#e something of himself if he
had a "han"e, but he wasn't getting a "han"e% )e meant that Charles' parents didn't
ha&e the money to gi&e him an edu"ation%
)is mother spo#e up and said, E.on't worry about Charles, he'll get there%E )e
always remembered the words of his mother and they urged him on all through his
life when the going got rough%
.uring those long winters on the dry farm, he did "onsiderable trapping% )e had a
good set of traps, a rifle, and three greyhounds whi"h were his only "ompanions on
these long tramps to )enry's Cree# and :o"# )ollow where he "aught "oyotes,
badgers and other wild animals for the furs whi"h he sold%
.uring one of these solitary tramps, he had an e8perien"e whi"h brought about a
great "hange in his life% :e"orded in his own words he writesD
EOne morning about +anuary B, 191B, $ "ame to the edge of :o"# )ollow, a
deep dry "anyon northeast of our dry farm and stood there with my rifle
and my three greyhounds, ga<ing at a large dar# ob;e"t in one of my traps
in the bottom of the "anyon% The =1B> sun was ;ust "oming up o&er the east
mountains and the snow was drifting o&er the brim of the "anyon li#e a
shower of diamonds in the morning sunlight% $ "alled my dogs and went
o&er the snowdrifts to the bottom of the "anyon% *s $ arri&ed at the trap, $
found a large *meri"an -agle "aught by the fleshy part of one leg, nearly
torn from its body% $t had nearly bled to death and as $ "ame up it raised its
head ere"t and loo#ed me straight in the eye as though to as# me why $ had
done it and then dropped its bea# into the snow and died% $t had "ome there
to eat the rabbit $ had used to bait the trap for "oyotes% $ was a lo&er of
birds and this was the most beautiful bird $ had e&er seen% $t had a gold rim
around the edges of its bill and it measured si8 and one half feet from the
tip of one wing to the other% $ was heartbro#en and de"ided then and there
that $ was through trapping%
E$ too# all my trapE ba"# to the dry farm that morning% The ne8t day $ too#
my Coyote and badger furs into $daho !alls and sold them, bought some
new "lothes and started to high s"hool +anuary 5, 191B, if $ remember
"orre"tly%E
Charles graduated from the $daho !alls )igh S"hool in the spring of 1915% While in
s"hool he too# part in publi" spea#ing and debating teams and played bas#etball,
football, and baseball% )is best girlfriend was *li"e !ield%
Of this he says, E$ spent many happy hours at her home with her and her sister
)a<el% She has been dead for many years and to this day $ still remember her in my
prayers% She was a &ery good and lo&ely girl%E
.uring Charles' high s"hool days he pi"#ed up odd ;obs whene&er he "ould to help
defray e8penses% One summer during &a"ation he helped dig sewer tren"hes in
$daho !alls, and helped build "ement "urbing, gutters and sidewal#s there% )e also
wor#ed for a lumber and "oal "ompany one summer and at other times wor#ed
with his father on their dry farm when he needed help%
*ll through his high s"hool and uni&ersity days, and for sometime after he got
married, he #ept a diary in whi"h was an a""urate a""ount of his daily earnings and
spending, no matter how great or small the transa"tion might be% )e was always
ready and willing to share his last penny with those he felt were less fortunate than
he% )e #ept an en&elope in his suit"ase whi"h he "alled his tithing en&elope, and
there he deposited his tenth as his meager earnings "ame in% Those earning were
down to bedro"# a good many times during uni&ersity days% Se&eral pla"es in his
diary he re"ordsD E$ spent 46 "ents for this or that today, $ ha&e nothing on hand%E
The spring that Charles graduated from high s"hool he was EdeadE bro#e and had
to borrow money from his brother +ohn to help buy "lothes to wear to graduation
e8er"ises%
That summer he wor#ed at a dairy ;ust south of $daho !alls, bottling and deli&ering
mil#% The mother of one of his s"hool friends was one of his "ustomers% She
seemed to ta#e a great interest in his future, and tried to en"ourage him to go on to
"ollege, saying that he was too big for the ;ob of deli&ering mil#%
=1/> When the summer was o&er, he paid his brother the money he had borrowed
and loaned his father the forty dollars he had left% )e told his father he would li#e
to ha&e it ba"# that fall for he intended to go to "ollege% )e helped har&est and
sta"# wheat before lea&ing% )is father tried to persuade him to wait for another
year when he would be able to help with his e8penses% This year's "rop was the first
one he had of any importan"e and he had to use it to pay off the debts a""umulated
in getting the farm built up and into a state of "ulti&ation with farm ma"hinery,
fen"ing, building, et"%
Charles told him he had already lost three and a half years after he "ompleted the
eighth grade before he had the opportunity to go to high s"hool and he didn't wish
to lose any more time% )e had written to .r% Widtsoe, @resident of the 2ni&ersity
of 2tah, as#ing him if he thought it would be possible for him to wor# his way
through "ollege% .r% Widtsoe answered promptly saying it was hard to do but
students with a good determination had done it and he would do all he "ould to
dire"t Charles to partCtime wor#% $t was a &ery en"ouraging letter%
When his father saw that he was determined, he went to $daho !alls with Charles to
see him off% )is mother ga&e him a few dollars that she had sa&ed, and with the
little money he had, he went uptown and bought a suit"ase and a railroad ti"#et to
Ogden, 2tah, and had twenty "ents left in his po"#et% While Charles was pa"#ing
his suit"ase, his father went to a friend and borrowed the forty dollars that he owed
Charles and ga&e it to him at the depot as he was lea&ing% !arewells were said and
Charles was on his way to a new life%
)e hadn't been away from $daho !alls and the little "ountry towns round about
sin"e he "ame to *mmon, $daho, with his mother when he was only fi&e years old,
e8"ept for one trip to Ogden with his mother when he was ten years old% This was
3uite an e8perien"e for a "ountry fellow to be entirely on his own in a strange
town, the largest he'd seen, with nothing but his determination and faith in 7od to
"arry him on%
Charles stopped off at Ogden enCroute to Salt La#e City and &isited with his
7randfather and 7randmother Crane and 2n"le *rthur in !arr West for a few days,
and his mother's brothers and sisters in Ogden% While he was there he went with his
grandfather and un"le to the sand ridges south of Ogden, to set some pea"hes and
there for the first time in his life, saw pea"hes on the trees and ripe tomatoes on the
&ines% )is grandfather and 2n"le *rthur too# him to Salt La#e where he stayed
with his 2n"le Sam Crane the first night%
)e writes in his re"ord, E$ didn't let any of them #now how little money $ had to go
to "ollege on% $ ne8t went to the uni&ersity and had a tal# with the president, .r%
Widtsoe%
E*fter paying my tuition, part on my boo#s, some "lothes and a boo# of student
street "ar ti"#ets,E Charles "ontinued, E$ was left with that pro&erbial 40 "ents again
and still owed part on my boo#s% $ had registered but s"hool wasn't to start for a
few days so $ got busy loo#ing for wor#%E
=16> )e found in the newspaper want ads the name of a ri"h family of the !ederal
)eights distri"t, ad&ertising for a +apanese s"hool boy to be their "oo# to pay for
his room and board% Charles answered the ad and told the lady he thought he "ould
"oo# as good as any +apanese% FThe only thing he had e&er "oo#ed was a ;a"#rabbit
o&er a bonfire%G )e was informed that the +apanese boy who had "oo#ed for them
last year had ;ust been there and as#ed for the ;ob again, but he wouldn't be able to
start for a wee#, so Charles "ould ta#e the ;ob for a wee# if he wanted it% )e gladly
a""epted it as it would afford him room and board while he hunted for something
more permanent%
)is duties would be to prepare the morning and e&ening meals so he would ha&e
time through the middle of the day to try to lo"ate another ;ob% )e was gi&en a ni"e
bedroom in the basement and an alarm "lo"# so he "ould be up by se&en o'"lo"# in
the morning%
)e states, E$ earnestly prayed that night that the Lord would help me with my new
;ob as "oo#%E
The ne8t morning when he arose at se&en o'"lo"# and went to the #it"hen, he was
happily surprised to find the lady of the house there to help him% She told him she
always did it all the first day and he "ould wat"h so he "ould "arry on after that% )e
memori<ed e&erything she did and the ne8t morning he put on the white apron and
"ap and went to wor#% The lady seemed &ery pleased with his "oo#ing and e&en
told him she hoped that the +apanese boy wouldn't "ome ba"#%
1y the end of the wee# he had another ;ob lined up as an allC"hore boy at the
@ierpont *partments% )e had to wor# four hours or more e&ery day of the wee#
and all day Saturday for a sleeping room and two &ery small lun"hes a day Fwhi"h
he nearly star&ed onG and had no money for more food% $t was then that he
dis"o&ered that some of the wellCtoCdo boys would often throw a good part of their
lun"hes in their sa"#s into the waste bas#ets in the "loa# room at the uni&ersity%
Charles raided these bas#ets when no one was around and filled his empty stoma"h
this way%
)e went on with this sort of life for about a month% )e "ould see that things had to
"hange% )e had no money left e&en for street"ar fare, and it was about a two mile
wal# from the @ierpont *partments to the uni&ersity% This and the long hours of
wor# and the short rations made him get down on his #nees and as# for help, then
with renewed strength and "ourage he started loo#ing for wor# "loser to the
uni&ersity%
The first night he had no su""ess and the se"ond night he was about to gi&e up
when he met a man ;ust "oming out of his home% Charles as#ed him if he #new of
anybody that would let him wor# for room and board while he was going to the
uni&ersity% The man told him that the lady ne8t door usually hired a s"hoolboy so
maybe he "ould find what he wanted there% Charles tried again and the answer he
got warmed his heart% The lady said she was ;ust going to the phone to pla"e an ad
in the newspaper for a s"hoolboy when the door bell rang and there stood Charles%
She felt that the Lord had guided him to her door, and as he too had been praying
for help, he felt the same way%
=15> )e was gi&en a ni"e room in the basement and a pla"e where he "ould do his
washing and ironing% The lady fed him well too, and the wor#ing hours were
reasonable% This lady had a rented upstairs apartment% The family there had some
small "hildren and when they went out for an e&enings they often hired Charles to
wat"h the "hildren while he studied his lessons% $n this way he earned a little
spending money%
While li&ing at this pla"e, Charles had a dream one night that seemed to impress
him "onsiderably%
)e writes, E$ had a strange dream last night% $'&e ne&er belie&ed mu"h in dreams
before but $ surely do belie&e in this one% $ was li&ing in a beautiful par# where a
"ub bear li&ed also% We were both to li&e there, it seemed, all our li&es and "ould
ne&er get out% *t last the bear grew large and dangerous% We were bitter enemies
and $ was to rule or the bear would #ill me% With great power $ was leading him to
the pla"e of death by pushing my fingers into his nose and holding tight% )e tried to
pull away and the flesh of his nose was badly torn but $ held tight% $ awo#e before $
had led him to his pla"e of death so $ don't #now how it ended% $ awo#e with the
interpretation on my mind% The first thought was that the bear represented some
wea#ness in my "hara"ter or life that had grown &ery large and would ruin my life
if $ didn't use my strongest power to "on3uer it% $ thin# that the wea#ness is $ am
idle too mu"h of my time or don't wor# hard enough while $ do wor#% $ thin# the
beautiful par# represents what my life would be if $ su""eed in o&er"oming this
wea#ness%E
Charles seemed to ha&e been 3uite poeti"ally in"lined all his life and in his younger
days had spent "onsiderable time "omposing poetry and words for songs,
"ompeting in &arious "ontests that appeared in the newspapers and maga<ines% $t
was while he was li&ing at this lady's pla"e that he "omposed the words and musi"
for two songs that brought their reward% The titles of these songs were E$t !aded
*wayE and EThe 1ride Of Sunny California%E
* young man with some money of his own whom Charles had met at the uni&ersity
loaned Charles the money to get a "opyright on these songs and to ha&e one
thousand "opies printed, for half interest in the songs% Then Charles started in with
a will to sell those songs, peddling them from door to door% )e spent an hour or
two ea"h e&ening after his wor# was done and four or fi&e hours on Saturdays% )e
got rid of all his "opies and bought his friend out and #ept on selling%
)e soon felt that his time was too &aluable to waste being a "hore boy so he ga&e
up his ;ob as soon as the lady "ould get another boy to ta#e his pla"e% Charles went
to li&e at a boarding house where one of his s"hool friends from *mmon, $daho,
was staying% )e had a room and two good meals a day for fi&e dollars a wee#% )e
got his noon lun"h at the "afeteria at the uni&ersity for about 46 "ents% Times
seemed to be getting better% )e had more time for studying and more hours for
peddling his songs% .uring the ne8t three s"hool years and for a while after he was
married, he "ontinued peddling his songs whene&er time would permit% )e
"an&assed nearly e&ery home from the Wasat"h 9ountains =1,> on the east to the
7reet Salt La#e on the west and from the +ordan Aarrows on the south up to and
in"luding 1righam City on the north% )is only means of tra&el was on foot e8"ept
for riding on the ele"tri" railway to and from the different little towns% )e sold o&er
nine thousand "opies of these two songs%
This endea&or, with other wor# that he engaged in at different times, put him
through the uni&ersity and helped finan"e him in se&eral different business deals
that he was interested in% )e had bought two business lots at 1400 South State for
M4600 dollars whi"h he had nearly paid for when he 3uit s"hool% Later he sold them
to a man who built a sausage fa"tory on them%
.uring a part of one winter while attending the uni&ersity, Charles, with a friend of
him, wor#ed at a dairy% This ga&e them plenty to do% They mil#ed twentyCsi8 "ows,
bottled the mil#, fed and watered the "ows and "leaned out the barn, all for thirty
dollars a month% They had to do their own "oo#ing and wal#ed about two miles
a"ross the !ort .ouglas :eser&ation to and from the uni&ersity e&ery morning and
e&ening, and sometimes through about eighteen in"hes of snow%
Later that same winter, Charles wor#ed a while at the Wilson )otel% )is duties
were to meet the trains morning and e&ening with the hotel bus and also to sweep
and mop the lobby e&ery morning before daylight% )e got thirty dollars a month for
this, plus a room to sleep in% This hotel bus was the first "ar that Charles had e&er
dri&en% * man showed him how to start and stop it and how to shift gears, then
started him out alone, on a busy afternoon ;ust as the sun was going down% )e had
to "ross 9ain Street at Se"ond South and as he got into the interse"tion he #illed
the engine and had to get out and "ran#%
)e says, E$ had to learn how to handle it in a hurry% $ ha&e sin"e worn out about
fifteen "ars and ha&e dri&en a million miles or more%E
$n his ;ournal Charles writes, E$ met many temptations to go wrong while going to
s"hool and espe"ially while wor#ing at the hotel, but $ o&er"ame them all and
although $ wasn't married until $ was past twentyCsi8 years old, $ had remained
morally "lean and &irtuous%E
-a"h year when the uni&ersity "losed its regular "ourses for the summer months, he
went ba"# to $daho either to help his father on the dry farm or to get other wor#%
That first spring when he went ba"#, he had new "lothes all through and money in
his po"#ets%
The spring of 191, when the 2nited States entered the !irst World War, Charles
was ba"# home helping his father and an old pal from high s"hool was running a
farm there in *mmon, $daho% These two got to feeling &ery patrioti" and de"ided
they ought to ;oin the armed for"es% Their parents were &ery mu"h "on"erned about
it and tried to disuade them but patriotism was running rampant through the youth
at that time and they felt that they would be "owards if they didn't ;oin% They went
to the re"ruiting offi"e in $daho !alls, ready to enlist% Their parents finally
persuaded them to ha&e a tal# with the head of the Sele"ti&e Ser&i"e 1oard in the
distri"t before they enlisted% *s he tal#ed to them and =1> found they were both
engaged in farming, he said if they really wanted to be patrioti" and do the greatest
ser&i"e to their "ountry they should stay with their farms until they were drafted as
the "ountry needed e8perien"ed farmers that summer more than they needed
soldiers% 1oth boys went ba"# to their farms%
H H H H H H H H H H
.uring Charles' first year at the uni&ersity, he met a young lady by the name of
9innie *ffle"# when he was out peddling his songs% She bought both songs but
told him he'd ha&e to "all ba"# for the money when she got her pay"he"#% $t was
lo&e at first sight as far as Charles was "on"erned% )e said as soon as he left her
home he wal#ed a few doors west and went in the shadow of a little store, as it was
a moonlit night, and offered up a prayer as#ing the Lord to help him to get her for
his wife if it was the Lord's will%
She was about eighteen years old then and Charles was about twentyCthree% When
he deli&ered the songs, 9innie in&ited him ba"# to &isit them% )er mother was a
little disturbed about it as her oldest daughter already had a young man "alling to
see her% She told Charles and 9innie they weren't old enough to be dry behind the
ears yet, whi"h rather disturbed Charles% She didn't order him not to "ome ba"# and
her girls warmly in&ited him so he be"ame a fre3uent &isitor at their home after
that% $n a short time he was bringing a friend along with him who too# 3uite a
li#ing to 9innie's sister Iate% They had many good times together%
The *ffle"# girls were good musi"ians and they taught the boys how to sing with
them while they played the piano% They sang the songs brought into being by
World War One as well as many old time songs and hymns% The song Charles
lo&ed to hear 9innie sing most was EThe Sunshine of 'our Smile%E
The peddling of his songs whi"h brought 9innie into his life also brought him to
the door of another young lady, who some ten years later be"ame his wife% )er
name was -l&era C% Olson% She bought his songs and as she paid him for them she
pi"#ed a rose and pinned it on the lapel of his "oat and he went on his way%
'ears later, after she had be"ome his wife, she was loo#ing through her treasures
one day and "ame a"ross these songs and noti"ed Charles' name on them% She
brought them to him and as#ed how his name happened to be on them% She told
him she had bought them from a young man who "ame to her door years ago%
Charles told her he had "omposed the songs and he must ha&e been the young man
who sold them to her, and then the memory of her pinning a rose to his "oat lapel
"ame ba"# to him%
When Charles went ba"# to $daho after his first year at the uni&ersity, he re"ei&ed
many lo&ely letters from 9innie% Later that summer 9innie and her parents "ame
up to $daho to &isit at his parents home, where Charles and 9innie spent many
happy hours together at "hur"h and dan"es and "ar riding%
$n the fall of 191,, he helped his brother +ohn har&est potatoes on his fatherCinC
law's dry farm east of $ona, $daho% =19> They har&ested about 14,000 bushels and
sold them at two dollars per bushel% Charles tells about a ;o#e the other farm hands
tried to pull on him one night whi"h in the end left them Eholding the bag%E
)e says, EThey were tal#ing about hunting snipes or 3uail, by going out ;ust below
a gro&e of 3ua#ing aspen trees where the 3uail were supposed to be roosting, and
dri&ing them out into an open sa"# while one man held a lantern behind the sa"#%
They said the light would blind the 3uail to e&erything else in the dar# and they
would go toward the light and into the sa"#% $t sounded 3uite possible to me,E
Charles wrote, Eso $ as#ed to hold the sa"# and lantern% The boys went into the
gro&e and made noises as though they were dri&ing them out and then they headed
for the house% They hadn't been gone but a few minutes when $ reali<ed it was a
;o#e on me% 1y running and ta#ing a different "ourse, $ rea"hed the house ahead of
them and went to bed, lea&ing the lantern by the sa"#% $ soon heard them "alling me
and when $ didn't "ome they be"ame afraid $ had left the lantern and had gotten lost
in the dar#% They went out and got the lantern and spent a good part of the night
hunting for me while $ slept% The ne8t morning at brea#fast they didn't "are to tal#
about 3uail hunting%E
When Charles returned to $daho in the spring of 191 he found that his friend
-dwin had ;ust been drafted into the army% -dwin had already "ontra"ted to operate
a farm and had part of the "rop planted when he left% Charles too# o&er the farm,
paying his friend for the wor# he'd done% * little later that same year Charles'
brotherCinClaw -lbert was drafted and Charles operated his farm also, whi"h was a
little south of $daho !alls%
The two farms #ept Charles pretty busy that summer and fall and when har&est
time "ame, threshing ma"hines "ame to both farms the same day so he had to get
two "rews of men for the wor#, and hired a friend to ta#e "harge of one of the
threshing outfits% 1esides the grain "rop, Charles had si8 a"res of potatoes% These
he har&ested in the green stage and shipped them straight to the army "amps%
)e says, E*s $ remember, $ sold o&er 1600 sa"#s from that si8 a"res% $ had planted
them in a foothill loam soil that had been planted in alfalfa for years% When the
alfalfa was about si8 in"hes high, $ irrigated it and plowed it under and
immediately planted it into potatoes% 9y :ed 1liss potatoes seemed to get the
largest% !our large ones laying end to end had a "ombined length of thirtyCeight
in"hes% They had grown so fast they had a little hollow spot in the "enter%E
Charles har&ested all his "rops on both farms, mar#eted them and got ba"# to the
uni&ersity by the time it started%
.uring the winter of 191, and the fall of 1910, Charles was drilled in army
maneu&ers with other uni&ersity students and was in the a"t of ;oining the :eser&e
Offi"ers Training Corps when the armisti"e was signed%
That winter the *ffle"# family got the smallpo8 and as Charles had been #eeping
steady "ompany with 9innie, he "ame down =40> with the disease too% The
*ffle"#s were #ind enough to ta#e him into their home and "are for him along with
the rest of the si"# ones% )e stated that it wasn't so bad being 3uarantined after all%
They had lo&ely times playing games and singing%
That Christmas 9innie ga&e Charles a gold initialed ring%
)e writes, E$t is a &ery beautiful ring and has always remained on my finger% !or
many years my finger has been too large to allow the ring to pass o&er the #nu"#le
and the three initials ha&e worn off lea&ing the ring smooth but &ery beautiful% $
want it left on my finger when $ go to my gra&e as a to#en that $ was not a 3uitter
and that $ ha&e not and will not 3uit 9innie as long as time lasts, unless 7od wills
it otherwise%E
$n Charles se"ond year at the uni&ersity the freshmen and sophomores started
sheering off ea"h other's hair, tight to the head% Lo"#s of hair "ould be seen on
most e&ery street "orner in downtown Salt La#e City and all o&er the "ampus% *t a
s"hool dan"e one night, Charles was led by his .elilah to a street "orner where he
lost his hair%
$n his third year he grew a musta"he, and a number of the students wanted it ta#en
off% $t had been a law of the student body that no one should wear a musta"he
unless he was a ;unior or a senior% They held a meeting and appointed a "ommittee
to in&estigate Charles' "redits to see if he was a full fledged ;unior% They found that
he was% 9ost of these boys belonged to the S"hool of 9ines and -ngineering,
where Charles was ma;oring% They "alled a meeting of all the engineers and passed
a law that no one "ould wear a musta"he in the S"hool of 9ines unless he was a
fullCfledged senior, then they set out to remo&e that musta"he% )e dodged them for
se&eral days and when they got more persistent, Charles had his pi"ture ta#en
while he still possessed that "herished musta"he% * few days later, about fifty men
"losed in on him in downtown Salt La#e City% One lathered his fa"e with soap and
snow and another sha&ed one half of his musta"he and then let him loose% That
e&ening the Salt La#e )erald newspaper ran a good si<ed arti"le headed,
E2ni&ersity of 2tah +unior Looses a 9ispla"ed -yebrow%E
The winter of 1919 and 1940 was his last year at the uni&ersity% )e la"#ed a few
"redits of ha&ing enough to graduate, howe&er, and he ne&er went ba"# to finish
up% Charles had ma;ored in *gri"ulture during his high s"hool days% *t the
uni&ersity, he spent his four years in the S"hool of 9ines%
$n the spring of 1940 9innie stopped seeing Charles% She told him later that it was
the re3uest of her parents% She said she either had to lea&e home or 3uit him% She
had always been taught that it was a disgra"e to lea&e home so she did what she
thought was best%
1ro#enhearted, Charles left Salt La#e City and went out to stay with his
7randfather Crane in !arr West% )e "ontinued to peddle his songs and later sold
brushes too% While he was li&ing there he, 7randfather Crane and 2n"le *rthur
were ba"helors, as 7randmother Crane had passed on some time ago%
One morning 9innie, her sister Iate and her boyfriend, Lon, "ame there to see
him% The girls had had a disagreement with =41> their fol#s at home and had run
away with Lon, whom Iate was planning to marry% Charles and 9innie were
happy to be together again% $t didn't ta#e long for them to forgi&e and forget all
their past troubles and to be sweethearts on"e more%
*s Iate and Lon had 3uite de"ided to get married, they urged Charles and 9innie
to ;oin them and ma#e it a double wedding, whi"h they finally de"ided to do% They
started ba"# to Salt La#e City fully determined to "arry out their plans whether the
girls parents were agreeable or not% The boys went first to the home and after mu"h
gentle persuasion, they gained the parent's "onsent, then the girls re;oined them%
Some time later, after "onsulting with her parents, Iate "hanged her mind and
ne&er did marry Lon, but Charles and 9innie, happy to be reunited, went on with
their plans and a short time after were united in marriage in the Salt La#e Temple,
on September 16, 1940% That e&ening 9innie's parents had a re"eption for them
and they re"ei&ed many presents and well wishes from a houseful of relati&es and
friends%
Word rea"hed Charles that the boys at the wedding intended to "at"h him and ta#e
him for a ride, so he and 9innie made a hasty e8it% $n their hurry to get away they
forgot to "ut the wedding "a#e or than# their guests for their gifts% They slipped out
the ba"# door, 9innie still "arrying her bridal bou3uet, and ran through ba"# alleys
to es"ape being "aught% They made their way to a 9rs% 9"Laughlin's house where
Charles had on"e roomed% She opened her door wide for them and fi8ed them up
"omfortably for the night% She said she had been e8pe"ting them%
Charles said he had no money to get married on so his 7randfather Crane loaned
him M160, whi"h he paid ba"# with interest a year later% *fter their marriage they
spent a "ouple of days at the *ffle"# home, then went on to 7randpa Crane's for a
day or two and from there, too# a short honeymoon trip to $daho to &isit with
Charles' parents and other relati&es and friends%
They li&ed in Ogden for about si8 months then went ba"# to Salt La#e City to
ma#e their home, mo&ing from pla"e to pla"e as they were able to better their
li&ing "onditions% *t one time they had an upstairs apartment in the home of a
do"tor% Charles and 9innie were to do endowment wor# in the temple for his
wife's an"estors to pay for their rent% )owe&er, while doing this wor# they found
that the people they had been doing the wor# for were relati&es of Charles' mother
too, so they refused to ta#e the apartment without paying for it%
Charles "ontinued his salesmanship with the brush "ompany after he mo&ed to Salt
La#e City, and had se&eral salesmen wor#ing under him in"luding his fatherCinClaw
at one time% Charles and 9innie were li&ing in the old *ffle"# home at B15 South
/th -ast when their first son was born on +uly 16, 1941% They named him !redri"#
*ffle"# Zitting% Those were happy days for Charles and 9innie, and the little one's
arri&al brought its added share of ;oy%
Charles' religion always held a &ery sa"red spot in his heart% !rom his earliest days
he had lent his support to the different au8iliary organi<ations of the "hur"h, so he
and 9innie =44> found a warm wel"ome in the different wards where they resided%
Charles had taught Sunday S"hool part of the time while he was attending the
uni&ersity%
$n reading the S"riptures at one time in the early years of his married life, he
be"ame &ery interested in the life and labors of the patriar"h *braham% )e
mar&eled at *braham's faith, "ourage, and integrity% )e thought how wonderful it
would be to be li#e *braham and he let his thoughts dwell mu"h upon it% *s he
was reading the 1ible one day, he ran a"ross a passage that said in effe"t, E)e who
turns his fa"e toward the )ouse of the Lord in prayer, his prayer shall be
answered%E
Charles writes, E$ used to li#e to &isit the Temple 1lo"# and $ still do% $ ha&e often
gone there to pray% $ went there after reading this passage in the 1ible and as $
stood on those holy grounds with my fa"e toward the )ouse of the Lord $ as#ed the
Lord to help me be as !ather *braham in the 1ible% $ made a "o&enant with the
Lord that $ would be willing to pay the pri"e if $ "ould be li#e *braham% Little did $
#now then what $ would ha&e to pass through to get this blessing but as $ write this,
$ sit here in my little 6 8 , steel "ell for the gospel's sa#e,E Fbeing then in"ar"erated
for his "on&i"tionsG Eand $ "an honestly say that $ ha&e re"ei&ed great blessings and
;oy for what $ ha&e done and am &ery happy at this time for the firm stand $ ha&e
ta#en with 7od%E
)e further states, EThe Lord said in )is s"riptures that )is people shall be a tried
and perse"uted people%E
Charles' in&enti&e genius "ame to light again along in the early twenties and he was
hard at wor# on another in&ention% This time he had the satisfa"tion of seeing it
ta#e form and "ome to use% This was an ele"tri" sign illuminated from within, as
the inside "ontained a series of metal refle"tors, wor#ed out and arranged
mathemati"ally so that it would refle"t and di&ide the refle"ted and dire"t light
e3ually o&er the frosted glass fa"e of the sign%
Charles used the money he had re"ei&ed from selling his property at 1400 South
State to apply for a patent and for manufa"turing this sign% .uring the summer of
194B, he sold rights to his in&ention in se&eral different states for a "onsiderable
amount of money% )e interested some +apanese people in it also and they too# his
in&ention to +apan with promises in their "ontra"t to pay Charles M11,000 for the
patent right in +apan, but this ne&er did materiali<e% )e also organi<ed the
9ammoth *d&ertising Company to manufa"ture this sign and had it started when
the neon signs were in&ented, whi"h was an impro&ement o&er Charles' sign and it
therefore soon put him out of business%
With some of the money Charles re"ei&ed from his ele"tri" sign in&ention, he
started ma#ing payments on a home for his growing family at 50 Iensington
*&enue% )ere his se"ond son, William *% and his daughter, -laine *% were born%
The sto"# mar#ets were always a &ery fas"inating game to Charles% -arly in his
days at the uni&ersity he too# a great interest in them and put a good deal of time to
studying and wat"hing their rise and fall% Through the years, fame and fortune
seemed to be"#on him from that dire"tion, and time and again he =4B> laid his
small fortune on that altar, only to "ome out a sadder if not wiser man%
Oil wells and mining properties were also some of Charles' unreali<ed dreams that
he more than on"e sun# small fortunes in%
$n his diary that he #ept through his uni&ersity days he writes on one o""asion,
E1ought sto"# in the @ioneer Oil N 7as Company% $ belie&e it is the duty of 2tah
"iti<enE as well as others to buy a little oil sto"#, be"ause if 7od pla"ed large
bodies of oil under our land, how are we going to #now whether it is there or not if
we don't help dig to find outK We must de&elop these great resour"es 7od has
gi&en us and for this reason $ am trying to do my share%E
)e bought hundreds of dollars worth of sto"# in different mining "ompanies, some
in *lta, .ugway and .eep Cree#, and spent "onsiderable money trying to de&elop
them% )e still has large holdings in oil and mineral rights north of the 7reat Salt
La#e and some in the 2intah 1asin that still may profit some future generation%
$n about 194/, Charles brought into being and se"ured a patent on another
in&ention of his, a re&ersible garment% The garment had double thi"#nesses where
the wear was greatest and was so "onstru"ted that when the garment showed signs
of wear, it "ould be turned inside out and appear new again% )e set up a fa"tory in a
Salt La#e building and had ten or twel&e girls wor#ing for him% *n offi"ial of
Charles' faith be"ame interested in his in&ention and told other "hur"h offi"ials
about it% Their interests were aroused, finally "ulminating in the organi<ation of the
Zitting 7arment Company, with Charles as president and manager% They "arried on
with good results for about a year and then sold out and dissol&ed the "ompany%
Charles' interest in things were ne&er hapha<ard nor halfChearted% )e had to #now
the wor#ings from the bottom up, so when his interests in oil wells and mines
engaged him, he too# many long wearisome trips to remote pla"es to see for
himself the prospe"ts in these dire"tions%
On some of these trips, he in"luded his wife and "hildren and turned it into an
outing for the family as well as an in&estigating trip% )e too# 9innie and the
"hildren on one of these trips in the summer of 1946% * friend, Le:oy Wilson,
went along as he too was interested% This spe"ial trip was up in the eastern part of
2tah% On the way ba"# they too# time for fishing in the Strawberry La#e% That
same summer, Charles and Le:oy e8plored the .u"hesne "ountry and &isited an
oil well at Thompson, 2tah%
Charles and Le:oy had many interests in "ommon in those days and spent many
hours together for business and pleasure one day aa their dis"ussions turned to
religion and as to their beliefs, hopes and aspirations, Le:oy as#ed Charles if he
would li#e to meet a polygamist%
Charles says, E$ was &ery mu"h interested for $ belie&e $ had been born with a
belief in polygamy or "elestial marriage aa the Lord had re&ealed it to the @rophet
+oseph Smith% $ didn't #now howe&er, that the law "ould be li&ed in this day% )e
introdu"ed =4/> me to a man not mu"h older than myself who had a large beautiful
family% )e was the first man $ had e&er met li&ing that holy prin"iple% )e had been
married and sealed for time and eternity by a man set apart to "arry on this wor# by
@resident +ohn Taylor and other leaders in the higher order of priesthood% They had
been put under "o&enant to #eep this law ali&e as long as they li&ed%E
Charles' interest was &ery mu"h aroused in the things these brethren taught him
"on"erning the prin"iple of plural or "elestial marriage and the ne"essity of its
being li&ed in this life in order to attain to the highest degree of glory in the
"elestial #ingdom% )is thirst for a "learer and more "omprehensi&e understanding
grew and he sought o""asions to meet men who "ould inform him further
"on"erning it%
*t this time, about the fall of 1945, Charles was wor#ing one of his mining "laims
at 7oldhill, somewhere near the western border of 2tah% * 1rother Aathan Clar#
of !armington, 2tah, was wor#ing for Charles at the mine% They had been into Salt
La#e City for pro&isions and were ha&ing a rather tough time tra&eling o&er the
poor roads between Salt La#e City and 7oldhill%
)e says, EWe too# the road to Tooele, St% +ohn, Clo&er, and then west through a
pass in the Stansbury mountains to 7oldhill on the old Lin"oln )ighway% *s we
tra&eled by night a storm of wet snow "ame up% We had to tra&el in deep ruts of
mud that "ame up to the hubs of the "ar wheels% 9any times we got stu"# trying to
get to the top and our engine would stop on us, and we would ha&e to get out in the
mud and "ran# it% *bout 4 a%m we finally got to the top of the mountain in a wet
snow storm and "o&ered with mud% We lit a mat"h to a &ery large bush, some #ind
of a greasewood $ thin#, and it made a &ery hot fire% We rested, got dry and warm
and felt &ery happy%
E*t this time, 1rother Aathan Clar# and others were trying to pro&e to me that it
was right to li&e the prin"iple of plural or "elestial marriage in this day as in the
early days of the "hur"h% They pro&ed to me that 7od had not ta#en away that
prin"iple and that it was ;ust as binding on us as when it was gi&en in the re&elation
#nown as Se"tion 1B4 of the .o"trine and Co&enants% They also pro&ed to me that
the Woodruff 9anifesto of 190 had not stopped the li&ing of this prin"iple and the
authorities of the "hur"h ne&er intended to stop it and many of them too# wi&es and
sealed other people in plural marriage long after that manifesto was passed%
EOn this mountain top in the middle of the night, while we were getting warm and
dry by the burning bush, $ debated with 1rother Clar# on this sub;e"t and after he
had pro&ed to me from e&ery angle that we should li&e all the gospel now in order
to get to the highest degree in the Celestial Iingdom of our 7od, and to be"ome as
7od is, $ then "ame ba"# at him with the only argument $ had left% $ shall ne&er
forget it and espe"ially the answer he ga&e me%
E$ said, J1rother Clar#, you ha&e answered me and pro&en e&erything to my
satisfa"tion% Aow if you are right in all our dis"ussion and you ha&e pro&en to my
satisfa"tion that you are, then $ ha&e one more argumentCC$ am still young, only
thirtyCtwo =46> years old% Why should $ get in a hurry% $f $ rush into it now, $ may
lose my wife and home% $ may lose my business, my standing in the "hur"h, my
friends and the "ompanionship of my "hildren% $f $ wait a few years, the "hur"h
may "ome ba"# to it and then $ would ha&e the "onsent of my wife and the
appro&al of my friends% They may e&en put me in ;ail if $ go ahead now, while if $
wait a few years, the laws of the land may "hange and $ "an li&e it without danger%'
E1rother Clar# answered, J'outh is the springtime of life% $f the springtime is
wasted, what will the har&est beK'
E$ was thoroughly "on&erted as things were pro&en to me but $ wanted my wife,
9innie with me whene&er $ made that important step and $ wanted her to feel the
same as $ did about it% $ de"ided to wait for that time if it too# se&eral years and $
set about to try to tea"h her the truths $ had learned and $ belie&e $ "ould ha&e
"on&erted her if we hadn't had so mu"h interferen"e from her parents and sister
Iate%E
The truths of the gospel were unfolded to Charles' mind and found lodgement in
his heart, and he desired that others of his friends and lo&ed ones should learn of it
too% So as he went about his wor# on his mining "laims mostly at this time, he
taught those of his friends who were dire"tors in his mining "ompany, the truths
that had been taught to him% !rom then on he was instrumental in bringing glad
tidings to many honest hearts and he had the pri&ilege of seeing many of them
embra"e the fulness of the gospel%
Those trips to and from the .eep Cree# mine where they were tunneling for ore
were full of e8perien"es for Charles and those wor#ing with him%
)e re"alls, EWhile 9r% +im Wood wor#ed at our .eep Cree# mine, his wife
a""ompanied us to the mine to &isit her husband% We had the "ar loaded with
supplies and bo8es of "anned goods were wired on the fenders% We tra&eled by
night on a""ount of the heat of the desert% We too# the old Lin"oln )ighway
through Tooele, St% +ohn, Clo&er, through the pass in the mountains to S#ull
?alley, past Orr's :an"h, past 7ranite 9ountain to 7oldhill, to $bapah and the
mine% *bout 4 a%m% in the night we stopped to rewire the bo8es on the fenders, in
the middle of the desert nearly to 7ranite 9ountain%
E*fter we got things wired se"urely, we got in the "ar and dro&e on, thin#ing 9rs%
Wood was asleep in the ba"# seat, but while we were stopped she had gotten out to
stret"h her legs and without us seeing her, wandered out away from the "ar% We
didn't miss her until the sun was "oming up and we were nearly to the mine% We
turned around and went ba"# and found her waiting on the road, se&eral hours after
we had left her there% She was 3uite worried at first but soon reali<ed we would be
ba"# as soon as we missed her%
E*nother time, fi&e of us in an old touring "ar went west from Salt La#e City to
7rants&ille, Wendo&er and then south to 7oldhill and the $bapah mine% The road
between 7rants&ille and Wendo&er was only a rough tra"# through the desert% $t
was thawing and the frost was mostly out of the ground% We were three =45> days
tra&eling through la#es of water and pushing the "ar through mud holes night and
day to rea"h Wendo&er% Si8teen miles of the road was so bad we had to get the "ar
on the railroad tra"# and tra&el on the ties to get through% $ was 3uite si"# when we
rea"hed Wendo&er% This happened in the spring of 1945%
EOn"e on our way to the mine at .eep Cree#, we stopped at 7oldhill and while
there de"ided to dri&e to the top of the mountain to see the 7lory )ole of the
Western 2tah Copper Company, an arseni" mine% *s we dro&e our "ar nearly to the
pea# of the mountain, the gas wouldn't feed in the engine whi"h was the "ase with
the old "ars if the road was too steep% $ wiggled around on that &ery narrow and
steep road, but in doing this, the steering apparatus bro#e without me #nowing it%
The road was built on su"h a steep hill that it was built up with ro"#s on the lower
side se&eral feet high% *s $ started down the road without #nowing anything was
wrong with the "ar, it dashed off the road and made two "omplete turnCo&ers down
the side of the mountain and lodged against a large boulder about half the si<e of
the "ar% When $ saw $ had no "ontrol, $ dropped into the bottom of the "ar and "lung
to the rod that led to the steering wheel% The other man in the "ar with me did the
"ame% We "rawled out from under the wre"# unin;ured e8"ept for a few bruises%
The top of the "ar was destroyed, also the windshield, fenders and three of the four
wheels% We went to 7oldhill and got three "ar wheels and other parts and fi8ed the
"ar so it would run, then we let it down the mountain side with bra#es and blo"#s a
foot or two at time until we got it on the road again% There was no top and no
windshield so we tied our hand#er"hiefs o&er our fa"es and dro&e the "ar to Salt
La#e City on a "old wintry day and we nearly fro<e to death%
EOn"e $ left the mine to go to my home in Salt La#e City and my "ar bro#e down at
the 7oshute $ndian :eser&ation, only three miles from the mine% *bout fifty $ndian
bu"#s "ame out and as#ed to pull me to 7oldhill, about thirty miles distan"e, where
$ "ould get the "ar fi8ed% $ as#ed them what they would "harge and they said M100%
When $ told them it was too mu"h, they said $ was ri"h and had a ban# in Salt La#e
City% $ told them $ didn't and started dri&ing them ba"# to the reser&ation% They
dro&e li#e a flo"# of sheep and were soon on their way and $ went ba"# to my "ar $
tried again to ma#e it go but without su""ess% Soon si8 young $ndian bu"#s dro&e
up in an old !ord "ar and as#ed what $ would gi&e them to tow me to 7oldhill% $
told them M10 and we were soon on our way% $t was ;ust getting dar#% *fter we got
about half way there, their "ar didn't ha&e power enough to ta#e me o&er a hill so
they dro&e ba"# to the reser&ation to get another old !ord and with the two of
them, they pulled me o&er the hill% $t was down hill the rest of the way but they had
tire trouble so $ spent the rest of the night around a "ampfire tal#ing to those si8
young bu"#s and helping them fi8 old tires% When we got to 7oldhill $ paid them
off and bought them some good things to eat% They wanted me to ta#e the M10 and
buy them some whis#ey but $ refused% Some of the $ndians wor#ed for me at the
mine%E
*long through these years in Charles life, he was be"oming more interested in the
fulness of the gospel, espe"ially in the =4,> law of plural or "elestial marriage and
as often as time and "ir"umstan"es would permit, he sought out and mingled with
people who, li#e himself were in&estigating the truth, and others who were really
li&ing in plural relations% *mong these people were se&eral young unmarried
women whom he had met and asso"iated with% Some of them he "ould ha&e
be"ome &ery mu"h interested in, had his wife 9innie been able to a""ept the
prin"iple as he had% Charles was new and ine8perien"ed in the art of tea"hing the
things that had be"ome so dear to his heart and he often blundered in his eagerness
to "on&in"e 9innie of their truthfulness and often la"#ed the patien"e he should
ha&e manifested% 9innie's fol#s were near and often interfered and little by little
they finally separated Charles and 9innie% 9innie and her "hildren made a trip to
9oab, 2tah, with some friends and stayed about a month or si8 wee#s then Charles
went and brought them home%
*bout this separation Charles writes, E9innie will ne&er #now how badly $ needed
her while she was away% $ was &ery lonely without her and the "hildren and the
home seemed unbearably empty and deserted without them%E
The relationship between Charles and 9innie be"ame more strained as days went
by% Little differen"es too# on enormous proportions and to ma#e matters worse, the
inClaws mo&ed in on them and tried to ta#e o&er and run their li&es as they ob;e"ted
to Charles tea"hing 9innie the law of Celestial 9arriage% * short time after this
9innie's parents pre&ailed upon her to see a lawyer and start di&or"e pro"eedings%
E$ had been to my mine in .eep Cree# for a few days and on returning, $ stayed at
my home% The ne8t morning $ had prayers with my family and left for my offi"e,
not #nowing that di&or"e pro"eedings had already "ommen"ed% $t was in the paper
the day before but $ hadn't seen it, ha&ing been away at the mine% 9innie #nelt with
me and the "hildren in prayer that morning and as soon as $ got to my offi"e door a
sheriff ser&ed the di&or"e papers on me%
EThe ne8t morning the "ourt issued a restraining order to #eep me from the home
until the di&or"e pro"eedings were o&er% $ had to get a room at a hotel and 9innie's
fol#s "ontinued to stay at my home% 9innie won a di&or"e on grounds of mental
"ruelty and she "laimed the "ustody of the three "hildren% The "ourt granted her
M/0 per month alimony plus half interest in the home and furnishings% She too#
"are of her own attorney's fees and $ deeded her my half interest in the home%
E$ was young and ine8perien"ed at that time and #new &ery little about life and the
gospel% $f $ had only #nown then, what $ do now perhaps things would ha&e been
different and $ would probably ha&e done better in handling the situation from the
beginning% $ tried to fi8 it up later but e&ery time $ tried to approa"h 9innie, she
refused to tal# with me% She "laimed in her "ourt "omplaint that $ wanted to be a
polygamist, but the real "ause of our di&or"e was as $ stated% $ taught 9innie the
prin"iple of plural or "elestial marriage but $ ne&er intended to ta#e the step until
she was "on&erted and ga&e her "onsent, e&en if it too# se&eral years% *fter our
di&or"e, $ was alone and as =4> nothing stood in the way $ therefore, went ahead
a""ording to the "on&i"tions within me, but mu"h sooner than it would ha&e been if
9innie had stayed with me% $n fa"t, the girls $ later married, $ had ne&er e&en seen
nor met until some time after our di&or"e%E
Sometime in the summer of 194, after 9innie di&or"ed him and before he was
e8"ommuni"ated from the Chur"h, Charles re"ei&ed a letter from @resident )eber
+% 7rant informing him that 9innie had applied for a "hur"h di&or"e, and he
wanted to #now how Charles felt about it%
The details "on"erning this are told by Charles% E$ answered him promptly, telling
him that the s"riptures forbade a man to put away his wife e8"ept for adultery and $
didn't belie&e her guilty of this "rime% $ also drew his attention to the 45th &erse of
the 1B4nd se"tion of the .o"trine and Co&enants whi"h is as followsD J?erily,
&erily, $ say unto you, if a man marry a wife a""ording to my word, and they are
sealed by the )oly Spirit of promise, a""ording to mine appointment, and he or she
shall "ommit any sin or transgression of the new and e&erlasting "o&enant
whate&er, and all manner of blasphemies, and if they "ommit no murder wherein
they shed inno"ent blood yet they shall "ome forth in the first resurre"tion, and
enter into their e8altation but they shall be destroyed in the flesh, and shall be
deli&ered unto the buffetings of Satan unto the day of redemption, saith the Lord
7od%' $ also wrote that $ hadn't "ommitted the sins spo#en of in this &erse and $
didn't belie&e she had% $ told him in this letter that $ lo&ed my wife 9innie and our
"hildren and $ stood ready at all times to be her husband and do the duties of a
husband in so far as she would allow me% $ would ha&e nothing to do with a "hur"h
di&or"e and that anyone attempting to separate her from me would ha&e to shoulder
the responsibility himself and answer to 7od for his own a"tions% $ didn't hear from
him again for se&eral months, then $ got another letter informing me that he had
granted my wife 9innie a "hur"h di&or"e% )e did all this without gi&ing me a trial
and without an inter&iew e8"ept through the letters 3uoted abo&e%
E*fter our separation, 9innie sold our home and went to li&e with her parents% $
"alled often to see the "hildren% They ne&er as#ed me into the home but all $ "ould
do was to &isit them a few minutes in the hallway of her father's apartment house%
*s time went on they appeared less willing for me to &isit them and finally they got
to the point where they wouldn't answer the door when $ #no"#ed% $t appeared as
though they weren't home but as $ glan"ed ba"# on lea&ing, $ "ould see someone
pea#ing through the window "urtains% When $ saw $ was ma#ing it disagreeable for
them, $ de"ided to stay away and see the "hildren when they got older%E
Soon after Charles' di&or"e trial ended, he made a business trip to Southern 2tah
with friends% On this trip he saw the St% 7eorge and 9anti Temples for the first
time% )e saw -nglish walnuts, pomegranates, and figs growing on trees, also for
the first time% On their way to St% 7eorge, they &isited Cedar 1rea#s, Zion Aational
@ar# and 1ry"e Canyon% They e8plored the "oal lands on the )igh )orse @lateau,
southeast of Cedar City, =49> and abo&e and west of Zion's Canyon% They &isited
the iron mine west of Cedar City and the iron deposits west of St% 7eorge in 1ull
?alley, Ae&ada%
While at St% 7eorge, Charles went to a mens "lothing store and there was waited on
by a beautiful young girl, a produ"t of 2tah's .i8ieland% )er bright smile and
gentle manners impressed Charles &ery mu"h% That e&ening as he was around town
he met an old friend who in&ited him to attend a dan"e with him at an openCair
dan"e floor north of the town, up by the "liffs #nown as Sugar Loaf% .uring the
dan"e, Charles was introdu"ed to :a"hel Wells, the girl he had met in the store that
afternoon% )e dan"ed with her twi"e that night and dro&e her home in his "ar after
the dan"e% )e ga&e her his address and told her if she e&er needed a friend to "all
on him or write to him%
)owe&er, Sunday morning as he was "oming out of the hotel, Charles met :a"hel
on her way to Sunday S"hool% She in&ited him to go with her and at noon he went
to her home and met her parents and her sister, *nnie% That afternoon he and
:a"hel went riding, and in the e&ening, wal#ed around the temple grounds and
there he told her about his family and how his wife had di&or"ed him ;ust a few
wee#s ago% Their souls seemed to be #nit together from the moment they first met
and before they parted that night he as#ed her to fast and pray with him until the
ne8t e&ening as he had an important de"ision to ma#e and she would also ha&e to
ma#e the same de"ision% She reali<ed he was going to as# her to be his wife%
That ne8t e&ening, Charles and :a"hel were at the temple grounds again and he
spent the e&ening tea"hing her the law of Celestial or @lural 9arriage, for Charles'
heart was set on li&ing all the laws of the gospel% )e insisted that she must #now
that and be willing to a""ept it if she wished to share his life% The Lord had
prepared her by a number of e8perien"es% )er grandfather had li&ed that holy law%
She had also ;ust finished reading the Life of )eber C% Iimball, and Charles ga&e
her The Seer to read%
1efore they parted that night, :a"hel had promised to be his wife% )er answer, she
said, was in the song entitled E*lways,E Enot for ;ust an hour, not for ;ust a day, not
for ;ust a year, but always%E They set a date to be married the ne8t fall% .uring the
summer months they wrote often to ea"h other and two or three time% Charles
dro&e down to &isit with her%
:a"hel's parents had a home and or"hard in St% 7eorge and a farm south of town on
whi"h they grew pea"hes, apples, and other fruit% *round the town home they had
figs, pomegranates, pears, and grapes%
$n +uly, Charles too# :a"hel and her sister *nnie to Salt La#e City% :a"hel found
wor# there and prepared to stay, while *nnie, after staying a few wee#s, went ba"#
home%
1efore going to St% 7eorge in +uly, when he too# :a"hel ba"# with him, Charles
had been introdu"ed to a young lady by the name of -l&era C% Olsen% -l&era was at
this time helping to "oo# at the 1oy S"out Camp, The Wigwam, in 9ill Cree#
Canyon, so =B0> Charles started hanging around the "amp 3uite often and ta#ing
-l&era for rides whene&er she had time off% They, li#e Charles and :a"hel, seemed
to be of #indred spirits, and before many days passed, they united in fasting and
prayer for the Lord's will to be done in their behalf, and that they would be guided
by )im in all de"isions they might ma#e%
+ust before the sun went down on a Sunday e&ening, Charles was telling -l&era
that it was not only a girl's responsibility but her pri&ilege to "hoose the #ingdom
she wished to belong to and the man she should "hoose to be the father of her
"hildren% She told Charles she #new the man she wished to belong to and that he
was the man% Charles had already told her about the family he had lost, and why,
and taught her the prin"iple of Celestial 9arriage% Aow, he too# the pi"ture of
:a"hel Wells out of his po"#et and showed it to -l&era and told her all about
:a"hel% )e said they were engaged to be married that fall and that he would fulfill
her wish also if she and :a"hel would both "onsent to be his wi&es%
-l&era loo#ed at :a"hel's pi"ture, as#ed se&eral 3uestions, listened with interest to
all Charles had to tell her, then ga&e her "onsent to a""ept the law of Celestial
9arriage and to be united with him at the same time :a"hel was%
*fter :a"hel arri&ed in Salt La#e City, Charles told her about -l&era and showed
her -l&era's pi"ture and she too, a""epted the law and -l&era, e&en before they met%
Charles and :a"hel dro&e up to the S"out Camp to see -l&era one day and -l&era
"ame running to meet them%
1efore Charles had time to introdu"e them, -l&era said, E$ guess this is :a"hel,
how do you feel about e&erythingKE
:a"hel answered, E!ine, and how do youKE -l&era's answer was the same and they
embra"ed ea"h other with a #iss% $n the days following, the three had many happy
times together, riding through the "anyons and &isiting other s"eni" spots when
-l&era was off wor#%
One beautiful summer day in the first part of *ugust, 194,, :a"hel, -l&era and
Charles were out riding and e&entually found themsel&es in Center&ille, .a&is
County, 2tah% Charles #new the pla"e &ery well, as he had been up that way
se&eral times% )e dro&e west on @orters' Lane and stopped in the shade of trees%
This was ;ust west of +ohn W% Woolley's and Lorin C% Woolley's homes% Charles
told the girls these two men had been ordained to the apostleship by early
presidents of priesthood, and later they had been set apart and put under "o&enant
by these men to #eep the law of Celestial 9arriage ali&e and to see that not a year
should pass but what "hildren should be born under this law% This "o&enant was
binding on them as long as they li&ed% Charles had heard these brethren testify to
this and had heard others who had been intimately a"3uainted with these two
brethren, &erify their testimonies%
The time of their being set apart and put under "o&enant for this wor# was on the
morning of September 4,, 15, at the time when @resident +ohn Taylor was in
hiding, during the antiCpolygamy "rusade% )e was in hiding at +ohn W% Woolley's
home, whi"h was =B1> guarded day and night% On the night of September 45,
@resident +ohn Taylor had retired for the night and Lorin C% Woolley was on guard%
)e had made his tour of inspe"tion to see that e&erything was safe for the night% )e
seated himself at the table near the door, the only entran"e to the room where
@resident Taylor was sleeping, and was reading his .o"trine and Co&enants when
he noti"ed a light shining under the door and heard &oi"es within% )e was &ery
mu"h startled at this and hurriedly made his round again to as"ertain, if possible,
how anyone "ould ha&e gotten in without his #nowing it%
)e found e&erything inta"t an it was before and an he was e8amining the last
window and feeling &ery agitated, a &oi"e spo#e to him saying, ECan't you feel the
spirit, why should you worryKE This "on&in"ed him there was no need for alarm%
The "on&ersation "ontinued on in the ne8t room and although he "ouldn't hear what
was being said, he #new there were three persons "arrying on that "on&ersation%
*bout midnight one &oi"e "eased, but the other two "ontinued "on&ersing until
morning% When @resident Taylor "ame out of his room about eight o'"lo"# the ne8t
morning, September 4,, 15, the fol#s there "ould s"ar"ely loo# at him on
a""ount of the brightness of his personage% )e stated, E1rethren, $ ha&e had a &ery
pleasant "on&ersation all night with 1rother +oseph,E meaning the @rophet +oseph
Smith%
Lorin Woolley said, E1oss, who was the other man that was there until midnightKE
@resident Taylor as#ed, EWhat do you #now about it, LorinKE
Lorin told him about his e8perien"es, then @resident Taylor said, E1rother Lorin,
that was your Lord%E
There was no brea#fast at that home that morning and e&eryone there was
assembled in a meeting whi"h lasted about eight hours% .uring this meeting,
@resident Taylor put ea"h person present under "o&enant that he or she would
defend the prin"iple of "elestial or @lural 9arriage and that they would "onse"rate
their li&es, liberty, and property to this and that they personally would sustain and
uphold that prin"iple%
*t this time, @resident Taylor re"ei&ed and wrote the following re&elation, gi&en to
him by the Lord, whi"h deals with the 3uestion of plural or "elestial marriage and
is #nown as the :e&elation of 15, whi"h is not re"ogni<ed by the L.S Chur"h
today% $t reads as followsD
9y son +ohn, 'ou ha&e as#ed me "on"erning the Aew and -&erlasting Co&enant
and how far it is binding upon my people( Thus saith the Lord% *ll "ommandments
that $ gi&e must be obeyed by those "alling themsel&es by my name, unless they
are re&o#ed by me or by my authority, and how "an $ re&o#e an e&erlasting
"o&enant, for $ the Lord am e&erlasting and my e&erlasting "o&enants "annot be
abrogated nor done away with, but they stand fore&er%
)a&e $ not gi&en my word in great plainness on this sub;e"tK 'et ha&e not great
numbers of my people been negligent in the obser&an"e of my law and the #eeping
of my "ommandments, and yet ha&e $ borne with them these many years( and this
be"ause of their wea#ness, be"ause =B4> of the perilous times, and furthermore it is
more pleasing to me that men should use their free agen"y in regard to these
matters% Ae&ertheless, $ the Lord do not "hange and my word and my "o&enants
and my law do not, and as $ ha&e heretofore said by my ser&ant +oseph( *ll those
who would enter into my glory must and shall obey my law% *nd ha&e $ not
"ommanded men that if they were *braham's seed and would enter into my 7lory,
they must do the wor#s of *brahamK $ ha&e not re&o#ed this law nor will $, for it is
e&erlasting, and those who will enter into my glory must obey the "onditions
thereof( e&en so, *men%
*mong other things that @resident Taylor told these fol#s at the time was, ESome
of you will be handled and ostra"i<ed and be "ast out from the Chur"h by your
brethren be"ause of your faithfulness and integrity to this prin"iple and some of
you may ha&e to surrender your li&es be"ause of the same but, woe, woe unto those
who shall bring these troubles upon you%E
*fter the meeting% @resident Taylor had 1rother L% +ohn Auttall write fi&e "opies of
the re&elation% )e "alled fi&e of the brethren together( Samuel 1ateman, Chas% )%
Wil#ins, 7eo% O% Cannon, +ohn W% Woolley and Lorin C% Woolly, and he set them
apart and pla"ed them under "o&enant that while they li&ed they should see to it
that no year passed by without "hildren being born in the prin"iple of plural
marriage% )e ga&e them authority to ordain others if ne"essary to "arry this wor#
on% They in turn to be gi&en authority to ordain others when ne"essary under the
dire"tion of the worthy senior Fby ordinationG so that there should be no "essation
in the wor#% )e then ga&e ea"h of these fi&e men a "opy of the re&elation%
H H H H H H H H
*s Charles, :a"hel, and -l&era sat in their "ar in the shade on @orter's Lane that
day in *ugust, 194,, Charles told them that they were now near the home of a man
that "ould gi&e them the blessing that they wished, and seeing they had both agreed
to be his "elestial or plural wi&es, he "ould see no reason why they should not be
married then instead of waiting for the late fall as they had planned% The girls both
agreed with Charles, so they dro&e to the home of 1rother +ohn W% Woolley% )e
was then about ninetyCfi&e years old%
Charles in&ited 1rother Woolley to "ome out to his "ar as there was "ompany at the
home% They both got into the "ar% Charles introdu"ed the two girls to 1rother
Woolley and then told him what they wanted%
Charles says, E1rother Woolley was a lo&ely "lean loo#ing old man with a large
white beard and musta"he and was in &ery good spirits%E
)e as#ed them if they had their endowments% Charles had but the girls had not% )e
as#ed them many serious 3uestions% )e told the girls if they wanted their
endowments they had better get them =BB> now as it would not be as easy to get
them latter on% )e also told them to remain faithful and to #eep praying and not
gi&e up and told them to "all and see him again as he had "ompany then%
The girls were &ery mu"h elated after meeting him and at on"e pro"eeded to get a
re"ommend to go to the temple% :a"hel got here first as -l&era had to wait until
she'd finished her wor# at the S"out Camp before she "ould ha&e a day to go
through the temple% -l&era suggested that Charles and :a"hel should go ahead and
get married as :a"hel was ready and she would be ready as soon as she "ould get
her endowments%
Charles and :a"hel were married on *ugust 1B, 194,, and Charles and -l&era on
*ugust B0, 194,% They were both married in the room where the eight hour
meeting was held with @resident +ohn Taylor on the e&entful September 4,, 15%
*fter they were married they set up house#eeping in a furnished apartment at about
4400 South Brd -ast in Salt La#e City% They li&ed there until the spring of 194%
.uring the winter months, :a"hel "ler#ed in a shoe store and -l&era wor#ed with
her mother at the West )igh S"hool Cafeteria% Charles sold brushes and handled a
group of salesmen for the brush "ompany% $n the e&enings they did temple wor# for
their dead an"estors and also did some genealogi"al resear"h and made re"ords%
Some years later, Charles did "onsiderable genealogi"al resear"h wor# both in the
L.S 7enealogi"al So"iety Library in Salt La#e City and in a library in Los
*ngeles, California% )e tra"ed his an"estors ba"# through his mother's line to +ohn
*lden and @ris"illa who "ame to *meri"a with the pilgrims on the 9ayflower in
1540%
Charles' <eal and determination to li&e the gospel in its fulness ne&er on"e
sla"#ened when he had be"ome "on&in"ed of the truthfulness and he ne&er missed
an opportunity to try to tea"h others the wonderful truths that had be"ome part of
his &ery being% Se&eral young women of his a"3uaintan"e, he taught the law of
Celestial 9arriage to, and found a response in their souls but through the pre;udi"e
of parents or other relati&es, they failed to a""ept the blessing and went the way of
the world% Two of these girls he espe"ially mentions in his ;ournal% One was a girl
he #new in his high s"hool days in $daho !alls, who later mo&ed with her fol#s to
Salt La#e City% *fter losing his first family he &isited her for some time% She was a
beautiful girl with a &ery noble spirit and she thought a great deal of Charles, but
through the bitterness of her father, she feared to a""ept the offer to be"ome one of
Charles' family% On"e she told Charles that if she should die before she be"ame his
wife, she wanted to be sealed to him for eternity% Some years later she married a
man not e&en a member of the 9ormon Chur"h and mo&ed to Ae&ada% *bout a
year later Charles heard that she had died of pneumonia%
*nother girl who Charles mentions was a daughter of one of the "hur"h leaders%
She was born of polygamist parentage and was thoroughly "on&erted to the
ne"essity of its being li&ed today, and had "onsidered seriously be"oming one of
Charles' family% )owe&er, through the influen"e and persuasions of her un"les who
had heard of her asso"iations with Charles, and #new the stand that he had ta#en,
she left Salt La#e City, and went to @ro&o to =B/> finish her s"hooling% When she
returned, she was a "hanged girl and had no desire to asso"iate with Charles%
Writing about her in his ;ournal, he says, EShe was indeed a &ery good girl, with no
guile% $n one of our "on&ersations she told me that ;ust before her father died, he
e8pressed his wish that none of his wi&es, then li&ing, should remarry and that they
should stay "lose together with their families% The wi&es remained near ea"h other
as instru"ted and lo&ed and helped ea"h other and did a""ording to their husband's
wishes%E
*long this train of thought, Charles "ontinues, EThat would also be my desire in
the "ase of my death%E
)e here refers the reader to passages in the 1ible, .euteronomy, "hapter 46, &erse
6( also 9atthew, "hapter 44, &erse 4/( also 9ar#, "hapter 14, &erse 19% )ere he
points out definitely that if a man dies ha&ing no "hildren, his brother shall marry
his wife and raise up seed unto him who is dead, and not otherwise%
Later on in Charles' life, he "alled some of his wi&es together and told them he
wanted to modify the wish he had made, "on"erning his wi&es not marrying again%
)e stated that if any of them felt that they "ouldn't "arry on without the help and
strength of a husband to lean on, it would be permissible for them to marry again%
*fter ma#ing the foregoing statement "on"erning his wi&es, he e8pressed his
desires "on"erning his daughters as follows, E$ also feel "ertain that $ would not
gi&e any man a daughter of mine in marriage unless he was a man that $ was
"on&in"ed stood firm for the fulness of the gospel% * man that was "lean, had good
prin"iples and was as good or better than her own father% $f she married someone
inferior, she would ha&e to do it without my "onsent%E
.uring the winter of 194,C4, while Charles, -l&era and :a"hel were spending
their e&enings wor#ing in the temple, they be"ame a"3uainted with a young lady
named -dna *% Christensen, originally from Tremonton, 2tah, who was in Salt
La#e City attending a business "ollege, and doing temple wor# e&enings% They
be"ame &ery dear friends and spent many en;oyable e&enings in the temple doing
wor# for their dead an"estors%
$n the spring of 1940, Charles bought a home and small farm, lo"ated on the Little
Cottonwood Cree#, east of 2nion and about one 3uarter mile east of ,900 South
)ighland .ri&e% The home was an old fourCroom frame house with a few outer
buildings and an old or"hard% $t was there that Charles, :a"hel and -l&era started to
ma#e a home of their own%
Charles writes, EWe didn't e&en ha&e the down payment so we had to gi&e our note
for the same, payable in ten months%E
They were able to sa&e enough for the payment and two months later met their first
years' payment%
-l&era wor#ed again that summer at the 1oy S"out Camp in 9ill Cree# Canyon
and :a"hel stayed at the house to #eep the home fires burning% @art of the land they
were buying was planted in alfalfa and that first summer they were able to sell
about fifteen tons of hay besides #eeping enough for their own "ow whi"h they had
=B6> pur"hased% That Espring before they mo&ed to their farm home% Charles "ame
home one e&ening and found :a"hel in tearE% She had an old letter in her hand that
she had been reading% $t was a letter written to her from her sisterCinClaw, whom
she lo&ed &ery dearly, who had sin"e passed away%
Charles as#ed her what "aused her to "ry and he writes thus( EShe loo#ed at me
with her lo&ely eyes and said, JCharles dear, $ don't belie&e $ will be with you long
as $ had a dream last night and $ saw myself in St% 7eorge in mother' bed% 'ou
were all around the bed feeling badly and the bed was full of blood%E
Aot long before this, -l&era had had a similar presentment as she sat waiting for
Charles to pi"# her up after wor#% $n telling it to Charles through her tears, she said,
EWe must be &ery good to :a"hel% $ ha&e been shown that she'll not be with us
long, and $ lo&e her%E
$n +une of 194, Charles, :a"hel and -l&era started on a trip to St% 7eorge in their
little "o&ered !ord tru"#% They "alled it the E"o&ered wagon%E They had planned to
go to St% 7eorge and go through the temple and on their way ba"#, &isit Zion and
1ry"e Canyons% They "amped two nights on the way% On"e at :i"hfield, and on"e
at Cedar City% *s they tra&eled, they sang songs and hymns and really en;oyed
themsel&es% They stopped at a par# ;ust west of 9t% @leasant, one day to eat their
lun"h% While they were resting, they tal#ed of their friend, -dna Christensen,
whom they had met in the temple% :a"hel and -l&era were &ery fond of her and
they as#ed Charles to promise that he would try to get her to "ome into their family
as soon as they returned% Charles promised them that he would try%
They rea"hed St% 7eorge early in the morning% -l&era was left at the hotel as
:a"hel's fol#s were not "on&erted to plural marriage and did not #now their
daughter was li&ing it% Charles and :a"hel went through the temple with her
parents and then went out to their farm about three miles from St% 7eorge% They
intended to stay one night with her fol#s, pi"# up -l&era the ne8t morning and go
on to Zion Canyon%
While they were loo#ing at a flo"# of beautiful "hi"#ens, :a"hel remar#ed that she
must ha&e "aught "old as e&ery bone in her body a"hed% They too# her home and
put her to bed% She was &ery si"#, and out of her head with a high fe&er all night%
They administered to her and did e&erything they "ould for her "omfort% The ne8t
morning they had a do"tor from St% 7eorge and later, her "ousin, a .o"tor
Wil#insen from Cedar City% On the e&ening of the se"ond day, she be"ame rational
and felt "onsiderably better so that she "ould tal# to them%
Charles said to her, E:a"hel, your dream has "ome true% 'ou ha&e been si"# in
your mother's bed and we ha&e all been around the bed feeling sorry for you%E
She loo#ed at Charles and said, EThe bed hasn't been full of blood yet%E
That night she again de&eloped a high fe&er and was &ery si"# the ne8t day% *bout
noon, she mis"arried a baby girl% Whether it breathed the breath of life or not was
hard to tell% When the "hild was born :a"hel's dream was literally fulfilled and
:a"hel was &ery wea# and low%
=B5> They as#ed her if she #new those present in the room with her, pointing to
ea"h one, first to her father% She said it was her grandfather, who had been dead
many years% They ne8t pointed to her mother and she named her grandmother, who
also had been dead many years% When as#ed who her sister *nnie was, she named
her grandfather's se"ond wife, also dead%
Then her mother as#ed her if she #new who Charles was and she answered, EThat's
my wonderful man%E
Charles bent o&er and #issed her and said, E$ lo&e you :a"hel%E
She answered, E$ lo&e you dear%E Those were her last words as she be"ame
un"ons"ious and soon passed away% She died on +uly B, 194, and was buried in
the St% 7eorge "emetery at the side of her grandfather and his two wi&es% !or years
Charles either too# or sent flowers for :a"hel's gra&e on 9emorial .ay% They
made a gra&e for the infant in :a"hel's father's or"hard% Charles dedi"ated the
baby's resting pla"e and sealed it up to the Lord, to "ome forth with its mother on
the resurre"tion day% )e also ga&e it the name of -dna Wells Zitting%
:egarding the death of infants, Charles re"ords in his ;ournal that 1righam 'oung
"laimed that the spirit enters the body of the "hild when the mother first feels life%
)e also relates an in"ident told to him by .r% :ulon C% *llred% $t was while 1ro%
*llied's grandfather was "rossing the plains on his way to 2tah% *postle @arley @%
@ratt was in the same "ompany% The *llreds were grie&ing on a""ount of the birth
of a fully de&eloped stillborn baby% *s they buried it by the wayside, *postle @ratt
instru"ted 1rother *llred to dedi"ate the gra&e, gi&e it a name and seal it up to the
Lord and they would ha&e it in the resurre"tion%
Charles had #ept -l&era informed on what was happening to :a"hel at her father'
home as she an8iously waited at the hotel% *fter re"ei&ing word of :a"hel's death,
she sorrowfully too# a bus ba"# to Salt La#e City, as her ;ob was waiting for her%
This left Charles to "ome home alone after the funeral was o&er%
1efore :a"hel's funeral, Charles prayed that something would be said at the funeral
that would show the position of Charles and :a"hel before our )ea&enly !ather%
Aone of the people at the funeral were aware that Charles and :a"hel were li&ing
plural marriage% One of the spea#ers "ompared :a"hel with those who "ame before
the Lord arrayed in white as re"orded in the 1ible( 1oo# of :e&elations, "hapter ,,
&erse 1BC1,%
*nother of the spea#ers, loo#ing dire"tly at Charles, said, E1rother Zitting, when
you lea&e this life you will meet your wife :a"hel on the other side% She will "ome
and ta#e hold of your hand and she will either be able to see it in your "ountenan"e
or she will say, J)a&e you li&ed the "ame laws, taught the same tea"hings, and
pra"ti"ed the same prin"iples as you did when you li&ed with me on earthK $f you
ha&e we will now enter into our e8altation%'E
Charles "ontinues, E$ felt that the spea#ers were inspired% $f $ remember right, the
first spea#er was :a"hel's bishop and the last one was her sta#e president%E
=B,> Charles stayed with :a"hel's parents for a day or two and then tra&eled home
alone in their old tru"#% $t wee a sad home"oming% :a"hel had so wanted to be"ome
a mother and was a &ery de&oted wife and sisterCwife%
)e "omments further "on"erning her and her genuine 3ualities as followsD E*fter $
rea"hed home, -l&era went through :a"hel's things and showed me where she had
let her own things wait so as to ha&e all my so"#s and other "lothes mended and in
good order% She had been as lo&ely and good as a man "ould as# a wife to be and
she really li&ed the laws of 7od in a wonderful way%
EShe had a beautiful pin# hat that she tried on the morning we arri&ed in St%
7eorge% She as#ed me how she loo#ed in it and $ told her she loo#ed li#e a
pomegranate blossom, and it greatly pleased her% $ remember some of her "ute
sayings% $f $ did something that she didn't li#e, she would say, J'ou're a he"#inish
man%' *fter $ got through eating a good meal she had prepared, she would say, J)as
your suffi"ien"y been soCfan"ifiedK' She was a &ery "heerful person%E
Aot long after Charles returned home, two men wanted him to e8amine a mine for
them in Tonapah, Ae&ada% They made the trip there in safety, but on the way ba"#
they had trouble% When they were out in the middle of the depart, about 1B5 miles
from -ly, Ae&ada, and in the dar#, their old .urrant "ar "aught on fire and was
burning all o&er the engine and ba"# to the front seat% *s they were unloading
things from the "ar, Charles "ame a"ross a fi&e gallon "an of water so they were
able to put out the fire%
The insulation was burned from all the wires, the lights were no good and they
"ouldn't get it to run% These men told Charles they would gi&e him the "ar if he
"ould get them ba"# to Salt La#e City%
Charles made sure the bare wires weren't tou"hing ea"h other, dried off the water
and after wor#ing with it for about an hour( finally got it to run on part of the
"ylinders% The moon was shining bright but the roads were rough and they spent
most of the night getting to -ly without lights%
The ne8t day Charles had the "ar rewired, greased, and the engine tuned up% Then
they dro&e through to Salt La#e City and true to their word, they ga&e Charles title
to the "ar% $t loo#ed terrible, as the fire had burned the paint from the hood and
other parts of the "ar%
Charles told -l&era be would try to get -dna Christensen in the family after he got
the old .urrant painted, but -l&era didn't thin# he should wait for that% Charles had
met -dna on 9ain Street soon after he returned from St% 7eorge% She had read of
:a"hel's death in the papers and she stopped to e8press her sympathy% * few days
later she went to Charles' offi"e with a boo# for him to read, thin#ing it might bring
him "omfort% )e as#ed if he "ould &isit with her sometime soon and it was
arranged that he should "ome the ne8t Sunday afternoon to the home where -dna
was rooming%
The day -dna went to see Charles at his offi"e, a friend of his, +esse, was there
also% $t happened that -dna had met +esse and his mother when she was on her
mission in the Southern States% +esse was "on&erted to the fulness of the gospel and
after -dna =B> left, he told Charles he was going to try to get her into his family%
Charles told him he would ha&e some real "ompetition, as he had been planning the
same thing%
+esse was wor#ing for Charles on their Cottonwood farm at that time% * night or
two later, +esse' wife, )annah, as#ed if she "ould ride out to the farm with Charles
one night, and "ome ba"# the ne8t morning% Charles made arrangements to pi"# her
up and he de"ided it would be a good time to ha&e -dna ma#e a &isit too% -l&era
was still wor#ing at the 1oy S"out Camp% Charles phoned -dna and told her of
their plans and as#ed if she would li#e to "ome out, too, to whi"h she "onsented%
That night before she retired with +esse's wife, Charles as#ed her if she would li#e
to ta#e the alarm "lo"# and set it for /D00 a%m% FdawnG, and ta#e a ride with him up
to his hayfield% She agreed and by /DB0 they were ha&ing prayers together out in
the trees by the "ree#, south of the house% They later dro&e up to the hayfield and
there they sat in the "ar and tal#ed until about 10D00 a%m% Charles told her about his
first family, 9innie and the "hildren, and informed her that :a"hel and -l&era were
his plural wi&es% )e also e8plained points on the 7ospel to her and showed her
how and why it was still ne"essary and right to li&e all the prin"iples of the gospel,
whi"h in"luded plural or Celestial 9arriage and the 2nited Order%
)e e8plained to her that all good things must start at the first unit of 7od's
organi<ation, the home% *fter a man with his #ingdom of se&eral families learns to
li&e the 2nited Order, an re&ealed to the @rophet +oseph Smith, +r%, or in other
words, a man with his plural wi&es and their "hildren learn to li&e the 2nited Order
by helping ea"h other, di&iding with ea"h other, ha&ing all things in "ommon and
lo&ing ea"h other, with the husband as the @riesthood head of that home as Christ
is head of the Chur"h, then in 7od's own due time a number of su"h units will be
used to form the foundation of the 2nited Order system in the Chur"h and
Iingdom of 7od% We must li&e all the laws, not ;ust part of them FSe" . N C Se"
9, ? 11G to be"ome a "reator and 7od o&er our own world and our own posterity
in the Celestial Iingdom of our 7od% )e 3uoted from +oseph Smith, E*s man is,
7od on"e was, as 7od is, man may be"ome,E and he stated further, that a woman
"an 3ualify to be"ome a 7oddess o&er her own posterity and o&er her own world in
"onne"tion with her husband by li&ing all the laws of 7od% $f you do this, you will
be tried and perse"uted as the prophets were% 7od has said, E9y people shall be a
tried people%E )e did not say )is people may be a tried people, but he said they
shall be a tried people% )e also said they would be tested and tried as gold is tested
se&en times in the fiery furna"e% 1ut there is a full happy life and great ;oy in
ser&ing 7od and #eeping )is "ommandments and great will be one's reward in the
Celestial Iingdom of 7od if he "omplies% )ere in his re"ord, Charles writes, EThis
in one testimony $ wish to lea&e with my posterity%E
*fter tal#ing with -dna for about fi&e hours, up on the hay field, and listening to
her e8perien"es in the mission field, Charles found that she did not need mu"h
"on&erting as her faith =B9> was pretty well grounded in the fulness of the 7ospel%
She had been &ery faithful and by a series of e8perien"es, 7od had prepared her for
this day and for )is wor#% *t this time Charles as#ed her to be his plural wife and
as#ed her to fast and pray with him for twentyCfour hours that the Lord's will might
be their will%
*t the end of the twentyCfour hours, Charles, -l&era, and -dna went for prayer in
that little pat"h of woods south of their Cottonwood home on the ban#s of the Little
Cottonwood Cree#, and there -dna promised to be his wife% They were sealed in
Celestial 9arriage in the same room and by the same apostle of the Lord as were
his other wi&es, :a"hel and -l&era, about a year pre&ious, in fa"t it was on :a"hel's
wedding anni&ersary, *ugust 1B, 194%
-dna ga&e up her idea of be"oming part of the business world and settled down to
house#eeping and bottling fruit for their winter's use% -l&era was home for the
wee#ends% Soon after their marriage, -dna as#ed the pri&ilege of naming her first
daughter :a"hel in lo&ing remembran"e of Charles' wife who had so re"ently
departed from this life% This wish was granted and when about a year later, a little
daughter gra"ed their home, she was gi&en the name of :a"hel Christensen Zitting%
Loo#ing ba"# now, Charles writes, E-dna has been a &ery faithful, loyal, and
lo&ely wife and is the mother of eight beautiful "hildren, :a"hel C%, 9ar&in C%, -&a
C%, *llen C%, 9ary C%, +oseph C%, :uth C%, and :ebe""a C% She has also gone
through se&ere tests of faith with me whi"h $ will relate further on in this re"ord%E
)e further re"ords, E-l&era has also been a &ery faithful, loyal, obedient wife% She
has always been &ery unselfish and always ready to gi&e a helping hand where
needed% She be"ame the mother of two "hildren, .ena O% and Carl O% 1oth are &ery
good "hildren%
Aot many months after -dna entered the family, the hand of the oppressor was
shown and perse"ution "ommen"ed% $n the month of Ao&ember, 194, Charles and
-l&era were e8"ommuni"ated from the "hur"h through the instrumentality of
*postle +ames -% Talmage% When they were "alled up for trial before they were
e8"ommuni"ated, 1rother Lorin C% Woolley ad&ised them not to go to the trial as it
would do no good, as ;usti"e would not rule%
-l&era's mother, Sister -l&ira 1% Olsen, was a &ery good "hur"h member and
temple wor#er% 2p to this time, Charles and -l&era had found it wise not to
a"3uaint her with their manner of li&ing% When he married both :a"hel and -l&era,
he got their parent's "onsent% When he as#ed for their daughters, he told them he
belie&ed in e&ery word of 7od as re&ealed by the @rophet +oseph Smith and other
prophets and he intended to li&e the fulness of the gospel at his first opportunity%
)e also told of the trouble he had with his first wife's fol#s and that he didn't intend
to ha&e that trouble with his new inClaws as he was marrying ;ust the girl and not
the whole family and he wanted it understood that way%
)e got the "onsent of the parents, in about the same way for most of his other
wi&es, where the parents were still li&ing% )e =/0> informed them all that he
belie&ed in the fulness of the 7ospel, and was li&ing it to the best of his
#nowledge%
*s before stated, *postle Talmage gained #nowledge of Charles' plural
relationship with -l&era, had notified their respe"ti&e bishops and then sent for
-l&era and her mother to appear before him% -l&era's bishop had already &isited her
and got her story so Charles told her she need not appear before *postle Talmage%
-l&era's mother went to him e8pe"ting "omfort and "onsolation from him as she
was &ery mu"h "onfused and troubled at the turn of e&ents that she had #nown
nothing about beforehand% She informed *postle Talmage that she understood that
her daughter was mi8ed up in some #ind of an affair, but she didn't #now what, and
she wanted him to tell her what the trouble was% $nstead of gi&ing her a
sympatheti" understanding, he "alled her a liar, and a"ted more li#e a demon than
an apostle% )e told her that her daughter was li&ing in adultery and used many
harsh and un"alled for e8pressions whi"h only added to her distress% She left
weeping% She had e8pe"ted that an apostle of the Lord would "omfort and offer
helpful "ounsel% She also e8pe"ted an apostle to ha&e enough of the spirit of the
Lord to #now that she was telling the truth%
*s soon as she left his offi"e, he notified the authorities not to let her "ome into the
temple anymore and instru"ted her sta#e president to sign no more re"ommends for
her until he was informed otherwise% Sister Olsen had been a temple wor#er and
faithful in e&ery way in her ward% Charles states here that he belie&ed he had ne&er
met people more faithful to their duties in the ward than were the Olsen family%
Sister Olsen was &ery mu"h bewildered when she found she was barred from the
temple% $n her grief she turned to Charles to find out what it was all about% )e put
his arms around her and "omforted her and told her all she wanted to #now%
She said, EWhen $ see the differen"e between your spirit and the spirit of *postle
+ames -% Talmage, $ #now whi"h is right and whi"h is wrong%E She soon gained a
testimony that it was right today and always had been right, to li&e plural or
"elestial marriage in its purity as the prophets of 7od ha&e done% She "laimed that
the a"tion of +ames -% Talmage, the perse"utor of the Saints wanting to li&e the
fulness of the 7ospel, "on&erted her to the truth%
When *postle Talmage put a stop to -l&era's mother doing temple wor#, Charles
made a "all on @resident *nthony W% $&ins, !irst Counselor to @resident )eber +%
7rant, who was @resident of the Chur"h of +esus Christ of LatterC.ay Saints%
Charles told him he had a problem to ta#e up with him% *n appointment was made
for that afternoon at 4D00 p%m%, and Charles was there to fulfill it%
)e first told @res% $&ins he had "ome to see him about a Sister Olsen, who had been
barred from the temple by *postle Talmage% The following "on&ersation is as
Charles remembered it%
)e says, E@resident $&ins listened &ery attenti&ely to my story and $ tried to inform
him e8a"tly what had happened and what brought it all about% *fter $ finished, he
promised he would "onta"t *postle Talmage and told me to see Sister Olsen and
tell =/1> her to see her Sta#e @resident in a few days, and she would get her answer%
$n a few days she had a new re"ommend and was ba"# wor#ing in the temple%
E*fter @res% $&ins had told me that, he said to me, J'ou don't mean to infer that it is
right to li&e plural marriage today, do youK'
E$ answered, J$ "ertainly do, 1rother $&ins%' )e then "losed and lo"#ed his outside
door, also the door leading into @res% 7rant's offi"e, so we wouldn't be disturbed%
E*s he was doing this $ offered up a prayer for spiritual help and the Spirit said to
me, JSti"# to fa"ts and the Word of 7od and all will be well,'
E1rother $&ins "ommen"ed by saying, J.on't you #now that a manifesto was
passed in 190 to do away with plural marriageK' $ answered that $ was well
a"3uainted with the 9anifesto and as#ed him if it was a re&elation from 7od%
E)e e8"laimed, JAo, $ wish it was and then we would ha&e something on whi"h to
handle su"h men as you when you "ome up hereP' $ then told him if $ was wrong in
any of the statements $ should ma#e in our "on&ersation that $ wished to be
"orre"ted as $ wanted nothing but the truth%
E$ then said, J1rother $&ins, what is the one big differen"e between the foundation
of our "hur"h and the foundation of all other "hur"hesK'
E)e as#ed, JWhat do you say it is, 1rother ZittingK' Then $ 3uoted from the 1ible,
St% 9atthew, 15th Chapter, where the Sa&ior was tal#ing to )is dis"iplesD
16% )e saith unto them, 1ut whom say ye that $ amK
15% *nd Simon @eter answered and said, Thou art the Christ, the Son of
the li&ing 7od%
1,% *nd +esus answered and said unto him, 1lessed art thou, Simon 1arC
;ona( for flesh and blood hath not re&ealed it unto thee, but my !ather
whi"h is in hea&en%
1% *nd $ say also unto thee, That thou are @eter, and upon this ro"# Fthe
ro"# of re&elationG $ will build my "hur"h( and the gates of hell shall not
pre&ail against it%
E$ "ontinued, JAow 1rother $&ins, as you #now, the foundation of all other
"hur"hes is based on manCmade laws, and therefore ha&e their manCmade
imperfe"tions and wea#nesses% The leaders of all these "hur"hes ma#e the laws
themsel&es% Luther made the laws for his "hur"h, therefore it is "alled the Lutheran
Chur"h( our "hur"h is not "alled the Chur"h of +oseph Smith or the Chur"h of
1righam 'oung or the Chur"h of Wilford Woodruff, be"ause they did not ma#e
the laws% $t is "alled the Chur"h of +esus Christ be"ause )e made the laws and
handed them down to us by re&elation through the prophets% The foundation of our
"hur"h is re&elation from 7od, while the foundation of all other "hur"hes is manC
made laws with their manCmade imperfe"tions and wea#nesses%
E1rother $&ins answered, J'ou are right, 1rother Zitting, you ha&e your feet on a
solid foundation and don't let anyone mo&e you%'
EThen $ as#ed, JWas plural marriage re&ealed to the @rophet +oseph SmithK'
=/4> E1rother $&ins answered, J'es, it was%'
E$ then said, J1rother $&ins, will you show me a re&elation from 7od ta#ing that
law away or "an abrogating or suspending the lawK 'ou admitted at the beginning
of our "on&ersation that the 9anifesto was not a re&elation from 7od, and if we
a""ept the manifesto, a manCmade do"ument, and li&e it and ma#e it a part of our
"hur"h laws and by so doing, do away with the re&elations on plural or "elestial
marriage, then where is the foundation of our "hur"h any different than any other
manCmade "hur"hK'
E)e remained silent for a minute or two, and then as#ed( J.on't you belie&e that
the instru"tionsCC"oming from @resident 7rant today are re&elations from 7odK
.on't you belie&e that the leaders are inspired by hea&en and their words should
always be re&elation to youK'
E$ answered, J'ou ha&e admitted that the 9anifesto was not a re&elation% *ll they
tell us is not re&elation% Sometimes it is ;ust a man gi&ing his opinion, and he may
be right or wrong% -a"h year we sustain the !irst @residen"y, the Twel&e *postles,
and the @residing @atriar"h F15 men in allG as prophets, seers and re&elators of the
Chur"h of +esus Christ% 'et during the administration of Woodrow Wilson as
@resident of the 2nited States, @resident 7rant was "ounselling the people to
support the League of Aations while another prophet, seer, and re&elator, :eed
Smoot, was telling the people to re;e"t it%'
E1rother $&ins answered, J'es, 1rother Smoot was wrong and @resident 7rant
dis"iplined him%'
E$ stated, J1rother $&ins, there is nothing new that $ "an tell you be"ause you ha&e
been in this wor# mu"h longer than $ ha&e, but $ am going to remind you of a few
e&ents, and if $ am wrong $ wish to be "orre"ted% 'ou #now that nearly all, if not
all, of the 7eneral *uthorities of the Chur"h at the time the 9anifesto was signed,
either too# plural wi&es or married people in plural marriage after the 9anifesto%
This in"ludes @resident Wilford Woodruff, the man who signed the 9anifesto%'
E)e as#ed, J)ow do you #now that, 1rother ZittingK'
E$ answered, J1e"ause $ am informed by &ery good authority that be married
9adame Lydia ?on !% 9ountford, the le"ture woman from @alestine, in plural or
"elestial marriage, se&eral years after the 9anifesto%'
E@resident $&ins did not deny this, and $ went on naming others of the general
authorities who too# plural wi&es or married people in this law after the 9anifesto,
gi&ing ea"h "ase in detail as to names, dates, pla"es, et"%
E$ was about to re"all a few of the many people he F@resident $&insG had sealed in
this law after the 9anifesto when be interrupted me by saying% J-nough, 1rother
Zitting, enoughP 'ou are well informed% $t is true we had to ta#e "are of "ertain
"ases after the 9anifesto% Some girls were engaged to be married before the
9anifesto passed and "ould not be "ast aside%'
E$ then as#ed him if the "hur"h did not tea"h that they should uphold the law of the
land espe"ially after it had been tested out in the Supreme Court and termed
"onstitutionally "orre"t%
=/B> E)e answered, J'es,'
E$ then said, J?ery well, the "hur"h made a test in the Supreme Court with the
:eynolds Case, as 2tah was then a territory, and the laws of the 2nited States
against plural marriage, as applied to territories only, were tested out and ruled
"onstitutionally "orre"t by the Supreme Court in the :eynolds Case in 1,9% $t was
not until ele&en years later that the "hur"h passed the 9anifesto, so e&idently those
girls were engaged to those men for a long time%
E$ ne8t reminded him of se&eral "ases where men too# plural wi&es many years
after the 9anifesto, and those men in good standing and holding high positions in
the "hur"h today, two of them were Sta#e @residents% $ also reminded him of the
"ourt re"ords of the Smoot $n&estigation of 190/ where @resident +oseph !% Smith
admitted in his testimony that he had bro#en the rule of the "hur"h Fas he termed
the 9anifestoG and also the laws of the land and was fined MB00 whi"h he paid%
E1rother $&ins said, J'ou are well informed% .o you #now about the letter
@resident Smith sent out to the @residents of Sta#es in 1910 Fit may be "alled a
Se"ond 9anifestoGK'
E)e then ga&e me a "opy of this letter whi"h instru"ted the leaders of sta#es and
wards to "ut anyone off the "hur"h that was found pra"ti"ing or ad&o"ating plural
marriage%
EJAow,' said 1rother $&ins, Jwhen those instru"tions "ame out we put a stop to it all
o&er the world% )ad you gone into plural marriage before those instru"tions "ame
out, $ would ha&e nothing to say, but now it is 3uite a different matter%'
E$ bro#e in here, J1rother $&ins, do you mean to tell me that had $ gone into plural
marriage before this letter "ame out, it would ha&e been all rightK'
E)e answered, J'es, as far as $ am "on"erned personally%'
EThen $ said, J?ery well, 1rother $&ins, if you ha&e no more respe"t than that for
@resident Woodruff's 9anifesto, then what pre&ents me from showing the same
respe"t to this letter of instru"tions from @resident +oseph !% SmithK Aeither one of
them is a re&elation and if the "hur"h follows them in preferen"e to dire"t
re&elation on this sub;e"t then our "hur"h is no different than the many other
"hur"hes following the pre"epts of men in preferen"e to the re&ealed word of 7od%'
E)e then e8"laimed in a loud tone, J*:- 'O2 * L*W'-:P'
E$ answered JAo%'
EF)e then tried to flatter me and the spirit spo#e to me again and said, J.o not ta#e
this too serious or you will lose the spirit of the dis"ussion'G%
E)e said, J'ou use the ta"ti"s of an attorney% 'ou are a &ery bright young man%
There isn't one in ten thousand li#e you, and $ hope we "an #eep you in the "hur"h%'
E$ answered, J$ do &alue &ery highly my standing in the "hur"h, $ would feel &ery
badly if $ lost my standing in the "hur"h through sin, but if it means that $ must
re;e"t the re&ealed words of 7od and submit to manCmade rules a""ording to the
"ustoms of a wi"#ed world in order to #eep my standing in the "hur"h, $ will li#ely
lose it% Let the )oly Spirit be my guide and trust that 7od alone will someday be
my ;udge%E
=//> E)e then got up from his "hair and said, J@erhaps you already ha&e more than
one wife, 1rother Zitting% $ ha&e not as#ed you%'
E)e and $ were both silent for about one minute%
E$ was wondering how to answer him, and was about to tell him the truth about it
when he pla"ed his hand on my arm and said, J*nd $ don't want to #now% $ ha&e
other wor# $ must do 7od bless you, good afternoon%'
E$ had as#ed him in the beginning of our tal# to "orre"t me if $ was wrong as $
wanted nothing but the truth% )e did not "orre"t me in the statements $ made, and $
left with a spirit of re;oi"ing in my heart% $ #new that he "ould not ta#e any other
side than to try to support the opposite side as the "hur"h had already ta#en a firm
stand against this law% )owe&er, his message to me was unmista#able% 'O2
92ST !OLLOW 7O. $AST-*. O! 9*A%E
$n his ;ournal, Charles ma#es some further statements about @res% *nthony W%
$&ins%
E$ ha&e been informed that @res% $&ins was put under "o&enant by "hur"h leaders
that he would li&e all the laws of 7od in"luding "elestial or plural marriage, at the
time he was set apart to perform su"h marriages in old 9e8i"o% )e performed
many of these marriage "eremonies after the 190 9anifesto, but $ ha&e been told
that he ne&er li&ed up to the "o&enant he made to li&e the law himself%
E*fter his death, $ saw him in a dream, being ;udged by Lorin C% Woolley% $ was
standing ;ust behind 1rother Woolley, wat"hing% 1ro% $&ins was "utting a "heese
and "ut it perfe"tly as to the weight wanted%
E$ noti"ed this and said to 1rother Woolley, J)e "ut the "heese perfe"tly,'
E*t the same time $ got the interpretation of the dream that he had been perfe"tly
honest in his business while on earth%
E1rother Woolley answered me by saying, J'es, he "ut the "heese perfe"tly and he
will get "redit for that but when it "omes to the big things in life, he missed the
mar# a mile%'
E$ immediately got the interpretation to mean that he had failed to li&e the higher
laws of the gospel%E
Charles was always a &ery bighearted and generous person and #ept the Lord's
"ommand to JLo&e they Aeighbor as Thyself' to the &ery letter% $n fa"t his family
often thought that he lo&ed his neighbor more than himself, for many times he lent
a helping hand and dug down deep into his po"#et for his last dollar to help others
when his own family was li&ing on &ery short rations% Charles' deeds of mer"y and
"harity were not the #ind that were shouted from the housetops but he was always
ready to gi&e a helping hand to the underdog or to those of more humble
"ir"umstan"es who were often passed almost unnoti"ed by other fol#s%
$t "ould be said of him as it was of the Sa&iour, J)e went about doing good%' )e
helped se&eral of the saints to get homes of their own and later put up some of his
own money to tide them o&er when the going got rough%
*fter Charles and -l&era were e8"ommuni"ated, the "hur"h would no longer
a""ept their tithing% !rom then on, Charles' =/6> family ga&e their tithing to those
they felt needed it and were worthy of it% Later it was gi&en to do printing in
defense of those who were trying to li&e the fulness of the gospel and also to
further the gospel among the faithful ones%
$n the fall of 194, Charles had a &ery wonderful e8perien"e that portrayed to him
what he might e8pe"t in the future, and whi"h indeed "ame true% )e tells it thusD
EOne e&ening on or about the 45th day of September, 194, 1rother Lorin C%
Woolley spent the e&ening with my family and me at our Cottonwood farm home
about three miles east of 2nion, 2tah% *ll e&ening he dis"ussed the gospel and told
of his e8perien"es with @res% 1righam 'oung, @res% +ohn Taylor, @res% +oseph !%
Smith, and other early leaders of the "hur"h% *fter midnight, $ dro&e him to his
home in Center&ille, 2tah, and then returned to our farm% The ne8t morning after
sleeping about eight hours, $ dro&e to Salt La#e City% $ had lun"h with my wife
-l&era at noon at the West )igh S"hool Cafeteria where she and her mother
wor#ed, and then $ dro&e my "ar near to the north gate of the temple grounds and
par#ed at the "urbing% $t was about 1D00 p%m% and the sun was shining bright%
E*s $ par#ed my "ar, $ fell into a &ision as $ leaned on the steering wheel% $ was
awa#e and it lasted only a minute or two%
E$n the &ision, our Lord +esus Christ "ame to me and $ immediately re"ogni<ed him
as the &oi"e of 7od said, JThis is your Sa&ior, +esus Christ%' *t this the Sa&ior
"ommen"ed tal#ing to me% )e held what loo#ed li#e a bright sil&er "up in his hand
about the si<e of a tin "up in general use%
E)e pla"ed it to )is lips and dran#, then he handed it to me and said, J1rother, you
must drin# out of the same "up%' $ too# the "up and answered% J$ will%' and as $ put it
to my lips and "ommen"ed drin#ing, the &ision "losed%
This e8perien"e was beautiful abo&e des"ription% The greatest e8periment of my
life% $t was something real and has been a great sour"e of en"ouragement to me
e&er sin"e it happened% *fter that &ision $ sat in my "ar in tears, the greater part of
the afternoon, pondering o&er what $ had seen and heard%E
H H H H H H H H
1efore Charles had met and married -dna, and while she was attending business
"ollege, she was li&ing with an un"le of hers in !armington, .a&is County, 2tah,
and rode the ele"tri" train ba"# and forth ea"h day% $t was while riding this train
that she met the young woman who was destined to be Charles' ne8t plural wife,
Laura Tree% Laura was staying with her sister in !armington and wor#ing at an
offi"e in Salt La#e City%
These two young ladies happened to sit side by side on their way to wor# one
morning and started "hatting% Through this in"idental meeting they be"ame good
friends and often met e&enings and went to the temple together% Later, -dna
mowed to town to be nearer to the s"hool, and they lost tra"# of ea"h other for a
while% $n the meantime, -dna had met and married Charles% )e, -l&era, and -dna
were happy and deeply grateful for the gospel =/5> truths they had re"ei&ed and
were en;oying, and they had a desire to rea"h out to others, that they too might be
blessed%
-dna had mentioned her friend Laura to Charles and -l&era, as one li#ely to
re"laim and a""ept the truth, so she planned a way for Laura and her husband to
meet% $t "ame about at the train depot, O"tober B1, 194% Soon after this, Laura was
in&ited out to their home where an insight into the fulness of the gospel was
re&ealed to her% Subse3uent meetings followed and ere long all barriers of doubt
and un"ertainty had been remo&ed and Laura was willing to "ast her lot with saints
of 7od and be"ome a member of Charles' family%
Charles re"ords this e&ent in the following manner, E$ told her that it was our wish
that she should be"ome my plural or "elestial wife and we set apart a day for
fasting and prayer to #now the will of the Lord% She was with -l&era, -dna, and $ at
our Cottonwood farm at the end of the fast% )er answer was yes% We all sat down at
our table to eat and as $ sat there with the three of them $ remember the feeling of
responsibility that $ e8perien"ed% $ felt that $ had ta#en on 3uite a load to be a
husband to these three beautiful women and raise families and pro&ide homes and
the ne"essities of life for them% *t the same time, $ felt li#e a #ing%
ELaura has been a lo&ely wife to me and a sister to us all% She has a good sense of
humor whi"h has helped a lot to get her o&er the hard pla"es in life% )er mother
was a refined lady from old -ngland and Laura has inherited her fine 3ualities% She
is now the mother of three noble sons and is helping to rear and "are for the son
and daughter of my wife Orpha who has ;oined my wife :a"hel in the world
beyond% Laura's sons are :i"hard T%, .arrell T%, and 7ordon T% One of our sons,
.arrell T%, died at the age of fi&e and one half years, of spinal meningitis% )e died
O"tober 5, 19B,% $t was one of the hardest trials of my life%
ELaura be"ame my wife on +anuary 4, 1949% $ had told her that $ would ha&e the
man ready at a "ertain hour to seal us for time and eternity% 1rother +ohn W%
Woolley had died at the age of ninetyCse&en, ;ust a short time before this, so $
"onta"ted his son, Lorin C% Woolley% )e was ill and he told me to go and see
*postle 9attias !% Cowley as he had sealed se&eral su"h marriages sin"e the
9anifesto of 190% $ found 1rother Cowley at the City and County 1uilding%
*lthough he #new my wife -l&era and $, he refused to gi&e Laura and me this
blessing be"ause he said he had 3uit doing this #ind of wor#% 1rother Woolley had
told me to tell 1ro% Cowley that $ was sent with a re3uest for him to do it% 1rother
Cowley then told me to tell 1rother Woolley that he had 3uit doing this wor# and
for 1rother Woolley to send no more to him%
EWhen $ went ba"# to 1rother Woolley and informed him of what 1rother Cowley
had said, he had a &ery serious loo# on his fa"e as he said, J$ understood that he
had turned and $ wanted to try him out%'
E)e then told me if $ would go and pray that the Lord would guide me to a man
that would gi&e us this blessing%
E$ said, J)ow will $ #now if the man $ find has really got the authorityK'
=/,> E)e answered, JThe man the Lord dire"ts you to will ha&e the authority'
E$ went to my offi"e in the :egent 1uilding to ha&e prayer% $ lo"#ed myself in and
got on my #nees on the "arpet in front of the settee% $ was indeed humble as it was
only a few hours before $ was to meet Laura to ha&e this wor# done% *s soon as $
"eased praying the spirit said for me to go and see a "ertain brother and he "ould
gi&e me the desired information% $ understood that he was li&ing the holy law of
"elestial marriage but $ was surprised when $ found that he "ould gi&e us the
blessing we desired% )e was almost a stranger to me at that time% $ had met him
only on"e or twi"e%
E)e told me of his e8perien"es as he entered the prin"iple of "elestial marriage
when he was a )igh Coun"ilman in the 7ranite Sta#e% )e told me also that when
he entered the law he had the blessing( and san"tion of the !irst @residen"y of the
"hur"h and of the ma;ority of the apostles% This was long after the 9anifesto of
190, and during @resident Loren<o Snow's administration% *fter this F$ learned
laterG he, with his plural wi&es were "alled into the temple by the !irst @residen"y
of the "hur"h and they re"ei&ed their se"ond endowments% Later he was set apart by
the @residen"y of @riesthood as an apostle and patriar"h to our Lord +esus Christ% $t
was not until two days later that $ "ould get an appointment with him for Laura and
me to set our blessing%E
Charles was a man who ne&er let dis"ouragement get him down% $t seemed that the
harder he was #no"#ed, the higher he boun"ed and would soon be on his feet again%
)e was, howe&er, tried to the &ery "ore many times%
)e tried many enterprises to ma#e means to pro&ide for his e&erCin"reasing family
and to pay the alimony to his first wife% .uring the winter of 194C49 he bought
about twentyCsi8 pigs whi"h he hoped to sell in the spring at a good pri"e% )e
writes about this underta#ingD EWe had about twentyCsi8 pigs during the winter of
194% $ hauled pig feed, Fwaste from the tablesG from the West )igh S"hool
Cafeteria where -l&era and her mother were wor#ing% $n the spring $ sold them all
for less than $ paid for them but $ had the use of the pigs all winter% $ figured $ made
more out of those pigs than any enterprise of similar si<e that $ e&er undertoo#,
be"ause $ "on&erted the Olsen family to the fulness of the gospel and built up a
lasting friendship there while getting slop for the pigs%E
*nother time he went into the rabbit business and raised and sold rabbits to a man
who was supplying !ort .ouglas with rabbits for eating% Then again, he bought
se&eral "olonies of bees whi"h helped to supply the sweets for his family% )e
always #ept a "ow or two, raised "hi"#ens for a while, and always had a &egetable
garden, so a good portion of the family's pro&isions "ame from their own land%
*lthough Charles tried his hand at many things, his first and deepest lo&e, aside
from his religion and his family, was 7od's good earth% !or thirty years and more
be spent the greater part of his time dealing in real estate, buying a pie"e of land
here and trading for a pie"e of land there, only to ma#e another =/> e8"hange later
on% $n &ision he "ould see Jthe desert blossom as a rose,' whi"h so often was to
others nothing but a sunba#ed wilderness% !or years he "arried on his letterhead
and business en&elope the ins"ription, JWe buy and sell mountains and desertsP
When a few oil wells showed signs of produ"ing in the 2intah 1asin, he was so
sure it was another :angely !ield in the ma#ing that he sun# a small fortune into it,
whi"h he subse3uently lost% Charles' sun of optimism was e&er shining while others
would be gro&eling in the depths of despair% When opportunity "eased to #no"# on
his door, he went out and "reated it, whi"h "arried himself, his family and others
a"ross many a rugged road%
)is home on the Little Cottonwood Cree# was the pride of his heart% *lthough the
house was little and old and shabby, lo&e dwelt there% The wild woods surrounding
it always held en"hantment for his family as it grew, and for the many friends who
&isited there%
1ros% Lorin C% Woolley, +ohn '% 1arlow and family, and +% Leslie 1roadbent and
family were among the fol# that &isited there and many a pi"ni" was spread out
under the trees% 1rother 1roadbent used to any there was no pla"e he'd rather be
than at Charles' pla"e on the ban#s of the Little Cottonwood Cree#%
There were se&eral old fruit trees when they bought the pla"e and soon after, they
planted a new or"hard and se&eral &arieties of berries, whi"h helped to feed the
family% The wild timbers and bushes growing along the "ree# that runs a"ross the
"orner of the farm, are many in &ariety% There are "ottonwood, bla"# willow, red
bir"h, "ho#e"herry, oa# brush, )awthorne, s3uawberry and wild roses, as well as
se&eral un#nown &arieties% * short distan"e north of the house, a sand hill rises
abruptly, whi"h is "o&ered with low growing bushes% $t too, has its en"hanted spots%
The Little Cottonwood home is a "hildren's paradise, and a rela8ing pla"e for
grownups too% +udge )olton, a friend of Charles from 1righam City, &isited on"e
and "alled the pla"e Tanglewood, be"ause of the abundan"e of growing things%
+udge )olton was a &ery de&out man and while &isiting at our home ga&e Charles a
blessing by re3uest, whi"h was a great "omfort to him as time passed on% This is
the blessing as re"orded by Charles' wife, -dna%
A BLESSING
7i&en by 1rother !red +% )olton, .e"% 15, 194,%
2pon the head of 1rother Charles !% Zitting%
E1y authority of the )oly @riesthood and power in me &ested, do $ lay my
hands upon your head and gi&e unto you a blessing and may it be a sour"e
of light and power to you through your life%
E.i"tate the words, !ather in )ea&en, that this may be thy blessing
"on"erning this, thy ser&ant% 9ay Thy )oly Spirit bear witness of the
same%
E.ear 1rother ZittingD the Lord has great ;oy in you% 'ou were sele"ted
from many thousands who were true and faithful% 'ou "hose between
tyranny and =/9> liberty and followed the :edeemer% 'ou were most loyal
and faithful and &aliant and therefore "hosen and a de"ree went forth
through the hea&ens to that effe"t% 'our 7od said, JThe true and noble
ones $ will ma#e my rulers%'
E'ou were tried and found true and faithful before you "ame to this earth,
therefore, you "ame here with a noble birthright%
E'ou re;oi"ed in the "oun"il, before "oming here, in the prospe"ts of a new
"reation where you "ould go to be s"hooled, o&er"ome e&il, and do good%
'ou understood the fulness of the gospel%
E'ou are blessed with the gift of dis"erning between good and e&il and
also with the power of di&ine re&elation%
E'ou ha&e been faithful in the fa"e of perse"ution and the Lord has blessed
you%
ETo those li&ing the fulness of the gospel shall )ea&en and -arth yield
abundantly% 'ou shall be blessed with ri"hes for you ha&e a desire to ser&e
our )ea&enly !ather%
E2nite your families with lo&e% See# 7od in all humility% .raw near unto
him and he will draw near unto you and your blessings shall be multiplied%
E!ear not ad&ersity nor slander from brothers and sisters% Zion shall pass
through a great "onfli"t% The powers of dar#ness shall en&elope all% This
howe&er, shall pass away for 7od's wor# will pre&ail%
E1e "areful and wise% .o not "ast your pearls before swine% @ray always
and you shall be gi&en the power of dis"ernment%
E2nite with the bonds of fraternal friendship% Obey the laws to attain 7od's
glory%
E'our pathway is wide but see# 7od before you ta#e a step in life and you
will be able to dis"ern the right way to go through the Spirit of 7od%
E'ou are of the tribe of -phriam and the blessings of *braham, $saa", and
+a"ob shall be yours%
E'our seed shall be as numberless as the sand upon the seashore%
ELet the powers of 7od guide you% 'ou shall be greatly opposed but see#
7od in humility and faith and your pathway shall be safely se"ured% 1e
unafraid and faithful and you shall be guided to your ;ourney's end%
E'ou shall see great "hanges "ome o&er the earth% 'ou shall see
destru"tion "ommen"e at the house of the Lord% 7od has been mer"iful
but soon )e will not be mer"iful to those who ha&e professed to #now
him and failed to #eep his "ommandments%
ESee# 7od in the time of peril and you shall be safe and not afraid% The
time is "oming when only faith will #eep you safe%
E'ou shall see Zion triumph and you shall enter the temples and see and
meet the Sa&iour and re"ei&e the =60> word, JWell done, thou good and
faithful ser&ant, enter thou into the presen"e of the Lord%'
E'ou shall see the pillar of fire by night and a "loud by day%
E'ou shall see the #ingdoms of the earth o&er"ome%
E'ou ha&e e&ery reason to re;oi"e, e&ery desire you desire in
righteousness shall be gi&en you%E
This blessing was gi&en through the name of +esus Christ and "losed with E*menE%
When they first bought the Cottonwood home, they had to "arry water from the
"ree# for "ulinary use% Later, they were gi&en permission to "onne"t with the "ity
water pipeline, nearly one half mile west of their home%
Charles tells about this o""asionD E1rother +ohn '% 1arlow, )eber Iimball, *rnold
1oss, and other friends helped dig the four foot deep tren"h for the pipe% $ laid all
the pipe, "onne"ted it up to the house, built the sin# in the #it"hen, did all the
plumbing wor# and made a "ement watering trough for the "ows%
E1rother +ohn '% 1arlow be"ame poisoned from poison i&y or poison oa# that
grew where they dug the tren"h% )e was 3uite si"# for se&eral wee#s%E
Charles and his family were en;oying the pea"e and 3uiet of their home on the
"ree# and were in"reasing in numbers as ea"h little one arri&ed and was wel"omed
there% *lthough they were pursuing their li&es in pea"e and molesting no one, the
de&il was "unningly spreading his net to entangle them% Their nearest neighbors
who had always been &ery #ind and "onsiderate toward them, had reported to
Charles se&eral times of rumors they had heard that there were plans made to arrest
them% There was not mu"h he "ould do about it so they went 3uietly on about their
business, trusting that 7od would su""or them in their time of need%
The de&il had laid his plans well% On the first of *pril, 19B1, while Charles was out
doing his morning "hores, three offi"ers of the law "ame upon him unawares,
arrested him, too# him to Salt La#e City and threw him in the "ity ;ail%
We will here re"ord this in"ident in Charles own wordsD EOn the morning of *pril
1, 19B1, at my Cottonwood home about three miles east of 2nion, while $ was
ta#ing hay off the sta"# to feed my "ows, 9r% Tripp Fone of my neighborsG, :oss
)unsa#er, F-dna's "ousinG, and .a&e Clayton, Fa grandson to Wm% Clayton, the
@rophet +oseph Smith's se"retaryG, all offi"ers of the law, ser&ed papers on me and
arrested me% The "harge was illegal "oChabitation% They allowed me to finish my
"hores and get sha&ed and "leaned up and then $ #issed my two wi&es, -dna and
Laura, who were home, and they too# me to Salt La#e City and pla"ed me in ;ail%
EOn our way to town they informed me that they had "omplaints signed to arrest
about eightyCfi&e of the brethren li&ing plural marriage% .a&e Clayton had signed
the "omplaint against me% They wanted to #now if +ohn 1arlow was in town% When
we got to town .a&e Clayton too# me alone in his offi"e% )e was then "hief
dete"ti&e and head of the antiC&i"e s3uad for Salt La#e City% )e told me again that
they intended to arrest about =61> eightyCfi&e of our brethren, but if $ would gi&e
them "ertain information that they needed, it would put a stop to it all%
E)e "alled me 1rother Zitting, and as#ed me to "all him 1rother Clayton, as he had
nothing against me personally and only wished to help me% )e said all he wanted to
#now was who was performing these marriage "eremonies for us% )e said they
didn't intend to harm the man in any way, but ;ust to ha&e a tal# with him to see if
they "ould persuade him to dis"ontinue it in the future% )e said "ome "laimed that
the man authori<ed to do this wor# was dead but they belie&ed there were some
still li&ing who "ould do it%
E$ loo#ed him straight in the eye and said, J1rother Clayton, you won't e&er find
out from me as mu"h as to whether the man is dead or ali&e, if $ rot in your ;ails%'
E)e didn't as# me any more 3uestions but "ontinued to tal# to me a while% )e told
me that his grandfather, Wm% Clayton, was se"retary to the @rophet +oseph Smith,
and had li&ed the law of "elestial marriage ba"# in $llinois when the prophet li&ed
that holy law% )e said that Salt La#e City was a &ery wi"#ed "ity, as wi"#ed as
Sodom and 7omorrah e&er were% When he told me this $ as#ed him if he was able
to bring to ;usti"e all the wi"#ed "riminals in this "ity%
E)e said, JAo, 1rother Zitting, not ten per"ent of them%'
E$ then said, J1rother Clayton, this in not a threat, $ only wish to warn you% Why
are you lea&ing your wi"#ed "ity when you ha&en't found and brought to ;usti"e ten
per"ent of the "riminals, to "ome fifteen miles into the "ountry to arrest a pea"eful
man who is ta#ing "are of his family and hurting no oneK !rom now on you had
better lea&e those pea"eful "hara"ters alone, who are being perse"uted for li&ing
the same holy law that your grandfather and the @rophet +oseph Smith tried to
establish and pioneer nearly a hundred years ago, and spend your time tra"ing
down and bringing to ;usti"e that ninety per"ent of "riminals in your "ity that you
admit you ha&en't been able to arrest% $f you don't do this, when you pass from this
life you won't ha&e the pri&ilege of asso"iating with su"h men as your grandfather
and the @rophet +oseph%'
E)e had nothing more to say and pla"ed me behind bars in the "ity ;ail with a
bun"h of drun#ards, Aegroes, 9e8i"ans, and whites% $t was a dirty, filthy pla"e%
*fter $ had been there a "ouple of hours, they too# me out and pla"ed me in the
"ounty ;ail with se&enteen highway robbery men% They were as bad and hardened
as any "riminals $ had e&er seen or ha&e seen sin"e%
E*s soon as $ was left alone with these "riminals in the "ounty ;ail, they held a
#angaroo "ourt and senten"ed me to pay them a fine of se&eral dollars to buy
toba""o, et"%, for them% $ was supposed to gi&e the prison guard a note telling the
prison offi"ials to bring them money from my purse $ was supposed to ha&e left at
the offi"e when $ "ame in, if $ had any% $ told them $ didn't ha&e any money for
them so they senten"ed me to wash a thousand of the bars and they said if $ didn't
do it, they would gi&e me punishment as $ had ne&er e8perien"ed before% *s $ was
many times outnumbered, $ too# some soap and a bu"#et of hot water and a rag,
and got busy washing bars%
=64> E$ had been there ;ust twentyCfour hours and it was about noon on *pril 4,
19B1, when my brethren, Lorin C% Woolley, +% Leslie 1roadbent, +oseph W%
9usser, and .aniel :% 1ateman "ame and bailed me out and too# me to a good
"afe to ha&e dinner with them% They had *ttorney 1arnes to defend me in the
"ourt% )e "harged M460 and all $ had to pay was M/0% They said it was their fight as
well as mine and they wanted the pri&ilege of paying part of the "ourt "osts%
E* few days later, $ met a friend, Offi"er 1rown of the Salt La#e @oli"e !or"e, and
he said he had been tal#ing with .a&e Clayton, and 9r% Clayton had said, JThat
Zitting is no fool% )e told me something $ "an't get off my mind,'E
Charles met with his attorney who "ounseled him, that if he "ould pro&e that he
had another pla"e where he roomed and boarded, other than his home, it would be
hard for the "ourt to "on&i"t him% One of Charles' friends told him that he hated to
tell a lie, but if Charles wanted him to testify in "ourt that Charles roomed and
boarded at his house, he would do so% Charles told him he would pray about it and
would meet him early on the day he was to appear in "ourt and would let him #now
his de"ision% $n the meantime the attorney got ready to fight it on the te"hni"alities
of the "ase%
Charles "ontinues, E$n praying to #now what to do, the spirit brought to my mind
this passage of s"ripture, J$, the Lord, am bound when ye do what $ say( but when
ye do not what $ say, ye ha&e no promise%' F.o"% N Co&% Se" 4, & 10G, and also
another s"ripture, J!or behold, $ do not re3uire at their hands to fight the battles of
Zion( for as $ said in a former "ommandment e&en so will $ fulfillCC$ will fight your
battles' F.o" N Co& Se" 106, & 1/G% $ then de"ided to trust in 7od to fight my
battles instead of as#ing this brother to lie for me%
E$ prayed to 7od reminding him that $ was in trouble, that $ had been li&ing all his
laws and "ommandments, in"luding the law of plural or "elestial marriage, to the
best of my #nowledge and ability in my wea#ness% $ told him if he had a purpose in
my going to ;ail, $ was willing to go but if he wanted me to stay with my family
until they had grown stronger, it was up to him to fight my battles as he had
promised he would if we did his will% $ reminded the Lord, that $ had him bound to
fight my battles if $ was doing his will and if $ wasn't, now would be a good time
for me to find out% $ than#ed him for our many blessings, for he had been &ery good
to us and $ trusted in him impli"itly%E
The night before he was to appear in "ourt, Charles met with his families who were
in hiding in a good friend's home, for fear of being subpoenaed to witness against
their husband% They all #nelt in prayer and again laid their "ase before the Lord and
as#ed that )is will be done%
Charles saysD EWhen the day "ame for me to go to "ourt $ "alled at the offi"e of my
attorney about one half hour before "ourt was to "on&ene% )e as#ed me where my
witnesses were and $ told him $ had none%
E)e e8"laimed, JAo witnessesK They ha&e thirteen witnesses subpoenaed against
you% We will ha&e to fight them entirely on the te"hni"alities of the "ase%
=6B> E$ e8plained to him how $ had de"ided to trust in 7od instead of man%
E9y wife, 9innie, three sta#e presidents, *postle +ames -% Talmage, .a&e
Clayton, and some others ma#ing thirteen in all were arrayed against me as
witnesses% $ was in "ourt only about one hour% 9y attorney first put .a&e Clayton
in the witness "hair and then argued the "ame on te"hni"alities and won, and the
"ase was dismissed% @utting a witness in the "hair and as#ing a few 3uestions
pla"ed me under ;eopardy, so if we should win on the te"hni"alities of the "ase,
they "ouldn't rearrest me on the same offense%
E*postle Talmage wal#ed into "ourt that morning with the other witnesses,
appearing in good health, but when he went to lea&e he was helped out and down
the steps by two men% $ saw this myself and many others saw it and dis"ussed it%
We ne&er saw him go any pla"e after that without being helped% They would help
him to the stand with the other apostles at "onferen"e time% )e didn't li&e &ery long
after that%
EThe Lord "ertainly #ept his promise to fight our battles when we do )is will% $t
was a testimony to me that $ had been doing )is will% $ went ba"# home to li&e
with my family as before and although one of the men that arrested me "ontinued
to li&e as a near neighbor to us $ li&ed there another thirteen years without being
further molested%
EOne morning about two years later, in the summer of 19BB, a message "ame to me
at my offi"e, that +udge Aathan Tanner wished to see me at his offi"e% When $
"alled on him, he informed me that .a&e Clayton wished to see me at his home on
California *&enue% )e told me to go down there without delay as 1rother Clayton
had been &ery si"# for sometime and he didn't e8pe"t to li&e long% When $ "alled at
the Clayton home $ was dire"ted by 9rs% Clayton to a little one room s3uare
building in the ba"# yard, well &entilated on all sides and built espe"ially for
1rother Clayton% )is wife left me there with him alone% )e was only s#in and
bones and his s#in was yellow% $ "ould see he had been si"# for a long time% *s $
entered the building, he bro#e into tears and rea"hed for my hand%
EWhen he was able to "ontrol himself enough to tal#, he said, J1rother Zitting, the
Lord has shown me that you were in the right, and $ ha&e done you a great
in;usti"e% $ am ready to do anything in my power to ma#e it right with you%' EThen
he e8plained by saying, J$ had no right to sign that "omplaint against you two years
ago% $ was Chief .ete"ti&e for Salt La#e City and it was my business and duty to
arrest you, if and when someone signed a "omplaint against you, but it wasn't my
business to sign the "omplaint% $ thought $ should do it be"ause +ames -% Talmage
as#ed me to do it, but $ ha&e learned better by now% $ was then a su""essful
dete"ti&e without a si"# day for o&er nineteen years% $ be"ame si"# the day $ signed
that "omplaint and $ ha&e been right here in bed for o&er two years% The Lord has
shown me that $ will ne&er get out of this bed ali&e unless $ ma#e it right with you%
Aow, you say what $ am to do, 1rother Zitting, and if it's in my power to do it, $
will%'
=6/> E$ answered him by saying, J1rother Clayton, you ha&e done enough% $ forgi&e
you and when $ forgi&e you $ #now that 7od also forgi&es you be"ause he has
more "harity and mer"y than $% Aow you rest, 1rother Clayton, and when we meet
on the other side, you won't ha&e to "ome to anyone to ma#e it right, be"ause you
ha&e made it right in this life%' )e felt "onsiderable better then, and when $ left, he
in&ited me to "ome and see him again% $ "alled at his home a month later and he
was out dri&ing his own "ar and $ had to wait for his return% :emember, he had said
to me on my first &isit, that the Lord had shown him that he would ne&er get out of
that bed ali&e unless he "alled me in and made it right with me%
E$ also "alled on him again in another si8 wee#s and he was ba"# on his old ;ob as
dete"ti&e% *gain, $ waited for him to get home% *t this inter&iew he told me that if
any of us were arrested, or if any of our wi&es were arrested for plural marriage, to
get in tou"h with him immediately and he would do all he "ould to help us%
E)e said, J$ belie&e $ "an do a lot to help you people, but you must not mention this
to anyone as long as $ am li&ing or $ won't be able to help you% The Lord has
pro&en to me that you are right in li&ing )is law of plural marriage and $ had to
learn it the hard way%'
E)e li&ed and was su""essful for a few more years and then passed on to his
reward% $ will ne&er forget him on a""ount of his great faith%E
H H H H H H H H H H H H
Charles made another addition to his family of wi&es at this time% )e re"ords this
happy e&ent himselfD E$ married my wife Orpha on +une 11, 19B4% Li#e Laura, she
was a friend of -dna's% They met when they were attending the "ollege in Logan
years before% They had written to ea"h other at inter&als through the years% She was
born and raised in Tropi", 2tah% )er father and mother had both passed away and
at this time she was li&ing with her sister )ortense's family in -s"alante, 2tah%
EWhen -dna wrote to her this parti"ular time, she told her she had a relati&e here
that she thought a lot of Fmeaning meG, whom she would li#e Orpha to meet% $t was
the 9$* +une Conferen"e time so Orpha de"ided to "ome and &isit -dna while she
was here% She pa"#ed her suit"ase and "ame up to her sister -lsie's home in Sandy%
There, -dna and $ "alled on her and too# her to our Cottonwood home% $n the
e&ening of the day $ met her, $ as#ed her to ta#e a ride with me, and we dro&e to the
top of the hill at the east end of So"ial *&enue and there we sat and tal#ed% $ as#ed
her to tell me the story of her life% $n a brief way, she told me her life history and
as#ed me to do the same% Then $ told her my main interest in life was the 7ospel of
+esus Christ and that $ would rather dis"uss the 7ospel than anything $ #new of% $
as#ed her if there was anything about the gospel that she didn't understand and if so
$ would gladly dis"uss it with her%
EShe answered, J$ would li#e to #now ;ust what it ta#es to get into the highest
degree of glory in the Celestial Iingdom of =66> 7od% $ e8plained the fulness of the
gospel to her and pro&ed to her by the s"riptures that a person must li&e all of 7od's
laws in"luding the highest prin"iples% 2nited Order and plural or Celestial
9arriage to get into the highest degree of glory where the 7ods li&e and rule o&er
their own #ingdom% $ taught her from the 1B1st and 1B4nd se"tions of the .o"% N
Co%, and she grasped it &ery easily as she had an open heart and mind and was
willing to learn new truths% Li#e my wi&es, -dna and Laura, she had spent two
years in the mission field for the Chur"h of +esus Christ of LatterCday Saints% $
tal#ed with her most of the time for two days and she was pretty well "on&erted
when $ told her about my other wi&es and let her #now that we were stri&ing to li&e
the fulness of the gospel% Then $ as#ed her to be my wife for time and all eternity
but $ told her $ didn't want her answer until we had both fasted for twentyCfour
hours and prayed to #now 7od's will% This she agreed to do and we both felt
wonderful at the end of the fast and #new it should be% $ had already fasted and
prayed with my family and had their "onsent%
EThe man that ga&e Laura and me our blessing did the same for Orpha and me%
This man's wife ga&e Orpha a large bou3uet of white roses and mo"# orange
blossoms from her flower garden% We dro&e up to Syra"use to see Laura, who was
&isiting with her fol#s% $ gathered a bun"h of sand flowers along the road for Orpha
she had ne&er seen them before and thought they were &ery beautiful% Late that
afternoon, we too# -l&era with us and dro&e down to *lpine, 2tah to &isit some
friends and stayed o&ernight with them%
EOrpha was as fine a wife and mother as any one "ould wish for% She was a real
student of the gospel% She be"ame the first @resident of the 9other's "lass in our
group of people% She lo&ed to dis"uss the gospel and read the s"riptures% She was
also a &ery good "oo# and house#eeper% 9any people remar#ed to me that they had
ne&er met a sweeter woman% )er spirit was wonderful and she had a good sense of
humor% When Orpha "ame into our family we had only the one little frame house
of four rooms to li&e in% )ere my four wi&es and si8 little "hildren li&ed with me
from the 11th of +une until sometime in Ao&ember, when $ mo&ed Laura and her
two "hildren and Orpha to a large bri"# house in Taylors&ille, whi"h $ had ;ust
traded for% This left -l&era and -dna with their "hildren at our Cottonwood home%
ESoon after $ married Orpha, we made a trip to Tropi" and -s"alante to get her
personal belongings and to meet her relati&es and friends% We also &isited 1ry"e
Canyon, Zions Canyon, and went through the 9t% Carmel Tunnel% $f $ remember
right, we went to St% 7eorge and &isited my wife :a"hel's gra&e and went o&er to
Short Cree# to &isit friends there% Orpha's people were good to us and ga&e us
some &ery useful wedding presents% )er brotherCinClaw and wife ga&e us a new
bedstead, springs and mattress%
EWhile we were all still li&ing at our Cottonwood home, -l&era's daughter, .ena
was born% -dna had her daughter :a"hel, her son 9ar&in and her daughter -&a(
and Laura had her sons :i"hard and .arrell% .ena was born at her 7randmother
Olsen's home( :i"hard was born at the L.S )ospital( :a"hel and 9ar&in were =65>
born in the Cottonwood 9aternity )ospital( and -&a and .arrell were born at our
Cottonwood home%
E*bout the summer of 19BB and on the day of *postle +ames -% Talmage's funeral,
the bishopri" of the 2nion Ward "alled at our home to notify -dna that they
intended to "ut her off the "hur"h for li&ing plural marriage% The bishop said be
would rather ha&e a leg or arm "ut off than to do what he had to do% )e stated that
*postle Talmage had gi&en him orders to do it and that he had put it off year after
year until now he had to do it% The others didn't ha&e mu"h to say% $ bore them my
testimony% They #new we were li&ing plural marriage whi"h we didn't deny% $ told
them it was useless for -dna to go to a trial as $ "ould see their minds were already
made up to "ut her off the "hur"h for the way we belie&ed and were li&ing, as they
already had their orders from *postle Talmage%
E9y wi&es Laura and Orpha were e8"ommuni"ated from the "hur"h while they
were li&ing at Taylors&ille, about the same time that -dna was%E
On marriage outside the temple, Charles writes, E$n the 46th &olume of the +ournal
of .is"ourses, @% B66, is a sermon by @res% +ohn Taylor in whi"h he states that
temples are made for men, and not men for temples and that he "ould say that he
had a wife sealed to him outside of a temple% )e states that it is the authority that
"ounts and not the pla"e%
E1rother $&ins and many other "hur"h leaders sealed many people in plural
marriage outside of a temple while the temples were in operation, both before and
after the 9anifesto of Wilford Woodruff in 190% They did this in 9e8i"o, Canada,
and in the 2nited States% 9y wife Aellie's mother was sealed to her father long
after the 9anifesto, up in Canada% 9y grandfather, -lisha Wheat ?an -tten, had
two of his wi&es sealed to him the same day by @resident 1righam 'oung in @res%
'oung's offi"e while the Salt La#e -ndowment )ouse was in operation%
E* friend, 1rother Wilson on"e introdu"ed me to a blind man at his home in 9anti,
2tah% $ don't remember his name% )e was wor#ing in the 9anti Temple at the time
$ met him% )is wife had been sealed to him in Old 9e8i"o by @res $&ins before
they re"ei&ed their endowments and while the temples were in operation% *fter
they had si8 "hildren, they mo&ed to 9anti and got their endowments% )e showed
me a "opy of a letter he wrote to @resident )eber +% 7rant in whi"h he as#ed if it
would be ne"essary to ha&e his wife and "hildren sealed to him be"ause they didn't
ha&e their endowments when @res% $&ins sealed his wife to him% )e also showed
me the answer he got from @res% 7rant, on "hur"h letterhead paper and signed by
@res% 7rant, in whi"h he informed him that their sealing by @res% $&ins in Old
9e8i"o was good as @res% $&ins had authority to seal them and their "hildren were
born under the "o&enant and now after getting their endowments in the 9anti
Temple, there was no more to be done%
E$n addition to the "hur"h leaders sealing people in plural or "elestial marriage long
after the 190 9anifesto, they also 3uietly set apart patriar"hs and apostles to do
that wor# and they were instru"ted to bapti<e or instru"t fathers of plural families
=6,> to bless and bapti<e their "hildren and gi&e them the priesthood as they grew
old enough% They also instru"ted the fathers to #eep a re"ord of this so that it "ould
be"ome a part of the "hur"h re"ords after the "hur"h is set in order% Some of these
men ha&e been ta#ing "are of this wor# all their li&es and ha&e gi&en us our
blessings and instru"tions%
E1efore $ entered the prin"iple or law of plural marriage, $ had met 1rother +ohn '%
1arlow, +oseph W% 9uster, +ohn W% Woolley, Lorin C% Woolley, +oseph Leslie
1roadbent, .aniel :% 1ateman, *lford )iggs, and others who had spent their li&es
in the wor# of the Lord% The three brethren, +ohn W% Woolley, Lorin C% Woolley,
and .aniel :% 1ateman, had li&ed with @res% +ohn Taylor when he was in hiding, in
what was #nown as the underground days, at 1rother +ohn W% Woolley's home on
his farm in Center&ille, 2tah, in the year of 15% $ be"ame &ery well a"3uainted
with these elderly men, ages se&enty to ninetyCse&en years, and from them $
learned mu"h about our gospel and "hur"h and also mu"h about both the written
and unwritten history of the "hur"h and people% $ must relate some of it here in my
;ournal as it had a great influen"e on my life and a"tions and is the only way of
e8plaining the reason for some of my a"tions, and also the e8planation of my
"alling in the wor# of our Lord% $t will gi&e the history and reason why these men
as well as others who had been tried and tested were made *postles to our Lord,
+esus Christ%
E.uring the early part of the "areer of +oseph Smith, the @rophet, our )ea&enly
!ather re&ealed and organi<ed through him, three di&isions of )is great wor# in
this the last days, before the se"ond "oming of our Lord +esus Christ, our elder
brother% )e re&ealed and organi<ed a "hur"h #nown as the Chur"h of +esus Christ
of LatterC.ay Saints% We all #now of and are at least partially a"3uainted with this
di&ision of 7od's wor# $ will say more about it later on%
E)e re&ealed and organi<ed a #ingdom #nown as the Iingdom of 7od% ?ery few
9ormons #now mu"h about this organi<ation be"ause they were not ad&an"ed far
enough in 7od's wor# to #now% That the Iingdom of 7od was established by
+oseph Smith is e&ident from the following information e8tra"ted from the )istory
of the Chur"h, ?ol ,, pages B1, B4% @resident 1righam 'oung in writing a letter,
9ay B, 1//, to :euben )edlo"#, @resident of the -uropean 9ission at the time,
said to him( JThe Iingdom is organi<ed and although as yet no bigger than a grain
of mustard seed, the little plant is in a flourishing "ondition and our prospe"ts
brighter than e&er%'
E*gain, in a dis"ourse under date of +uly , 166 @res% 'oung said, J*s was
obser&ed by 1rother @ratt this morning, that #ingdom FThe Iingdom of 7odG is
a"tually organi<ed and the inhabitants of the earth do not #now it% $f this people
#now anything about it, all right% $t is organi<ed preparatory to ta#ing effe"t in the
due time of the Lord and in the manner that shall please him% *s obser&ed by one
of the spea#ers this morning, that #ingdom grows out of the Chur"h of +esus Christ
of LatterC.ay Saints, but is not the "hur"h( for a man "an be a legislator in that
body whi"h will issue laws to sustain the inhabitants of the earth in their =6>
indi&idual rights and still not belong to the Chur"h of +esus Christ at all, and
further, though a man may not e&en belie&e in any religion, it would be perfe"tly
right, when ne"essary, to gi&e him the pri&ilege of holding a seat among that body
whi"h will ma#e laws to go&ern all the nations of the earth and "ontrol those who
ma#e no profession of religion at all( for that body would be go&erned, "ontrolled
and di"tated to a"#nowledge others in those rights whi"h they wish to en;oy,
themsel&es% Then, the LatterC.ay Saints would be prote"ted, if a #ingdom of this
#ind was on the earth, the same as all other people%'
E$ "an furnish similar e&iden"e of the establishment of the Iingdom of 7od in
writings and tal#s by @res% 7eorge O% Cannon, William Clayton Fse"retary to
+oseph Smith +r%G and 1% )% :oberts% FSee @riesthood $tems by +%W% 9usser and
+%L% 1roadbentG%
EThe main feature of the organi<ation of the #ingdom with whi"h we are familiar is
its legislati&e JCoun"il of !ifty,' a "ertain portion of its personnel "omprising
honorable men of the earth who are identified with the "hur"h% This legislati&e
body was #nown in the days of the @rophet +oseph Smith and 1righam 'oung as
the JCoun"il of !ifty%' FSee )istory of the Chur"h, &ol ,, p 41BG $n my day, $ #new
se&eral of the members of this "oun"il whi"h in"luded some of my "losest
asso"iates%
EWhen you are bapti<ed, you are not bapti<ed into the "hur"h, but you are bapti<ed
into the Iingdom of 7od and by this ordinan"e you be"ome a member or "iti<en of
7od's Iingdom on the earth and after that, you are "onfirmed a member of the
Chur"h of +esus Christ of LatterC.ay Saints and re"ei&e the gift of the )oly 7host%
That in the reason for the two a"ts%
E$n the 1ible, St% +ohn, Ch B, ? 6, reads, '+esus answered, ?erily, &erily $ say unto
thee, -8"ept a man be born of the water and of the Spirit, he "annot enter into the
Iingdom of 7od%'
ETherefore, this pro&es one is bapti<ed into the Iingdom of 7od, not the "hur"h%
EThe members $ #new in the 7rand Coun"il of the Iingdom of 7od were good,
7odCfearing men with a wonderful re"ord in their "hur"h and "ommunity% We were
informed by them that su"h men as *postle Orson !% Whitney, e8C7o&ernor
William Spry of 2tah, Theodore :oose&elt, on"e @resident of the 2nited States,
Cal&in Coolidge, another @resident of the 2nited States, +ohn W% Woolley, and
Lorin C% Woolley were all members of this 7rand Coun"il when they were li&ing% $
also #now others who are still li&ing who belong to this "oun"il%
EThat in why the @rophet +oseph Smith was a""used of treason to the 2nited States
as they termed it, Ja go&ernment within a go&ernment%' They don't understand, it
does not infringe on the rights of any manCmade earthly go&ernment% That in why
nothing or &ery little is e&er said about the li&ing members of this "oun"il and also,
why only the most faithful saints #now about them% That is also the reason our
Sa&iour, +esus Christ was a""used of treason in his day% $ "ould tell more and gi&e
proof but $ don't feel it wise to do so here%
E7od also re&ealed and organi<ed a third body of men, through the @rophet +oseph
and endowed them with power from on high% =69> This body of men was organi<ed
and gi&en this power before either the "hur"h or the #ingdom were organi<ed in
this last dispensation% This is the organi<ation that built both the "hur"h and 7od's
Iingdom in the days of the @rophet +oseph Smith% This is 7od's organi<ation of
priesthood, and +oseph Smith stood at the head of it as @resident of @riesthood%
This organi<ation is separate and distin"t from the "hur"h and from the #ingdom%
When stri"tly spea#ing of ea"h organi<ation but spea#ing generally, it is all the
wor#s of the Chur"h of 7od%
EWhen this body is fully organi<ed it "omprises se&enty one elders and the first
se&en are presidents holding all the #eys, powers and authority, ;ointly with the
head prophet Fholding the #eys to priesthood here on earthG% $t was 7od's plan and
is still 7od's plan to build it up to its total of se&entyCone elders, whi"h has ne&er
been fully "ompleted yet in this dispensation, and to fully establish the an"ient
order of Sanhedrin% This would ha&e been "ompleted by now, had the saints
remained faithful to their "o&enants and not transgressed%
E@roof of this )igh @riesthood body is noted in 7od's first steps to establish his
an"ient order of authority on the earth in +une, 149, before )is "hur"h and
#ingdom were organi<ed or established% This priesthood group or "oun"il began to
fun"tion with +oseph Smith, its head( Oli&er Cowdery and .a&id Whitmer% To
+oseph Smith as to 9oses of old, 7od had entrusted the #eys of priesthood% Oli&er
Cowdery and .a&id Whitmer were ordained *postles of +esus Christ and gi&en the
Ieys of the Iingdom Fsee footnote in )istory of the Chur"h, ?ol 1, p /1G at that
time and long before the organi<ation of the "hur"h in *pril, 1B0% These apostles
of +esus Christ had the same "alling as @aul, the *postle of +esus Christ F.o"% N
Co&% se" 1, & 9G and this was nearly si8 years before the 3uorum of the Twel&e
*postles was organi<ed or the members thereof sele"ted% $ndeed, the men in the
re&elation mentioned F?erse B,G were gi&en the solemn "ommission to Jsear"h out
the Twel&e' Fdis"iplesG that were to be sele"ted later Fin 1B6G and when the
Ouorum of the Twel&e were organi<ed, these men though apostles, were not
designated and did not be"ome members of the twel&e% Their order of priesthood
pla"ed them abo&e that of the members of this 3uorum and also, o&er the "hur"h
and the #ingdom% This all being an appendage to the @riesthood of 7od%
E$t will be noted this )igh Coun"il of @riesthood to whi"h +oseph Smith +r%, Oli&er
Cowdery, and .a&id Whitmer belonged, was strengthened by the addition of other
elders as indi"ated in Se"% / of the .o"% and Co&%
EWhen the Ouorum of the Twel&e was finally organi<ed, the #eys of the Iingdom
did not depart from +oseph, Oli&er and .a&id, Fapostles of +esus ChristG to the
Twel&e% Aeither did the Twel&e nor any member thereof, as su"h, hold those #eys
only in a restri"ted and delegated sense, to "arry the gospel Jabroad among all
nations' F.o"% N Co&%, se"% 114, & 16C15G to open the door to the unbelie&er% Those
#eys primarily always remain with 7od's "hosen @riesthood Coun"il%
E$t is well to remember here, that the !irst @residen"y of the Chur"h was organi<ed
9ar"h 1, 1BB, almost two years pre&ious =50> to the organi<ation of the Twel&e,
F!eb 1/, 1B6G yet this !irst @residen"y as su"h, had nothing to do with the
"hoosing of the Twel&e% Su"h duty rested with those of the *postleship of +oseph,
Oli&er and .a&id% 9artin )arris being of this same "alling, parti"ipated with
Oli&er and .a&id in "hoosing the Twel&e% $t is well to remember too, that this
method of "hoosing will always obtain, when done in proper order%
EThe apostoli" "alling of +oseph Oli&er and .a&id embra"e the rights and powerE
mentioned by @arley @% @ratt in the JIey to Theology', 6th edition, pages 5C59 as
follows, JThis @riesthood, in"luding the *aroni", hold the #eys of re&elation of the
ora"les of 7od to man upon the earth( the power and right to gi&e laws and
"ommandments to indi&iduals, "hur"hes, rulers, nations and the world( to appoint,
ordain and establish "onstitutions and #ingdoms( to appoint #ings, presidents,
go&ernors or ;udges, and to ordain or anoint them to their se&eral holy "allings,
also to instru"t, warn or repro&e them by the word of the Lord%'
ESpea#ing of appendages, the Lord says F.o"% N Co&, se" 10, & 1C6G JThere are, in
the "hur"h, two priesthoods, namely, the 9el"hi<ede# and *aroni", in"luding the
Le&iti"al @riesthood %%%%% and all other authorities or offi"es in the "hur"h are
appendages to this priesthood%' )en"e to be the @resident of the Chur"h is to hold
an appendage offi"e to the @riesthood of 7od, a delegated authority% )owe&er, one
may hold a dual position by being both @resident of @riesthood and @resident of the
Chur"h at the same time( li#ewise, the 3uorum of the Twel&e and the Se&enties are
appendage "allings as they "ome under the immediate dire"tion of the !irst
@residen"y% 1oth the Chur"h and the Iingdom are appendages to the @riesthood%
)en"e, we differentiate between the "alling of +oseph, Oli&er and .a&id as
*postles in the )igh @riesthood F)igh @riest *postlesG and that of the Twel&e and
Se&enty as appendage ambassadorial "allings and therefore, appendage offi"es%
E$n order to more "learly differentiate between the three orders of apostleship, the
attention of the reader is here "alled to the following words from Wilford Woodruff
as re"orded in &olume /, p 1/, of the +ournal of .is"ourses( JLet the Twel&e
*postles and the Se&enty *postles and the )igh @riest *postles and all other
*postles rise up and #eep pa"e with the wor# of the Lord 7od, for we ha&e no time
to sleep'
EThis 3uorum of )igh @riest *postles Fthe @riesthood Coun"il o&er both the
Chur"h and the IingdomG has e8isted from the days of the @rophet +oseph Smith,
who stood as head of this priesthoods up to this day% There are many instan"es
where new members ha&e been "alled by dire"t re&elation from 7od, to this body
of priesthood% $t was perpetuated by 7od in @resident 1righam 'oung's day and in
@resident +ohn Taylor's day and on down to the present time% Fsee @riesthood $tems
by +% W% 9usser N +% L% 1roadbent, 4nd edition pp BBC/0G%
EOne day in the early spring of 19B4, $ was "alled into a meeting of this @riesthood
Coun"il and notified that $ had been "alled by re&elation from 7od through their
senior member, to be =51> ordained a @atriar"h and an *postle to our Lord +esus
Christ% 1efore a man "an be fully 3ualified to belong to this Coun"il of )igh
@riesthood, he must be li&ing all the laws of 7od and ha&ing a plural or @atriar"hal
family, he is literally a true @atriar"h when ordained as su"h% *bout two months
later, another brother and $ met again with this @riesthood Coun"il in a beautiful
room in the basement of the home of one of these men, and there we were ordained
as @atriar"hs and *postles of the Lord +esus Christ% $ was ordained first and the
other brother followed right after me% The members of this "oun"il to lay hands on
our heads for this ordination, in order of seniority were Lorin C% Woolley, +oseph
Leslie 1roadbent, +ohn 'ates 1arlow, and +oseph White 9usser% 1rother Woolley
presided and dire"ted 1rother 1roadbent to be mouth in setting me apart%
Sometime later another brother was "alled by re&elation into this "oun"il, ma#ing
se&en of us before the death of the @resident Lorin C% Woolley%
E$ had #nown of this "oun"il while +ohn W% Woolley was ali&e and $ #new he stood
at the head of it as @resident of @riesthood% )e sealed my first three plural wi&es to
me% $ had done nothing to see# this holy offi"e e8"ept trying hard to li&e the gospel
in my wea# way% Sometime before this "alling, in the late summer of 1949, $ was
bapti<ed, "onfirmed and the gift of the )oly 7host "onferred upon me by +oseph
Leslie 1roadbent% )e also "onferred the )oly 9el"hi<ede# @riesthood on me and
ordained me an elder% $ had this done be"ause $ was unable at that time to tra"e my
priesthood ba"# to the Sa&ior and $ wasn't sure that the men who had bapti<ed me
before and "onferred the priesthood on me, had had it properly "onferred on them
or if they had properly "onferred it on me as we ha&e learned that there are many
today who thin# they hold the priesthood who ha&en't had it properly "onferred on
them% FSee Celestial 9arriage by +%L% 1roadbent pp 4/C46G% $n ha&ing the
9el"hi<ede# @riesthood "onferred on me by *postle +oseph Leslie 1roadbent, $
will say, he re"ei&ed it from Lorin C% Woolley, who re"ei&ed it from +ohn Lyon,
who re"ei&ed it from @resident 1righam 'oung, who re"ei&ed it from @rophet
+oseph Smith +r%, who re"ei&ed it from @eter, +ames and +ohn, who re"ei&ed it from
+esus Christ%E
$n ordaining me to this offi"e in the )igh @riesthood Coun"il, 1rother +% Leslie
1roadbent used the following words as $ remember themD
E1rother Charles !redri"# Zitting, we, thy brethren unitedly pla"e our
hands on your head and by the authority of the )oly 9el"hi<ede#
@riesthood in us &ested and by &irtue of our offi"e and "alling, we
ordain you to be a @atriar"h and *postle of our Lord +esus Christ and
we "onfer on you all the #eys, power, and authority that we oursel&es
hold, together with the pri&ileges and responsibilities belonging to this
holy offi"e% We forgi&e you of all your transgressions and say unto you
dear brother, be faithful and "lean before 7od to the end and your ;oy
will be great% We bless you =54> with health and strength, with a sweet
spirit, with wisdom and understanding that you will be able to dis"harge
your duties with 7od's approbation and in due time re"ei&e the
"onfirmation of your "alling under the hands of your Sa&iour +esus
Christ, when you will meet him and "on&erse with him as one man
"on&erses with another% Aow dear brother be of good "heer and abide in
7od's "o&enants to the end% 1y the authority of the )oly @riesthood
&ested in us, we seal these blessings on your head and we do it in the
name of our Lord and Sa&iour +esus Christ, *men%E
EThe other brethren who also pla"ed their hands on my head with 1rother
1roadbent, all said, J*men' at the end of the blessing% The meeting was opened and
"losed with prayer and we partoo# of the Sa"rament of unlea&ened bread and wine%
E$n gi&ing us instru"tions at this meeting, @resident Lorin C% Woolley informed me
that he used the same words in effe"t, when be ordained 1rother +% Leslie
1roadbent and others to this )igh @riesthood Coun"il, ordaining them as @atriar"hs
and *postles of our Lord +esus Christ and "onferring on them all the #eys, power
and authority that he, himself held% )e said that @resident +ohn Taylor used the
same words in setting him and others apart to this holy "alling, and he also
informed him and others that the @rophet +oseph Smith +r% used the same words in
setting him, +ohn Taylor, and others apart and gi&ing them the #eys of authority%
This shows what the Lord meant when he said he held a tight rein on priesthood
authority% -&ery man must be "alled of 7od by re&elation gi&en to the senior
apostle or president of this @riesthood Coun"il% This one man is #nown as the
Senior @resident or @resident of @riesthood% When he dies, the ne8t worthy or
3ualified apostle in seniority in this "oun"il be"omes @resident of @riesthood
automati"ally as they all hold the same #eys, power and authority that @res% +ohn
Taylor and the @rophet +oseph held% 1rother Woolley informed us that we all held
the same authority as he held and that we had all the authority that "an be gi&en to
a man in this life% )e said, he had no right to e&en suggest a name to hea&en for
this high position% )e said he got out of order on"e for suggesting the name of a
friend he thought was worthy and he got a sharp rebu#e from hea&en% * person is
first "hosen by the Coun"il in hea&en and then a messenger "omes here to re&eal
the man "hosen to the @resident of @riesthood% Then the @riesthood Coun"il here
&otes on him and the results are ta#en ba"# to the @riesthood Coun"il in hea&en,
who "all the man by re&elation through the @resident of @riesthood% *gain we see
how 7od holds a tight rein on priesthood%
EWe were informed by @res% Lorin C% Woolley that a )igh @riest *postle should
ha&e at least se&en wi&es and we were put under "o&enant to see to it that "hildren
were born in the law of plural or Celestial 9arriage e&ery year as long as we li&ed%
When the ser&ants of 7od ha&e a wife sealed to them in plural marriage, it is done
by this )igh @riesthood authority and they are then li&ing 7od's highest law and
ha&e re"ei&ed one of his highest blessings% $t would naturally ta#e the highest
authority =5B> on earth to gi&e the greatest blessings and start people on the road to
Celestial 7lory with worlds and uni&erses to rule o&er%
EWhen the re&elation on plural or Celestial 9arriage was gi&en to the @rophet
+oseph Smith he did not put it up to the Chur"h to be a""epted as a law of the
"hur"h% )e ga&e it only to those whom he "ould trust in the same order of
priesthood and "alling that he held( to those whom 7od trusted when he "alled
them to his )igh @riesthood Coun"il to be *postles of +esus Christ and to hold the
#eys of authority on earth% -&en with this pre"aution, one of the members whom
7od had "hosen to this high position, namely William Law, was instrumental in the
@rophet's martyrdom% *s in the "ase of the Sa&iour, there was +udas to betray him
to the +ewish Sanhedrin, no doubt the apostate from 7od's Sanhedrin was an
instrument of the Sa&iour's "ru"ifi8ion%
E@lural 9arriage was a law of the priesthood and during the @rophet +oseph
Smith's lifetime it ne&er be"ame a law of the "hur"h and the "hur"h had nothing to
do with marrying people in this )oly Law% $t was "ontrolled entirely by 7od's )igh
@riest *postles% $t was put before the "hur"h for the first time by @resident 1righam
'oung at a spe"ial "onferen"e in Salt La#e City in *ugust, 164 and there it was
a""epted as a law of the "hur"h% That is one reason why the +osephites or the
:eorgani<ed Chur"h of +esus Christ, "laim that 1righam 'oung instigated
polygamy%
E*fter the Woodruff 9anifesto of 190, the )igh @riesthood Coun"il "ontinued
with plural marriage the same as they did before the "hur"h a""epted it in *ugust,
164% The position the "hur"h holds in respe"t to 7od's wor# on earth and apart
from the priesthood, is to tea"h the gospel, Fnot of the "hur"hG of the Iingdom,
under the dire"tion of the priesthood% $n other words, the "hur"h is the propaganda
department of 7od's wor# on earth% $f the "hur"h, in order to be popular with the
world, re;e"ts an unpopular prin"iple of sal&ation, su"h as plural or "elestial
marriage, and e8"ommuni"ates its members for li&ing a law of 7od's Iingdom,
administered by 7od's )igh @riesthood Coun"il, it has drifted away from the
priesthood and is out of order% F.o"% N Co&% Se" 6G% The member, so
e8"ommuni"ated for li&ing a law of 7od gi&en by re&elation, Fnot dis"ontinued by
re&elation, but by a manCmade do"ument of e8pedien"y "alled a Jmanifesto'G, he
may ha&e his name remo&ed from the "hur"h boo#s until the "hur"h is set in order,
but he "annot loose his priesthood by li&ing a holy law% Ao one "an ta#e a man's
priesthood from him on"e he has re"ei&ed it, but he "an loose it through
"ommitting grie&ous sin, using it unrighteously and refusing to magnify his
priesthood and dwindling in unbelief% FSee .o"% N Co&%, Se" 141G% Aeither "an a
man get &ery far in the priesthood of 7od unless he is determined to please his
Creator, and ha&e the "ourage of his "on&i"tions by doing the will of the Lord,
magnifying his priesthood by good wor#s in li&ing 7od's laws, though it may be
unpopular with the foolish "ustoms of so"iety% $ do not #now of anything worth
while "ompared to being loyal to one's priesthood "alling and the 7ospel of +esus
Christ or in other words, being loyal to 7od in the fa"e of odds, withholding
nothing, not e&en life itselfCCnothing brings greater ;oy in this life or the life to
"ome%
=5/> EThe ne8t greatest thing in this life is to be loyal to the family you are a
member of and to friends% $f a man or woman is more loyal to one's father's family
than to his or her own family, then they are not worthy of the family they belong
to% F:ead St% 9atthew "h% 19G% $f you follow the good life your ;oy will be full%
E* "hur"h may please the people of the world by &oting to do away with a
re&elation of 7od or a prin"iple of the gospel, whi"h the world does not understand
and they may ma#e pea"e with the world by so doing and be"ome large and ri"h
li#e other "hur"hes of the world and be spo#en of by the world as a fine people, but
where do they stand with 7od and his @riesthood on earthK Can they go against a
prin"iple of the gospel and still hold the power and approbation of 7od and his
priesthoodK F:ead .o"% N Co&%, se" 141G%
E*lso pp B of the /th &olume of +ournal of .is"ourses, a sermon by @res% 1righam
'oung in whi"h he says J2ntil the power of the @riesthood is gone, 9ormonism
will ne&er be"ome popular with the wi"#ed', and on p% 409 of .is"ourses of
1righam 'oung, F1946 edition, p% 1B6 in later editionsG "ompiled by +ohn *%
Widstoe, 1righam 'oung says, J$ am more afraid that this people ha&e so mu"h
"onfiden"e in their leaders that they will not in3uire for themsel&es of 7od whether
they are led by )im% $ am fearful they settle down in a state of blind se"urity,
trusting their eternal destiny in the hands of their leaders with re"#less "onfiden"e
that in itself would thwart the purposes of 7od in their sal&ation, and wea#en that
influen"e they "ould gi&e to their leaders did they #now for themsel&es by the
re&elations of +esus that they are led in the right way% Let e&ery man and woman
#now by the whisperings of the Spirit of 7od to themsel&es whether their leaders
are wal#ing in the path the Lord di"tated or not%'
EWe are "ommanded by 7od to li&e by e&ery word that pro"eedeth out of the
mouth of 7od FSt% 9atthew /D/G and the @rophet +oseph Smith said, J'ou are not
under obligation to do anything we say, unless it "omes by "ommandment or Thus
saith the Lord' Fby re&elation from 7odG%
E$ ha&e re"orded a few things here to gi&e a little light on why $ ha&e li&ed the life $
ha&e% $ "ould re"ord mu"h more, howe&er, there is &ery little need of re"ording it
here as $ ha&e already helped "ompile, "ompose, print and finan"e se&eral boo#s,
pamphlets, and a monthly maga<ine entitled JTruth' within the last twenty years% $
re"ommend the reading of this publi"ation to my posterity, with a &ery few
e8"eptions% The other boo#s and pamphlets $ helped with and whi"h $ re"ommend
to my posterity and friends for study areD
C-L-ST$*L 9*::$*7-, with the big 3uestion mar# FKG on the "o&er,
by +%L%1roadbent, "ompiler, Brd edition( T)- S2@@L-9-AT TO T)-
A-W *A. -?-:L*ST$A7 CO?-A*AT O! 9*::$*7-, an
interpretation of Celestial 9arriage, @lural 9arriage, and @riesthood by
+%W% 9usser and +%L% 1roadbent( se"ond edition of @:$-ST)OO.
$T-9S by +%W% 9usser and +%L% 1roadbent( 9*::$*7-, 1allardC+ensen
Corresponden"e, published by Truth @ublishing Company( 9$C)*-L,
O2: !*T)-: *A. O2: 7O., "ompiled by +%W% =56> 9usser(
C-L-ST$*L 9*::$*7-, by +%W% 9usser and * L-*! $A :-?$-W
by 1% )ar&ey *llred%E
E$f you study the abo&e publi"ations you will #now more about the gospel and ha&e
a better understanding of the 1ible, 1oo# of 9ormon, @earl of 7reat @ri"e, and
.o"trine and Co&enants, and you will #now the reason for my a"tions% 'ou will
also appre"iate more than e&er before the life and a"tions of 7od's ser&ants on
earth and the wor#s of 7od as a whole%
ESin"e $ "ame to ;ail for li&ing the gospel, $ ha&e been #eeping a diary or ;ournal
whi"h $ also re"ommend to my posterity for their enlightenment% Study the 7ospel
of +esus Christ and ma#e it a part of your lips if you want to li&e a good useful life,
en;oy a fulness of ;oy and e8alt yoursel&es to the Celestial Iingdom of 7od and
be"ome as 7od is, a ruler o&er planets and uni&erses and o&er your own posterity
and #ingdom% $t's plenty to li&e forP
H H H H H H H H
E1efore @resident Lorin C% Woolley passed away he instru"ted us of the @riesthood
Coun"il in gospel do"trines, endowments, ordinan"es and all essentials pertaining
to this holy "alling% *lso, ordinan"es to be performed by wi&es of brethren holding
this high offi"e wherein they renew their "o&enants with the Lord and Iing% $t was
all &ery beautiful and with the e8perien"es we went through, $ #now that @resident
Woolley "ould not ha&e re"ei&ed it from any other sour"e e8pe"t from a man li#e
@resident +ohn Taylor, holding the #eys of @riesthood and fully 3ualified to gi&e it
all in minute detail% $ mar&el at the se"rets of the Iingdom of 7od and the purpose
of it all% $t too# a big part of a year to go through it all% We met on"e a wee#, on
Thursday e&enings% *bout two months before we "ompleted our wor#, a messenger
from hea&en &isited 1rother Woolley and told him the time was short and we
would ha&e to meet twi"e a wee# in order to "omplete our wor#% This messenger
was 1rother +ohn W% Woolley, who held the #eys of @riesthood before his son,
Lorin C% Woolley% Therefore, we met twi"e a wee# and $ remember well the night
we finished our wor#, $t was a &ery solemn o""asion%
E*fter finishing, 1rother Lorin C% Woolley arose and said to 1rother +% Leslie
1roadbent, who was ne8t in seniority in this @riesthood Coun"il, J1rother Leslie,
you are to me as Oli&er Cowdery was to the @rophet +oseph Smith, before Oli&er
Cowdery apostati<ed% 'ou are se"ond elder to me and you are now to ta#e "harge
until $ "ome%'
E*s he said this the tears streamed from his eyes and we were all in tears% Little did
we reali<e that this was the last time that 1rother Lorin C% Woolley would be with
us, but he must ha&e #nown it% Soon after this meeting he had a stro#e and was
"onfined to his home in Center&ille until his death a few months later%
E)is death left +% Leslie 1roadbent in "harge as @resident of @riesthood% This body
of priesthood has "ontinued the S"hool of the @rophets from the days of the
@rophet +oseph until the present =55> time% $n it we learned the real signifi"an"e of
the !oot Washing Ordinan"e as performed by the Sa&iour with his *postles ;ust
before his Cru"ifi8ion FSee 1ible, St% +ohn, Ch 1BG% *lso by the @rophet +oseph
Smith and the )igh @riest *postles FSee )istory of the Chur"h, ?ol 4, p /B0 and
9illenial Star, ?ol 16, p ,4,G and by @res% Lorin C% Woolley and the )igh @riest
*postles at his last meeting with them as re"orded abo&e%
E$n the S"hool of the @rophets we learned also, the meaning and wording of the
ordinan"e that was performed when a woman washed the Sa&iour's feet with her
tears and wiped them with the hair of her head and #issed them and anointed them
with oil% FSee St% Lu#e, "h ,G To me this is proof that she was the wife of +esus and
renewed her "o&enants with him%
EAot long after the passing of *postle Lorin C% Woolley, @res% +% Leslie 1roadbent,
at a S"hool of the @rophets, too# lead in a prayer "ir"le wherein we all offered our
li&es to 7od for the establishment of the prin"iples of sal&ation in the world, whi"h
in"luded plural or Celestial 9arriage% This was 1rother 1roadbent's last meeting
with us% * day or two later, he "ontra"ted pneumonia and died% $f $ remember right,
this happened about the middle of 9ar"h, 19B6 and about si8 months after the
passing of 1rother Lorin C% Woolley% This left 1rother +ohn '% 1arlow in "harge as
Senior @resident of the @riesthood Coun"il%E
H H H H H H H
The .epression that followed in the wa#e of World War 1 was spreading its
"lut"hing fingers throughout the 2nited States% 9illions of people were out of wor#
and farmers "ouldn't ma#e enough to pay ta8es on their farms% $t was almost
impossible to sell anything as people didn't ha&e money to buy at any pri"e% *t the
same time a drouth throughout the "ountry made the range poor for li&esto"# and
in some parts of the 2nited States, people had abandoned their farms and mo&ed
away on a""ount of se&eral years of "rop failure and great dust storms% Some parts
of Iansas, Te8as, 2tah and other states had large areas #nown as the .ust 1owl% $t
was about 19B0 when the go&ernment started gi&ing relief and wor# for the poor
people%
$n the fall of 19B4 it was impossible for Charles to ma#e any money in the real
estate business or to get wor# any pla"e% Aearly e&ery business house in town had a
sign in the window EAO )-L@ W*AT-.E, to stop the flow of ;ob see#ers
bothering them% *t that time, Charles got wor# for about two months on a
go&ernment ;ob with pi"# and sho&el, helping build Wasat"h .ri&e between
@arley's Canyon and 1ig Cottonwood Canyon% Then he and the other men wor#ing
with him were laid off so that another group of men "ould ha&e wor#% When they
were laid off they were allowed to get relief at the go&ernment relief agen"ies but
no more wor#% *t this time Charles had two of his families at the Cottonwood
home and two at the Taylors&ille home%
Charles writes, E$ put only one family from Cottonwood and one family from
Taylors&ille on relief and "ounted myself in at both pla"es% The relief wor#ers
FwomenG were &ery pre;udi"e =5,> against large families and espe"ially against
plural families% They were trying to instru"t women who "ame for relief to pra"ti"e
birth "ontrol to #eep more "hildren from being born and were &ery rude and un#ind
to pregnant women who "ame to them%
EOne of these women wor#ers reported me to the go&ernment be"ause $ was
getting relief for myself at both homes and the !1$ "alled me in to e8plain% $ ga&e
them the names and addresses of my four wi&es and all my "hildren and showed
them where $ was getting relief at ea"h home for only one family and myself where
$ really had two families at ea"h home, and that we were trying to hold down to
;ust what we needed to get by until some wor# opened up%
E*fter $ got through e8plaining to these men, they said, JWell, that's 3uite a
different pi"ture% 'ou are entitled to more than you are Jgetting' So $ returned to
our relief wor#er and withdrew my own name from one of the homes and made
appli"ation for relief for my other two families% We then got along ni"ely until $
was able to get wor# again%E
$n the latter part of 19B4 Charles met an old friend of his by the name of 1ertha% $n
their "on&ersation, 1ertha mentioned a friend of hers she said she'd li#e Charles to
meet% She in&ited Charles to her home to meet this friend% )e went and was
introdu"ed to Aellie Taylor Smellie, the daughter of +ohn Smellie of !ran#lin,
$daho% She appeared to be a &ery li#able person, and as Charles' interest grew, he
taught her the fulness of the gospel as he had taught others before% She informed
him that she belonged to a plural family% )er father had li&ed with his two families
in Canada for se&eral years% That is where Aellie was born% She was the youngest
"hild of the first family% *fter bearing 9r% Smellie se&eral "hildren, the se"ond
wife died and Aellie helped her mother raise these "hildren% Aellie's father was one
of many men who had wi&es sealed to them in Celestial or @lural 9arriage long
after the Wilford Woodruff 9anifesto of 190% )e always remained in good
standing in the "hur"h be"ause one of the apostles performed the "eremony%
1rother Lorin C% Woolley "onfirmed what Charles had learned from Aellie, also
many other "ases that had "ome to his attention%
Writing "on"erning his asso"iation with Aellie, Charles says, E$ #ept "ompany with
Aellie for se&eral wee#s and $ thought $ had her pretty well "on&erted% She had met
all my family and was &ery friendly with them% We all fasted and prayed to #now
what to do and then $ ga&e her a "han"e to ;oin our family% She hesitated and then
began to show less interest in the family so $ de"ided to forget it and 3uit seeing
her% *fter a few wee#s $ re"ei&ed a letter from her stating that she wanted to be
sealed to me as a plural wife and as#ed me to "all and see her soon% Soon after this
the @riesthood Coun"il met and $ as#ed for their "oun"il in the matter after reading
her letter to them% They all felt $ should gi&e her a "han"e and $ did% $ got her
parents' "onsent to marry her as $ had done with all my other wi&es%
EOur marriage too# pla"e on 9ay 1, 19BB, and we were sealed for time and eternity
by a brother who held that authority% *fter our marriage $ went to $daho with her to
&isit her fol#s% )er =5> father died not long after that% She li&ed for more than a
year with Laura and Orpha at our Taylors&ille home and spent some time at
Cottonwood with -l&era and -dna% Aellie was "heerful and a &ery sweet girl% $
thought a lot of her and en;oyed myself in her "ompany% She was "lean and neat in
appearan"e and generally seemed to en;oy life% She li#ed to hear me dis"uss the
gospel and would as# me to tell her more about it% )owe&er, it was somewhat hard
for her to see me with my other wi&es, or in other words, it was hard for her to train
herself to li&e plural marriage%
EShe li#ed to ha&e good times and often wanted to stay with friends and relati&e in
Salt La#e City against my will% She finally went to li&e with a friend and $ still
"alled there regularly and treated her as $ did my other wi&es% This was after she
had li&ed at our Taylors&ille home% She wanted me to ta#e her to publi" dan"e
halls% $ had ta#en her to parties, dan"es and meetings of the Saints% $ told her $
didn't feel li#e going to those worldly dan"e pla"es where e&en "riminals often
went for entertainment and $ would rather she would not go there% Later she told
me she had been going there without my #nowing it and that she had also been
#eeping "ompany with another man% $ pro&ed to her from the s"riptures that those
who remained faithful to the end and #ept their "o&enants would be"ome 7od's
rulers and re"ei&e the blessings of *braham Fsee & B4, se" 1B4, .o"% N Co&%G, J7o
ye therefore, and do the wor#s of *braham( enter ye into my law and ye shall be
sa&ed%' $ read her other &erses in this se"tion and other s"riptures to pro&e to her
what the blessings were to be faithful% $ left her a "opy of these s"riptural
referen"es so she "ould study them o&er after $ was gone% Then $ told her it was her
ne8t mo&e, that $ wasn't "alling ba"# again until $ heard from her, that she had
repented%
EShe soon married the man she had been going with, without doing anything to
ha&e our sealings For marriageG loosed or dissol&ed, as far as $ #now% $t was
unfortunate that Aellie hadn't be"ome a mother while li&ing with us% $f she "ould
ha&e had a "hild, things may ha&e been different as she would then ha&e been more
interested in staying at home%
E1efore $ was put in ;ail $ again met 1ertha and she told me that Aellie was sorry
that she e&er left our home% She went out to Cottonwood and &isited -l&era and
-dna on"e while $ was in ;ail% $t seems she felt sorry ;ust too late% $ don't #now as
anything "an be done about it now, but e&ery day $ ha&e remembered both Aellie
and 9innie in my prayers, and intend to do so as long as $ li&e%E
* 9r% Iershaw wor#ed with Charles in his real estate business for about three
years, starting about 19B/% They bought, sold and traded lands under the Taylor
7ra<ing *"t% *fter this man passed away, a 9r% :ulon *llred wor#ed with Charles
for about a year% 9r% *llred had ;ust mo&ed with his family from California and as
yet hadn't gotten established so they li&ed for some time in Charles' upstairs rooms
in his home at 1,/0 South 9ain, whi"h he had bought a short time before% Charles
and 9r% *llred did "onsiderable wor# in 2tah, Ae&ada and $daho%
1ro% *llred's first polygamist "hild was born while his family was li&ing in Charles'
home%
=59> Charles made the remar# to him one day, EThat san"tifies my home, ma#es it
worth M600 more%E
To this remar#, 1rother *llred answered, E7oodP *pply it on the rent%E
Charles says, E1rother *llred was a good man to wor# with and we had many good
trips and good times together%E
)e "ontinues his story, E.uring the winter of 19B/CB6, $ was a regular wee#ly
&isitor at the home of 1rother *rnold 1oss, Salt La#e City% $ was tea"hing him the
gospel and espe"ially the order of the @riesthood% )e was a &ery re"epti&e student
and it too# but a few months for him to get a "lear pi"ture of 7od's wor# on earth% $
ga&e him and his family their mu"h desired blessings% )e be"ame a faithful wor#er
among our people and in 19B6, not long before the passing of 1rother +% Leslie
1roadbent, the @riesthood Coun"il under the dire"tion of @res% 1roadbent, set
1rother 1oss apart to do a big wor#, wor# in gathering and "ompiling histori"al
and other data on 7od's wor# and people in this last dispensation% )e has been &ery
faithful in this mission and the material and information he has gathered to date
would fill many &olumes% $ pray $ shall be able to help him get this information
printed some time in the near future% )e is a &ery able historian and although he is
now in ;ail with us, he is still busy at this wor#%
E.uring the late fall of 19B/, $ spent mu"h time gathering genealogy and history of
my an"estors% $ went with 1rother .aniel :% 1ateman to meet old people in West
+ordan to gather history "on"erning my 7randfather -lisha Wheat ?an -tten, my
mother's father% $ also &isited one of my grandfather's plural wi&es who li&ed with
her daughter in Conda, $daho% The snow was deep up there and $ "ouldn't get out
for a few days until the snow plows opened the roads% $ stayed with them and
learned mu"h about my grandfather ?an -tten% )e was half @ennsyl&ania .ut"h
and half !ren"h% $ &isited them again a little later on% $f $ remember right this wife
of my grandfather's was about ninetyCtwo years old and she had been blind for o&er
twenty years% )er birthday "ame on ?alentine's .ay% On this se"ond &isit, besides
the old lady, $ met her daughter, her grand daughter, her great grand daughter and
her great great grand daughter( fi&e generations together%E
Charles writes about his meeting -ssie !ran"es Sto#es and the e&ents that followed
that meeting in this way, EOn returning from my first trip to Conda, $daho and
arri&ing at my home in Taylors&ille where my wi&es Laura and Orpha li&ed, $
dis"o&ered we had "ompany there% 1rother William -% Sto#es of Clinton, 2tah had
been there and left his wife -l&a, and daughter -ssie !ran"es at our home% They
had been &isiting with my family for two days when $ arri&ed% *fter greeting my
family and -l&a in the #it"hen, !ran"es "ame in from the li&ingCroom and one of
my family introdu"ed her to me% $t was lo&e at first sight% $ felt as though $ had
always #nown her%
E$mmediately Laura and Orpha e8"laimed in unison, JWe ha&e de"ided to #eep
!ran"es here%'
E$ turned to !ran"es and said, J)ow do you feel about that, !ran"esK' She loo#ed
appro&ing and pleased but before she "ould ma#e an answer, -l&a as#ed if this was
a proposal%
=,0> E$ answered by saying, J!ran"es "an "onsider it as su"h if she wishes%'
EThen !ran"es loo#ed at me with a serious loo# and $ said to her, JWould you li#e
to fast and pray with us for twentyCfour hours to #now the will of the LordK' She
agreed to do it and we all de"ided on a day of fasting and prayer% E$ too# her to
meet my family at our Cottonwood home and there -l&era and -dna, at my re3uest
de"ided to ;oin us on our day of fasting and prayer% On our way to Cottonwood, $
had a tal# with !ran"es on the gospel and $ soon dis"o&ered that she belie&ed in the
fulness of the gospel% )er parents were &ery faithful and had taught their "hildren
the prin"iples of sal&ation, in"luding the higher laws of 2nited Order and plural or
Celestial 9arriage% They were also li&ing in this relationship themsel&es% *t the
end of the fast, my family and $, as well as !ran"es, felt that it should be and
!ran"es agreed to be my wife% We made a trip to her parent's home in Clinton and
got their "onsent% )er father thought she was 3uite young but when he saw how she
felt about it, he ga&e his "onsent%
EOn our way home we "alled to see 1ros% +ohn '% 1arlow and +oseph W% 9usser
of the @riesthood Coun"il% They as#ed us to wait si8 months on a""ount of her age,
whi"h we agreed to do% *t the end of the si8 months, $ "alled on 1rother +ohn '%
1arlow% )e as#ed us to wait another si8 months whi"h we again agreed to do, but
before we had waited another two months, 1rother 1arlow made a trip here from
Short Cree#, *ri<ona, and informed me that he was now ready to gi&e us our
desired blessing% We were married on *ugust 11, 19B6% She has been a &ery
faithful wife and ta#es a real interest in her "hildren% Li#e my other wi&es she is
faithful and loyal to her husband and has a lo&e for the other members of our
family% She is also loyal to 7od and the gospel prin"iples and has great integrity%
She holds to her determination to ha&e a large family notwithstanding the fa"t that
she has to pay an awful pri"e for them when they are born% She is a &ery bra&e
girl%E
!ran"es bore Charles nine "hildrenD Aaomi S%, *li"e S%, Orpha S%, 9abel S%, Louis
S%, Lola S%, Charlotte S%, Claren"e S%, and Lu"ille S% Lola and Claren"e died as
infants% !ran"es, li#e Charles' other wi&es was e8"ommuni"ated from the "hur"h
be"ause of her religious beliefs and pra"ti"es%
Charles writes further, EShe is a lo&ely person to be in a home and tries to ma#e the
best of what she has and she li#es to be with good people% She "an bear a beautiful
testimony and writes the most wonderful letters $ ha&e e&er read% )er letters ha&e
been a great sour"e of "omfort and strength to me while $ ha&e been "onfined in
;ail%E
*t this stage in Charles' ;ournal, his mind drifts ba"# to a dream he had se&eral
years before he went to ;ail% )e writes, EOne night while sleeping at my farm home
in Cottonwood, $ had a &ery &i&id bad dream% $t happened about the summer of
19B6% $ dreamed that a mob of bad men too# me o&er the sand hill from my
Cottonwood home and threatened to whip me if $ didn't gi&e up my =,1> families
and deny e&erything sa"red to me in the gospel% $ refused to do it and they stripped
my shirt off and whipped me se&erely% They ne8t threatened to mutilate my body if
$ refused to gi&e in% $ stood firm and they too# me through e&ery punishment they
"ould "ontri&e trying to ma#e me submit to their wishes% $ held out and they too#
my life by shedding my blood% 9y spirit rose abo&e my body and $ saw them pla"e
it in a ra&ine and rush away as if they were frightened% *fter the mob left, my spirit
re;oi"ed as $ #new $ had stood the supreme test in order to establish the fulness of
the gospel permanently on the earth% $ also re;oi"ed at the prospe"t of meeting
se&eral members of my family who had passed on before me, but at the same time $
disli#ed lea&ing my lo&ed ones in this wi"#ed world and $ wondered if all my
wi&es and "hildren would appre"iate the sa"rifi"e $ had made for 7od's laws and if
they would all hold true and faithful to the 7ospel and to the "o&enants they
entered into with their husband%
ELater, $ saw my body lying in a morgue and .r% Le7rande Woolley was pointing
out to some of my friends the se&ere punishment $ had re"ei&ed in this great test%
*fter all it was ;ust a bad dream% $t seems that we ha&e to re"ei&e tests e&en in our
dreams to test our spirits and see how we will respond% -&ery part of this ordeal
seemed so real that it made me wonder if it "ould ha&e been any harder to go
through had it really happened%E
Charles' "alling in the priesthood "arried with it gra&e responsibilities and as time
went on he sensed this more #eenly% )e prayed often about it as#ing for greater
light and testimony "on"erning it%
)e relates in his ;ournal, EThe following was re&ealed to me at Salt La#e City on
September 14, 19BB, in answer to prayer, wherein $ was as#ing the Lord for
additional testimony by being pri&ileged to see the Sa&iour and re"ei&ing the
"onfirmation of my "alling under his hands%
JThus saith the Lord, Fas a &oi"e spea#ing from hea&enG $ am ready at any time to
grant your wish and the wish of others as soon as you are ready to re"ei&e me, by
allowing the spirit to di"tate to you at all times, instead of the flesh% Then at all
times you are filled with the )oly 7host, the Spirit of 7od, wisdom, intelligen"e,
truth and light% Then Satan is bound as he "an only wor# on the spirit of men
through the flesh% Then $ and other hea&enly messengers "an &isit you without
disgra"e to oursel&es% When you ha&e perfe"ted yoursel&es in this respe"t then you
"an translate yoursel&es be"ause you are full of the )oly 7host, the Spirit of 7od,
wisdom, intelligen"e, truth and light "ontinually and then you "an in reality go to
distant pla"es by the twin#ling of an eye as other translated beings tra&el% This is
the #ey on whi"h -no"h and his people, @eleg and his people, 9el"hi<ede# and his
people, and others that e&er rea"hed this height translated themsel&es and you, my
friend, and this earth must rea"h this perfe"tion%'E
H H H H H
=,4> $n Ao&ember, 19B5, Charles made his se"ond trip to California on business
and to &isit his parents in Los *ngeles% Laura and Orpha as#ed him why he
wouldn't ta#e one of his wi&es with him% )e said if one of them was a good enough
sport to hit"hChi#e with him, she "ould go% )e didn't ha&e money enough to pay
bus fare both ways% Orpha agreed to ta#e "are of the "hildren if Laura would li#e to
go% $t was agreed and they started out early one morning%
This is how Charles re"ords this e&entD EWe "aught the first ride in a "ar in front of
our Taylors&ille home% $t too# us to 9urray% There we got a ride in one of the best
and biggest new "ars on the road% We got to St% 7eorge, 2tah, the first night and
stayed in a tourist "abin% The ne8t morning we waited on the road until about 11
a%m% before a "ar ga&e us a ride, howe&er we arri&ed at mother's home in Los
*ngeles about midnight the se"ond night% We had ridden in twentyCfi&e "ars sin"e
we left home% Some were new and some were &ery old% One tra&eled at ninetyC
three miles per hour( one was a large houseCmo&ing tru"#( another was a "losedCin
tru"# that stun# li#e dead fish, and the last one we rode with a drun#en man who
was so drun# he as#ed me to dri&e for him%
E*fter staying with my parents o&er night we hit"hChi#ed to San .iego to &isit the
San .iego -8position, and then ba"# to Los *ngeles% We had a lo&ely time and in
about a wee#, $ sent Laura home on the bus and a few days later, $ hit"hChi#ed
home%
EThe ne8t spring $ too# -l&era with me on a business and pleasure trip to see my
parents in Los *ngeles and &isited friends and relati&es in San .iego% We tra&eled
in our own "ar this time and on our way ba"# we &isited 9e8i"ali, in Old 9e8i"o,
"ame through 'uma, @hoeni8, and 9esa, *ri<ona% We saw the temple at 9esa% We
&isited the 7rand Canyon, 1ry"e and Zion's Canyon, Short Cree#, *ri<ona, and
&isited my wife :a"hel's gra&e in St% 7eorge% We were about three wee#s on our
trip% $ did "onsiderable real estate business and had a lo&ely time%
EWhile in California, $ too# -l&era for a ride in an airCship on the Coast 7oodyear
1limp% -l&era's health had not been good and the trip helped her a lot% 9ost of the
!air at San .iego was "losed when we &isited it this time, howe&er, in the $ndian
house of worship at the $ndian ?illage on the fair grounds $ was able to get pi"tures
of the designs on the inside walls with a "amera and a flash light $ had with me%
These beautiful designs indi"ated 7od's Chur"h and @riesthood in *meri"a long
before Columbus dis"o&ered *meri"a% The designs were symboli" of the Three
@residen"y and Twel&e *postles of the Chur"h as the "ombinations of arrows,
feathers and other arti"les were arranged in numbers of three, twel&e and se&en%
One pi"ture showed a design of se&en men fa"ing a single man% When $ as#ed the
$ndian Chief the signifi"an"e of this pi"ture he said it signifies the Se&en )igh
Coun"il getting dire"tion from the One 7reat Spirit% $ "ould see where it "ould ha&e
originated from the se&en @residents of 7od's )igh @riesthood Coun"il of Se&enty
getting dire"tion by re&elation from the authority in )ea&en%
=,B> EThe wor# was established here on the *meri"an "ontinent by our Sa&iour
+esus Christ after his "ru"ifi8ion in the old world% The people of this new world
had dwindled in unbelief to su"h an e8tent that their des"endants, the $ndians,
though they ha&e a form of it handed down in designs, do not #now the full
signifi"an"e and origin of the numbers represented in these designs%E
*long in the year 19B/, Charles was still ha&ing a hard time to ma#e the payments
on the Taylors&ille home as the mana"les of the .epression were "linging on% )e
applied for a loan to use to pay off the mortgage on that pla"e%
)e writes, E$t too# ;ust about a year to get the property appraised by this
"orporation, then they informed me they were ready to gi&e us the loan% The
appraisement of the home was high enough and they had abstra"ts brought up to
date and found the title good% The home happened to be in the name of my wife,
-dna :% Christensen FZittingG% +ust before the deal was to be "losed, -dna and $
were "alled to the lo"al offi"e of the loan "orporation and 3uestioned by a former
bishop of the L.S Chur"h, the Sta#e @resident that "ut me off the "hur"h, and an
attorney% These men were "onne"ted with the lo"al offi"e of this "orporation and
had to pass on the loans% They told us that they had been informed that the owner
of this home was a plural or "ommon law wife and therefore they would be unable
to gi&e us the loan, if this was true, as the law read that this "orporation "ould ma#e
loans only to law abiding "iti<ens%
EWe did not deny our relationship but informed them that we had not been
"on&i"ted of any "rime and that -dna was entitled to the loan% $ #new of others in
the same relationship who had re"ei&ed loans% This "orporation had been set up by
the go&ernment as an emergen"y measure to help #eep people from loosing their
homes in this great depression period and to sa&e all the ban#s in the "ountry from
going bro#e% The ban#s had most of their money tied up in fro<en assets as a result
of this terrible depre"ation or deflation%
E1e"ause of our plural relationship they refused to let -dna get the loan and the
ban# who held our mortgage fore"losed on us and too# our home% They also got a
defi"ien"y ;udgment against us of MB00% *fter the fore"losure we had si8 months
gra"e before we had to mo&e out%E
.uring this time Charles "ame in "onta"t with a man through a business deal on
some mining property, by the name of Tilbury% )is wife had ;ust died and he was
terribly upset o&er it% They had no family so he was all alone% )e offered to trade
Charles his home on 4,th South in Salt La#e City and a se"tion of gra<ing land in
Tooele County for an interest in some mining property in *lta%
Charles told him that he'd probably marry again in a few years and would need his
home, but he insisted that li&ing alone in that house was sending him "ra<y, and if
Charles didn't ma#e the trade with him, he would gi&e it away and lea&e% So the
trade =,/> was made and he in"luded most of the furniture and other things in the
house on the deal% There was a M1,000 mortgage on the home%
Charles writes again, EWe mo&ed into this new home only a day or two before we
would ha&e been #i"#ed out of the Taylors&ille pla"e% We mo&ed in on .e"ember
1B, 19B6% $ figured it was a gift from 7od% $t fitted our needs better than the
Taylors&ille pla"e and the indebtedness was redu"ed from M6,400 to M1,000% The
se"tion of gra<ing land in Tooele County brought us M1,140 on a sale to a sheep
man%E
Charles "ontinued his wor# in real estate, buying, selling and trading as the "ase
might be% Often some of these transa"tions too# him into "ourt to 3uiet titles on
"ertain pie"es of property while at other times they entailed long trips to get
signatures on deeds, et"% )e was pretty mu"h on the go%
$n helping to "lose one of these deals, Charles promised to ta#e a "ertain ba"helor
friend of his, a 9r% +ones, and another man, 9r% Shaw, on a long trip% They were to
"onta"t business people on their way% This time he too# Orpha with him to en;oy
the trip%
)e writes, EWith these two men, 1rother +ones and 1rother Shaw, my wife Orpha
and $ went on a long trip up through $daho, 9ontana, two @ro&in"es of Canada,
a"ross the panhandle of $daho at Coeur .'*lene, then down the "oast through
Washington, Oregon, California and Old 9e8i"o and then home through @hoeni8
and Short Cree#, *ri<ona% We had a lo&ely time% We also &isited my wife's gra&e
at St% 7eorge, 2tah and went through Zion's Canyon, 9t% Carmel Tunnel, and
1ry"e Canyon% We &isited Orpha's relati&es and friends at Tropi", -s"alante, and
:i"hfield, 2tah% We tra&eled about 5600 miles and the trip too# about si8 wee#s%
EWe tra&eled for se&eral days through the forests of the Aorthwest and through the
7iant redwoods while a big forest fire was in progress% The redwoods were burning
"lose to the road and at one pla"e a large burning tree fell a"ross the highway ;ust
behind us whi"h stopped se&eral other "ars following us% *t the mouth of a large
ri&er on the "oast of Washington, we wat"hed people "at"hing large red salmon
fish by the hundreds% The $ndians were "utting them into strips and hanging them
on lines to dry in the sun% They sold us one weighing about /0 pounds for 60 "ents%
We ate stea#s from it for two days while tra&eling down the "oast and then sold the
balan"e Fabout one halfG to a man for 60 "ents where we stopped at a tourist par#%
We &isited with my parents in Los *ngeles for a few days too% *t a small airfield
on the "oast ;ust north of Ti;uana, Old 9e8i"o, $ was able to hire a pilot to ta#e
Orpha and me for an airplane ride o&er the town and o"ean% Orpha was a little
fearful at first but li#ed it after we got in the air%E
Charles ne8t re"ords in his ;ournal "on"erning a meeting of the Saints at 1rother
+oseph W% 9usser's home on -ast South Temple in O"tober 19B%
)e writes, EOn the Sunday in O"tober, 19B, that the L.S Chur"h was holding
their semiCannual "onferen"e in Salt La#e City, our group of saints who were
trying to li&e the higher prin"iples of the gospel were holding a meeting at 1rother
9usser's home% $ =,6> had "harge of the meeting and we en;oyed se&eral good
gospel tal#s% We were greatly blessed with the spirit of the Lord in our gathering%
*s $ was about to "lose the meeting, the spirit of prophe"y "ame o&er me and in the
name of our Lord +esus Christ, $ ga&e the following prophe"y(
E1rothers and sisters, before another fall "onferen"e great e&ents will happen% $
don't mean before the *pril Conferen"e, but before O"tober Conferen"e, a year
from now% 'ou will see the "ommen"ement of another great world war that will be
far more terrible and far more destru"ti&e than the last one% We will be fighting in
many parts of the earth and there will be war on all the o"eans and no pea"e until it
leads to the 1attle of *rmageddon% -&ery nation on earth will be engaged in this
great "onfli"t either dire"tly or indire"tly or will "ontribute to it before it is o&er
and $ say this in the name of +esus Christ, *men%
E$ ta#e no "redit for this as the Lord put the words in my mouth and $ had to spea#%
The Se"ond World War was started within that year, as -ngland de"lared war on
7ermany on September 1, 19B9, about ele&en months after this was gi&en to me to
gi&e to the people of our faith%E
Ae8t, Charles writes "on"erning another e&ent whi"h transpired on the day he
heard that -ngland had de"lared war against 7ermany%
)e re"ords, EOn the morning of September 1, 19B9, +ay +essop, Claren"e Wayman,
and $ were "amped near -ly, Ae&ada% We were in the business of tru"#ing salt to
the li&esto"# ran"hes in Ae&ada and other states, and tru"#ing lumber to Salt La#e
City from $daho% $ had been to -ly that morningD and as the two boys were pulling
up "amp, $ told them the news that $ had heard in -ly, that -ngland had de"lared
war on 7ermany% $ then had the spirit of prophe"y "ome o&er me and $ promised
these two young men in the name of the Lord +esus Christ that this was another
world war in whi"h our "ountry would be in&ol&ed, but they would not ha&e to
ta#e part in this great "onfli"t but instead they would ser&e their "ountry by helping
in other ways% These two young men were in the best of health at this time, were
the right age to be drafted with the first ones into the army, and they were both
single and had no dependents% They had no farm or other responsibilities to ma#e it
possible to ha&e them deferred% 'et neither one of them ser&ed in *rmed !or"es%
EThey both got married after this date and +ay mo&ed to Short Cree#, *ri<ona, and
helped get out logs for the saw mill owned by the Saints in Short Cree#% )e wor#ed
at this for some time and had two young families% $t began to loo# as though he
would be drafted into the *rmy when one day a tree, whi"h he was helping to "ut
down, fell on him and #illed him%
EClaren"e Wayman was "alled into the indu"tion "enter for e8amination and when
he was about to be indu"ted into the *rmed !or"es, he was stri"#en with rheumati"
fe&er and had to go to the hospital for treatment% *fter this he was "alled in se&eral
times =,5> but ea"h time was deferred and finally the war ended and he ne&er had
to go%
E$n the years of 19B5 and 19B9 these two boys wor#ed for me in the tru"#ing
business% $ went ahead to do the buying and selling in my "ar and they dro&e the
large dump bed tru"# for me% We tru"#ed about 1600 tons of salt into Ae&ada,
$daho and Oregon Fmostly Ae&adaG from Saline, :edmond, and Salt La#e City,
2tah% !or return trip loads, we tru"#ed 400,000 or more feet of lumber from $daho,
Oregon and California to Salt La#e City% On one of these trips to Ae&ada and $daho
$ too# Laura, :i"hard and Lorin with me% We were gone one wee# and had a lo&ely
time% $ too# them to see the big saw mill at )orseshoe 1end, $daho, where they
wat"hed the sawing of logs into lumber while we loaded the tru"# with lumber for
the return trip%
EOn our last trip with the salt, our tru"# got stu"# in deep snow on top of one of
Ae&ada's mountain di&ides, north of Wells, Ae&ada% We had to lea&e it there all
winter% Se&eral times we got stu"# on muddy roads and "ree# bottoms while
tra&eling to the ran"hes off the main highways% On"e when my tru"# body bro#e
down in Wells $ rode a freight train from Wells a"ross the 7reat Salt La#e on the
Lu"in CutCoff to Ogden% $ had ne&er beat my way on a freight train before and $
had ne&er seen the Lu"in CutCoff a"ross the la#e so $ tried it on"e for the
e8perien"e% $ rode on top of the freight bo8 "ars% We made good money while we
were tru"#ing and $ learned something more about tru"#ing, the lumber business,
and "attle ran"hes%E
Charles had been an a"3uaintan"e and friend of 1rother +% Worth Iilgrow and
family for many years, in fa"t Charles had wat"hed one of 1rother Iilgrow's
daughters grow from a "hild to a young woman% $n the early part of +anuary, 19/0,
he went to &isit this home with a point in &iew%
)e says, E$ had been there se&eral times before but this time $ went there to see if $
"ould ta#e his daughter 1onnie -laine to a show% )e was willing that $ should and
she was willing to go with me% We had a &ery pleasant e&ening and $ &isited her
often after that% )er parents were li&ing the fulness of the gospel and she was
"on&erted also% She had always said that she wanted to marry a man at least B6
years old and one who already had a family% She had already had se&eral proposals
of marriage and had "onsidered at least one seriously%
E$ told her there were se&eral good men that would be happy to ha&e her
as a wife, in"luding myself and they would be disappointed if she married
me%
EShe loo#ed at me and said, JWell they will all be disappointed anyway
e8"ept one and if that one isn't you then $ will also be disappointed%'
9y family had been fasting and praying with me to #now the will of our
)ea&enly !ather and we all felt good about it% We were married on
1onnie's fifteenth birthday, whi"h was ?alentine's .ay, 19/0%
EOne of the @riesthood Coun"il ga&e us our blessing and on our wedding
day we had a lo&ely dinner in the afternoon at our 9ill"ree# home%
1onnie's father and family were present%
=,,> EWhen the Iilgrow's were ready to go home, Orpha said to them,
JWe than# you for your daughter%'
EThis pleased them greatly and they ne&er forgot her sweetness%
E1onnie has been a &ery loyal and faithful wife and mother to this day% $
don't e&er remember her saying anything un#ind about any of my family
or telling anything to dis"redit any one of them%E
1onnie sa&e Charles ten lo&ely "hildrenD .a&id I%, +ohn I%, *lfred I%, Charlene
I%, +oy"e I%, Leslie I%, Sherrill I%, +ames I%, @aul I%, and :obert I%
*s Charles' family in"reased, the homes started bursting their seams again, so they
de"ided to buy another one% This time it was a large two story bri"# house at 1,/0
South 9ain in Salt La#e City% )e put Orpha and -l&era in it at first and then later
on mo&ed !ran"es there with -l&era, and Orpha went ba"# to li&e with Laura%
Charles #ept this pla"e for about three years then he traded it for a home with about
fi&e a"res of land at /11 South 6th -ast in 9urray, 2tah% !ran"es, -l&era and
1onnie li&ed there together for some time then later, ;ust !ran"es and 1onnie%
Charles writes again, EWhen we got our home at /11 So% 6th -ast, the spirit of the
Lord led me to it% $t wasn't for sale and $ ;ust wal#ed in and as#ed the people li&ing
there if they would li#e to trade it for my home on 9ain Street% They were in the
"leaning business and my home on 9ain Street was ;ust what they wanted% $t
redu"ed my indebtedness from MB,B00 to M1,B00 and ga&e me a good home with a
barn and fi&e a"res of pasture for our "ows% Li#e the getting of our other homes, the
good Lord guided us to this one%
E1rothers 9orris O% Iun<, Louis *% Iels"h, and :oy 9atson li&e near this home,
almost ;oining our land% $ didn't let them #now $ had traded for the home until we
had mo&ed in% $t was surely a surprise to them% Our li&ing room is fifteen by thirty
feet and "o&ered with linoleum% *fter we got this home we opened up another
room ad;oining the large one and held Sunday S"hool and Sa"rament meetings
there e&ery Sunday for our group of people for some time% 9any of our people had
been turned away from the 9ormon Chur"h be"ause we belie&ed in all the
prin"iples of the gospel, therefore we had been instru"ted by the @riesthood
Coun"il to hold our own Sunday S"hool and meetings in whi"h to train our
"hildren%E
* number of times Charles and his family too# fol#s into their homes and "ared for
them when they wore in need of help and prote"tion% $n 19/0, a Sister -lla Aielson
and her two sons, Cal&in and +oseph, and daughter $rene, mo&ed into Salt La#e
City from the 2intah 1asin and made their home with Charles' family on 6th -ast
for se&eral months while they were loo#ing for a home to settle in% -l&era, !ran"es
and 1onnie were li&ing there at that time% Sister Aielson was a great help to them
in many ways They were a good family% The son, Cal&in, later be"ame Charles'
sonCinClaw%
$n 19B, Orpha was writing to a man and his wife in Wit"hita, Iansas% They
"orresponded for many months on the gospel% =,> !inally they de"ided to "ome to
2tah% When they "ame, Charles too# them into his home on 6th -ast where -l&era
and !ran"es were li&ing% )e ga&e the man wor# to do around the pla"e and #ept
them for se&eral months then he as#ed them to try to find wor# for themsel&es%
They went up into $daho for a short time and got wor# in the potato har&est that
fall, and then "ame ba"# and mo&ed into Charles' home again without an in&itation%
They were not easy to get along with and made it &ery disagreeable for some of
Charles' family so he as#ed them to find another pla"e to li&e% They got offended at
this and returned to Iansas%
*fter they got there, they "alled in the !1$ agents and told them all about Charles'
family with added falsehoods% Sometime later he lost his wife and other troubles
"ame upon him% )e wrote to +oseph W% 9usser, saying that he had done Charles
wrong and that the ;udgements of the Lord had "ome down upon him%
Charles says, E$ forga&e him as he had made a full "onfession
of what he had done%E
$n the fall of 19/0, +ohn '% 1arlow, +oseph W% 9usser, Louis
*% Iels"h, and Charles too# a trip east, by in&itation and by
"all, and &isited saints in Chi"ago, Aew 'or# City, and
Toronto, Canada% They were gone about se&en wee#s and
tra&eled some ,,000 miles in Charles' "ar%
)e says, E$t was a &ery su""essful missionary trip as about
fiftyCfi&e people who had be"ome interested in the fulness of
the gospel through reading the Truth 9aga<ine and
"orresponding with some of the brethren, "ame from those
pla"es and settled in the Salt La#e ?alley as a result of our
trip%E
On this trip they &isited many pla"es of interest on whi"h Charles enumerated as
follows( Chi"ago, Cin"innati, Iirtland, 1uffalo, Aiagara !alls, Toronto FCanadaG,
1oston, @lymouth :o"#, *lbany, Aew 'or# City, Washington, .%C%, @almyra
FAew 'or#G, The )ill Cumorrah, the Sa"red 7ro&e, Coun"il 1luffs F$owaG, Aau&oo
F$llinoisG, the Carthage +ail where the @rophet +oseph Smith and )yrum were
martyred( $ndependen"e F9issouriG, *damCOndi *hman Fwhere the *n"ient of
.ays will sit to ;udge the peopleG( .en&er FColoradoG, and many other pla"es%
H H H H H H H H
The last woman to enter Charles family was an elderly 7erman lady who as#ed
Charles for the pri&ilege of ;oining his family% $t was su"h a surprise to him that he
hardly #new how to answer her%
We'll let Charles tell about it in his own way, EThe latter part of 9ar"h, 19/0, at
the "lose of a Sunday meeting at our home on So% !ifth -ast, one of the saints, a
dear old 7erman lady about si8tyCnine years of age, named *melia ?olmar, "ame
to me and tal#ed about the meeting and the weather, et"% She was so e8"ited, $
"ould see she had something she wanted to say to me but didn't #now ;ust how to
approa"h the sub;e"t% She a"ted li#e she didn't want me to lea&e when $ was about
to turn to tal# to some of the other saints who were waiting to spea# to me%
E$ said to her, J$s there something you wish to tell me, Sister ?olmarK'
=,9> EShe loo#ed straight at me and said, J'es, 1rother Zitting, $ understand that
a""ording to the gospel plan, it is a woman's pri&ilege to "hoose the family or
#ingdom she wishes to belong to and the man she wishes to belong to% $ want to be
sealed to you for all eternity% Will you ha&e meK'
E$ was no surprised for a minute that $ hardly #new what to say% $ told her $ would
pray about it and tal# it o&er with my family and let her #now in a few days%
EShe was a lady who had been married years before in 7ermany and her husband,
now dead, had deserted her when she was twentyCsi8 years old be"ause she was
interested in the 9ormon Chur"h and had de"ided that she wanted to be a 9ormon%
She had two sons, one out in the world somewhere( she heard from him only on"e
in a great while% The other son li&ed in 1ountiful and had a beautiful family%
E9y family and $ fasted for twentyCfour hours, as well as Sister ?olmar, to #now
the will of our )ea&enly !ather% $ also "onsulted the @riesthood Coun"il% They
wanted me to de"ide for myself but stated that they would a""ept her if they were
in my pla"e and gi&e her a "han"e for sal&ation in the Celestial Iingdom% She was
sealed to me on *pril B, 19/0% She is my tenth wife% On"e in a ;o#ing way $ told
her that $ would ha&e to gi&e her for tithing as she was my tenth% She got a good
laugh out of that% $ found her to be 3uite a student of the s"riptures% She had spent
two years as a missionary in 7ermany before she "ame to this "ountry% !our of my
wi&es( -dna, Laura, Orpha and *melia, all spent around two years ea"h in the
missionfield for the L.S Chur"h% Sin"e *melia ;oined our family the "hur"h has
ta#en a"tion against her and "ut her off be"ause of her belief in plural or Celestial
9arriage% Si8 of my wi&es and myself were e8"ommuni"ated be"ause of our belief
in plural marriage%E
E*melia roomed most of the time after our marriage with some of her 7erman
friends, although she did spend some time in our different homes% She was a sweet,
"heerful "hara"ter and $ en;oyed my &isits with her% $ often too# her for rides to
&isit my families and to Sunday S"hool and meeting, and to &isit her son and
family in 1ountiful, until she passed away%E
Charles' mother made three trips from California to &isit with him and his families
and although she was not in sympathy with their beliefs, she was always &ery
tolerant and sweet to all of them% )is brother +ohn and his sisters &isited him on
different o""asions, as did his wi&es' fol#s%
Charles says, EWe ha&e en;oyed their "ompany and appre"iate their friendship and
respe"t for us%E
$n the spring of 19B, Charles wife Orpha had "ared for Laura when her last baby
was born, and about si8 wee#s later, too# "are of -dna when one of her babies was
born% $t had been a big ;ob for her to handle and she felt 3uite worn out% On +uly
4/th of that year she went with Charles to ta#e the "hildren to see the @ioneer
@arade in Salt La#e City% While they were wat"hing the parade, Orpha too# ill
suddenly and almost fainted% )e too# her home and a few days later had a do"tor
gi&e her a thorough =0> e8amination% )e found she had tuber"ulosis of the lungs%
The do"tor ordered a long rest% Laura too# "are of her and her "hildren along with
her own for nearly two years% Orpha seemed to be on the road to re"o&ery when
she "aught "old whi"h de&eloped into pneumonia and "aused her lungs to
hemorrhage% This "ondition pro&ed fatal within less than a wee#%
*bout this e&ent in Charles' life he writes, E$ "ould not feel too badly at the funeral
as $ had re"ei&ed a &ision ;ust before her death while dri&ing my "ar on the
highway near 1urley, $daho% $n front of me $ saw Orpha and my wife :a"hel, who
was dead, both arm in arm and dressed in their temple robes% $ got the assuran"e
that she was going to wor# with :a"hel% They were both &ery lo&ely women, about
the same si<e, height, and weight( both stood firm for all the prin"iples of the
gospel( both faithful and loyal to their husband( and both were born and reared in
Southern 2tah, :a"hel was from St% 7eorge and Orpha from Tropi", 2tah%
EThis &ision "ame to me in the late afternoon and $ #new it meant Orpha was
going% $ started for home, dri&ing all night and arri&ing there in the morning% When
$ approa"hed the house, $ met the do"tor on the front por"h tal#ing with one of our
friends% )e informed me that Orpha had "ontra"ted 3ui"# pneumonia and was &ery
low% When $ entered the si"# room she was using "onsiderable "onse"rated oil and
fighting to li&e% She loo#ed at me and smiled and said, J$ am glad that you ha&e
"ome%' $n the afternoon of this same day, she passed away lea&ing me one noble
son, Lorin, and one lo&ely daughter, Caroline, who loo#s and a"ts a lot li#e her
mother%
EOrpha was laid to rest in the Wasat"h Lawn Cemetery by the side of our son,
.arrell% She was e&erything a wife and mother should be and $ hope to li&e good
enough to ha&e both her and :a"hel, as well as the rest of my good and loyal
family in the Celestial Iingdom of )ea&en% She died on the 1th of 9ay, 19/0,
and was buried a few days later% E
H H H H H H H H H H
*s the years sped on and Charles' responsibilities in"reased, he still shouldered
them manfully and was e&er ready and willing to lend a helping hand to others%
!ran"es' father William Sto#es, for one, was at one time at a loss to #now where to
house one of his families% Charles ga&e them the pri&ilege of building a little house
on his Cottonwood property, agreeing to let them li&e there as long as they wished
with no e8pense to them e8"ept the building of the house, and when they were
through with it, it would belong to Charles%
They a""epted the proposition and went to wor# and built themsel&es a
"omfortable little ro"# and "ement house, mostly from the materials they found
right there on the pla"e and with the labor of their own hands% With the natural
shrubbery and a few flowers planted here and there by the artisti" hand of Sister
-l&a Sto#es, it made the home a pla"e of beauty% 1rother Sto#es spent the rest of
his life there% Later on, -l&a married again and =1> mo&ed away% *nother of
1rother Sto#es' wi&es li&ed there until her death% Then Charles mo&ed 1onnie and
her family into the home%
The old home on the Little Cottonwood Cree# housed both -dna's and -l&era's
families for se&eral years until it be"ame too small again% -l&era and her family
mo&ed to the 9ain Street house with Orpha when Charles pur"hased that property
and later when the trade was made for the home on /11 South 6th -ast, Charles
mo&ed -l&era and !ran"es there, as Orpha had ta#en ill before that time and had
gone ba"# to li&e with Laura in the home on 4,th South% Later, Charles pur"hased
another eight room frame house ad;oining the Cottonwood home and mo&ed -dna
and her family into it and -l&era and hers went than#fully ba"# to the old
Cottonwood home to li&e%
Through the years, Charles had made se&eral trips to Short Cree#, *ri<ona, to &isit
with the Saints who li&ed there% *t one time when a good many of the Saints from
Salt La#e City mo&ed there determined to build up its waste pla"es, Charles
seriously "onsidered mo&ing at least part of his family down there% )e and his
families had unitedly prayed about it, desiring to #now the Lord's will "on"erning
su"h a mo&e% Charles had some "onta"t with a resident of Short Cree# who was
"ontemplating selling his home% $n Charles' prayers he had as#ed the Lord to open
up the way for him to buy that home if that was where the Lord wanted them to
li&e, and if not, to hedge up the way%
*fter some time, Charles made another trip to Short Cree# with money in his
po"#ets to ma#e a down payment on the home and negotiations seemed well under
way when the lady of the house stepped into the pi"ture and said the home was not
for sale at any pri"e%
*bout this e8perien"e Charles re"ords, EThere was no other home for sale down
there at that time and we belie&ed it was an answer to our prayers for the Lord to
hedge up the way if he didn't want us to mo&e there% $ "an see now the reason why
as we ha&e been able to help many faithful souls to higher blessings by staying
here% We ha&e asso"iated with the saints down there on our &isits and ha&e had
many good meetings and old time dan"es% @ra"ti"ally the entire town belie&ed in
and li&ed the fulness of the gospel and the spirit there was beautiful%E
One of the happiest times of Charles life and one for whi"h he had prayed long and
earnestly for, was when his oldest song !red, F9innie's boyG hunted him up for a
&isit% )e "ame se&eral times before he was married, and afterward also with his
wife 1etty% Then one night when Charles was dri&ing along )ighland .ri&e with
part of his family he met 1illie F9innie's other sonG riding with a "ar full of his
friends% The meeting was brief but it filled Charles' heart with ;oy% This was ;ust
before 1illie ;oined the Aa&y% World War $$ was on and both he and !red ;oined
the Aa&y%
*gain Charles writes EThese are sons of my wife 9innie% They and their sister
-laine are happily married and $ pray e&ery day that they will ma#e a su""ess of
their married li&es% The boys and $ wrote ea"h other while they were in the war on
the =4> @a"ifi" O"ean and $ sent them both a bo8 of "andy for Christmas in 19//,
but $ ha&en't heard if they got it% !red had a daughter born to him while be was at
war, so $ now ha&e one granddaughter as $ write this F*pril 40, 19/5G% $ ha&en't
been able to see them yet% $ learned that 1illie had been wounded but ha&en't
learned how seriously% They are lo&ely "hildren and $ hope to #now them better in
the future%E
*long with Charles' many, many other duties, be managed to s3uee<e in a trip now
and then with different members of his family, always in"luding some business he
needed to attend to, along with the pleasure% On"e he and -dna made a trip to Old
9e8i"o with some friends and on the way ba"#, &isited with some missionary
friends of -dna's in @hoeni8 and 9esa, *ri<ona% $n the fall of 19/1 he too# -l&era
and her two "hildren, Carl and .ena, to 'ellowstone @ar#%
$n all of Charles' dealing with mines and mining "ompanies, only on"e in all his
life did he a"tually ma#e a shipment of ore% $t was when he and friends operated
the .ead Cedar 9ining Company near !erguson Spring about twentyCsi8 miles
southeast of Wendo&er, Ae&ada% They operated it on a bond and option and finally
stripped one small "arload of "opper ore and "leared M11, after paying all
e8penses% This turned out to be a rather fruitless mine, howe&er, and they soon
ga&e it up%
When World War $$ started and many fellow saints were being indu"ted on e&ery
side, Charles put in "onsiderable time and effort stri&ing to get ;usti"e with the
draft boards for them%
)e says, E$ "ould re"ite many instant of in;usti"e and pre;udi"e with both lo"al and
state draft boards but to pro&e my point and to show that 7od plants a friend
somepla"e up the line who does not let pre;udi"e, but ;usti"e "ontrol his a"tions
when we put our trust in )im, $ will endea&or to relate the "ase of 1rother Louis *%
Iels"h, my neighbor%
E1rother Iels"h was li&ing in a large home on his farm at about /400 So 6th -%,
with at least three wi&es and eight "hildren under eight years of age% They were all
totally dependent on him for their support% )e was the only one of the family
wor#ing as the three mothers had their own apartments and small "hildren and
babies to "are for% The lo"al draft board in 9urray 2tah, de"ided that 1rother
Iels"h's "hildren were not his dependents be"ause they were born out of wedlo"#,
a""ording to the laws of the land Fbut not a""ording to the laws of 7od as they had
been married by the @riesthoodG% They pla"ed him in Class $* and "alled him up
for indu"tion% )e appealed his "ase and the 7o&ernment *ppeal *gent for the
9urray .istri"t treated him &ery "ruelly and told him be was a draft dodger and
unpatrioti", et"%
E1rother Iels"h had furnished them the full names of all his "hildren and wi&es,
their ages, address and other desired information% The "ase was ne&ertheless
de"ided against him with a unanimous &ote% !rom the lo"al draft board, be
appealed his "ase to the state draft board with the same results and was to be
indu"ted at on"e% )e then "ame to me for help as the @riesthood Coun"il had
ad&ised him to do% *t first $ did not #now the proper steps to ta#e to bring the best
results so $ made it a matter of prayer and as#ed Louis to do li#ewise%
=B> E*fter praying the spirit dire"ted me to go to an attorney in 9id&ale, and $
found he was "onne"ted with the lo"al draft board of that distri"t% $ told him we did
not belong to his distri"t, howe&er, $ put the "ase before him and as#ed him if he
would read us the rules or law on a "ase of this #ind% $ don't remember his name as
$ had ne&er met him before% )e was &ery "ourteous and got out his go&ernment
boo# of rules and pointed out the rule or law whi"h $ "opied with the boo# and
page%
E$t reads as follows, JChildren born out of wedlo"# are dependents when they are
li&ing in a genuine family relationship%'
E$ than#ed him for this information and we left%
E$ said to 1rother Iels"h, JAow we are e3uipped% We will go to the head of the
State .raft 1oard, Col% *rnold :i"h%E
EWhen we arri&ed there he was busy and we were dire"ted to his helper, Lieut%
-lton% *fter dis"ussing the matter with him he dire"ted us to wait and ta#e it up
with Col% :i"h% On entering his offi"e $ put the "ase before him and read the rule or
law gi&ing the boo# and page% )e got his own boo# out and re&iewed it%
EThen he "alled someone on the phone and the first thing he said was, JWhy did the
board turn Louis Iels"h down on an appealK $s it a "ase of religious pre;udi"eK'
E)e listened for some time to the "on&ersation of the party on the other end of the
line and hung up%
EThen he turned to us and said, JWhen the State 1oard &otes unanimous to "onfirm
the de"ision of your lo"al board, then the only thing we "an do is to appeal your
"ase to the @resident of the 2nited States% $ am sending your "ase to the @resident
and your indu"tion will be suspended until we hear from him%E
EWe than#ed him and as we turned to go he said J'ou may be a damned fool, but
you "ertainly ha&e plenty of dependents%'
E$n a few wee#s 1rother Iels"h was notified that he had been pla"ed in Class /!
and he was ne&er indu"ted into the army% Than#s be to 7od for putting one good
man in our path who didn't allow the pre;udi"e of the ma;ority to do an in;usti"e to
Louis Iels"h% That last de"ision was a "redit to the @resident of the 2nited States,
!ran#lin .% :oose&elt%E
H H H H H H H H
$n the summer of 19/B, Charles made his first trip to the 2intah 1asin with a friend
to inspe"t some gold pla"er properties on the 7reen :i&er% While there they &isited
the .inosaur @its near ?ernal, 2tah, and saw the bones of giant prehistori" animals
imbedded in the strata ro"#s%
That same summer Charles and his boys raised potatoes on .an 1ateman's farm in
West +ordan besides "aring for their own farm on the Little Cottonwood Cree#%
Charles seems to ha&e had some &ery meaningful dreams at different times through
his life% 9ore than on"e he dreamed of sna#es whi"h seemed to be a warning to
him to loo# out for enemies% One dream "on"erned him &ery mu"h in the summer
of 19/B% )e dreamed he saw three sna#es in the sto"#yard at the Cottonwood
home%
=/> )e writes, EThe sna#es weren't able to harm me and $ "hased them into a hole
in the ground and that was the end of them% On awa#ening the ne8t morning, $ told
my family about the dream and informed them that we had three enemies
somepla"e in the neighborhood $ told them $ was going to pray to find out who
they were and to as# the Lord to render them harmless as $ had seen in my dream%
E$ was soon shown that the largest sna#e was a neighbor a"ross the "ree# from us% $
had heard from good authority that he had been to the neighbors around us to get
them to unite with him in running us out of the neighborhood be"ause we were
li&ing plural marriage but the neighbors refused to do anything about it% * few days
later, 1rother Shaw, a friend of mine, was loo#ing at a small home that was for sale
about a half mile west of our home and ;ust south of another neighbor of ours%
1rother Shaw in3uired of this neighbor as to who owned the home% The man as#ed
if he was interested in getting it for a polygamist, and he showed su"h e8treme
bitterness towards me, telling 1rother Shaw there were se&eral of the neighbors
who were going to help ta#e "are of me if the law didn't% )e was one of the three
men who "ame to arrest me on *pril 1, 19B1% $ then #new he was another of the
sna#es in my dream%
E* short time later $ got a ride home from town with another neighbor% The nasty
bitter things he said when $ was riding home with him showed me that he was the
third sna#e in my dream%
EAot long after this $ learned that one of these three had de&eloped a serious "ase of
tuber"ulosis and was "onfined to his home% * short time later the neighbor a"ross
the "ree# sold his farm and mo&ed up into 1o8 -lder County, and lastly, the other
one fell from a se"ond story por"h at the shop where he was wor#ing and when
they pi"#ed him up he was dead% This all happened within a few wee#s after $ had
that dream%E
One of the most tragi" things that e&er happened in the Zitting family too# pla"e on
9other's .ay in 9ay, 19//% 9ar&in, -dna's oldest boy who had been studying
radio and ele"tri"ity in s"hool, be"ame &ery interested in it and had been doing
"onsiderable e8perimenting on the things that he had studied at home after s"hool
hours% This was at the time when World War $$ was raging and the s"hool "hildren
had been "alled on to ma#e a dri&e to gather up s"rap metal for use in the war% *
large pile had been "olle"ted and dumped on the s"hool grounds% When the army
tru"#s "ame to haul it away, small arti"les were left s"attered here and there%
9ar&in pi"#ed up a pie"e that loo#ed to him li#e a small radio "ondenser and too#
it home% On Sunday he was in his basement bedroom e8perimenting% )e "onne"ted
an ele"tri" wire to the supposed radio "ondenser, whi"h turned out to be a giant
blasting "ap, and it e8ploded in his hands%
Charles writes from here, E$ had ;ust brought my fol#s home to our Cottonwood
home from a 9other's .ay @rogram at our Sunday S"hool and left for our
9ill"ree# home and didn't e8pe"t to go ba"# to Cottonwood for two days% $ had
been at our 9ill"ree# home only a few minutes when the Spirit urged me to go
ba"# to our =6> Cottonwood home% $ first thought it was strange as $ had ;ust left
there and e8pe"ted to stay at our 9ill"ree# home that night% $ tried to sha#e that
feeling off but soon be"ame &ery uneasy so $ told my fol#s that $ had to return to
Cottonwood and started on my way%
EWhen $ rea"hed there $ found that 9ar&in had met with this terrible tragedy about
the time the Spirit had urged me to return% The instant that he "onne"ted that "ap
with the ele"tri"ity it e8ploded and blew the side of one hand off and many holes in
his "hest and fa"e% )e was bleeding from his waist to the top of his head% This has
sin"e healed up ni"ely but one eye is totally blind and he "an see &ery little out of
the other on a""ount of a "atara"t that has formed% )e stayed out of s"hool for o&er
a year but is now ba"# there and doing fine% )is sister :a"hel has helped him a
great deal with his lessons% )e was the only one of his "lass to get 100L in his
s"ien"e e8amination the other day and the tea"her s"olded the others for allowing
9ar&in with &ery little eyesight to pass them all%
E$ ha&e fasted and prayed from Saturday night until Sunday night e&ery wee# sin"e
$ ha&e been here in ;ail for better eyesight for 9ar&in and to #now ;ust what is best
to do for him% $ belie&e the day will "ome when he will ha&e better eyesight%E $n
.e"ember of 19//, !ran"es ga&e birth to another little daughter that they named
Lola% $n the month of +anuary, 19/6, she "ontra"ted pneumonia and died when only
se&en wee#s old%
Charles writes, E$t was a &ery sad tragedy for my wife !ran"es and $, in fa"t it was
sad for our entire family% We had the funeral at the Lar#in !uneral @arlor and she
was laid to rest in the Wasat"h Cemetery beside my son .arrell and my wife
Orpha% We will always ha&e fond memories of the little darling%E
H H H H H H H H H
!or se&eral years there had been rumblings and rumors "on"erning a proposed
mass arrest of the soC"alled fundamentalist group of LatterC.ay Saints, or in other
words, an arrest of those who belie&ed in and were stri&ing to li&e the fulness of
the gospel% $n the early part of 19// the rumblings grew louder% $n the latter part of
!ebruary a grand ;ury was "alled and "on&ened to "omplete their foul plans% On the
morning of 9ar"h ,, ;ust at the peep of dawn, federal, state, "ounty and "ity
offi"ials ba"#ed by the moral support of the 9ormon Chur"h, poun"ed upon their
unoffending &i"tims and hauled fifty or more men and women off to ;ail, "harging
them with almost e&ery "rime imaginable, su"h as "onspira"y, #idnapping, the
9ann *"t, illegal "oChabitation, et"% et"%
Charles was away at the time(
howe&er, his name was on the
offending list and when he returned to
town a few days later he ga&e himself
up after ma#ing arrangements to ha&e
his families' properties put up as bail
for some of the arrested brethren%
Within a few days about a 3uarter of a
million dollars in bonds were raised
by this group of people and within the ne8t two years o&er MB0,000 was spent in
attorney's fees%
=5> Charles' name was on the list of those arrested on the "harge of "onspira"y,
#idnapping and illegal "oChabitation% )is wife -dna was in"luded in this mass
arrest with her husband on the #idnapping a"t whi"h was most grossly
misrepresented% She wasn't thrown in ;ail with the others as she had a nursing baby
at home% She was allowed to go without bond% * few days later she was arrested
again on the "harge of intimidating a go&ernment witness%
On top of all this, one day in 9ar"h 19//, as Charles was lea&ing the "ourtroom
where the trials had been in session, a sheriff wal#ed up to him and ser&ed papers
on him and his wi&es -l&era and Laura on a "i&il "ase "on"erning a land
transa"tion in Spanish !or#, 2tah%
Charles met with his and the other man's attorneys and offered to ma#e a
settlement rather than to drag his wi&es into "ourt but the other attorney ob;e"ted to
this so "ourt pro"eedings went on% This man's attorney tried in e&ery way he "ould
to pre;udi"e the ;udge by bringing up 3uestions about Charles' marital relations and
tried to ferret out something that he "ould use against Charles in the other law suits
pending%
The ;udge was &ery impartial in his ;udgment and the "ase was de"ided in Charles'
fa&or% *fter the trial was o&er the man from Spanish !or# "ame up to Charles with
tears in his eyes and told him he didn't li#e the way this group of people was being
perse"uted for li&ing a prin"iple of the gospel% Charles says this man was a good
man and he belie&ed he'd been put under pressure by someone to start that "ase
against Charles at that parti"ular time%
Charles found out through some of his "lients that the !1$ had been on his trail for
se&eral years and had "onta"ted and inter&iewed men with whom he had had
business dealings, stri&ing to find something against him%
Charles re"ords, E$ got word from some of my "lients nearly e&ery wee# for the
past three years that they had been inter&iewed and 3uestioned "on"erning my
dealings with them% They 3uestioned people $ had done business with twentyCfi&e
years ago% $ #now what it is li#e to be hounded and perse"uted% $ #new $ had tried
hard to be honest in my numerous business dealings and $ felt $ had made no
mista#e of the heart as $ always wanted to do right but $ wasn't sure $ hadn't made
some little legal mista#e of the mind without #nowing it and with so many
in&estigations into my numerous deals, $ wasn't sure but what they would find
something by whi"h to pull my wi&es and me into "ourt% *t the same time with
about thirty in my family and me their only support, $ had to ma#e &ery good
money ;ust to brea# e&en on our li&ing e8penses and ma#e payments on our four
homes%E
The "ourt pro"eedings for this mass arrest "ontinued on through the year of 19//
and part of 19/6% The "onspira"y "ases both for publishing the Truth 9aga<ine and
tea"hing and ad&o"ating the prin"iple of plural marriage were finally dismissed( the
#idnapping a"t "ase was "arried on to the 2nited States Supreme Court and a
&erdi"t of not guilty was handed down by an unanimous &ote% The 9ann *"t "ase
sent fi&e or si8 of the brethren to the federal prison in *ri<ona for nothing more
than ta#ing plural =,> wi&es a"ross state lines% The illegal "oChabitation "harge
resulted in state prison terms for fifteen of them% Charles, being among these, was
in"ar"erated on 9ay 16, 19/6%
While Charles was in ;ail be #ept a diary, apart from his ;ournal% This part of his
life's story will be ta#en mostly from this re"ord%
)e begins by saying, E!ifteen of us men of the soC"alled fundamentalist group were
found guilty of illegal "oChabitation by the Supreme Court of the State of 2tah and
were sent to ;ail% We were pla"ed in the Salt La#e County +ail on 9ay 14, 19/6,
and on 9ay 16, we were ta#en from there and pla"ed in the 2tah State @rison at
1/00 -ast 41st South, Salt La#e City, 2tah% We were pla"ed on the south side of
the third floor of the north building% They ga&e me "ell Ao% B,, and later when
Lyman +essop went to the new prison farm $ too# "ell Ao% B9% When others were
mo&ed $ too# "ell Ao% //% 9y prison number is ,,5%
EThe first ten days they had us under 3uarantine in our "ells and they brought our
meals in to us% *t the end of the ten days they pla"ed us out as trustees on the 10
a"re farm here at the old
prison to plant the
&egetable garden and we
spent most of the
summer weeding and
hoeing at the old prison
and the new prison farm
down at the point of the
mountain%
EWe were allowed four
&isitors e&ery Sunday%
Our wi&es and "hildren
too# turns "oming up to
&isit us through the bars
and s"reen% They "ould
stay one half hour ea"h%
Children under twel&e were not allowed% Aearly e&ery one here at the prison, both
inmates and guards tell us we are not "riminals and they ha&e been 3uite #ind and
"onsiderate of us% They trusted us more than anyone here right from the first% The
food is fair and as we "an eat fruit and &egetables as we are wor#ing on the farms
we get alone ni"ely% The iron "ots in our "ells are &ery hard to sleep on but are
3uite "lean barring a few bedCbugs and "o"#roa"hes%
ESe&eral trustees run away from the farm e&ery summer but our men ha&e e&en
wor#ed without a guard% They ha&e "hur"h on Sundays but we ha&e been unable to
attend be"ause our &isitors "ome at that time and we ha&e many &isitors e&ery
Sunday% $ ha&e fasted and prayed e&ery Sunday from dinner time Saturday night
until dinner time Sunday Aight% The men ha&e all been prayerful and faithful e&ery
day% They ha&e pi"ture shows on Saturdays when the "anning fa"tory isn't in
operation% They ha&e baseball games three times a wee#%
E9y health has been good all summer, howe&er se&eral of the brethren ha&en't
fared so well and are feeling the wear and tear of prison life% When $ "ame to ;ail, $
had ta8es and insuran"e payments on properties and homes all up to date and left
money to 3uiet title on se&eral properties% -l&era, Laura, :i"hard, :a"hel and other
"hildren large enough to wor# did &ery well this summer% The things they
a""omplished really surprised me and made me &ery happy% )ow they ha&e grown
in wor# and good deeds sin"e $ "ame to ;ail% $ left them in the hands of 7od and he
is doing a mu"h better ;ob than $ "ould ha&e done% They are all &ery loyal to me
and unselfish and honest% They are surely made of good stuff% They all got
themsel&es ready and started to s"hool on time this fall%
=> EWhile in ;ail this summer, $ ha&e used my spare time to read and study the
s"riptures, and s"ientifi" and other maga<ines% $ ha&e done mu"h pondering and
planning and praying for all the saints% $ ha&e impro&ed on my in&entions and ha&e
made se&eral other in&entions% $ ha&e learned mu"h about the sil&er business while
in here% 9any in here manufa"ture sil&er ;ewelry and other arti"les% $ ha&e also
learned "onsiderable about farming and "anning% $ ha&e had ea"h of my families
#eep boo#s and $ ha&e dire"ted their business affairs% They all bring their boo#s to
me on Sunday when they "ome to see me and $ go o&er it all with them and gi&e
them ad&i"e% The time $ ha&e spent in ;ail so far has been one of the busiest and
most profitable times of my life%
EThe first month $ was in ;ail, my "ell was &isited "ontinually by e&il spirits% -&ery
night $ had horrible dreams% One night an e&il spirit lay on the "ot between me and
the wall and held me tight with his arms and it was as real as any mortal man
holding me% $ rebu#ed him and he left me immediately% $ rebu#ed them all and
prayed e&ery day that the Spirit of 7od would be with us at night and in our dreams
as well as in the daytime% They would lea&e e&ery time $ rebu#ed them but would
return later% *fter two months $ had entirely rid myself and "ell of them% Sin"e
then, beautiful spirits ha&e &isited me in my dreams% 9y wi&es :a"hel and Orpha
&isited me on"e with their "omforting spirits%E
F2tah State @rison at 1/00 -ast 41st South, Salt La#e City, 2tahG
H H H H H H H H H H
The brethren had been suffering the ;ail senten"e for three months or more and that
sort of life was ta#ing its toll on some of them, espe"ially the older ones% They
submitted papers for )abeas Corpus pro"eedings but re"ei&ed little hope from it%
Little hints had been "ir"ulating around "on"erning a J9anifesto' in the ma#ing,
whi"h if signed would let the brethren out on parole% Through pressure from
without and within, someone was as#ed to draw up a paper of this sort for
"onsideration of the brethren in ;ail%
When this paper was presented to one of the leading brethren, he and three others
spent the afternoon dis"ussing it out behind the prison barn% The other brethren
were wor#ing in the "annery and didn't hear about it until later in the e&ening when
they were "alled together and allowed to read it and had it e8plained as to why it
should be signed% )owe&er, before they presented it to the others, the leading
brethren e8plained that they wished to ma#e it an indi&idual matter and wanted
e&eryone to use his own free agen"y in de"iding whether he should sign it or not%
They all agreed on that%
Charles writers E$ read it o&er and felt that $ "ouldn't sign it and told them why%
When $ went to my "ell a little later than the rest $ found that fi&e of the brethren
had already signed it% $ went in tears and prayed more earnestly than $ had e&er
prayed before in all my life% $ felt that $ "ould not sign it and $ thought $ was alone
in my opposition% Se&eral of the brethren wor#ed late at the "annery that night%
When they "ame to their =9> "ells they informed me they "ouldn't sign it either% $t
was the first time in my life that $ had e&er stood on the opposite side to +ohn '%
1arlow and +oseph W% 9usser%
E$ lay awa#e nearly all night long praying about it% $ "ould not see that my stand
against signing that paper "ould be "hanged% $ pleaded to #now the will of the Lord,
promising )im if )e would let me #now )is will $ would stand unmo&ed and ser&e
)im at all "osts%
EThe following in a "opy of the paper they as#ed us to "onsiderD
DECLARATION OF POLICY
To whom it may "on"ernCC
The undersigned offi"ers and members of the soC"alled !undamentalist
religious group, desiring to bring about pea"e and harmony within the
"hur"h, and re"ogni<ing the futility of disobeying the laws of the land
e&en in the pra"ti"e of a religious belief, do hereby de"lare as followsD
That we indi&idually and se&erally pledge oursel&es to refrain hereafter
from ad&o"ating, tea"hing or "ountenan"ing the pra"ti"e of plural
marriage or polygamy in &iolation of the laws of the State of 2tah and of
the 2nited States% The undersigned offi"ers of the religious group abo&e
referred to further pledge oursel&es to refrain from engaging in or from
solemni<ing plural marriages from and after this date%
EWhen $ saw the signatures already on it $ went to one of the brethren and as#ed if
we shouldn't ha&e prayed about it first before signing as the meeting behind the
barn had not been opened nor "losed with prayer%
E)e answered, JThe @rophet 1righam 'oung said to pray about anything where
you are in doubt and if the Lord doesn't answer you then use your best ;udgment
and he will uphold you in it% $ ha&e prayed about this for three months without him
answering me and this is my best ;udgment%'
E$ then spo#e to another and he argued he "ouldn't see any harm in signing it% )e
said he felt we would ha&e to do something li#e this and he belie&ed this was the
best we "ould do% $ left and went to my "ell for the night feeling &ery blue and
lonely and alone%
E$ was awa#e most of the night pleading with the Lord to #eep me from ma#ing a
mista#e as $ wished to do nothing but his will% $ stayed in my "ell all the ne8t day
reading "hapters in .aniel and other parts of the 1ible, also re&elations of +oseph
Smith +r%, +ohn Taylor and Wilford Woodruff% $n the late afternoon the Lord ga&e
me a personal re&elation for my family and me whi"h is as followsD
=90> JThus saith the Lord to you my ser&ant Charles,
$ the Lord #now thy desires to ser&e me at all "ost and ha&e heard thy
prayers and will answer thee by my &oi"e out of hea&en%
Thou art mu"h troubled in finding thyself in opposition to my ser&ants
+ohn and +oseph, but you are only dis"harging the responsibility pla"ed
upon you and the pri&ilege $ ga&e you through them to use your own free
agen"y in this matter and to spea# as you are mo&ed upon in defense of
my wor#% .id $ not inform my ser&ant +ohn Taylor that it was now
pleasing to me that men should use their own free agen"y in regard to
these matters%
Ae&ertheless you must not wa&er but stand firm and be unmo&ed after
ta#ing a stand for 7od% The enemy ha&e plainly informed you on many
o""asions that they intend to destroy my wor#s% They see# the destru"tion
of my faithful ones by pledging them to follow man instead of their 7od%
Why should my people fear them more than me% Consider my ser&ant
.aniel and the Three )ebrew Children and my ser&ant +ohn Taylor in the
bra&e stand they too# for my wor#% Study the s"riptures more diligently
than you ha&e heretofore and "ontinue to "all upon me for all of your
brethren who are with you in prison and also those out of prison%
'ou are mu"h "on"erned about the health of my ser&ants +ohn and
+oseph% 'our stand "an in no way in;ure their health nor shorten their
days upon the earth%
'ou must #now for yourself if all the wor#s of my ser&ants o&er you are
inspired by 7od and then you are a help to them in "arrying the great load
pla"ed on my ser&ants at this time% .id $ not tell my ser&ant Wilford
Woodruff to not pla"e yoursel&es in ;eopardy to your enemies by promise
as they see# your destru"tion and the destru"tion of my peopleK This
"ommandment is also in for"e now as before% .id $ not deli&er you from
the hands of the enemy when you pla"ed your trust in me in the Spring of
19B1 and also deli&ered you and your wife -dna from them in the !all of
19//K
.id $ e&er fail you when you pla"ed your full trust in me or in my wordK
Will there be any faith left on earth at my se"ond "omingK
'ou are mu"h "on"erned about your family% )a&e you not pla"ed them in
my handsK $ am wat"hing o&er them and it needs be that they also must
be tested se&erely% Tea"h them to remain sober and prayerful and to not
see# after the pleasures of this life while you are in ;ail as they must add
to your strength%
The enemy also see#s their destru"tion and their hearts must remain pure
at all times toward their Lord and one another or they are not worthy to
go where you =91> go% They must stri&e to impro&e themsel&es ea"h day
as you are doing% $f they negle"t this "ounsel their "hildren will dwindle
in unbelief and if they abide in your "ounsel their ;oy will be full%
'ou ha&e as#ed for great blessings and your prayers ha&e been re"orded%
.id you thin# you "ould re"ei&e those blessings without first being tested
in your faithK 1e a good soldier in the Iingdom of 7od and after the trial
of your faith "ometh the blessing%
Aow be diligent in the use of your time and talents and in the obser&an"e
of my law, as your days on earth are numbered and be of good "heer until
$ "ome% *men%'
EThe @rophet +oseph Smith and at least two others stood inside my "ell% $ #new him
and was told by the Spirit of 7od that it was him%E
H H H H H H H H
Charles stood firm to the testimony he had against signing that paper and was more
"on&in"ed as days went by that it was from the lower regions and he put up a
strong fight to "on&in"e all the brethren to de"ide against it%
There was mu"h dis"ussion and many and &aried the opinions "on"erning it% Some
feeling that they should sign it one day then "hanging their minds the ne8t% The
three brethren that were at the new prison farm were sent for to see what their
de"ision would be% That morning before they arri&ed one brother "ame from his
"ell and told the brethren he was shown during the night that it was a trap, and he
wanted his name s"rat"hed off that paper saying he wouldn't sign it now if all the
rest did%
When the three arri&ed from the new prison farm they were told what this brother
had said and when they read that paper they all refused to sign it and went ba"# to
the farm%
This, howe&er, didn't end the matter% Some of the brethren were an8ious to be
released so the paper was re&i&ed again and again with pressure from the outside in
its fa&or getting stronger and stronger%
On *ugust 46 the brethren were "alled into the &isiting room at the prison to meet
with the warden and other men, in"luding the man who wrote the first paper that
was presented to them% They wished to dis"uss the do"ument they wanted the
brethren to sign% This man from the outside did most of the tal#ing and had agreed
to some "hanges in the wording of this paper% )e said among other things that he
had shown this do"ument to the 7o&ernor of the State, )erbert 1% 9aw, and to the
@resident of the L.S Chur"h, 7eorge *% Smith, and others and they were all
agreeable to gi&e them a parole if they signed it% )e further stated that those who
signed it would be paroled and those that did not would ha&e to stay in ;ail the full
fi&e years and if they then went out and "ontinued to li&e polygamy they would be
"on&i"ted again and would ha&e to ser&e another fi&e years% )e said they were
going to wipe out polygamy entirely and there was nothing "ould be done about it%
=94> Still the battle went on for and against until finally they all de"ided to wait for
the returns from the State Supreme Court on their )abeas Corpus "ase% $f it was
ruled against, the fi&e who had pla"ed their signatures on the first paper would
perhaps sign and go out%
They didn't wait, howe&er, nor was the sub;e"t dropped% $t was dis"ussed again and
again, pro and "on among different groups of the brethren and unity had "eased to
e8ist% Charles "ontinued to pray earnestly and to suppli"ate the Lord to gi&e him
strength to stand by his honest "on&i"tions, e&en if he had to stand alone%
$n this way a month passed by and on the morning of September 4/, 19/6, one of
the leading brethren was "alled from his "ell to go to the front gate%
*s he passed Charles' "ell, Charles said, E$ hope it's good news on our )abeas
Corpus "ase%E
The other one answered that it was not, but he was going out to the new prison
farm to get the ones out there to sign this mu"h tal#ed about paper%
Charles writes in his ;ournal, E$ didn't belie&e any of them would sign it but to my
surprise, all of them did% This left only the fi&e who had refused from the first who
didn't sign it and one of these fi&e later promised &erbally to the spe"ifi"ations
written in the do"ument% The paper that was finally signed was worded as followsD
To whom it may "on"ernCC
The undersigned offi"ers and members of the soC"alled fundamentalist
religious group do hereby de"lare as followsCC
That we indi&idually and se&erally pledge oursel&es to refrain hereafter
from ad&o"ating, tea"hing or "ountenan"ing the pra"ti"e of plural
marriage or polygamy in &iolation of the laws of the State of 2tah and of
the 2nited States%
The undersigned offi"ers of the religious group abo&e referred to, further
pledge oursel&es to refrain from solemni<ing plural marriages from and
after this date "ontrary to the laws of the land%
Charles states here that it was ;ust 66 years ago on the &ery same day, September
4/, 190, that Wilford Woodruff signed his 9anifesto%
)e further states, E$ belie&e this had made me feel more sad than anything that e&er
happened in my life%E
The ne8t day this do"ument with its ten signatures on it was sent on its way to the
state authorities to be passed on at the regular pardon board meeting on O"tober 40%
They were finally released on parole, .e"ember 16, 19/6, ha&ing then ser&ed
se&en months in ;ail%
+ust a few days after the brethren had signed this paper, the newspapers reported
that the State Supreme Court had ruled against the )abeas Corpus "ase, so it
loo#ed 3uite hopeless for the four remaining prisoners unless 7od willed it
otherwise%
=9B> With the dar# prospe"t of a long prison term on his mind, Charles' thoughts
turned to his family and homes%
)e says, EThey are all loyal to me in my family and all honor and praise me for the
stand $ ha&e ta#en%E -&en after this do"ument was signed se&eral of the brethren
were unde"ided in their minds as to the wisdom in what they had done and some
e&en planned to ha&e their names withdrawn from the paper but through persuasion
from within and without, they did nothing about it%
Time and again during those troubled days before and e&en after the ten brethren
had signed their names to that paper, different people "ame and some were sent to
those who had refused to sign it with all #inds of persuasions and threats to get
them to sign% One of their attorneys who had helped to fight their "ase in "ourt
"ame to those four men one day and told them that he had ;ust been tal#ing to the
attorney general% $f they would ;ust sign that paper and go out with the others, that
within si8 months they would all get a termination of their senten"es and that other
"ases pending would be de"ided in their fa&or% On the other hand, if they refused to
sign, they would spend the full fi&e years in ;ail and that other arrests would be
made until all the men and e&en the women were in ;ail and all the "hildren would
be put in foster homes% This threat hung o&er their heads time and again, howe&er,
they still stood firm to the rightfulness of the stand they had ta#en%
Later, another man "ame to see Charles, an old time a"3uaintan"e, and he brought
with him a long line of persuasi&e arguments but to no a&ail% Charles had been
shown his duty and sti"# to it he must%
Charles was &ery appre"iati&e of his family in that they were upholding him in the
stand he had ta#en%
)e writes, EAo family, both wi&es and "hildren "ould be any more loyal and
"onsiderate of their husband and father than mine ha&e been to me% $ pray $ "an
always show the same loyalty to them and to the wor# of 7od%
EToday, Ao&ember , 19/6, $ re"ei&ed a letter from -dna, informing me that the
federal "ase against her for the alleged "harge of intimidating a go&ernment witness
had been dismissed after hanging on for o&er a year%
E$n this letter -dna wrote, J*n added testimony has been gi&en to me that the Lord
is good to those who try to obey his will in spite of e&ery wind that blows% $f they
remain faithful their reward is assured% The Lord #nows things far ahead of what
the poor "reatures on earth #now%'
E9y patriar"hal blessing states that the )oly Spirit will "onstantly whisper to me
and at times will spea# to me loud and distin"tly in guiding me what to do% $ ha&e
"ertainly had this happen many times% Today $ was pondering o&er past e&ents
sin"e $ ha&e been here with the brethren in prison% $ was thin#ing of the four of us
that are going to be left here when the others go out% $ was wondering why the Lord
ga&e me a personal re&elation Fon *ugust 44, 19/6G, when the other brethren
staying in with me had not re"ei&ed a thing and were staying in here entirely on
=9/> their faith in past re&ealed words of the Lord% Was it be"ause $ was not as
faithful as the others and needed it to bra"e me up and #eep me in lineK
E*s $ was pondering on this the Spirit spo#e to me saying, JAo one is e&er gi&en a
re&elation to bolster up his faith but after the e8er"ise of his faith, then "ometh the
blessing% 'ou were tested in the Spring of 19B1 when you were arrested for li&ing
plural or Celestial 9arriage and you put your full trust in the Lord without
wa&ering% *gain in the !all of 19//, when +ohn S% 1oyden, 2%S% .istri"t *ttorney
offered three times in one day to dismiss the "ase against your wife -dna if she
would go to her parents with her "hildren and you would dis"ontinue to li&e with
her( and ea"h time you both informed him you wouldn't ma#e any promises nor
"on"essions and you put your full trust in the Lord to fight your battles% 'ou also
pla"ed your full trust in the Lord on *ugust 41, 19/6, when you refused to sign
that do"ument and promised your 7od that you were ready to ser&e )im at all "osts
if )e would ma#e #nown )is will to you% The others had not re"ei&ed the test of
their faith as you had in those former e8perien"es% This is a gift to you whi"h you
ha&e both a"3uired and de&eloped through faith%'E
On Than#sgi&ing .ay, Ao&ember 44, 19/6, after Charles and the others had been
ser&ed a tur#ey dinner, he returned to his "ell and re"ords in his ;ournalD
EToday is Than#sgi&ing .ay and $ ha&e many things to be than#ful for, the gospel
and a great degree of the Spirit of the Lord $ and my lo&ed ones ha&e en;oyed, ri"h
e8perien"es and tests of our faith, my desire to be loyal to my "alling in the
priesthood, to the gospel and to my family, and also their great loyalty to the gospel
and to me% $ am also than#ful for friends and their help in time of need, our health,
our homes, ne"essities of life and many other blessings too numerous to mention%E
H H H H H H H H
The "rops on the prison farms were &ery good that year and se&eral of the guards
and the warden praised the brethren for their good wor#, stating that the farm had
ne&er produ"ed so mu"h nor loo#ed as good as it did that year% One thing whi"h
bothered Charles greatly was that so mu"h of their produ"e spoiled be"ause they
were unable to ta#e "are of it fast enough% They were #ept &ery busy all through the
fall har&esting the "rops and "anning the perishable things, su"h as tomatoes and
other #inds of fruit% The wor# the brethren had to do while in ;ail, though rather
disagreeable and undesirable at times, was really a godsend to them for it #ept
them busy and helped to #eep their minds off their problems%
Charles was ne&er one to "omplain and always seemed to find a bright side to
e&erything% The harder he was #no"#ed, the more determined he was to rea"h the
goal he had aimed at% )is ma8im was to Jhit"h your wagon to a star%' This aim in
&iew, along with his deep faith in 7od and )is wat"hful "are, are the only things
that "arried him through those long dreary days and wee#s and months and years
that he spent in ;ail%
=96> What Charles and the others e8perien"ed through those dar#, dar# days no one
but 7od and themsel&es will e&er #now% They had day by day "onta"t with
hardened "riminals who had almost e&ery "rime boo#ed against one or the other of
them% Theft, robbery, rape, murder, et"%, were things they boasted about in their
foulCmouthed language and the longer they stayed in ;ail, the more hardened they
be"ame% They were great ones to hold grudges against one another and would go
any limit to get e&en with the ones they imagined had wronged them%
Charles had a little e8perien"e with one of them whi"h tried his faith and
enduran"e%
ESometime ago $ bought some handCengra&ed sil&er bra"elets from one of the
"on&i"ts and when $ paid him $ as#ed him for a re"eipt for the money% )e got &ery
angry and with a mean grudge, he had been tal#ing to a number of his friends Fall
hardened "riminalsG, to stir up a hatred against me% Tonight he told one of our
brethren that after our ele&en men went out on parole, a number of them were
going to get me% $ ha&e heard also of the other threats he has made% Soon after our
trouble and sin"e then $ ha&e tried to ma#e pea"e with him but to no a&ail% *s we
"ame in from the "annery plant today, he as#ed some of our brethren if they had
brought in some apples he "ould ha&e% $ offered him two large deli"ious apples and
he refused them%
EThis summer an old man was brought ba"# who had been here before and a
number of the "on&i"ts beat him badly on a""ount of an old grudge% Tonight $ will
pray for the Lord to soften their hearts or "ause them to forget it and if it is not )is
will that it should happen, then nothing will "ome of it% This seems to be a terrible
pla"e for grudges and we really need the prote"tion of the Lord and the faith and
prayers of our lo&ed ones%'
* few days later Charles wrote again, E$ ;ust learned today that that hard "riminal
who threatened to get me the day before yesterday and about whom $ prayed was
mo&ed from this tier of "ells yesterday and pla"ed on the other side of the building%
$ feel it was a dire"t answer to my prayers as we will not see him often now%E
Charles writes in his ;ournal of se&eral riots that o""urred among the prisoners
sin"e the brethren had been in ;ail% Of one he espe"ially writes% The trouble was on
the floor abo&e the brethren's "ells and "aused a great disturban"e% They started in
the early e&ening and "ontinued late into the night, brea#ing windows and doors,
and hammering on the steel walls so hard that the &ibrations were intense in the
"ells of the brethren and shoo# arti"les off their tables and "aused so mu"h noise
that no one "ould sleep% The warden finally had to "all for help from the poli"e and
fire departments before pea"e was restored%
$n a tal# Charles had with the warden one day, the warden told him how mu"h he
appre"iated the orderly "ondu"t of the brethren sin"e they had been under his
super&ision% )e told Charles there had been more "onfusion and disorder among
the other prisoners sin"e the brethren arri&ed, than he had e&er e8perien"ed =95>
sin"e he had been "onne"ted with that institution% $t appeared that the de&il had
been wor#ing o&ertime sin"e their "oming%
On the 10th of .e"ember, 19/6, ;ust fi&e days before the ele&en brethren went out
on parole, the four that were to remain in ;ail were mo&ed down to the new prison
farm% Charles was assigned the ;ob of helping to ta#e "are of the "hi"#ens, whi"h
numbered about B,000, and he went to wor# with a right good will% )e mentions
that "onditions were somewhat impro&ed at the new prison%
EWe ha&e good food here, plenty of heat, hot water, showers, good "ots to sleep on
with plenty of good "o&ers and most of the guards trust us &ery well%E
)owe&er, he found later that the heat wasn't always so plentiful, and they were in
prison and ha&ing to mingle more or less with the &ile wret"hes who were
in"ar"erated with them% 1e"ause of the e&il spirits that infested these poor
"reatures, some of them often tried to interfere with the brethren in their wor# and
"ause trouble for them% Their life there, at best, was full of hearta"hes and trials%
Charles seemed to ha&e thoroughly en;oyed the spare time he had in the e&enings
for study and "ontemplation% $n his musings he often wished 1rother +% Leslie
1roadbent "ould wal# in and ha&e a tal# with him% )e re"ei&ed mu"h ;oy and
"onsultation from the wee#ly &isits he had with his wi&es, "hildren and often
friends on Sundays, and from the letters he re"ei&ed ea"h wee#% )e gloried too in
the a"hie&ements of some of his "hildren in their s"hool wor# and often
"ommented on it in his ;ournal%
The four brethren were still trying to get their )abaes Corpus "ase before the 2%S%
Supreme Court%
On 9ar"h B, 19/5, Charles writes, EOur wi&es and families and some of our
friends ha&e been fasting and praying today for the Lord's help in getting our "ase
before the 2%S% Supreme Court and to help us get out of ;ail% They are holding a
prayer "ir"le at one of the homes tonight% They did all this without any suggestion
from us% 7od bless themPE
They were all &ery disappointed, both the brethren and their families, when the
ultimatum "ame on *pril 1, from the 2%S% Supreme Court stating that their plea had
been denied and there would be no "han"e for a retrial%
* short time after that Charles was informed of an almost "omplete disaster of a
business enterprise he was ad&an"ing% *lthough these re&erses almost #no"#ed the
bottom out of his hopes and dreams, he still wasn't a 3uitter%
)e writes, ESometimes $'m reminded of this poem by S%-% Iiser% $ espe"ially li#e
the last two linesD
J$ ha&e hoped, $ ha&e planned, $ ha&e stri&en,
To the will $ ha&e added the deed(
The best that was in me, $'&e gi&en,
$ ha&e prayed but the 7ods wouldn't heed%
=9,>
$ ha&e dared and rea"hed only disaster,
$ ha&e battled and bro#en my lan"e(
$ am bruised by a pitiless master
That the wea# and the timid "all "han"e,
$ am old Fin e8perien"eG $ am bent, $ am "heated
Of all that youth urged me to win(
1ut name me not with the defeated,
Tomorrow again, $ begin%'
One of the guards at the prison seemed to ha&e a spe"ial disli#e for Charles and
was &ery nasty and disagreeable at times% )e #new of two of Charles' plural
families who li&ed not far from his home and he threatened to see to it that the
wi&es weren't allowed to &isit Charles anymore%
Charles simply states, E$'ll pray for him tonight%E
*gain the Lord was mindful of his humble ser&ant and nothing "ame of the threat
this guard had made howe&er, he still tried in e&ery possible way to ma#e life
miserable for Charles, but all his threats and lies a&ailed him nothing% When he'd
repeat his threats about pre&enting Charles' family &isiting him, Charles would ;ust
pray a little more fer&ently for the Lord's help%
One time when &isiting day "ame this guard was si"# in bed and had been for
se&eral days so he was not there to see who &isited%
*nother time, Charles writes, E$ again "alled on the Lord for help with a
determination to not say anything about it to the other brethren but to let the Lord
wor# it out for me% While my &isitors were here to see me today, the dogs got into
his geese and #illed about twenty of them and destroyed about forty eggs from
nests where the geese were setting in the fields% )e was out shooting at the dogs
and not here to perse"ute me while my &isitors were with me% The Lord has fought
my battles in e&ery way while $'&e been in here%E
$t seems that through all of Charles' weary days of trial, the dear Lord ga&e him
snat"hes of the beautiful to gi&e him "ourage to "arry on, e&en though the going
was rough%
)e re"ords on 9ar"h 14, 19/5, E!or about twenty se"onds today, while alone, $
e8perien"ed the power of the priesthood ta#e possession of me% $t was a great
power and wor#ed on su"h simple prin"iples that $ thought $ "ould remember it but
as it withdrew, my mind and spirit grappled in &ain to hold on to it and to
remember the #ey by whi"h this power wor#ed $ now #now it is entirely different
from any worldly power% $t is beautiful, pea"eful and all powerful beyond
des"ription but it has left me so $ am unable to define it%E
$t appears that the prayer that Charles offered up in his lonely "ell soon after he was
put in ;ail, that the Lord would bless him with pleasant dreams, was heard and
answered, for his re"ord is full of dreams of &isits he's had from friends and lo&ed
ones, both li&ing and dead and how the memory of those dreams made his days
lighter% )e said that his dreams were often so real that he felt that he was lifted up
and "arried away from his =9> sordid surroundings to &isit with his li&ed ones and
when he would awa#en the ne8t morning he would feel so buoyed up and refreshed
that determination would be renewed%
On"e Charles' brother +ohn "ame to &isit him while he was in ;ail, whi"h made
Charles &ery happy% $n the fall of 19/5, his mother "ame from Los *ngeles to see
him and to &isit with his families% Charles appre"iated it &ery mu"h% )is son !red,
9innie's oldest boy, &isited him on"e too% 1oth !red and 1illie, 9innie's other son,
had ser&ed in the Aa&y in World War $$% Charles had prayed often and earnestly for
their safety while they were away%
Charles was indeed a praying man and where&er or whene&er the o""asion re3uired
help beyond his own, Charles prayed% )e told on"e how he and Orpha were stalled
on the top of the -s"alante 9ountain in a storm% The "ar refused to go% Charles got
out and did e&erything he #new of to get it running again but to no a&ail, so he
"rawled ba"# into the "ar, bespe"#led with mud and said to Orpha, ELet us pray%E
When they had offered up their petition to )ea&en for help, Charles put his foot on
the starter again% $t sputtered for a minute then "hugged on and they went on their
way re;oi"ing%
)is prayers with his family were sometimes rather long as he found so many things
to pray about and often many a suppressed groan or a shifting from one #nee to the
other "ould be heard about the room as Charles prayed on%
$n his prison ;ournal he writes, E+ust to gi&e my des"endants an idea of what $ pray
for $ am impressed to ma#e a "opy of my prayer this morning as $ remember itD
EOur !ather whi"h art in hea&en, hallowed be Thy name, Thy Iingdom
"ome, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in hea&en% $ than# 'ou this
morning !ather, for the wonderful rain storm this "ountry has ;ust
re"ei&ed and for the beautiful sunshine days that follow% $ than# 'ou for
the 7ospel of +esus Christ and for the prin"iples we are stri&ing hard to
li&e, $ than# 'ou for the priesthood and for our offi"e and "alling in the
priesthood and as# that 'ou will help us in e&ery way to magnify our
priesthood that we will not be found wanting when we are weighed in the
balan"e, that we shall be made strong and li&e to fulfill our mission in
this life and that in Thy own due time and way we shall ma#e our "alling
and ele"tion sure and re"ei&e the "onfirmation of our "alling under the
hands of our Sa&ior, Thy son +esus Christ% $ than# 'ou for all my wi&es
and "hildren and our loyalty and faith to ea"h other and the gospel plan% $
as# that Thou will help us sa&e oursel&es and "hildren and many others in
the Celestial Iingdom with eternal in"rease%
E$ than# 'ou for our homes farms and other properties and all that goes
with them, for all the ne"essities of life, health, strength, asso"iates,
relati&es and friends% $ than# 'ou for the =99> opportunities $ am wor#ing
on and for 'our guidan"e at all times and for all blessings too numerous
to mention%
E1e with us, !ather, that we will always be worthy of these blessings and
more too% $nspire and bless me in my writings this day and bless all my
family and lo&ed ones, we brethren here in ;ail, and all good people the
world o&er, that the spirit of wor# and Thy spirit will be with us in
abundan"e, that we shall feel and #now that we ha&e made this day
worthwhile when it ends%
E1less my wi&es and "hildren at home that they shall be guarded from
e&il, "rimes and sins, while $ am here for the gospel sa#e, that they will
ta#e an interest in their homes and "hildren and lo&e ea"h other% 1less my
wife 9innie, and our "hildren !red, 1illie, and -laine, and my wife
Aellie, who ha&e strayed from our home% )umble them and bring them
ba"# in Thy own due time and way, and gi&e them and all our parents,
brothers, and sisters a testimony of the gospel in its fulness in this day%
1less them with Thy "hoi"est blessing% 1less our "hildren who are now
married that they will ma#e a su""ess of their married life and be sa&ed in
the Celestial Iingdom of )ea&en%
E$ pray for my wi&es, :a"hel and Orpha, our "hildren, -dna, .arrell, and
Lola, my brother +esse .a&id, and other relati&es who ha&e gone to the
other side, also dear friends in the priesthood, +ohn W% Woolley, Lorin C%
Woolley, and +oseph Leslie 1roadbent, and "ompanions, La"resa Crow,
*li"e !ield, $rma Christensen and -llen @eterson, that they will all ha&e
the asso"iations of one another and of those who ha&e li&ed the fulness of
the gospel while here on earth, that they will be able to a""omplish the
great wor# they ha&e gone to do% 1less them in e&ery way and send them
a message of our lo&e, $ humbly pray%
E$ pray for the leaders of Thy "hur"h and also the membership of Thy
"hur"h% )elp them to li&e Thy gospel and tea"h Thy people the same%
Wherein they are not hindering Thy wor# or the Saints, gi&e them spe"ial
blessing and let that blessing be a testimony of the gospel in its fulness
and a desire and "ourage to li&e it%
E$ pray for our enemies and the enemies of Thy wor# and saints and we
as# that Thou will ha&e mer"y on them and help them in e&ery way to
repent that Thy ;udgments will not "ome down upon them% $f some are
slow about repenting, !ather, hedge up the way for them that they shall
not be able to say, write, nor do things that will hinder Thy saints and
wor#% *&enge the blood of Thy prophets and saints who ha&e died for
Thy "ause but do it in Thine own due time and way%
EWe pray that we shall be able to ma#e good on our in&estments and get
enough money to pay for our homes and build them up and also get our
farms in order and =100> sto"#ed with li&esto"# and ma"hinery so that we
"an wor# at home with our "hildren and pro&ide food for oursel&es and
other good people when the ;udgements "ome to this nation, but withhold
e&ery dollar from us that will hurt us and Thy wor#%
E1less the poor people throughout the world and $ as# that Thy spirit shall
"ause all nations to rush food and the ne"essities of life to them and that
friends shall be raised up to help them and that a better day and a better
system will soon be established throughout the world where opportunities
and the ne"essities of life will be more e3ually distributed among the
masses of Thy people instead of ;ust the few ri"h%
E1less all those who hold Thy priesthood that they will help to establish
Thy laws here on earth% 1less our brethren who went out of ;ail on parole%
)elp us not to ma#e further pledges to our enemies% We do not as# that
we shall be &indi"ated in this life but we do as# that Thy wor# and Thy
laws shall be &indi"ated in the land that our "hildren shall be able to li&e
Thy laws and that we will be able to li&e with our families and bring our
"hildren up in the faith without being spied upon, perse"uted, and "ast
into ;ail%
E)elp us to stand firm and fulfill our full mission here in ;ail and when
our wor# in done here we shall be gi&en an honorable release% )elp to
"lear our names of all "on&i"tions we humbly pray% We pray for the
"ourts of the land and as# that Thy spirit shall be with them, that they
shall see us in our true light and free us of the "on&i"tions of the lower
"ourts% )elp us !ather to win in the 9ann *"t "ases before the Supreme
Court of the 2nited States that we will be able to "ross state lines with
our families and help us to win in the "onspira"y "ases before the
Supreme Court of 2tah that we will be able to ha&e free spee"h and tea"h
Thy gospel in its fulness without danger of being prose"uted%
E!ather in hea&en, without ma#ing any promises or "on"essions, we are
intending to as# the @ardon 1oard in +une to gi&e us a termination of our
;ail senten"e% $f it is not pleasing to you for us to do this, show up where
we are ma#ing a mista#e and show us a better way% !ather, we lo&e the
gospel and help us to li&e it at all times%
EWe dedi"ate our time and talents, our properties, our families and all we
ha&e into Thy hands and as# that you will pla"e guarding *ngels o&er
them to prote"t them all% We as# these blessings and as# for the
forgi&eness of our sins and short "omings in so far as we repent and as#
that they will be wiped from the boo# of remembran"e and do li#ewise
for those who ha&e tread against us% 7i&e us the spirit of sweetness,
humility and repentan"e and wisdom in e&erything we do and we pray for
Thy will to be done in all things, not ours% @repare =101> us for the
;udgements and perse"utions whi"h lie ahead and "ontinue Thy
;udgements until the world is "leansed from its wi"#edness and the
9illenial reign shall be ushered in%
E)elp us to rest good at night and in our dreams, de&elop and ad&an"e us
while we are sleeping% These blessings we as# for in the name of our
Sa&iour +esus Christ, *men%E
H H H H H H H H
*t the end of the first year of their ;ail senten"e, the four brethren sent word as#ing
for an inter&iew with the pardon board hoping they might get a termination of their
senten"e% The inter&iew was granted them on +une 4/, 19/5, and ea"h of the
brethren were gi&en an opportunity to e8press his feelings and desires% They firmly
stated as they had before that they "ould not &iolate their "ons"ien"es by ma#ing
promises and "on"essions that they "ould not #eep% They were not as#ing for a
parole% When they wal#ed out of those prison doors, they wanted to wal# out as
free men%
Charles tried to show the pardon board that the stand they were ta#ing was not
uni3ue, that men of 7od had been put through similar tests all down through the
ages and they had not relin3uished their soul's "on&i"tions for life and liberty,
neither "ould they% .aniel "eased not to pray to his 7od, though death stared him in
the fa"e, neither did the three )ebrew "hildren falter in their trust in the mer"ies of
7od when they said, E$f it be so, our 7od whom we ser&e is able to deli&er us from
the burning fiery furna"e and )e will deli&er us out of thine hands, O Iing% 1ut if
not, be it #nown unto thee, O Iing, that we will not ser&e thy gods nor worship the
golden image whi"h thou hast set up%E The @rophet +oseph, 1righam 'oung, )eber
C% Iimball, +ohn Taylor, and others ne&er on"e relin3uished their hold on the Jiron
rod' to sa&e their li&es or limbs% Charles and these other brethren felt that they
"ould not let these worthies down for the sa#e of freedom%
The .eseret Aews of +une 46, 19/5, printed an arti"le "on"erning their plea for
freedom as followsD
POLYGAMISTS FAIL TO WIN FREEDOM
!our 2tah polygamists de"laring they "ould not a""ept a parole in lieu of
the outright termination of senten"e they as#ed, were denied their re3uests
yesterday by the 2tah State @ardons 1oard% The men said they "ould not, in
line with their beliefs, a""ept paroles be"ause they would ha&e to promise
not to li&e in polygamy if released from the 2tah State @rison% The four
men, *rnold 1oss, 64( *lma Louis Iels"h, /1( 9orris O% Iun<, /4( and
Charles !% Zitting, 64( were "ommitted to prison 1/ months ago for
unlawful =104> "oChabitation% They were senten"ed for an indeterminate
period not to e8"eed fi&e years% -le&en others "on&i"ted for the same
offense were paroled se&en months ago for signing statements that they
would not tea"h nor pra"ti"e plural marriage% ETo sign the statement would
be spiritual ban#rupt"y,E the polygamists de"lared% EThe law of 7od is still
superior to that of man% We are more interested in not offending 7od than
pleasing this board% That is why we are telling you the truth, that we "annot
promise not to li&e with our families%E
Charles &oi"ed these words in his statement, EOur senten"e was from nothing to
fi&e years, whi"h is &ery indefinite and we would li#e you gentlemen to say how
mu"h time we must ser&e to get freedom% We had hoped we had done enough to
get a termination after ha&ing ser&ed more than a year% $f it isn't enough it's up to
you to say how long we should stay%E
-&idently ;usti"e, if you "ould "all it that, was not satisfied, for their plea was
denied and the days and wee#s and months dragged on% Charles rounded up his
shoulders that he might bear up under the load of oppression and trials and
"ontradi"tions that he had to "ontend with daily% -&en the "on&i"ts in"ar"erated
with him taunted him for his foolishness, as they "alled it, for not ma#ing most any
#ind of a promise ;ust to set out% @ersuasions in all shapes and forms "ame from
fol#s on the outside too, e8"ept from his family% Ae&er on"e did they utter su"h a
plea, although times were often diffi"ult and depressing for them, too%
On o""asions a ray of sunshine would brea# through the "loud when some good
friend or business asso"iate would pay a &isit or send a message to Charles and the
others with a hearty greeting and a E7od bless you,E and en"ouragement to hold
fast to that whi"h they #new was right, although they had to stand alone% This ga&e
Charles "ourage to "arry on and enabled him to meet ea"h day's problems with
more "ertain faith that the right would e&entually triumph%
*s time rolled on, Charles' "on"ern for his family seemed to in"rease% Little bits of
idle gossip rea"hed his ears and "aused him distress% The atmosphere all around
him was so maturated with wi"#edness and filthy spee"h and a"tions that when he
would hear of some little mista#e or "areless a"tion any of his family had
"ommitted, it would grow in his imagination to monstrous proportions% This
attitude "oa"hed by the father of lies made him &ery uneasy, an8ious, and
dis"ouraged at times%
)e writes in his ;ournal in one of these dar# moods, E$ ha&e suffered more in the
past two wee#s than any time of my life%E *nd again, E$'m beginning to feel that $
#now what it's li#e to go through the fiery furna"e%E
One night about this time, Charles had a dream about whi"h be writes, E$ dreamed $
saw many beautiful streams of "lear water "oming out of the mountains% They ran
o&er high rugged ro"#s and "liffs%
=10B> E* &oi"e said to me, JThese streams represent my pure Saints with high
ideals, and the rugged path they must go o&er for their own good%'
E+ust then one of the streams bro#e away from its rugged "ourse and ran down
a"ross the easy le&el "ountry% * &oi"e instru"ted me to turn it ba"# on its original
"ourse and $ argued that it "ould run easier and with less effort on the le&el smooth
ground%
J'es', said the &oi"e, Jbut e8amine the water%'
E$ did and found it to be muddy, filthy, and warm, while the streams that had to
labor to get o&er the ledges were "lear, pure and "ool%
EThen the &oi"e said to me, JThis muddy stream represents the person that you
ha&e been so "on"erned about% Turn it ba"# on its "ourse and do it now%'
EThe &oi"e was powerful li#e the &oi"e of 7od%E
Thus Charles was prompted to warn his family of impending dangers% The trials
and testings, one after another, went on and Charles "ontinued to pray with all the
fer&or of his soul for more faith for himself and his family that they might all be
able to withstand the poisoned darts of the e&il one%
The barra"#s, where the brethren had their sleeping 3uarters along with a good
many hardened "riminals, were &ery poor shelter when the weather was "old, as
they were not finished on the inside% The heat was turned on for about an hour
only, mornings and e&enings so they were "old most of the time% When the days
were too stormy to wor# outside they often had to go ba"# to bed to #eep warm%
Charles says, ESome of these "riminals ma#e terrible noises in the night while they
are sleeping% Some of them snore, some wal# in their sleep, and some of them
sound li#e wild animals in distress% One has epilepti" fits and another one sings in
his sleep, howe&er, $ generally sleep through it all%E
One night, though, he didn't get to sleep until long after midnight% *s he lay there
awa#e he had a terrifying e8perien"e%
EOne of the "on&i"ts in the other end of the barra"#s ga&e a long terrible "ry li#e an
animal in deep distress% F$ suppose they go through terrible nightmares at timesG%
Soon after this noise, $ heard someone wal#ing a"ross the floor toward my bed% *s
it "ame against my "ot it appeared to sha#e a little% $ loo#ed up and beheld a
terrible loo#ing large man with his head and fa"e entirely "o&ered with dar# hair% $t
was &ery depressing to me as he "ame toward my bed, and as he stood there
loo#ing at me% $ rebu#ed him in the name of +esus Christ and he immediately left% $
forgot to tell that there was a long stripe down ea"h side of his fa"e, ;ust in front of
his ears where the hair was thi"#er and "oarser $ ha&e a "lear pi"ture of him in my
mind%E
$n Charles deep "on"ern o&er his families and friends he lifted up his heart in
prayer where&er or whene&er opportunity presented itself% )e writes of one
morning early, before daylight, when he was out in the pasture hunting the "ow to
bring them in to be mil#ed%
)e says, EThis morning in the far end of the pasture and in dar#ness as dense as
"ould be, $ pleaded with 7od with both arms =10/> raised to the s3uare% $ was so
filled with the good spirit that $ had to weep while "alling upon the Lord% $
promised )im that $ would willingly do my best in staying here and standing firm
for the gospel the full fi&e years if )e re3uired it, if )e would guard and sa&e my
wi&es and "hildren from sin and losing their &irtue% There is surely a wa&e of sin
and immorality sweeping the state and nation%
EWhile $ pray for myself, $ pray for the good brethren in here with me and for all
good people% We ha&e surely got to ser&e the Lord today in fear and trembling, for
fear we won't do ;ust right or negle"t our duty to oursel&es and our families% $ #now
it is hard for them as well as us%E
*nother time he writes, E$ prayed this morning for more faith and for my families
to ha&e more faith that we may ha&e more faith in one another and in 7od and )is
purposes% $ felt that $ needed it and after $ finished praying $ immediately felt new
strength% $ ha&e gone through a test and mu"h mental an8iety the past few wee#s%
E$ find myself in prayer not only night and morning but also at noon and midnight,
"rying to the Lord night and day for deli&eran"e as $ fa"e the )ouse of the Lord% $
find that the brethren here with me are going through the same e8perien"e% $f my
)ea&enly !ather will gi&e me strength to stand firm until my mission in ;ail in
"ompleted and will loo# after and prote"t my lo&ed ones, that they will remain
loyal to me and pure and &irtuous, $ will then praise him all the days of my life%E
On Than#sgi&ing .ay, 19/5, Charles writes, E+ust at three p%m% $ belie&e my fol#s
must ha&e been praying for me as the spirit of prayer too# hold of me une8pe"tedly
that "aused me to weep and pray silently% $t was most beautiful and $ felt near
them%E
!or his Aew 'ear's message to his families, Charles "opied and mailed an arti"le
written by +%C% @enney entitled, E!aith Aot Sha#en,E and also a poem entitled,
ECounted !aithful,E both of whi"h followD
FAITH NOT SHAKEN
1y +%C% @enney
@eriods su"h an the present are testing times% The harder they be"ome, the
more determined we must be not to be swept aside by fears and doubts%
:e"ent e&ents ha&e not sha#en my faith in the ultimate triumph of freedom
and ;usti"e, for $ was reared by parents whose faith in 7od and belief that
right will e&entually triumph is too deeply ingrained in me to doubt its final
&i"tory%
$ do emphasi<e the words Jultimate' and Jfinal' for $ am not at all sure we
may not ha&e to pass through a period of great trial% $ am of the opinion that
we are in propheti" days, when for a time e&il is to hold sway and
apparently to o&erride good% =106>
We ha&e been told plainly that su"h a state would e8ist and $ belie&e we
must a""ept these "onditions and possibly greater tribulation as part of the
world's destiny without losing faith that in due time right will triumph o&er
might% So long as we belie&e in the e8isten"e, in the ;usti"e, and in the
holiness of 7od, we "annot belie&e otherwise%
* manager re"ently wrote me that the times tend to fill e&eryone with
pessimism% That should not be so% We should re"ogni<e them for what they
areCCtimes of tribulation, but not an o""asions for pessimism% Su"h
e8perien"es should "ause us to e8amine our faith and reCestablish our
"on&i"tions more firmly, resol&ing to a"3uit oursel&es li#e men who ha&e a
deep and abiding faith that "annot be sha#en by outward e&ents%
*s long as we ha&e faith at all in 7od, we must #now that )e in all
powerful and that )is will for the world is ;usti"e and right and that
e&entually )is purposes will be established here on earth% 7ood emerges
slowly but we must not doubt its final &i"tory%
These are my "on&i"tions as to the world aspe"t in its relation to an
o&erruling pro&iden"e%
*s to our "ountry, my faith in our *meri"a, in its people, and in the
E*meri"an way of lifeE, in unwa&ering% *meri"a is the greatest "ountry on
earth% $ts founding, $ belie&e to ha&e been di&inely ordained, and $ belie&e
that 7od has a mighty mission for this "ountry among the nations of the
world%
*meri"a was founded by our forefathers in prayer, in faith and in the heroi"
spirit of sa"rifi"e% Li&es of "omparati&e ease in their own "ountry might
ha&e been theirs had they been willing to surrender their "on&i"tions% They
"hose the hard right rather than the easy wrong, and were ready to lay down
their li&es for freedom to worship 7od a""ording to the di"tates of their
own "ons"ien"es% They underwent grie&ous hardships( many did lay down
their li&es( and throughout the nation's history when o""asion has made it
ne"essary, their des"endants ha&e paid the supreme sa"rifi"e upon its
battlefields to preser&e these prin"iples of freedom%
$n the immortal words of Lin"oln, E$t is rather for us to be here dedi"ated to
the great tas# before usCCthat this nation, under 7od, shall ha&e a new birth
of freedomCCand that go&ernment of the people, by the people, for the
people, shall not perish from the earth%E
'es, our "ountry is great% $t "ould ha&e been mightier than it is, had not
some throughout e&ery period of its history retarded its growth by greed,
"orruption in high pla"es, petty partisanship in "ru"ial periods and by
indi&idual selfishness% Selfishness, of "ourse, is the festered spot in e&ery
e&il situation whether it be world, nation or indi&idual% =105>
*s a nation and as indi&iduals, our fate will be determined by our "hoi"e of
the hard right or the easy wrong% Softened by "omfortable li&ing in easy
going periods, our spiritual and our physi"al mus"les tend to be"ome
flabby% We need re&ersions to diffi"ulties to toughen us up% The harder they
be"ome, the more determined we should be not to be swept aside by the
fears and doubts that bede&il the world% We must return to right prin"iples
in our thin#ing, in our beliefs and in our pra"ti"es, putting aside
negati&eness and selfCindulgen"e% Ao matter what is ahead, we must "arry
on to the best of our ability, doing our utmost from day to day, ea"h in our
own ni"he% $n su"h times, those who are too soft, who la"# the "ourage and
stamina to stri&e, sla"#en effort% :eal men tighten their belts, throw full
weight into the harness of their daily a"ti&ities and then endea&or to pull
with all their might and main%
Let us "hoose for oursel&es the hard right% $f indi&iduals in suffi"ient
number will gird themsel&es, *meri"a will be made safe for its own people
and will stand as a bea"on light of hope to this warCtorn and warCweary
world%
COUNTED FAITHFUL
$ shall not need for man to say
Of my "losed wor# that this or that
Was born of pure sin"erity,
*nd fitted for eternity,
$f, by 7od's gra"e, before $ die
The &oi"e within shall testify(
ECounted !aithful%E
This will suffi"e, though $ should stand
1y a small tas#% !or a true heart
9ay yet be great in simple ways,
Through unromanti" wor#ing days
9ay labor, led by truth's pure light,
Then "omforted refle"t at night(
ECounted !aithful%E
This will suffi"e, though angry storms
Should beat upon my mind and heart,
The while $ follow destiny,
Through testings and ad&ersity%
Calm, "alm, my spirit, and elate,
$f $ am in the ultimate,
ECounted !aithful%E
=10,>
This will suffi"e, if the high "all
Of Christ's great "ause should lead me forth
2pon a wide and noble way
The full and satisfying day
Closing at last in ri"h "ontent,
9y wor# appraised as it was meant(
ECounted !aithful%E
Oh, it were ;oy to gi&e my Lord
* full "ompleted wor#ing day,
1ut, if he bids me hand to )im
* half day's wor#, my heart, what thenK
What then, my heartK +ust as beforeP
Than this there "an be nothing moreCC
ECounted !aithful%E
Oh 7odP !or light and sight ea"h day(
!or strength to do my sa"red tas#(
* patient heart is my great 3uest
!or truth and TheeP *nd then the restCC
The "heaper things were naught to me,
So $ am gathered unto TheeCC
ECounted !aithful%E
Fauthor not notedG
*lthough Charles had faith that 7od o&errules all things, and that right would
e&entually triumph, the burden of prison life bent him low at times% $t seemed that
some of the authorities o&er him made it ;ust as tough as they "ould as he and the
other brethren "ontinued to hold out against ma#ing any #ind of a "on"ession with
the enemy in order to get their freedom%
On one o""asion he writes, E$ am blue and plenty weary of this ;ail life tonight as $
ha&e been on a few other o""asions% $ would li#e to be home with my lo&ed ones
and $ am worried about some of them%E
* few days later he writes, EThis morning they ordered me to mo&e my bed and
other things from my "orner and to find another pla"e, without a minute's noti"e%
They wanted to build a guard's offi"e in the "orner where my bed stood% They
started to build before $ had time to drag my things out into the "enter of the
barra"#s% We are so "rowded here that we "an hardly find room for our beds and
our belongings and it loo#ed li#e $ was stu"# for a pla"e to sleep for a little while%
The Lord "ame to my res"ue% While $ was loo#ing in the ne8t barra"#s for a pla"e,
but "ouldn't find one, a 9r% 7ardner, ne8t to 1rother 1oss, mo&ed out to the west
end of the barra"#s where he s3uee<ed his "ot in between two of his friends, so $
too# his pla"e and was glad to get it%E
*gain, he writes, EWhile feeling low in spirit and mean, this morning, the Spirit
said for me to #neel down in the gro&e and pray for a good spirit% $ had a wonderful
prayer and when $ got through, my spirit had "hanged "ompletely to a "alm and
pea"eful one%
=10> E1efore $ "ould get up from my #nees, a thought "ame to me% E* @risoner at
@rayer%E $ thought, what a wonderful title for a song% 9y bosom burned and $ was
inspired to write a song with this title% $t "ame to me nearly an fast as $ "ould write%
$ had forgotten e&erything else and within a half hour a song of three &erses of
eight lines ea"h was "ompleted% $ belie&e it is the best $ ha&e e&er written% $ wrote it
on a maga<ine "o&er $ had in my po"#et% $t "an be sung to the tune of the E:ed
:i&er ?alley%E $t in an followsD
A PRISONER AT PRAYER
* lone prisoner #nelt down by his bedside
$n a "ell of a ;ail in the west(
There he poured out his heart to his !ather
*nd as#ed him for dreams in his rest,
.reams of home, far away, with his babies
*nd a wife who was honest and true,
There, a prisoner at prayer in the moonlight,
*nd he's doing this, dear "hildren, for you%
)e's been fighting for freedom and losing
$n the struggle it seemed all in &ain,
*nd the whole world was "losing in upon him
!or they thought he had nothing to gain,
1ut he #new that his 7od was there with him
$f he stood it all faithful and true,
There, a prisoner at prayer in the dar#ness
Little "hildren, he is praying for you%
Then time "ame and the hea&ens were bro#en
*nd at last the sun shone in anew(
Then the great iron gates swung wide open
*nd he found that the s#y'd turned blue%
There he rushed to the arms of his darlings
Who had been so faithful and true(
There, a prisoner at prayer by his bedside,
Than#ing 7od, little "hildren, for you%
FCharles !% Zitting, 2tah State @rison C !ebruary , 19/,G
On 9ar"h 15, 19/,, Charles writes, EWe four brethren here, informed our families
today to fast and pray with us until the e&ening of *pril 5, with a spe"ial twenty
hour feet from Saturday night to / p%m% on Sunday, on 9ar"h B0th and again on
*pril 5 to as# the Lord to deli&er us from bondage%E
)e states further, ELast night $ dreamed that the !ederal +udge, Tilman .% +ohnson,
ga&e us a pardon and $ was at home at Cottonwood with my wi&es and "hildren% $
was ha&ing su"h a lo&ely time with them that $ told them $ didn't "are to lea&e to
loo# after my business nor anything else until $ got good and ready%E
=109> When Charles re"ei&ed his birthday pa"#age on 9ar"h B0th from his fol#s,
the head man at the prison farm handed it to Charles and said he didn't ha&e to
inspe"t it as he #new Charles was all right% )e told Charles he was a fine fellow in
e&ery way with no bad habits e8"ept that he thought he was as "ra<y as hell or he
would sign up to not li&e with his families and get out of ;ail%
Charles says, E)e says something to me li#e that e&ery few days% $t seems to bother
him a lot be"ause we don't ma#e promises and lea&e the ;ail% 'et he is good to me
otherwise%E
Charles tried to e8plain to him as he had to so many people so many times before,
the reason he "ouldn't do it% This man told him he would li#ely spend the full fi&e
years there unless he did sign some su"h agreement, as 7od wouldn't deli&er them%
Charles says, E$ will ha&e to answer you in a way similar to the way the three
)ebrew "hildren answered the #ing, and that isCCWe #now that our 7od "an deli&er
us any time if he wills it that way, but we do not #now that he will deli&er us( but
one thing we do #now, and that is we are not going to gi&e up and worship a false
7od by ma#ing the laws of man abo&e the laws of 7od, if we stay in ;ail all our
li&es or if we e&en ha&e to gi&e our li&es to stay by what we #now is right%E
On +une 44, 19/,, Warden )arris from the old penitentiary "ame down to the new
prison farm to tal# with Charles, *rnold 1oss and Louis Iels"h% The warden stated
that he had been offi"ially sent by the 1oard of @ardons to offer them their freedom
if they would ;ust promise to obey the laws of the State of 2tah%
!reedom was held out to them at the same pri"e, whi"h they felt they "ould not
pay% )owe&er, they did ponder mightily and prayed mu"h about it and toward the
end of +uly, Charles started to formulate a letter to send to 7o&ernor )erbert 1%
9aw and the 1oard of @ardons in answer to the offer they made through Warden
)arris%
On *ugust 46, 19/,, the letter was finished and in the mail with all the hope and
faith and prayers that "ould be mustered up, that it might be the means of liberating
them from their long ;ail senten"e% The letter read(
1/00 -ast 41st South Street
Salt La#e City, 2tah
*ugust 46, 19/,
7o&ernor )erbert 1% 9aw
and other members of the 1oard of @ardons
State Capitol 1uilding
Salt La#e City, 2tah
)onorable 7entlemenD
On +une 44, 19/,, Warden +ohn -% )arris inter&iewed Louis Iels"h,
*rnold 1oss and myself and told us that he had been offi"ially authori<ed
by the 2tah State 1oard of @ardons to inform us Jthat it would not be
ne"essary for us to remain at the 2tah State @rison another day if we would
promise to obey the laws of 2tah%' =110>
We "ould ha&e been paroled on .e"ember 16, 19/6, had we "ompromised
our "ons"ien"e and made similar promise but we then "hose to stay until
we "ould get a termination and be released as free men% We ha&e now
ser&ed o&er two years and three months on the @rison !arm%
To date you gentlemen ha&e done all you "ould for us% 'ou are responsible
to administer the laws of the state as they stand% We honor you in your
"alling, but ha&en't you now administered the law in our "aseK We ha&e
ser&ed nearly one half of our top time in our senten"e of nothing to fi&e
years% 1an# robbers, thie&es, adulterers and murderers are lea&ing this
prison, and many of them on a termination with no strings atta"hed, with
twenty per"ent to one half of their top time ser&ed%
9ust the laws of 2tah be abo&e the laws of 7od and a man's "ons"ien"eK
@robably in a totalitarian reign, but not in a true demo"ra"y% The "iti<ens of
this "ountry ha&e a right to brea# laws when it re3uires them to
"ompromise their "ons"ien"e in order to li&e the law%
The following is from Whitney's popular )istory of 2tah, pg% B4/, Thomas
+efferson had said, JThe rights of "ons"ien"e we ne&er submitted, we "ould
not submit, we are answerable for them to our 7od%' and 1la"#stone, the
great authority on human laws set forth this trite rule, J$f e&er the laws of
7od and men are at &arian"e, the former are to be obeyed in derogation of
the latter%'
9y an"estors, +ohn *lden and @ris"illa *lden, "ame to this "ountry on the
9ayflower o&er B46 years ago, be"ause they "ould not "onform to the laws
of their -uropean homeland without "ompromising their "ons"ien"e, and
another one of my an"estors, .a&id @ettigrew, Chaplin of the 9ormon
1attalion, "ame to 2tah in 1/, with the 9ormon @ioneers be"ause he and
they "ould not subs"ribe to the ethi"s demanded by the "iti<ens of $llinois,
without "ompromising their "ons"ien"e%
7eorge Washington, @atri"# )enry, Thomas +efferson and other early
"olonists rebelled against -ngland and a boat load of tea was dumped in
1oston 1ay be"ause they "ould not subs"ribe to -ngland's un;ust laws
without "ompromising their "ons"ien"es and be"oming e"onomi"al sla&es
and thus "ame the *meri"an :e&olution and the birth of our 7reat nation%
When a "iti<en of our "ountry feels a law is un;ust, he has a right to "arry it
to the Supreme Court of the 2nited States, but first he must brea# the law
before he had a "ase to ta#e on up to the highest tribunal of the "ountry%
This is his right and it is being done e&ery year% -&ery year the Supreme
Court of our "ountry is ruling in fa&or of the indi&idual by terming laws
un"onstitutional%
1ut when the Supreme Court rules against the indi&idual by terming the
law "onstitutional, is that =111> the end of his fightK 9ust he "ompromise
his "ons"ien"e and li&e the lawK )e in not "ompelled to by the law of this
"ountry% $ wish to draw your attention to the .red S"ott "ase% $n the days of
*braham Lin"oln, a negro sla&e by the name of .red S"ott bro#e the law
by running away from his master who had whipped him se&erely, and he
"rossed the 9asonC.i8on Line into the Aorthern States% *t that time a law
of our land stated that the Aegro sla&es were mere "hattels, the same as
farm animals and it ga&e the masters the right to whip or abuse them at
will% This law had also been termed "onstitutional by a ruling of the
Supreme Court of the 2nited States% *braham Lin"oln was "riti"i<ed
be"ause he too# up the fight for .red S"ott in the fa"e of this Supreme
Court de"ision and then he "ame out with his famous de"laration, J*
3uestion is ne&er settled until it is settled right%' )e "arried this "ase to the
Supreme Court and the de"ision was re&ersed% Shouldn't we, or anyone,
ha&e the same re"ourse as .red S"ottK
Aow, entirely aside from my religious &iews regarding plural marriage, $
"annot agree to "ompromise my "ons"ien"e and obey all laws, ;ust or
un;ust, without 3uestion% $f $ did, $ would be letting my sons down who
offered their li&es by fighting for nearly three years in the South @a"ifi" for
the four freedoms and $ would be helping to sow the seeds of
totalitarianism in the stru"ture of our go&ernment% $ thin# too mu"h of true
demo"ra"y and true demo"rati" laws to agree to do that and $ "annot agree
to do something $ don't intend to li&e up to%
This position is set forth "learly by the 9ormon Chur"h in the 1B/th
se"tion of their .o"trine and Co&enants and 2tah is se&entyCfour per"ent
9ormons% )owe&er, other "iti<ens of this state ta#e the same position%
The most :e&erend .uane 7% )unt, 1ishop of the Salt La#e Catholi"
dio"ese, in gi&ing a "entennial address ;ust last month before the lun"heon
meeting of the Salt La#e :otary Club in the )otel 2tah, Fas reported in the
Salt La#e .eseret Aews on +uly 44, 19/,G stated, among other things, JAo
one must be as#ed to "ompromise his "ons"ien"e%' )e said also, J7od is the
Creator( )e "reated all men( they are e3ual( human rights "ame from 7od,
ob&iously, not from so"iety or go&ernment% 7o&ernment e8ists to prote"t
human rights, "ertainly not to usurp them%' )e de"lared the Christian order
of things is, J7od first, man se"ond, and go&ernment third%' This order as
outlined by 1ishop )unt does not wea#en our go&ernment but strengthens
it% $t was the order followed in forming our go&ernment% $t is our guarantee
against fas"ism, "ommunism and all other forms of di"tatorial
go&ernments% * man's "ons"ien"e should be granted perfe"t freedom by
law as long as the e8er"ise =114> of it does not trample on the rights and
pri&ileges of others%
Therefore, in respe"t to your offer to release us from the 2tah state @rison
if we will promise to li&e the laws of 2tah, $ will gi&e you my answer% $
lo&e this land and its "onstitution as it was formed by the inspiration of
7od and $ intend to li&e all the laws of our state and nation, e8"ept wherein
it re3uires me to "ompromise my "ons"ien"e%
With only the #indest of feelings towards our state and its offi"ers, $
remainCC
:espe"tfully yours,
Charles !% Zitting
Two days after he had handed in his letter to be mailed, Charles had a tal# with
Warden )arris%
)e says, E$ had an interesting tal# with Warden +ohn -% )arris today% What he told
me, he &olunteered% $ didn't as# him any 3uestions% )e said he had "ensored the
letter $ wrote to 7o&ernor 9aw and the @ardon 1oard and mailed it to them
yesterday morning% )e said that it was a fine letter%
EThen he said, J'ou men are too good to be in this pla"e with "riminals% 'ou are
no "riminals% 'ou ha&e had 7o&ernor 9aw on the spot more than anything that has
"ome to his "onsideration in his entire administration% )e is a &ery good man% )e is
mu"h "on"erned about you fellows as he would be were you his sons% )e thin#s a
lot of you for your earnest stand and he has surely been pu<<led ;ust what to do% )e
has ne&er been in a spot li#e this all the while he has been go&ernor%'
E)e repeated and emphasi<ed his tal# and $ "ould see he was in earnest% $ felt he
told me the truth%E
On September 1B, 19/,, Charles re"ei&ed a note from 7o&ernor )erbert 1% 9aw,
a"#nowledging the re"eipt of his letter% $t read an followsD
9r% Charles !% Zitting
1/00 -ast 41st South
Salt La#e City, 2tah
.ear 9r% ZittingD
This will a"#nowledge re"eipt of your letter of *ugust 41 Fshould be
*ugust 46G% $ ha&e read the same with a lot of interest and shall present it to
the members of the 1oard of @ardons when your "ase "omes before them%
$ sin"erely wish that some program "ould be wor#ed out relating to you and
9r% Iels"h and 9r% 1oss, that would be satisfa"tory%
Sin"erely yours,
)erbert 1% 9aw, 7o&ernor
=11B> They did do something about it% When the 1oard of @ardons met on
Ao&ember 40, 19/,, Charles' letter was read and dis"ussed and an unanimous &ote
was gi&en that the three remaining brethren Louis Iels"h, *rnold 1oss, and
Charles Zitting, F9orris Iun< had left sometime before thisG, should be set free on
.e"ember 16, 19/,, then ha&ing ser&ed two years and se&en months in the 2tah
State @rison%
Charles was deeply grateful to the allCwise !ather for on"e more o&erruling all
things for the good of his faithful "hildren%
The remaining wee#s passed by &ery mu"h as others had done, then on the
morning of .e"ember 16, as per s"hedule, a tru"# pi"#ed them up and too# them to
the old prison at 1/00 -ast 41st South in Sugar )ouse and there they were gi&en
their freedom%
*ll was not a bed of roses for Charles e&en after the prison doors opened for him% $t
was a strange thing to go out and mingle with his fellowmen again% Then too, there
had been some misgi&ings among the saints be"ause he had not signed the paper
that was written to let most of the brethren sign and go out on parole two years
before, and his wel"ome was not too warm among them%
Charles #new, and he #new that 7od #new, that the "ourse he had ta#en was the
right "ourse for him no matter what others thought%
The others who were released with him "harted their "ourses as seemed best to
them( howe&er for Charles, his heart was still with the saints and he #new where
his road should ta#e him% The ne8t few wee#s, people from all wal#s of life greeted
him as they met him on the streets of Salt La#e City, business asso"iates, relati&es,
friends, and some members of that little group he still "laimed as his people% 9any
plied him with the same 3uestion, EAow that you are free, what are you going to
doK *re you going to "all those that will uphold you and form a group of your
ownKE
Charles' answer was the same to all in3uiries, E$ was "alled to unite the saints, not
to di&ide them%E
So this he set out to do% Some members of his family who were with him on "ertain
o""asions were "hilled to the bone by the lu#ewarm re"eption he got, but Charles
seemed not to noti"e it and went about doing his duty as 7od dire"ted%
When an unruly member of his family would "omplain about what this one or that
one had said or done, and as# if Charles thought it was right, he always 3uieted
him with this answer, E$'&e ne&er been "alled to ;udge those abo&e me in the
priesthood%E
*s time went on, his family reali<ed more and more Fas it was re&ealed to him
while in ;ailG that they, too, must be tried e&en as he, if they wanted to wal# by his
side throughout eternity%
)e told them often, EWe must be the lea&en in the lump%E
Charles wor#ed long and hard to get his real estate business ba"# into shape again
and on a paying basis, so he "ould pro&ide for his numerous family members and
help them to li&e wellCplanned useful li&es% *s his business often "alled him to
ma#e long trips he tried whene&er possible to ta#e some of his family with him as
before, to ma#e it pleasurable as well as =11/> profitable% Charles made se&eral
trips to California on business and to &isit with his parents and married sisters and
families%
$n the summer of 1964 he too# se&eral of his family on one of these trips% They
happened to be at his parents' home in Los *ngeles the night that an earth3ua#e
laid low a little town about one hundred miles northeast of Los *ngeles% The sho"#
was pretty se&ere in Los *ngeles and got most of the people out of bed% $t was
3uite an e8perien"e for them%
That fall, in the latter part of O"tober or Ao&ember, Charles' mother suffered a
paralyti" stro#e and died a few days later% )e again made a trip to Los *ngeles
with part of his family to attend her funeral% The following year, in *ugust of 196B,
his father passed away, and Charles went on"e more, ta#ing others of his family
with him to see his father laid away% 1oth his father and mother were laid to rest in
the $nglewood Cemetery%
Charles' oldest plural daughter, :a"hel, was married to -rwin C% !is"her +ust a few
days after Charles' release from prison% !rom then on, down through the years, the
family tree bran"hed out in all dire"tions and the grand"hildren, as they arri&ed,
were wel"omed as gifts from 7od% )is life, whi"h had always been su"h a busy
rushing one, seemed to gain momentum after his release, and was so filled and
running o&er with things he needed to do, that his family, as they thin# ba"#, feel
that they must ha&e only "aught glimpse of him as he dashed by%
)e made numerous trips with his brethren to &isit the saints in different lo"alities%
One trip too# him up into Canada, into the @ro&in"e of *lberta% On him return he
ga&e a glowing a""ount of the wonders of that land% *nother time, he went down
into Old 9e8i"o to &isit saints around 9e8i"o City% On the way they &isited the
Carlsbad Ca&erns in Aew 9e8i"o% While in Old 9e8i"o, they &iewed e8"a&ations
where ar"haeologists were unearthing some of the "ities of the an"ient inhabitants
of that "ountry, undoubtedly of Aephite origin% They also tra&eled south from
9e8i"o City many miles o&er some of the most desolate and 7odCforsa#en "ountry
they had e&er seen% Charles said that was one time in his life when he really #new
what it meant to be homesi"#% )e said to the other brethren, ELet's turn around and
go ba"#,E whi"h they did with a sigh of relief%
Charles lo&ed the people of Short Cree#, *ri<ona, and one of the greatest hopes
and ambitions of his life was to help them to be"ome a selfCsustaining people and
to see the "ity blossom as a rose% )e and his wife, -l&era, and se&eral of his
"hildren had gone to Short Cree# to spend the 4/th of +uly in 196B with their
friends down there, when the farCfamed raid too# pla"e%
The go&ernor of the state of *ri<ona with his "olleaguesCCthe L.S Chur"h leaders,
"attlemen on the *ri<ona strip, et"%, had pledged themsel&es to wipe out the little
"ommunity of Short Cree#, wherein the greater part of the inhabitants were li&ing
the law of Celestial 9arriage% They were a 7odCfearing, pea"eClo&ing people,
harming no one and stri&ing hard to "are for their families and li&e their religion%
1e"ause of their humility and pea"eful habits and unity, Satan stirred up the
ungodly to war against them% The plot was laid, and in the early morning hours
before daylight, the highway =116> patrolmen, sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, "onstables,
et"% of the state of *ri<ona swooped down on this little group of people li#e a
swarm of bu<<ards on a "ar"ass% *ll the adults of the group were arrested% The men
and some of the older women were ta#en to Iinsman, *ri<ona, to be thrown into
;ail%
The following day it was their plan to gather up all the "hildren and "arry them
away and put them in foster homes where they hoped their identity "ould be
"ompletely wiped out, so as they grew up they would ha&e no re"olle"tion of their
rightful parents%
This part of the plan didn't wor# so well, The mothers refused to be separated from
their "hildren% $f the "hildren went, the mothers went too, so *ri<ona had a bigger
;ob on their hands than they reali<ed%
Charles and -l&era were both gathered up with the first ones that were "arried
away and spent a wee# behind bars in the Iinsman ;ails before the pro"ess of law
found them not guilty and freed them% The "hildren of Charles' family whom he
had ta#en with him, found shelter on the 2tah side of Short Cree# and slipped
away in the dar#ness and were "arried to safety by friends and sympathi<ers%
Charles was 3uite upset at first when they hauled him away with the rest of the
men, be"ause he didn't belong to that "ommunity and shouldn't rightfully be among
them% Then too, another stret"h in ;ail didn't appeal to him, but he soon found that
his mission was there among those brethren who were sorely oppressed and
wondering what was being done with their wi&es and "hildren% Charles "ounseled
them to hold to their "on&i"tions and rely on the Lord to fight their battles and to
ma#e no "on"essions with the enemies of righteousness%
That mass arrest was one of the most hellish things e&er perpetrated and re"orded
in the annals of a supposed Christian nation% The whole nation loo#ed on, aghast at
the fiendCli#e atta"#, but few lifted a hand to help% 9onths and months passed by
before the entangled mess was straightened out and families, for the most part,
were united again%
Charles made se&eral trips to *ri<ona while the trials were in pro"ess and later to
en"ourage the sisters and their families who were s"attered around in se&eral
different "ities of *ri<ona, and his "on"ern for the Short Cree# saints grew%
$n 9ar"h of 196/, Charles had been wor#ing o&ertime, as usual, ma#ing many
trips to the 2intah 1asin, trying to pro"ure land, as it appeared that a new oil field
was opening up there% )e was also spending time with the uranium prospe"ts that
were opening up around 9oab, 2tah% $n the midst of it all he su""umbed to an
atta"# of gallstones, so the do"tor said, and he was in bed for se&eral days% The
do"tor wanted to operate but Charles wouldn't permit it% !inally he was up and
going again but not so strong as usual%
The passing of 1rother +ohn '% 1arlow on .e"ember 49, 19/9, and 1rother +oseph
W% 9usser on 9ar"h 49, 196/, left Charles as senior member of the @riesthood
Coun"il, whi"h demanding position he held for a little more than three months%
=115> The first of 9ay, with one of his wi&es and a son, he too# a trip in Colorado
to 1ull Canyon where another of his sons was li&ing and wor#ing as a geologist for
an uranium "ompany% While down that way, they &isited the 9esa ?erde @ar# and
saw many ruins of the an"ient "liff dwellers% 1oth on his way down to Colorado
and "oming ba"#, he stopped at 9ineral Canyon near 9oab to see how some of the
Short Cree# men, who were wor#ing some "laims there, were setting along and to
gi&e them a word of en"ouragement% The &ery ne8t day after his return to Salt La#e
City, he too# a "arload of his family out to the 2intah 1asin to see the oil wells in
operation%
$t seemed that some unseen power was urging him on as though time was short to
do the many things he wanted to do and his health was surely failing him% $n the
latter part of 9ay or the first of +une, he had the urge to go down to *ri<ona to
&isit and en"ourage the sisters and their "hildren who were still detained down
there away from their husbands and fathers% )e too# some of his family again and
was gone about two wee#s, then rushed ba"# to gather up his wor# "lothes and
tools to go prospe"ting with some of the Short Cree# boys for uranium on the
*ri<ona strip% )is son 9ar&in went with him% There he wor#ed in the heat of that
desert "ountry until his strength failed him and he had to be brought home and put
to bed%
Charles was a &ery si"# man and for se&eral wee#s suffered 3uite a bit of pain% One
day as he lay in his room, he was "ons"ious of a bright light streaming into his
window% $t was brighter than the sunlight% )e heard a &oi"e say, EThis day $ ha&e
done something for one of my sons%E *fter that he felt better and suffered no more
pain%
1eing re"on"iled to wait 7od's will seemed to fill Charles with patien"e and lo&e,
"almness and serenity%
Se&eral times he said, E$t doesn't ma#e any differen"e to me if $ li&e here or if $ go
on the other side, ;ust so $ am engaged in the wor# of the Lord% That is all that
"ounts%E
-dna, with the help of !ran"es, too# "are of Charles during this last illness% *ll that
lo&ing "are and tender nursing "ould do was done for him% )e refused to ha&e a
do"tor, other than a naturopath, who made se&eral &isits and pres"ribed for him,
but to no a&ail% )is "all had "ome% )e grew wea#er and wea#er day by day, until
on the e&ening of +uly 1/, 196/, be 3uietly slipped away and went to meet his
9a#er%
)e left at his death, to fa"e the un#nown future and to uphold and sustain his
honorable name and the "ause for whi"h be li&ed and died, fi&e wi&es Fli&ingG,
eighteen sons, si8teen daughters and many grand"hildren%
)is funeral was held in the Lar#in 9ortuary and he was laid to rest in the -lysian
1urial 7rounds% )undreds of peopleCCfriends, relati&es and business asso"iates,
"ame to pay their last respe"ts to one of 7od's noble men%