| School teacher William
E. McLellin of Paris, Illinois, first heard Mormonism taught by Harvey Whitlock
and David Whitmer on July 18, 1831. "I never heard such preaching in
all my life," William wrote in his journal. 'The glory of God seemed
to encircle [Harvey] and the wisdom of God to be displayed in his discourse."
Twelve days later, William left for Independence, Missouri. He arrived nearly
a month later, on August 18. Here he was baptized and confirmed by Hyrum
Smith. At the Conference of August 24, 1831, Hyrum ordained William an elder,
and the next day the two set off for Kirtland, preaching as they went. Eight
weeks later, they arrived in Kirtland. |
| William overcomes self-doubt
and speaks to enthralled audiences, then finds himself tongue-tied and discovers
he suffers from pride. Both William and Hyrum speak for two and three hours
at a time day after day. They lay on hands and heal the sick. Hyrum washes
his feet. None are baptized. William's account is valuable to document themes
of early Mormon proselyting—plainness of the gospel, coming forth of
the Book of Mormon, gathering to Zion, gathering of the Jews, impending
disasters. |
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| Journey
to Kirtland |
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On August 25, 1831,
the day after attending a church conference in Kaw township, Missouri, Hyrum
Smith, Martin Harris, David Whitmer,
Harvey Whitlock, Simeon Carter, and newly
ordained William E. McLellin walked from Kaw township to Independence,
and the next day begin their journey to Kirtland. |
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This
account is drawn from McLellin journals, 36–44.
Minutes of August 24, 1831 |
| Sunday |
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On Sunday, the 28th,
they stopped in a village to address the people. Hyrum opened and spoke
for an hour. William followed, his first attempt to preach. |
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| William's
first sermon |
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It seemed to me
that the whole volumn of Truth was opened before me. My heart was animated
and burning; and my tongue seemed to be untied. I spoke about an hour
and a half. Many hearts were affected and many eyes filled with tears.
I ceased to proclaim and seated myself. Filled with astonishment to
behold the wonderful works of the Mighty God while wrapped in his Eternal
Spirit. |
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| Sell
Books of Mormon |
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William spoke to good
effect: they sold five Books of Mormon and responded to "many queries." |
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| Missionaries
part |
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On the 31st of August,
the missionaries parted—David and Martin to head south to St. Louis,
then Terre Haute, Indianapolis, and Kirtland; Hyrum and William to head
north. |
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Chariton court house
Testimony of the witnesses |
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On the next day, Hyrum
and William addressed the people in the Chariton county court house. William
for two hours, followed by Hyrum, who had been suffering from diarrhea for
several days, bore his testimony. Then William read the testimony of the
three witnesses to the Book of Mormon "and reasoned upon the power
and force of it until many of the hard hearted were astonished and some
dropped the crystal tear. " |
| Minister
seeks sign |
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But a Methodist minister
"observed that we taught a supernatural Religion, Therefore we must
give supernatural evidence in favor if it," and requested a doctor
to give William a glass of poison. The doctor responded, "Don't you
Tempt God," and the minister "left the room in hasted." |
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| Second
meeting |
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Several of the audience
followed the missionaries to the home where they were staying and asked
for another meeting. William consented and the house quickly filled up.
He spoke another hour and a half, [38] but "none were willing to obey,"
so the next day William and Hyrum resumed their journey. |
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Filled
with spirit, warmth
Tremendous acclamation |
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On September 4, William
was so "filled with the spirit" that he spoke "with much
warmth," and "one of the females present did shout with a most
tremendious acclamation. but none seemed willing to go forward in obediance." |
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| Preacher:
false prophets |
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A preacher called the
missionaries"false prophets" on the 9th. |
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| Hyrum
washes feet |
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[39] Reason or Testimony
had no influence on his mind … and his heart seemed so hard and wicked
that he would have struck us dumb if he had had it in his power, but we
left him raging and when we came to a brook Bro. H. washed his feet for
a testimony against him. |
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wash
feet: ¶ D&C 60 (Aug. 8,
1831). |
Broad
interest
Ruffian |
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In Jacksonville, Illinois
court was in session, so there were many visitors in the village who, when
they learned who the missionaries were, crowded around. The two spoke to
different groups for about two hours. "I cut some of them so close,"
William wrote, "that a ruffian fellow rolled up his sleeves and swore
that he could give it to me but a gentleman prevented him and took him away." |
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The next day, Saturday,
William estimated 500 persons crowded into the court house to hear the them. |
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| William's
3 hour stump speech |
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If ever I felt
small, and felt my dependence on God, now was the time. To have to ascend
the judges bench and face Judges, Lawyers Doctors Priests and people.
But I arose with confidence in Elijah's God and gave them a brief history
of the book of Mormon, and of its coming forth &c, Then reasoned
upon and expounded prophecy after prophecy and scripture after scripture,
which had reference to the book and to these days and after speaking
with liberty [{and}] about 3 hours I concluded with a warning to them
to flee from the wrath and gather themselves to Zion and prepare to
meet the Lord at his second coming which was nigh at hand. |
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| Hyrum's
testimony |
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Hyrum endorsed William's
remarks, "gave them his evidence of the truth of the book," and
dismissed the meeting. |
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Travel
William's brothers |
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They addressed the people
again on Sunday for two hours, and again on Monday, with little effect.
So they continued on to near Springfield, where William found his brother,
Israel. He gave Israel a Book of Mormon to give to his brother, Samuel,
in Tennessee. |
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| Ague |
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After parting with tearful
Israel, William and Hyrum began traveling again, and William came down with
the ague, a high fever marked by chills and shakes most of the night and
the next day. |
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| Pray,
Hyrum's blessing |
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Shaking on the ground,
William asked Hyrum how God could have called him to preach the gospel and
allow him to become sick because he had to pass through "an unhealthy
country in the sickly season." Together they prayed. Hyrum then laid
his hands on William. |
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| Healed |
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"I was instantly
healed And arose and pursued my journey in health with vigour." Upon
reaching the next village, they sent out an invitation, and in a home meeting
William spoke for an hour and a half. |
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| August
16, Shelbyville |
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On Saturday the 16th,
William spoke 3 hours in Shelbyville, Illinois, after which |
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| William
and Hyrum show up a Methodist |
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[41] a Methodist
Priest … arose with all the rage & fury which it seemed the evil
one could invent. I sometimes thought that he would break the stand. When
he closed, I arose and showed the people his mistakes, and they seemed
to be ashamed for him. bro. H. also made some observations precisely to
the point. He said no more. |
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| William
can't preach |
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The next day, Hyrum
preached two hours in the morning. In the evening William tried, but could
not. "I had no animation in it, no memory, and in truth I had lost
the spirit of God. Hence I was confounded, I set down and told bro. H.
to preach for I could not." |
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After much prayer on
Monday, William |
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| Pride |
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found out what
was the matter. One thing, It was to show me, my own weakness and that
it was not me who had preached so many gre[a]t sermons—I found too
by close examination that my whipping out the Methodist P. so completely
the day before had tended to lift me up. This was the whole secret. |
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| Journey |
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Chastened by his own
introspection, William resumed his journey with Hyrum. On the 20th he bought
a horse for Hyrum, and two days later they reached Paris. |
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| Preaches
in Paris |
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For five days William
preached in his old schoolhouse and talked with his friends. None believed. |
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| Heal
a child |
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In Stilesville, Indiana
they were approached by a man who asked them to bless his daughter. She
had been sick for a long time. "The family seemed to be quite believing,"
so they "we all bowed before the great Johovah and implored his mercy
upon the child, we then arose and brother Hyrum & I laid our hands
upon it, and in a few minutes the little child got down from its mother's
lap and went to play upon the floor." All rejoiced. The father "got
down and prayed mightily, then arose & said that he believed that
the Lord was there." Nevertheless, the family does not "lay
hold." |
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McLellin journals, 42–43. |
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But they did preach to
the man's congregation on October 2. |
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| William's
themes |
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[43] … by the
power of the spirit of the Lord, I unfolded to them the plainness of the
Glorious gospel and also the requirements of the Lord of them and also
the opening glories of the latter days by the coming forth of the book
of Mormon and the gathering of the saints to mount Zion and the [44] Jews
to Jerusalem. |
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Two and a half hours
later, Hyrum took over, speaking of the Book of Mormon and warning them
of dangerous times to come. To no avail. |
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In Bellville a large
number gathered. Hyrum spoke an hour and a half, laying out many prophecies
"to their great astonishment." William spoke half an hour "by
way of warning and exortation." |
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| Winchester
church |
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The
next day, after swimming two creeks, they arrived in Indianapolis. |
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Two
and a half days later [September ] they reached the church in Winchester that Zebedee
Coltrin and Levi Hancock had organized. Ordain Jarvis Lee a priest. Remain several days. |
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McLellin journals, 44. |
| Kirtland,
Smith family |
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They remained in Winchester
until October 12. Then it was 6 straight days of travel to Kirtland, where
they found the Smith family "well and strong in the faith and good
works; rejoicing in the hope of the second coming of the Lord with all his
saints." |
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The
Kirtland population was 1,140 in 1831, including 90 Mormons. Kirtland profile,
83. |
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William E. McLellin (1)
William E. McLellin (h)
Biographies
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