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Show What Price Mormonism! 151 trouble doing once he made up his mind. The author's father told him that when John Tanner learned of the Word of Wisdom he put his box of chewing tobacco out on the end of the mantle in plain sight, took a look at it each morning when he arose, then went to his daily tasks." It is not known what he was trying to prove, but he had no once may have been demonstrating his will power. He had plenty of that and giving up tobacco was a mere trifle to him. But John was still the friendly, outgoing neighbor and would not have looked down his nose at someone who still did a little chewing. It is possible there may have been a little less room in the Tanner home for his Baptist friends, not that increasing numbers of less for others. room John would have had it that way, but the Saints who came to his home left Latter-day It has already been indicated in a number of places in this writing the favorable situation of the John Tanner family at Bolton Landing. Elizabeth, his wife, spoke of the home as comfortable and of her husband as wealthy.' Nathan spoke of the home as delightful 8 of their wealth. But a more Amasa M. Lyman, John's son-in-law, and then mentioned the various sources flattering picture was given by as told by his biographer-grandson, Albert R. Lyman: the five before mentioned days that he stayed in Bolton, the proved to be more wonderful people with each new stride in acquaintance; the boys were stalwart, manly fellows, the mother a superior woman in many ways, and John Tanner was outstanding in ability and capacity. Men as successful in business as he, seldom had the spirituality, or would take the time to consider and obey the gospel. Yet this head of the large Tanner family, in spite of his wide farms, his houses, barns and livestock, bore a burning testimony of During Tanners the truth as revealed John reminds he was thing us a anew 9 through Joseph Smith. little of Job in the Old Testament, although But he had about every not the richest man in all the East. money could buy and was respected by all his neighbors. People who have not caught the spirit of the gospel find it difficult to understand how it is possible for a person in such a situa tion to part with all he has for the uncertainties of a future over which he may have little control. The New Testament tells us that Peter raised the question with Jesus, "Behold we have forsaken all and followed thee; what shall we have therefore?'?" Jesus answered Peter that people who gave up important things like houses, families, |
