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Show 150 LATTER-DAY SAINT slana tely fond of music, and while nature does not seem to have specially Intended him for n singer, his determination to learn to sing 'the songs of Zion Is worthy of emulation, and his !'ucce!'s In this line Is an illustration of the truth that he who tries will conquer. Apostle Grant Is a thorough belIe\'er In work, and he has little use for boys and girls. men or women, who shirk labor. He has had no opportunity to learn a trade, and he has no profes!<lon. His leading aim In life Is to discharge acceptably the duties which devolve upon him as an Apostle ' of the Lord Jesus Christ, and he enjoys that work best which brings him as a minister among the youth of Zion. He Is active, energetic, determined: and the obstacle must be great Indeed which shall deter him from achieving success In any line that he may set his heart upon. One of his leading traits of character, In fact, III hili dulre Ilnd determination to IIUCceed 'when he sets out to win. He takes genuine pleasure In laboring to accomplish results, and this Is one of tllll main reasons why he has succeeded. He was promised In youth In a patrlarchsl blessing that he would be aske(} to flll a mission to preach the gospel. He expected that, like Erastus Snow. Joseph F. Smith and others who were ministers at the age of flfteen and sixteen years, he would be thus called at an early age. But years passed, and he was not selected, "Some of my associates," he said to the writer, "were called, and returned home, stili I was left, and a spirit constantly followed me whispering that I knew the Patriarch had lied to me, an(l therefore I ought to renounce my allegiance to th~ work of God, I Onally said to myself I know the gospel Is true, - I have hac; so many testimonies that I can not douht It; and no matter how many Patriarchs have made statements that are not true, I do not purpose making shlll\Vreck of my faith, and lose eternal salvation because of a mistake on the part of a Patriarch," It was not long after he had so determined that he was ('ailed, just before he was twenty-four years of age, to preside over the Tooele Stake of Zion, the youngest Stake president In all the Church. In this call to preside over a Stake of Zion came the fulfillment In very deed of the words of the Patriarch, upon which the young president had so far placed a wrong Interpretation. As the trulll dawned upon him, he felt that ' he had conquered doubt b)' faith In God nnd In His work. Other promises, mdde by the servants of the Lord to him, have been fulfilled, In which he see~ added testimony of the Interest of tile Divine In the affairs of this Church. Thus, when he was blessed · by Patriarch John Rowberry, while stili actin:: as president of the Toeele Stake, he was promised that he would be chosen to be one of the leaders of Israel. In his youth, Sister Eliza R. Snow, In the C!H of tongues, promised him that he shol.1ld be one of the leading men In the 'ch~rch, the Interpretation being given by Zina D. Young at the home of the late William C. Staines. His call to the Apostleship Is In fulfillment of these Inspired sayings, and It has all strengthened his faith . Brother Grant's experience Is full of testimonies that God IIvell and that He answers prayers. When his wife, Lucy Stringham, to whom he was married In St. George, Nov. I, 18n, died, some years ago, he received a manifestation from the Lord In direct answer tohls prayer. His wife was one of the noble daughters of God, a woman of excellent character, sweet disposition, and II judgment In business affairs which wu no small factor In Heber's early Onnnclal success. While she was dying. her daughter Lucy, then a little onr twelve years of age, Insisted that th~ father should administer to the mother and heal her-such was the chlld'3 faith. "I sent my children out of the room," he told me, "and pleade(} with the Lord to give some special manl· festatlon that In the death of my wife His wllJ would be done. I told Him that I acknowledged His hand In Hr? or In death. In prosperity or In adversity, but 'that I lacked strength to ~ee my wife die and have' It affect the faith of my children In the ordlnance~ of the gospel." Shortly thereafter, hl~ wife died, and when he then called thp <.hlldren Into the room, his daughte,· L,ICY, putting her arms around the neeks of her younger sisters, and alsl) hpr little brother, toll1 them not 10 cry, ,'IlCaUSe the voice of the Lord ha.1 told her: "In the death of your mamma. the will of the Lord will be done." A3 the child knew nothing of the father'~ prayer, It Is evident the answer cam~ BIOGRAPHICAL ENCYCLOPEDIA . from God to her In answer thereto, n. fact which Brother Grant considers a special manifestation of the Lord's goodness to him, and which he declares he will ever remember with gratitude and thanksgiving. Another Incident "'III suffice. His only son, Heber Stringham, upon whom he had built great hopes. died some time after the death ot his mother~ Brother Grant Is naturally an affectionate man, easily moved to tears, and quite emotional. and yet his son under these conditions, passed away without the father shedding a tear. "There was In my home a very calm, sweet, heavenly Influence. Without the supporting Influence of the Holy Spirit," he declares, "It would be Impossible for me to undergo, almost joyfully, a scene of this kind. I telt almost a heavenly joy, notwithstanding the sorrow which had come Into my life." He explained that a dream was the cause of It. "Just a few hours before my son' s death, I dreamed his mother came for him, and after a discussion with my mother, I dreamed I had allowed her to take my son, as I telt Impressed In my dream that he would be a cripple all his life, should he live, since his trouble was hlp disease." In his own life, 100, he and hi" have been assured with faith In the promises of God. Thus. ~ome years ago, when he was operated on for appendicitis, his wife Lucy, who a9 stated, Is dead, vIsited his home and promised his wife Augusta Winters, to whom he was married May 6, 1884, that he should recover. He felt so ImI'ressed himself, and believed that he ~hould live through the ordeal. When, Iherefore, after the operation the docI'lrs said that blood polson had set In, and he could not live, neither his wlCe nor himself felt any alarm, but both had a perfect assurance that he should !PI'o"er and their faith was not In vain. In political life, Apostle Grant has haJ ~"me experience. having serve(\ all'! lerm In the council of the Territorial If l:lslature, and several terms In the cll), council of Salt Lake City as councilman. Apostle Grant Is tall and erect in Ogure, with prominent features which Indicate energy and push. His 'Ir~ire to aid others has given him a <J1~posltion to feel for his fellows, and Ihr,.e Is not a man In Zion with n mnre loving, helping heart than ha~ Heber J . Grant. He possesses a dp.· termination to overcome obstnch's nn 'l detects that stand In his WilY 10 Ih.' perfection of hl~ character. \\,h~n I", discovers a fault In himself, he endeavors by persistent and continue,1 "f· fort, such as only few nre cap"hle of. to overcome. And tI\Us his lite Is growing better as the years Incrrasp.. and will continue until his Idenl of perfection. which enlarges with his deeper knowledge, shall be reached. He has gained the luve, respect an,1 confidelH'c of his friends and business nssoclates: and the authorities of the Church Impose In him the fullest trust. lie Is an active worker In the cause of (:od. and has learned to feel the keenest (Ielight In his labors among the Snlnts. He loves the youth of Israel, an,1 111 his sennon!! frequently addresses his earnest remarks to them. AflRoclate,1 with the Twelve, and with the general boards of the Sunday Scools and the Improvement Associations, he Is COlistantly among the people, and his counsel and practical advice, In temporal as well as spiritual affairs. are eagerly sought.-Edwnrd H. Anderson. (R~'! also "Juvenile Instructor," Vol. 35, I'· 393. ) TAYI.on. John "'hlttnkrr, a member of the Council at Twelve AJlosllp~ since 1884, Is the SOli of Prp.~. John Taylor nnd Sophia ""hlttnkp.r. flll,1 \\"a~ born May 15, 1858, In Provo, Utah cnllnty, Utah. Thl!! was at the tim'! wh'~ n Johnston's army was al'pronch\nJ;' 1Jtah with hostile Intent; the SaInI!! li\"lll<; In Salt Lake City prepnr",1 In 1,,,,.11 their horne!!, nnd th('n mo\'",1 !!""' h wnr<1 to vorlous plnr.e~ In Ulah ,·"II11ly . Thp. Intp. l'rp!!. John Taylllr ,,,,.1 f,,,,,II\' were nlllon~ Ihe exil e,. who III"a""\ I· '"' ' por-arlly In ['ron" ",hpr" tI",y 1('11,· ·,1 Cram Hoger Farrnr a hou~ " of ~1It:tll <1lrnl'n91011!! nn,1 unl'rp.te"'IIIu~ n I"" 'a r allcP. 111 Ihls hlllnhl'! nl""I.' ti", slIlo· ject or IhlA !'Ilelch was hOrll. lip" :' thp !'etll(,lIIent of Ihe Iron"I,! w"I<-" cau"ed the "'(o,lu!! frolll the "orth,·, II !'ettlelllenl!', PH'g, T " ylor an.1 hl~ fa,"IIy returned to Ihelr hOIllP In II" , F"II,.teenth "'·anl. Snit LalIt! ('lIy. 1I"r" Hroti,er John "". wa~ r,, :trp.1 until til! attained hi!! I "'<'I,ly -llfl h y"ar. wh·'" he marrlc'\ all,1 n'Ill,,,·,'·1 ('a ~s l:t ('ounty. Idaho, In his I".yh oo .\ da~· ' . as In Inler IIC ... I", wa" IIIoIl1slrlolI~ I" hi!' hahlt!', h.,IIII; richly I'n.low,,01 wllh IUHllly heal:h all'\ a ~lronJ!, "0:\1\' ,, '0 |
