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COMPILED BY JAY G. BURRUP |
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EXCERPTS FROM LETTERS WRITTEN BY ELDERS LORENZO SNOW & JABEZ WOODARD |
Letter From: Elder Lorenzo Snow - Southampton, England
Written To: Eliza R. Snow - Great Salt Lake City, California
Date: June 14, 1850
"... my mind reverts to the 19th of October, 1849, when, in solemn silence, I left what, next to God, was dearest to my heart -- my friends, my loving wife, and little children. As I pursued my journey, in company with my brethren, many conflicting feelings occupied my bosom -- the gardens and fields around our beloved city were exchanged for the vast wilderness which lay spread out before us for a thousand miles. If my mind still glanced onward, there was the stormy main, and, in the far distant perspective, a land of strangers -- the field of my mission. We were hastening further and still further from the mighty magnet -- HOME! But we knew that the work in which we were engaged was to carry light to those who sat in darkness, and the Valley of the Shadow of Death, and our bosoms glowed with love, and our tears were wiped away".
"The traveller in the desert sometimes finds a green spot which stands in deep contrast to the barreness of surrounding nature. England appears thus now as I am about to leave its shores for the lands of darkness. The voices of a thousand friends are dying away in the distance, while before me is a land of strangers, whose tongues soon will sound in my ears like the jargon of Babal. I have been refreshed with the company of so many kind friends and go forth on my mission with renewed energy of body and mind. Tomorrow I leave this place for Italy".
*****
Letter From: Elder Lorenzo Snow - Genoa, Italy
Written To: Elder F. D. Richards - Liverpool, England
Date: July 20, 1850
"Having safely reached the land of my mission, I take the earliest opportunity of describing my situation and prospects. This ancient city, where I have now resided for a short time, contains about 140,000 inhabitants. It is chiefly built upon undulating ground extending back as far as the base of the mountains, and, in some places, reaching partly up their summit. Before me I have a most lively and interesting view of the Port of Genoa, and then of the Mediterranean, bearing upon her broad bosom multitudes of fishing boats, schooners, war frigates, steamers, and ships of many nations".
"The edifices of this famed city lie open on my right and left. Its palaces, numerous cathedrals, churches, high-built promenades, and antique buildings form together a very singular and magnificent appearance. At a little distance from the city, I have the fascinating scenery of Italy's picturesque mountains, and over my head is a sky of clearest blue. My eyes are filled with tears while attempting to picture the glorious view".
"This city is filled with armed men; so, in fact, is almost every sea-port town and city through which we have passed since leaving England. Little money is circulating, and commerce languishes on every side. The country is not yet in a sufficiently settled condition to induce the enterprize of the capitalist. Since the revolution, the working class have suffered severely from the depression of business. Wages are, of course, very low. Upon an average, perhaps, not more than 20 cents for a day's work for a labourer, which is commonly made to consist of about sixteen hours".
"Many of the customs, laws, and institutions are very singular. Priests are seen in great numbers on every side. I meet them in every street. From the peculiarity of their dress, there is no mistake as to their profession. The superior order are enveloped in black, and their heads display the accompaniment of a three-cornered hat. Those of another class present a shorn crown to the evening breeze and the noon-tide sun; and the meanness of their garments are intended to represent their vows of austere poverty. A coarse woollen dress is attached to their body by a rope loosely tied around their waist from whence hang their rosary beads and a small crucifix. Their feet are shod with a species of sandals. They are generally seen two together, and are very unlike the wealthier ecclesiastics, who mingle freely with the best society".
"The other day, as I was returning from a walk, I fell into the following reflections: -- I am alone and a stranger in this vast city, eight thousand miles from my beloved family, surrounded by a people whose manners and peculiarities I am unacquainted. I am come to enlighten their minds, and instruct them in principles of righteousness; but I see no possible means of accomplishing this object. All is darkness in the prospect".
"I am now in a Roman Catholic country. Its inhabitants are before my eyes continually. My heart is pained to see their follies, their wickedness, gross darkness, and superstitions. Oh, I weep that the day of the Son of Man has come upon them unawares: so little are they prepared to receive the voice from on high, 'The Bridegroom cometh: go ye out to meet him!' They are clothed with darkness as with a garment, and they know not their right hand from their left. I ask my Heavenly Father to look upon this people in mercy. O lord, let them become the objects of thy compassion, that they may not all perish. Forgive their sins and let me be known among them, that they may know Thee, and know that Thou has sent me to establish Thy Kingdom. They do wickedly all the day long, and are guilty of many abominations. They have turned their backs upon Thee, though they kneel before the image of Thy Son, and decorate temples to Thy worship. The rulers, the priests, and people have all gone astray, and have forgotten Thee, the Lord their God. But wilt Thou not have mercy upon them. Thou knowest that I have bidden a heart-rending farewell to the loved and tried partner of my bosom to obey Thy call, and hast Thou not some chosen ones among this people to whom I have been sent. Lead me unto such, and Thy name shall have glory through Jesus Thy Son".
"Since I wrote the foregoing, I have received a letter from Elders Stenhouse and Toronto. I have felt an intense desire to know the state of that province to which I had given them as appointment, as I feel assured it would be the field of my mission. Now, with a heart full of gratitude, I find that an opening is presented in the valleys of Piedmont, when all other parts of Italy are closed against our efforts. I believe that the Lord has there hidden up a people amid the Alpine mountains, and it is the voice of the Spirit that I shall commence something of importance in that part of this dark nation".
*****
Letter From: Elder Lorenzo Snow - La Tour, Valley of Lucerne, Piedmont, Italy
Written To: President Brigham Young - Great Salt Lake City, California
Date: November 1, 1850
"... as I contemplated the condition of Italy, with deep solicitude to know the mind of the Spirit, as to where I should commence my labours, I found that all was dark in Sicily, and hostile laws would exclude our efforts. No opening appeared in the cities of Italy: but the history of the Waldenses attracted my attention. Amid the ages of darkness and cruelty they had stood immoveable, almost, as the wave-beaten rock in the stormy ocean. When the Anathemas of Rome shook the world, and prices fell from their thrones, they dared to brave the mandates of the Pope and the armies of the mighty. They appeared to my mind like the rose in the wilderness, or the bow in the cloud. The night of time has overspread their origin; but these dissenters from Rome existed ages before Luther was born. During the fierce persecutions to which they have been subjected, their limits have greatly decreased. A few narrow valleys, which are, in some places, only a bowshot in breadth, are all that remain in their possession; except the mountains by which they are engirdled. But a period of deep calm has at length arrived; and, since the storm of revolution swept over Europe, they have received many privileges from the Sardinian government. Thus, the way was opened only a short period before the appointment of the mission, and no other portion of Italy is governed by such favourable laws".
"On the 1st of July Elders Stenhouse and Toronto left Genoa, according to my appointment, to visit the Protestant valleys of Piedmont. On the 23rd of the same month I left Genoa, passing through the city of Turin, the capital of the Sardinian States, and arrived at La Tour, in the valley of Lucerne. The country in which I now found myself, bears a striking resemblance to the valley of the Great Salt Lake. Piedmont is situated at the foot of the Alps ... The scenes of this land embrace all the variety of a region where the heavens and the earth seem to meet. The clouds often enwrap these mighty eminences, and hide their frowning grandeurs from our eyes. At other times they are covered with snow, while, at their feet the vine and the fig-tree are ripening their fruit. A poet has said of this identical locality in which we are placed:
There is a scene would well repay
The toil of many a weary day:
And every form of nature there,
Wood, rock, and stream, and summit rare
All seem to bid the traveller rest;
For ne'er from tower or mountain crest,
In emerald vale or sunny plain.
Shall he behold such scenes again.
"On the 27th of October, [one man] presented himself as a candidate for baptism. The introduction of the principles of Truth, in all countries, has, more or less, been attended with anxiety and difficulty; of these we have had our share. It was, therefore, with no small degree of pleasure I went down to the river-side to attend to this ordinance. Peculiar, indeed, were my feelings when I thought on the past, the present, and endeavoured to penetrate the dark labyrinth of unborn time, I rejoiced that the Lord had thus far blessed our efforts, and enabled me to open the door of the Kingdom in dark and benighted Italy. My brethren stood on the river bank -- the only human witnesses of this interesting scene. Having long desired this eventful time, sweet to us all were the soft sounds of the Italian, as I administered and opened a door which no man can shut".
*****
Letter From: Elder Lorenzo Snow - La Tour, Valley of Lucerne, Piedmont, Italy
Written To: Franklin D. Richards - Liverpool, England
Date: December 2, 1850
"When a servant of God is far removed from the endearing society of the Saints, and his ears are no longer saluted with the cheering voice of the partner of his toils, or the merry-making and prattling of his little ones -- situated in a foreign land, surrounded by strangers, in whose bosoms dwell no kindred feeling -- 'tis then a favour, or a kind word from afar, awakens in the mind a recollection of the past, and draws from the burthened spirit its choice blessings upon the head of those who bestow and imprints feelings of gratitude that continue in lively rememberence, when cares and sorrows will long have been buried in forgetfulness. To be placed in such circumstances is not unprofitable, however unpleasant. To be separated from the society of those for whom we live, and for whom we die, is not without its recompense; such a position serves to teach man his weakness, and dependence on the Lord. It cultivates patience, and, by contrast, teaches the true value of good society and friends".
"Think not ... that we are amid the marble palaces, nor surrounded by the choice productions of art which adorn many portions of this wondrous land. Here, a man must preach from house to house, and from hovel to hovel. Here, many a dwelling has not glass in the windows; and from the scarcity of fuel, there is often no fire upon the hearth; and during the long winter evenings, the family are huddled together in the stable, among the cattle, for the sake of a little warmth which they cannot find elsewhere".
"In our intercourse with the clergy, we have been treated with respect; but it is in vain that we announce to them the great message of the last days. The professed teachers of religion have always been slow to receive the revelations of heaven. When attending their place of worship the other Sunday, one of their ministers looked piteously upon us, and then at the congregation, to whom he said, in tones mournfully low, 'Do not leave that dear church which is consecrated by so many glorious remembrances, and for which your fathers have died'. What would have been his feelings if he had known that, in a few hours afterwards, I baptized one of his flock who had been listening to his admonition".
"With regard to Romanism, let no one imagine that our difficulties are decreased, because the Pope has quarreled with the king of Piedmont. The influence of papal domination does not crumble away before the earthquakes of political controversy. The system of education has enthroned it too firmly to be shaken by the timid protest of an Italian government. In taking a general survey of Italy, a dark cloud hangs over its bosom. If the tree is to be judged by its fruits, what must be the state of this country? -- what fruit has it borne for ages and ages? Vice has walked with bold, unblushing countenance through its proud cities; and when man has dared to think for himself, and search for truth amid the labyrinth of opinion, he has quickly been removed to a dungeon... But the time has now arrived when the Gospel must be sounded through the earth, and Italy will hear its announcements, though all its dead popes should burst into life! Nor will the importance of this mission be limited to Italy: the way will open from hence to other parts of the world".
"The work here is slow and tedious. The spiritual atmosphere around us is like the Egyptian darkness which might be felt. Nevertheless, the Church has been established. The tree has been planted and is spreading its roots. The leaven has begun its process... [We] have not forgotten the prophes[y] that thousands would, ere long, embrace the Gospel in Italy. We have also been assured that... from hence it should extend itself triumphantly".
*****
Letter From: Elder Lorenzo Snow - Turin, Italy
Written To: President Orson Hyde - Kanesville, Iowa Territory, North America
Date: January 25, 1851
"After seven months residence in Italy, I am going to bid it farewell for a season. If the attractions of physical nature could command all my attention, I might long linger to gaze upon these realms of loveliness. One might travel far over the earth before he finds a fairer clime. Here man dwells beneath an almost cloudless sky. The sun scarcely hides his face in summer or winter; and when, at eventide, His golden glories fade behind the western hills, the silver stars shed a serene lustre over the blue vault of immensity. But, the remembrance of the moral scenery amid which I have been moving will be more imperishably engraved on my spirit, than all the brightness of the firmament, or the verdure of prairies enameled with ten thousand flowers. Amid the loveliness of nature I found the soul of man like a wilderness. From the palace of the King, to the lone cottage on the mountain, all was shrouded in spiritual darkness. Protestant and Papist looked upon each other as outcasts from the hopes of eternity: but regarded themselves as the favorites of heaven. And thus they had done from time immemorial. The changing ephemeral sectarianism of England and America, is, in many respect, unlike the sturdy superstition of this country. Here, Protestantism is not the offspring of boasted modern reformation; but may fairly dispute with Rome as to which is the oldest in apostasy. Every man holds a creed which has been transmitted from sire to son for a thousand years, whether he be Protestant or Catholic; and often he will lay his hand on his heart, and swear by the faith of his forefathers, that he will live, and die, as they have lived and died".
"O Italy! Birth-places and burial-ground of the proud Caesar's, who swayedest the sceptre of this mundane creation -- land of literature and arts, and once the centre of the world's civilization -- who shall tell all the greatness which breathes in the story of thy past? and who, of! who shall tell all the corruption which broods on thy bosom now?
Land of flowers and fruitfulness of the vine, the olive and orange, all the blushes in beauty and charms with delicacy is spread o'er thy green fields, or grows in thy empire garden; but thy children are deep in pollution, and spring like thorns and thistles, amid thy floral scenes of endless enchantment. From the wave-swept shores of the Mediterranean to the base of the bleak Alpine region, thy sunny plains lie spread like a fairy realm. Here reposes the dust of millions that were mighty in ages gone by, and flooded the earth with the fame of their deeds. Here are the fields that have been crimsoned with the blood of royalty, and have become the grave of dynasties. Poets that sung for the praises of nations, and princes that wielded the Sceptre of power during many a crisis of the worlds history, are laid low beneath the dust of thy fields and vineyards.
But is there nought here save the tomb of the past? O, Italy! hath flowers of thy genius, and clouded the past, and thy children shall yet be more renowned than in the ages of old. Though the triple crown of earth's proudest apostate shed a tinsel splendour over thy boundless superstition, Truth shall yet be victorious amid thy Babylonish regions. Where triumphant warriors were stained with gore, and princes reigned in the pomp of tyranny, the sure, though tardy working of the Gospel now weaves a fairer wreath, and wins a brighter crown. I see around me many an eye which will, one day, glisten with delight at the tidings of Eternal Truth -- many a countenance which will adorn the assemblies of the Living God. There is yet the blood of heaven's nobility within the hearts of many amid thy sons and daughters; and sooner will that blood stain the scaffold of martyrdom, than dishonour the manly spirits with which it is connected".
*****
Letter From: Elder Jabez Woodard - La Tour, Valley of Lucerne, Piedmont, Italy
Written To: Elder Lorenzo Snow
Date: February 26, 1851
"... On the 24th of February, two young men presented themselves for baptism. It rained and snowed amain, and the atmosphere was so dense, that we could not see distinctly a little way ahead. But as we descended towards the Angrogna river, a singular scene was presented -- the clouds suddenly rent asunder, as if they had been a piece of paper, and the side of Mount Brigham was visible in a moment, from the top to the bottom. I exclaimed, 'The veil over Italy has burst!' and yet, at the instant, I knew not what I was saying. I stood paralyzed with the magnificent views which opened on every side: then with a prayer to Israel's God, we entered the stream.
"... [The next day] I recommenced preaching, and the power of God rested upon us. Many a tear rolled down those weather-beaten faces... I baptized ten persons: they are not the rich and noble, but you shall judge them by their own language... 'We thank Heavenly Father that we have begun to walk in the pathway of a new and endless life'".
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