A jubilee message written in 1880 by Agnes Cross Douglass (1818-1906) and left in a box in care of the Relief Society to be opened by her family in 1930 on the centennial of the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Agnes was born April 6, 1818, the daughter of John Cross and Margaret Sarah McCune. She married William Douglass (1819-1892) in 1842. They were the parents of Matilda Douglass Dixon (1851-1932), who was the mother of Charles Christopher Flintoff Dixon (1876-1929), who was the father of Bernice Dixon Fraughton (1902-1992), who was the mother of Barbara Jean Fraughton Lange (1928-1994), who was the mother of Claudia Lange Cleverly.
We were obliged to leave our home in Nauvoo in the spring of 1846 on account of the great mobbing and persecutions from the ungodly. On May 17, 1848, my husband and I left Winter Quarters for the West. My oldest son was born on the 18th. My husband had to return to Winter Quarters to procure some articles that we were in need of. While he was away, a very severe storm came on and the sisters in attendance being weary had retired, and hald left some of my clothes out on the line to dry. Not wanting them to get wet, I stepped out of our wagon in the strength of Israel's God and gathered my clothes piece by piece until I had them tucked in the front of our wagon and I was not one whit the worse, for God had given me strength sufficient to my day. On the 20th we resumed our journey.
In 1849, my husband mixed the mortar and layed the adobe to build our first house in the valley, I waiting on him, carrying the adobes and mortar.
The same year, when our crops were coming up green, the crickets were so numerous that to all appearance the crops would be destroyed by them, when suddenly there came such numerous flocks of seagulls and covered the lots like a heavy fall of snow and devoured the crickets, eating and vomiting until they had the crickets all destroyed and saved our crop.
In 1855, there was what was known as the grasshopper war, when many suffered for want of food, but through the blessing of God, myself and family were provided for, and never suffered through want.
During the scarcity of food, there was honey dew accumulated on the trees, which lasted for a number of weeks, the people gathered and made it into cakes like maple sugar and payed a tithing of the same as any other production.
And now my beloved children, when you receive these works, my body may be mouldering in the dust, but remember the testimony I bear unto you, and be faithful, and listen to the council [counsel] of the servants of God, and give heed to the whisperings of the still small voice of the Spirit that prompts you to walk in the path of rectitude that you may be lead in the path that leadeth to eternal life.
We were obliged to leave our home in Nauvoo in the spring of 1846 on account of the great mobbing and persecutions from the ungodly. On May 17, 1848, my husband and I left Winter Quarters for the West. My oldest son was born on the 18th. My husband had to return to Winter Quarters to procure some articles that we were in need of. While he was away, a very severe storm came on and the sisters in attendance being weary had retired, and hald left some of my clothes out on the line to dry. Not wanting them to get wet, I stepped out of our wagon in the strength of Israel's God and gathered my clothes piece by piece until I had them tucked in the front of our wagon and I was not one whit the worse, for God had given me strength sufficient to my day. On the 20th we resumed our journey.
In 1849, my husband mixed the mortar and layed the adobe to build our first house in the valley, I waiting on him, carrying the adobes and mortar.
The same year, when our crops were coming up green, the crickets were so numerous that to all appearance the crops would be destroyed by them, when suddenly there came such numerous flocks of seagulls and covered the lots like a heavy fall of snow and devoured the crickets, eating and vomiting until they had the crickets all destroyed and saved our crop.
In 1855, there was what was known as the grasshopper war, when many suffered for want of food, but through the blessing of God, myself and family were provided for, and never suffered through want.
During the scarcity of food, there was honey dew accumulated on the trees, which lasted for a number of weeks, the people gathered and made it into cakes like maple sugar and payed a tithing of the same as any other production.
And now my beloved children, when you receive these works, my body may be mouldering in the dust, but remember the testimony I bear unto you, and be faithful, and listen to the council [counsel] of the servants of God, and give heed to the whisperings of the still small voice of the Spirit that prompts you to walk in the path of rectitude that you may be lead in the path that leadeth to eternal life.
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