Philo Taylor Farnsworth History

HISTORY OF PHILO TAYLOR FARNSWORTH Philo Taylor Farnsworth was born January 21, 1826, on the banks of the Hockhocking River, near Burlington, Ohio. He was the nineth child of Reuben and Lucinda Kent Farnsworth. Reuben was the son of Reuben Farnsworth and Anna Kellog. Lucinda Kent, his mother was the daughter of Cephas Kent and Lydia Sheldon. Philo's mother died 20 July 1829 when he was three years old. His father remarried and the stepmother raised him and his brothers and sisters along with their family. Reuben was a very staunch Congregationalist, coming from a long heritage where religion was an important part of their lives. When Philo was seventeen years old, he and others of his family heard the gospel and joined the church. This was hard for his father to accept. Reuben felt this was not a true, but degraded religion, and gave Philo and the others the choice of forgetting these new doctrines or leaving home. Franklin D. Richards was the name of the missionary who had brought the gospel to Philo. Both being young, they became very good friends. Philo was thrilled with the news of the true gospel, his new friend and the opportunities these offered to Philo. So leaving his family he went to Nauvoo where the body of the saints were at this time. Here Philo, with the gift of leadership and service fit in fast and well with all that had to be done. He helped build the Temple at Nauvoo, served as a faithful member of the Nauvoo Legion and many responsibilities of office placed upon him. Philo loved his new religion, and was loved and accepted by many. He always had the desire to return to his home area and visit his father. He was called on a short term mission in Ohio close by his home town. One day he called on his family at his former home and found his father outside cutting wood. He walked up, extended his hand and said, "Good evening, Father." His father looked up and said, "Who are you?" Answering, "I am your son Philo." His father motioned him away saying, Keep going we have no use for you here." That night he stayed at a home of a cousin. The next day his stepmother came to see him, against Reuben's wishes, but they had a nice visit and Philo was always grateful for that. No record is found as to whether or not Reuben ever forgave him. (Taken from the Farnsworth memorial, by Moses Franklin, a brother and son of his father's second marriage.) Sometime later Philo helped Sister Richards on the farm and with the children at Winter Quarters, while Brother Richards was serving on a mission to England. Here and while at Nauvoo, he suffered as many of the other saints suffered with mobbings, being driven from one place to another, persecutions and trials. While Brother Richards was in England, he met a young convert that had left her family. She and her friend were working and living at Liverpool. Brother Richards gave her passage to New Orleans and on to Winter Quarters. He planned to take her in plural marriage as a second wife. While at the Richards home she met and fell in love with Philo, he too was living there. Sister Richards noticed the love they had for each other and told Brother Richards. After they crossed the plains together, and arrived in Salt Lake, Brother Richards gave his consent and performed the marriage ceremony by the side of a huge bonfire. Philo stayed in the valley the first year, busy building homes and making furniture. Some of the furniture is still being used it was so well made and beautiful. A letter dated September 12, 1849, Philo wrote to Brother Yates, his father-in-law in England, writing, "Money is plenty, the wealth of this valley is good, better than I have ever seen. The Saints have been favored very much, the crops have been very good. Wheat, oats, barley, potatoes and corn--all it costs to take up land here is the cost of the surveying and recording the deed which is $5.00 for 40 or 50 acres." Philo made a claim on 80 acres. "Grain always brings a good price. Wheat is $3.00 per bushel, corn $1.50, barley and oats and potatoes $1.00 per bushel. The land is productive, you can easily yield 40 to 50 bushels of wheat per acre, sometimes 60. The air is pure and healthy with very little sickness. Just about 20 miles northwest from here lies the Salt Lake. Three gallons of this salt water yields 1 gallon of salt." From this letter Philo seems so anxious and eager to get to farming on his 80 acres. But with his experience in building and leadership he was called in 1851 to Pleasant Grove to settle the town and serve in the Bishopric. Then two years later he was called to Fillmore to settle and help build at this time what was to be the State Capitol building. Philo never did get to go on his farm and do the one thing he desired most at this time. Philo was a hard worker and very dependable. He loved the gospel and did everything he was called to do by the leaders of the church. As soon as the State Building was finished, Philo was called in 1856 to go on down to Beaver. He helped settle Beaver, becoming its first Bishop. He also served as probate judge of Beaver County. He was an active member of the Territorial Legislature. During the trouble with the Indians, Philo acted as interpreter--his good wisdom and good sense saved the early settlers from much trouble. Plural marriage had been practiced in the church for years. but it was not officially announced and encouraged to all worthy leaders to take more than one wife until conference of 1852. Elder Orson Pratt gave the first lecture on the subject. He said, "I believe the doctrine has come from God." "This law would provide the opportunity for the righteous saints to raise up a numerous posterity in the true principles of the gospel." He also said, "The practice was protected by the U.S. Constitution, for it was a religious practice, and we are guaranteed freedom of religion." All leaders were encouraged to take more wives to set examples. Being the Bishop he felt the council of the leaders as a big responsibility. He took my Grandmother, Margaret Adams as his second wife in 1857. She was 17 years old, and within the next three years he took two more. His third wife, Agnes was barely 15 years old. His fourth wife Mary had been sent from Salt Lake to teach school in Beaver at the age of 29. The young women of the church were also counseled for security to marry older men holding and honoring the priesthood, and to fill the measure of their creation. This practice was not only a complicated social problem for Philo but also a heavy economic burden. But all entered the law with a firm conviction that it was part of the restoration of the ancient gospel and it would help ensure a large posterity and the blessings of eternal salvation. Around this same time Elder Jedediah M. Grant, a member of the First Presidency, started the reformation of 1856-57 preaching "repentance." Members were all called to repent, rededicate themselves fully to the work of the Lord, and to seal these rededications with rebaptisms. Thousands of Saints rededicated themselves to the building of the Kingdom and accepted rebaptism. So thorough was the reformation that the entire Mormon territorial legislature was rebaptized for the remission of their sins, and all were confirmed by the laying on of hands by the Twelve Apostles. Philo T. was one of the members of the legislature at this time. Philo was the father of thirty children. His wives each living in their own homes and depending on the older sons to help their mothers. He had 20 sons and ten daughters. Trying to find some personal story or experience of Philo to share, this story is taken from-·the “Philo Taylor Farnsworth Book" telling about his oldest son. Many of his associates felt that Bishop Farnsworth was too kind to his children. One of them related the following story. Young Philo Jr. at age 17 ran away from home with two of his boy friends. Bishop Kimball of Kanosh telegraphed his father that the boys were at his home. Philo Sr. accompanied by William and Joseph Flake went after the boys. It snowed during the night and when they arrived in Kanosh, Bishop Kimball showed them three mounds of snow out by the straw stack--the three boys. The young Flake boy said later that he thought this was one time when he expected to see Bishop Farnsworth really trounce his son. To his surprise Philo took the corners of the quilt, shook the snow away carefully and said, "Philo, don't you think it's time we were journeying home?" The boys got up and went back to Beaver without a word. Another instance where his wisdom showed was when Daniel L. Tyler a former member of the Mormon Battalion was being tried by a High Council for some fancied fault and they decided to excommunicate him. Philo felt the fault was not serious enough for such drastic action and objected so strongly that President Brigham Young was called upon to settle the matter. He sided with Philo and complimented him highly for his stand. Daniel Tyler became a lifelong friend of Philo's. Philo was arrested for polygamy but since the officers couldn't prove the charge he was acquitted. He was a friend to everyone. He lived beside the highway and his home was open to all travelers who came that way. He was a great friend of the Piute Indians, loved them and acted as peace maker for them repeatedly. Philo, known as Bishop Farnsworth to many, lived in a large circle of friends and relatives. He was the only Bishop that served in the first Beaver Ward he organized, until Beaver was divided and made a Stake by President J. R. Murdock who released him shortly afterward. When Mary Elizabeth Farnsworth, his daughter and mother of Philo Taylor Edwards met before marrying Aaron Edwards, Mary took Aaron to meet him and get his approval. This was in May 1887, and Philo died just two months later 31 July 1887. During Philo's illness, he was a patient sufferer. He fought valiantly to avoid making himself a burden to his family by using all his powers to assist himself. He was only confined to his bed a week at his home, when he died quietly on 31 July 1887. The funeral services were conducted in the Beaver Second Ward, Monday August 1, 1887 at 2:08 p.m. The speakers were his friends, Elder Daniel Tyler and President John R. Murdock. Many attended the services and followed to the place of his burial in the Beaver Cemetery. President F. D. Richards on hearing his death, sent the following telegram: “Having been absent, your telegram is only just received. Mrs. Richards and I sincerely mourn the death of your father. His great kindness in the times of our deepest distress greatly endeared him to us. Accept our united condolence. I wish we could attend the funeral, but it is impracticable. F. D. Richards Following is a copy of the tribute given him as it was written and given 1 August 1887. "Once again are the people of Beaver called upon to mourn the loss of a great and good man--a man who has stood firm in his integrity to the principles of the gospel of Christ. Philo T. Farnsworth departed this life at 11: 15 a.m., last Sunday morning, aged 61 years, 6 months and 10 days. “The life of this faithful and devoted servant of God began in Burlington, Ohio, on the 21st day of January, 1826. When about 17 years of age, the principles of that gospel which has been his life's devotion since, were sounded in his ears by Elder Franklin D. Richards, also at that time a mere boy. The truth of the testimony borne by this servant of the Lord, (Elder Richards), so impressed itself upon the mind of Bro. Farnsworth that he was baptized and identified himself with the Latter-day Saints. He has been with them ever since; through their drivings, mobbings, persecutions, and trials, he has stood the test. He assisted in the erection of the Nauvoo Temple, was a member of the Nauvoo Legion, and had responsibilities and offices of trust placed upon him, thus showing the esteem in which he was held by the church. In 1848, one year after the entrance of the pioneers into these valleys, Bro. Farnsworth came to Utah. Shortly after his arrival he was called upon to go to what is now known as Pleasant Grove, Utah County, to assist in the settlement of that place. True to the trust imposed upon him, he went, lent his influence and aid in settling that place. From there he went to Fillmore, and assisted in the erection of the State House there. In December, 1856, in company with his family, he moved to this valley Beaver-­which has been his home ever since. A new position, one of great importance and requiring exceeding judgment, was placed upon him here; he was called to act as Bishop of the Beaver Ward. This position he filled until Pres. J. R. Murdock released him, when shortly afterward a change was made in the organization to the Beaver Stake of Zion. Recorded below is a copy of Philo's Patriarchal Blessing given to him in 1845 by Patriarch John Smith, an uncle to Joseph Smith. Nauvoo, February 12, 1845 A blessing by John Smith, patriarch, upon the head of Philo T., son of Reuben and Lucinda Farnsworth, born January 21, 1826, Lawrence County. Ohio. Bro. Philo, in the name of Jesus Christ, I lay my hands upon thy head by the authority vested in me to bless the fatherless, and seal upon thee a blessing of a father, even all the blessings of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, with the priesthood which was sealed upon the head of Ephraim, with the inheritance of Ephraim, even to the uttermost bounds of the everlasting hills. Thou shalt go forth as a mighty man, and thou shalt prevail against thine enemies, for God sha11 give thee power to overcome them, and thou shalt have wisdom to confound the wise and the learned of this generation, and power to put the armies of the aliens to flight, and to do any miracle which will roll forth the work of the Lord in the last days. Thou shalt gather thousands from many nations and lead them to Zion and no power shall stay thine hand. Thou shalt be able to speak the language of any people, shall have power to search out all the secret plans that are devised for thy hurt and thou shall not be caught in a snare by the crafty. Thou shalt have an inheritance with the children of Joseph; possess riches to the full, have a numerous posterity, that shall put ten thousands of enemies to flight, even two of them; and thy name shall be remembered among the saints for good forever. Thou shalt magnify thine office in righteousness, fill thy mission with honor, return to Zion with thy thousands, inherit all the blessings of the Redeemer's kingdom, reign on the earth with Him a 1000 years, with thy companion that God will give thee. Be faithful, and not one word shall fail, even so, Amen. 

Recorded by A. Carrington This history was compiled and written by Melba Edwards Carter, for her father Philo Taylor Edwards