Mormon Literature Sampler:
Historical Chips
Priddy Meeks
Now I will inform the reader that I have promiscuously picked up
several chips and recorded them in this book and will continue to do
so all through this book as they occur to my mind (having no data to
base my thoughts upon), and I shall call them chips although of
different kinds. Some historical chips, some medical chips and some
religious chips.
Now the first winter that we were in the valley we had most
glorious night meetings. The spirit of the Lord was much enjoyed.
Preaching, praying, singing and speaking in tongues and the
interpretation of tongues and prophesying was abundantly enjoyed among
us. After enjoying one of these good meetings I laid myself down and
fell into something of a trance or vision and lost all knowledge of
time and sense.
I thought the people were all busily engaged with their daily
vocations in the valley, and there was a city in the sky right over
the valley with a porch to it facing the west, and a ladder leaning
against the porch and the foot of the ladder on the ground in the
center of the valley. It was intuitively made known to me that the
time had come for me and my wife to ascend the ladder up to the city.
I spoke to my wife saying, "Come Sally, it is our time now to go up
the ladder." She willingly responded and we started up the ladder. I
got on the first round and took her by the hand or arm and helped her
up even with me and she stood there until I got on the second round
and then I helped her up by my side on the second round, and that was
the order until we got up to the top of the ladder. And when on the
last round the edge of the porch was even with my breast.
I looked in by the fireplace and saw several men sitting by the
fireplace all dressed alike in plain mixed jeans. Their countenances
looked very pleasant and familiar. One of them got up and came out to
me smiling and said: "I know you can't come in; it is my place to come
and take you over the edge of the place." And then I turned around and
helped my wife up, for that was the order in getting into the city.
I thought we now could look down and see the thoughts and intents
of the hearts of those down on the ground. I saw two hogs in shape,
although they were "Mormons." One was a large sandy colored hog with
large lopped ears which I thought represented or was Amasa Lyman,
although I never would receive it in that light until I was obliged
to. I had so much confidence in him. The other one was a small
round-bodied, well made hog, more lively and quick motioned than the
others, and not so sandy colored, yet I knew they were "Mormons." But
who the little one represented I had no knowledge.
I knew their thoughts and the intents of their hearts, and that was
to get into the place of the First Presidency, whom I thought I saw
lying on a blanket apparently asleep on the ground; I saw only two.
Those two hogs went and tried to root them off their blankets so they
could get in their places. They would start them with their snouts to
roll out but before they could get them out their snouts would slip up
and they would roll back again. The blankets being a little basining
in the center the hogs would then make much of them and rub them first
one side and then the other, like a cat by the way of reconciliation
for fear they would be disturbed at their conduct.
I could see their thoughts and the intents of their hearts which
was nothing but deception. They tried it several times but failed
every time till they gave it up and started off. They appeared to be
disappointed and disheartened. In a little while they came to a small
tree. I saw their minds change; I thought they had claws like a cat
and they reared up against the tree and tried the strength of their
nails, thinking they could get them off their blankets with their
claws if they could not with their snouts so they turned back and
tried it. Oh how they would rub their sides against them, first one
side and then another, with the most powerful pretensions of
friendship that was possible to use, but could not succeed.
They finally gave it up and started off never to return. At that
instant they began to get poor. The large one was the poorest hog I
ever saw. His back was round like a rainbow and his ears lopped down
almost to the ground. He was the ugliest hog I ever saw. In that
condition they went off. And the first thing I knew I was at home. But
the person that was represented by the little hog, I never did see
anyone that suited the figure as well as William Godbe, but I don't
know as he is the one.
Evil Spirits--I will now give some items of my experience in
Nauvoo. It was so desperately sickly. I run myself down and took sick
myself. I took medicine that broke up my disease but I was so weak and
feeble that the spirits of affliction or evil spirits or disembodied
spirits or the devil if you please, got possession of me and come near
killing me. They would torment me nights so that I could not rest, let
alone sleep; of a morning I was so tired I was almost dead. They would
make me work in a horse mill. They would make me go around and around
so heavily I could hardly step one foot before the other. Sometimes
they would put a pack on my back so heavy I could scarcely stand up
under it, and they would make me carry it.
I do not know how long I was troubled this way but I was nearly
dead and out of heart. They troubled me only of nights. I dreaded the
nights believing if they troubled me tonight as they did last night I
could not live until morning, being so weak and feeble I had to lie
down. Being quite late in the evening I do not know but it was best
for me to go to bed for the night. So I had a trundle bed pulled out
about the middle of the floor where I could be cool, it being hot
weather. I lay down with a heavy heart, something seemed to say
(though I heard nothing), "Put the Doctrine and Covenants or the Book
of Mormon under your head, and do not consent to them and they can
have no power over you. "
Oh joy unspeakable. I did so and covered up my head and shut my
eyes musing in my mind, thinking what will be next, and I saw the
three devils coming that always come together to pester me. I thought
they had knowledge that there was something up, past common, as they
proceeded very slow, like as they were doubtful of a disappointment,
all three side by side hold of each other's hands. The middle one was
a large man, dark complexion, black eyes and hair and snaggle teeth,
big nose and high cheek bones and an old black wool hat lopped down
all around, nearly, and an old cloth coat nearly worn out, black but
very much faded and hung slovenly over his shoulders like it might
fall off. He was extremely ugly; he looked very vicious, he looked
like a devil. The other two were smaller and better dressed and
appeared bright and affable like men of education; one of them
appeared to be a spokesman, one of them looked considerable like Orson
Hyde, the other looked like James Simpson. They approached me with a
great deal of caution for fear they would not get my consent. I laid
still to hear what they would say, full of determination. They
appeared to be about three feet of me when they stopped.
The spokesman began to make bows to me and wave his hand in the
most friendly and enticing manner that was possible and said, "Here is
Colonel (such a one) giving him a name (but I cannot remember it),
wishing to have an interview with you, if you please," with
fascinating and enticing words and gestures to make it look like an
impossibility to refuse; but I did wait until he was done speaking. I
drew back my fist and aimed to strike him right in the belly and said,
"Clear yourselves, you devils, I do not want anything to do with you."
And I have never been troubled with them in that way since, but I have
had considerable to do with them in working against their power over
other people, but they have never captured me and made a slave of me;
but many times come in my presence and trouble me like a drunken man
would, which does not seem pleasant to my mind; but the best way to
keep them off is to get the word of God in your head and heart instead
of under it, and keep the commandments, which is far better than to
depend on putting it under your head.
It was likely it was the same three devils or evil spirits that
troubled William Meeks while he lived in Nauvoo. They would trouble
him in the day time. They came to trouble him one morning about ten
o'clock. He saw them coming and said to his wife, "Send for Uncle, for
those devils are coming." She said, "Uncle is far from home
(doctoring) this time a day." "Send for John Henderson (who lives
close by)." One of the devils said, "What good can he do, he chews
tobacco (they told me themselves)." I do not remember whether they
sent for me at that time, but they did frequently send for me and they
would leave the house before I got there. So you can see that those
who do not keep the Word of Wisdom do not have the same power over
evil spirits as those who keep it. We therefore see the necessity of
keeping the Word of Wisdom.
Witchcraft1--After
I settled in Parowan some time, I went to the city. I inquired for
some boy who needed a home, as I needed one, but did not make a raise
of one. Sometime after I got home President Daniel H. Wells sent a boy
to me by the name of Wm. Titt, some twelve or fourteen years of age.
He was born a natural seer, but no knowledge of the fact was had until
after he came to live with me, that I ever knew of. Seer stones, or
peepstones, as they are more commonly called, was very plenty about
Parowan, I rather being a gifted person in knowing a peepstone when
seeing one altho I had never found one yet that I could see in.
A seer's stone appears to me to be the connecting link between the
visible and invisible worlds. I am not prepared to say to what extent
discoveries may be made in the invisible world through these means,
but I am prepared to say that truthful discoveries, (I am fully
convinced), have been made by those means on certain conditions. It is
not safe to depend on peepstone in any case where evil spirits have
the power to put false appearances before them while looking in a
peepstone. If evil influences will not interfere, the verdict will be
as true as preaching. That is my experience in the matter; also the
Patriarch, Hiram Smith, the brother of the Prophet Joseph Smith, held
the same idea, but stated that our faith was not strong enough to
overcome the evil influences that might interfere, but seemed to think
that time would come. I have seen peepstones as well polished as a
fiddle with a nice hole through one end that belonged to the ancients.
I asked Brother Smith the use for that hole; he said the same as a
watch chain to keep from losing it. He said in time of war the
Nephites had the advantage of their enemies by looking in the
seerstone which would reveal whatever they wished to know. (I believe
a peepstone is of the same piece with the Urim and Thummim, if we
understood it.)
Now this Wm. Titt was the best seer in peep-stones I ever was
acquainted with. He was a good boy but was full of youthful
peculiarities like other youngsters. No particular bad habits for a
boy having a stepmother that he could not live with, and I believe
that Satan and his gang saw the danger his kingdom would be in through
Win. Titt and the peepstone that they did their best to destroy him;
and they told him if it had not been for that old Meeks they would
have destroyed him, but told Wm. Titt that they could do nothing with
old Meeks. (Wm. Titt told me what they said about me.)
Now for those foul spirits and witches; what is the difference
between them? Foul spirits are disembodied witches living in the
flesh. Do they have power over human beings? They certainly do, every
pain, ache or misery we endure is attended by a spirit of affliction
and that spirit is intelligence; hence the propriety of laying on
hands and rebuking it in the name of Jesus, which would be supreme
foolishness if it were not intelligent. But those kind of spirits
frequently retorts on them that tried to cast them out, by saying
audibly through the one that is possessed; "And what good can you do;
you chew tobacco;" and this very expression opens a field for
influences which we should profit by, if we don't stand in our own
light. If chewing tobacco weakened his power over that spirit why not
every infringement on the Word of Wisdom, or every other evil
committed against the principles of the gospel have the same effect?
It is certainly fair reasoning. Those kind of spirits work mostly
on the mental functions instead of the physical functions but affect
the physical system unto death sometimes by tormenting the spirit of
the person. I have myself been victimized by those spirits tormenting
my spirit; and today I believe I was in a few hours of being killed by
them, had I not received instructions by a Heavenly messenger just in
time to save my life. I had just lay down for the last time as I
thought (and think so yet) had it not been for the instructions I just
received of that messenger. He told me to put the Doctrine and
Covenants or the Book of Mormon under my head, and not consent to them
and they could have no power over you. They have never had power to
afflict me in that way since. Altho they came almost immediately on my
receiving the instructions, but they went away faster than they came.
Now a witch is a female and a wizard a male, a live human. But all
of a piece with the disembodied foul spirits only in different
conditions. I don't like to say much about witches as there is perhaps
no subject that will agitate the public mind to the same degree of
enthusiasm as that will, no doubt. But much innocent suffering has
been inflicted upon persons who knew nothing of the art. But such do
and will exist on the earth as long as Satan is not bound. As far back
as 1814 in the state of Indiana I lived close neighbor to a woman who
was said to be a witch; and lived neighbor to her for several years.
In my acquaintance with her she was charged several times with
witchery and it appeared that the people thought that I was gifted in
working against witchery, whether the knowledge I had was innate or
acquired I am hardly prepared to say. But the business seemed to come
handy. I was engaged away from home. When I returned they said that
Anna Meeks was bewitched by that woman. Anna was my brother's wife and
we all lived in the same building. Anna was strangely worked upon
without a doubt. She said that she could see the witch in the house
and tried to show her to us, but we could see nothing of her. Anna
said that the witch was trying to choke her to death with putting pins
in her mouth. We could see no pins but the blood was seen oozing out
of the holes where the pins would stick in the roof of her mouth.
She was desperately tormented in different ways. She would
sometimes swoon away like asleep on her back with her hands extended
each way. We would put a piece of silver easy in her hand and she
would flounce like it was fire, but when we put lead in her hand the
same way she would not notice it at all. Several other things
pertaining to this circumstance might be related, but I don't like to
talk about it. But we got, the enchantment broke at the expense of
several weeks confinement in the bed of the witch, but she did not die
and Anna got well also.
Several years later I had a brother who loved to hunt racoons who
had a dog that would track them up while the frost was melting in the
day time where the coons had gone in the night. One morning he called
up Drummer to go hunting. Drummer loved the business as well as his
master, but before starting, the dog took a fit; he fell down, drew
himself up and tumbled all over and rolled up his eyes and could not
go. As soon as it was too late the dog was well as ever. My brother
Charles told me the circumstances. I said to him the dog is bewitched
and the next time he does you cut off his ear and throw it in the
fire; and don't you let a thing go out of your house that day to
anybody.
So he did the next time the dog had a fit, and when the dog's ear
was burning, here comes the witch on a gallop on a stud horse to the
gate and says to Charles, "My husband is very sick and I want to get a
little honey to make some medicine for him." Charles without thought
gave her the honey and never thought once what he was doing until the
woman was a good ways off going on the gallop. But it cured the dog
and the woman was said to be at a quilting next day with a blister on
her seat as large as the palm of the hand, and she had to sit on a
pillow. But she said that it was caused by her ride after the honey.
Now it appears the witches work their craft through or in the blood
of the one possessed, and by putting their blood in the fire it
punishes the witch; and by putting their water into a vial or bottle
and putting it where it will evaporate by the heat of the fire it is
said that as long as the process is going on the witch can't make
water; and I think it is a very good practice for mothers to hold out
their children to make water in the fire when convenient; and a word
to the wise is sufficient; and I don't feel like trusting public
sentiment with much more of my experience in combating the evil
influence of evil spirits with the human family because of the
enthusiasm they are likely to run into on such subjects, but hope they
act wisely on what I have said.
Now in 1848 the [Salt Lake] valley from a human standpoint
presented nothing better than extreme suffering if not starvation. The
Saints were scattered hither and thither. Some went back to the States
and some to California while the mass of the people were eating
whatever they could get. Some eating hides off of cattle some eating
blood, some eating wolf, hawk and crow. Some eating flesh of cattle
that had been dead sometime. And while all this was going on it looked
like there was a splendid chance for going naked.
A New Wife.--Several years after I moved to Parowan I went
back to the city; I took my daughter, Peggy Jane, a young woman, with
me, and when I started from home my wife said, "Don't you come back
without another wife." That put me to studying for she never talked
that way before; so the more I studied about it the more I was
determined to try and get another wife. So when I arrived at Brother
John Dalton's who had charge of the Church Farm four miles south of
the city, I left my team there so as to have no encumbrance at the
city. We went to Brother Free's in the city, an old acquaintance of
ours. I told them there that I intended to get a hand-cart girl to go
home with me. They appeared very anxious that I should get one. Sister
Free told me she knew of one who had no relations there and it would
suit her the best kind. There was a woman then present said she knew
her in England and said she was twenty-four years old and as good a
woman as ever was. Now I was very much elated at the prospect. I would
not have sold my chance for a considerable amount. I never felt more
sure of anything in my life that I did not have hold of.
I found out where she stayed and away I went as full of imagination
as the milkmaid we read of in the spelling book. I found the place and
stopped outside the gate and spoke to a young woman on the porch and
asked her, "Are you Hannah Virgil?" "No, sir," she said; said I, "Does
she stop here?" "Yes, sir, but she is not at home." I said, "Are you a
hand-cart girl?" "Yes, sir," she said. "Well, I am looking for a
hand-cart girl to go home with me; maybe it will suit you to go with
me." She said, "I am engaged, or I would." That moment she said,
"Yonder comes Hannah Virgil--now." And when she walked up and spoke to
me and I saw her countenance, there was a monitory impulse struck me
with such force it seemed as powerful on my feelings as the command of
a superior officer when he would with a stern voice say "No."
Here now the fat was all in the fire; my feelings I cannot well
describe, if I were to try. I left quickly, badly whipped without
saying a word to the girl on the subject. I went straightway to
President John Young where I was in high repute for letting him have
the ox on the plains, he having taken Sarah McCleave to wife, oldest
sister of Mary Jane, two years previous to Mary Jane's arrival in the
hand carts. She says to me, "Brother Meeks go out to the Church Farm
and get your team and harness it to Mr. Young's carriage, he himself
not being at home, and Aunt Mary and I will go with you to see Mary
Jane; it may be that she will go with you."
I had told them that I was going to start home in the morning for I
did not think it worth while to try any longer. I was ashamed to tell
them anything about Hannah Virgil, I felt so mean. However I went to
the Church Farm and got my team and harnessed it to the carriage. "How
far is it to where Mary Jane lives?" I asked. I knew that the Warm
Springs was only a mile and a half from Brother Young's. I thought we
could soon get back. When we reached the Warm Springs, I says, "Where
does Mary Jane live now?" "Oh, it is down by the Hot Springs, six
miles farther."
If I had known that in time, I never should have started. It was
now late in the evening and I intended starting home in the morning;
but as I had started I must stick with them, but felt disappointed.
When we arrived at Hot Springs the sun was just going down. "Now,
where is the house?" said I. She pointed away down under the fading
sun two miles farther to a little log cabin where she said her sister
lived. I felt vexed but could not turn back now. We drove up close to
the house and found Mary Jane on her "all-fours" scouring the floor.
When the dog barked she looked up and saw and knew Brother Young's
carriage, Sister Young, her sister, Sarah, with a strange man dressed
precisely, as she saw all this in a vision shown to her about three
nights before when she knelt down in the dark when all were in bed and
asked the Lord what she ought to do, because she was teased so much
about marrying. In the vision she was told that was the man she must
go home with. So when she saw me in the carriage she knew that was the
man for her. We went into the house of Brother Levi Gifford, where she
lived. I was well acquainted with the whole family and good family of
people, too.
Sarah did not sit down but took Mary Jane out of doors and told her
I had come for her, and sent a runner to tell me to come out there. I
started and met Aunt Mary Young coming post haste after me. She spoke
very animatedly saying: "Mary Jane says she will go with you," and we
had not spoken to each other yet, neither had we seen each other's
faces. The trial I had when I met Hannah Virgil was nothing to what
this was. They told her I had come for her and she said she would go.
Now, if that monitory impulse strikes me with the same power saying
"No," what will I do. Can I stand it, or will I have to wilt and
wither under this, the hardest trial I had ever met with in my life?
(O Lord help.) That instant it was manifest to me to just see her
countenance and I would know what I ought to do. But that did not
assure me that I would be inspired to take her, and to refuse, it
would bring an everlasting stigma that would last through life and I
thought very justly, too.
I went out to where they were, the sun being down. The red clouds
in the West were all that gave light. I thought if I could see her
countenance by the light of the red clouds I would know what to do;
and when I was introduced and shook hands with her I was right in the
light. I stepped one side to let the light shine in her face. Peace
sprung up in my troubled soul with a hearty relish for the words,
"Yes, take her." It put me in mind of the poet when he said "No tongue
can express the sweet comfort and peace of a soul in its earliest
love."
I then told Mary Jane it was just right and we all went back in the
house. And when Brother Gifford learned that she was going home with
me he was out of humor and talked very strongly against me by way of
insinuations and said, "Mary Jane if you knew Brother Meeks as well as
I do you would not be so willing to go with him; I know Meeks," he
said. "Well," said Sister Gifford, "Old man, you don't know any harm
of him, do you?" "No, I don't," he said. The fact was he wanted Mary
Jane himself and both his boys wanted her. The three were so
disappointed that they were as cross to her as a wet hen. One of them
said "If you are going with that man I want that ring of mine you
have." She pulled it off and gave it to him, saying, "I don't want
your ring." So we put out into the carriage, dark as it was, and went
up to President Young's and in the morning she was sealed to me, it
being the 12th day of November, 1856; and the next day we started
home....And if there was ever a match consummated by the providences
of God this was one; and she has borne me ten children, and if
anything they were above the average of smartness, all well formed and
intelligent. I have often said if I had picked the Territory I could
not have suited myself as well as in Mary Jane. So I give God the
glory while I receive the blessings and an exaltation through the
lineage of her posterity; so you can see how the Lord had his eye on
Mary Jane from the beginning of this narrative; at any rate clear down
until now. She has four grandchildren and a likelihood of having many
more, and a nicer and smarter woman no man need to want.
*Priddy Meeks (1795-1886), pioneer and "healer" for the Church, was
living in Illinois when he and his family "received the Gospel." He
moved his wife and children to Nauvoo, and then, as part of the great
exodus, to Salt Lake Valley in 1847. In 1851 he volunteered to move to
Iron County to strengthen the failing community of Parowan. Ten years
later he joined the saints at Orderville, where he lived for over
twenty-five years until his death. His journal provides rich insight
into the spirit of pioneer life. This selection, from The Utah
Historical Quarterly, volume ten, was originally published with
the permission of Dr. Meeks' daughter, Mrs. Mary Ellen Hoyt.
1. This journal is one of the very few documents available to
American history which faithfully reflects the American folklore of
the early 19th century. Ideas on witchcraft and devil-possession,
engagingly chronicled by Dr. Meeks, were widespread among the American
folk of his time, and are by no means dead today.
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