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Jeremy, Thomas Evans 1815 - 1891 |
Jeremy, Thomas Evans, a Patriarch in the Salt Lake Stake of Zion, was born in the parish of Llanegwad, Caermarthenshire, South Wales, July 11, 1815. He was raised on a farm and received a tolerable good education. After his marriage he joined the Baptist denomination, but believed the principles of "Mormonism" from the time he first heard them proclaimed. March 3, 1846, he was baptized by Elder Dan. Jones, he being one of the first who, embraced the fulness of the gospel in Wales.
On the evening of the day of his baptism he was ordained to the office of a Priest and soon afterwards, when the Llanybyther branch of the Church was organized, he was appointed to prelude over the same. By his continued efforts, being assisted also by other Elders, four new branches were raised up in the immediate neighborhood of where he resided. At that time Elder Jeremy lived on a large farm, which he had rented from a rich landowner, the same as others in the same neighborhood. This landowner, who was an enemy to the "Mormons," became very angry when he heard that Thomas E. Jeremy had united himself with them, and furthermore was spreading the doctrines of his creed among his other renters.
On one occasion when Elder Jeremy brought him the half-yearly rent, this man commenced to abuse him and finally broke out in a passion, saying, "Thee damned night-dippers (meaning the 'Mormons') will lead you down to hell." Bro. Jeremy, in his usual calm and conservative manner, told him in reply that although he knew his duty to his landlord, and would do what was right to him, he considered it his privilege to serve God according to his own conscience; and he felt it to be his duty to obey God more than man.
This exasperated the landlord, who commenced to curse and swear, but was immediately seized by a strange but mighty power, which hurled him back in his chair and made him speechless, while he foamed profusely from the mouth, and his limbs were twisted nearly out of shape. He finally lost his reason and never recovered from the attack. On one occasion Elder Jeremy, on his way to attend a conference meeting [p.652] at Myrther Tydfil, South Wales, was crossing a high mountain on a cold stormy day, together with a companion, who, in consequence of the ground being slippery, stumbled and dislocated his ankle.
The young man, whose name was John Rice and had only been a member of the Church a short time, sat down by the road side and wept, they being about seven miles from the nearest house, where they could procure any help. Elder Jeremy explained the ordinance of the laying on of hands to Brother Rice, and promised him that if he had faith he could be healed. He then placed his hands upon the young man's head and commanded in the name of Jesus Christ that everything in his body which had been dislocated should be restored. He was immediately obeyed, and the young man, who was instantly healed, leaped to his feet, shouting for joy, after which the two continued their journey praising the Lord for the miraculous manifestation of His power.
The young man's ankle was as strong and well as before the accident and Elder Jeremy testifies that when he was administering to the young man, he plainly heard the bones in the dislocated ankle click together as if being set by some unseen physical power. On another occasion when Elder Jeremy was shooting at a flock of crows, the barrel of the gun bursted, and one piece of it struck Elder Jeremy with such force in the forehead that he lost consciousness, and it was thought by those who saw him that he could not possibly live. Among the visitors on the occasion was a Baptist minister, who, on seeing him, declared that if he could get well, he would be willing to acknowledge that there must be some extraordinary power connected with him and his people. Through the faith and prayers of the Elders, Brother Jeremy recovered so quickly that he was out preaching to the people the following Sunday, three days after the accident had taken place; one week later he baptized three persons.
The Baptist preacher, however, refused to believe, and when Elder Jeremy exhibited several pieces of bone which had been extracted from the ghastly wound, this disbeliever in miracles wickedly insinuated that Elder Jeremy must have found some sheep bones in his field, and was trying to deceive the people. Elder Jeremy bore the scar from this accident in his forehead to his death, but experienced no inconvenience therefrom after the time he was first healed. These instances are but a few of the many related by Elder Jeremy, who, on account of his unswerving faith and implicit confidence in the promises of God, was the instrument in His hands in healing the sick, casting out devils, speaking in tongues, etc.
The latter gift he enjoyed to a great extent and also, on several occasions, had the gift of interpretation of tongues. In 1849, Elder Jeremy emigrated to Utah, with his family, consisting of his wife and seven children and three other persons (one girl and two young men) that he paid for, crossing the Atlantic in the ship "Buena Vista," which sailed from Liverpool, England, Feb. 25, 1849. In crossing the plains, the company, in which he traveled, was snowed in on the Sweetwater, and before relief could be sent out from the Valley, the emigrants suffered much from cold and hunger. In one night seventy of their cattle died from cold and starvation.
Elder Jeremy located with the Welsh Saints west of the River Jordan, near Salt Lake City, but shortly afterwards settled in the Sixteenth Ward, Salt Lake City, where he resided the remainder of his days. In 1849–52 he presided over the Welsh meetings, which were held weekly in the city during that time. [p.653] These meetings were often visited by some of the Apostles and were generally very spirited and interesting In 1852 Elder Jeremy was called on a mission to his native country. He left home Sept. 16th of that year, and after a severe journey across the plains and a stormy passage over the ocean he arrived in Liverpool, England, Dec. 24, 1852.
He was appointed to preside as pastor over three conferences (Swansea, Llanelly and Caermarthen), and subsequently acted as counselor to Dan Jones, in the presidency of the Welsh Mission. After a successful mission, he returned home with a company of Saints, which sailed from Liverpool, England, in the ship "Chimborazo," April 17, 1855. On the voyage he acted as a counselor to Edward Stevenson, the president of the company. During the few following years Elder Jeremy and family suffered considerably from scarcity of food, the grasshoppers destroying the crops in the valleys of Utah. As long as he had any breadstuff, he divided liberally with his neighbors, and when all was gone, he stood his chance with the rest of the people in subsisting on roots and other things which could sustain life for a time.
At the time of the general reformation in 1856 he took a very active part in preaching to the Welsh Saints and exhorting them to renewed diligence. Later (1857–58), he participated in the expedtion to Echo Canyon, making two trips out in the mountains. On one of these he served as captain of ten and on the other as captain of a company; he suffered considerably from cold and over-exertion, and frequently had to make his bed on three feet of snow. In 1860 he was called on a mission to Europe. He arrived in Liverpool Dec. 12th of that year and was appointed to Preside over the Welsh Mission. While acting in that position for about three years and a half several thousand people joined the Church in Wales. Geo. G. Bywater was his first and David M. Davis his second counselor.
He finally returned home in charge of a large company of Saints, which sailed from Liverpool, on the ship "General M'Clellan" May 21, 1864. In October following he was set part to act as a member of the High Council in the Salt Stake of Zion, a position which he occupied until May, 1887, when he was released with honor because of his advanced years. Soon afterwards he was ordained a Patriarch. In November, 1875, he filled another mission to England, arriving in Liverpool Dec. 1st of that year. He traveled among the branches in Wales, and also attended to some private business; returned home in March, 1876. Elder Jeremy was one of the faithful and true Elders who showed the same noble characteristics in times of prosperity as in times of adversity; he has ever been true to his God and his brethren and friends; his virtues and noble example will be held in honorable remembrance by future generations. Bro. Jeremy died April 17, 1891, in Salt Lake City.
LDS Biographical Encyclopedia, Andrew Jenson, Vol. 2, pp.651-653 |
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