JAMES STAPLETON LEWIS
1814 - 1901
Taken from His Journal and Other Family Records
Published by His Great Grandson, Leland R. Lewis
September 19, 1991
5
Introduction
My great grandfather, James Stapleton Lewis, was a prolific writer. He kept extensive journals. Unfortunately, for us, after his death, they were not kept together, but were separated with the different books going to different relatives. Given the technology of the day, this was probably the best decision. If they had the means of photocopies, or computers as we do today, however, I'm sure that what he penned would have been carefully reproduced several times, computerized, and then published to his posterity.
He was a faithful stalwart of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and did his duty in keeping a journal. The fact that not all of the books are today available is lamentable, but they are not lost forever as there is a millennium during which all of the records will be opened up. Meanwhile, we'll use what we have. It's most fortunate that there has been some preservation of the record. It's magnificent.
Because he wrote about things important to him, I want to learn more about him. At some point, I'll meet him. When that happens, there will be no need for journals or computers or words in print. Until then, we'll have to be content with what there is.
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TESTIMONY OF THE PROPHET
JOSEPH SMITH
From Original Handwriting
Of James Stapleton Lewis
Dated April 11, 1871
From the James Stapleton Lewis Journal[1]
Being called on to lecture on the life of Joseph Smith, the Seer of the last days, and being unable through illness to do so, [I] have thought proper to pen a few items of interest in relation to the subject. To follow his persecutions and trials through life I do not propose to do because if he was present here now, he would not refer to them at all for they have only ripened him into that fullness of nobility which he afterwards attained to.
I, James Stapleton Lewis, here in this place, Albion Ward of the Cassia Stake of Zion, and at this time, April the 11, 1891 do testify of my own accord that such a man as Joseph Smith did live. I have seen his face and have heard his voice and do know whereof I speak, and furthermore that he was what he professed to be, an instrument in the hand of God to lay the foundation of and only bring to pass righteousness upon the face of the earth.
It would seem that the bringing forth of the Book of Mormon which gave an account of the rise and fall of two powerful nations a history letter so unknown to the world and out of their search to obtain also containing the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ to the gentiles and also to the Jews together with a complete key to all the disputed points of his doctrine contained in the Bible and proving that the Holy scriptures are true and that the Lord is the same yesterday, today, and forever, and that the gospel is the same on one continent that it is on another throwing a flood of light upon the world, some would think such an important work would be enough for one generation to produce, but not so with the Prophet Joseph Smith.
He saw the world without a single individual who was authorized to administer in any of the ordinances of the gospel. He therefore sought and obtained the proper authority to baptize for the remission of sins through the agency of John the Baptist who was sent to confer the keys of the Priesthood of Aaron upon him.
Now if the Christian clergy only knew certain that they had the authority of John the Baptist, they would think they could come and go to heaven as they pleased and transact most of the business after they get their, not so with the Prophet Joseph Smith. He knew that the Priesthood of Aaron was only a fore comer of a greater dispensation; therefore he sought for that greater dispensation which he obtained from Peter, James and John who held the keys thereof by which he received power to bestow the Holy Ghost on all those he said his hands on for that purpose. While in his father's house, the Angel Moroni said, "Behold I will reveal unto you the Priesthood by the hand of Elijah the prophet before the great and dreadful day of the Lord and he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers if it were not so the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming." This was on the 21st of September 1823.
Now, Jesus Christ removed the bar between Adam and the children of men caused by the fall of our first parents without which no man could ever return to God from whence they came, and this was accomplished by the giving of his own life and the shedding of his own blood.
But now there is another barrier as formidable as was the fall of Adam and its consequence is the same. Now this bar to a return to our Father is our own sins. There again we come to the mission of Joseph Smith, the prophet.
Formidable as the barrier is, it seems to be [two unreadable words which appear to be "his let"] and the object of his mission to remove it an with this object in view, he obtained permission and power from John the Baptist to baptize for the remission of sins. Now this relates to all that now live and to all that ever has lived because all have sinned. Although this knowledge may have been revealed many times over in the beginning of this dispensation when God called from the heavens among all the sons of men, there was none to answer but Joseph Smith alone hence from him to us has come the knowledge and authority to act.
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Hyrum S. Lewis' Comments[2]
From June 1st 1875 until the death of James Stapleton Lewis in 1900,[3] his life, his works, and accomplishments will never be written. Neither will it be known until that other book is opened, which is the book of life, and from those things written we may pursue with learning and profit. It required work, earnest work to reclaim the desert and make a home in a sage brush plain. It was fenced with poles hauled from the mountains for protection and guarded against thousands of cattle grazing on the hills and eager to graze in the field. Every foot of land required work before it was of any value to the homesteader.
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The James Stapleton Lewis Journal[4]
This thin volume is a remnant of the Journal of James Stapleton Lewis. It is offered in love to the descendants of James S. and Anna Jones Lewis and Mary Swenson Lewis by their nine living grandchildren: Sarah Harper Holmes, Ella Harper Fishburn, Eola Lewis Fisher, Camilla Lewis Bronson, Leroy Lewis. Oleen Lewis, Wayne Lewis, Reed Lewis, and Clara Lewis Hall.
We do not know positively when James S. began writing his Journal, but by the evidence we have, we assume it was about the year 1829, as that is the earliest date we find. The latest date is 1900. We thus conclude, he wrote over a period of about 70 years.
The books available to us are three ledgers, one smaller book marked "Family History", one larger ledger well filled in pages of narrative and many of records. These records consist of names and addresses of people who James S. wanted to keep in touch [with]. Most of the names are marked with relationship added. Many pages are filled with temple records; some are complete with baptisms, endowments, and sealings; some only partly finished, and some have not been done at all. These names are the kindred of James S. and of his wives, Anna and Mary.
As we read, we remember that these three good Mormons are the only ones of either of their families who joined the church and the only ones who could do temple work for their dead kindred. We also remember that many of those whose names and addresses are in these books were still living in 1900; none of them ever came west.
There are many pages of the writings of James S. Lewis. These may be found in the homes of his grandchildren and great grandchildren. They consist of letters, articles, testimonies, experiences, incidents in church history, stories of the mobbings, and persecution of the saints and of his early life and of his life as a pioneer in Utah and other states. James S. was a good writer; his penmanship was very good; he had a wonderful power of description and comparison; he was a good narrator and used a style and charm all his own in his narratives and stories. James S. was a philosopher; and many are the priceless words of wisdom he has written for his beloved posterity.
There were periods of peace and plenty in the household of James S. - times when he owned much property and had plenty of money. There were other times when they had no home and sometimes only a covered wagon provided shelter from weather, wild animals and Indians. In the early days in Utah, James watched his family through a famine and saw them subsist on pigweed greens, thistles and the roots of sego. We would like to give some evidence of his philosophy in his own words: "We can thank our Heavenly Father that we were never poor, for we always owned the Pearl of Great Price (the Gospel of Jesus Christ)."
James S. was an aristocrat in the truest sense of the word. He was tall - 6 feet in height, but he seemed much taller because he held his head so high and walked in such pride and dignity. He left these words to his children: "Always appear at your very best. Nothing less that your best is ever good enough."
He was robbed of his homes and property by mobs, sponsored by the high officials of sovereign states of which he was a solid citizen. In his stories of these trying days we read this hear-breaking fact: it was not the loss of his property or money that offended his finer feelings, it was the humiliation of being driven like a criminal from state after state by a lawless mob, protected by those who had sworn to uphold the laws and the rights of the people of the states. But in all the mobbing and driving and beatings by his enemies, the head of James S. many have been bloody, but it remained unbowed. He has said in his writings, "I could be led by a cobweb, but you couldn't drive me with a sledge hammer."
James S. was a very good conversationalist and always used the best English he knew...even if he was conversing with young children; and we never knew of him using a word that could not have been used in the most polite society or in church.
James S. was a poet. We have a copy of two of his poems and feel sure there were many other written. He loved the scriptures and arose at 4:00 a.m. in summer and winter and read the Standard Works of the Church and Church History for two hours before the family awoke.
He loved good singing and sang well himself. His best loved hymn was "Sweet is the Work, My God, My King" by Isaac Watts.
James Stapleton Lewis died in May, 1901. On his death bed, surrounded by his family of 4 sons and 1 daughter, he gave his dying statement, which was recorded. He arranged his funeral service, choosing the songs he wished sung and those whom he wished to speak, but he was careful to add this, "Let the Bishop arrange and approve of these services. I have always lived under the authority of my Bishop." He chose the pall bearers by saying, "My four sons and two grandsons." Then, fearing hurt feelings might arise in regard to which two grandsons, he said, "Let my brethren of the Priesthood carry me to my last resting place. I don't want a shadow of complaint.
He asked that his daughter, Rachel, and his daughters-in-law make his burial clothes and asked that he see them. He asked that his son, Alva, make his casket and bring it to his bedside that he might see and feel it. He lived several days after making this statement and everything was arranged to his complete satisfaction.
James S. is buried in the southeast corner of his homestead at Albion, Idaho, beside his wife, Mary Swenson Lewis, and near several grandchildren and great grandchildren. This spot of ground is the LDS Albion Ward Cemetery.
Soon after the death of James S., his precious books - including his handwritten Journal - were divided among his four sons and his daughter. We do not know how many books of handwriting there were or which son or daughter received the Journal first. Reason tells us there must have been several ledgers filled with the writing of 70 years' time. We conclude that the several books of the Journal were probably divided among five children or, possible, all books placed in the home of one child. We know that the Journal was in five different homes at different times in the 60 years since the death of James S. Lewis in 1901.
All of the children of James S. have passed away, as also have 31 of his 40 grandchildren [by December 1987 only Oleen Lewis is known to still be alive.]. In September of 1964, a representative group of the living grandchildren met by appointment at the home of Wayne O. Lewis at Declo, Idaho and discussed ways and means as to what we shall do with grandfather James S. Lewis's Journal. The three ledgers, herein mentioned, are all we can find. These books had been carefully kept by Uncle Hyrum S. Lewis (youngest son of James S. and father of Wayne O.) and were in his home at the time of his death [April, 1955]. It was decided at this meeting to have the narrative of the Journal copied and mimeographed and made available to the descendants of James S., Anna Jones, and Mary Swenson and call it, "The Remnant of the Journal of James Stapleton Lewis."
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Biography of James Stapleton Lewis
James Stapleton Lewis was born in Bellbrook, Greene County, Ohio on 22 February 1814, the son of Joel Lewis, Sr. and Rachel Stapleton.