I was a member of the Relief Society in Nauvoo. I was there once when the Prophet Joseph preached. He said he stood at the head of the Church and that they were to counsel with him. When the Prophet was martyred a strange quiet settled down so oppressive, deep and gloomy, so strange, almost like you could feel it with your hands. We could not just watch and wait. We knew the prophet well.
(The following is told by Mary Maud Miller Cook: "I heard Grandmother tell many times of attending the meeting when the Prophet's mantle descended on President Brigham Young, 27 December 1847, and he spoke with Joseph's voice. There were 1000 saints assembled in conference at Council Bluffs, in the Tabernacle with Grandfather Henry Miller helped build. Grandmother is nearly 89 years old, enjoys good health, and her eyesight is remarkably good. She can read for hours without aid of glasses, and also knits thread lace without her glasses. She has enjoyed many manifestations of a spiritual nature, and it is a pleasure to be in her society. She is gentle and patient. Never complains at anything. She has accomplished greatly, and now as the eve of her life approaches, she awaits the call to the spirit world and looks forward to it as a tired child to her homecoming.")
A manifestation received by Elmira Pond Miller: "I, Elmira Pond Miller, will tell what I have seen and heard. I was at my daughter Ruth's home at Hyrum, Cache County, Utah, in the early part of May 1899. I had just lain down on the bed. As it was beginning to get dark, there appeared lines of writing upon the wall at the head of the bed. Along the lines were round spots of the color of amber, which seemed to give light to the writing, without which I could not have seen to read the words that were portrayed on the wall.
"I will give a sketch of what was shown me in the writing. There were many things mentioned that took place before my husband's death, which had occurred some three and a half years previous. I will relate it as nearly as possible in his own words.He said,
"They cam and took me away and left you a widow. I am very lonesome without you. The other brothers have their wives with them. You have always been a good wife to me, but I have been of a hasty temper and have not controlled it as I should have done while in the flesh. I am now willing to make amends for the past that, when you come, we may begin as we did in the days of our youth and go on until we are called higher. I have sent up a petition asking leave to come for you. I think if you are as lonesome without me as I am without you, you will be willing to come. I will not tell you in what way I will come for you, but you will behold the Chariot of Israel and horsemen there. I want you to be buried by my side, if there is room."
"I want you to see Jacob (meaning Jacob Miller) and have the ordinance attended to, sealing me to my father. I want you to do what work you can in the Logan Temple. I think if you are as anxious as you were to do the work in the St. George Temple, you will do all you can. The work you did in the St. George Temple has greatly enhanced my happiness in the spirit world. I want you to do the work for your sisters, Anne and Hulda and have them sealed to their husbands and have their little ones sealed to them. I have come tonight to talk to you, I will come again to hear you talk. Cheer up, great things await you. You are of the blood of Ephriam, and shall receive your inheritance with the tribe of Ephriam."
"It is very essential that we should do the work for our dead, but we are apt to be careless about it. We are going into the United Order here. Our daughter, Ruth's daughter will come soon, there will be more changes before a great while. I will not tell any more at this time. Your children have come to see you but you can not see us unless the veil is taken away."
"The deed that was made for the house and lot is no mistake at all. I thought you would not care as you would not come there to live any more. I wished to keep the other lot and barn together. I wish you would write to my children and see how they are getting along. I bid you good night and pleasant dreams."
When it comes to the deeding of the house and lot mentioned, I heard my husband's voice in a loud whisper, telling me to read. The sound came from the writing on the wall. Ruth's daughter was sick at the time and died about two weeks after the manifestation. I wish to testify that what I saw and heard was when I was wide awake and in my right mind. In fact, I had not been asleep.
I was born in the state of Ohio, Washington County, on the 14th of February 1811, the daughter of Thaddeus and Lovisa Miner Pond. They had eleven children, I being the eighth. Father did not belong to any church. My mother was a Methodist, also my two sisters and one brother. I was religiously inclined. In my young days I read the New Testament often and many times wished that I had lived in the days of Christ and his Apostles and often wondered why the same gifts and blessings were not in any of the churches. We were told that they were no longer needed, and that seemed a mystery to me. My desire was so great to prepare for a future state that I made up my mind to unite with the Methodist Church, that was in the year 1827. In 1829 we moved to Adams County, Illinois. From that time I was not a member of the Methodist Church. I found that I could not believe as they did. I did not believe in shouting nor calling out "Amen" before a prayer was finished. I believed that God was a person, as I had read in the New Testament, that Christ was in the exact image of His Father. I had a great anxiety to find something that would satisfy my mind; I was sometimes impressed with the hope that greater light would come and it was my sincere prayer that I would be prepared to receive it.
On the 19th day of June 18341, I was married to Henry William Miller. He was not religiously inclined, but I believed he was the one for me, for I loved him the first time I met him. I began housekeeping at Quincy. We had one child born there. We then moved on a farm about 18 miles from Quincy where two more children were born. Then we moved to the Steam Flour Mills about 10 miles from Columbus. Our eldest son was born here on the 22nd of December 1838. In 1839 I heard the first true gospel sermon I had ever heard in my life. It was delivered by Elder Able Lamb. I received it with joy. I could not express my gratitude to my Heavenly Father for sparing my life and giving me the opportunity of hearing the same Gospel taught by Christ and his Apostles. Some of the families of the Latter-day Saints settled near us after they were driven from Missouri. Brother Lamb held meetings at our house. After having a few meetings he gave an invitation for baptism. I was one of the first to accept. He said he did not like to baptize me as my husband was then at home, he wanted me to wait until the next meeting which would be held in two weeks and he promised that my husband would be ready to be baptized at that time. I did not like to wait, but did as he desired and the promise he made was fulfilled as we were both baptized at the next meeting. This was about the middle of September 1839. The gospel was so plain, I could not believe that my relatives would reject it, but only three of my sisters believed, one of them did not join the church because her husband refused to let her be baptized.
Soon after I became a member of the church the Adversary tried to make me believe that I had not received the Holy Ghost. I was tried and troubled in my feelings for several days. I finally sought the Lord for a witness, and prayed for the Gift of Tongues. When I arose from prayer, I commenced speaking in Tongues. I felt thankful to my Heavenly Father for so precious a gift. Soon after I was tempted to believe that it was not a language, there were so few words in it. I then asked for another language, and not withstanding my unbelief the Lord gave me another. This through His help I have been able to keep until the present. I feel to bear my testimony to this work. I know it is the true Church, the only one the Lord has on earth and whatever I may have to pass through, I never can doubt it. This knowledge I received, not only by those appointed to lead, but by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit which is a sure guide. I have many testimonies to bear. I have seen the sick healed by the laying on of hands and the prayer of faith, and have been healed myself, and so have my children. One of my sisters was healed by shaking hands with Hyrum Smith. She had a burning fever, and the moment he took hold of her hand, it left her entirely. THis was before she was baptized although she was thoroughly converted. She was baptized soon after and was a faithful member until her death.
In the spring of 1841 we moved to Nauvoo. Some of the brethren were receiving the work of the Lord concerning their property. I was very anxious to know what the Lord wished my husband to do with his. Brother Joseph inquired concerning him and others, and was told to take shares in the Nauvoo House. He then gave the committee $40000.00. I was as willing as he to have him do so. We had been prospered ever since our marriage, and this was a call for some of the means that the Lord had given us. In the fall of 1842, on the 22nd of September, my husband was called to take a company of men and go up the Black River to get out lumber for the Temple. He took his family with him. The company went up the river in a boat. The river froze over, and they were obliged to leave most of their provisions until spring. We went the rest of the way with ox team, the snow was about two feet deep. The men had to walk ahead to break the road. At night they had to shovel off the snow to make the beds. There were fifteen of us in the sled. We had five children at this time, the youngest being a little over a year old. Before spring opened our provisions gave out and we had only potatoes and salt for several weeks. It would have been a great trial to me to hear my children cry for bread and have none to give them, but I was spared that, for the Lord over-ruled their minds insomuch that when told we had no bread and no flour to make any they did not even ask for it. The baby was only fourteen months old, but when the flour came he could not wait for it to be baked, but wanted a piece of dough. One of our daughters never ate a potato before in her life, and when she came to the table, she would look so sorrowful but never uttered a word of complaint. I cooked for part of the men. We were there ten months and then moved back to Nauvoo. We did not stay in Nauvoo very long, but moved to Daniel's place four miles from Carthage. We were there when Joseph and Hyrum were shot, but did not hear of it until the next morning. I could not describe my feelings at that time. It had not entered into my mind that our enemies would be suffered to take the life of our Prophet. It seemed a dark day for us to be left without a leader, but when Brother Brigham returned and spoke to the saints it was plainly manifest that the same spirit rested on him that was on Brother Joseph. While living here four miles from Carthage, our daughter Freelove was born on the 24th of July 1845.
When the saints houses were being burned we could see the light from several of them while they were burning. We heard they had a night set to come and burn Daniel's, and the men thought it best to make some preparations in case they came. They filled two large chests with clothing and took them out of the house then sent work to them that they were ready for them. They did not come. That fall we moved again to Nauvoo. In 1846 we left with a company to come to this valley. Before we left, we had the pleasure of going to the Temple and receiving our endowments. When we came away we left a two story brick house all ready furnished. There was no chance to sell anything. We were about three months on the way to Council Bluffs. In the spring of 1847 another son was born at Council Bluffs. We named him Hyrum S. The next season Daniel and family continued their journey toward the valley. Brother Brigham counciled my husband to stay at the Bluffs and raise corn to help supply the brethren who were coming into the valley with bread stuff. It was a great country for corn and seemed a great help to others as well as ourselves. When Brother Hyrum's wife came through Brother Miller told her to come and get what corn she needed to take her through, and she came and stayed all night and helped to shell the corn. In the morning when she went to take her departure she said "Well, Brother Miller, I haven't anything to pay you with except Hyrum's blessing, and that you shall have." Four children were born while we lived at Council Bluffs, and one died there. In the summer of 1852 we crossed the plains. We had a hard time making a new home, but was prospered and was soon in the way to be comfortable again. We were so glad to think that we had gone so far from our enemies and thought we would be unmolested here. In 1855 my husband was called to take a mission to the Cherokee nation. I found it quite a task to have the care of a large family alone, but I did not complain. He was gone two years and a half. In 1857 the Army was sent from the states to drive the Mormons out of the valley. We were again tried to see if we would obey council. In 1858 we were told to leave our home and move south. We knew not where, but we cheerfully obeyed our leader and went until told to camp. We stayed about six weeks until peace was restored and when the word came "Return to your homes." We all rejoiced to hear the good news and I felt to thank the Lord for his kindness to us.
In 1862 my husband married another wife, this was not according to my natural feeling, but I was willing for the Gospel's sake to make the sacrifice and gave my consent. She had five children four sons and one daughter. In 1864 my husband was called to go south and settle. He took his other wife with him. In 1866, myself and family went. We then settled in St. George, as the first place he settled it was washed out with high water. In 1869, we commenced doing work in the endowment house at Salt Lake City for our dead that they did not have the privilege of doing for themselves while in the flesh. In 1877, the Temple was completed at St. George and we again commenced the work for the dead. From that time until 1885, we did what work we could. My husband's health had been poor for two years past, and we thought it best to go north on a visit to our children, hoping a change of climate would help him, but in this we were disappointed. We left St. George toward the last of May. He lived until the 9th of October 1885 when he died and was buried at Farmington. Since that time I have lived with my children and grand-children and have received the kindest of treatment. My posterity is as follows: 11 children, 99 grandchildren, 183 great-grandchildren, and one great-great grandchild. Out of this number are dead 5 children, 21 grandchildren, 23 great grandchildren, one great-great grandchild.
(Note by Ella Campbell: Grandmother is now nearly 89 years old, enjoys good health, her eyesight is remarkably good, can read for hours without the aid of glasses, also knits thread lace without her glasses on. She has enjoyed many manifestation of a spiritual nature and it is a pleasure to be in her society. She is so gentle and patient, never complains at anything. She has accomplished a great work and now as the eve of her life approaches she awaits the call to the spirit world and looks forward to it as a tired child to her homecoming.)
(Elmira Pond Miller died at Syracuse, Utah, September 3, 1904 and was buried at Farmington, Utah)