. . . in the morning I held worship after which I went to the office of S. W. Richards to finish paying my transportation money and that night went on board ship to sleep.

31st. In the same place.

February 1 - in the ship and it started out from the dock into the river that night. The second day on the river while my wife was very sick. I held worship morning and evening.

3rd On the river. In the morning I held worship and in the evening the same.

4th In the morning I held worship and at 12 o'clock the ship sailed [p.50] out into the channel with the wind in our favor. That night worshiped.

5th On the channel. We are almost every one seasick and the wind against us. I held worship as far as I can remember.

6th On the channel. Some of us improving but the wind was against us and at 7 o'clock that night we held prayer meeting to pray to our Heavenly Father to turn the wind in our favor and by about 10 o'clock our prayers were answered with the wind in our favor.

7th On the channel with the wind in our favor. In the morning I held worship and in the evening in the Saints I gave testimony of this work. [p.51]

8th On the channel with the wind on our favor. I held worship in the morning in bed and at 7 o'clock in the prayer meeting. We prayed for the sick, the authorities, the honest and our relatives.

9th, 8 a.m. in the prayer meeting with the wind in our favor and by this time we were out in the wide ocean (big) Jeannette beginning to improve a little. At 7 o'clock in the evening in a prayer meeting.

10th In the morning I kept worship and saw rather big fish, at 7 in the evening in a prayer meeting, and that night I dreamt that my brother John was being buried and also John Morgan beside many other things. [p.52]

11th Held my worship.

12th In the morning held worship. The wind was in our favor. At 3 o'clock in a meeting in the stern of the ship. David Lewis and Esther were married. At 7 o'clock in a Saints meeting of the branch.

13th Held worship.

14th I held worship, and in the afternoon we saw the Weston Island (Western Ireland) and the wind was continually in our favor.

15th Held worship. The weather was beginning to get warmer and the wind in our favor.

16th I held worship. In the morning we buried the 19 day old child of William Creep, Salt Lake Valley. [p.53] At 7 o'clock in a meeting of the Saints.

17th Held worship. The wind was in our favor.

18th Held worship.

19th At 8 o'clock I saw a ship sailing behind us. At 11 o'clock in a preaching service in the stern of the ship and at 3 in the same place. At 7 o'clock in a Saints meeting of the branch.

20th The wind and the sea was calm and the ship hardly moved in the morning. At midday the wind turned against. I held worship.

21st The wind in our favor. In the morning Jeannette's nose bled much. At 7 in the Saints meeting. I heard through the gifts that we were being talked of in the cities by the gentiles [p.54] and villages, in the market places and in the fairs, by almost everyone and that our departure had greatly affected the honest souls and our relatives and the many more of them would yet joint the Church. Yes even the rich and that they would bring hundreds of poor Saints out and also that the wicked gentiles said that we had all drowned which caused our relatives a great deal of sorrow. Yet those gentiles who have mocked and despised the Saints would suffer woe (or regret) for ever having done such things. [p.55] Yes, within three years, saying 'Oh that wee had listened to their voice and that I also may be faithful to pray morning and many times during the day, that we shall enter heaven according to our faith. We were in the trade wind, a little wind and the weather getting warmer.

22nd I held worship in the morning and the evening also.

23rd In the morning I held worship and in the evening I was in a Saints meeting when we had excellent speakers and testimonies.

24th I held worship.

25th In the morning I held worship. [p.56]

26th. In the morning I held worship. At 11 o'clock we held meeting and deck and at 3 in the same place. At 7 the Saints meeting in the branch bearing testimony and using the talents.

27th I held worship.

28th. In the morning I held worship, after which I went shopping. At 7 o'clock Saints meeting and we had a good meeting by bearing testimony and using our talents.

March 1st I held worship and in the evening the devil possessed David Morgan with fits.

2nd I held worship about midday, Brother Sgares [Squires] anointed D. M. [David Morgan] with oil and William Jones Cardiff and William Jones Moulder of Merthyr placed [p.57] hands on him rebuking the devil out of him in the name of Jesus Christ and he left him. At 7 o'clock Saints meeting. The leader taught us to refrain from fault finding (nagging or grumbling) about thing and he opened the meeting for testimonies and closed it with prayer. That night I dreamt that my father had fallen into the mine.

3rd I held worship. At 6 o'clock we got sight of land, West India Island and other islands also on the other side.

4th Held worship in the morning and in the evening I was in prayer meeting.

5th I held [p.58] worship in the morning. At 11 o'clock I was in conference. At 3 in the same place and at 7 in the Saints meeting in the branch, teaching and bearing testimony.

6th I held worship in the morning and at 3 o'clock I was in a concert listening to music and speeches and dancing at the end. That night I was with my family-in-law in a dream - my wife's relations. The night before I saw a steamboat coming to bring us to land at New Orleans in a dream exactly.

7th At the Saints meeting. [p.59]

8th The caught sight of land, Jamaica Island and we were so near to it that we could distinguish forests and green fields. In the morning I held worship.

9th I held worship in the morning. In the evening I was on watch from 8 to 1 in the morning when there was a meeting of the poop [deck].

10th I held worship.

11th Held worship and at 2 o'clock Gilbert and Ann Davis were married. There were 15 couples at the wedding and we got much fun carrying them around and other things. [p.60] This day there was much dancing on the poop [deck] and a mock marriage before their marriage.

12th I held worship, at 12 o'clock in a meeting on the poop, and at 1 o'clock a ship by the name of "Polox of Glasgow" passed us so closely that the two captains could speak to each other. She had sailed out of Cork, February 7, 1854. At 3 o'clock in a Saints meeting of the branch.

13th I held worship.

18th Entered New Orleans.

19th Went on a steamboat.

21st Started up the River Mississippi.

31st Entered St. Louis.

April 1st We went [p.61] on a steamboat to an old college there. That night about 11 o'clock Jeannette was delivered of a son. The second day she was very sick with cholera.

3rd About 8 o'clock in the morning she was dying and about 5 o'clock the child died and they were both buried that night at the city burial ground in St. Louis.

4th That night I became sick myself with the cholera and I was sick for the biggest part of a fortnight (2 weeks).

9th I went [p.62] on the steamboat to go up the Missouri.

10th The steamboat started.

16th Reached Kansas where we camped.

September 31 We came into this Valley and I went up to Willow Creek to work until the end of the year then I came back in the month of January (1855). . . . [p.63]

BIB: Owens, William J, 1827. (Ms 3822) Acc. #33909. pp.50-63; typescript (CHL)
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