Russell King Homer # 2

While they were living in Pennsylvania, a stranger came along and asked father for a nights lodging. Father readily welcomed him and went out to help him unhitch and care for his team. The man took a book out of his wagon and said, "I think your name is Homer. Here is a book your friend Martin Harris sent you." As father took the book in his hand, a voice said distinctly in his ear, "That is a history of those bones you used to play with." Surprised, he looked around and could see no one. He was sure it was not the man who presented the book as father was looking at him and he had not spoken and neither of them had seen anyone else. This book was the Book of Mormon. Father was deeply impressed by this experience, and related it many times in connection with his testimony of the Gospel. ...When he had finished reading it, he was convinced that it was the true history of the American Indians and that it contained the fullness of the Everlasting Gospel This he firmly believed to the last day of his life." He became very anxious to go to Kirtland, Ohio to meet the Prophet Joseph Smith. He pursuaded his wife, her sister, and her sister's husband to go with him. "When they arrived there, church was in session and the Prophet...was speaking. He mentioned the poverty of the Church, and said that some funds were needed immediately. After the session, he came down through the congregation shaking hands. He neared father, and Martin Harris stepped forward to introduce them. As father shook his hand, he left a $10 gold peice in it. The Prophet looked at the money and said, "Mr. Homer, money was never needed worse or put to a better use than this will be. This is indeed 'bread cast upon the waters' and will be returned to you and yours. Neither you nor your family shall ever want for bread." Father "wished to get baptized before he left Kirtland, but the others were not so impressed. ...he persistantly urged his wife Eliza to join him ...but he didn't want to join without her. ...she had no wish to change, but in ... 1844 she suffered a severe sick spell and was administered to by Mormon elders, after which she rapidly regained her health. ...she was baptized and confirmed a member in the Mormon Church before father was. He was baptized in the Nauvoo Temple March 21, 1844. ...he was ordained an Elder the same day.
They now both embraced the Gospel with firm conviction, ..." Though they didn't live in Nauvoo, "..they joined with the Saints in their Exodus from Nauvoo. They went into Iowa as far as Garden Grove, where they planted crops for those who would come later. They left there and went on to the Missouri River where they stopped amoung the Pottawattamie Indians. These Indians were friendly and gave them corn, beans, melons, and other foods. Father left his family there and went to Missouri to work, husking corn to get supplies for his own family and others whose fathers and husbands had gone with the Mormon Batallion. He husked corn and cut cordwood and received corn for his pay.
When the pioneers of 1847 were preparing to leave for the West, father took his teams, wagons, and supplies for himself and his neighbor, Almon Williams, and went to headquarters, prepared to go with the Saints. They were much longer getting ready than was at first expected. After two weeks of waiting, President Kimball came to him and said, "Brother Homer, you are just the man we need to stay here and look after the Church cattle. Your family are sick and need you, so you better let Brother Williams take your outfit across and you stay here. We want you to inspect every animal that starts across, and make sure it is able to stand the trip. ...Father took over the management of the Church cattle, and supervised the outfitting of all emigrants that left there during the next two years. Many emigrants did not have sufficient money to buy proper outfits, but he managed to find ways for them to travel, or sold them cattle and supplies on credit. Father also established a ferry across the Missouri River for carying passengers and freight. It consisted of flat-boats propelled by oars. This was the only means of crossing for many years. Note: Grandma (Verda Adams Homer) had a great grandfather Barnabus Adams, who accompanied the first group with Brigham Young, leaving his wife and family to come later. When grandma Adams was ready to travel with two wagons loaded with supplies, Russell King and his helpers dumped one of her wagons in the river. The wagon and team were rescued, but the supplies wer gone. She was advised to wait to replenish her supplies and her group left without her. She decided she was going with two wagons half full of supplies. With lighter wagons she caught up with the group in a couple of days. She was welcomed back into the group, but she said if they could leave without her, she could leave without them, so she left the group in her dust. She caught up with a group of soldiers taking supplies to Johnston's Army for the "Utah War" and traveled with them. She was settled in by the time her group made it to the valley.