2011
Rebecca Swain Williams: ‘Pen im Dim’
Eprōļ 2011


Rebecca Swain Williams: dim IM pen

Men̄e jum̧we eo an baam̧le an kōn Kabun̄ in, rioktak in eaar depdep ilo an tiljek im kijejeto n̄an jerbal eo.

Ilo Juun 1834 juon m̧am̧a eo edik kar kōjole jān jemen ilo an kar je juon leta eo ealikkar im im̧we ej kwaļo̧k lōke eo an kōn Jepļaaktok eo. Men̄e eaar bōlen jeļā en kar tōn ukōt ļōmņak eo an, Rebecca Swain Williams mekarta eaar jutak pen men̄e kaje ko renaaj kar waļo̧k. Eaar kwaļo̧k n̄an jemen, Isaac, bwe Bok in Mormon im Kabun̄ in raar m̧ool, ejja āinwōt an Rikanaan Joseph Smith kar kōmeļeļeik, im bwe eaar ron̄ Rikam̧ool ro Jilu “kwaļo̧k ilo juon kweilo̧k bwe raar lo juon Enjeļ Ekwojarjar wanlaļ tak jān lan̄ im [bōktok] pileij ko, im [likūt] er im̧aan mejāer.”1

Naan in kam̧ool eo an Rebecca ejjab wōt em̧m̧akūt kōn kajoor eo ej kwaļo̧k bōtaab barāinwōt kōnke kōn naan in kam̧ool eo an ejjab nee teļeļ im kōņaan eo an ejjab mejukinļo̧k. Men̄e jab errā eo an jemen im m̧ool eo bwe ļeo pālen, Frederick G. Williams, eaar eļļo̧k jān Kabun̄ in ilo juon iien, Rebecca eaar jab kōm̧m̧an bwe tōmak eo an en makunļo̧k. Jab m̧ōk im jab ebbwer, Rebecca ej jutak āinwōt juon waanjon̄ak n̄an kōj rainin kōn ekōjkan ad maron̄ pen im dim wōt ilo jelm̧ae apan̄ ko reļļaptata an mour, jekdoon n̄e ro repaake tata kōj remaron̄ jab kōņaan tōmak eo ad im dike kōj.

Oktak tok n̄an Kabun̄ in

Kar ļotak ilo Pennsylvania, USA, ilo 1798, Rebecca Swain eaar diktata in ajri ro 10.2 Ke eaar emaron̄ ratimjuon, baam̧le eo an eaar em̧m̧akūt ļo̧k n̄an Niagara, iturin kōtaan United States–Canada. Ebwe aer kar epaakeļo̧k n̄an Fort Niagara jon̄an raar maron̄ in ron̄ ainikien bu ke kar lukwarkwar e jikin jarintariņae eo ilo 1812 Pata eo. Āinwōt juon leddik jidikdik Rebecca eaar kwaļo̧k jab leļn̄o̧n̄ eo an. Juon iien, ke ej etetal make ilo wōjke ko, eaar ioon juon bear ilo iaļ eo. Ilo pein juon am̧būdele, eaar kōpeļļo̧k kilōke am̧būdele eo jet kōtta ilo mejān bear eo, im bear eo eaar koo.3

Ke Rebecca eaar 17, eaar kijoon Lake Ontario n̄an loļo̧k leddik eo jein ilo Detroit Ioon wa eo eaar ioon juon kapen eo an wa eo aitok, ekilimej iju in mejān, Frederick Granger Williams. Ioon doon ko aer rekutkut eaar m̧ōkaj an oktak ļo̧k n̄an iakwe, im rein ruo raar m̧are ilo jem̧ļo̧k in ļo̧k 1815. Williams ro raar em̧m̧akūtkūt ipeļaakin Western Reserve an Ohio, USA, m̧okta wōt jen aer āliktata tōt wōt ilo Kirtland iturinļo̧k 1828. Ļeo pālen eaar bōk kaminene kōn taktō im erom juon eo ebuūbun̄ kōn kapeel ko an, im Rebecca eaar katak n̄an jipan̄ e kōn kilen kōm̧m̧ani. Ippān doon eaar wōr emen nejierro.

Ilo fall in 1830 eo, mijenede in Mormon ro im̧aatata kar jikrōkļok ilo Kirtland. Rebecca eaar ron̄jake er kōn juon itoklimo im kar pād ilo aolep kweilo̧k ko an mijenede ro; jon̄an eaar bōkļo̧k ajri ro nejin. Frederick eaar emakijkij an kobaļo̧k jon̄an wōt eo iien kaminene eo an kōn taktō eaar kōtļo̧k. Rein ruo rekōn ekkatak, arto artak, im katak ippān doon, bōtaab Frederick eaar dik an m̧ool ilo kalim̧m̧ur eo an. Ilo tōre in Rebecca eaar reel kōn m̧ool eo an ko̧jpeļ eo.

Rijeje kōn mour eo an baam̧le eo eaar kwaļo̧k bwe Rebecca eaar āinwōt Eve ilo Jikin Kallib Eden; eaar “e eo m̧oktata n̄an lo menin aikuj eo” n̄an deļōn̄ļo̧k ilo tallep in jemjerā eo ilo bujen ko̧jpeņ eo.4 Eaar peptaij ilo Oktoba 1830.

Frederick eaar pād wōt ilo an jab jeļā. Jet iien eaar kōņaan jab koba ļo̧k ilo Kabun̄ in bōtaab ilo jem̧ļo̧kin ejjab maron̄ kōnke eaar en̄jake bok in jeje ko rekwojarjar, eo ekwojarjar: Bok in Mormon. Ke Jetōb eo eaar jerbal ilo e, eaar kile m̧ool eo an ko̧jpeļ eo im kar ļoor waanjon̄ak eo an Rebecca ilo an kar peptaij.

Kije ilo Jerbal in Jipan̄

Ilo an Kabun̄ in m̧ōkaj an erom aorōk n̄an mour ko an Frederick im Rebecca, em̧ōkaj an jelet baam̧le eo aer. Frederick kar kapiti juon eļtōr ālkin wōt an kar peptaij im kar kapene. Raan eo tok juon, eaar m̧ōņōņō in bōk juon ijjitōn̄ n̄an em̧m̧akūt jet wōt wiik jān iien eo n̄an jerbale juon mijen ippān Oliver Cowdery. Raar kōtmene bwe mijen eo enaaj kar jem̧ļo̧k in jilu wiik; ilo m̧ool eaar erom juon tūriep eo 10-allōn̄ n̄an Mossouri. Jako eo an aitok jān m̧weo im̧ōn eaar jinoin tata in kain tōre ko rellōn̄ n̄an Rebecca. Kōnke kōn kijejeto in mijenede ko an Frederick im kūr eo an n̄an Būreejtōnji eo Kein Kajuon, emakijkij an ettoļo̧k. Rebecca, āinwōt elōn̄ kōrā in Mormon ro m̧oktata, joļo̧k elōn̄ allōn̄ ko lale m̧weo im̧wier im karūttoļo̧k ajri ro nejier ilo an ejjeļo̧k jipan̄ jān ļeo pālen.

Jekdoon jerbal eo, Rebecca eaar wōnm̧aanļo̧k wōt ilo tiljek im jerbal ilo ejjeļo̧k kōlmarok. Rikanaan Joseph Smith im baam̧le eo an raarr jokwe ilo m̧weo im̧ōn Williams ro ium̧win jidik iien ke Smith ro raar kein kajuon em̧m̧akūt ļok n̄an Kirland. Rebecca eaar kwaļo̧k ettā n̄an Rikanaan eo im baam̧le eo an āinwōt an kar kejparok er ilo iien ko reppen. Juon iien ke juon kumi in mob raar itok im kar jepooļ m̧weo pukōt Joseph. Rebecca eaar kōjakūlkūle Jospeh ilo at in kōrā eo an im kalbubuki. Joseph eaar maron̄ ilo̧k jān m̧weo im eļļā jān jarlepju eo n̄an jikin koone.

Ilo M̧aaj in 1832, Rebecca eaar bar leļo̧k jipan̄ jab maron̄ kōmeļeļik n̄an Rikanaan eo ke juon kumi in mob raar rupe jikin kallib eo an John Johnson ilo Hiram, Ohio, im kanooj kakkure Joseph Smith im Sidney Regdon. Ālkin kar m̧aan Sidney n̄an n̄e eļōtļo̧k im kajion in lutōk baijiin n̄an kabin būruwōn Joseph, kumi in mob eo eaar piji im illik koļaan bao ippān Rikanaan eo. Ke Emma Smith eaar lo ļeo pālen, eaar ļōmņak piij eo eaar bōtōktōk im ear ļōtļo̧k.5 Rebecca and Frederick raar pād aolepen bon̄ōn eo ekiil ļo̧k biij jān ānbwin eo ānbwin Joseph ebūtōktōk im jorrāān im lali ajri ro nejin Smith ro. Karejar eo aer eaar kanooj jipan̄, ke Joseph eaar lo kajoor n̄an kwaļok jibbon̄ōn eo juon.

Kwaļo̧k Ko̧jpeļ eo kōn juon Lōke

Juon iaan kōjatdikdik ko an Rebecca riatok tata eaar bwe baam̧le eo an, jemen eļaptata, naaj kar bōk ko̧jpeļ eo eaar bar jepļaaktok im bōk kōjeram̧m̧an ko rekōlan̄lōn̄ an tōmak. Eaar wōr ippān, āinwōt Liai, kar nemake iakwe eo an Anij im eaar kōņaan kwaļo̧ke ippān ro eļaptata aer epaak e (lale 1 Nephi 8:12). Kōn men jab in ilo ļōmņak, Rebecca eaar ikirelel n̄an jeje n̄an baam̧le eo an kōn oktak eo an im naan in kam̧ool eo im lan̄lōn̄ eo eļap eaar en̄jake āinwōt membōr in Kabun̄ in.

Mekarta, oktak eo an Rebecca eaar karo jemen. Ilo uwaak eo an ekaju eaar kajjitōk bwe en ilo̧k jān Kabun̄ in. Bōtaab Rebecca eaar jab po. Eaar uwaak, āinwōt an rilale bwebwenato an baam̧le kōmeļeļeik, bwe “eaar ļapļo̧k an dim jān m̧okta ilo lōke eo an kōn m̧ool eo katak ko an Mormon” im eaar koba naan in kam̧ool eo an make.6 Būrom̧ōj n̄an e leta in eaar jab kwaļo̧k tōpark ko eaar kōjatdikdik kaki. Jemen eaar kamijake n̄an kowaan e im kar kalim̧m̧ur n̄an julo̧k aolep wāween kōnono ippān eļan̄n̄e ejjab ilo̧k jān Kabun̄ in.

Pen wōt, Rebecca eaar jab ron̄jake im kijejeto ko an raar wōnm̧aanļo̧k wōt n̄an kwaļo̧k ko̧jpeļ eo. Ilo 1834 eaar bar je juon leta—eo ej pād wōt n̄an kiiō—n̄an jemen, kwaļo̧k m̧wilaļ in tōmak eo an im metak eo eaar en̄jake bwe eaar m̧akoko in bōk jabdewōt men an Mormon ro.

Jemen eaar riiti nuujpeba kōn ripoot ko rej jum̧ae Kabun̄ in, eļaptata kōn Bok in Mormon im naan in kam̧ool eo an Rikam̧ool ro Jilu im kar kajion̄ n̄an kabbwer Rebecca kōnke kōn kein.

“Ej letok jan eō metak n̄an ron̄ bwe ļōmņak eo am̧ ekanooj ļap an tarpok kōn Bok in Mormon,” liin eaar je. Kōnono eoon ko jān Bok in Mormon im jān m̧adenļo̧k kāāl ko an Joseph Smith, Rebecca eaar kwaļo̧k kam̧ool eo an kōn Bok in Mormon. Eaar barāinwōt kōmeļeļeik bwe bok eo eaar kanaan kōn kālōt eo an rikam̧ool ro jilu n̄an bok eo. Āinwōt kein kam̧ool, eaar kout jān rikanaan in etto eo Ether, eo eaar ba bwe “ilo lo̧n̄in jilu ri kam̧ool” m̧ool eo kōn bok eo naaj kar “jutak” (Ether 5:4).7

Innām Rebecca eaar kōmeļeļeik ekōjkan an kar e make lo Rikam̧ool ro Jilu—David Whitmer, Martin Harris, im Oliver Cowdery—im kar ron̄ aer kam̧ool kōn aer kar lo juon enjeļ im pilej kooļ ko. Ālkin jutak ņae naan in kam̧ool ko aer im paotokier, eaar kapilōk jemān n̄an ļapļo̧k an iaron̄ron̄ e jerbal eo. Bwe, eaar jeje n̄an jemen, eļan̄n̄e “kwe im mama jeļā jejkek ko āinwōt am jeļā ikkijien jerbal in, Ij m̧ool ko̧m naaj tōmak e.”8

Āliji kalim̧m̧ur eo an Moronai ilo jem̧ļo̧k in Bok in Mormon, Rebecca eaar kajjitōk bwe baam̧le eo an ren kajjitōk ippān Anij eļan̄n̄e “enaaj kōmeramļo̧k ļōmņak ko [aer] ilo iaļ eo em̧ool.” Innām eaar ļōmņak in jilkinļo̧k juon mijenede “emaron̄ in katakin kōn Ko̧jpeļ eo āinwōt ilo tōre eo an Jisōs,” n̄an kōļapļo̧k jipan̄ er.9 Ilo jem̧ļo̧kin jemen eaar ejjeļo̧k an ļo̧k n̄an e.

Jekdoon leta ko an n̄an ļaddik eo jatin John—eo me Rebecca eaar kanooj epaake—kar bar rooļo̧k n̄an e ilo aer kar jab kōpeļļo̧ki. Ilo itulikin juon iaan letak ko raar bar kōrooli, John eaar je, “Jema ej kamo aō riiti leta eo am̧, ak n̄an jeje n̄an eok. Bar iakwe im Anij en kōjeram̧m̧an eok iien otemej. Ļaddik eo jatūm̧, John.”10

Mekarta, kijejeto in mijenede ko an Rebecca raar tōprak ippān leddik eo jein erūtto tata, Sarah Swain Clark. Sarah eaar kobatok ilo Kabun̄ in ilo Michigan ilo 1832. Leddik ro nejin Sarah raar barāinwōt kobatok ilo Kabun̄ in im kar tiljek ilo aolepen mour ko aer.

Tiljek n̄an Jem̧ļo̧kin

Jekdoon ta metakbar im metak Rebecca eaar en̄jake jān kālōt ko an jemen, eaar iakwe wōt e. Eaar je: “Būruwō ej būrom̧ōj kōn ro nukū ilo bōtōktōk. … Ij jar bwe Irooj en kaenōm̧m̧an kom̧ ilo raan kein āliktata ami kōn Jetōb Kwojarjar eo an im kōm̧m̧an bwe ren raan ko ami rem̧m̧an tata. … Ij kōjatdikdik ļōmņak ko ami renaaj ejaak n̄ūrbōktak kōn jerbal in. Jeļā bwe kom̧ij dim ilo ļōmņak eo jeļā bwe Irooj ej pād ilo an kōjbwebwe.”11

Rebecca eaar jab tariņae wōt ippān jab tōmak eo an jemen bōtaab barāinwōt ippān jorrāān ko ilo kalim̧m̧ur eo an ļeo pālen n̄an tōmak eo. Ilo 1837 im 1838, ļeo pālen, Frederick, ilo tōre in kar juon membōr in Būreejtōnji eo Kein Kajuon, eaar ālji im bar ālji an jab errā ippān ritōl ro jet an Kabun̄ in. Jon̄an eaar ilo̧k jān Kabun̄ in ium̧win juon tōre im kar bukweļo̧k. Mekarta, ejjab etto ālkin, Frederick eaar kōttāik e emake, eaar bar koba tok ilo Kabun̄ in, im kar mej ilo an bōk jemjerā an aolep. Ejjeļo̧k ippād juon ļo̧o̧k kōn en̄jake ko an Rebecca ilo tōre eo, bōtaab eaar jab ajļo̧k kōn rejtak eo an ippān Armej ro Rekwojarjar im eaar pād wōt ilo an kijejeto.

Ke naan in ron̄nuiaļ ko kōn jab errā eo an Frederick kar tōpar ļo̧k jemen Rebecca ilo New York, Isaac eaar kōjatdikdik bwe Rebecca enaaj kar kowaan tōmake eo barāinwōt. Mekarta, Rebecca eaar jilkintok juon an leta me eaar kwaļo̧k m̧ool eo an. Ālkin an riiti uwaak eo an, Isaac eaar jidik kōn jidik kōjōboulul bōran im ba, “Jab juon naan kōn ukweļo̧k.”12

Rebecca eaar kajoor wōt ilo jutak ņae eo an kōn Joseph Smith im jepļaaktok eo an Kabun̄ in. Im ilo kōjekdoon en̄taan ko kar waļo̧k jān kālōt Kabun̄ in ioon jemen, Rebecca eaar wōnm̧aanļo̧k wōt n̄an kautiej e. Eaar kaorōk ta eo jemen eaar katakin e, im eaar kwaļo̧k an iakwe im kam̧oolol n̄an jemen. Eaar kōjem̧ļo̧k leta eo an ilo 1834 kwaļo̧k bwe enaaj kar “kememej wōt naan in katak eo … Iaar bōk jān Jema jitōnbōro.”13

Ilo 1839 jemen Rebecca eaar mej. Jilu iiōt tok ālik eaar jako ļeo pālen. Kōjekdoon kōmettak kein reppen, tōmak im peran eo an Rebecca raar pād wōt. Ke Armej ro Rekwojarjar raar etetal ļo̧k n̄an irilik n̄an Utah, eaar ilo̧k ippān baam̧le eo an ļaddik eo nejin Ezra im kar bōk kau ko an make. Tok ālik eaar bōk eddo in juon jikin menin mour ilo Mill Creek. Ke Salt Lake Tabernacle eo eaar dedeļo̧k im Armej ro Rekwojarjar ro kar kajjitōk ippāer n̄an leļo̧k ta eo remaron̄ e, eaar leļo̧k juon tiroro in jibuun jelba n̄an kar kōjerbale ilo kōm̧m̧an tōre ko n̄an tebōļ in kwojkwoj eo. Im āliktata ilo 1860, men̄e eaar lukkuun in m̧ōjņo, ke Būreejtōn Brigham lYoung eaar kūr n̄an baam̧le eo an n̄an pād ilo juon jikin ettoļo̧k Cache Valley, Utah, eaar m̧ōņōņō in bar pukōt jikin bar juon alen—bar juon alen eaar bōkļo̧k kau ko an make.

Rebecca eaar mej ilo Smithfield, Utah, ilo Jeptōm̧ba 25, 1861. Eaar pād ilo an m̧ool n̄an tōmak ko an, jeļāļo̧kjeņ eo an kōn m̧ool eo, im ta eo eaar en̄jake. Eaar pād wōt ilo an “pen im dim” n̄an jem̧ļo̧kin (Mosaia 5:15).

Kakememej ko

  1. Rebecca Swain Williams n̄an Isaac Fischer Swain, Juun 4, 1834, Church History Library, Salt Lake City.

  2. Meļeļe in bwebwenato in mour eo an rej itok jān Nancy Clement Williams, Meet Dr. Frederick Granger Williams … and His Wife Rebecca Swain Williams: Read Their True Story in the First Introduction—after 100 Years (1951); im Frederick G. Williams, “Frederick Granger Williams of the First Presidency of the Church,” BYU Studies, vol. 12, nō. 3 (1972): 243–61.

  3. Williams, Meet Dr. Frederick Granger Williams, 5.

  4. Williams, Meet Dr. Frederick Granger Williams, 55.

  5. History of the Church,2:428.

  6. Williams, Meet Dr. Frederick Granger Williams, 55.

  7. Bar lale leta eo an Rebecca Williams ilo Juun 4, 1834.

  8. Leta eo an Rebecca Williams ilo Juun 4, 1834.

  9. Leta eo an Rebecca Williams ilo Juun 4, 1834.

  10. Ilo Williams, Meet Dr. Frederick Granger Williams, 63.

  11. Leta eo an Rebecca Williams ilo Juun 4, 1834.

  12. Leta eo an George Swain, M̧aj. 17, 1839, kape in leta eo, Church History Library, Salt Lake City.

  13. Leta eo an Rebecca Williams ilo Juun 4, 1834.

Pija ko jān Richard Hull