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- Bathsheba Wilson Smith:�Fourth president of the Relief Societies in theChurch of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was born May 3, 1822,inShinnsten, Harrison county ,West Virginia, daughter of Mark BiglerandSusannah Ogden. Her father was from Pennsylvania, her motherfromMaryland. The school facilities in her vicinity were limited. Thecountyof Harrison was hilly, and the roads of primitive character; themode oftravel was chiefly on horseback riding, in which few couldexcel her. Inher girlhood she was religiously inclined, loved virtue,honesty,truthfulness and integrity; attended secret prayers, studiedto becheerful, industrious and happy, and was always opposed torudeness.During her fifteenth year some Latter-day Saints visitedtheneighborhood; she heard them preach and believed what they taught.Sheknew by the spirit of the Lord, in answer to her prayer, thatJosephSmith was a Prophet of the Lord, and that the Book of Mormon wasa divinerecord. August 21, 1837 she was baptized; and most of herfather's familyjoined the Church about the same time. They soon felt adesire to gatherwith the rest of the Saints in Missouri; her sister,Nancy, and familysold their property, intending to go in the fall, andBathsheba was veryanxious to go with them. Her father, not yet havingsold out hisproperty, she was told she could not go. This caused herto retire veryearly, feeling very sorrowful. While weeping, a voicesaid to her, "Weepnot, you will go this fall." She was comforted andperfectly satisfied,and the next morning testified to what the voicehad said to her. Soonafter, her father sold his home, and they allwent to Missouri, to hergreat joy, but, on their arrival there, theyfound the State preparing towar against the Saints. A few nightsbefore they reached Far West, theycamped with a company of EasternSaints, but separated on account of eachcompany choosing differentferries. The company that Sister Bathsheba andher family were membersof arrived safely at their destination, but theothers were overtakenby an armed mob at Haun's mill; seventeen werekilled, others werewounded and others maimed for life.
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1822 - 1910 (88 years)
