When Bro L. Tom Perry was talking about the construction of the Manti temple, I thought that even though we didn't have any family who were directly involved in the construction of the temple, Moses Franklin Farnsworth was the first recorder of the Manti temple.
You may remember that he became a recorder in the St. George temple in 1877. He wasn't the first recorder there, they had had several, but none really caught the vision of how the recorder should work. He redesigned the forms they used, and implemented other forms, and got things going right. He wasn't there at the time the signers of the Declaration of Independence appeared to Wilford Woodruff, that was before he got there.
During the time that he was in St. George, the "crusade" as they called the prosecution of those who practicing polygamy was rampant, and many of the leading brethren, including M F Farnsworth were in hiding to avoid arrest. I quote the following from his history:
"In order to have a little more peace it was finally decided to leave St. George, and with a view of my probably going to New Zealand [sic] to assist in putting the manuscript copy of the Book of Mormon in the Maori language through the press.
"I was sent for at Pine Valley where I was staying with Father Bracken, and arrived at St. George about 11:00 P.M., May 1, 1885, and went where I had an interview with President Woodruff at the home of President McAllister. We talked the matters over. He told me what I thought was best. I accepted the counsel and at 12 o'clock that night he gave me a blessing and ordained me a High Priest, and certificate of which is as follows:
'This certifies that M.F. Farnsworth was ordained a High Priest and set apart for a mission to New Zealand under the hands of Wilford Woodruff, J.D.T. McAllister, and William Thompson, pronounced by Wilford Woodruff, St. George, Utah, May 1 1885.
Signed, Wilford Woodruff'
"I should state that previous to this, as my wives Lovina J. and Clara C. [Bartlett's mother, he was born in 1881, so he was 4 at this time] had to go into exile, I took them to the Temple and President Woodruff gave them each a blessing. He was full of the spirit of prophecy and blessing, and he gave them most precious promises which at that time could not be written. He told them to be careful and prayerful, to listen to the promptings of the spirit, and to counsel of their husband, and they should not be brought before the courts. They will tell you that all these promises er fulfilled.
"I left St. George that night as soon as I got the appointment and started for Salt Lake City. I went by team to Milford where I took train and arrived in the city on the 7th. The crusade was in full blast then. I had an interview with Apostles Erastus Snow and Franklin D. Richards. They had my message conveyed to President John Taylor. Matters were talked over and President Taylor said, 'Tell Brother Farnsworth that if it is necessary for him to leave Utah, to go somewhere close by, where we can get him when we want him. Let younger men take those hard laboring mission.' "
He then departed for Logan, where he had letters of introduction from both Elder Snow & Elder Richards. Mariner W. Merrill, also a member of the twelve, was president of the Logan temple, and Elder Richards suggested that M.F. Farnsworth could help out with the recording the the Logan temple. However, Pres Merrill thought that if he stayed there any length of time their enemies might track him down and raid the temple, which they were trying to avoid at all costs. He went back to SLC and stayed in hiding about 4 months then returned to St. George.
One excerpt from his stay in SLC: "...wrote a number of articles for the Evening News, which aroused the wrath of some curt officials and others, but as all the past is buried now, so 'Chronicles and Marcus' 'died'"
He returned to St. George and worked in the temple until called to Manti when the temple was dedicated in 1887. J D T McAllister was called to be the new temple president in Manti and M F Farnsworth was called as the chief recorder. They attended the private dedication ceremony which was held May 17, where Wilford Woodruff dedicated it. Then a public dedication was held May 21, 22, & 23, 1887.
He remained the chief recorder there until his death on 25 Feb 1906. He is buried in the Manti cemetery, at the foot of the Manti Temple. One of his interesting neighbors is Isaac Morley, known as Father Morley in the Nauvoo period, and is mentioned more than once in the Doctrine & Covenants.
He felt his great contribution was his publication of The Farnsworth Memorial, but I think this following paragraph which closes his history demonstrates a better memorial
"Pour over the records in St. George and Manti [temples] from 1877 until now [1905] and you can witness my works. Without egotism, I might say, the beating heart and busy brain assisted in arranging, developing, bringing into more perfection those crude records, so that my monument and labors are imperishably written in the minds and hearts of thousands who have been assisted in this great labor of love through my untiring efforts. I ask not for name and fame among men, men's works live and close, and though I have weaknesses and faults, yet let the mantle of charity cover them while you look on the brighter side, and never let the clouds of error or folly overshadow the bright sunshine of truth, and then your pathway will grow brighter and brighter until the perfect day."
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