From the Archives: Joseph Fielding’s Dream

By October 25, 2009

I read lots of Reformation sermons for my forthcoming book, but I had no way to use this extract from Heber C. Kimball’s 9 November 1856 address. I found it so wonderfully strange that I felt compelled to share it. I quote here the very end of the sermon.

I will tell you a dream that brother Joseph Fielding had in England, about the time that brother Brigham and I went back on our second visit, for it will apply to many in this congregation. Brother Fielding dreamed that he had a sharp sickle, and that he hung it up on a bush, but when he returned and took down his sickle, he found the edge all taken off from it. This will apply to many others. You remember it, do you not, brother Joseph?–and is it correct? It is, and his sickle has not cut from that time to the present, and the reason is he has had a woman straddle his neck from that day to this. Amen.

Discuss.

Article filed under Miscellaneous

Comments

  1. Wow. That is…well…wow.

    Comment by J. Stapley — October 25, 2009 @ 8:27 pm

  2. My guess is that Brother Joseph Fielding made a very unhappy plural marriage with a sister who didn’t want to spend the balance her life with the local ward Relief society for her sole company and companionship. I have heard of a similar situation where a man was thought to be an obvious ‘shoo-in’ as the next Stake President but his wife was a bit of a shrew. The brother was worthy of the office but the wife was not. Now does such a man get some “extra credit” from the Most High for enduring to the end through such a marriage in mortality?

    Comment by New Englander — October 26, 2009 @ 12:22 am

  3. There was a fair bit of this harsh misogynistic language employed during polygamy. I’m glad/hopeful that we’re done with it.

    Comment by smb — October 26, 2009 @ 7:58 am

  4. What’s funniest is the abrupt “Amen.” When HCK got started on a topic like this, he was usually good for a few paragraphs.

    I can’t understand your not finding a use for this in your book. Any book.

    Comment by Ardis E. Parshall — October 26, 2009 @ 9:15 am

  5. Whoa. I wonder if she was present at the address? Anyone?

    Comment by Tod Robbins — October 26, 2009 @ 1:17 pm

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