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T.B.H. Stenhouse

Thomas Brown Holmes Stenhouse Sr. (Dalkeith, Scotland February 21, 1825 – San Francisco March 7, 1882) was an early Mormon pioneer and missionary whose writings and publications in Switzerland and the United States took a turnabout when he became critical of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Contents

1 Early life

1.1	Scotland

1.2	England

2 Conversion to Mormonism

2.1. Baptism

2.2  President of the LDS Southampton Conference 2.3  Missionary in Italy 3 LDS Mission President in Switzerland 3.1 “Tract war“ 3.2 Les Mormons et leurs ennemis 4 The Mormon in New York City 5 Life in Utah 5.1 Editor of the Salt Lake Telegraph 5.2 Interview with Abraham Lincoln 5.3 the Godbeites 5.4 Excommunication from the LDS Church 5.5 The Rocky Mountain Saints 6. Death

Early Life

1.1	Scotland

Stenhouse was the youngest of twelve children and the last of the nine sons of George Stenhouse Sr. (1779-1831) and Elizabeth Brown nee Armstrong. His father, noted as a buggy driver at the time of his marriage in 1802, but later as an innkeeper, died when Thomas was seven years old. In the 1841 census of Dalkeith, 17-year old Thomas, a cabinetmaker, was living with his widowed mother.

Nothing is presently known about his early schooling and education nor about his conversion to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Twenty-one year old Stenhouse was baptized on July 14, 1845, in Glasgow by Milton Holmes, the Mormon leader in the city of Manchester. Christened in the Presbyterian rites of the Church of Scotland as "Thomas Brown Stenhouse," the new Mormon convert added the surname of the local missionary as the third of his given names.

[1] Nach ihrer Mormonentaufe durch Untertauchen 1854 in die Schweiz änderten sich Johann Georg Bommeli (1827-1899), ein 26-jähriger Weber, und sein Bruder Johann Daniel Bommeli (1836-1903) von „Bommelisegg“ bei Friltschen TG ihr Familienname zu „Bonelli“ – mit der Zustimmung der Mormonenvorgesetzten – weil sie sich nach der Mormonentaufe durch Untertauchen als „neugeboren“ betrachteten. Ihre Schwester, Mary Eyring geb. Bommeli (1831-1913), die bei ihrer Bekehrung auch als Weberin in Zürich arbeitete, berichtete wie nach der erfolgten Mormonentaufe ein neues „Zeitalter“ im Leben der Familie begann und wie sie die Zeit neu berechnete: „so-und-so viele Tage bzw. Monate nach der Taufe durch [George] Mayer [1805-1896]“.

2.2  President of the LDS Southampton Conference

At a general conference of the church in October 1849 in Salt Lake City, Lorenzo Snow was one of four members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles who were appointed to serve missions in Europe. He was assigned to go to Italy, and Joseph Toronto, the first Italian-born Roman Catholic to convert to Mormonism,  was called as his companion.

Snow and Toronto first traveled to England; in London they became acquainted with Thomas Brown Holmes Stenhouse, the president of the LDS Southampton Conference. In reporting that occasion in a letter to Brigham Young, Snow noted: “[...] I felt that it was the mind of the Spirit that he [Stenhouse] should accompany me on this mission.“

Snow accompanied Stenhouse to Southampton, where the latter made preparations to fulfill his mission call. The apostle was moved as Stenhouse took leave of his family. The missionaries departed Southampton on June 15, 1850, aboard the steamboat Wonder enroute to Le Havre in the Normandy region of northwestern France.

On arriving in France, they proceeded to Paris, where they had their passports countersigned. Four days later, after traveling via Lyons, they arrived in Marseilles, from where they sailed to Antibes, “the last French port.“ Snow observed that “by disembarking there, we escaped being detained six days in quarantine, under the burning sun of Genoa.“

2.3 Missionary in Italy

Their first stop in Italy was in the city of Nice, where the Momron missionaries immediately noticed the profuse images of Catholicism. They departed Nice by diligence, the French-styled stagecoach, usually pulled by four or more horses, traveling at some six miles per hour, “and travelled by the shores of the Mediterranean.

On 25 June 1850, they arrived in the city of Genoa on the Ligurian Sea, Snow observing that “from the time we left England, we had only spent three nights in bed.“ Apostle Snow assigned Stenhouse and Toronto to go to the Protestant valleys of Piedmont at the foot of the Italian Alps; they departed on 1 July. On 23 July, Snow left Genoa and after passing through Turin proceeded to the little town of Torre Pellice in the Cottian Alps, the sanctuary of the pre-Reformation evangelical movement now known as the Waldensian Church. At the beginning of Augsut 1850, Joseph Toronto left to visit friends and relatives in Sicily.

In order to better accomplish the missionaries‘ proselyting efforts, Snow “[...] considered it necessary to issue a publication in French“ and therefore wrote a new tract, The Voice of Joseph. However, because he was unsuccessful in being able to find “a proper person“ to translate it, he sent it to Orson Pratt in England, who arranged for it to be translated by a professor from the University of Paris.

Stenhouse and Snow “endeavoured to lay a foundation for future usefulness, in silently preparing the minds of the people for the reception of the Gospel, by cultivating friendly feelings in the bosoms of those by whom we were surrounded.“ Snow, however, “felt it rather singular, and no small tax upon patience, to be weeks, and months, in the midst of an interesting people, without being actively and publicly engaged in communicating the great principles which I had come to promulgate. But, as I felt it ws the mind of the Spirit that we should proceed at first, by slow and cuatious steps, I submitted to the will of heaven.“

The missionaries in Torre Pellice had found lodgings with the family of Joseph Guy. Early in September their infant son took seriously ill and, according to Snow upon seeing the boy on 6 September “[...] it was only by close observation we could discern he was alive.“ On the next morning Snow noted: “I proposed to Elder Stenhouse we should fast and retire to the mountains and pray. As we departed we called and saw the child [...] the principe of life was nearly exhausted [from his body].“

“After a little rest upon the mountains, aside from any likelihood of interruption, we there called upon the Lord in solemn prayer to spare the life of the child.“ Later in the afternoon, they consecrated some oil and Lorenzo Snow layed his hands upon the infant’s head and gave him a blessing. Only a few hours later the father said the boy was doing much, much better.

Shortly thereafter, Apostle Snow sent for Jabez Woodard, a Mormon convert with whom he had also become acquainted while in London. Woodard joined Snow and Stenouse on 18 September in Italy. The next day the three missionaries “[...] ascended a very high mountin a little distance from [Torre Pellice], and having taken our position on a bold projecting rock, we sung praises to the God of heaven, and offered up [...] prayer.“ Thereafter, Snow was sustained as president and T.B.H. Stenhouse as secretary of the church in Italy. The missionaries repeatedly sung hymns, prayed and prophesied by the “Spirit of God.“ Stenhouse prophesied that “from this time the work will commence, and nothing will hinder its progress; and before we are called to return, many will rejoice, and bear testimony to the principles of Truth.“

In a letter begun in late January 1851 in the city of Turin and addressed to Orson Hyde, Snow reported that he felt it wisdom to send Elder Stenhouse to Switzerland, and to leave Elder Woodard in Italy; and [...] I resolved to bestow upon them such blessings as they required in the discharge of their important duties. [...] On Sunday, the 24th of November, we ascended [Mount Casteluzzo] which, on a former occasion, we had named Mount Brigham. During our tedious ascent, the sun shone forth in its brightness; but in such parts as were shaded, we found snow upon the ground, and many a craggy peak and rocky summit on every side was white with fleeces of winter. Having reached the spot we sought, [...] it was in that place, two months before, that we organized the Church of Jesus Christ in Italy. [...] I [...] ordained Elder Woodard as a High Priest, and asked my Heavenly Father to give him wisdom and strength to watch over the Church in Italy [...]. I also ordained Elder Sten- house as a High Priest, and prayed that his way might be opened in Switzerland for carrying forth the work of the Lord in that interesting country. In a few days 	afterwards, Elder Stenhouse proceeded on his mission.

3. LDS Mission President in Switzerland

T.B.H. Stenhouse arrived in Geneva in early December 1850. Despite not knowing the French language, he tried to preach the Gospel. He could not yet talk to the French-speaking Genevese; and the English-speaking residents would not listen to him; they had only heard of Mormonism as a clumsy fraud, and looked upon the prophet Joseph Smith as an imposter. So, for a whole winter, he sat shut up in his own room poring over a French grammar [...].

With the exception of a single copy of a monthly periodical Étoile du Deseret [Star of Deseret], which Apostle John Taylor had published in Boulogne-sur-Mer while on his mission in France, Stenhouse had no Mormon tracts or books when he arrived in Geneva. He loaned the publication to an interested person, and it was never returned. He therefore made an effort to gain people’s interest with the two tracts which Snow had written for the generally French-speaking members in Piedmont: La voix de Joseph, the French translation of “The Voice of Joseph,“ which had been published in England, and Premiers principes de la doctrine de l’Église de Jésus-Christ des saints des derniers jours, a translation of The Ancient Gospel Restored, which had been published in Turin.

The first convert to Mormonism in Switzerland was Jean-Claude Mazuire, a 40-year old, married shoemaker from France. Stenhouse met him in his workshop on rue Neuve-du-Molard in Geneva upon bringing his shoes to be repaired. While the shoemaker worked, Elder Stenhouse talked. [...] Elder Stenhouse would sit down on the bench beside the man as he worked, and taking from his pocket a French Testament, which he always carried about with him, would try to read it aloud – the good-natured shoemaker undertaking to correct his pronunciation. Stenhouse taught Mazuire the principles of the Gospel in that manner, and baptized him on 5 March 1851 in the Rhône River.

The second convert to the Church in Switzerland – 34-year old Francis Frederick Roulet, a tailor – joined under similar circumstances. Stenhouse had found lodgings with the young family on rue des Corps-Saints in Geneva. Landlord Roulet was “somewhat talkative. The same arrangement was made about reading and correction.“

Early in the spring of 1851, the Reverend Emile Guers, pastor of the Église libre [independent protestant church] du Bourg-de-Four in Geneva, held a public lecture about Mormonism. As the numerous people in attendance left the auditorium, Stenhouse passed out copies of the tract Premiers principes de la doctrine [...] and realized that the pastor’s lecture “[...] that single evening had made us better known than we would ever have been able to achieve for several months on our own efforts.“ Shortly after having been greatly moved by the controversy of Guer‘s lecture, Roulet was baptized by Stenhouse on 4 May 1851 in the Rhône River.

Not long afterwards, Stenhouse went to England to attend a general conference in London, where he met with Snow and other apostles and missionaries. Snow approved Stenhouse’s request to immediately publish French translations of two tracts: Divine Authority and a ]second edition of La voix de Joseph. Snow further expressed his intention to soon publish a periodical for the members in Switzerland and Italy.

Fanny Stenhouse wrote: “At that Conference [...] it was arranged that Elder Stenhouse should return to Switzerland, and that I should accompany him. My knowledge of French was expected to be very serviceable.“ T.B.H. Stenhouse returned to Geneva in the early summer of 1851, bringing his wife and infant daughter – Clara Federata Stenhouse   – with him.

“When we arrived in Geneva, Monsieur le tailleur was all that constituted the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints in Switzerland.“ Shoemaker Mazuire had already apostatized, evidently because of the tract – Lettre sur les Mormons de la Californie [Letter on the Mormons of California] – by Louis Favez (Lausanne: E. Buvelot, 1851). With the appearance of Favez’s pamphlet in June, a kind of “tract war“ between Stenhouse and his many critics in French-speaking western Switzerland broke out, the mission president observing that the Genevese “clergy are fighting by means of tracts.“

Fanny Stenhouse reported how she and her husband met with friends and acquaintances to discuss selected Bible scriptures. Mission president Stenhouse still had difficulty to understandably communicate with their guests; as a result, Fanny’s missionary work followed such meetings and those discussions often lasted longer than the original gatherings: I was then convinced that Mormonism could awaken the Christian soul more to a realisation of what it already possessed, than impart to it any new moral or religious qualities. Mormonism of itself never made Christians, but Christianity built up Mormonism. It was an awakening to the teachings of Christ and his Apostles that begat confidence in the mission of the Mormon Prophet.