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We all know that the Mormon pioneers risked everything they had to travel over endless miles of terrain to reach the Salt Lake Valley. What many of us may not have realized is that the struggle didn't stop there. The early Saints may have been safe from persecution, but they still faced difficulties: they now had to cultivate rough ground, survive fierce weather, create settlements in unknown territory, and deal with Indians, whom they considered dangerously savage. The desert did eventually blossom as a rose, but not without the back-breaking labor of the faithful pioneers.
Hamblin first told his story to James A. Little, who published the tale in 1881. Although the autobiography omitted certain "domestic details inconsequential to the theme of Jacob's story"(Dewey 4), Hamblin's biographers have deemed it accurate. While later biographies offer Hamblin's story in more detail, I find this account much more interesting because it is in his own words. Hamblin is no Scheherazade, but he tells his story honestly without wasting words on unnecessary details. The volume offers a quick, but compelling read. The overall theme of Jacob's life and thus this book is simple: If you have faith, you shall not fear. Early in the book, Hamblin states, "The Holy Spirit forcibly impressed me that it was not my calling to shed the blood of the scattered remnant of Israel, but to be a messenger of peace to them. It was also made manifest to me that if I would not thirst for their blood, I should never fall by their hands" (Dewey 24). Throughout Hamblin's life, he clung to this Holy promise with complete faith. He trusted the Lord so completely, that he was able to preach to the Indians without fear. Even when Jacob found himself surrounded by angry Navahos, with "not one chance in a hundred of reaching the outside should it be necessary to make an effort to save our lives" (Dewey 102), he managed to not only remain alive but also to provide a peaceful solution to the dilemma under discussion. Because of his great faith, Jacob Hamblin walked among the "savages" all his life. Many of the Native people considered him a friend, someone they could turn to when problems erupted between them and the Mormon settlers. Although the Indians had innumerable chances to take Jacob's life, he died of malaria, proving that the Lord had indeed kept His promise. In fact, at the end of this account, Jacob stated, "I desire this narrative to be a testimony to all who may read it, that the Lord is not slack concerning any of His promises to His children. My whole life, since I embraced the gospel, proves this fact" (Dewey 127). Go To Page: 1 2
The copyright of the article Jacob Hamblin: A Life of Faith in His Own Words in Mormon (LDS) Literature is owned by Eric Jordan Jensen. Permission to republish Jacob Hamblin: A Life of Faith in His Own Words in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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