John Walker

JOHN WALKER was born in Peacham, Vermont, on June 20, 1794. He was a faithful member of the Congregational Church. It is written in their minutes “John Walker has become a Mormon.” His family was devastated and humiliated. John left his family to go to Canada to work. During the couple of years that he was gone, his wife Lydia decided to investigate the Church so she would be able to convince him of his error in joining. Instead, she gained a testimony. She and their children over the age of eight were baptized. One person at the little branch they had joined, prophesied to them that they would be surrounded by armed mobs with blackened faces, and would need much faith in God to endure the many persecutions and trials before them, and that some would lay down their lives; others would see their brethren shot down before their very eyes. John’s daughter, Lucy, writes in her history: “Notwithstanding all this, we did not falter in our faith, but started on our perilous journey trusting in our God….When we arrived in Caldwell County, we were surrounded by a mob of about forty persons with blackened faces. They looted and looted and yelled and looked more like demons than human beings. It was early one December morning when this occurred. They ordered my poor, delicate mother our into the deep snow, searching our wagons, took from us our arms and ammunitions, pointing their guns at us children to intimidate us, and cursed and swore in a most frightful manner. One of the neighboring women had intruded her hateful presence into our camp, urging them to shoot, “Shoot them down,” she cried. “They should not be allowed to live!” ...I did not tremble—I did not fear them. They looked to me too insignificant and I felt to trust in One, who held our destinies in His own hand."