Jacob Hamblin: A Narrative of His Personal Experience: Faith-Promoting Series, no. 5

The Faith-Promoting Series is a sequence of narratives published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The narratives were geared toward the young men and women of the church and customized to include true and exciting stories from the lives of exemplary Latter-day Saints, because of the realization that doctrinal essays and discussions about principles typically dissuade young readers. Some of the most inspiring histories and thrilling biographies of the early church are included in this series.

Jacob Hamblin was born April 2, 1819, at Salem, Ashtabula County, Ohio. In his youth he moved to Wisconsin, where he was baptized and became a member of the L.D.S. Church in 1842. The same year he moved to Nauvoo and from that time on all his activities were inseparably connected with the Mormon people.

In 1850, he made the journey across the plains to Utah and settled in Tooele. It was here that he became interested in the Indians. He believed that by talking with them he could appeal to their better judgment and avoid open conflict between them and the white settlers. This policy was the key to his life's success in dealing with the Indians.

Because of his ability to communicate with the Indian people, he was called to serve as a missionary to the Indians in Santa Clara. In 1858, he visited the Moqui villages in northern Arizona and did missionary work among them. He also worked with the Navajo tribes and endeavored to persuade them to live peaceably with the white men.

In this work he had many thrilling adventures which are set forth in this volume. Between 1870 and 1878, while living at Kanab, Jacob Hamblin dictated the story of his life and his activities among the Indians to his friend and neighbor, James Little.

Hamblin's life work with the Indians helped to establish civility between the two cultures. On his monument he is eulogized as having been "A peacemaker in the camp of the Lamanites."

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