Description

He Was A Great Man

Janette Marie Thomas was born in Wales in 1837. In 1847, her family joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and in 1853 emigrated to Utah. According to family records they passed through Nauvoo on their way to Council Bluffs where Janette met Lucy Mack Smith, the mother of the Prophet Joseph, who “She urged them to go on to Utah “as she had great faith in Brigham Young.”

The family arrived in Utah and on July 27, 1854, Janette married Veralum Dives, an emigrant from England, and they settled in Willard, Box Elder County Utah. Over the next decade they had six children. The family accounts say, 

On one occasion, she and her husband Verulam and eleven other couples were invited by President Brigham Young to go to Fort Lemhi, on the Salmon River, in northern Idaho, in April 1857. There was a small settlement of Latter-Day Saints living there and President Brigham Young wanted to go there and see how they were getting along. He had been informed that some Indians up there were giving them trouble…. Janette said President Brigham Young was so kind and thoughtful. He was always checking to see if everyone was well, if the wagons were in good shape and if the horses were all right. Every night when they camped, the men would build a bonfire and take care of the horses and the women fixed the evening meal. After everything was cleared away, President Young would preach the gospel to them, and then they would dance around the fire. They had a wonderful time. There was always such a good spirit with them. 

Then in 1864, Veralum passed away. He was only thirty years old. Janette was left a widow with five living children. Life was hard. She grew a little garden for subsistence. Her son helped glean wheat in the fields after the farmers had harvested their grain. The records continue,  

On one occasion, President Brigham Young called to see her in Willard. He was wearing a new pair of boots. After a few minutes, her son Verulam walked in the house wearing an old worn-out pair of boots. They visited for a while, and then President Young said. “Verulam, what size of boots do you wear?” Verl hesitated for a few minutes and then told him. President Brigham Young took off his new boots and said, “Verulam try on these boots. Well, how do they fit?” the Prophet asked. Verl replied, “They are a little big.” “Could you wear them?” he asked. “Ah, I guess I could,” Verulam replied. President Brigham Young put on Verl’s old boots and walked out of the house. 

For the rest of her days Janette loved and respected Brother Brigham. She would tell her family what a great man Brigham young was. “If you ever hear anyone say anything against him,” she would say, “don’t you believe it. Some day they will know he was a great prophet.” 

Janette Dives later married Thomas Daniels and joined her children to his. Together, they had eight more children, bringing the total to seventeen who “got along wonderfully well together.” By any standard that is a large posterity—and all of them growing up to love and respect the prophets of God. That is the way it should be. 

Source: https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWZ3-1S2