Jane Manning James: What True Faith Is

There are many women who have left great legacies for us however we only focus on a few of them in church.  So many more women need their stories told and I hope to be able to share a brief history of one such woman whose legacy has impacted my life and needs to be shared; her name is Jane Manning James.            

Jane Manning James was born in 1822 in the beautiful state of Connecticut and was the first free African-American woman to come to Utah.  She was born as a free-servant and when she was six years old she left her home to work for a wealthy white family, where she was mianly raised by their daughter.  She grew up as an active member of the Presbyterian church in her local town, but she recorded that she never felt satisfied. Eighteen months after that journal entry she met Charles Wandell, a Mormon missionary. 

“The pastor of the Presbyterian Church forbade me going to hear them as he had heard I had expressed a desire to hear them; nevertheless I went on a Sunday and was fully convinced that it was the true gospel he presented and I must embrace it.  The following Sunday I was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints.” (http://www.blacklds.org/manning)   Jane was not only baptized, but she was also baptized along with some of her family members.  A year later she along with six of her family members left Connecticut and headed for Nauvoo. Jane and her family members were refused passage on a steamboat leaving from Buffalo, New York because they were black. Determined to make it to Nauvoo and join the rest of the Mormon saints, they started out on foot (http://www.ldsgenesisgroup.org/archivenews/jane.html).

“We walked until our shoes were worn out, and our feet became sore and cracked open and bled until you could see the whole print of our feet with blood on the ground. We stopped and united in prayer to the Lord; we asked God the Eternal Father to heal our feet. Our prayers were answered and our feet were healed forthwith (http://www.blacklds.org/manning).”

Not only did they have to deal with worn out shoes and sore feet, but during their journey they were threatened to be imprisoned, dealt with extreme cold and life threatening illnesses.  During the course of their journey and hardships, Jane and her family were still serving those that they came in contact with.  When they arrived in La Harpe, Illinois they came upon a child that was sick.  They administered to the child and the child was healed.  They continued on their way to Nauvoo where they were directed to the Prophet Joseph Smith.  

“When we found it, Sister Emma was standing in the door, and she kindly said, “Come in, come in! Brother Joseph said to some white sisters that was present, “Sisters, I want you to occupy this room this evening with some brothers and sisters that have just arrived.” Brother Joseph placed the chairs around the room and then he went and brought Sister Emma and Dr. Bernhisel and introduced them to us. Brother Joseph took a chair and sat down by me and said, “You have been the head of this little band, haven’t you!” I answered, “Yes sir!” He then said, “God bless you! Now I would like you to relate your experience in your travels.

"I related to them all I have above stated–and a great deal more minutely, as many incidents has passed from my memory since then. Brother Joseph slapped Dr. Bernhisel on the knee and said, “What do you think of that, Dr.? Isn’t that faith?” The Dr. said, “Well I rather think it is. If it had have been me, I fear I should have backed out and returned to my home!” Joseph Smith then said, “God bless you. You are among friends now and you will be protected.” (http://www.blacklds.org/manning)

There in Nauvoo, Jane’s family was able to find work and homes for themselves, but Jane was unable to do the same. The prophet and Emma were very welcoming to Jane and allowed her to live with them and do some household work with Emma. In fact, the Prophet and Emma offered to adopt Jane, but Jane did not know the meaning of adoptions.  She turned them down kindly and remained a member in their home.  There she built close relationships with Mother Smith, Emma and the Prophet.

As persecutions broke out against the saints in Nauvoo, it became increasingly hard for them to find work.  Jane asked the Prophet if she should take her sister and go to Burlington for a time.  The Prophet encouraged them to leave so that they would not be harmed admist all of the persecutions.  During the three weeks that Jane and her sister were in Burlington, the Prophet and his brother were martyred.  She recounts the agony and sorrow that she felt after learning of the prophet’s martyrdom. Jane went to live with Brother Brigham Young until he, along with the rest of the saints, traveled across the country to the Salt Lake Valley, escaping Nauvoo’s persecution. Before leaving, and while living with Brother Brigham, she met her husband, Isaac James, who worked for Brother Brigham.

Jane and Isaac along with their baby son, Silas, arrived in Salt Lake on September 22, 1847. She and Isaac had a total of 9 children, burying all but two.  While in the Salt Lake Valley, she and her husband worked on Brother Brigham’s land.  They became very prosperous until the plague of grasshoppers and crickets destroyed everything.

Of this plague Jane said, “They layed our crops to the ground, stripping the trees of all their leaves and fruit, bringing poverty and desolation through out this beautiful valley.  It was not then as it is now.  There were no trains running bringing fruits and vegetables from California or any other place.  All our importing and exporting was done by the slow process of ox teams.

“Oh how I suffered of cold and hunger, and the keenest of all was to hear my little ones crying for bread, and I had none to give them; but in all, the Lord was with us and gave us grace and faith to stand at all.

“I have lived right here in Salt Lake City for fifty-two years, and have had the privilege of going into the temple and being baptized for some of my dead.  I am now over eighty years old and am nearly blind, which is a great trial to me.  It is the greatest trial I have ever been called upon to bear, but I hope my eyesight will be spared to me–poor as it is–that I may be able to go to meeting, and to the temple to do more work for my dead.

“I am a widow; my husband Isaac James died in November 1891.  I have seen my husband and all my children but two laid away in the silent tomb.  But the Lord protects me and takes good care of me in my helpless condition.   And I want to say right here that my faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ of Latter‑day Saints is as strong today–nay it is if possible stronger–than it was the day I was first baptized.  I pay my tithes and offerings, keep the Word of Wisdom.  I go to bed early and arise early.  I try in my feeble way to set a good example to all.  I have had eighteen grandchildren (eight of them are living), also seven great grandchildren.  I live in my little home with my brother Isaac, who is good to me.  We are the last two of my mother’s family.” (http://www.blacklds.org/manning)
          
 Jane served all those around her until the day she died in 1908 , at the age of sixty-eight.  She dedicated her money to the St. George, Manti and Logan temple funds, as well as to the Lamanite mission fund.  Although at times her living was meager, she still gave all that she had to the struggling saints around her. While she also was never given permission to be able to go to the temple to receive her own endowments, she yet she stayed faithful and never complained. She continued to love the temple and had faith that those blessing would be given to her and her family one day.

Jane has been a light to me during times of trial and hardship.  She is an example of how strong our Heavenly Parents’ daughters are. She has taught me that even though we may not be able to explain or understand why certain things happen to us during our lives or why we may feel that we are being denied certain blessing during this life, we can still find comfort in our faith in God.