Harriet Sylvania Beal

Your great-great-great-great grandmother, Harriet Sylvania Beal grew up in the think of the restoration of the gospel.

She was born in Cuyahooga county, Ohio August 13th, 1837.
She had three older brothers,   John, Franklin and Oscar, who were about 2,3,and 4 respectively.

Her parents William and Clarissa Beal were faithful Latter-day saints. Driven by mobs from city to city, they were witnesses to may pivotal events in the history of the Saints.

Through the next few years, the family added 3 more daughters and 2 more sons.  Their son Francis was born in Nauvoo just 4 days before the prophet Joseph Smith was murdered in Carthage Jail. He didn't live long.  Son William was born in Middleburg, where the family was gathered with the saints preparing to cross the plains.

When Harriet was not yet 14 her mother Clarissa gave birth to twins, Henry and Henrietta.  She died 7 days later, and the twins followed her in death after 2 days more. The family was devastated. Before Clarissa died, she called her husband and children to her bedside and insisted that her husband promise in the presence of their children that he would keep the children together, and go with the saints to Zion, the valley of the Mountains, to Salt Lake City.  Willam's grief was terrible. How could he possibly get these 9 children safely across the plains?  There were 8 living children now. The three oldest boys were 18, 17, and 16.  Then there was Harriet, nearly 14, Emily 12, Eunice 8, Nancy 5, and baby William Francis was just 1 year old.


Before beginning the journey west in 1852 Harriet's father William married a widow who also had a large family, and they helped one another cross the plains. Along the way baby William became ill and passed away.
Upon arriving in Salt Lake, the woman William had married took her children and many supplies, and left the Beal family to manage without her.
They lived in one room log cabin with a dirt floor.  Now Harriet was the oldest daughter and the woman of the house.  She made meals and tried to take care of the family as best she could.  She and Emily quarreled terribly, and their home was pretty miserable for a while. To make matters worse, Harriet became very sick and got worse and worse all the time, during which she had a miraculous experience, told here in her own words,
The family settled in Manti. There Harriet was baptized in 1854 and later married Alma Millet in 1855.  They had three children, Clarissa, Alma Jr. and Artemus. All are named after family members.
The entire extended Beal family then moved down near St. George, Utah.  Harriet and Alma had one more child a daughter whom they named Harriet after her mother, in Springdale, Ut in 1863. 
Alma and Harriet were endowed and sealed to one another September 27, 1862 in the Endowment House.  Years later they were sealed to their children in the St. George temple in 1883.

The night she was so sick it seemed to her the children would never quiet

down to sleep. At length the room was quiet and what follows Harriet always spoke of it as a

dream. She said:

“Lying in my bed I was overjoyed to see my Mother there by me. I was not afraid and began

telling Mother of all that had happened since Mother’s death. I told her that Father had hired oneof the women to make over Mother’s dresses for us girls. Mother answered, ‘Yes, I know. Andthe right sleeve of the black dress she is making for you is not sewed in, but is only basted. Getme a needle and thread and I will sew it in for you.’ I brought the needle and thread and gave itto Mother, who began to sew the sleeve in but soon pricked her finger and exclaimed, ‘Oh, Ihave pricked my finger, see how it is swelling! I cannot sew it in for you, but tell the woman inthe morning and she will sew it in for you. I am too pure for this life now. Come with me.’ I told Mother about Father marrying that woman, who only married him to get across the plains and then left us, taking all the cloth, shoes and other things Mother had bought for us, and

Mother answered, ‘Yes, I know.’ I told Mother that Father and all us children had gone to the

Endowment House and had all been sealed to her and Father, and that we had also had little

William Francis sealed to her and Father. She answered as before, ‘Yes, I know.’ I asked her

where she got that dress she was wearing, as it was not the one she was buried in, and she

answered, ‘The Lord gave it to me.’”

“I then said, ‘Mother, Emily and I quarrel terrible, and the other day we got in a fight and when

we were angry we tore each others apron off and threw them in the fire and burned them up, andthey were made out of one of your dresses.’ She answered so sadly, ‘Yes, I know and if you andEmily do not stop quarreling you can never come where I am world without end, remember that.’

Then Mother again said, ‘I want you to come with me, as I have much to tell you.’ I followed herfrom the room and we then left the place and floated through the air, side by side. When we

came to a certain place Mother said to me. ‘Now hold your breath until we pass this place as theair is too light for mortals.’ I held my breath as instructed. All the time Mother was talking to

me, telling me things she wanted me to tell Father and I was afraid, , for Father was a strict man.

She said, ‘Tell Father if he does not stop using tobacco, he can never come where I am. Tell him if he doesn’t stop talking about the authorities of the Church and especially President Brigham Young, he will lose his testimony of the Gospel and will apostatize; therefore he will never come where I am, worlds without end. Now remember to tell him what I am telling you, Harriet,’ I replied, ‘But Mother, I would not dare tell Father that, and if I did he would not believe me.’ She answered me by saying, ‘You tell him every word I tell you and he will believe every world you say.’”

After some time, we came to a beautiful building, very large but as yet unfinished. We seemed

to light very easily on the porch that was around the large building as far as I could see. All the

time Mother was telling me things to tell Father. She told me of temple work she wanted done

and wanted Father to do it with me to help him. She said there were sealings to be done. That

Mother’s sisters wanted to be sealed to Father, especially one who had married a very unclean

man. My Aunt, Mother said, did not want to be sealed to this man Gordon. Mother told me my

aunt had prayed to the Lord after she found out what a wicked man Gordon was, she prayed that she would never have children by such a man and that is why Mother had given little William Francis to my Aunt, but we had him sealed to his own parents. I wish to say here,   Father and I have done all the temple work Mother told me to have done.”

Mother then led me into a most beautiful bedroom which was very large. The workmanship of

the room was beautiful as was also the rest of the building what I could see, although it was as

yet unfinished. The floors of the bedroom were as of gold and on the floor playing was out little

darling William Francis that we buried on the plains. And with him were the twins. William

Francis was trying to pound golden nails into the floor. Lovely beds were in the room and on

one of these I noticed Mother’s sitting and the wife of Gorden was weeping bitterly. I asked

Mother why Aunt was crying she said, ‘She doesn’t want to be sealed to Gordon. Remember to tell Father to have her sealed to him. Now don’t forget and also the other sealings I have told

you to ask Father to do.’” Mother then said to me, ‘I must go to the kitchen for awhile and I want you to sit right there in that chair until I return.’ I said, Mother what is that loud noise I hear, the roosters crowing, people yelling at one another. Such confusion. What is it?’ She said that was hell and was a long way off but at times one could hear the confusion. She then said, ‘Don’t leave this room and I want you to sit right in that chair until I return.’ I asked her if she had to work in the kitchen and she said, ‘Of course, I take my turn just like the rest.’”

I sat still watching the children at play, also thought about my Aunts and their sorrow. I could

hear Mother tripping down the long hall. I so wanted to see if she tripped along like she did in

life. She never seemed to touch the ground. So I got up and went to the door and looked out and sure enough, there was Mother tripping along just like she used to do. One of the string things about this visit for me was that although I loved little William Francis so much and was glad to see the little twins, they did not seem to notice me at all. My Aunts, although II had known them well, did not act as though I was there. It made me want to be with Mother and I made no attempt to speak to anyone else. Watching Mother down the hall I turned to go back to my chair, but in turning I saw the door across the hall just a short distance from where I was standing, and it was open. Well I just had to see what was in that room, so I crossed very carefully and looked in. All my life I have been of a very inquisitive nature. Many times it has caused me much trouble. But this time I was very pleasantly surprised to see the Prophet Joseph Smith walking up and down a very long room and he had his hands clasped behind him, his head bowed as though in thought. At long tables on either side of the room and down the center also, many men sat writing as fast as they could and once in awhile the Prophet would stop and speak to one of the men and they would answer and then go right on writing as fast as before. Among these men were the Prophet’s brother Hyrum, also other men I had known well. I was also present when the mantle of the Prophet Joseph Smith fell on Brigham Young and his voice for a time sounded like the Prophet Joseph and it was a testimony to the thirty thousand more saints gathered there that Brigham Young should lead the Saints since the death of the Prophet Joseph, who was murdered in cold blood. The great audience of more than thirty had returned, and then learning it was Brigham Young, they knew Brigham Young was chosen of God to lead the Church.” Seeing many of these men at these long tables writing was like seeing friends as there were many I had known. But many had been put to death by the mobs for their testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. They were all wonderful men and had not been afraid to seal their testimony with their life’s blood.”

“Just a word of the mantle of the Prophet Joseph Smith falling on Brigham Young. Before

Brigham Young began to speak, Sidney Rigdon had talked for two hours, telling the people why he, Sidney, should lead the church. And then seeing the manifestation we saw, it was a

testimony we never forgot and never will as long as we live. I was seven years old at the time.

Some things children never forget and I will never forget that grand occasion. And the

wonderful Spirit of the Lord that was there made it all the more unforgettable.”

Back to the story:

Fearing Mother would fine me across the hall I hurried back to the room and sat in the chair, and had only a short time to wait until Mother returned. Another characteristic of myself was, I

could never keep anything secret or be underhanded. It must have been in my face for anyone

could fine me out in no time and so there was no use in trying to hid anything. So as usual as

soon as Mother came the first thing I did was to say, ‘Mother, what is the Prophet Joseph and

Brother Hyrum and all the rest of the men doing in there?’ Mother looked at me as much as to

say,

‘Harriet, I told you not to leave this room or even the chair.’ I said, ‘But Mother, I just looked

in.’ She said, ‘Well , you must go now, come, I will go with you to the porch and remember

when you come to that place, be sure to hold your breath.’ ‘But Mother,’I said, ‘What is the

Prophet Joseph and his brother, Hyrum, and all the other men doing in there?’ She answered,

‘Preparing genealogy so that the work can be done on earth for those who have died without

having the privilege of hearing the gospel themselves.’ There for the third time she told me

everything over again and told me to tell Father and he would believe very word I said to him.

She put great stress on me telling Father that he should stop speaking evil of the authorities of the Church, especially President Brigham Young. And if he did not cease he could never come

where she was, worlds without end. She came to the porch with me and I started out,

remembering to hold my breath. The next I knew it was morning and I was in bed. I was still

very sick but better than the night before, and so I dressed and went outside and sat in the

chimney corner as the fire from within had melted the snow from the rocks of the chimney and

warmed them. All were asleep within the room. The snow was all over the ground. I crouched

down, frightened and crying, for I did not dare tell Father what I had to tell him.”

“My sisters found me there and Emily ran to tell Father. Emily told Father I was outside in the

chimney corner crying and had said I had something to tell him but I was afraid to do so. Father

came out and asked me what was the matter and I told him I had something to tell him but I was afraid he would not believe me. Father said, ‘I will believe every word you say.’ This startled me for those were the very words Mother said to me when I told her I was afraid to tell Father. So, sobbing, I told Father my story, frightened all the time. When I had finished my story, Father said, ‘I believe every word you say.’ From that time forth I never head my Father speak ill of anyone in authority and he would not allow anyone to do so in his hearing or in his house. My Father, outside of the use of tobacco was a very exemplary man. We went in the house to look at the dress Mother had called my attention to the night before and sure enough the right sleeve was only basted in.”“Father took me to the Endowment House and had me tell my dream to those in authority there and they said to him, ‘Brother Beal, your daughter has had a vision from above and has been permitted this visitation for the good of you and your family. Treat it as sacred.’”

“My Father let me help him do the temple work Mother had told me to tell Father to do. Emily

and I stopped quarreling. I being the oldest girl, Father put me in charge of the house, but I

never forgot my Mother’s warning about quarreling. Again peace was in our home. 

Shortly after this time William met and fell in love with Mrs. Eliza Nielsen Brown from Copenhagen, Denmark. She didn't speak English and he didn't speak Dutch, but they loved one another and were married. Eliza had 5 children with an abusive husband in Denkark, from whom she fled anf gathered with the saints in Utah. All the children loved Eliza and were happy to call her mother.