First Quorum of the Seventy (Emeritus)
Nearly six years ago, in June 1999, I was privileged to participate in the first dedication of the memorial to the life and memory of a great and noble woman. Jane Elizabeth Manning James knew much of adversity, much of sorrow, much of hardship, and perhaps most sadly of all, much of prejudice and bigotry during her life. But through it all, and perhaps in spite of it all, her faith in God and in His prophet remained as a bright and shining star which guided her footsteps and lighted her way.Jane touches my heart in so many ways. I look forward to meeting her, and learning from her. I love her compassion. Her husband, Isaac, left her in 1869 and was gone for over twenty years, returning only as he neared the end of his life. Jane cared for him until his death a year or so later, and his funeral was held from her home. Jane's compassion was joined with a generous spirit. To her friend, Eliza Partridge Lyman, Jane gave half of the scanty amount of flour she herself had-and that amounted to only four pounds! That scene of sisterly sharing is depicted on this monument.
Jane was ever generous in sharing whatever she had, which in the early days in this valley was often precious little. "Oh how I suffered of cold and hunger and keenest of all was to hear my little ones crying for bread, and I had none to give them," she wrote. It is easy to give when you have plenty, but the real test of charity is a willingness to give when you have little, and your own children cry for food. If charity—benevolence given to others out of the pure love of Christ—is the highest attribute of Christian stewardship, Jane stands as a glorious example.
Hardship and suffering were the daily companions of Jane's journey through life. Though the early years in this valley were difficult, Jane struggled especially hard after Isaac, her husband, left in 1869. But she had food from the garden, took in laundry and made soap to help make ends meet. From her meager funds she provided money to the building funds of the St. George, Logan and Manti temples. She raised good children and wept when she lost them to death. She was the mother of eight and outlived all but two of them. Of her seven children who reached maturity, five died before the age of forty. Two of her daughters died in childbirth, and six of fourteen grandchildren died before reaching the age of four. But through all her sorrows, her faith in Christ and His atonement stayed strong. Of her children she said, "They now know of Jesus and His love. The Lord giveth and the Lord taketh away, blessed be the name of the Lord." How grateful I am that members of Jane's family are gathered together at this sacred place, to rest at her side until the morning of a glorious resurrection.
Jane lived in a time of great prejudice towards African-Americans. It saddens me to say so, but we all know how hard life could be for a Mormon, African-American woman in this country during the last half of the 19th century. Amazingly—and this is a tribute to the greatness of her spirit—Jane was not embittered by the insensitivity and prejudice of many around her.
Though Jane did not live to hear one of the greatest speeches of all time, I am sure her soul would have resonated to Dr. Martin Luther King's cry for freedom: "I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character." Though much has been accomplished in the nearly four decades since Dr. King's cry of the soul, there yet remains much more to be done before the dream of equal rights for all is fully realized. Perhaps the example of faithful, humble, patient but persistent Jane Elizabeth Manning James may help us all come to the point where we fully understand that "God hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth" (Acts 17:26). When all men and women everywhere understand that "all are alike unto God" (2 Nephi 26:33), and act accordingly, then, and only then, will the abhorrent sin of racism be banished from the earth. With you, I long for that day, and I am confident Jane does, too.
Now, please bow your heads as I dedicate this completed monument which commemorates the life of Jane Elizabeth Manning James and memorializes the children and grandchildren of Jane and her husband, Isaac.
Dedicatory PrayerReferences
Heavenly Father, thou Great Elohim who ruleth in glory and majesty over worlds without number, beloved Father to us all, Thou to whom all Thy children are alike, we approach Thee in prayer, in humble gratitude for the privilege of honoring a beloved sister and her family. Through the power and authority of the Holy Priesthood, we dedicate this completed monument, which stands over the final resting place of a great and noble woman, Jane Elizabeth Manning James. We memorialize also the children and grandchildren of Jane and Isaac James, many of whom are buried near this monument. We dedicate the ground in which they are buried. Though many lie in unmarked graves, we know well that their resting places are known to Thee, who knowest all, and lovest all.
We are mindful that Jane wore out her life in patient humble service to others. We remember with deep gratitude her sacrifices for her children and grandchildren, of her abiding love for them; and recall fondly her unwavering faith in Thee and Thy Son, our glorious Savior.
May this be a sacred place—a place of peace and contentment, a place where generations may come to contemplate the goodness of a humble, faithful, compassionate soul, whose posterity will, in the fullness of time, rise up to call her blessed. May this sacred place—the monument and its associated graves—be protected against the ravages of time and of the elements, and may it ever be kept safe from harm or damage at the hands of the wicked. May we here contemplate the eternal nature of the family, and of sacred bonds which bind parents and children together through all generations of time. All this we do, in abiding gratitude for Thy goodness and mercy, in fond remembrance of Jane and her posterity, and in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
"Jane Manning James, Black Saint, 1847 Pioneer," Linda K. Newell and Valeen T. Avery, Ensign, August 1979, pp. 26-29.
"Jane Elizabeth Manning James, A Profile in Courage, Faith, Resiliency and Hope," Pioneer Magazine, May-June 1994, pp. 17-19.
"Wonderful, Unfailing Friend, Jane Manning James, 1821-1908," in Heroines of the Restoration, ed. Barbara B. Smith and Blythe D. Thatcher, Bookcraft, Salt Lake City, pp. 71-79.
"Jane Elizabeth Manning James: Our Black Heroine," in Heroic Mormon Women, Ivan J. Barrett, Covenant Communications, Inc., pp. 93-106.
Worth Their Salt. Notable But Often Unnoted Women of Utah, Henry J. Wolfinger, Utah State University Press, Logan, 1996, pp. 14-30.