Daddy, Do Not Leave Me Here

This touching story is about Israel and Elizabeth Barlow who are my third great-grandparents. I first heard this story a few years ago on a CD titled “Scripture Time" by my old Seminary teacher, Jack R. Christianson. I loved the story and I remember wondering if the Barlows were related to me. After recently researching my family history, I was surprised to find that this story was indeed about them!

Five years after arriving in the Salt Lake Valley, the Barlow family arose early one spring morning, packed the wagon, and went in to town to attend General Conference on Temple Square. Little did they know how much their lives were going to change that day. During Conference, Heber C. Kimball stood and called Israel Barlow’s name from the pulpit to serve a mission in England! That is how they received mission calls in those days. 

This required great sacrifice by Israel, Elizabeth, and their five young children. Elizabeth was supportive of him, but she asked him for one favor - that on his way to the mission field, would he stop at their old farm in Nauvoo and find where they had buried their firstborn child and remove the grave to the Nauvoo Burial Ground? He said he would do this for her. After kissing his family goodbye and putting ten year-old Israel Jr. in charge, he made his way back across the Mississippi River and came up to the place where his family had been forced out by mobs not too many years previous.

Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds

He went to their old Nauvoo farm and diligently searched for two days until he finally located the small grave of his firstborn child. When he dug down, he felt the grave was in such condition that it couldn’t possibly be moved. He thought of his wife’s request and hoped that she would understand. He was torn because he wanted to honor her wishes, but just couldn’t see how it was possible with the time he had left.

As he packed up and reluctantly began to walk away from the small grave, he suddenly heard a voice say, “Daddy, do not leave me here!” Israel stopped abruptly and turned around, for the words had come distinctly into his mind. He knew at that time that he had to go back and properly bury his child as his wife had requested.

After completing the move to the Nauvoo Burial Ground, he spent some time by the grave, tearfully feeling the bond between himself and his firstborn child. He now felt the calm and peace that he had been yearning for. He wrote in his journal the strong love he had for his family at that time, and how he felt a strong desire to dedicate himself to be worthy to be able to live with them forever.

Links to read more about this wonderful account:

The Israel Barlow Story page 300-308:  https://dcms.lds.org/delivery/DeliveryManagerServlet?dps_pid=IE519438&from=fhd

July 2009 Ensign page 34: http://media.ldscdn.org/pdf/magazines/ensign-july-2009/2009-07-00-ensign-eng.pdf?download=true

Book by Jack R. Christianson: https://books.google.com/books?id=GiOcuw0AcUsC&pg=PT61&lpg=PT61&dq=christianson%2C+jack+israel+barlow&source=bl&ots=GAJ6ua_eoU&sig=HpgiMIGBK1D097GZXF-cq7e51rw&hl=en&sa=X&ei=1TG9VPz9DIK0yATj64LQCw&ved=0CCcQ6AEwAQ#v=onepage&q=christianson%2C%20jack%20israel%20barlow&f=false