Leslie and Nora Baptism

Leslie and Nora are Baptized

Summer into early fall was a wonderful time to live in the farming community of Jameston.  After chores and other work, young Les and Nora were busy with their friends and relatives, creating their own fun outside in games, playing house or cops and robbers, climbing trees, and building mud castles or mud pies in the irrigation water, and one of the favorites, swimming in the swimming holes of the creeks and canals.

Little Sand Creek near location of Baptism Site

Along with the warm weather fun, children of age eight and above looked forward to their baptism in the summer and fall.  The pleasant weather and not so cold water made it the perfect time for Jameston Ward to hold baptismal services.

(The Shelley Stake Tabernacle was dedicated in 1928 and included an indoor baptismal font.  Before that, the location for Jameston’s baptismal services was in a neighborhood swimming hole of Little Sand Creek out behind Bishop Christian Anderson’s barn.

Nora Cox

Nora was baptized there 1 September 1917. She did not leave an account of her baptism, but it was likely similar to Leslie’s. We can envision her being excited about it because, according to her brother, Clint, “Nora was very faithful in going to church, even when she was a young girl.”

Leslie’s story:  “Mother (Lillie Cannon Fielding) insisted that we children be baptized, even though Dad (Nephi Fielding) was not a member of the church.  Our family did not attend church before I turned twelve.  I was nearly ten years old when Joseph D. Harker baptized me on 6 July 1918.

“I remember changing into white clothes in Bishop Anderson's pump house,” Leslie continued, “then walking down to the creek north and west from his house.  My friend Cal Dick was with me as well as my brother Harold, and we were all baptized the same day.  They had to baptize Harold twice because he stuck his foot out.

“I think Mother was there but I’m not sure about Dad. We lived in the White Brick Place at the time and I don't remember how we got over there, whether we rode in someone's buggy or whether we walked.  Mother never drove the buggy, Dad always drove her.

Leslie, Harold, (unidentified)

“They didn't make a big deal of being baptized like they do today, inviting family and other guests.  I was confirmed and given the Gift of the Holy ghost the next day by Joseph D. Harker on 7 July 1918.  

“Sunday was a regular work day for Dad, so he did not over-encourage our going to church and would rather we would stay home and work.  Later, when I became active and took the children who wanted to go with me, he did not oppose his children from going.  Someone once asked Dad about my going to church and he said, ‘I'm going to let the kid choose for himself’.

“Dad (Nephi) and Mother (Lillie) both came from Utah pioneer families. My grandparents all were baptized in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in England and most of them traveled the overland trail across the Great Plains with great sacrifice as pioneers.  Lillie’s mother, Mary Ann West, died when Lillie was five, and her father, Stephen Cannon died when she was fifteen.

“Dad was never baptized into the Church because of the early death of his mother, Mary Dyson Fielding, who died of tuberculosis when he was five years old. There was an apparent lack of interest from his father, James Fielding, who raised him after she died. He died when Dad was fourteen.”

(Nephi was a good, honest man, and requested that Leslie be baptized as proxy for him in the Temple after his death.)

“I thought that when I was baptized that something really spectacular would happen, like I'd change or something,” Leslie commented.  “As far as I could tell then, it wasn’t spectacular.  I was somewhat disappointed in that at the time.”

(Looking back now, Leslie would likely say, “I realize now that baptism was the first earthly covenant I made with God.  I took his name upon me and was washed clean in order to qualify me to receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost to guide me throughout my life. It was my first step on the eternal path leading back to live with Heavenly Father.  It really was spectacular!)” 

Fast forward to early 1995.  Leslie knew his time on earth was coming to a close because his 85-year-old body was failing as a result of poor health and blindness.  “I have one special request for my funeral services”, he said, “I want the congregation to sing the hymn, 'God Be with You Till We Meet Again' as a closing song at the end of the service.”

God be with you till we meet again….         

         When life’s perils thick confound you,

           Put his arms unfailing round you…

          Keep love’s banner floating o’er you…

         

          God be with you till we meet again…

          at Jesus’ feet, at Jesus feet.

                   Jeremiah E. Rankin; Hymns of the Church of Jesus Chris of Latter Day Saints

It was to be his fond final earthly message to his loved ones, his posterity, then living and those yet to be born.

 And he said unto the children of men: 

Follow thou me. 

   

As patriarch of his family, along with Nora, his eternal companion, he was saying, “Come, follow me. Families are forever and Heavenly Father has a plan and a path to make it possible for families to be together forever”.

Leslie (age ten) and Nora (age eight) began their journey on that path when they were baptized and given the Gift of the Holy Ghost.  They individually kept their baptismal covenants by partaking of the Sacrament weekly.  They went on to spend their lives building strong testimonies, making and keeping Temple covenants, and being obedient to the principles of the gospel.

Their prayer continues to be that on the day, when they “meet at Jesus feet”, it will be with their eternal families, whom they dearly love.