He worked on his father's farm until he was thirteen, at which time he sought employment in the local mines. He was sent down into the pit, which unknown to those in charge, was filled with poisonous gas. As soon as they were aware of the gas, rescuers were sent down to remove the workers. They carried my father out, presumably dead. He recovered, but that was the last time he ever looked forward to mining as an occupation and a livelrhood.

Father later went ro work for the railroad for a short time. In the group of men with which he worked there were many tobacco users. With the vote of the majority it was decided that those who did not smoke should furnish tobacco for those who did. My father used tobacco for a short time because he said, "Before I'll pay for tobacco for that gang, I'll take up the habit myself." He did not remain on that job for long, and that was the only period of his life that he used tobacco.

A little later on he sought work with a farmer, and the first question he was asked was, "Can you plow a straight furrow?" Father replied, "Yes, sir!" The first task assigned him was that of plowing. " I had to make good with what I had told him," my father related. "And plow a straight furrow I did, and it has been my endeavor ever since to 'plow a straight furrow.'"

Father heard the Mormon Elders preaching on the streets in England when he was a young man. He was of that type that if there was anything new or different from that of the old, he was willing to listen. After hearing two Elders preach in the vicinity of Bolesover, five miles from Chesterfield, Derbyshire, the knowledge came to him that it was true. He followed up meeting these elders and kept gaining more wisdom by conversing with them. As a result, he was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. In his latter life, I have heard my father speak of his conversation saying, "It was just borne upon my soul that the things tose men were saying was correct. I have never had occasion to doubt it from that day to this."

I have heard him sing a few lines of a song which he learned after joining the church, and which conveys some of the things which conveys some of the things which prevailed in the church he formerly embraced. The song went like this:
When I was a little boy to Sunday School I went,
With my Bible and my Testament I used to be content
They taught me to believe all things, whatever the Books would say
But many of the things I did read, they said were done away.
So to Zion we will go, to Zion we will go.
We'll leave these old sectarians, and to ZION WE WILL GO!

He was the fourth child of a family of ten and the only one of them to join the Church. Two brothers, William and Edward, later came to America, settling in Clay Center, Nebraska, where their families still reside.

On the 13th day of August, 1849, he married Hannah Dean of Derbyshire, England. They immigrated to America, sailing on the ship Zethland in the year 1849, arriving at New Orleans on Christmas Eve, after an eventful and stormy voyage, taking five weeks and two days to cross th Atlantic Ocean. They were the parents of five sons: Samuel, William, John, George, and Joseph.

In January, 1850, he moved up the river to St. Louis, Missouri, staying there fifteen weeks, then on to Council Bluffs, Iowa, where he spent the winter.

He migrated to the Upper Crossing of Keg Creek in the spring of 1851 where their son Samuel was born. During the spring and summer he worked industriously and steadily to support his family and to get the means to finance the journey to Salt Lake City. He also cut lumber for and made and outfit with which to cross the plains. After the woodwork was completed, it was discovered that there was no blacksmith in that region who could do the necessary work of furnish material to iron the wagon. However, their faith was not shaken, for at that time Apostle Ezra T. Benson visited the colony and bade them be of good cheer, promising them that all who desired would be able to make the journey to Utah that season.

This promise was fulfilled, for in a short time a blacksmith arrived, bringing the necessary tools and iron to complete the wagon.

In 1852, he and his wife and son, Samuel, together with a company of Saints, commenced their journey across the plains, traveling by ox team over the trackless desert, endangering their lives many times being subjected to the wild savages and stampeding buffalo.

Before reaching Salt Lake City, many were stricken with cholera and died; nevertheless, their journey was made in safety and they arrived in Salt Lake City the 7th day of October, 1852, and they moved to Lehi, Utah, that same month.

HIS LIFE IN UTAH: He bagan at once to work for John R. Murdoch and continued for a short period, after which he aquired land by homestead and purchase and began farming for himself, a vocation he followed the remainder of his life. He endured all of the hardships common to the pioneers of his day. At times the indians were on the war-path, and on many occasions he furnished a team and an outfit to others who were not so well equipped, in order that they might go and protect the settlers from indian deprediations.

He was a man of great faith, which was displayed on many occasions, one of which I will relate: My father frequently went into the west mountains after wood, which was their only source of heat for domestic use, as coal had not at that time benn introduced for such purposes. On this particular occasion he was alone, gathering his winter supply of fuel. Indians were on the war-path, but he thought perhaps they were not in that vicinity as he had gone there before without molestation. He had just commenced gathering the wood when he saw three indians coming directly toward him, and he was perfectly visible to them. Father felt that there was no help for him this side of heaven -- so he knelt down and prayed that the Lord would cause that something should happen to change their course of direction. When he arose from his prayer he found the indains walking away from him and he knew that his prayer had been answered. He finished gathering his wood and returned to his home unharmed, and with a strong feeling that a greater power than his own had protected him and spared his life.

I, Azer R. Briggs, his son, was personally present at his bedside when human efforts had failed to relieve him of his illness, and his chances for recovery seemed small. At the request of father, the Elders were called to administer to him. Father immediately was healed and got up out of his bed. At that time he said, "My boy, isn't that a testimony to you?"

On numerous occasions I have heard father relate how he lost his stock and was unable to find them after a long search. Again he had faith that the Lord would help him. He asked the Lord to show him in some way where his stock was located. The following night he would be shown in a dream where they were, and the next morning he was able to go to the exact spot.

My father was a great friend of Porter Rockwell. The Prophet Joseph Smith had tols Porter Rockwell that if he would wear his hair long the enemy would have no power over him. Many times father braided his (Porter's) hair. Father related that he saw a man come to his place and tell Porter he was going to kill him. Porter stood in the doorway of father's place; the man fired at him three times, and each bullet missed Porter and went in the door sill. The man, after his third attempt failed, turned and fled. The words of the Prophet had been verified in this instance, an in many other instances.

He was part owner in one of the first thrashing machines of the vicinity. He was a thrifty, industrious citizen, being identified with such commercial enterprises as ZCMI, Salt Lake City, the Provo Wollen Mills, and the People's Cooperative Institution of Lehi.

He was upright and honest in all his dealings and his unflinching devotion for that which he believed to be right won him many friends. He was a lover of home and children, and always found time for family prayer. He was interested in genealogical and temple work, and successfully held the office of Teacher, Elder, Seventy, and High Priest.

In the fall of 1869, he married Emma Thomas, who bore him five sons and seven daughters: Emma, James William, Ada, Elizabeth Jane, Mary Ann, Frances Harriet, Eugene Samuel, Azer Richard, Warren Thomas, Laurence Hays, Elen and Mable.

After a well-spent life he passed away in Lehi, Utah, October 22, 1898.

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