The Conversion of James Henry Rollins
to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
by Howard K. Bangerter, 1988
In the Autumn of 1830, James Henry Rollins was a fourteen year old boy working as clerk in the mercantile store of his uncle, A. Sidney Gilbert in Kirtland, Ohio.
One day, Oliver Cowdery, Parley P. Pratt, Peter Whitmer and Ziba Peterson arrived in Kirtland on their missionary journey to the Lamanites. These men preached the gospel to Sidney Rigdon's Campbellite congregation, of which James' family and others in the neighborhood were members. While most of these (Sidney Rigdon, the Newell K. Whitneys, Gilberts, and Frederick G. Williams included) joined the church, James was not baptized, "as I did not thoroughly understand it, but read the Book of Mormon through, and I had to read at night by firelight, as candles were very scarce at that time, and I lay on the floor on my back with my head to the fire and read at nights, the only time I had to read."
At that time in Kirtland, some individuals were experiencing manifestations of "different kinds of spirits, such as receiving revelations on parchment, and professing to receive them from Heaven; others lying like they were dead, in meetings, or rushing to the river and going through the form of baptism in the flowing ice until they had to be taken out, as was the case with Burr Riggs." The Elders that Oliver and Parley put in charge were afraid to denounce the actions of these individuals.
In December of 1830, having observed these things, James plead with the Lord to show him if this was His spirit. After much praying, he records, "I was shown in a dream or vision Joseph and Hyrum. I saw them standing side by side. They beckoned me to follow them to the door. They received me in a very pleasing manner as I entered. After a very short time they bade me to follow them, which I did. They crossed a very long hall, the end of which I could not see; then we three entered another door. I cannot describe the beautiful things I beheld. Nothing on earth can compare with the things I seen in my dream. They then passed to another door, which they opened and entered. If I entered myself, all remembrance was taken from me of that place. After this I was shown by a guide, which was at my side... many things which has transpired since, and are being literally fulfilled to the very letter. He then showed me many things which I would have to pass through. He told me to hold fast the Iron Rod, which, at that time, I did not know the meaning of, or neither did he explain it to me."
James first met Joseph Smith in the Gilbert and Whitney Store. When Joseph was told that James was not Sidney's son, but his wife's nephew, Joseph remarked, "Well, the Lord has shown him great things." James later recorded, "I truly had seen Joseph and Hyrum in my vision."
James became well acquainted with the Smith family, from Joseph, Sr. to William, with whom he would go on "shooting expeditions up and down the River", to Don Carlos: "Don Carlos and myself were great chums and were quite attached to each other.
After the conference of the Church held in Kirtland (June 3-6, 1831), many had been appointed to travel west to Independence Missouri (D&C 52-56). When Sidney Gilbert and his family left for Independence, James, was with them. They arrived in July 1831.
When Joseph and other brethren arrived in Jackson County Missouri in April, 1832, for a conference, he visited the Gilberts at their home. After "saluting them, he came to me and said, 'Henry, I want to baptize you if possible before I leave.' I was working in my uncle's store and asked him if I could go with him, that he wanted to baptize me. My uncle said that he could not spare me that day, for the majority of the people came in on Saturday to do their trading, and he had no other help that he could depend on but me. I was finally baptized by John Carroll on the 1st of June 1832."
Years later, in Nauvoo during the spring of 1844, the prophet made good on his offer to baptize James: "I was alone in the store, when Joseph came in with his cane in his hand. He stopped opposite me and eyed me for a moment. Joseph told me to meet him later at the river near the old printing office. I went, supposing he would send me on an errand, as he sometimes did. When I arrived, I saw that he had been baptizing several individuals. He said to me, 'Do you remember I promised to baptize you at Independence? I want to fulfill that promise now, if you are willing?' I said I was very willing. He then took me in the river and baptized me, after which I took a seat on a rock, and he confirmed me and placed many blessings on me head.
James Henry Rollins, a quiet, hard-working young man that was clerk at the Whitney - Gilbert store, remained faithful to the Church throughout his life. He witnessed first hand and patiently endured every phase of persecution the Saints went through: Kirtland, Jackson County (when 18 members of the Church were murdered at Hauns Mill, James was ready to ride and avenge the killings, until they were restrained by the Prophet), and the expulsion from Nauvoo. He and his young family crossed the plains, then were sent immediately to found the community of San Bernadino, California. As was likely for an individual of his experience, he opened the first store in that town. They returned to Utah when the U.S. Army threatened, but stopped in Minersville to mine lead. Here he lived most of his life, until, at nearly the age of 80, they moved out to Lyman, Wyoming. We are indebted to his daughter, Ida Minerva Rollins, who took down his history in long hand as he, over 80 years old, dictated it to her.