Life and Labors of Elder John Kline, the Martyr Missionary | Page 3

much. He learned to read and
write both German and English; and he also studied arithmetic. Further
than this he never went in school. He did not have the advantages of
free schools as young people now have. But you may learn from this
that one may carry on his education after leaving school. In fact,
schools only open the way for acquiring an education.
When a boy I was very fond of reading the lives of great men. I did not
then know very much about poetry, but I surely did feel something of
the fire that Longfellow has made to glow with so much heat and light
in his "Psalm of Life." I am glad to add, by means of this book, one
more name to the list of great men, so that in the lines which follow he
too may be included.
"Lives of GREAT MEN all remind us We can make our lives sublime;
And departing, leave behind us Footprints on the sands of Time:
Footprints, that perhaps another Sailing o'er life's troubled main-- A
forlorn and shipwrecked brother-- Seeing, may take heart again."
Elder John Kline will be set forth in this work as one of the great
PIONEER PREACHERS of the Cross. A brief but clear outline of
many of his sermons, together with the time and place of preaching
them, will be given. Many of the love feasts which he attended, and the

substance of what he said at some of them will also be noted.
He has left a record of the name of every family he ever visited in all
the States, together with the day and year when such visits were made.
Those brethren and sisters of the Lord who still remember him, will,
while reading this work, live over again the years that have passed
away and been almost forgotten. You will again listen to the voice of
his holy, healing words at some love feast long ago gone by. You will
again sit with him by the "old home hearthstone" as it used to be when
father and mother were living, and all the brothers and sisters together
in the room, and hear him talk and sing, and read and pray. And will
not this exercise of the mind and heart be pleasant? Will it not be
profitable? Will it not serve to refresh your love to Christ and the
Brotherhood? May it not rekindle in your heart a flame of that first and
tender love which shone so brightly when first you saw the Lord? You
then could sweetly sing:
"Jesus, I my cross have taken, All to leave and follow thee."
Since that time many cares and toils and afflictions and bereavements,
perhaps, have caused you to sigh in mournful memory:
"What peaceful hours I then enjoyed!"
and the heart-sobs sadly echo:
"But they have left an aching void The world can never fill."
In such seasons of sadness and despondency it is helpful to the heart to
hold communion with the great and the good through the medium of
their writings. Men who leave such comforting testimony behind them
are a blessing to all within the circle of their influence while living, and
when dead they continue to speak. Their words are felt and blessed on
both banks of the "River of Time" as it flows down through the ages.
There were a few points in the life and character of Elder John Kline
which may very appropriately be referred to here. I sincerely hope that
all the youthful members of the Brotherhood, especially, may become

acquainted with these points.
THE FIRST POINT.--He was truthful. He never spoke positively about
anything without first examining the matter carefully; and even then he
said about it only what he knew to be true. How different this habit
from that of many who speak positively about things which they do not
well understand, or which they are for the most part ignorant of!
THE SECOND POINT.--He never spoke evil of any one. It is not to be
understood from this that he spoke good of every one. On the contrary,
he spoke freely of the sinner and to the sinner; warning him of his
danger and pointing him to his impenitent doom. But it is to be
understood that he never spoke evil to injure any one. Whatever he said
in that way was to reform and to bless. His heart overflowed with love
to all.
THE THIRD POINT.--He was temperate. During a long personal
acquaintance with him, I never knew or heard of his taking a drink of
ardent spirits or intoxicating liquor of any kind. If he ever did use any
at all, it was only as a medicine. But as he was very temperate in his
eating,