Saga of the Sanpitch Volume 17, 1985 - Sanpete County

Paxman hung the huge east doors of the temple on a Monday. That night he suffered a terrible pain,
explained Sister Hinckley. He died four days later of a strangulated hernia, "caused by his all out effort to get
the doors in place."
Sister Hinckley's mother was born eight months after Paxnian's death. Sister Paxman never remarried,
remaining a widow for 62 years.
"I love this holy temple," Sister Hinckley told the quiet congregation. Eyes of many glistened with tears
as she told the faith-filled story of just one frontier craftsman who had sacrificed so much in helping to build
this pioneer temple.
Source: L.D.S. Church News, June 23, 1985, p. 3.
HENRY, THE PEG-LEG MAN
Henry John was a professional singer and harpist in the country of Wales. He played for royalty, playing
and singing as only an expert could . He traveled from village to village and from city to city performing .
Finally, with a wonderful woman who had a beautiful singing voice, they entertained almost every night.
One day, misfortune came to Henry, and he lost a leg in a crusher while working in the coal mines .
After this, he was unable to continue his profession. It was hard for him to get around on his peg-leg.
In 1870 he heard the Mormon missionaries and joined their church. He came to Utah and finally to
Wales in Sanpete County, where he found it hard for a harpist and a singer to find work. He was getting older,
the language barrier was causing him problems, and with the handicap of his peg-leg finding a job was almost
impossible.
When a call came out from the leaders of the LDS Church that men were needed to work on the new
project of building the Manti Temple, Henry went to Manti, Twelve days later one hundred men knelt in
prayer at the site to ask for guidance and help in accomplishing this great work.
Up temple hill he hobbled with his one peg-leg and his one good leg. Ropes were attached to posts to
help Henry and others needing help up the hill. Here he worked, sitting in the same position all day, chipping
with his chisel the rock that had been quarried and hauled to the brow of the hill. Sometimes he pounded the
rock chips into fine sand to be used in mixing the mortar for cementing together the huge blocks of oolite
stone in the temple walls.
The stonecutters and masons were of various ancestry. Some of the workers walked from Ephraim
to Manti each Monday morning and returned home on Saturday night. Henry also traveled at times to Wales,
Utah, when his week's work was done. Some workers stayed at the old Templeton Hotel, and others used
tents for their homes away from home.
Sometimes the stakes were requested to furnish their workers with provisions and supplies, one
month's rations at a time. While these men were away from home, local people helped to sustain their
families. The laborers worked an average of ten hours a day, six days a week.
Henry's greatest asset was faith in God and a desire to do His will. Therefore, he steadfastly accepted
his job at the temple and continued his work with a will that never faltered.
He was always happy as he sat day in and day out for long periods of time chiseling rock for the
temple. Workers watched him with pride and with a little awe and confusion at how diligently he sat, patiently
and without complaint, chiseling rock, watching the progress of the majestic edifice, as each rock he cut
helped to take form in the massive structure.
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