Enoch Perham Rollins
Written by Ann S. Elmer Wilson

Enoch Perham Rollins was born 14 January 1805 at Jefferson, Lincoln County, Maine, as son of Ichabod Rollins and Mary Perham, both of Maine. He received his education there as a wheelwright and carpenter. He worked in the shipyards in Bangor and learned to be an expert timberman. He met Mrs. Sophia Wing Philbrook Lambert, the widow of Abial Lambert, a sea captain who died at sea leaving her with 3 children. They were married 29 April 1829 in Bangor. Both were devout members of the Methodist Church.
Enoch was very religious, studied the Bible and was very strict in following his convictions. Soon after the organization of the L.D.S. Church, Joseph Smith sent John Snyder, Isaac Russell and John Goodson as missionaries to Maine. When these men visited their vicinity, Sophia received their message right away, but Enoch was not interested in the new preachers who were not allowed to hold public meetings. Their son, William Henry, was much impressed with the story of the vision and strange experiences of the boy prophet. He attended a Sunday meeting by himself, bought a Book of Mormon and other literature, and took it home to his mother. When Enoch found out they had sold books on the Sabbath Day, he was horrified that a minister of the Gospel would sell books on that day, and said he would not allow such wicked men in his house. He burned the books. William Henry felt so bad he left home never to return. He died in St. Thomas in 1845. Sophia had promised the missionaries they could hold a meeting in their home. She said to Enoch, "I gave my promise and you wouldn't have me break my word would you? You needn't stay and listen, if you don't want to." She finally persuaded him and a meeting was arranged. He was one of the most interested listeners, kept the missionaries up most of the night investigating the new principles of salvation and eternal life.
While working in the woods alone he decided to pray about it. In his prayer he said, "Oh, Lord if this is Thy church and if it is true, show me how Stephen from the New Testament endured his martyrdom." He felt a prickly sensation and then was struck with a strange numbness all over his body. When he could feel and move again, he was convinced. A contractor asked Enoch to go with him and some other timber men to look over a forest of trees to see if they were suitable timber for ship building and ready for use. After they had decided in favor of the trees, the contractor said, "Well Rollins, you can work for me on one condition and that is that you do not talk to the other workmen about your strange doctrine." This was a challenge, Enoch loved his religion; he knew he could never be still about it/ He stepped up on a stump nearby and explained the new gospel as he understood it. He told them of the revelations to Joseph Smith and Joseph's vision. He bore his testimony to them and how he received it. Then he finished speaking he stepped off the stump and started walking away. The contractor called, "Hey Rollins, wait a minute, if you can hew logs as well as you can preach, you are hired." He went to work.
He worked several years hewing timber in the Bangor ship yards. Five of his children were born in Bangor, Maine: Mary Jane was born, 25 December 1829; Ann Sophia, 5 March 1831; Sabra Sherburn, 3 November 1832; Abby Amanda, 10 July 1835; and John Park, 1 September 1836.Abby Amanda and John Park were stricken with scarlet fever and died on 30 June and the other 2 July 1837 in Bangor. Being anxious to unite themselves with the Saints, the Rollins family left their home soon after. Elizabeth, daughter of Abial Lambert, remained in Bangor with relatives. The lack of means made it very difficult for the family. Enoch worked in towns along the way to obtain the necessities for his family. As the family slowly moved westward, children were born to them.
In Sing Sing, West Chester County, Loretta Delaney was born on 10 August 1838. The next town where they stopped was Mount Pleasant, where Martha Philbrook was born 30 April 1840. On 27 February 1842, Orson Hyde was born in New Rochester. These births were all in the state of New York. In East Pelham, West Chester County, New York the family decided to be baptized into their beloved church. On 8 February 1841, the ice was cut in the river, and the parents and all the children who were old enough were baptized. Marinda Lambert died in White Plains, New York in 1842. In August1843 they left New York State and made they way to Akron, Ohio. There Franklin Wheeler was born on 31 May 1844. It was here they heard the sad news of the death of the Prophet Joseph Smith and Hyrum. This was a shock and disappointment. Their one desire was to see and be with the Prophet.
Starting again on their journey, they arrived in Nauvoo six weeks after the Prophet's death. Enoch spent a great deal of his time working on the temple. He was ordained into the eighth quorum of the 70's. His trade of wheelwright and carpenter was very much needed in the wagon shops preparing outfits to come west. In Nauvoo two children did, Martha Philbrook in 1845 and Franklin Wheeler 30 August 1846, Their last child Charles Drowne was born 11 March 1846. Enoch and Sophia were sealed in the Nauvoo Temple on 7 June 1846. May Jane and her father did not get along very well. He wanted her to be a plural wife, she refused and left home. She married W.N. Taylor, lived in St. Louis, and had two sons. After the family left for Utah, all contact was lost with her. Enoch and Sophia lived in a house on the banks of the Mississippi in Nauvoo. They had been ill nearly all summer with ague, chills, and fever. The mob marched on 17 September 1846 and ordered the Saints to leave or be killed and their possessions burned. That night Rufus Allen helped dislodge a log canoe embedded in the mud and sand. Four families were moved across the mile wide river, the women rowing like men. Landing at Montrose, Iowa a shelter was made with a quilt propped up on a pole. Their provisions were meager. They were among those saints fed by the quail. They endured much sickness and privation until the spring of 1848, when they started for Council Bluffs, arriving there that summer.
Here Ann met and fell in love with Sidney Marcus Beckstead which met with her father's disapproval. Enoch didn't like Sidney because he said, "damn it!". Ann and Sidney eloped and were married by a Catholic Priest. The Saints were preparing to cross the plains, and dividing into small companies for better protection and feed for the animals. Enoch and his family were with the first division, Ann and Sidney with the second.
In May 1852, the started on their journey west in the company of Eli B. Kelsey under Captain John C. Butler. On reaching the Green River, Enoch with others were asked to remain for the purpose of building a bridge across the river. Enoch was chosen for his knowledge of timber and carpentry. The men followed up the river until they found timber suitable, which they chopped and floated down to where they intended to build the bridge. They also planned to build a fort expecting to remain there all winter. But President Young had learned of a conspiracy between a French Mountaineer, Batiste, and the Indians, who planned a full scale massacre. An express rider by the name of Alma Huntington, was sent to warn them of the coming disaster, and with orders from President Young to immediately break camp and travel with all haste to avoid the calamity. Thus the evil designs of a wicked man were frustrated, and they reached the Salt Lake Valley in November 1852.
The following four years, Enoch devoted his time to working on the temple block, the Beehive House and other buildings under construction in Salt Lake. Here he and his son-in-law, Sidney Beckstead, made wagons. Sidney had learned the blacksmith trade and with Enoch's trade as wheelwright and carpenter they worked together. In the spring of 1856, he assisted in the settlement of Farmington. Because of many falsehoods told about Brigham Young and the people of Utah, the government was influenced to send troops to Utah to exterminate the Mormons. The Saints abandoned Salt Lake City and all their northern settlements and moved south, leaving only a few men in each town to burn everything in case Johnston's army proved hostile. The army, under Colonel Johnston, passed through Salt Lake City and camped on the west side of the Jordan River, then marched to Cedar Valley and located Camp Floyd. Enoch was hired by the governor to assist in the construction of the buildings which were to house the officers and men during their stay in Utah. The difficulties between the United States and Utah were settled and the saints were able to return to their homes.
Enoch moved to Cache County and helped with the settlement of Paradise, and engaged in farming and stock raising. While he lived in Paradise, he married Sarah Jan Walters, a divorced wife of William Willis. She had a little son, Walter John Willis. From this second marriage, five sons were born. Enoch Perham, Joseph Hyrum, Freeman, David William, and Alma. 11 March 1872, his wife, Sophia, died of a lingering illness. She was visiting her grand daughters, Sabre Rust, and Sarah Elmer, when she died at the home of Sarah, and was buried in the Payson City Cemetery.
Enoch was very interested in temple work for the dead. His desire was to go to the temple to do the work for his friends and relatives who had passed beyond the veil. He and his daughter Ann, and son Charles D. commenced work on four ancestral lines. He was always ready to accept any calling in the church. He was eager to explain the Gospel to anyone who would listen. The ten commandments were a guide and a standard of living. These he followed closely and tried to see that all his children did. Sunday was a day of rest and worship. Being the Sabbath, no work was done, food was prepared the day before and all reverence was paid to the Lord. Enoch was disappointed and grieved because three of his daughters married men who did not belong to the church that he so loved. He was a man of medium size, walked very erect, was dignified in his bearing. His hair was naturally wavy and he took great care of it. He was extremely neat and particular of his appearance. He never murmured or complained through his last sickness which lasted eight months. He died at home, 9 November 1877, and was buried in Glenwood, Sevier County. Death was due to consumption. He died as he had lived, a faithful Latter-day Saint.

Transcript of Enoch Perham Rollins Obituary - Deseret News; 12 December 1877, p. 731

At Annabella, Sevier County, Utah, November 9th, 1877, of consumption, ENOCH PERHAM ROLLINS, in the 73rd year of his age.
Deceased was the son of Ichabod and Mary Perham Rollins; born January 14th, 1805 at Jefferson, Lincoln County, Maine; was a professor of religion from early youth; emigrated with his family to New York in 1837; was baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints February 8th , 1841, in Pelham, West Chester County, New York; started in 1843 for Nauvoo, Illinois, and for want of means stopped in Akron, Summit County, Ohio, eleven months, and while there heard the sad news of the death of the Prophet Joseph; started again shortly after, and landed in Nauvoo in August, 1844, he was ordained a member of the Eighth Quorum of Seventies; he spent a great deal of his time working on the Temple and other public works until the winter of '45 and '46, when he went into the wagon shop and assisted the brethren in making and repairing wagons for the benefit of those who intended to move west in the spring; attended to the ordinances in the Temple that winter, and in the spring made himself a wagon, but having no team was compelled to stay there until driven out by the mob. He had been afflicted with ague for some time, but notwithstanding his weakness, with the aid of Bro. Rufus Allen he pried an old log canoe out of the sand that had been bedded down there al summer, with the assistance of Brother Allen, who was also afflicted with chills, and Brother Allen's wife and her sister, four families were moved across the Mississippi River that night by eleven o'clock. They commenced about four o'clock in the afternoon. They made several trips, the women rowing like men. Two of the mobcrats had tried to get the boat loose a day or two before but had to leave it. He had no trouble in getting it loose. He was compelled through circumstances to stay in that part of the country. He endured much sickness and privation until the spring of 1848, when he removed to Council Bluffs. In the 1852 he emigrated to Salt Lake City. He was one of the last to leave the Bluffs that season, being counseled by Bro. Benson to stay and fit up wagons for the journey as long as he possibly could. He arrived in Salt Lake City October 28th, and went to work on the public works. He spent the most of his time there until the spring of 1856, and since that time he has lived in various settlements. He has been ever ready to respond to every call made of him by those that were place in authority over him in the priesthood. He never murmured or complained, and through his last sickness, which lasted eight months, his only desire was to live to go into the Temple and finish up a little of the work that he had already commenced for his friends that had passed behind the [veil], of which he had sever hundred names. He was the father of fifteen children, had thirty-nine grandchildren and twenty-three great-grandchildren. He died, as he had lived, a faithful Latter-day Saint, and in hopes of a glorious resurrection. - Com.