Lydia Ackerman

I don't have a picture of Lydia Ackerman but I have recently come across information that she wrote herself about the early years of her life.  (edit March 2013 - A picture came to my attention so it has been added  here.)
 

I was maried to Silas Knapp in the year 1821 in July. 1825 July the 10 my son Albert was born Mo in the town of Antwerp, Jefferson Co New York. My daughter Melvina was born in the town of Champion, Jefferson County September the 8 in 1827. My daughter Marinda M was born May the 22 in 1830 in the town of Champion, Jefferson County, State of N Y. My son William was born July the 8 in 1840 in the town of Teray, Jefferson Cou, NY. My daughter Emma Amelia was born in January the 18, 1843 in Nauvoo, Hancock Co, Illinois. My daughter Eliza Sarinda was born in April the 6, 1848 in Potowatamie, Ill.
My two oldest children are dead; Albert and Melvina
Provo City 1880

I Lydia Ackerman was born May the 3 185 (eighteen five) in the town of Galiway, Sarytoga County New york state in the year of 188 (eighteen eight) my father and family moved to Jefferson County, New york and there bout a farm and we resided their til I was maried in 1821. My Husband Silas Knapp bought a farm in the town of Antwerp Jefferson Cou New york in 1823. There was a revival of religeonist and previous to this I had experienced relegion and joind the Baptist at the age of twelve years old and I believed in one Lord one faith one Baptism by Immersion and allways felt anxious to see a church that was endowed with the gifts that was in the Church in the days of Christ and the Apostles.

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and in the year of 1823 I went to my secret place to pray and when I prayed that I might see a Church adorned with all the gifts that were in the Church in the days of Christ and the Apostles and a voice spoke over my head Daughter be of good cheer for thou shall have the desire of thy heart I felt filed with joy and love to God I felt humble I came back to the house and told my Husband he pokd at it and it took no efect on him when I went to meting I told my Baptist Brothers and Sisters I believed I would see the day when their would be a Church having all the gifts that were in the Church of Jesus and the Apostles and they said I was deluded I was getting insane they said I never would see that day but I held on to that faith til the year 1834 I heard a man say the fulness of the Gospel was restored buy revelation for the angels were sent from heaven to Joseph Smith to resote the Gospel and the Priesthood and such a serman I never heard before it thriled through my hul sistim I had been afflicted fore 4 years vary poor health I asked the man to pray for me in the name of jesus that I might be healed and he laid his hands on my head and prayed the Lord would heal me and I was healed I was healed and I felt to prais God with all my Soul Might mind and strengh I went forth and was babtised and I received such light as I never had before

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I got the Book of mormon I read its pages through and found the same Gospel that I found in our bible the history of a peple on the (south?) had received the Gospel preached buy the Saviour and the Apostles Ive had many testimonies of the truth of this work in this dispensasion of the Gospel I’ve been healed by the power of God through the administration of the Priesthood by the laying on of the hands of thoes who has been ordained and set a part for that purpus and I have seen others healed by the same power my time has been spent in laboring in this Church ever since the year 1834 I came to Nauvoo in 1842 the December 25 and stayed til the next spring me and my Family moved to Shockocon 25 miles from Nauvoo

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and there we all had the ague and feaver and continued to be sick the hul summer me and my family recoverd so as to be tolerable comfortable but my Husband Silas he continued sick he died in a short time after Joseph and hiram Smith was Marterd my Husband was buried in Nauvoo there to lay til the morning of the resurection I was left vary destitute my Husband was sick no able to doa days work after we came to Shockocon we had no home of our own we lived in a rented house me and my son Albert rented a piece of ground that next summer after my Husband died and we raised our bread and some mellons
and sold them and gather means to get away from that place for the mob was thretning us every day and night that we

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could get but vary little rest well we come to Nauvoo in 1846 and from there to Salom and stoped there a few weeks and the mob began to be hostile and we lad to leave that place and goe to Osgalusia and we thought to stay there for a while and I was Maried to Docter George Coulson we had not ben there but a few days until the mob thretened to drive us out buy force if we did not goe willingly we fixt ourselves and started on our journey to Ioa and there we stoped and made a farm and built houses and made ourselves comfortable and then my Husband tuck sick and died and the mob was thretning us again and the litle branch of the church thout best come to the Vally of the mountain

all in (ways?) well I had to leave my farm all my efects that the mob had not tacen the mob had taken my valuble property and caried of such as could be caried they went into the blacksmith shop and took two sets of tools besides severals plowshiers and loads of grain and potatoes and Cows and hogs and took them and they want satisfied they come into my house and took my furniture and quilts and 5 trunks and they took my chairs and dishes horce worth (?) and stove and looking glass and left me allmost destitute then I don the best I could and got ready and come to U Lak and here Ive laboured vary hard to get a living and when the grass hopers came and destroyed our crops we had but vary little to eat we were drove to eat nettles for greens and dig segoes and such them to eat

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Well in all this it did not leson my faith in the Gospel that I had embraced I kenw that God was at the helm and would bring the Ship safe to shore my testimony is I kow I have embrced the Gospel jesus tough his Desiples revieled to Joseph Smith by angels als by Christ the son of God I feel to witness by the same spirit it is true and the help of the Lord I feel the Saviour to follow the Saviour and finish my mission and receive my reward here is my potograph for you to look upon your great Grandmother Lydia Coulson the wife of George Coulson

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I lydia Ackerman had A dream I had at the age of 12 years old

I dreamed I walked with Salina Brooks through a piece of woods til we come to the riverjordan I said to Salilna I going to cros over into the land of canan she said the water was deep and I could not waid it but I said I could fly over if she would get on my back I would carry her over she got on my back and I flew over into the land of Canan it was a beautiful place then I woke up and found myslef in bead but I felt happy to think of that beautiful place I soon had a letter from Salina she said she had experienced religionl

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I had another dream

I was walking through the same woods with Eliza the sister of Salina I went with Eliza til we come to the river jordon I said to Eliza Im going to cros over this river into the land of Canon if you will get on my back I will carry you over I caried Salina ove and can carry you acros she said no I never shall see that place I left her and flew over to the land of Canon I was awake again and found my self in bead about 4 years after this I dreamed I walded with Eliza through the same woods and came to a road where there much travel I took the right hand road and she took the left hand road I said to her don’t you
That road the right hand road is to get heaven she said no I cant goe to heaven I must goe to hell I said goe with me to heaven but she turned to the left and I to the right I went a few steps I heard her call me I looked behind me she was in a pit with both her hands reached as high as she could rais them but I could not help her I traveld on til I came to a very large house so large I could not describe it at the door stood a man he said to me Daughter enter thou in he took me by the hand and lead me into the house it was ful of pepole drest in white all praising God I was happy there I wakend with surprise to find my self in bead a short time the news came to me that this same Eliza had

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hung herself the bible says no murderrer has eternam life in them after this I heard there was an apointment for a Mormon Preacher to be at our school house I told my Husband and my cousin I wanted to goe to hear him Preach well my heart beat with anziety my cousin said Ill hitch up his team and take me to the meting I went and after I got seated the Elder came in he was the same man I see in my dream that lead me into that big house and he is the man that Baptized me into this Church the latter day Saints and I vear witn001eys to the truth of this work in this last dispensation this is from Grandmah Coulson now Seventy 6 the 3 day of May