A Sketch Of My Life

Pearl Tomlinson Lambert

           I was born in Lyon County, Kansas, and there spent my childhood with my brothers and sisters.  I can say with Nephi of old, “Having been born of goodly parents”, I have been bequeathed a great heritage and may I pass it on to all my posterity.  I was the youngest of ten children; they were all highly esteemed by me because of their sterling qualities and kindness.

Father was a great man of faith, and a very staunch Latter-Day Saint, although he had been separated from the body of the Church since he was a small boy, yet his testimony shone brightly and lighted up his very soul.

Many times he would take me beside him on the big wagon seat, when he was going to town and tell me the wonderful story of the First Vision.  Oh, how I loved that story, it thrilled me with joy, and it still does, to think we would be so blessed, above all other people of the world, to know the Being we worship is a glorified man, not a myth or uncomprehensible Being. 

            To think that knowledge should be given to a young innocent boy, in such a beautiful setting; green woods, blue skies, beautiful spring morning then the Glorified Beings appearing, in the midst of such simple splendor.  The picture shall always live in my soul.

            My parents lived on a farm, a very pretty spot, they named Mt. Bliss.  We raised sugar cane, corn, watermelons, vegetables and some hay and fruit.  The first thing I can remember was when I was three years old, I wanted a doll for Christmas.  Father came from the Post Office, he had a long box, one end was damaged and a pair of dolls legs stuck out, I cried, “My dolly, my dolly.”  Sure enough it was, a gift from my angel sister Leolia, the next Christmas she rode 22 miles over prairie on horseback, nearly freezing to bring presents.

            I remember a lovely birthday party Mother made me when I was 8 years old.  Mother was a highly educated and refined woman, and always had choice friends.  Father was a great mathematician and stumped many professors with his problems and used to teach us how to work them.

            Father and Mother were great students, Mother could sing songs and recite poems without number, Father could recite many chapters from all Church works.  At evening prayers, Father read a Chapter and Mother played a hymn and we all sang.

            I always had a testimony and wanted to come to Utah but could not tell my Mother for she was a Baptist.  My sister, Jessie, in Utah was to be married and invited Mother.  She made it a matter of sincere prayer and received a vision to come.  Imagine my joy when I learned that Mother, Eva and I were going to Utah.

            We settled in Heber at first, Mother soon learned to love the Mormon people.  Baptismal day came; my friends asked Mother if I could be baptized.  I shall never forget what she said, “My little daughter is old enough to choose for herself, and if she feels that this is the true religion, I will not stop her.”  I was so thrilled, I threw my arms around my Mother’s neck and kissed her.  Three months later Mother joined and sent for Father and Brother Judson.

            Sister Leolia felt impressed to come to Utah and make a home for Father and Mother.  She and Carrie came and had a home built for us.  We moved to Salt Lake with I was 11 years old and I had never been in such a beautiful home.  Beautiful Brussels carpets, lovely curtains, drapes, furniture, pictures, a piano.  Everything new, Leolia and Carrie sacrificed everything to get us that home.

            Dear Carrie was married Feb 22, 1897.  Eva was married Aug 31, 1898.  Judson, my beloved brother, left for a mission to Samoa in June 1900, he was taken with a tropical fever and died May 18, 1902, where he was buried.

            My oldest sisters’ daughter Allie came to live with us, I was only 3 months older than she, so we dressed like twins and could hardly be known apart.  We loved each other dearly and always went out with boys who were chums.  Until she started to go with Ben Brown and married him.  I had been going with Thomas Lambert, he was on a mission, so I taught music to take up my time.

            I was always kept busy in the Church.  Sunday School Secretary when I was 15 and organist at 16, then Ward organist, I assisted in Primary and later on the Primary Board of the Pioneer Stake.  I was president of Mutual in several wards, YWMIA Stake Counselor, President of Hawthorne Relief Society and organist several times.  I had the choicest associates all the time and was most happy.

            I had the best husband in Thomas G. Lambert that ever lived and we were so happy with our eight beautiful children the Lord gave us.  For 25 years we lived in “Our Blue Heaven” when my darling was called Home.

            My dear children have helped me “carry on”, may God help us to all be faithful to our duties and all meet in Heaven to part no more.

God Bless my dear Children.

Note:  I found another hand written document written by P.E. Lambert titled "A Sketch of My Life" -- the same as this article, which makes it very confusing.  In comparing the two documents, I found that they were very similar.   Except at the end  --- so below, I have included the last page of the other life sketch.

 The Lord has been a father to my children and guided us over may slippery roads these past few years. 

 My greatest ambition is to see  the blessings I received, under the hands of Bishop Henry Taggart, fulfilled where in he said, "I should live to see my children have a testimony equal to my own and see them all active in the work of the Lord."

If I could have two gifts I would choose Faith, that I should be equal to all my callings and nothing should be left undone because of my slothfulness.  And wisdom that that I should be a wise counselor to my children and my friends.  That I should be equal to the great calling that has been entrusted to my keeping in this ward.  My choice of all other wards.

May the gift of my calling fall upon me until it brings me up to the high standard of all of its requirements and commands the respect and love of those noble spirits I am so closely associated with.  That nothing shall be undone, that will move along this great cause, forward and upward in the first Ranks of the Church.