Lexander Scoby Standley and Philinda Upson Standley by Elizabeth Standley Osborn Osborn Benson

Early Recollections Of My Parents And Their Teachings
By Elizabeth Standley Osborn Osborn Benson [She was married to Osborn brothers.]
"My father, Alexander Scoby Standley, was born May 12, 1800, in the State of New Jersey. His early days were spent fishing near the mouth of rivers that emptied into the sea. At the age of seventeen, he moved to Ohio, then a new unsettled country. On the 19th of March, 1829, he married Philinda Upson. He was a hard working, saving man, she an economizing, hard working woman. They soon gathered around them the comforts of home. He was a staunch, political man, but disgusted with the religions of the day. He said they did not agree with the teachings of Jesus as recorded in the Holy Bible, which he had been taught by his loving mother to believe. Mother tried to get religion, but none of the churches suited her until Elder James Emmett came teaching the doctrine of the Latter Day Saints.
After investigating, they were baptized by Elder Emmett in 1837. They moved to David [Daviess?] County Missouri in the fall of 1838 and were driven from there in the month of February 1839. On account of the inclemency of the weather and hardships they lost a little girl with whooping cough. They all had sore eyes, at which time I nearly lost my sight. In the spring of 1840, they moved to Nauvoo. Father was one of Brother Joseph's minute men. Many is the time when the big drum sounded and it was dark and raining I have seen him take the old flintlock gun to make a light (matches being an almost unprocurable luxury) and away he would tramp thru the mud and rain. Small as I then was, I well remember these circumstances. Mother was a member of the first Relief Society organized in Nauvoo by Brother Joseph. She often bore her testimony to the divinity of the mission of the Prophet Joseph, and of the mantle of Joseph falling upon the Prophet Brigham Young. They were zealous in the cause and were among the privileged few who received their endowments in the Nauvoo Temple. Father had the gift of healing bestowed upon him to a great extent and had great faith in the ordinances of the gospel. I remember when he used to call us together in the family circle and preach the Gospel to us. He taught us obedience, order, faith in the gifts of the Gospel, Tithing, Word of Wisom, and warned us against pride and the fashions of Babylon, and many other things. He was called to go on a mission but was hurt by the falling of a tree and never went. After he was hurt he never was a strong man, but he was constantly donating to help Brother Joseph out of trouble, and after his death to help the Church. At one time he let the next to the last cow go. Brother George A. Smith said with tears: "Brother Standley, I know you have robbed your own family but you have answered the call, the Lord will bless you for this." And sure enough that same summer we milked twenty cows and never after suffered for the necessities of life. This was in 1849, in Iowa. He was full of sympathy, charity, honesty, integrity, truthfulness, and love. Had independence of character, never deviating from what he thought was right for anyone's opinion, and his benevolence knew no bounds. He was a very precise man, never doing things by halves. If only he was traveling along through a new fall of snow, he would go straight if nothing obstructed his way. If building only a log house (of which he built nine) or a corn crib, he would consult the compass or the North Star and always build with the world.

He left Nauvoo in '46 and went with Brother Miller to Punca. In the spring of '47, he came back to winter quarters. In '48, moved across the Missouri River into Iowa. In '52 we crossed the plains and came to Utah. Father was a believer in - but never practiced - the holy order of plural Marriage. He said to me when I was about to enter into it: "My dear child, this is a glorious principle, if you could only realize the responsibilities you are taking upon yourself and keep in your place, honor, respect and obey your husband, and above all else, regard the feelings of the other wives as you would the apple of your eye. Do as you would be done by under all circumstances; you will as surely gain the highest degree of glory for the daughters of zion." But oh how often we forget good counsel. Two years after we came to Utah, father quietly passed away and was laid to rest New Year's Day, 1855, until he is called to life on the morning of the first resurrection. Mother then carried the responsibility of raising the large family, two only having chosen companions and left the parental roof. Thirty-six years she lived and labored, cheered and counseled, blessed and comforted all with whom she associated. She passed away without a groan to join her husband and children, five of whom had preceded her to their eternal rest. May we six who are left follow in their footsteps and strive to honor our sainted parents, our God, and our country, and to set an example that will be worthy to be followed by our children and grand-children down to the last generation. That we have a reunion occasionally to see how we stand in numbers as well as to rejoice together and become acquainted and have a good time is my earnest desire."