. . . On 7 May 1874, William was on the docks at Liverpool, England. The day was bleak and a storm was threatening. The docks were cold and misty. The ship Nevada was being loaded. Approximately fifty Mormons were among the 1,384 passengers whose destination was America. As they waited, William saw a most beautiful young woman highlighted in the throng. His heart skipped a beat. He looked again. Yes! He was sure! It was the face he had seen in his vision - the one who would become his wife. But, she was so young and attractive. To look at her made his heart pound.

That evening the passengers were taken to the ship in a large, flat tug barge. They set sail the following morning. William watched the young woman intently. He longed for a way to get acquainted with her. However, she kept her face straight ahead, looking neither to the right nor to the left. "Good," he thought, "she is not the flirty type." Her face seemed to say, "I am going to Zion!" As he watched, he noticed she was thinly clad. She was shivering with only a thin cape over her shoulders. He obtained a steamer robe, then mustered enough courage to approach. He offered her the robe to keep her warm. She would not accept it. She firmly declined and, with resolution, turned her face straight ahead, then moved away. William added a "plus" to her wisdom. Now he was sure this was the face he had seen in vision. He would wait.

In the weeks which followed, the sailing vessel encountered rough weather. A raging storm engulfed the ship. All the passengers were ordered off the deck and commanded to "stay below." Down in the hold the only light they could see came through the port holes. The anchor was dropped, yet the ship was thrust backward some 600 miles. The violent storm continued for three and a half days. All feared the ship would go down. Severe damage was done. The main mast was broken and torn loose. There was delay, disorder and much dismay.

The Mormon elders, conjointly with the rest of the Latter-day Saints on board, held prayer meetings and pled with the Lord for their safety. The Lord answered their prayers and the storm subsided.

William caught fragmentary glimpses of Hephzibah, but never once did she forget the instructions of her father. She was prayerful and put her trust in the Lord. She did not look at, nor accept attentions from, any man. Nevertheless, William was aware of her whereabouts. When he learned she was seasick, he procured some dainties hoping she might enjoy refreshment and change from the ship's menu, thereby easing her distress. These she graciously accepted with thankfulness. This special consideration for her comfort helped dispel the severity of her earlier aloofness.

After three weeks on the ocean, the ship arrived in New York Harbor. The Mormon emigrants stayed at Castle Garden for two days while they were waiting for a train. William and Hephzibah arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, on May 1874. . . . [p.9]

BIB: Hodgkinson, William and Hephzibah Gardner Hodgkinson. Life History of William and Hephzibah Gardner Hodgkinson. p. 9. (FHL)
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