Interesting Church Members Archives - Mormon History

“A Dialogue Between Joseph Smith & the Devil”: Parley P. Pratt’s Short Story Published Across the U.S. and Europe

lgroll — Thu, 12 Oct 2017 18:00:49 +0000

This article by Jamie Armstrong originally appeared in LDSLiving.

In 1844, Parley P. Pratt became the first Mormon to publish a work of LDS fiction. His story, published in newspapers across the U.S. and Europe, defended the Prophet’s character and introduced readers to the important Mormon doctrine of personal revelation.

When asked about LDS fiction, most people immediately think of authors like Gerald Lund, Josi Kilpack, or Dean Hughes. But the history of LDS fiction began over 170 years ago, starting with fledgling LDS members who were attempting to get the word out about Mormon doctrine and beliefs. Parley P. Pratt actively participated in this literary movement in the Church and became the first Mormon to publish a work of LDS fiction.

“A Dialogue Between Joseph Smith & the Devil,” also referred to as “Joe Smith and the Devil,” was first published in the New York Herald in January 1844 after Pratt wrote it one afternoon in Northbridge, Massachusetts. Pratt said of the story, “Visiting North Bridge, a short distance from Boston, and having a day’s leisure, I wrote a dialogue entitled ‘Joe Smith and the Devil,’ which was afterwards published in the New York Herald, and in various papers in America and Europe. It was finally published and republished in pamphlet form, and had a wide circulation; few persons knowing or mistrusting who was the author.”

Pratt’s short story follows a conversation Joseph Smith has with the devil—a conversation that defends the Prophet’s character and explains why the devil despises Joseph Smith but is perfectly happy with other religions. The story begins with the devil handing out fliers that read:

WANTED IMMEDIATELY!

All the liars, swindlers, thieves, robbers, incendiaries, murderers, cheats, adulterers, harlots, blackguards, gamblers, bogus makers, idlers, busy bodies, pickpockets, vagabonds, filthy persons, and all other infidels and rebellious, disorderly persons, for a crusade against Joe Smith and the Mormons! Be quick, be quick, I say or our cause will be ruined and our kingdom overthrown by the d—-d fool of an imposter and his associates, for even now all earth and hell is [sic] in a stew.

Joseph Smith happens to be walking by and inquires why the devil is so upset with him. The devil replies, “You have made more trouble than all the ministers or people of my whole dominion have for ages past. . . . You are causing many persons to think who never thought before, and you would fain put the whole world a thinking, and then where will true religion and piety be? . . . They never will continue to uphold the good old way in which they have jogged along in peace for so many ages, and thus, Mr. Smith, you will overthrow my kingdom and leave me not a foot of ground on earth, and this is the very thing you aim at.”

The devil further explains that contrary to popular belief, he is not opposed to religion but rather embraces it—except for Mormonism. “I am decidedly in favor of all creeds, systems and forms of Christianity, of whatever name and nature,” he says, “so long as they leave out that abominable doctrine which caused me so much trouble in former times, and which, after slumbering for ages, you have again revived; I mean the doctrine of direct communication with God, by new revelation.”

Joseph Smith replies, “With nothing but a few plain, simple weapons of truth and reason, aided by revelation, we boldly make war upon your whole dominion and will never quit the field, dead or alive, till we win the battle, and deprive you of every foot of ground you possess. . . . I shall be prepared to receive those whom you may excite against me, and to give them so warm a reception, that they will never discover your intended falsehood, but will find all your representations of my greatness to be a reality—so do your worst. I defy you.”

In anger, the devil turns to leave, but then changes his mind. “What is the use of parting enemies?” he says. “The fact is, you go in for the wheat and I for the tares. Both must be harvested; are we not fellow laborers? I can make no use of the wheat, nor you of the tares even if we had them; we each claim our own, I for the burning, you for the barn. Come then, give the poor old Devil his due, and let’s be friends.”

The Prophet agrees, and they shake hands. “I neither want yours, nor you mine—a man free from prejudice will give the Devil his due,” Joseph Smith says. “Come, here is the right hand of fellowship. You to the tares, and I to the wheat.”

With their new understanding, the story concludes with the devil and Joseph Smith toasting one another.

“Here’s to my good friend, Joe Smith,” the devil says. “May all sorts of ill-luck befall him, and may he never be suffered to enter my kingdom, either in time or eternity, for he would almost make me forget that I am a devil, and make a gentleman of me, while he gently overthrows my government at the same time that he wins my friendship.”

The Prophet replies, “Here to his Satanic Majesty; may he be driven from the earth and be forced to put to sea in a stone canoe with an iron paddle, and may the canoe sink, and a shark swallow the canoe and its royal freight and an alligator swallow the shark and may the alligator be bound in the northwest corner of hell, the door be locked, key lost, and a blind man hunting for it.”

lgroll

Remembering George A. Smith

Ashley Morales — Wed, 28 Jun 2017 07:23:58 +0000

This article originally appeared in the Deseret News on Jun 26th, 2017.

One of Utah’s great founding fathers, George A. Smith, was born 200 years ago on Monday in Potsdam, a village in northern New York. His life deserves to be remembered and celebrated. Arguably, he was second only to Brigham Young in providing leadership to the territory that would become the State of Utah.

George A., as he was affectionately known, served in the Territorial Legislature for 19 years, was a vigorous promoter of Utah statehood and a chief colonizer of Utah, Iron, Washington and Kane counties. He helped lay out and establish the communities of Parowan, Cedar City and Santa Clara. St. George was named in his honor. He promoted the transcontinental railroad and cooperative industries including the ZCMI. During the Utah War, he rallied resistance to the approach of Johnston’s Army.

George A. was an early convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, founded by his first cousin Joseph Smith. In the Spring of 1834, as a 16-year-old, he walked 1,600 miles as a member of the Zion’s Camp expedition. He was asked to serve in the First Quorum of Seventy at 18 and when only 22, became a member of the church’s Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was one of the early missionaries to England, introducing the Mormon message to the people of London. After the deaths of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, he helped organize the trek west, arriving with the first company of pioneers in 1847.

George A. served the church in his capacity as an apostle, historian and recorder and first counselor in the First Presidency to Young. In all these responsibilities he made enormous contributions. He is credited as church historian with laying the foundation for the work that continues in that office today. Likewise, the construction of the St. George Temple was due in large measure to his efforts.

St. George Temple. Courtesy of the LDS Media Library.

In stature, George A. was imposing, standing at nearly 6 feet in height and weighing more than 250 pounds. He also possessed a larger than life personality. He was by all accounts a charismatic speaker, lacing his discourses with humor, historical anecdotes and sage counsel.

He was devoted husband and father. His first wife Bathsheba, who later became General Relief Society president wrote this of her husband:

“My husband had of necessity to be away from us much of his time. My hope and joy centered in my children as well as in their father. I love my husband dearly. I believe but few in the wide world have been as happy as we have been.”

George A. struggled with serious health problems all his life, and on Sept. 1, 1875, at the relatively young age of 58, he died at Salt Lake City home from pneumonia.

Young left this tribute to his friend and counselor George A. Smith:

“By his removal to a higher sphere, I will lose a devoted friend, a wise counselor, and a lifelong companion. He leaves behind him, so far as my knowledge extends …, a record as pure and as worthy of imitation as that of any servant of the Most High, who ever lived upon His footstool. He gave his heart, his mind, his energy, his love, in fact his all, to the furtherance of the great purposes of our God.

“In youth and then manhood, in the sunshine or in storm, in peace or in persecution, he was true to his religion, his brethren and his God. And more than this, what can we say of anyone!”

Richard N. W. Lambert is vice chairman of Mormon Historic Sites and a retired assistant United States attorney.

Ashley Morales

Frequently whimsical and overly optimistic about how much time it will take to do things, Ashley Morales is deeply passionate about the gospel and all kinds of creativity. Her hobbies include philosophically analyzing nearly every book, play, video game, and movie that she consumes, writing music and short stories, promising herself that she will finish writing her novels, going to sleep too late, eating foods she’s never tried, putting off cleaning her house, browsing Zillow, spending as much quality time as possible with her wonderful husband, trying to be a good mother to her fantastic children, and never finding the balance between saying too much and too little. One day, she hopes to leave a positive mark on the world and visit every continent (except Antarctica) with her family.

One Man’s Extraordinary McKay-era Mission

Megan Finley — Wed, 19 Apr 2017 19:44:18 +0000

This interview with Brother Gary Dymock, conducted by Gale Boyd, was recorded in Orem, UT on February 9th, 2017.

While missionaries continue to spark good in the world on a daily basis, it is sometimes difficult to see just how far that ripple effect may go. Brother Gary Dymock’s mission, now completed some sixty years ago, has undoubtedly changed lives.

By the time Bro. Dymock graduated high school in the early 1950’s, the American government had already drafted thousands of young men to fight in the Korean War. One night, while working out in the desert in Tooele, Utah, Bro. Dymock was awakened by his father, who notified him that the bishop had come to visit, urging the young man to come to his office. Naturally intimidated, Dymock was shocked when his bishop conveyed that he and the Stake president had both been recipients of a similar, resounding impression—that the Lord wished for Bro. Dymock to serve a mission.

He expressed both his surprise and hesitation to accept this calling at first, stating: “I had no idea at all, no thought[s] about that. That was the last thing in my mind. I was going to college. I was in love with a young lady, and life was wonderful.”

At the request of his bishop, Bro. Dymock met with his Stake president, a respected member of the community named Alex Dunn. Upon expressing his concerns about leaving due to his mother’s illness, President Dunn once again gave a firm and unwavering answer: “You need to go on a mission, […] and I promise you that if you go on a mission, your mother will be okay. She will be alive when you get home. She will get better every day you’re gone.”

Unable to refuse the blessings promised to him for his service, Bro. Dymock agreed to serve. His bishop then informed the young man that he had felt another impression, just as irrefutable as the last, that Bro. Dymock should obtain his patriarchal blessing. In it was an explicit prediction: “You will be given the opportunity to travel among the world and touch the lives of many people. You will teach the people of the world.”

At the time, the Church could only send two missionaries per stake out on proselytizing missions. He and his companion arrived in Brisbane, Australia, after eighteen days aboard a passenger ship. Away from the conveniences of the United States, they found themselves quickly grappling to adjust to their new (and extremely humid) environment.

As soon as they arrived, the two young men became the recipients of some exciting news. The mission president had just obtained permission to begin looking for a lot upon which to build a new chapel for the people of Brisbane. Tasked with finding a spot upon which they could build, the two young men continued their work.

One day, after receiving a distinct impression not to go on his usual route, the young Elder Dymock found himself in an area among the beautiful foothills of Brisbane, with a flowing river just underneath. He describes the spirit that penetrated him that day as an “electric shock,” as he turned the corner to find “the most beautiful building lot [he’d] ever seen.” In a frenzy, he called his mission president with an ecstatic proclamation: “We need to buy this lot for the chapel!”

His mission president agreed. In a fateful coincidence, President McKay was to visit Australia in a matter of weeks—”the longest two weeks of [Bro. Dymock’s] life.” When he finally arrived, the prophet was indeed escorted by the two young missionaries and their mission president to the area they believed should be the site of a newly built chapel. After ten or so minutes of walking around the property and gazing over the countryside, President McKay turned to them to inquire if there were any other missionaries serving in an area across the river called Chirnside. He insisted that there should be missionaries sent to that area, as if it were a most urgent matter.

After spending a little more time in the area, President McKay finally set to leave, but not before leaving the young Elder Dymock with a hug and sincere words: “May the Lord bless you.”

Two weeks later, President McKay called Bro. Dymock’s mission president, confirming that the site the young elder found would indeed be the site of the new chapel. Changes were made; on the request of the prophet, Bro. Dymock and many of the other missionaries serving in the area were immediately transferred to Chirnside. No other area, he recalls, had as much success. In just two to three months, their numbers had increased to fifty-five, enough to create the Chirnside branch. Membership in Chirnside grew so exponentially that the area received its own ward, stake, and later became its own mission.

Even more incredible, the building lot that had left its spiritual impression so strongly upon Bro. Dymock did indeed become the site of a chapel.

Now, it is the site of the Brisbane Temple.

In fulfillment of his patriarchal blessing’s great promise to “teach the world,” Bro. Dymock has indeed aided the proliferation of the great work of the Gospel. He and his wife would later travel to New York City on a senior couple mission, as well as serve as temple workers in the capital of the Philippines. His story makes this often repeated sentiment from the scriptures so very true, that “by small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”

Brisbane, Australia Temple

Megan Finley

In between writing short stories she’ll never finish and marathoning Marvel movies, Megan Finley is often found missing the loves of her life, her two cats Leia and Loki. Her passion for “geek culture” extends into her passion for academics, as she is an optimistic MA student with plans to be the next Professor X (with hair). Her life’s dream is a simple one—to drink a hot chocolate in every Disney park in the world.

Escaping Communist Cuba into the Arms of the Church

Megan Finley — Fri, 07 Apr 2017 19:55:45 +0000

When Brother and Sister Bori were called to give their sacrament talks in February 2017, both were inspired to bear witness about the Church as a modern refuge.

Hector Bori, whose great-great-grandfather emigrated from Spain in the 1800’s, was a citizen of Communist Cuba in 1959. Along with his parents and 6 siblings, the Bori family inhabited a 6300 acre stretch of property handed down from generation to generation. With a life so ingrained in their cattle and rice farming, the choice to leave was clearly one surrounded by complication.

Hector Bori’s Mother

Hector’s father

The late 1950s saw Cuba in an era of tumultuous political upheaval. With the Cuban Revolution coming to its end, Fidel Castro‘s 26th of July Movement sought to overthrow the authoritarian government of Cuban President Fulgencio Batista and replace it with the first Communist government on the Western Hemisphere.

Sister Holi Bori, speaking of her husband’s childhood in her own words, remarked on Castro’s methods as being similar to the Adversary, and how their family was faced with a difficult choice:

Much like Satan, who works by degrees, Fidel Castro also worked by degrees to ensnare the Cuban people. Little by little, [Castro] had situated himself as their dictator. First, he took over the media. All newspaper, [as well as] radio and television broadcasts were in the control of the government. And so the propaganda began. Everything the Cuban people read, heard, or watched was informing them that the United States of American was making preparations to invade and take over their island. With nothing to denounce these lies and deceptions, the majority of the people began to believe and be fearful that indeed the U.S. would invade them.

My husband’s father was not among those that fell for the rhetoric being spouted by the government. […H]e had a brother that lived in New York, in whom he trusted and who informed him that the US invasion story was false. This belief, however, he made sure to keep to himself. The communist government had put a program in place that would expose those who were against them.

Imagine your neighborhood. Now, imagine that one family in your neighborhood is a spy for the government. No one knows who it is. It might be your next door neighbor, or your next door neighbor may think it is you. No one trusted anyone and did not dare to speak ill of Castro or the government, and those that did, many times, disappeared.

Next, Castro disarmed the people of all firearms. He said that the Cuban military was in short supply of guns and ammo [and] that in order to prepare and build up their military for the invasion of the U.S., every Cuban patriot had an obligation to help arm the military. And so they did. The citizens gave over their firearms. With only the government’s form of media and no personal firearms to fight against a repressive government, the only thing left to do to completely oppress the Cuban people would be to indoctrinate the children.

Here in the United States, children are taught to stand and repeat the Pledge of Allegiance. Cuban children were taught to stand and pledge allegiance to Fidel Castro. In this pledge, they would acknowledge that Castro gave them everything and was the reason for their happiness. That because of him, they have a home, food, and a school to go to. No one was allowed to give credit to God for any goodness in their life, [as] it was all credited to Castro. In fact, no religion was allowed after Castro took over. Children were encouraged to turn in their parents to government officials if things were being taught otherwise in the home.

This is the environment my husband and his family found themselves in. But in 1964, two drastic things happened that would put this family on the path to recognizing the goodness and love that our Heavenly Father had in store for them.

The first thing was when two government officials showed up at their home and informed them that their land, cattle, rice fields and house no longer belonged to them. It now belonged to the government. And because the ranch-hands were still loyal to my husband’s father, the government officials [sentenced] my father-in-law to cleaning out the horse stalls, [making] him take off his shoes and go clean out the manure barefoot in front of his staff.

The second thing had to do with the mandatory military service that all male teenagers had to enroll in at the age of 15. My husband’s oldest brother, Percy, was already enlisted, and his second oldest brother, George, was going to turn 15 in a few months and would also have to enlist. This is when the decision was finally made to leave Cuba.

Fleeing Cuba was no easy task. For the large family, separating was a harrowing reality. Sister Bori goes on to mention:

George was the first of the children to leave because the government would not let them all leave at the same time as a family. At that time, you had to get the U.S. through Mexico. George stayed with a family in Mexico who helped him get his visa before leaving for New York to live with his uncle.

A year later, Rita and Albert, who were my husband’s older brother and sister, left. Plans were made, and they too were going stay with a family in Mexico. But this time, things did not work out as planned. When they arrived in Mexico, there was no family waiting to take them in. Rita ended up being taken to live at a Catholic school with nuns. And Albert—who was only 11—after wandering the streets, found a home with a Mexican store owner, where he was put to work.

Can you imagine the agony the parents felt when they found out what had happened? How hopeless they must have felt! How heart breaking to know your children were in another country in the hands of people you did not know. Even though they had a deep conviction that their decision to leave Cuba was right, doubt and guilt crept in. For indeed, they did not know if they and their other children would ever be permitted to leave Cuba.

But the Lord knew where He was taking them, and brought about the means to get them there, both physically and spiritually. You see, the uncle that lived in New York had recently joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He was the one that sponsored the visas for my husband, his mother and father, and their two other children. So, sooner than once thought possible, they had permission to leave Cuba. But there was just one drawback, [as] the oldest brother, Percy, was still in the military, and government would not give him permission to leave.

What a decision to be made! How do you pick between your children? Stay in Cuba because your oldest son cannot leave or take your 3 younger children to safety, as well as [reuniting] with the ones previously sent to Mexico. I am convinced that the Lord strengthened their conviction to get their family out of Cuba, with the comforting thought that as soon as their son was done with his military service, he too would join them in America. With tears and sadness, they said goodbye to their 17 year old son.

While at the airport in Havana before leaving to Mexico, the officials there confiscated their luggage [as well as] took all their money and wedding rings from off their fingers. They arrived in Mexico with literally just the clothes on their backs. There, they were reunited with Rita and Albert. They obtained their visas and were soon on a plane heading for New York.

Little did they know that two LDS missionaries were at the airport waiting to pick them up. And little did they understand what an impact these two missionaries would have on their family.

In his talk, Brother Bori picks up the story here, going on to reminisce about his family’s conversion, as well as the trials and triumphs that come with the experience of being a brand new immigrant in the United States.

And to make a long story short, all 8 of us—me, my father and mother and 5 of my siblings—were baptized three months later. We lived in a small 3 bedroom apartment in Manhattan, New York and we loved the United States of America! Even though we could not speak a single word of English, the members of the ward in Manhattan welcomed us with open arms.

In fact, to go to church on Sunday, we would have to take the subway, and being only 8 years old, I was scared to death to go on it. But still, my father was very faithful and we would go every week. It was the only time we would go out as a family.

Even though we love the U.S., living in Manhattan was so different from what we were used to. No trees, no grass, no open spaces, only concrete and skyscrapers. At least, that is how I remember it.

Through my Uncle, my father got a job working at the Presbyterian Hospital in lower Manhattan, which was a hospital [as well as] a learning institution for doctors in training. He was so thankful for that job.

But, I need to tell you a little about my dad. He was born in the saddle, as they say. A full blown cowboy. I had a chance to see for myself his roping skills several years later. We had some calves that had gotten out of their pen, and all us kids were running around trying to catch them. My father finally grabbed a rope and one by one he was able to lasso the back legs of each one of the calves with just one try. My little brother turned to me and said, “He is a real cowboy.” Ranching and being a cowboy was in his blood.

Can a person be grateful and still dread their job? I would say yes, because my father was grateful that he was able to work and have the means to provide for his family, yet he dreaded his job. [And] I think most people would. You see, his job was to take the donated cadavers that the hospital received, wash them, and put them in a cold storage. Then, when one of the professors at the hospital needed a body part for that day’s lesson, it was my father job to go to where the cadavers were stored, obtain it and take it to the classroom.

With these things in mind, consider the sadness my father must have felt over his job and knowing that his children would be brought up living in the city.

As children, we were used to running and playing outside at our ranch in Cuba. Now we were stuck inside, all 6 of us, and constantly being told to stay quiet, so we did not disturb the neighbors below. Often times, being kids we would forget, becoming a bit loud and rambunctious, then the tenants below would come up to our apartment and complain to my parents. We were then put to coloring or sitting and watching TV. But I was an 8 year old boy, and I had tons of energy! I never lasted very long in either one of those activities.

I can testify to you that our Father in Heaven knows us and has a plan for us. He knew that my family had a “need” for open spaces.

It just [so] happened that on one particular Sunday, a member of the Church who lived in Utah was stopping over in New York before heading to Miami, and was attending the sacrament meeting at our ward.

Was this a coincidence?

He was on assignment for Reader’s Digest doing research on Cuban immigrants. He was very excited when he learned about our family and ask if he could interview us. His name was Brother Darryl Stoddard. A time was soon set, to come to our apartment and have a chat with us, well, mostly with my father.

Picture this—my dad not knowing any English and Brother Stoddard not knowing any Spanish. With the help of my Uncle, the interview was translated back and forth. In the course their conversation, it came up that my father was unhappy with his job and having to raise his children in the city. Brother Stoddard’s response was, “Let me see what I can do.”

In all honesty, my father did not think he would be able to do anything, but two weeks later he received a phone call [asking] if he would be interested in managing a fruit welfare farm in Payson, Utah, for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. My father was very interested, so the Church flew him out to Utah [where] he toured the 180 acre farm, which included a 3 bedroom house.

“How perfect, how ideal,” you might say, and it was, except there was only one problem. My father knew nothing about fruit trees! He knew cattle and rice. But he was told not to worry, [as] “the surrounding farmers would teach him.”

He accepted the job and the Church flew my whole family from New York out to Salt Lake City in February 1969. We arrived at the Payson farm at one in the morning.

All the way from the airport to the farm it was snowing. This was the first time we had ever seen snow.

I want to share with you the goodness and generosity of the West Mountain Ward in Payson. We went inside the house at the farm and found that the cupboards in the kitchen were as full as could be, with food of all kinds, and the refrigerator and freezer was stocked. There were plates, cups, utensils, pots, pans. The home was furnished with table & chairs, couches, TV, beds, dressers. All the beds had fresh linens, blankets, sheets, pillows. And on top of the children’s beds were new toys, for each of us kids.

All this was done and donated by the members of the West Mountain Ward.

The love and kindness that they showed our family is a true testament of living the gospel and loving one’s neighbor.

My father started work immediately on the farm and the surrounding farmers did help and teach him. Three years later, he won the “Utah Valley Fruit Growers“ farmer of the year award.

We were all sealed to our parents one year later in the Salt Lake Temple. All, except one. My oldest brother, who had to stay behind in the military, was still in Cuba.

Year after year passed, and still the Cuban Government would not let him leave. They kept requiring that we send money, so year after year we sent funds. My two older brothers and I would work every summer. We did not see a dime from our checks. We would just sign our checks over to our dad. In total, we ended up sending thousands of dollars to Cuba to get my brother out.

Finally, after 13 years, he was able to leave and join us here in Utah.

Some of his family, unfortunately, still fell victim to the totalitarian regime. Sister Bori went on to describe:

My husband’s Uncle, who still lived in Cuba, was having some health problems and went to the hospital there, where he was told that there was nothing they could do from him. Cuba supposedly has free healthcare for their citizens, only they have very limited medication. If you are not in the upper class, or if you are older, you do not get treatment because they do not want to waste any medication on you. He was in such pain that he ended up going home and committing suicide by hanging.

Despite such hardship, Brother Bori’s talk ends on a sweet note, harkening back to the testimony he has gained by overcoming these trials.

From the moment we joined the Church, my family has been blessed beyond measure.

All my siblings have been married in the temple. My parents have 29 grandchildren and 60 great-grandchildren.

All are members of the Church.

From having a comfortable life in Cuba to having everything taken from us. From leaving our home to come to a new country. From not having religion to finding the gospel.

The Lord has been involved in our lives. I don’t believe in coincidences.

Every good thing that has ever happened to me, I can attribute to my Heavenly Father.

Hector and Holly Bori have been married for 37 years, have three daughters, and are the proud grandparents of nine. They love the mountains and spend every minute they can camping and four-wheeling.

Hector and Holly Bori

Megan Finley

How a Nazi SS Soldier and a Holocaust Survivor Fell in Love and Found the Church

Megan Finley — Wed, 22 Feb 2017 20:33:20 +0000

The following article by O. Håkan Palm first appeared on LDSLiving.com on February 14, 2017.

Agnes Veronika Erdös and Gustav Palm in front of the temple.

Agnes Veronika Erdös and Gustav Palm experienced World War II under vastly different conditions: she as a prisoner in a concentration camp and he as an SS soldier. Amazingly, the two would fall in love, help each other heal, and embrace a common faith in God that would lead them to find The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Agnes Erdös was an only child, born of Jewish parents but baptized into the Catholic church with her family when she was 9 years old. Though she lived a rather carefree childhood, her life was turned upside down when Hitler invaded Poland. Because of their Jewish descent, she and her parents were treated as Jews and were sent to a ghetto in Nazi-invaded Hungary.

In 1944, SS soldiers emptied the ghetto where Agnes and her parents had been living, whisking everyone onto a freight car and from there to a warehouse in Zalaegerszeg, Hungary—their first stop on the way to Auschwitz.

In distant Norway, when news of war between England and Germany came, Gustav Palm felt it was far away and cared little about it. But when Germany invaded Norway, Gustav, with little political knowledge and no one to turn to for advice, decided to join the National Socialist Party, which he found full of bold ideas and ambitious members.

In 1941, Gustav was offered a job as a traffic policeman in the city, where he was confused to be put through harsh military training. However, Gustav’s first assignment in 1942 was not as a traffic policeman, but as a guard at the newly opened Berg prison camp. He quickly realized, “We, as guards, were also prisoners, even though technically we had our freedom. None of us had voluntarily sought the task we were tricked into. The Nazism I had been in contact with so far was not at all what I had imagined it to be. I had simply been very naïve. I was now fully convinced that the organization to which I belonged was wrong.”

To escape life as a prison guard, Gustav joined the Waffen-SS Ski Ranger Battalion Norway. He believed that he “would be able to support Finland’s cause against Communism but had to do so in the uniform of a Nazi Waffen-SS soldier.”

Early Blessings

July 6, 1944, Zalaegerszeg, Hungary

After being held in Zalaegerszeg for three weeks, Agnes and her family were loaded onto another railcar with the rest of the Jewish prisoners. The next morning, hours away from entering Auschwitz, Agnes’s father woke her to give her a father’s blessing.

Though it was not written on paper, the words of the blessing were recorded on Agnes’s heart: “Father told me that in spite of much suffering, I would survive. I was young and of a pure heart. Father’s spirit would protect me so that I would eventually find ‘the truth.’ He assured me that in the future, we would be reunited with God and His Son Jesus Christ.” Though she didn’t realize it at the time, her father’s blessing would become a lifeline for Agnes. She reflected on its words many times throughout the war and drew great strength and comfort from its promises.

Early 1944, Hallein, Austria

A week after arriving in the Waffen-SS boot camp in Hallein, Gustav became severely ill with scarlet fever and diphtheria, quickly followed by a throat disease. When he finally recovered enough to return to camp, the officers found him too weak to train and sent him home to his family in Onsöy, Norway, for a few weeks. Gustav was grateful for this experience: “Because I was sick, I did not deploy with my unit when they were sent to Finland to fight the Russians. Later, I found out that my sickness was a blessing in disguise because everyone in that unit, save just a few, was killed.”

Narrow Escapes

July 8–9, 1944, Auschwitz, Poland

Arriving at Auschwitz, Agnes and her mother were placed in a line with the old and weak women destined for death. At her mother’s urging, and to the astonishment of fellow prisoners who had just seen others shot for the same act, Agnes safely dashed across a platform to join the healthy line. That was the last time she would see either of her parents.

Not long after her escape to the healthy line, she left the group to find a better barrack to sleep in. When morning came she felt prompted to leave, later recalling, “Israel’s God had heard my father’s blessing thus far, and there it was fulfilled. Once again, I was comforted. Had I remained where I slept the first night, I would have ended up in the gas chambers. I was overcome with a peaceful feeling that I also felt many times during the remaining period of my captivity.”

September 1944, the Baltic front, Latvia

When Gustav was transferred to the front lines, he was discouraged, recalling, “I thought morosely, ‘It is here I shall either live or die.’” He was chosen with six others to head what was deemed a suicidal attack on the Russian front. As they stormed down a hill, Gustav remembers losing his helmet in the middle of all the gunshots and tanks. He made it to the valley, but a bullet grazed his face and another pierced his thigh. “As sure as I lived, I could have been dead,” he says. “I also clearly remember feeling ordered by someone during my attack to take a step to the right. Which I did. That probably saved the bullet from hitting me directly in the face.”

Faithful Courage

Throughout the course of the war, both Agnes and Gustav stood up for what they knew was right—even in the most dangerous of circumstances.

In one instance, Agnes refused to report a food theft—and paid the price for her courage by being demoted from a German’s secretary to a toilet scrubber in a bombed out factory. Gustav likewise allowed a couple to keep a stash of hidden meat that he should have confiscated or destroyed. He reflects, “That choice I made was one of the first conscious moral stands I had ever taken in my life.”

At the end of the war, Gustav’s morality led him to make another difficult choice: he turned himself in to the Allies and was taken as a prisoner of war.

Overcoming Through Love

After enduring the horrors of captivity, Agnes was finally liberated. She eventually decided to move to Långshyttan, Sweden, where she worked in a factory cafeteria.

“The job as a kitchen helper and waitress in Långshyttan was my first paid job, and it marked also the beginning of a new life for me,” she says. Little did she know that it would also mark the beginning of a new love: Agnes and Gustav were destined to meet in Långshyttan.

Gustav’s path to Sweden as a POW was a difficult and uncertain one. When he was released, Gustav recounts, “They unlocked my jail door. For me, the war was finally over. My first hour of freedom stunned me.” Due to Gustav’s Swedish citizenship, his sister had negotiated his exile to Sweden rather than a political trial in Norway, and his cousin, Helge Palm, arranged a job and apartment for Gustav upon his arrival in Långshyttan.

“I was 23 years old, had only a few clothes and no money, and felt completely ostracized from society,” he shares. “For me it was inconceivable that Germany could be behind the horror that I was hearing more and more about. But now it turned out to be true, and I had taken part in all this. I had served in the Waffen-SS in good faith, but no one now wanted to see it that way.”

But there was at least one person who noticed him: Agnes. “In early March,” she says, “I noticed a young man—so miserable, so lean, and so pale, almost green in his face—standing in the lunchroom queue. He had beautiful, sad, kind eyes.” When she noticed his seat empty one day, she traveled to his nearby apartment to bring him food.

And that was how it all began.

Gustav initially asked Agnes to the movies. “We began to meet more frequently. We each had little money, but neither of us really missed anything. Our long walks and talks took the place of what we did not have. Agnes meant more and more to me.”

Even when Gustav told Agnes about his past in the Waffen-SS, she listened to him with an open and forgiving heart. “Our relationship only got stronger,” Gustav says, “and soon there were ties between us that could no longer be broken so easily.”

“Gustav was 24 and I was 27, and we were truly in love,” Agnes recalls. “We needed each other. He was alone and I was alone, but together we had each other.”

Nothing could separate them—not even their war traumas. They were married on March 2, 1947.

Finding the Gospel Together

1950s, Borlänge, Sweden

Happy years passed by, and they each put their war-ridden pasts behind them. Still, Agnes and Gustav each yearned to find a fulfilling church to go to. They found it when a neighbor lodging two American Mormon missionaries loaned them a Book of Mormon and introduced the Palms to the elders.

The family studied the Book of Mormon and met with the missionaries. Agnes remembers, “Gustav did as it said in the book to do: he asked God in prayer with a sincere heart whether the book was true, and he got a convincing answer to his prayer.”

Ten months later, they were baptized in a small river. “It felt like being baptized in the Jordan River. A quiet peace prevailed, and I felt a great inner joy,” Agnes says.

Gustav and Agnes are now in their 90s, and through many years and humble circumstances, they have built up a large, devoted family that now exceeds more than 125 people. Their example is one that will forever be remembered—and not only by their family.

In 1995, President Thomas S. Monson visited Stockholm to divide the existing stakes. At a meeting with 1,500 Swedish Saints, President Monson told the little-shared story of Agnes, a Holocaust survivor, and her sweetheart Gustav, a Waffen-SS soldier. Finally, Gustav’s years of guarded silence about his past were broken.

And yet, never an unkind word has been spoken on the subject. Their fellow Saints know that their life together is a remarkable example of fortitude, forgiveness, and faithfulness to the Lord. Inscribed on the Palm family crest is the motto “Overcome through love.” And nothing could describe Agnes and Gustav’s legacy more aptly than that: love and faith can conquer all.

Read or listen to more of their amazing true story and journey of faith and forgiveness with the book and audiobook Surviving Hitler. This book tells even more about the horrors of their war experiences and the multiple miracles that saved their lives. Available at deseretbook.com.

Original Source: Article by O. Håkan Palm. Content link: LDSLiving.com.

Megan Finley

African Americans in Latter-day Saint History

Guest Author — Fri, 02 Dec 2016 21:49:28 +0000

Green Flake – Scout and driver for President Brigham Young.

Black Latter-day Saints and Black Past.org – Introduction by Quintard Taylor.

African Americans have been members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) almost since its founding in 1830. Their numbers were initially small, but their role was significant. Green Flake, for example, LDS President Brigham Young’s driver and scout, was one of the first Mormon pioneers to reach the Salt Lake Valley in 1847.

For 126 years (1852-1978) men of African ancestry were denied the Priesthood and other restrictions were placed on black women and children. Often overlooked in discussions of the ban were the 22 years before the ban was in place where African Americans, such as Elijah Abel and Joseph T. Ball, played important roles in the church. As an LDS Bishop, Ball led the Boston congregation in the mid-1840s, which at the time was the largest outside of church headquarters in Nauvoo, Illinois.

After the ban was lifted African Americans such as internationally prominent entertainer Gladys Knight, Utah Jazz basketball star and actor Thurl Lee Bailey, and many others joined the Church. One black LDS member, Mia Love, sits in the U.S. Congress representing Utah’s 4^th Congressional District. Far larger numbers of Africans and people of African ancestry in Latin America were converted as well. Today, an estimated 700,000 people of African ancestry call the LDS faith their own.

BlackPast.org captures that history. With financial support from the LDS Church, we have assembled profiles on individual LDS women and men written by LDS and non-LDS volunteer contributors as well as documents, speeches, and public statements from the LDS Church and other sources. This page also includes a bibliography of the leading books on the subject and features a timeline that briefly outlines the history of black Mormons. These assembled resources are the largest concentration of information on blacks and the LDS church on the Internet.

This is not, however, a static page. We invite others to contribute profiles of significant LDS Church members of African ancestry, to write articles on the history of blacks and the Church, and to suggest other resources that can be linked to this page. We also need your help in spreading this information to LDS members and non-LDS folks around the world. We believe this history should be shared with all. If you are interested in contributing, please contact, quintard.taylor@blackpast.org.

Guest Author

Cyrus E. Dallin

Terrie Lynn Bittner — Tue, 18 Sep 2012 19:46:18 +0000

Cyrus E. Dallin was a noted sculptor born in Springville, Utah in 1861. He was a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, whose members are often called Mormons. Growing up, he frequently played with the Native American children nearby, setting the stage for a career in which his most noted works were often of Native Americans. He and his Native American friends often sculpted animals from the clay, sparking his interest in sculpture.

While doing odd jobs at his father’s mine, he took some discovered white clay and sculpted it. These creations were shown to many and two patrons decided to pay for his journey to go east to study. His traveling companions were a group of Crow Indians. He was eighteen when he made that trip. He then moved to Paris about ten years later. There he studied sculpture at the Ecole des Beaux Arts and at Academie Julien under Henri Chapu.

In 1883, he won a contract to create a statue of Paul Revere to be placed in Boston, MA. However, he made five models of it before one was finally accepted and then funding fell through. It was not until 1940 that the completed statue was finally displayed. Throughout the process, he never gave up, a quality for which he was noted.

In 1890 he returned to Massachusetts but then went to Utah, where he created the Angel Moroni statue found on the spire of the Mormon temple in Salt Lake City, Utah.The statue became the model for other statues of Moroni and today is recognized as a symbol of the Church. By the time Cyrus was asked to do this statue, he had left the church and become a Unitarian. He initially did not want to do the project, but in the end, he agreed. He said that creating that statue brought him closer to God than anything else he’d ever done. Cyrus then spent a year teaching at Drexel College in Philadelphia, PA, and creating a statue of Sir Isaac Newton for the Library of Congress, completed in 1895. Following this he returned to Paris to study and to create several more sculptures.

From 1900 to 1941, he taught at what is now the Massachusetts College of Art and Design, but also created commissioned art works. His work in creating visually appealing public art is credited by many with changing the nation’s perception of such projects. Many of his works featured Native Americans or historical figures.

In 1904, Dallin won a bronze medal in archery at the Olympics in Missouri. That same year, his Sioux Chief won a medal at the St. Louis Exposition. In all, he created about 260 sculptures.

Read more about Cyrus Dallin here, here, here, and here.

Terrie Lynn Bittner

The late Terrie Lynn Bittner—beloved wife, mother, grandmother, and friend—was the author of two homeschooling books and numerous articles, including several that appeared in Latter-day Saint magazines. She became a member of the Church at the age of 17 and began sharing her faith online in 1992.

C.C.A. Christensen, Mormon Artist

Keith L. Brown — Wed, 18 Jul 2012 22:44:56 +0000

Carl Christian Anton Christensen (better known as C.C.A. Christensen) was born in Copenhagen, Denmark on November 28, 1831. He trained as an artist at the Royal Academy of Art in Copenhagen. The style he learned was realistic and gritty. Students were encouraged to paint images of Danish life to remind the people they were not German and to resist Germanic influences.

Christensen joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (still frequently misnamed the Mormon Church) on September 26, 1850. He served missions in Denmark and in Norway for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In Norway, Christensen baptized a man by the name of Danquart Anthon Weggeland, who was also an artist. The two later collaborated on several religious artistic works in Utah.

Upon joining the “Mormon Church,” C.C.A. Christensen became a Mormon artist, though not full time. He took his training of capturing Danish life and applied it to capturing Mormon life and history. After completing his mission in Norway in 1857, Christensen set sail for Utah by way of England, to first marry Elsie Scheel Haarby. They sailed together to New York, took a train to Iowa City, and travelled the rest of the way (about 1,300 miles) to central Utah’s Sanpete Valley by handcart with the Christian Christensen handcart company.

While Christensen completed many religious works of art as a Mormon artist, including a series from the Bible and Book of Mormon and murals in two Mormon temples (Manti and St. George), he is best known for his Mormon Panorama series. The Mormon Panorama consisted of a 175-foot canvas scroll of 23 paintings depicting LDS Church history. Christensen began touring with the Panorama in 1878 across Utah, Idaho, and Wyoming, giving historical presentations as each picture was shown in succession. He would travel with the paintings during the winter, when he was not working on his farm. This scroll of paintings was stored for decades until “rediscovered.” The paintings were cut apart to more easily display them separately. Unfortunately, this resulted in the loss of the painting of the First Vision, but all other paintings from the scroll survive.

Christensen served a second mission from 1865–1868 and while serving a third mission in Denmark from 1887–1889 as the editor of the Scandinaviens Stjerne, Christensen sketched a depiction of John the Baptist appearing to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery. He hired an engraver in Copenhagen to make several small prints of the work. He sent these home to his family in Utah to sell, hoping this small income would help support them while he was away.

This painting became the center of some controversy in July 2012, when Bloomberg Businessweek published an unsavory article about Mormon Church finances. Christensen’s piece of John the Baptist became the cover illustration for the story, which Businessweek artists made into an offensive cartoon.

After receiving a great deal of criticism for both the irreverent mockery of Christensen’s art as well as the one-sided view of the article, Businessweek changed their online cover image to a slightly less offensive one. Richard Oman, former curator of the LDS Church History Museum, said of Christensen’s goal, “The work he did was to remind the saints of the spiritual roots that called the church into being, to remind the people of the sacrifices of their ancestors and to inspire future generations to be courageous people and to be people of strength and fortitude.”

During his time in Utah, Christensen first worked at odd jobs: laying brick, burning charcoal, farming, etc. He wrote many LDS hymns in Danish. Later, he worked as an instructor in drawing and Danish at the Sanpete Stake Academy (now Snow College).

Christensen was the Sanpete Stake Patriarch from 1901 until his death and also worked for a time in the Church Historian’s Office of the LDS Church compiling materials which recorded the history of the Church in Scandinavia. He passed away on July 3, 1912.

Article By Doris

Keith L. Brown

Keith L. Brown is a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having been born and raised Baptist. He was studying to be a Baptist minister at the time of his conversion to the LDS faith. He was baptized on 10 March 1998 in Reykjavik, Iceland while serving on active duty in the United States Navy in Keflavic, Iceland. He currently serves as the First Assistant to the High Priest Group for the Annapolis, Maryland Ward. He is a 30-year honorably retired United States Navy Veteran.

of-common-sense.site123.me/

John Moyle

dwhite — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 18:45:31 +0000

John Rowe Moyle was a stonecutter from Plymouth, England. He sailed to the United States in 1856, after his conversion to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Upon arriving by rail in Iowa City, he discovered there were no more covered wagons to be purchased for the trek to Salt Lake Valley, so he purchased a handcart and walked with his family, pulling what few possessions they could bring along. After completing the arduous, dangerous journey, he settled in what later became Alpine, Utah.

John Moyle was later called to work on the Salt Lake Temple, utilizing his skills as a stonemason. He walked 22 miles one way each week to work on the temple, returning home to work on his farm before starting all over again. After losing his leg, he continued to walk on a wooden leg, determined to fulfill the work he was called of God to do.

dwhite

Doris White is a native of Oregon and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English and a minor in Editing. She loves to talk with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

John Tanner

dwhite — Mon, 16 Jul 2012 18:32:29 +0000

John Tanner was a man of great faith. His faith was great enough to miraculously heal a diseased leg. It was also great enough to sacrifice all he was asked to sacrifice to help build the kingdom of God on the earth. Watch this short video of his story.

dwhite

Doris White is a native of Oregon and graduated from Brigham Young University with a degree in English and a minor in Editing. She loves to talk with others about the gospel of Jesus Christ.