Sadly, many of the children would lose their parents to death along the trail. However, even in their final moments, their parents’ hopes and prayers were that their progeny would reach Zion and have a better life for themselves and all future generations. In such times, these children were robbed of the innocence of their youth as they were forced to mature and take on adult responsibilities at an early age. Nevertheless, they were determined to fulfill their parents’ desires, and continued the journey, albeit with heavy hearts. Along the way, many of the children would have stories of their own to tell about their experiences.

Mormon Children on the Pioneer Trail

Twelve-year-old Albert Dickson was one of thousands of Mormon children who migrated to the west in the late 1840’s and early 1850’s. He was the second oldest of 5 children. His other siblings, his fourteen-year-old sister, Samantha; his nine-year-old brother, Judson; Alvina, who was six; and two-year-old William were also on the journey which covered an average of ten to fifteen miles each day depending on weather and the terrain, with only approximately half that distance traveled once they reached the Rocky Mountains.

Albert recorded the following in his journal:

We crossed the Missouri on a large flatboat. Two wagons went on each trip, with three men to the oar and one at the rear to steer. They would land down the river about one mile from the starting point, then pull the boat back with oxen.

When the entire party, which consisted of 60 wagons, had gathered on the other side of the river, they were divided into groups of ten with a captain appointed as leader of each group. Children comprised at least half of the company. The older children usually walked beside the wagons, with some being given the responsibility to herd the sheep. The younger children also walked during part of the day, but were allowed to ride in the wagons as they grew weary.

According to the article by Fay McCracken titled “Children Pioneers” in the July 1995 issue of the Friend magazine:

The group followed the Mormon Trail, which had been cleared in 1847 as a route for the migration of Church members to the Salt Lake Valley. It followed the north side of the Platte River to the fork of the North Platte and South Platte, then ran along the North Platte to Fort Laramie, where the pioneers crossed the river and followed the Oregon Trail to Fort Bridger. From there they traveled down Weber Canyon and Emigration Canyon into the Salt Lake Valley. The entire trip was about 1100 miles.

The company that Albert and his family traveled with was the fourteenth to leave for the west that spring, and the trail which the pioneers traversed was well marked and well-traveled. As the pioneers continued their trek westward, one of the first challenges that they faced was disease such as cholera which affected adults and children alike. Two members of the company succumbed to the disease at the first camp on the Platte River, and by the time they reached Loup Fork, a total of twelve would die from the dreaded disease.

With the large number of buffalo that were sited on the trail, buffalo meat soon became a staple, and oftentimes members of the company would leave messages on buffalo skulls for those yet to come.

Contrary to many wise tales, although Indian tribes were encountered along the way, they never presented much of a problem to the Mormon pioneers. In fact, they would often visit the camps and were given gifts such as beads and fishhooks. Because of the hospitality that was shown to them, the Indians did not attack the wagon trains.

Remembering the Sabbath Day

The wagon train would often stop and camp for a day or two to rest the animals, repair wagons, and do laundry. The older boys in the camp were expected to work with the men and help to get camp chores done. Albert worked alongside his father, Billa Dickson, who was a blacksmith by trade, and whose services were often called upon to repair wagon wheels and axles. He also hunted for fresh meat for the camp with his father.

Although the rigors of the journey were long and hard, the Mormon pioneers always remembered to take time to observe the Sabbath. The rest from the arduous journey was welcomed by everyone, especially the children as they attended Sunday school with their friends, sang songs, listened to stories, visited with the other children, and explored the nearby countryside.

They the Builders of the Nation

The company reached their halfway point, Fort Laramie by midsummer, and on the first of October, they entered the Salt Lake Valley – their new home – Zion.

Mormon Pioneer Children Became Leaders in Utah

Usually when a person thinks about Mormon pioneers, they are more familiar with the stories of the adults that made the trek to the west. However, a majority of the western pioneers were actually young children like Albert Dickson who eventually moved to Morgan County where he became the first Bishop of the Richville Ward, and served for 37 years. As these pioneer children grew older, they became the builders and leaders of thriving communities. They literally became the builders of a great nation which was forged out of barren and hostile lands. Their skills and leadership abilities were partially developed during their trek to Zion.

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/

Latter-day Saints testify that the Bible and the Book of Mormon are the Word of God, and that the Book of Mormon is not intended to supersede the sacred teachings found in the Bible, but rather, the teachings found in the Book of Mormon help to enrich the comprehension of the avid student of the scriptures.

Nevertheless, there still exist several misunderstandings and myths about the Book of Mormon. In her 12 November 2014 LDS Living.com article titled “Debunking 5 Myths about The Book of Mormon,” Danielle Beckstrom carefully analyzes a few of the common misconceptions about the Book of Mormon.

Refuting the Myths about the Book of Mormon

There are people of other faiths who believe that Mormons do not believe in the Bible, because they include the Book of Mormon as part of the scriptures that they use. However, the 8th Article of Faith of The Church of Jesus Christ teaches, “We believe the Bible to be the word of God as far as it is translated correctly; we also believe the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.”

Beckstrom points out in her article that Mormons “not only have The Book of Mormon, we have the Doctrine and Covenants (a book of revelations given to the Prophet Joseph Smith and succeeding prophets), words from modern day prophets, and the Pearl of Great Price (selections of both ancient and modern materials that touch on significant doctrines, many unique to our faith).” Even though Mormons use other sacred writings as part of the foundation of their doctrinal beliefs, they still have a deep abiding reverence for the Holy Bible and reference it frequently in their teachings, as well as their personal study. Beckstrom also points out that the additional scriptures are used to support, enhance, and in many instances “clarify ambiguous doctrines found in the Bible.”

She succinctly answers the question of whether or not Mormons have their own translation of the Bible thusly:

While we fully believe that the Bible contains divine revelation from God, we also understand that it was recorded and later translated by men who make mistakes.  As a result, the Prophet Joseph Smith provided more accurate translations of key verses and chapters in the Bible.  So, though Mormons use the King James Version of the Bible, we have footnotes and appendixes that provide Joseph Smith’s translations.

Another myth about the Book of Mormon is that the book was written by Joseph Smith or Mormon. However, a careful study of the volume reveals that it was not written by one man. The book actually contains the accounts of four separate records which were written by prophets of God living from about 2200 BC to AD 450. One of those ancient prophets, Mormon, compiled the majority of the records, and his son, Moroni, completed the work. Joseph Smith was later called of God to translate the ancient scriptures.

If people believe that myth concerning the authorship of the Book of Mormon, then they are apt to believe that Mormons worship Joseph Smith or Mormon. Mormons, however, do not worship any man. The official name of the Church – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – is a testimony to the world that the One whom Latter-day Saints worship and adore is the Lord Jesus Christ, for it is His Church and not the church of any man. The Savior Himself admonished the disciples concerning this matter as recorded in the Book of Mormon in 3 Nephi 27:7-8:

Therefore, whatsoever ye shall do, ye shall do it in my name; therefore ye shall call the church in my name; and ye shall call upon the Father in my name that he will bless the church for my sake. And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church, if it so be that they are built upon my gospel.

The full name of the volume of scripture – The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ –  also attests to the fact that Latter-day Saints worship God, the Eternal Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ.

There are also those who purport that the language of The Book of Mormon is historically inaccurate. In her article “Debunking 5 Myths about The Book of Mormon,” Beckstrom shares what she has learned about the language of the Book of Mormon:

The symbolism, sentence-structure, and language of The Book of Mormon is far removed from the writing style of early 19th century America.  In fact, BYU professor of Islamic Studies and Arabic Daniel C. Peterson states that “rigorous statistical analysis strongly indicates that neither Joseph Smith nor any of his known associates composed the English text of the Book of Mormon. In fact, research suggests that the book was written by numerous distinct authors” (“Mounting Evidence for the Book of Mormon”).  The fact that many of the names or words in The Book of Mormon are unlike those of biblical accounts actually enhances The Book of Mormon’s historical accuracy because many of the accounts from The Book of Mormon were written at a time and place far removed from those of the Bible.  Besides, historic evidence supporting the accuracy of these names still exists.  For example, the names Sariah and Nephi have been found in ancient Jewish documents dating from the time and place where these Book of Mormon figures lived.

The Prophet Mormon in the Book of Mormon as recorded in Mormon 9:32-34 wrote:

And now, behold, we have written this record according to our knowledge, in the characters which are called among us the reformed Egyptian, being handed down and altered by us, according to our manner of speech. And if our plates had been sufficiently large we should have written in Hebrew; but the Hebrew hath been altered by us also; and if we could have written in Hebrew, behold, ye would have had no imperfection in our record. But the Lord knoweth the things which we have written, and also that none other people knoweth our language; and because that none other people knoweth our language, therefore he hath prepared means for the interpretation thereof.

One other myth surrounding the Book of Mormon is that Native American DNA proves that The Book of Mormon can’t be true. Numerous scholars support the land bridge migration theory that basically implies that Native Americans migrated over a land bridge connecting Siberia and Alaska. This theory, they proclaim, disproves The Book of Mormon account that some Native American ancestors crossed over the Atlantic to America.

Beckstrom concludes her article by emphatically stating:

The Book of Mormon does not contradict the land bridge migration theory. The Book of Mormon never claims that the people it describes were either the only or even the predominant inhabitants of America.  In fact, “clues in its text hint at the presence of other groups” (“Book of Mormon and DNA Studies“).  The Book of Mormon only provides an account of one group among many throughout history who have discovered and migrated to the American continents.

Although there continue to be many myths circulating about the Book of Mormon, it continues to stand as an ensign to the world that it is as its name proclaims – Another Testament of Jesus Christ.

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/

The Voyage of the Julia Ann

Between 1840 and 1890, approximately 90,000 Latter-day Saints traveled east to west from Europe to America via a total of 543 oceanic voyages. Although shipwrecks were a common occurrence in the nineteenth century, none of the Atlantic ships carrying Latter-day Saint converts were reported among those that went down. However, little is known about the vessels that brought converts from the west to the east across the Pacific. The story of the Julia Ann, the only vessel known with Mormon passengers where lives were lost due to a shipwreck, is one such case.

The Julia Ann left Sydney Australia on 7 September 1855, under the command of 32-year-old Captain Benjamin F. Pond, the co-owner of the vessel. The Saints sang “The gallant ship is under weigh,” a hymn written by the famous LDS poet and hymn writer W. W. Phelps, as the ship left port. Captain Pond being impressed with the passage of Australian Latter-day Saints to America the previous year was eager to be of service once again. The LDS Australian periodical, Zion’s Watchman, reported that Pond and others had certified “that they never saw business more correctly and expeditiously transacted, than was the business pertaining to the shipment of that company, and they also stated that they never saw a company that were so easy to be governed, by the voice of one man as that company of Saints were, who, they remarked, were always ready to hear and obey my counsel.”

According to the Meridian Magazine article titled “The Pioneer Story You’ve Never Heard: The Wreck and Rescue of the Julia Ann” by Fred E. Woods, Captain Pond recalled that the first two weeks of the voyage were “exceedingly unpleasant” with “head winds accompanied with much rain.” However, upon entering the southeast trades, “everything brightened, promising a speedy and pleasant voyage.” That brief period of tranquility, however, proved to be the calm before the storm.

According to the Meridian Magazine article, John McCarthy, one of the crew members, recalls that on 4 October 1855, “as the ship was sailing at 11 ½ knots per hour, the sea became broken up and the boat with a tremendous crash, dashed head on to a coral reef. She immediately swung round with her broadside to the reef, and the sea made a complete breach over her at every swell.”

Shipwrecked

The Meridian Magazine article continues with the recounting of the incident by one of the passengers, Andrew Anderson, the second missionary to Australia in the early 1840s:

About half-past eight o’clock she struck on a reef. . . . This was an awful event in our lives. There was four of our children asleep and in bed; there was very few in the steerage, chiefly on the steerage house, poop, &c. I had been asked two or three times why I was not out,—was I well enough? Yes, well enough thank you, but lazy or something else, (it seems a foreboding of what took place,) there was Sister Harris, Sister Logie, my wife and myself in the steerage house at the moment the Julia Ann struck, my wife ran to me and said what shall we do, I said I do not think there is much the matter, compose yourself. Mr. Owens, 2nd mate, came in and told us to compose ourselves and remain as we were. . . .

Word came out from someone for the passengers to go to the cabin, and by the time I got the four children out of bed, the water was knocking about the boxes, I got my leg very much bruised with a large box, with difficulty we gained the cabin, and about ten minutes after we left, house, galley, and box was all over board, preparations were made to go on the rocks to ascertain whether we could get any footing, as there was no land in sight, the ship was breaking up fast.

Getting Everyone to Safety

According to the Meridian Magazine article, as the ship was rapidly breaking apart, Captain Pond “called for a volunteer to attempt to reach the reef by swimming with a small line. One of the sailors instantly stripped; the log line was attached to his body, and he succeeded in swimming to the reef. . . . By this means a larger line was hauled to the reef, and made fast to the rocks.” Many of the passengers were able to escape from the damaged ship to the reef by hanging on to the rope, but two women and three children drowned in the process.

The article continues with Peter Penfold’s account of the 5 Latter-day Saint passengers who were drowned during the escape:

Sister [Martha] Humphries, and sister [Eliza] Harris and infant, were drowned in the cabin. Little Mary Humphries and Marian Anderson were washed off the poop and drowned. . . . After I had helped to get them all out of the cabin, I came up and found the vessel all broken into fragments, except the cabin, and into that the water was rushing at a furious rate, sweeping out all the partitions.

Throughout the entire ordeal Captain Pond’s concern was for the safety of the passengers and crew. The article recounts a noble act by Captain Pond during the episode:

While the crew were engaged in getting the passengers ashore, Mr. Owens, the second mate, was going to carry a bag containing eight thousand dollars belonging to the Captain, ashore. The Captain ordered him to leave the money and carry a girl ashore; . . . the child was saved, but the money lost.

Castaways in Hope of Rescue

The nearest land was 10 miles away. The survivors were able to patch up a row boat and assemble a raft from spars and drift wood. Led by Captain Coffin, the women and children were placed into the boat, and the men remained on the reef for a second night.

The next morning provisions and clothing were placed on rafts, and the men swam and waded beside them along the reef. All the while they were being pursued by a school of sharks and often had to seek safety by climbing upon the rafts. They were finally able to reach the island after two days without any food or water where they were greeted by children who took them to a water supply which came from holes dug beneath the coral sand. Three days later, Pond led an exploring party to look for more provisions to sustain the castaways. They would spend two months on a series of islands with shell fish, turtle, sharks, cocoa nuts, and brackish water for their sustenance. They also planted a garden to grow pumpkins, peas, and beans.

In spite of their hardships, the Saints still held worship services on a regular basis.

After eight weeks of being stranded on the Scilly Islands, Pond and 9 brave men launched out in a boat which they had repaired to find help. Their destination was the Society Islands which were 200 miles away.

A Missionary’s Dream and the Providence of God

In his autobiography which was published four decades later, Pond recounted the prophetic dreams of a Mormon Elder which were instrumental in guiding the 10 man crew in the direction they were to go to seek safety. The dreams are included in the Meridian Magazine article:

My passengers were mostly Mormons, bound to Salt Lake City, densely ignorant and very superstitious and were bitterly opposed to my first proposition of trying to reach the Navigator Islands. They argued, the distance to be so great, some fifteen hundred miles, that if we succeeded in reaching them they would starve to death before we could hope to send them relief. They could not, or would not understand why we might not steer in face of head wind and sea to the Society Islands which were so much nearer. We, however, as nautical men, determined to act on our own judgment in that matter, and steadily continued our preparations until our plans were blocked in a most unexpected manner.

One of their Elders had a dream or vision. He saw the boat successfully launched upon her long voyage, and for a day or two making satisfactory progress. Another leaf in the vision, and the boat is seen floating bottom up, and the drowned bodies of her crew floating around her. This tale, so wrought upon the superstitions that not a man would volunteer to go with me, and I was reluctantly compelled to change my plan.

After some days the same Mormon Elder came to me having had another vision. I asked him if it was a good one. Yes, a very good one. He saw the boat depart with a crew of ten men, bound to the eastward; after three days of rowing, they reached a friendly island where a vessel was obtained and all hands safely brought to Tahiti.

The castaways on Scilly Island were rescued on 3 December 1855. The Meridian Magazine article continues with the account of John S. Eldredge who expressed his profound gratitude:

We were delivered from our exiled and desolate situation by the untiring perseverance of Captain B. F. Pond, master of the barque Julia Ann, connected with the charitable good feeling of Captain Latham, master of the schooner Emma Packer, that came to our relief. We were taken off the Scilly Isles, where we were wrecked, on the 3d of December, making it two months that we were left in this lonely situation on an uninhabited island. I need not attempt to describe our feelings of gratitude and praise which we felt to give the God of Israel for His goodness and mercy in thus working a deliverance for us; for I have not language to express my own feelings, much less the feelings of those around me, suffice it to say, I am thankful to know that His mercy endureth forever.

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/

Tolstoy, Mormonism, and the “American Religion”

Leo Tolstoy wrote in his diary, “God is that infinite All of which man knows himself to be a finite part.”

The late Elder David B. Haight, serving as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in his message titled “He Is Not Here. He Is Risen,” shared the account of a conversation in 1892 between Count Leo Tolstoy and Andrew D. White who was the United States Foreign Minister to Russia at that time.

In the course of that conversation, Tolstoy said to White, “I wish you would tell me about your American religion.” White replied that there is no state church in America and that each person is free to practice the religion of his choosing. Tolstoy, becoming somewhat annoyed, replied, “I know all of this, but I want to know about the American religion. … The church to which I refer originated in America and is commonly known as the Mormon Church. What can you tell me of the teachings of the Mormons?” White then admitted that he knew very little about the Mormons or their faith.

Tolstoy, displeased with the ambassador’s response, then said:

Dr. White, I am greatly surprised and disappointed that a man of your great learning and position should be so ignorant on this important subject. Their principles teach the people not only of heaven and its attendant glories, but how to live so that their social and economic relations with each other are placed on a sound basis. If the people follow the teachings of this church, nothing can stop their progress—it will be limitless.

There have been great movements started in the past but they have died or been modified before they reached maturity. If Mormonism is able to endure, unmodified, until it reaches the third and fourth generation, it is destined to become the greatest power the world has ever known.

A Special Gift from a Prophet’s Daughter

Leo Tolstoy will long be remembered as a great novelist, short story writer, and dramatist, but perhaps what should be remembered most about this literary genius whom Russians consider to be of the same caliber as Shakespeare in world literature, is the fact that he was a thinker. In his middle-age years after facing a devastating life crisis, he became engrossed in reading, thinking about, and writing about the pressing ethical, social, and religious issues of his day, with particular concentration on religious issues. It is said that in his quest to find answers to religious and moral questions, he penned some 7,000 letters in his lifetime.

Leland A. Fetzer, in his article titled “Tolstoy and Mormonism” wrote the following about Tolstoy:

One of the characteristics of Tolstoy’s thoughts in his later years, when he was convinced that his mission lay in the moral conversion of mankind, was a profound commitment to religious belief. Tolstoy was convinced, quite simply, that to live was to believe. He accepted the existence of God, and, indeed, without the surety of God’s presence, he says, he would have shot himself in the birch woods on his estate or hanged himself in his study; the existence of God justified his own existence. What is more, he believed that God is accessible to all men of all social classes and all races and the celebration of His presence might take many forms.

In his quest for religious truth he became acquainted with Mormonism. His first mention of the subject can be found in his diary when he was a young writer known only to Russian readers, as he was traveling in Western Europe in 1857. He wrote again on the subject in an essay published near the end of life in 1901.

There were no missionaries in Russia during Tolstoy’s lifetime, however, according to Emily Schmuhl, reporting for Mormon Times, Tolstoy had a copy of the Book of Mormon in the library at his estate, Yasnaya Polyana. How did he obtain this precious volume? Frederick and Nataliya Felt, who at that time were attending the Laurel Ward of the Silver Spring Stake in Washington, D.C. set out to find an answer to that question after being told about the Book of Mormon in Tolstoy’s library by a Russian member. They went to Yasnaya Polyana, now a Tolstoy museum located four hours south of Moscow, to learn more about the book. Nataliya had a vested interest because she was born in Moscow, Russia, and has knowledge of the language and the country’s rich literary history. In a Deseret News article dated 22 June 2010, she commented, “I knew and respected Tolstoy’s works before I joined (the church),” Nataliya said. “I was really happy to know such a talented writer took an interest in the church.”

The Deseret News article continues:

A librarian at the museum searched her records and photocopied a catalog reference to the Book of Mormon. “It identified the exact cabinet, shelf and volume number,” Frederick said.

More importantly, the reference indicated that the book was a gift given to Tolstoy by Susa Young Gates, daughter of Brigham Young, women’s rights advocate and a writer once referred to by R. Paul Cracroft as “the most versatile and prolific LDS writer ever to take up the pen in defense of her religion.”

“It was surprisingly heavy,” Frederick said. He identified the copy as an 1881 Second Electrotype Edition published in Liverpool, England.

Gates’ inscription simply read: “Count Leo Tolstoy, from Susa Young Gates. Salt Lake City, Utah.”

He noted that other than the inscription, there were no other notes on any of the pages.

The curator helped the Felts consult Tolstoy’s diary where they found an entry mentioning that he had received the book from Gates and had “read the book.”

It is not clear however, if Tolstoy read the Book in its entirety or only in part.

Susan McCloud, in her 21 September 2014 Deseret News article “Leo Tolstoy’s view of Mormons as teaching ‘The American Religion’” commented:

Tolstoy believed that worship of God and our approach to God can be varied, but that God is there — and accessible to all men of all classes and conditions. He was curious, and sought for religious truths wherever he went, with whatever group or nationality of people he encountered. Rejecting organized religion himself, he was known for his support of and concern for those who did strive to practice their religion — especially for religious minorities who were struggling or suffering persecution.

Thus, his keen interest in Mormonism. Brigham Young’s daughter had been enthralled by an article that she had read in the June 1887 issue of Century, which was a leading magazine of that time. Prior to writing Tolstoy, he had spoken in an interview of the U.S. government’s measures to crush polygamy, and according to Leland A. Fetzer’s article “Tolstoy and Mormonism,” she was amazed and wrote Tolstoy that “extensive as your reading and knowledge is, it should still reach so far, and compass so seemingly small a factor in the world’s present history.”

She sent him a copy of the Book of Mormon along with her letter which told of the history of Mormons from their point of view. Susa sent a total of three letters to Tolstoy which were answered by his daughter, Tatyana, as was his custom in responding to correspondence. According to Fetzer’s article, Tolstoy referred to the “beautiful letter of the American woman” in his journal.

Although he found the letters to be intriguing, according to the 21 September 2014 Deseret News article “Leo Tolstoy’s view of Mormons as teaching ‘The American Religion,” “When he read the book Susa sent on Joseph Smith he found what he called deception in it, as he did in all organized religion.”

Leo Tolstoy: A Man of Deep Thought and Reasoning

When Tolstoy met with Andrew D. White in March of 1894, and the discussion turned to the subject of Mormonism, White recalled the following as published in McClure’s Magazine (April 1901) and quoted in “Tolstoy and Mormonism”:

He thought two thirds of their religion deception, but said that on the whole he preferred a religion which professed to have dug its sacred books out of the earth to one that pretended that they were let down from heaven … he spoke of the good reputation of the Mormons for chastity, and asked me to explain the hold of their religion upon women.

Thomas J. Yates, once a student at Cornell University, also shared his account of the meetings between Tolstoy and White which was published by the Improvement Era in February 1939. It is also reported that upon returning home, White secured a set of LDS Church works for the Cornell University library.

Count Lev Nikolayevich Tolstoy was a thinker. And though he abhorred organized religion, he maintained a determined interest in Mormonism, and considered it to be a religion that would flourish and influence the world as no other religion ever had before. Of all the religious sects in America, Leo Tolstoy considered Mormonism to be the “American Religion.”

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/

Mormons believe that ancestors of some Native Americans were the first people that the Savior ministered to when He appeared in the Americas after His resurrection.

Lamanites and Nephites in the Book of Mormon

One of the groups of people mentioned in the Book of Mormon is the Lamanites, described as rivals to a more religious people known as the Nephites. The introduction to the Book of Mormon states that the Lamanites were “among” the ancestors of the American Indians.

According to the text, the Lamanites are descendants of Laman and Lemuel, two rebellious brothers of a family of Israelites who crossed the ocean in a ship around 600 BCE. Their brother, Nephi, is portrayed as founding the rival Nephites. The text states in 2 Nephi 5:20-22 that after the two groups separated from each other, the Lamanites received a “skin of blackness” as a sign of their being cut off from the presence of the Lord, and so that they would “not be enticing” to the Nephites.

Wherefore, the word of the Lord was fulfilled which he spake unto me, saying that: Inasmuch as they will not hearken unto thy words they shall be cut off from the presence of the Lord. And behold, they were cut off from his presence. And he had caused the cursing to come upon them, yea, even a sore cursing, because of their iniquity. For behold, they had hardened their hearts against him that they had become like unto a flint; wherefore, as they were white, and exceedingly fair and delightsome, that they might not be enticing unto my people the Lord God did cause a skin of blackness to come upon them. And thus saith the Lord God: I will cause that they shall be loathsome unto thy people, save they shall repent of their iniquities.

After centuries of wars among the two groups, Jesus Christ appeared and converted all of the united Lamanites and Nephites to Christianity. However, after about two centuries, many of the Christians began to fall away and identified themselves as Lamanites (see 4 Nephi 1:20), while those who remained true to the faith, identified themselves as Nephites. The Book of Mormon describes a series of great battles which ultimately occurred, ending with the Lamanites annihilating all of the Nephites (see 4 Nephi 1:35-39). The Lamanites, from whom some present-day Native Americans descend, remained to inhabit the American continents.

Native Americans in the Events of the Last Days

The following is cited from the article “Native Americans” in the Encyclopedia of Mormonism:

The Book of Mormon contains many promises and prophecies about the future directed to these survivors. For example, Lehi’s grandson Enos prayed earnestly to God on behalf of his kinsmen, the Lamanites. He was promised by the Lord that Nephite records would be kept so that they could be “brought forth at some future day unto the Lamanites, that, perhaps, they might be brought unto salvation” (Enos 1:13).

The role of Native Americans in the events of the last days is noted by several Book of Mormon prophets. Nephi prophesied that in the last days the Lamanites would accept the gospel and become a “pure and delightsome people” (2 Nephi 30:6). Likewise, it was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith that the Lamanites will at some future time “blossom as the rose” (Doctrine and Covenants 49:24).

After Jesus’ resurrection in Jerusalem, he appeared to the more righteous Lamanites and Nephites left after massive destruction and prophesied that their seed eventually “shall dwindle in unbelief because of iniquity” (3 Nephi 21:5). He also stated that if any people “will repent and hearken unto my words, and harden not their hearts, I will establish my church among them, and they shall come in unto the covenant and be numbered among this the remnant of Jacob [the descendants of the Book of Mormon peoples], unto whom I have given this land for their inheritance”; together with others of the house of Israel, they will build the New Jerusalem (3 Nephi 21:22-23). The Book of Mormon teaches that the descendants of Lehi are heirs to the blessings of Abraham (see Abrahamic Covenant) and will receive the blessings promised to the house of Israel.

Mormon Missionaries and the Shoshone

In 1853, Mormon settlers established an outpost in Shoshone country known as Fort Supply where a number of Shoshone sought refuge among the Mormons during the winter months. Envisioning this as an opportune learning experience, the Mormons sought to learn as much as possible about the natives’ marriage customs, burial rites, and the tribal roles of medicine men. In addition, they also studied the Shoshone language.

Brigham Young, the President of The Church of Jesus Christ at that time, established the Southern Indian Mission and stressed that missionaries needed to learn the languages of the Indians in order to teach them. In 1855, 27 men were called to serve as missionaries in territories north of Utah which were inhabited by the nations of the buffalo-hunting Indians of the Bannock, Shoshone, and Flathead.

The missionaries began their work and settled on the banks of the Salmon River in Idaho to work with the Bannock, with the mission itself being located near a site where the Bannock, Shoshone, Nez Perce, and Flathead met each summer for gambling and horse-trading. The Native Americans were friendly towards the missionaries and ensured them that they were welcomed to use the land for farming. Part of the missionary efforts included holding classes to learn the Shoshone language, and as a result of their efforts, they soon baptized 55 Indians.

However, as the Latter-day Saints had become well accustomed through the many years of persecution in their history, along with the sweetness came the bitter, as not all Indians welcomed them with open arms. In 1858, a Mormon mission in Idaho, Fort Lehmi, was attacked by a war party of about 200 Bannock and Shoshone warriors leaving two Mormons dead and five wounded. The Indians took as their bounty 250 cattle and 29 horses. As a result of the attack, the mission was abandoned.

According to an article titled “19th Century Mormon Missionaries & the Shoshone”. . . .

In 1873 Mormon missionaries under the leadership of George Washington Hill traveled to southern Idaho where they baptized about 100 Shoshone and Bannock. Speaking to the Indians in their own language, Hill told them about the Book of Mormon and depicted its story by placing pictures on a scroll. The baptized Indians were then settled on farmland near Brigham City, Utah. The Indians named the new community Washakie, after a Shoshone Chief.

In 1875, Shoshone chief Pocatello traveled to Salt Lake City where he demanded to be baptized by the Mormons. In addition to Pocatello, five other Shoshone men and four Shoshone women are baptized. Pocatello predicted that many more would follow seeking spiritual salvation.

In 1875, a Mormon missionary gathered a number of Shoshone on a spot between Malad and the Bear River in Idaho. They put in 140 acres of corn, wheat, and potatoes. The missionary then began a series of evangelical meetings which resulted in 574 baptisms.

The article further points out:

The Mormon missionary, Amos Wright, explained to the Shoshone the contents of the Book of Mormon, their relationship to the Lamanites, and the promises that God made to them. Wright spoke to them in broken Shoshone, but in spite of this his talk made such an impact upon those assembled that 87 requested baptism. Washakie and 17 of his family members converted. Wright baptized 422 Shoshone during a four-week time period.

Mormons in the Land of Native Americans – Yesterday and Today

After the martyrdom of the Prophet Joseph Smith in the Carthage, Illinois jail in 1844, his successor, Brigham Young, made the decision to move the Saints to the Great Basin. In doing so, the Church’s policy toward Native Americans became a matter of utmost importance. As the Saints began their trek west, Young admonished them to “treat the American Indians fairly and take up the duty to convert them whenever possible.”

The interaction between the Mormons and the Native Americans remained friendly until conflicts began to evolve over the use of the limited resources that were available. Young’s plans to move to the Great Basin had not taken into consideration that the Native Americans were already using its resources to full capacity.

According to the historical narrative as recounted in an article titled “Mormons and Native Americans: A Historical Overview” in the Online Nevada Encyclopedia:

As Mormons poured into Salt Lake City, settlers appropriated rivers, streams, and springs. They fenced off productive land and used up raw materials such as pine-nut bearing trees. This caused no immediate conflict, but upon discovering their loss, members of the local Ute tribe demanded access to their resources and, when denied, simply did what they had long done and took what had been theirs.

As the Mormon population grew, tensions escalated. Infertile soil and a lack of water made it impossible to quickly create dense, sedentary settlements, so Young sent newcomers farther from Salt Lake City. Unwilling to change plans, he advised against provoking the Native Americans, but soon allowed ruthless punishment of any Indian caught stealing or harming a settler or his property.

In a short time, church leaders authorized attacking American Indians who refused to give up their resources without a fight. Church leaders argued that Native Americans who resisted were actually rejecting Christ’s message and, by refusing, justified retribution.

In Search of Native American DNA

The fact that there are perhaps many people who are descendants of Native Americans is of no surprise, however being able to find DNA in order to prove such ancestral ties can present another challenge as one reader on Ancestry.com whose great-great-grandmother was one-fourth Cherokee (Tiptendille Tribe-TN) recently found out and wrote in and asked the question, “Where is my Native American DNA?” The reply that the reader received was “the traces of Native American DNA in your test may be too small to detect.” The following explanation was given to help the reader better understand why this may be the case:

If your great-great-grandmother was ¼ Cherokee, then it was her grandparent that was 100% Native American. And that would be your 4th-great-grandparent. Now your great-great-grandmother would get 50% of her DNA from her mother and 50% from her father. To make this easy, let’s divide by 2 for every generation.

Using the information given above as a reference, it then follows that the amount of the great-great-grandmother’s DNA that the reader is likely to have is about 1.5625% which is not necessarily enough to detect Native American ethnicity.

Ancestry.com further recommended finding an older generation on the family line to have tested, as well as having brothers, sisters and cousins tested. They also suggested that, “Even if you find the DNA connection, you will still want to follow the paper trail.”

Native Americans Embrace Mormon Way of Life

The interaction between Mormons and Native American peoples today is somewhat different. Missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are sent to teach the gospel on Indian reservations. As a result, the Church has witnessed significant growth in membership among various tribes as churches of other faiths in the surrounding area continue to struggle in maintaining a sizable membership. For example, membership in the Tube City Stake in Arizona which covers 150 miles of Navajo and Hopi lands, has increased by 25 percent since 2008.

One of the main principles that Latter-day Saints teach the Navajo people is how to be self-reliant. In an October 2013 New York Times article titled “Some Find Path to Navajo Roots through Mormon Church,” the following is reported:

To attract followers, Larry Justice, a white man who is the President of the Tuba City Stake, took a page from the lives of Navajo ancestors and began a gardening program to teach people how to live off the land.

He and a handful of church volunteers teach gardening techniques, distributing seeds from a plot behind the church building here. The program started with 25 gardens four years ago, each made by Navajos next to their homes. There were 1,800 gardens last month, and by next year 500 more are to be created in Tuba City and communities all around it, Mr. Justice said.

Participants learn how to fertilize the soil, parched by years of drought. They learn to build fences to keep out the animals that roam the land. They learn what to harvest and when: melons and grapes in the summer, squash and cabbage in the fall.

“Their grandparents knew how to farm. Their parents forgot it. We’re working to make sure the young people learn it,” Mr. Justice said as he escorted visitors through the chapel, which was so crowded one recent Sunday that a divider was removed to make way for more seats. “It’s important to teach our people to be self-reliant.”

According to the statistical reports of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there are presently 15,082,028 members world-wide, divided among 29,253 congregations, with the Book of Mormon being translated into 189 different languages. Of the total Church membership, approximately one-quarter live in South America.

Converts living on the Navajo reservation declare that becoming Mormon has helped them to draw closer to the fundamental Navajo values of charity, camaraderie, and respect for the land. Even though Mormonism often compels them to leave behind rituals that have long defined their identity, like a medicine man’s healing ceremonies or the cleansing in sweat lodges, speaking through a translator, one of the converts, Nora Kaibetoney, explained, “There is a feeling of “reconnecting to our traditions.” Another convert, 64-year-old Ms. Smith who was baptized while she was still in high school, commented, “In Navajo culture, the most important things we have are life and our family. Converting wasn’t about turning away and embracing an entirely different tradition; it was about reconnecting.”

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/

1830 First Edition of the Book of Mormon – How Rare a Possession

Among the rare artifacts that have been recovered from early Church history is an original 1830 first edition of the Book of Mormon. Although the edition is not considered the rarest LDS publication, it is in fact a treasured commodity to be had by serious collectors as it marks the beginning of the Lord’s true Church in this dispensation. Only five thousand copies of the first Book of Mormon were printed, and each sold for the cost of 75 cents. Today it is estimated that only a few hundred copies remain in any condition, and a majority of those are not complete copies. It is interesting to note that in 1998, Bill Gates, founder of Microsoft, purchased an 1830 first edition copy of the Book of Mormon.

Two back-to-back pages, which became referred to as “References to the Book of Mormon,” were placed inside copies of the first copies of the 1830 edition of the Book of Mormon to be used as a navigation tool – an index – by missionaries as they used the Book of Mormon to teach the gospel. The pages were not attached which made it easy for them to be lost or destroyed. Together with the pages from the 1830 first edition, these have become some of the rarest and most expensive printed pages in the history of The Church of Jesus Christ.

1833 Book of Commandments – First Record of Printed Revelations

In July 1833, the early Church was to publish the first collection of printed revelations in a book titled “Book of Commandments.” The press and the thousands of pages waiting to be folded and cut was located on the upper floor of the home of William W. Phelps. The publication was abruptly disrupted on 20 July 1833 when a mob broke in, chased Phelps’ wife and children out, and destroyed the press. The printed pages were dumped into the street with the intent of the mob to destroy them.

In an act of courage, 15-year-old Mary Elizabeth Rollins and her 13-year-old sister Caroline grabbed up as many sheets as they could hold and ran. They were discovered and chased by the mob, but were never found. The pages that they were able to salvage were hand cut and bound into 15 incomplete copies of the Book of Commandments with covers made out of leather, goat hair, and even wood. In 2001, a rare complete copy of the Book of Commandments was sold at auction at Christie’s in New York for the hefty price of $391,000 – the most money ever paid for a nineteenth century American book.

The destruction of the Book of Commandments did not thwart the work of the Lord from progressing, nor His Word from going forth. The Brethren immediately began work on compiling another Book of Commandments. However, after deliberating that the book contained more than just commandments, it was agreed that the new book should be titled “Doctrine and Covenants,” and in an 1835 conference, the Doctrine and Covenants was accepted as scripture.

Kirtland and Early Mormon Currency

In 1836, the first attempts of producing Mormon currency took place in Kirtland, Ohio when the young growing Church decided to establish a bank. The Ohio legislature denied their charter, and so they created the Kirtland Safety Society Anti-Banking Company. The currency that was distributed, known as Kirtland Safety Society Notes, were signed by Joseph Smith and Sidney Rigdon.

Coins were also made and used as currency. In 1846, while camped in Iowa Territory, Peter Haws created a brass coin which became known as “Do Your Duty” Coin which was used by members of The Church of Jesus Christ throughout Pottawattamie County. According to the LDS Living.com article dated 8 August 2014, “He embossed one side with a beehive and the slogan “Do Your Duty.” On the other side, he embossed hands clasped together with the motto “Union Is Strength.””

In 1848, after the Saints had settled in the Great Salt Lake Valley, President Brigham Young directed the Brethren to establish a mint for the production of gold coins. The production of the coins began in 1849. The LDS Living.com article describes the coins as follows:

Like all 1849 gold Mormon coins, the ten dollar denomination features an open eye and a crown surrounded by the words “Holiness to the Lord.” The reverse side of the coin shows two hands clasped. “Pure Gold” and “Ten Dollars” is written around the hands.

Unfortunately, the life of the gold coins was short-lived because of their rejection in non-Mormon territories due to their substandard weight. Some banks did accept them at a 25 percent discount, but most were melted.

1842 Book of Mormon – Last Edition Published Under Direction of Joseph Smith

The 1842 edition of the Book of Mormon has become the scarcest of all copies of the Book of Mormon as it was the last edition that was published under the direction of the Prophet, Joseph Smith, in Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph’s father had passed away before the volume was complete, and so it is the only volume that credits him without the usual suffix of “Junior.”

The Legacy of the Early Church

The Saints lived under constant persecution, and were often attacked and forced to flee for their lives to find solace in unexplored territories. Oftentimes they took flight with nothing more than the clothes on their backs, and their children at their side. Many valuable and meaningful journals and documents had to be left behind, and in time were completely lost or destroyed. With such precious losses, a part of their legacy was also lost. Nevertheless, they continued to press forward by faith. We can be thankful that with the discovery of rare artifacts from early Church history, a large part of that legacy can be reclaimed. We can also be thankful that in spite of the opposition, the work of the Lord continues to roll forth. The Prophet Joseph Smith declared:

The Standard of Truth has been erected; no unhallowed hand can stop the work from progressing; persecutions may rage, mobs may combine, armies may assemble, calumny may defame, but the truth of God will go forth boldly, nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.

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/

Although the Mormon Battalion never engaged in an actual battle, it earned a rightful place in the history of the West. The march and the service rendered was instrumental in helping the U.S. secure much of the American Southwest to include new territory in several Western states. Of particular noteworthiness was the Gadsden Purchase of much of southern Arizona in 1853. The march also opened a southern wagon route to California, and veterans of the battalion played significant roles in the westward expansion of California, Utah, Arizona, and other parts of the West.

The Longest Historical Infantry March

In 1846, the United States was actively engaged in the Mexican-American War. James K. Polk, then President of the United States, called for 500 to 1,000 Mormon volunteers to march to Fort Leavenworth (present-day Kansas) and then to California on a one-year U.S. Army enlistment. On Saturday, 18 July 1846, muster was held for the Mormon recruits, and on Monday, 20 July 1846, on the Little Pony River in Council Bluffs, Iowa, the Mormon Battalion began their trek, which would cover approximately 1,850 miles by the time they reached San Diego, California.

The battalion arrived at Fort Leavenworth (Kansas) on 1 August 1846, where they were outfitted with the necessary accoutrements, and received a military clothing allowance of forty-two dollars. As military uniforms were not required, many of the recruits sent their clothing allowances to their families who were back in the camps in Iowa. Members of the battalion honored their military assignment – some served for one to three years, while others served for nearly a decade.

A Call to Arms

Susan Easton Black, a professor of Church History and Doctrine at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, in her article about the Mormon Battalion in the Utah History Encyclopedia recounts the beginning days of the battalion:

In July 1846, under the authority of U.S. Army Captain James Allen and with the encouragement of Mormon leader Brigham Young, the Mormon Battalion was mustered in at Council Bluffs, Iowa Territory. The battalion was the direct result of Brigham Young’s correspondence on 26 January 1846 to Jesse C. Little, presiding elder over the New England and Middle States Mission. Young instructed Little to meet with national leaders in Washington, D.C., and to seek aid for the migrating Latter-day Saints, the majority of whom were then in the Iowa Territory. In response to Young’s letter, Little journeyed to Washington, arriving on 21 May 1846, just eight days after Congress had declared war on Mexico.

Little met with President James K. Polk on 5 June 1846 and urged him to aid migrating Mormon pioneers by employing them to fortify and defend the West. The president offered to aid the pioneers by permitting them to raise a battalion of five hundred men, who were to join Colonel Stephen W. Kearny, Commander of the Army of the West, and fight for the United States in the Mexican War. Little accepted this offer.

Colonel Kearny designated Captain James Allen, later promoted to Lieutenant Colonel, to raise five companies of volunteer soldiers from the able-bodied men between the ages of eighteen and forty-five in the Mormon encampments in Iowa. On 26 June 1846 Allen arrived at the encampment of Mt. Pisgah. He was treated with suspicion as many believed that the raising of a battalion was a plot to bring trouble to the migrating Saints.

Allen journeyed from Mt. Pisgah to Council Bluffs, where on 1 July 1846 he allayed Mormon fears by giving permission for the Saints to encamp on United States lands if the Mormons would raise the desired battalion. Brigham Young accepted this, recognizing that the enlistment of the battalion was the first time the government had stretched forth its arm to aid the Mormons.

On 16 July 1846 some 543 men enlisted in the Mormon Battalion. From among these men Brigham Young selected the commissioned officers; they included Jefferson Hunt, Captain of Company A; Jesse D. Hunter, Captain of Company B; James Brown, Captain of Company C; Nelson Higgins, Captain of Company D; and Daniel C. Davis, Captain of Company E. Among the most prominent non-Mormon military officers immediately associated with the battalion march were Lt. Col. James Allen, First Lt. Andrew Jackson Smith, Lt. Col. Philip St. George Cooke, and Dr. George Sanderson. Also accompanying the battalion were approximately thirty-three women, twenty of whom served as laundresses, and fifty-one children.

A Fulfilment of Prophecy

Brigham Young, then President and Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (often called the “Mormon” Church by the media and others), prophesied that not a single battalion member would be lost to hostile action. However, twenty members died due to the privations they suffered, with the first being Samuel Boly who died only twenty-eight miles from Council Bluffs.  It is also reported that not a single shot was fired by the Mormon Battalion except at a herd of rampaging bulls. The battalion arrived in San Diego, California on Friday, 29 January 1847.

Stanley B. Kimball, a professor of history at Southern Illinois University, in the conclusion to his article “The Mormon Battalion March, 1846–47” states:

The battalion filled its enlistment term with performed routine garrison duty in San Diego, San Louis Rey, and Los Angeles, until being discharged 16 July 1847. Some reenlisted for six months, but most made preparation for joining the pioneers in the Great Basin. They pushed north and picked up the Old California Trail east of San Francisco. Some decided to winter at Sutter’s Fort—and were present when gold was discovered in January 1848. Those who had gone on arrived in Salt Lake Valley 16 October 1847.

Historic Sites and Monuments

There are several historic sites associated with the Mormon Battalion. These include the Mormon Battalion Memorial Visitor’s Center in San Diego, California; Fort Moore Pioneer Memorial in Los Angeles, California; and the Mormon Battalion Monument in Memory Grove, Salt Lake City, Utah. Monuments have also been built in New Mexico, Arizona, and Colorado, and trail markers have been placed on segments of the battalion route.

The Mormon Battalion Historic Site of San Diego which was established in 2009 has been chosen to receive the California Historian of the Year Commercial Award which will be presented at the Conference of California Historical Societies on Saturday, 21 June 2014 in Los Angeles, California. The newly restored facility includes interactive displays, hands on activities, and entertaining presentations for people of all ages. Those who visit the site are also able to relive the trials and accomplishments of the Mormon Battalion through journals of members of the battalion.

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/

Missionary Work – Taking the Gospel to the World

At the close of His earthly ministry, before ascending to the Father, the Lord commanded His disciples:

Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned. And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover (Mark 15:15-18).

David O. McKay, the 9th President and Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (inadvertently referred to as the Mormon Church by the media and others), taught, “True Christianity is love in action. There is no better way to manifest love for God than to show an unselfish love for your fellow men. This is the spirit of missionary work” (David O. McKay, Gospel Ideals [1954], 129.)

Concerning the importance of missionary work, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles (the second highest governing body of The Church of Jesus Christ) taught:

Missionary work isn’t the only thing we need to do in this big, wide, wonderful Church. But almost everything else we need to do depends on people first hearing the gospel of Jesus Christ and coming into the faith. … With all that there is to do along the path to eternal life, we need a lot more missionaries opening that gate and helping people through it (Jeffrey R. Holland, We Are All Enlisted, Ensign, November 2011, 46–47.)

Today, in response to the Lord’s Great Commission, there are thousands of Mormon missionaries throughout the world, who like the fisherman on the Sea of Galilee, have left their boats and their nets – their educational aspirations, professions, and career goals – and as a result of their willingness and obedience to follow the Master and to do His will, He has made them literal “fishers of men”, filling their nets with precious souls that are waiting to hear and to accept the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel to be preached in Season and Out of Season

Modern-day revelation, as recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 58:64, teaches that “the sound must go forth from this place into all the world, and unto the uttermost parts of the earth—the gospel must be preached unto every creature, with signs following them that believe.” However, despite the humble efforts of those who are willing to take “the sound” of the glorious message of the gospel to the uttermost parts of the world, the message is not always readily received in all areas. As in all things, there are oppositions. These oppositions attempt to hinder the spreading of the Good News. Such is the case with preaching the gospel in countries such as Italy.

Since the early years of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Italy has drawn the attention of Church leaders as a “field [which] is white already to harvest” (see Doctrine and Covenants 4:4). In 1850, Lorenzo Snow, the 5^th President and Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ, dedicated the land of Italy to the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Thus, Italy became one of the first non-English-speaking countries opened to missionary work by the Church. Over the course of time, the Church of Jesus Christ has faced many challenges in trying to move the work forward, but in spite of the opposition, the Church has maintained a solid presence.

The challenges and oppositions that The Church of Jesus Christ have faced over the years ring true to the teachings of the Apostle Paul to his young son in the faith, Timothy, when he exhorted him:

Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears; And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables. But watch thou in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, make full proof of thy ministry (2 Timothy 4:2-5).

Laboring in the Father’s Vineyard in Italy – The Beginning

Early Church leaders had a keen interest in the country of Italy because of its notable role in religious and cultural history, and because of its strategic geographical location in the Mediterranean world. The first missionaries were called to preach the gospel on the continent of Europe by Brigham Young, the President of The Church of Jesus Christ at that time, during the October 1849 General Conference. Lorenzo Snow, then serving as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and Joseph Toronto, an Italian convert, were assigned to begin the missionary work in Italy. While en route to Italy from England, Elder Snow called Elder Thomas B.H. Stenhouse, a recent British convert, and Elder Jabez Woodard to serve as missionaries in the new mission. Elder Snow arrived in Italy on Sunday, 23 June 1850.

Upon his arrival in Genoa, Italy on 25 June 1850, Elder Snow carefully surveyed the conditions of the area, as well as the possible prospects, and made the decision to begin proselyting among the people (known as Waldenses) of a small Protestant community in the Piedmont region of northwest Italy, located at the base of the Alps in the Luzerne Valley. Soon after his arrival he wrote:

With a heart full of gratitude, I find an opening is presented in the valleys of Piedmont, when all other parts of Italy are closed against our efforts. I believe that the Lord has there hidden up a people amid the Alpine mountains, and it is the voice of the Spirit that I shall commence something of importance. [1]

The Italian Mission was officially organized on Thursday, 19 September 1850, when Elder Snow, accompanied by Elders Stenhouse and Woodard, atop a prominent mountain peak near the city of La Tour, Italy (today known as Torre Pellice), offered a prayer dedicating the land of Italy to the preaching of the gospel of Jesus Christ. By this time, Elder Stenhouse had departed to teach his family in Sicily.

The work had begun, and the missionaries were busy about the Father’s business, teaching the gospel to all who would listen. Elder Snow had written and published a missionary tract titled The Voice of Joseph which circulated throughout northern Italy. They received the first fruits of their labors on Sunday, 27 October 1850, when Elder Snow baptized Jean Bose, the first convert. He also supervised the translation of the Book of Mormon (Libro di Mormon) into the Italian language, and the first edition was published in London in 1852.

During the next 15 years, missionary work was hindered by opposition from ministers, anti-Mormon literature, deeply rooted religious and political traditions, and the poverty of the people. By the time the mission closed in 1867, about 180 persons had been baptized: approximately 70 of these immigrated to Utah, and the remainder either apostatized or were excommunicated. Many prominent Latter-day Saint families – Beus, Cardon, Malan, Bertoch, Pons, and Chatelain – are descendants of these original Waldensian converts. [2]

World War II and Beyond

Through the reading of Latter-day Saint publications, some Italians were converted prior to World War II. Among those converts was Vincenzo di Francesca. His conversion story was told in a 1987 Church film titled How Rare a Possession (you can view the video in Italian by going here). During World War II, Latter-day Saint servicemen’s branches were established in several locations in Italy, but there were no proselyting efforts made during that time.

The first member conferences were held in April 1963 in Vicenza, Italy, and in March 1964 a new edition of the Italian translation of the Book of Mormon was published. In November 1964 Elder Ezra Taft Benson met with Italian government officials in Rome, Italy to discuss the reopening of missionary work in Italy. Later that month he organized the Italian District of the Swiss Mission. By February 1965, 22 elders from the Swiss mission were called to preach the gospel in seven cities in Italy.

On 2 August 1966 Elder Benson reestablished the Italian Mission in Florence with John Duns Jr. as president, and in November 1966 he rededicated Italy for the preaching of the gospel at Torre Pellice, near the site of Elder Snow’s 1850 dedicatory prayer. The Italian Church periodical La Stella (The Star) commenced circulation in June 1967 and was thus published until its title, along with those of all other Church international magazines, was changed to Liahona in January 2000. By June 1971 Church growth necessitated the formation of two missions, and by 1977 four missions had been organized: Italy Rome, Italy Catania, Italy Milan, and Italy Padova. A major historical event was the first visit of a Church president to Italy – President Spencer W. Kimball arrived in August 1977. After years of groundwork, a milestone was achieved on 22 February 1993 when Italian president Oscar Luigi Scalfaro signed papers granting formal legal status to the Church. A total of three stakes exist in Italy: the first was established in Milan (June 1981), the second in Venice (September 1985), and the third in Puglia (March 1997). The Church Educational System, which has operated in Italy since 1975, includes five full-time supervisors, 220 teachers, and about 1,500 students enrolled in seminary and institute classes. [2]

A Little Child Shall Lead Them

Marie Madeleine Cardon was born in 1834 to Waldensian parents. She was just 5 or 6 years of age, living near Torino, Italy in the Alps, when in 1840 she received a witness of “a marvelous work about to come forth among the children of men” (see Doctrine and Covenants 4:1) on the other side of the world. She would later state that it was an event that would change “the career of my whole life.” [3] She recounted the dream in which three messengers bearing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ came to Italy:

I was upstairs in bed. A strange feeling came over me. It appeared that I was a young woman instead of a mere child. I thought I was in a small strip of meadow, close to our vineyard, keeping my father’s milk cows from the vineyard. It seemed that I was sitting in the grass reading a Sunday school book. I looked up and saw three strangers in front of me. As I looked into their faces I dropped my eyes instantly, being very much frightened. Suddenly the thought came to me that I must look at them that I might remember them in the future. I raised my eyes and looked them straight in the face. One of them, seeing that I was afraid said: “Fear not, for we are the servants of God and have come from afar to preach unto the world the everlasting gospel, which has been restored to the earth in these last days, for the redemption of mankind.” They told me that God had spoken from the heavens and had revealed his everlasting gospel, to the young boy Joseph Smith. That it would never more be taken from the earth, but that His kingdom would be set up and that all the honest in heart would be gathered together. They told me that I would be the means of bringing my parents and family into this great gathering. Moreover, the day was not far off when we would leave our homes and cross the great ocean. We would travel across the wilderness and go to Zion where we could serve God according to the dictates of our conscience. When they had finished their message to me they said they would return soon and visit us. They took some small books from their pockets and gave them to me, saying, “Read these and learn.” Then they disappeared instantly. [3]

She straightaway told her father, Phillipe Cardon, about the dream she had. Approximately 10 years later, after a royal decree granted from to the Waldensians, the family moved to Piedmont, Italy. It was there that Phillipe heard of three men preaching the same message that his young daughter had related to him from her dream.  He “became so excited and so intensely interested that he could not proceed with his work.” Instead, he went home, changed into his Sunday clothes, and went off in search of the three strangers. [3]

Marie recalls:

He traveled over mountains and through valleys and arrived on Sunday morning just in time to hear Elder Lorenzo Snow preach. My dear father was most happy to hear the pure truth so well and so earnestly explained. His heart was full of joy. After the meeting my father approached these servants of God, shook hands and kindly invited them to come to our home where he desired them to make their headquarters. They kindly and willingly accepted his hospitality. [3]

Marie and most of her family soon came to accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in its entirety, and became members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She also did member missionary work by accompanying the missionaries and translating their messages as they preached to her neighbors in the mountains. In 1854, the family immigrated to Utah. In Utah, she married John A. Guild and together they had eleven children, and eventually settled in Piedmont, Wyoming. Marie died in 1914, but she left a legacy for her children in the form of an autobiography in which she bore her testimony of the faith and the gospel that had changed the course of her life.

 My dear children, I cannot doubt the faith and the principals which I have embraced. My whole soul is filled with joy and thankfulness to God for his regard for me and for you in His manifesting to me the divinity of his great work in so remarkable a manner. How sincere is my prayer that you my children may realize how wonderful and yet how real and true is this, my life’s testimony to you. [3]

The Work Rolls Forth

Current statistical reports of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints indicate that there are 24.970 members of the Church; 2 missions; 100 congregations; and 49 Family History Centers throughout Italy, with a Mormon temple complex under construction near Rome.

The work continues to roll forth as faithful members of The Church of Jesus Christ continue to answer the call of the Master, “Andate dunque, e ammaestrate tutte le nazioni, battezzandole nel nome del Padre, e del Figlio, e dello Spirito Santo” (Matteo 28:19) [Translation: “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost” (Matthew 28:19)]. As they are willing and obedient to “launch out into the deep, and let down [their] nets for a draught” (see Luke 5:4), the Savior has promised to make them “pescatori di uomini” (“fishers of men”).

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/

Early Life of Mary Ellen Smoot

Mary Ellen was born August 19, 1933, in Ogden, Utah. Her parents, Melvin and LaVora Blood Smith Wood, were a Mormon family, descendants of early Mormon pioneers. “Mormon” is a nickname sometimes used to describe members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her parents taught their six daughters to live the gospel and to work hard. They grew their own food and raised animals, all of which Mary Ellen helped with. She also worked in her grandfather’s canning factory. She developed a strong love of genealogy and authored several books on the subject.

As a teenager, Mary Ellen became involved in student government and held a number of volunteer church positions, which gave her experience in leadership. When she and her family attended a local Mormon conference, Harold B. Lee, a future prophet, was presiding. He invited her to come forward, without warning, to share her testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Mary Ellen Smoot’s Community Service

Mary Ellen met her husband, Stanley Millard Smoot, while in her freshman year of high school. He served a mission in Hawaii as a young adult and when he returned, they married. Together, they raised seven children and also took in five foster children. While raising this large family, Mary Ellen managed to be involved in a wide range of activities. She served as the president of the PTA, an American organization made up of parents who work to improve the schools their children attend. She headed the Centerville (Utah) Women’s Republican Club. She also hosted a radio program for teenagers.

From 1966 to1971 Mary Ellen Smoot served on the editorial board for a Mormon children’s magazine, The Children’s Friend. She and her husband both served on Church public affairs committees and also directed the Church Hosting for VIPS program from 1993 to1997.

General Relief Society President

During her tenure as General Relief Society President, Mary Ellen spearheaded a project that resulted in providing 350,000 homemade quilts for Kosovo refugees, 50,000 more than had been requested. This allowed them to ship additional quilts to other countries with great need. Mary Ellen Smoot was the keynote speaker at the second World Congress on Families in Rome, Italy, in 1999. She often encouraged women to develop inner strength, to find the good in whatever life they were living, and to become everything they were capable of becoming.

Mary Ellen will likely be best remembered, however, for introducing the Relief Society Declaration, a statement that outlined the role of a Latter-day Saint woman in God’s world. She introduced it at the 1999 conference for Mormon women. It was written to unite all Mormon women around the world who, though living in far-flung places in very different lifestyles and circumstances, would find commonality in their eternal heritage. It began with this bold assertion: “We are beloved spirit daughters of God, and our lives have meaning, purpose, and direction. As a worldwide sisterhood, we are united in our devotion to Jesus Christ, our Savior and Exemplar. We are women of faith, virtue, vision, and charity.”

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.

Torleif was baptized at the age of 21 in a river that was frozen and had to be cut with a saw. His love of the gospel and strong testimony caused him to turn down an art scholarship to Rome in order to immigrate to Utah in 1905. That was the beginning of Torleif’s lifelong association with church art projects. He worked on many, many temples and was even called to serve a mission in Paris just to study art. This time was a wonderful boon to him, especially since he had given up the chance to study in Rome.

Upon returning home, Torleif continued his work on temples and in the 1920s completed the original Handcart Pioneers statue. In 1947, he completed the larger replica of the same statue that is now displayed on Temple Square.

Torleif’s artistic works for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints are found in many places around the United States. Perhaps none are so large and recognizable, however, as his monument of the angel Moroni which stands on the Hill Cumorah.

The Church acquired the land for the Hill Cumorah in 1928, and immediately Torleif recommended to the Brethren [church leaders] that a monument should stand there commemorating the important event of Moroni visiting Joseph Smith and giving him the brass plates.

While the Brethren had not commissioned Torleif to create this monument, Torleif felt so strongly about it that he created seven sketches on his own and went to the Lord in prayer for guidance about which sketch was the most accurate and if he should formally present his plan to the Brethren. One night in 1929 he climbed Ensign Peak in Salt Lake City and knelt in prayer, with his sketches spread out on the ground. In answer to his plea, an angel appeared to him and pointed to one of the sketches saying, “This is the one.” The angel also told Torleif to visit the Brethren in the church offices the next morning and that they would be waiting for him.

The next day, Torleif did as he had been instructed. The Brethren welcomed him and unanimously chose the picture the angel had singled out. Official permission to begin the project soon followed. Torleif was understandably very private about his encounter with the angel. He only shared his experience a couple of times, and when a friend asked him if the angel had been Moroni, Torleif said, “That’s my secret.” His second wife, Rebecca, though, said Torleif had told her it had been the angel Moroni.

The final statue of Moroni stands 9 feet tall and is gold plated. It rests on a granite pillar, which Torleif also created. He spent five years on the design and creation of the monument, which was more than double the time he spent on any other single work of art in his life.

Immediately after Torleif had been granted permission to work on the project, he looked for a model. He found the physique he wanted in Elwin Clark, a bricklayer, but he felt Elwin’s face was too young to accurately represent the mature Moroni. He fasted and prayed for a suitable model for the face. One day an older gentleman caught his eye in the city. After following him for some time, Torleif approached the man and asked if he would consider being a model for him. He persuaded the man, who had just moved to Utah from Wyoming, to come with him to his studio right then.

Elwin was already at the studio waiting for Torleif. To everyone’s surprise, Elwin recognized the older man as his father, Hyrum Don Carlos Clark. This “coincidence” confirmed to Torleif that these men were the appropriate models for him to use.

The monument was placed on the Hill Cumorah in 1935, which had been replenished during the previous year with 10,000 trees on its barren landscape. Each of the four sides of the base has a bronze plaque depicting a significant event which took place in the area: the west side shows Moroni delivering the plates to Joseph Smith; the south side shows Moroni revealing the plates to the three witnesses; the east side depicts Joseph Smith showing the plates to the eight witnesses; and on the north side is the text from Moroni 10:4–5, which reads, “And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.”

The statue of Moroni shows him holding the plates in his left arm while raising his right arm to call attention to the gospel message. Other religious symbols are explained to visitors on nearby plaques.

As for Torleif’s personal life, he married Emilia “Millie” Helena Christensen in 1909 in the Salt Lake Temple. However, she passed away in 1931, leaving six children, the youngest just 15 months old. He refused to split up the family, despite offers from friends to adopt the younger children, and did his best to be both father and mother to his children until he remarried eight years later, a woman named Rebecca Marie Knaphus.

A reporter asked Torleif in the late years of his life what he considered his greatest work. He said, gesturing to some family photos and a pedigree chart on his wall, “My family and this genealogical research have been my greatest work in life.” Historians have estimated that Torleif personally submitted 10,000 of his Norwegian ancestors’ names for temple work. Elder LeGrand Richards of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said he knew of no other person who had done more genealogy work than Torleif. Torleif passed away June 14, 1965, at the age of 83.

It is easy to look back on Torleif’s life and see many turning points which led him to the gospel, but which could have gone another way. For example, what if his roommate had not invited him to attend that concert in the first place? God’s hand is truly guiding each of our lives. If we let Him, He will use us for His purposes and will make a masterpiece out of us. Torleif had such an impact for good in the lives of those around Him because He turned His life to God.

This article was written by Doris White, a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

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.