How grateful I am for my heritage of faithful Mormons! Good, honorable, hardworking and intelligent people--people who were true to their faith. "Honest and true."
The Packs, my father's family, joined the Mormon Church in the 1800's. They survived the conflict in Missouri despite Julia and John Pack being kidnapped by an anti-Mormon mob.
She wrote,
"[The leader said], 'You can bid your husband goodbye. You will never see him again'....I told him I would not go one inch, I said, 'If my husband dies, I will die with him.' I put my foot on the wheel of the wagon to jump to the ground when my husband took hold of my hand and whispered to me: 'You stay with the wagon and take care of the horses, I am not afraid of them and will be back soon.' They took him through a patch of hazel brush to an open space covered with grass. Sachel Woods, a ... minister said: 'Here will be your grave, we are going to kill you unless you will deny Joe Smith.' My husband said: 'Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God. You profess to be a preacher of righteousness and so do I. I'll meet you at the day of judgment.'
There were five or six of them. They talked around inquiring who would shoot him, but none seemed really willing to do the deed. Finally a man standing by our wagon called out--'Let that damned Mormon go.' "
Later the Packs trekked across the plains to join in establishing Salt Lake City. The Pack women, all of them I knew, were outspoken and confident and smart, and they married fine, able, honorable men. And they had fun and laughed a lot. : ) They were faithful.
The Evanses, Mother's family, were similar. They were faithful Latter-day Saints who came West as well. David Wooley Evans, evidently lucky to have made it, was from cultured people and he played the violin in the first SLC Symphony. In addition, that branch of the family produced advertisers, as well as Richard L. Evans, the speaker for the Tabernacle Choir for years and an Apostle. Richard and David were my Grandpa Willard's cousins.
These people were true to their faith. My father and both of my grandfathers served missions and were true to their families. My Grandma Harriet Pack's Book of Mormon with its worn leather binding, was full of her markings and notes. After being widowed, she worked for 30 years in the Salt Lake Temple.
My other Grandmother, Rachel Evans, was equally faithful, working for years in Stake Primary and at the Visitor's Center at the Los Angeles Temple.
Their faith has been passed down to me, so that I can say, "Jesus is the Christ. The Heavens are opened to revelation today. The Church provides the way to return to Him and to our loving Heavenly Father, the way for Families to be together Forever. We have living Prophets on the earth right now. The Book of Mormon, along with the Bible, is true; they give us the words of God for us today."
There are plenty of other nice sounding messages out there, dispensed by good-hearted, well-intentioned people, but no message greater. Mormon missionaries will be happy to give you details.
Art: Minerva Teichart
