AN ANSWER TO PRAYER

By John Stewart

 

In writing this narrative, I have attempted to be truthful and factual. I have no desire to hurt or offend anyone. I have no other agenda other than to exercise my God-given rights and live my religion in worthiness before Him and His Prophet today. Much of what I have written is from memory or what I have witnessed, but I have tried to give references where I could find them.   I want to extend my love to everyone, and hope this may have helped someone understand the FLDS views, or see the difference between the FLDS and Mormons. 
           
I have followed with interest the LDS Church’s reaction to public opinion of the FLDS and raid by the state of Texas on that once peaceful community. I have heard their denial of plural marriage. When the leaders of the Church made the announcement that the FLDS had no relationship or were never a part of the LDS Church, and that plural marriage was not one of the essential doctrines, I was moved to share my story.
 
I am 63 years old. I was born and raised in the Mormon Church, and was a faithful member. I attained an Eagle Scout position in the YMMIA. I served a 2-year mission to the eastern states in 1964-66 during the world’s fair in New York City.  I returned and graduated from Brigham Young University.  I married a Mormon girl, and we were sealed in the Salt Lake City Temple. One of the things I was taught while a member of the Mormon Church was that plural marriage was revealed from God and we would one day live it, if not in this life, then in the next. My wife and I were very active and filled many positions in the church. I loved the gospel and my faith.
 
As time went on, I felt a need to get closer to my Father in Heaven. I spent time fasting and praying, asking for His Spirit. Within a short time, I met a man at a seminar. I was very impressed with him. As I talked with him, he told me that he was a polygamist and had more than one wife. I was totally shocked! I remember going home and telling my wife, “I have met a real polygamist!” She was as shocked as I had been. At the time I was living in Oregon. Later we moved back to Utah. As I was looking for work, I remembered this man. I knew he lived in Salt Lake and had a business there. I spent the next two weeks trying to locate him. When I finally did find him, he offered me a job, which I was grateful for. He told me that if I worked for him, I must understand something: if he ever found I was dishonest, I would be fired immediately. I was thrilled with his strength of character and his frankness in stating, up front, what he expected. I fasted and prayed about the job, and after some time was impressed to take it.  I moved to southern Utah where I worked on a land-development project for him. My wife and I were still very active in the Church. This went on for about two years. 
 
One day when applying for credit at a building supply store, I used this man for whom I was working as a reference. The man who ran the store was in the Mormon Stake Presidency. In about a week or two, I was called in for an interview with the High Council; I didn’t know why I was being called in. Then as I sat there, they told me why and said, “Everyone who has ever associated with these people has ended up joining them.” As a returned missionary, I thought they must really have something going for them, for that seemed like a tremendously high conversion rate. I certainly had not had that kind of success on my mission. Well, I had no intention of leaving the Mormon Church. This was only a job. The Church was my life! 
 
The High Council pressed me to make my stand, so I began fasting and praying. I did not want to make the wrong decision. It was too important. I knew the consequences were eternal.   I read the Doctrine and Covenants, Section 132, and I also read the so-called “revelation,” or Manifesto, that supposedly did away with plural marriage. For some reason, the Manifesto didn’t even sound like a revelation. It was more a letter of compromise to the United States Government to relieve the Church of the persecutions. I reasoned: How can God do away with an everlasting covenant? Never was there any language of “Thus saith the Lord,” or anything close to a revelation in the Manifesto, but it was in the form of a political statement, “To Whom It May Concern.” I knew in my heart that plural marriage was a commandment of God to Joseph Smith.  It sounded like the Mormon Church leaders had compromised their religion.
 
I also became familiar with the 1886 Revelation to President John Taylor, (See FLDStruth.org) which clearly showed me that the Lord had provided a way for this Gospel to continue through the Prophet, who held the same authority as given to Joseph Smith. I had prayed, asking our Father in Heaven what I should do. I felt that He had answered my prayer, letting me become aware of this Priesthood work, which had continued on in spite of the Mormon Church choosing a different path. The FLDS people were carrying on the true Priesthood work, and the LDS Church had deviated by changing the Gospel. When the stake presidency required me to decide, I realized that I had been given a strong testimony that celestial and plural marriage, through the Prophet, was of God.  Up until then I had not even considered joining the polygamists.
 
A short time later, we moved to Short Creek to put our daughter in school. Prayer was an important part of their school, the teachers seemed dedicated, the girls were in dresses and modestly dressed, and we felt so much better about this school than the other schools we had experienced before.
                                                                                   
We were living in a little travel trailer at that time. The wife of one of our neighbors came to visit and was sitting on the bed of the trailer talking to my wife when a high councilman of the Church knocked on the door. He later reported to the High Council that I had another wife, which was not the case, but we did not feel to get into a contest over this issue. We now knew we were where the Lord wanted us. Thus we were excommunicated.
 
I didn’t then, and never have, felt the spirit of apostasy.  I had prayed and felt my prayers were answered. In reaching to live the higher laws, I have felt more of the Spirit and have been closer to my God than ever before. I had been taught by the Mormon Church that God had revealed that plural marriage was a revelation from God thru Joseph Smith. Now they are saying it is no longer a requirement of salvation. After I had taken time to study the scriptures and read the Manifesto, I then realized the truth about the circumstances in the Church.
 
I was re-baptized a member of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Kingdom of God. My testimony has not changed; I still believe in all that Joseph Smith taught, and that the true line of Priesthood has been continued. I feel I have lost nothing; I have only increased in understanding. In my heart and mind, I still have the same testimony and a better relationship with God.  The Mormons Church had discarded many of the saving principles in a compromising effort to gain the acceptance of the world and to become a state; but the truths of the higher principles of the gospel are now available to me through the true Prophet of God here on the earth.
 
The people in Colorado City/Hildale City, formerly known as Short Creek, were somewhat suspicious of newcomers because of the way they had been treated in the past due to persecutions and previous raids on the people. Many outsiders had come and joined with the intent of getting another wife, then left after seeing the strict requirements of our religion, or become disaffected and turned on the Priesthood and spread lies and rumors. It took some time before we were accepted by some of the people; however, we loved the spirit we felt in this community, and it soon became home to us.
 
We made friends with the most wonderful people. No, they weren’t perfect and neither were we, but we were all at least striving for perfection, to be led by the Spirit of God. Here there was such a feeling of mutual effort. People went out of their way to help each other, and there were projects on which we could lend a hand. We felt right at home. We could see how people were making an effort to live the United Order in their hearts as well as in their actions as revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith. All the land was held in a trust called the UEP, (United Effort Plan.)  Since all the land was held in common, no one could get a mortgage at the bank. Many of the homes have been in an unfinished state for some time as everyone built their homes as they could afford, understanding completely that all improvements made on UEP properties were a consecration to the Priesthood.
 
We loved the people and loved living in the community. The meetings were so full and rich; we were being taught the Gospel in its fullness. We always came away feeling we had been fed. There was no attempt to cover up points of doctrine, and we asked many questions and were always answered to our satisfaction. We enjoyed being involved in work projects, such as the community garden with canning, house building, and so forth. One of the house-building projects was called “a house in a day,” where a complete house was put up in a 24-hour period for a family. There were many opportunities to bless others in the community.  We looked forward to these times. Life was good; life was full. We could always feel the sweet spirit upon entering town. We have not regretted being “forced” to make this decision and have never felt we made the wrong one.
 
I feel sorry for the LDS members who have been taught to believe they are living the fullness of the Gospel, but I realize they have their agency also. I only feel love in my heart and wish the best for the Mormon people. It seems to me their religion has been watered down to be more acceptable to the world, and they desire popularity over persecution. Yes, as FLDS members, we have certainly felt more persecution than we did in the Mormon Church, but that makes us feel we must be on the right track. Jesus said his people would be persecuted for His sake.
           
            My first 28 years I spent as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or as a “Mormon.” I have now been a member of the Fundamental Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for 34 years, and I feel I am in a good position to give my idea of how the two compare. After being a part of both religions, I can vouch that the FLDS people live the LDS teachings of the Savior through Joseph Smith more exactly than the Mormon Church.
 
The term “Fundamentalist” was first used to refer to the FLDS Church by Mark E. Peterson, an apostle of the Mormon Church. The term FLDS was never used in the early part of this work, and was adapted later to avoid confusion between the two groups. Up until then it was generally referred to by the FLDS as “The Work.” The name FLDS, or Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, implies that the FLDS people were trying to live the original, and essential teachings of Jesus Christ through the Prophet Joseph Smith. The difference between the Mormons and the FLDS is summed up in one word: CHANGE.  The FLDS are determined to follow the FUNDAMENTAL (unchanged) teachings of Jesus Christ as given through Joseph Smith.  The Church of change, the Mormon Church, has given up many of the original teachings in order to keep up with the times and gain popularity with the world. In essence, they have changed; we have not.
 

 


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