"I Know God"

Elizabeth Read

There once existed in London, a small bookshop owned by the Read family in the early 1850's.  They lived in the back of the shop with their five children.  In my minds eye, I  imagine them going to school, reading books in the evening and gathering for meals.  During one of these meals, two young men from America came knocking at their door.  They said they had a message to share about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  The family replied that they were not interested but invited them in to share their evening meal.  As they spoke that night, Elizabeth, the mother, became more interested.  There was something about these two young men and she felt a desire to know more.  They returned, eventually teaching the whole family, save the older two teenage children.  As the family listened to the message of the "restored gospel" and read their literature, especially the Book of Mormon, a spiritual account of an ancient American civilization, they felt the spirit of the Lord touch their hearts and desired to join this new church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  Life was not easy following their decision.  Many people stopped frequenting their store.  The children were mocked in school.  Elizabeth took to doing laundry to help support the family.  The older two children could not understand the choice their parents had made and became angry.  In time, the Reads made the decision to emigrate to America and join with other "saints" (members of the church) in the Salt Lake Valley.  Heartbroken, they said goodbye to the older children, who refused to come, and set sail for America.  From New York, they mostly traveled by train to Iowa City.  There the church had organized companies of handcarts that would travel the 1000 miles across the plains.  

Assembled Handcarts

They joined the Martin Handcart Company.  The number of saints that had come to America had been greater than anticipated and many of the supplies had been exhausted.  They were the last group to organize that year and were delayed several precious weeks waiting for new carts to be assembled.  The task before them was daunting but they were "filled with the spirit of gathering."  Anxiously, the set off.  Tragedy hit the Read family early on.  Walter, the youngest, turned nine on the trail.  There was a strict rule that children must stay with their family.  However, Walter loved to watch the men drive the cattle and begged and begged to be allowed to go up ahead and do so.  Being his birthday, his parents gave him permission.  After some time, Walter grew tired and found some shade under a bush to wait for his family.  He promptly fell asleep.  The whole company passed by unawares.  That evening when the Reads went to look for Walter he was nowhere to be found.  They counseled with the leaders of the company who decided that given the lateness of the season, they could not afford to wait.  Walter's father, Sam, was given a horse and he returned to look for the child.  Walter was eventually found but it took Sam months to do so.  Meanwhile, Elizabeth and her two daughters, Alicia (11) and Thisbe (9) continued on alone.  

Being Rescued

Mile after foot numbing mile passed.  Their worst fears came to pass as the mountain snows hit early that year. In some places they had to break through the ice to cross treacherous rivers.  It was in one of those that little Thisbe rushed into the frigid water, trying to steady their cart that threatened to turn over in the current.  She became soaked to the bone and nearly died from exposure.  High in the mountain passes of Wyoming the company could go no further.  Many weakened and died.  Through the heroic efforts of men sent from Salt Lake, the company was rescued.  Food was delivered and they were brought to the point where wagons could deliver them the rest of the way to the Salt Lake Valley.  


Safe at last, Elizabeth's thoughts turned to her children in London.  She wrote them a letter and detailed all that had transpired.  Sharing it first with her two girls, Alicia responded, “they’ll say, ‘We knew it was a mistake to gather to Zion.’ They’ll be glad they stayed home. They’ll think that the Lord deserted us.”

Woodcarving depicting Elizabeth, Alicia and Thisbe

“He didn’t” Thisbe said stoutly.


“He didn’t,” Ma agreed. Then she wrote again:


“My dear children, we have suffered beyond anything you can imagine. We have seen our comrades weaken and die and be buried in trenches of snow. But in all this suffering we have come face to face with God. It was God who upheld us when our weary bodies would have given up the ghost. It was God who preserved Thisbe to us when it seemed that she would never live. Yes, my children, for the first time in my life I know God. I know that He hears our prayers, and that in His wisdom all is for the best” (The Tempered Wind, Chapter 7).

Yes, Elizabeth is my great-great-great grandmother, passing then through Thisbe.  The legacy of strong faith and strong women runs deep in my family.  In my next post, I'll explore more what it means to know God in the midst of our trials and afflictions.

Knowing the Master

One of the greatest sermons ever given was by a faithful leader of a nation, King Benjamin.  Knowing his time was short on the earth, he gathered his people around him to impart of that which he considered to be of greatest worth.  He taught and testified of he who was the King of Kings, the only one who could lead them in this life and the next, even Jesus Christ.  In his concluding remarks he said the following:

"I say unto you, I would that ye should remember to retain the name written always in your hearts, that ye are not found on the left hand of God, but that ye hear and know the voice by which ye shall be called, and also, the name by which he shall call you" (Mosiah 5:12).

Certainly, participating in the holy ordinance of the sacrament blesses us with the promise that if "we will always remember him, we will have his spirit to be with us" (see Doctrine & Covenants 20:77,79).  As important as the sacrament is to maintaining a spiritual nature and knowing God, it does not tell us how to remember him always, it only tells us that we should.  In the next verse, King Benjamin reveals the key to knowing and remembering.  He says:

"For how knoweth a man the master whom he has not served, and who is a stranger unto him, and is far from the thoughts and intents of his heart? (Mosiah 5:13)."

In a previous post entitled, "That They Might Know Thee," I wrote about my desires as a young man to know the Savior. I studied, I pondered, I prayed. All of my efforts felt good but I still felt that I lacked something else.  During this time I decided to serve a full time mission for my church.  I was asked to teach the people of Guatemala.  As I immersed myself in the language, the culture but most importantly the people that I met, I grew to love them more and more.  There were many challenges and days of discouragement but when we could teach of Jesus Christ and see the change that came into their lives, I felt pure joy.  My own personal desires seemed less important.  In a quiet moment after I had completed my missionary service I felt the loving assurance of my savior.  I was reminded of those whom I had taught and realized that Jesus had been with me each and every time.  By losing myself in his service, I had found what I had been looking for all along.  It was only by serving with him that I grew to know him.

The Bridegroom

Even worse than facing the Savior some day and not knowing or recognizing him would be to reach him and have him declare that he never knew us.  The words in Matthew are sobering:

"Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?

And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity" (Matthew 7:21-23).

Jesus is clearly telling us that it takes more than just declaring that he is our Savior.  We must do his Father's will.  He likens those that profess without doing to a man who built his house upon the sand.  We all remember the song from our childhood, "the rains came down and the floods came up...and the house on the sand washed away."  The simple but powerful message that even a child can understand is that we need to build our house on the rock.  The Book of Mormon prophet, Helaman taught his sons this important message, saying:

"And now my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when then devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall" (Helaman 5:12).

More than just professing his name it is by doing his will that he becomes our rock.  After his resurrection he appeared to his apostles, broke bread with them and instructed them.  He also appeared to his disciples on the American Continent and uttered these words,  

"This is my doctrine, ...whoso believeth in me, and is baptized, the same shall be saved...and whosoever buildeth upon this, buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them" (3 Nephi 11:32, 39).  His will is that we come unto him, accessing his atonement so that we may be cleansed from all sin through his great sacrifice.  He has asked us to repent in faith and then to publicly seal our devotion to him through the sacred order of baptism.  It is not unlike the promise that a man and woman make when they decide to formalize their love through the marriage ordinance.  Such an act entails a higher level of commitment and teaches us more fully of our relationship with Him, he who is our bridegroom.

Baptism is just the beginning of our relationship with the Lord.  Day by day as we seek to know his will and do it, we walk with him, we talk with him, we know him.