A history of the prophet David’s mother learning of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This account is based on a talk given at a baptism by the First Elder’s mother, as recorded in his journal, and recollections of stories relayed to him by his mother. Summer of 1978.
As a child, at the age of four, my parents decided to find religion. We visited a few churches as my parents were praying on the subject. As my mother has told it, she was making dinner one evening while my sister and I were playing outside. As she was making dinner, my mother heard a voice tell her to call the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Presuming there was an unknown male adult in her backyard with her children, she called us into the house, asking who was outside with us. I told her no one, and she had me sit with my sister inside, watching television. Once back in the kitchen, my mother again heard the voice, and once again he told her the same thing: “call the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” Presuming there was someone standing outside, my mother shut the window.
A third time, my mother heard the voice, this time inside the house. At this point she she didn’t know what to think, but her natural instinct was to panic. My mother took my sister and I upstairs, telling us we were playing hide-and-go-seek; we hid in my parents’ closet until my father arrived home.
My father was upset that my mother hadn’t call the police; however, my mother stated she hadn’t seen anyone, and the voice sounded as if it were right beside her. She stated that the voice didn’t frighten her, she only hid out of paranoia. After my father searched the house, and a brief discussion, my father told my mother that if she heard the voice again she should make the phone call and see what happens.
The next day, my mother heard the voice again, around the same time. This time, she got out the phone book, looked up the phone number and made the call. The phone rang for quite some time. Just as she was about to hang up, a woman answered, and he gave my mother the address and time of worship.
It should be noted that this woman, it turned out, had also heard a voice in her car, both days. She also did not heed the direction to go to the Church building the first day. The woman listened the second day, and heard the phone ringing as she entered the building. She ran to answer, picking up just as my mother was about to give up.
We attended church for the first time with the Latter-day Saints that Sunday.
