MY LIFE'S STORY
By Earnest Ludwig Whitehead
(This history courtesy his son, Armand T. Whitehead)
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| Earnest Ludwig Whitehead, c. 1929 |
I, Earnest Ludwig Whitehead was born the first day of
February 1906, in a green-colored house erected by my father at the end of a
terminal block on the diagonal street in St. George, Washington County, Utah
(USA).
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| House built by E. G. Whitehead, 89 W. Diagonal, St. George |
My Father's name was Erastus Goddard
Whitehead, the fourth child of Adolphus Rennie Whitehead, and Mary
Goddard. My Grandfather Adolphus Rennie
Whitehead was born 10 June 1841 [1842] in London, England, of Francis Wilby
Whitehead, and Elizabeth Jarrold. He had
five children by his first wife Mary Goddard, namely, George Frank, Adolphus
Rennie, Mary Jane, Erastus Goddard (my father), and Finley Goddard. He married twice: Mary Goddard (my
grandmother), and Jane Alexander. My
father was born in St. George, Washington County, Utah, 12 November 1869.
My Mother's name is Josephine May
Nixon, daughter of James William Nixon, and Johanna Marie Schultz. She was born in St. George, Washington Count,
Utah, 30 June 1875. Her father, James
William Nixon married three times. He
married first, Johanna Marie Schultz (my grandmother); second, he married
Hannah Isabel Fawcett; third, he married Zephyr Kelsey. He was born 17 Jan 1836 in Liverpool, England, of William Abraham Nixon,
and Bridget Degnan.
Mother's mother or my grandmother, Johanna Marie
Schultz, was the daughter of Christian Ludwig Johansen Schultz, and Ane
Dinesen. Her parents joined the Church
in Honsinge, Denmark, and through persecution sold his property and left
Denmark, en route to the Salt Lake Valley.
Eight days before landing on the shores of America, he died, leaving his
wife and four children to continue the voyage.
A short time after landing, the two younger children died, and two
months later the mother died also. This
left the two older girls, Sidse, 13 and Johanna Marie, eleven. They, in the company of a wagon train of
emigrant church members walked the entire distance to the Salt Lake Valley.
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| Whitehead Family, c 1908 - Back: Erastus Claude , Rolland Nixon. Front: Fern, Jessco , Earnest Ludwig , Josephine May Nixon Whitehead, LeRoy |
My Father's mother, or my
grandmother Whitehead, was the daughter of George Goddard (1815-1899) and
Elizabeth Harrison (1817-1903). She was
born in Leicester, England, 22 November 1844, and died 15 May 1910.
Shortly after my birth, I was
blessed in the West Ward in St. George, St. George Stake, I was baptized at the
age of eight by William Perkins in the St. George Temple font. I was confirmed by my Uncle George Frank Whitehead,
now President of the St. George Temple, in the West Ward, St. George Stake.
I received my patriarchal blessing
at the hands of Presiding Patriarch Hyrum G. Smith in Salt Lake City, 28 May
1927. [Patriarchal blessing in possession of Armand T. Whitehead and Mary Ann W. Overson; available on request.]
.jpg) |
| Earnest Whitehead, top row 2nd on left. Mishie Seegmiller's 3rd grade class, St. George, Utah 1916 |
As a scholar, my early years were
none too successful, nor bright. Because
of the circumstances surrounding my youth, due to the success of my father and
perseverance of my mother, I was one of the few apparently privileged children
in St. George. We owned a store, and
that was enough to make me a small-time hero among my associates, for I was the
candy wagon to them. I likewise was a
very poor marble player, with plenty of marbles to lose and a
"sucker" to the more capable players.
All combined made me one to be like by all. I know of no one who I counted an enemy at
that time. I went through the entire
grade school period, and the rest of my life, not having to defend myself
against anyone. I was an unusually
good-talker-outer, and knew when to leave bad enough alone. It was my success at bluffing that later
turned to my disgrace in the eyes of my family.
I was retained for a second year in sixth grade. Something that had never happened before to
any of mother's children. It was due to
the careful interest demonstrated in my behalf by my sixth grade teacher,
Milton Moody, that I was retained. I
hadn't studied during that year nor the years previously, but he called my
bluff, much to my good later in life.
"It isn't that you aren't bright enough, Earnest," he
explained, "but because you have not learned that it is necessary to do a
little study in school." "I am
doing this for your own good, because I have confidence that you are much
brighter than your record shows."
Much to my discredit I took his advice very lightly and remarked that I
didn't care.
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| Adolphus Rennie Whitehead & Son General Store, run by Erastus Goddard for many years before his death. c. 1905 |
I didn't have the opportunity, or
misfortune it might have been, to continue my schooling in St. George. Mother felt it best that she move her brood
into one of the larger industrial cities of the state, for financial and social
reasons. This she did, moving to Provo,
Utah in 1920. There much to my happiness
I found a group of friends who were all faithful in the Church. One of these boys, Henry Startup, was a
particularly brilliant and studious youngster.
Through his practical leadership, I began to throw off most of the
lethargy that had held me most of my life, and began to find joy and
satisfaction in work. Henry and I were
in the same grade of school together, and continued so until I moved to Salt
Lake City, after my graduation from Provo High School.
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| Whitehead home 243 S. 100 W., Provo . The family lived there from 1921-28 |
In school in Provo I worked
industriously, and it was here that I found my first joy in doing something
constructive. I am, however, convinced
that it was not the interest in books, and the study that I gave them that
developed me, but rather the activity that I found within the school
curriculum, and the conscientious actions of my associates. In the eighth grade a fine friend and
scholar, Mrs. Emma Wakefield, stimulated within me the desire to read good
books, and write. It was here that I
received my first compensation for work, and I was honored with the title:
"Poet Laureate." It sounds
rather romantic, but I suppose that my thoughts did string along the poetic. It was much more simple to sit and think upon
that than to write a scholarly treatise upon a literary subject, especially
when few had desires toward poetry and many brilliant ones chose the thesis.
Another all-time friend teacher that
I met here was Mrs. Maude Beeley Jacob, to my mind the finest example of
mother-teacher-student that I have ever met, and who the world has not heard
the last of. It was she, who immediately
I came within her jurisdiction in Junior High School began to stimulate me in
the higher fields of learning, activity.
It was under her that I received my first appointment to the staff of
the Provonian, our school paper, and later to the editorship of the same in my
senior year. It was under her
stimulation that I received my first trials at debate, which team I captained
in my senior year, having debated for three years. She was always my champion. I got into trouble often because of my
eagerness, but she was there to guide me out of it, particularly where it
concerned "Principal's Discipline."
I enjoyed the activities of singing
and acting, and participated freely in these two branches of the arts to my
complete satisfaction. First I sang with
the chorus, then minor parts were given to me, and finally I was able to take
leads in both opera and drama. I shall
never forget these experiences, for they are emplated with much enchantment in
my mind. It was through contacts with my
school mates and the public that I developed and grew.
Athletically, I was inclined. I enjoyed the sports immensely. I participated in track, tennis, basketball,
and football during my high school career.
These sports, I feel, did not injure me physically, nor interfere with
my scholastic life or other activity.
Rather they stimulated my other work, for it provided me with the
necessary relaxation and exercise that any student needs. It was during my athletic work that I met and
learned to respect highly, a great man, Prof. C.S. Leaf. (I know him now only as McManus the Magician,
which term he hid from the public in Provo for good reasons. He at this writing is trainer at the
University of Nevada.) Prof. Leaf
enjoyed boys and lived for them entirely, fighting their battles, settling
their disputes, watching their development as a mother would her child. Every boy loved him, for he wasn't too busy
anytime to help do the right thing. It
was his straight forward attitude, lacking in conceit and yet full of
confidence that gained my admiration.
My first recollection of doing
anything out of the ordinary on the athletic field was during the inter-class
meet. I was not eligible to compete, but
secured permission anyway, and much to my surprise won the javelin throw. It wasn't such a mighty feat, but it gave me
confidence that perhaps I could do something in that activity. That year I was not eligible to participate
in inter-scholastic competition, and I undoubtedly would have received a
serious setback if I had been. But I
continued to work with the prospect ahead of me of being better. I begged a javelin from Coach Simmons and
much to my mother's and my neighbor's annoyance spaded the next-door lot time
and again with my many thousands of jabs and thrusts during the ensuing three
years. I never got good, or highly
superior in this activity, but did at the climax of my high-school year win the
Utah State Track and Field meet Javelin throw in 1926. 158 feet 8 inches, State Record 169 feet.
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| Salt Lake City Home, 400 S. 200 E. Earnest's room upper right. |
It was during this same year, 1926,
that I was the happiest as a student.
Nothing was amiss, except the "Bull-dog and Badger" fight that
I conducted on Senior Day. It wasn't my
fault if the dignified penmanship teacher Oscar Garrett was chosen to pull the
badger. But he was, and I was
immediately brought before a tribunal of the school council to make an apology
to brother Oscar amid the grins and winks of the Council and Principal. I had plenty to keep me busy and it of course
was profitable in experience and development.
It was indeed a pleasant day in my life when at award day I was honored
with the McAdam Medal for all-round proficiency, both athletically and
scholastically. And it was during this
same award that I was chosen first alternate to my pal Arthur Hasler for the
Mangum Scholarship to the Brigham Young University. During that exercise I was presented with
eight awards for services rendered. This
of itself shows the interest I manifested in school activities. But my day of disappointment had already
dawned. Mother, because of various
reasons, moved to Salt Lake. I was the
only child at home and so it wasn't such a burden for her to pick up and
leave. We lived quite peacefully in Salt
Lake for the summer, and I commenced work at the University of Utah in the
fall. I mentioned above that I had a lot
of bumps to wear off. They weren't
conceit bumps, but confidence bumps, and they got quite a jolting
immediately. I found that I wasn't
associating with just a high school group, but a group of up and coming people
who had fought their way, mostly quite successfully through the high school
grades, and I was just one of them. I
was not pushed nor encouraged to do anything.
"If you want to do it, alright we are here to help you, and if you
don't want to, you don't have to," was the attitude demonstrated by the
professors there. The social life was
different there also. I wasn't used to
the emphasis of social sex life as it existed on the campus. Girls didn't mean any more to me in high
school than did my boy friends, and usually no so much, but here sororities,
and fraternities constantly fostered the association of the opposite sex. In athletics I found I was working with a
superior group of men, and found I had a very small chance of doing anything
very outstanding. In debating a new
system of try-out was in vogue. The
romance was gone from it, and the thrill of competition. It was an activity enjoyed by those of the
legal professions mostly, and they did not encourage anyone more than they had
to. Corruption of mind and body seemed
to be the best recommendation to this body of men, proudly led by an atheistic
professor, who later was dismissed because of his communistic tendencies, and
for immoral approaches to some of the lady pupils there. So I failed to interest myself in
debate. The music and drama were cut out
for those socializing in those arts and anyone else just didn't have the
opportunity presented to them.
I lost my interest, and with it my
desire for college. I shortly applied
for a mission and left the following winter.
I filled my mission for three years,
and returned home. I began to work in
grocery stores. I lost my head over a
girl [Christie Lund Coles who later became one of Utah's most eminent female
poets and writers], and became engaged to her.
But shortly I commenced to look toward the future and what it held for
me with the wages I was getting. I
requested my fiancee to postpone our wedding until a later date, which she
refused to do. Whereupon, I broke my
engagement to her and enrolled once more at the University. This time my headway was better. I was becoming quite apt at grasping the
trend of teaching technique. I was
headed for a teaching career in the field of social psychology. My marks were considerably above the average,
and I studied industrially. But along
came my religion with its signposts and warnings, and I discovered if I were to
become as proficient in the field of psychology as I should I would have to
drop a lot of my religious precepts. It
was here first, that I began to lose my faith in school once more. My interest lagged in research and in study,
and when I was but fifteen hours from graduating, with the prospects of a
fellowship at the University for my Master's Degree, and a follow-up research
fellowship at the University of Chicago for my Doctor's Degree, I quit, and I
have never felt sorry for my decision.
It was useless for me to try to make something of myself that I wasn't
going to like, particularly when that something meant my forsaking the
principles that I had harbored for the most part of my life, and which I had preached for three years. I knew the Gospel was correct and therefore
this other was not always correct, but above all it did not satisfy the inner
longing of the deeper joy.
The fact that I had quit school was
no indication that I had ceased to be a scholar for my research into the
particular fields that interested me, particularly the history of man and the
archaeological evidences particularly in the Americas kept my interest for a
considerable period. It was stimulated
by my interest and desire to compose or write a book upon the History of Man,
his movements and influences throughout the world. I advanced sufficiently to finish the first
four chapters of this book when I was transferred with the Sewell's United
Stores to Reno, Nevada, where due to excessive hours in the store I was forced
to give up my labors, and I haven't found the opportunity to finish them.
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| Whitehead Family, c 1917 - Back: LeRoy , Erastus Claude , Rolland Nixon. Front: Josephine (mother), Jessco W. Smith, Fern W. Hall, Earnest Ludwig behind Jessco. |
My childhood memories are mixed with
the joy of adventure and fear of the law.
I am not confessing to any misdemeanor on my part, only as circumstances
demanded such. I am recounting a few of
those most vivid times when I was "put on the spot" by the law. I remember one instance very plainly. We boys were playing around the theater in
St. George. Attached thereto was a candy
shop owned by an old widow lady. Like
all boys our noses got the best of us, and we began to pry around to see what
was what. One of the lads found a crack
in the door and the latch that held it shut, but couldn't find the way to get
the latch open. I remembered that we had
button hooks in our store next door, and proceeded to get one. My friend had no trouble opening the door
with it, but I didn't have the chance to witness the accomplishment for Mother
called me to fill some errand for her.
But the next day Uncle Charley Worthen, the sheriff, was at the store to
see me. I knew nothing concerning the
end of our adventure, but he told me that there had been five dollars worth of
candy taken out of the store, and he wanted to know who took it. I explained, in a boy-like way, that I had
nothing to do with it except to get the button hook, and refused to divulge the
names of those who were with me. As a
result he told me I would have to pay for the candy. Mother consented to pay the bill if I would
apologize to the widow. But I don't
think the five dollars hurt mother half so much as the apology did me. I did it, though, and the scene was closed.
On another occasion I ran smack into
the law, quite harmlessly. We were about
eleven years old, three of us, and had gone with our parents to the public
dance in the old school auditorium. It
wasn't permissible for us to go on the dance floor, but we were admitted to the
balcony to look on. We didn't realize
that it was after curfew, for the music had drowned that out, but shortly here
came Uncle Charley again. (By this time
I was quite an experienced outlaw to him).
He informed us that it was time we were in bed and told us to go
home. He was kind about it, so I guess
we didn't take quite as much stock in his seriousness as we should have. At any rate we left the auditorium and
sauntered up the street until we came to a friend's house at the Dixie Hotel
where a party was in progress. We
stopped and talked to him a while when one of the boys, glancing around, saw
Uncle Charley coming after us. I
immediately commenced to walk up the street and finally almost reached the
shadows across the street when he spied me and called me back. "You boys follow me," he said. We did and he took us to the city jail,
opened it and ordered us in. He locked
the door and went around to the back and started to moan and groan. We knew that voice among millions so it
didn't scare us much, but we did a lot of boisterous yelling at the one making
the noise. In about an hour he came back
and asked us if we had enough, and we in chorus said, "No! We are having
lots of fun." He turned on his heel
and said, "Okay, you can stay here till morning then." We soon decided that we had better be getting
home, so we said that we would like to go home and he dismissed us. It was about midnight when we got home, and
our parents were there before us.
Questions were asked and answered promptly, but when it was found that
we had been in jail, well, enough said is enough. Mother did the rest of the talking that
night.
That was about the end of my
criminal career in St. George. I have
many memories of the old river, and its quicksand and fine rolling dunes; of
the hills covered with Indian lore and arrow heads. I remember the window I broke, and the
distress I felt when I heard that mother gave my Aunt Esther the three dollars
that grandmother had given me at birth for being named Ludwig after her father,
for the payment of the glass. It was bad
enough, I thought, to have the name Ludwig with three dollars attached to it,
but the Ludwig without the three dollars was just too bad to enjoy. In fact I hid that name from the public as
best I could until I was twenty seven years old, and in Australia, where I was
doing missionary work, before I unfolded it to my friends.
I remember the first and last
cigarette (they being one and the same cigarette) very vividly, and how I
decided that it wasn't worth the price.
How I turned to "Indian tobacco," cedar bark, lady cigars, and
coffee, to smoke afterward each in turn was discovered by my mother and the
hero was immediately punished for his attempt at manly things.
I remember my childhood very
vividly. I recall how I was chore boy,
and follow-up man to my older brothers.
I was the button on the end of the snake's tail in everything. I had no one to push the jobs of carrying in
the wood, raking the yard, pulling weeds, running errands and WEARING OUT MY
OLDER BROTHERS' OUTGROWN CLOTHES, and as a result I carried them for a much
longer period than any of my predecessors.
I recall how I hated to take old Daisy, our cow, to let her browse along
the green banks of the ditches in the neighborhood, particularly in the spring
when mating time came along, and she would go on her particular rampage all
over St. George, first up one street with me after her, then another, until
finally we both came home quite meekly, she without any milk to milch, and me
without any strength to do it if she had.
I find it today a much simpler and cheaper labor to pull the cap off a
milk bottle, than to harness old Daisy at milking time. She learned quite early in my life that she
could buffalo me and promptly and often carried out her new power by sending me
through a hole in the fence, head first, just a stride in front of her. She wouldn't have hurt me if she had caught
up, and I knew it too, but that didn't alter the situation any. We were great pals most of the time, and
combined with the pig I rode on some of the time, I didn't lack for
"friends."
As an older youngster I remember the
thrill I had of seeing my first train at Lund, Utah, and of the first glimpse I
had of the Nevada State line at Panaca, and of riding for a week on a chassis
to Modena with my cousin. I remember on
that trip of hearing my first coyote just at dusk when I was walking ahead of
the wagon perhaps a hundred yards, and how secure and safe I felt when I had
run the intervening distance back to it.
These, however, were merely vivid periods of my youth which were to come
to an end, for when I was fourteen we moved from St. George to Provo, Utah. Here I had few experiences that I remember with
any great force. My life there fell into
the regular city routine, and of course I was over the age of high
impression. At this period I should have
been falling in love and out again methodically, but I didn't. Girls meant a great deal less to me than did
my boy friends. As a result I eliminated
from my life those highly impressionable joys and sorrows that follow during a
boy's pubertal adjustment.
My romance didn't amount to a
"hill of beans" until I was home from my mission. Oh yes, I had a flare here and there, the
longest lasting nearly six weeks, but I didn't take the job of mate-finding
seriously until I was twenty-eight, and then, oh how I fell, and rose and fell
again, as rhythmically as a clock. I learned
during my mission that it was safest and religiously correct to marry and bring
offspring into the world honorably. I
proceeded to do just that when I arrived home, or at least the preliminary
parts of such, and promptly fell for the first girl that gave me a tumble. This lasted long enough for me to find that I
knew that life was not completely prepared for the vicissitudes that I knew
would arise later, so I made up my mind that to continue with my college
educations was the only thing to do, and that if my fiance wanted me enough she
would wait for that time to elapse for our own good. But she didn't and the engagement was
broken. I didn't fall for another girl
for a year, when I met my first wife Ella Lucille Ipson, whom I loved from the
start and married her on the seventh of September, 1933 in the Salt Lake
Temple, Brother Joseph Christensen officiating.
Upon her death in 1934, I met with serious intentions Verda Marie Cooke,
another lovely soul whom I had met on several occasions previously during
church services, and to whom I had never been introduced, and married her July
23, 1935 in the Logan Temple, Brother William A. Noble officiating, and my
romance has continued ever since.
My church to me has been the most
tremendous influence that I could conceive in bringing to me joy and satisfying
the longing within me. I attained an
early testimony of the truthfulness of the church long before miracles came my
way. Our family was a usual type,
following the dictates of the authorities and obeying the laws methodically,
and as is customary with that class, miracles or signs are not needed to bring
forth a faithful pursuit to its teachings.
I gained my testimony through ardent labor and constant contact with
fine and noble people. One of these
people, in particular as a youth impressed me.
His name was John W. McAdam of the Provo Sixth Ward. He was a first counselor to the bishop at
that time, but since has been found worthy to preside over the ward. He was my Priesthood Advisor and Leader. His words and the manner of his living
spelled confidence to me and I responded to it.
It was under his influence that I first felt the desire to know my
religion thoroughly, and so when occasion presented itself in the Provo
Seminary, I filled that desire for knowledge.
Here another fine seminary teacher came to my aid, and it was through
his fine tutelage that I first gained my desire to fill a mission. From the first year I met Brother Washburn in
1923 until I left for my mission in 1928, I was constantly reading and
rehearsing my scriptures in preparation for that event. I filled this preparation for two prime
reasons, first, that I wanted to be sure that I knew and wanted to teach
Mormonism to the world, and second, if it was true, I didn't want to go
unprepared, forcing myself to use vital moments on that mission to educate
myself on what I should have learned before.
I was advanced to the roles of
priesthood as age justified, being ordained a deacon at the age of fourteen by
John W. McAdam, a teacher at the age of fifteen by John W. McAdam in the Provo
Sixth Ward, a priest by my Uncle James W. Nixon on January 6, 1924; an elder by
Harold [Herald?] R. Clark, January 17, 1926; and a seventy by Rulon S. Wells.
After I had finished my first year's
work at the University of Utah, being disgusted with the conditions I found
there socially and religiously, I requested Bishop Walter E. Eliason of the 9th
Ward in Salt Lake, to send me on a mission.
I felt that for two reasons this was the best time for me to leave. I have always throughout my life prayed and
requested honorable appointments in humility seeking as I did so help and
inspiration from on high. In the first
place, it was the time ripe for me to leave the university, it being the close
of my first year's work at the school, and at this time because of seasonable
employment so I had sufficient funds to carry me pretty well through my work --
or so I thought until most of it was taken in transportation to Australia. I wanted to go to my brother's field of labor
in Canada, or as alternative, England or some English-speaking country. But when the call came to go to Australia,
the last place I ever dreamed of going to, I was dazed, and a little
disappointed, but I accepted the call, and commenced to contemplate the ensuing
work before me.
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| Earnest Whitehead (center), New South Wales, c 1930 |
My missionary services to the church
were the most effective means to giving me an increased and permanent testimony
that I have as yet experienced. My
actual contact with the world of religion both from within the church as well
as without, convinced me that there was but one true strain of truth and that
anything that I did not sincerely believe was the right thing to do, since
realizing that many of labors and worries were futile. As a result, I made many friends and some
enemies, most of the latter being within my own group of brethren. This situation, I believe, is sincerely the
reward of diligence and energy wherever it is found. I do not condemn the brethren for as I have
admitted, many of the mistakes I made were made in sincerity, but foolishly and
without cause.
My first labor in Australia, upon
arriving, was in construction of the new Bankston church, located in a suburb
of Sydney, New South Wales. The mission
at this time -- January of 1928, was under the Presidency of Charles H. Hyde and
his wife. New South Wales was presided
over as a district by Elder Wendall L. Cotterell. I worked with my companions on the church for
two months when I was called by President Hyde to transfer to Launceston,
Tasmania, where I was to preside over that branch. In the meantime, President Cotterell had been
released and President Henderson followed him.
I arrived in Launceston via boat 10 April 1928. I labored hard here, fighting against
inexperience and laxness on the part of the branch. I record here that I was thoroughly
unprepared for the assignment, never having had any previous experience in
presiding, and as a result, I just did the best that I knew how. Headquarters was twenty-five hundred miles
away, and that was a long way, especially by boat, so little contact was had
from them. Meeting attendance began to
pick up, but there was much discord mostly revolving around the romance of my
predecessor and a sister in the branch.
It is a custom in the Australian Mission that romance is taboo, and not
in keeping with the calling of the elders.
However, there are some who wish to break this ruling, and as a result,
there is much confusion and bitterness created.
I began to find that worries were just a little too much for me, and I
began to seek the Lord's guidance. I
sought just a little too much, I found out, for I began to seek for a sign as
to my worthiness before Him. I knew not
that signs were given as a result of testimony, rather than to increase
testimony, but I prayed, and I found out that the above was true. This particular evening I was strongly
impressed to ask again, which I did very earnestly, and had finished my prayer
and had just laid down in bed when an unseen power overcame me gripping me about
the chest and abdomen with thongs so powerful that I could not cry out nor
breathe. I felt that I must die unless
the Lord came to my help, and I prayed as I have never prayed before nor since
for a forgiveness of my deed, and a release from the bonds that were slowly but
surely snuffing out my life. Upon my
request being uttered, the power left me as suddenly as it had come. I laid there thanking God for his lesson, and
striving to gain the strength that I had lost.
I recognized very surely that I had been asking for something that I had
no right to have except it was necessary.
It was with joy that I contemplate the mercy of the Lord in teaching me
this lesson early in life, for I have not since sought a sign, and I believe
that the lesson is sufficient to last me through my life.
I labored in Launceston for two
months when on 13 June 1928 I received my appointment as District President of
the Tasmanian District, comprising three organized branches, namely, Hobart,
headquarters for the district, Launceston, and Glen Huon. The Hobart Branch conducted services at the
Glen Huon Branch. We had to travel
sixteen miles each week to get there, most of it by foot, and through the most
consistent rain storms I have ever seen.
Tasmania was a veritable lake most of the time, because of the excessive
rainfall during both seasons. I record
here Tuesday, 19 June 1928, in my diary, the following concerning my trip to
Hobart from Launceston. "... was up
at 5:30 this morning and went on the coldest ride I have ever experienced to
Epping. It just took three and a half
hours to go twenty-eight miles..."
I arrived in Hobart at 5:45 that evening having covered a distance of
slightly over a hundred miles. I
relieved President Halgren as presiding officer in Tasmania on the following
day and immediately commenced my labors there.
Although I had previously officiated
at Launceston, I found that my new duties were greater than my experience. I do not say that my intelligence was short,
for had I known what I know now, the trivial upheavals and indiscretions of
both myself and others would not have worried me. I have previously recorded that I took my
work seriously and worked hard. I did
that here and when I found that several of my brethren consistently broke the
Word of Wisdom, and refused to tract as assigned, and in outward ways
demonstrated to me that I did not have their support, I almost became a nervous
wreck. Combined with the additional
labor of the district, and the worry over my apparent inability to handle my
brethren judiciously, two of them were suddenly taken seriously ill. Both of these brethren I record here had
taken offense to me upon arrival in Hobart, and had refused any kind of support
at all. One was taken suddenly ill with
appendicitis, and the other two days later fell and broke his ankle in a
compound fracture. This left just two of
us there to care for the two branches, Glen Huon, and Hobart. Upon alternate weeks Elder Rushton and I
would travel to Glen Huon and hold meetings all day, leaving the next morning
for Hobart to tract. This was done for a
period of five and a half weeks or until the two brethren were able to take
their share of the work.
 |
| Elder Whitehead and George Rushton |
Shortly after the recovery of these
men, conditions grew worse with us. I
was a nervous wreck, and it came to such a point that I refused to go outside
at night alone for fear of the dark. It
was the greatest good that could have come to me then when President Hyde
released me and sent me to South Australia to labor for a while. Here in Adelaide I loved the work as much
good harmony, and the saints too, and for six months I was the happiest mortal
alive, it seemed to me. But my period of
official vacationing was at an end.
President Charles H. Hyde, because of illness was released to go home
and President Clarence H. Tingey, and Sister Hazel Burton Tingey replaced
them. It is much to President Hyde's
record that he stayed and served his cause until he could not do more before he
notified the authorities in Zion of his condition.
As soon as President Tingey had a
chance to look about him, he began to mix up the missionaries as they had never
been mixed before. All the brethren were
sent away from the Sydney Headquarters, and seven of us were drawn back there. While President Tingey was in Adelaide we had
a very serious talk concerning my reputation throughout the mission, and the
calling he had sought me out for Branch President of the Bankston Branch. I hid nothing of importance from him
concerning my previous labors, particularly in Tasmania, and come to the
conclusion that I had been wronged seriously by the decision that had been
given concerning my release; and he further stated that as proof of that it had
become necessary to draw six brethren back into Sydney for the purpose of
supervising their activities during the remainder of their mission, and three
of those six were those laboring with me in Tasmania along with Elder
Rushton. Two were finally released with
releases, but not honorable, and one was dishonorably released. I speak not of this for the purpose of elevating
myself as being the one in the right, for I know that always I was not, but it,
on the contrary, made me rather sick-hearted to know that perhaps I had done
something to them that had caused them to lose the spirit of their calling.
So I went back to Sydney, and
Bankston. It was like coming home to see
these good people again. I had been gone
a little over a year, and during that time had learned a great number of important
things concerning the discipline of my own soul and the discipline of others. I had been privileged to witness the hand of
the Lord made manifest in my own behalf in Launceston and in behalf of another
in Adelaide. I wish to recount this
experience for it was implanted firmly on my mind as being an extraordinary
occurrence. One evening, as usual on
Fridays, we were holding our street meeting in Adelaide, and had just finished
when Sister Selby and her daughter came up to us and asked if two of us could
go out to her daughter's home to talk to her daughter's husband who was in a
serious mental condition. He was
threatening to commit suicide, and it had unnerved the two people to such an
extent that they came to us for help.
Upon entering the house we were met with a series of groans and
curses. We were introduced into his bedroom
where we saw him lying on a cot, crying bitterly and apparently in terrible
mental agony. His wife aroused him from
his condition sufficiently to introduce us to him as Elders of the Church who
had come to help him. He looked at us
through tear dimmed eyes and sobbing said: "Gentlemen, I am glad to see
you, for if you can help me rid myself of this terrible condition, I shall
thank you all the days of my life. I
don't know what it is, but for the last twenty four hours I have lain here
tortured beyond my endurance with the panorama of my wickedness. It is as a moving picture always before my
face, and if I can't overcome it, there is only one thing left to do kill myself, for I can't go on any longer
this way." Elder Johnson, a big six
foot three giant stood there transfixed.
We had never witnessed anything quite like this before. I wasn't frightened by the situation, but he
seemed to be, and never said a word. I
went up to the man and sat down beside him, and taking his hand said: "Do
you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ?"
He said, "I would like to, but what shall I do?" I replied: "Get down on your knees and
pray to God for forgiveness of your sins, and mean what you say, for without
faith in Him, your words will not be of much value." We proceeded to administer to him, and during
the sealing of the anointing, I was moved to say: "... I PROMISE YOU THAT
ACCORDING TO YOUR HUMILITY AND FAITH IN GOD, THAT IF YOU WILL REPENT OF YOUR
DEEDS, WITHIN TWENTY FOUR HOURS YOU SHALL BE FREED FROM THIS AFFLICTION OF THE
MIND, AND GO ABOUT YOUR WORK NORMAL AND HEALTHY IN BOTH MIND AND
BODY." The following night, Elder
Johnson and I visited the home again.
But this time instead of being greeted with sobs and curses, he met us
at the door with a broad grin on his face and an outstretched hand. Upon entering, he immediately asked me:
"Do you remember what you promised me last night?" I replied, "Yes, I remember, and I also
know that it has been fulfilled."
He said to me, "As soon as you left last night I prayed, and I
prayed earnestly for both a testimony of the Lord Jesus Christ, and a
forgiveness of my wickedness. I
continued to cry unto him for a long period of time until I fell to sleep, but
when I woke this morning it was as bad as ever.
I prayed again, and continued to pray when suddenly as quickly as it had
come upon me, it left me. I felt so well
and happy that I arose and went out into the garden to do my work. I am ready for baptism into your church and
also my family. Will you do it
today?" I replied, "No not
today, for we do not baptize that way in our church. We recommend that the convert be capable of
standing upon his feet, and knowing the Gospel, as well as just believing
it. I am going to give to you literature
to read, and when at the end of a period of time, you feel strong enough to
live it, and have the same desire within you as you have now, I shall be
pleased to come to your home and do it for you." I procured the literature and gave it to him
with instructions to read it carefully, and prayerfully. The next day he was leaving to go to the
lighthouse island, Althorp, off the coast of Australia where he was a
keeper. I have never heard of him nor
his family since, for I was transferred shortly away from Adelaide to New South
Wales, whether he continued in his search for truth, and was finally converted,
successfully, I do not know, but it increased my testimony to know that the
Lord had answered our administration and his prayers that night.
On another occasion while I was still
in Adelaide we were invited to visit a sister who had been in the church for
some time and all of her children, except one, who had married a staunch and
bitter catholic. He had refused
constantly to permit her and her son to mingle with the Saints for years, but
once upon this occasion he had relented his feelings and requested them that
they bring us to see him. When we went
into the house we found him lying on a couch.
He nodded his head and indicated to us to sit down. This we did, and he proceeded to unfold his
story to us. He had been bitter toward
the Mormons ever since he was a child.
He was a staunch Catholic and naturally had been taught to dislike our
principles. But a week before he had
been riding his motor bike when for no cause at all, it fell from under him and
when he awoke he was surrounded by a throng of people. He remembers smelling the odor of leather,
and of discovering that it was his shoe lying alongside his head, with his foot
in it. It was determined that his leg
was completely broken off except a single muscle, just below the knee. Naturally the doctors predicted that he would
have to have his leg amputated. This
decision was given just previously, and it was in accordance with his desires
to save his leg that he had asked to have us come over.
 |
| Elder Whitehead (center) with two converts |
We conversed with him for a
considerable amount of time, more to gain his confidence than anything, and
discovered that he was quite a humble man over the situation, and was full of
faith that the administration that we presented would be of value in his
behalf. We did administer to him, and in
the promises made to him was that of: "You shall live to walk normally
again, and to see your testimony flourish as to the truthfulness of the Church
of Christ." All of this was
fulfilled literally. When the doctor
next examined him, he requested that the doctor attempt a setting of his leg,
and to do everything possible before it was finally amputated, if it was found
necessary to do so. The doctor admitted
the foolhardiness of the attempt but said he would try. The summary of the situation was this: within
three months from that time, Tom was walking normally about the streets of
Adelaide, and he and his son were baptized into the Church. Although later because of a mishap, his leg
was finally taken off, yet the promises that we had given him that night did
come to a truthful end in his behalf. He
bears a strong testimony of the power of God resting within the Church, and is
living a wholesome life within the Church today.
I record here another experience
that, although it did not happen to me directly, yet did happen to the brethren
a very short time after I left Adelaide.
Elder Manwaring had been released from the South Australian District, and
Elder Palmer had taken his place. Elder
Palmer was a highly sensitive personality, and very susceptible to the
emotional part of the service. In fact,
it was due to his highly susceptible nature that he finally was released
honorably from his work to recuperate at home.
The following is of record in the headquarters at Sydney, Australia.
(There were laboring in the South
Australian District at this time the following Elders: Elmer S. Palmer, President; Alva E. Jensen,
Therice H. Duncan, Deane A. Johnson, and Joseph L. Durfey.)
 |
| Whitehead, Larsen, Pres. Tingey, Manwaring, Harold Francis, Rawlins , c 1931 |
"On the night of July 21st at
the conclusion of Sunday services a very pronounced manifestation of the power
of the Priesthood was given. As the
day's activities had continued there had been felt among the brethren an
unusual influence; one which was not conducive to a full enjoyment of the
Spirit of the Lord. At the conclusion of
the evening meeting, District President Palmer called upon Elder Durfey to
offer the closing prayer. As he arose in
response to that request he was seized with a power which so weakened his
system that he could scarcely stand at the pulpit. With considerable efforts he pronounced a
brief benediction, at the close of which he immediately left the hall in which
the meeting was held and went out on the sidewalk, hoping that he could free
himself from the disturbing feelings. As
he walked back and forth in a narrow passageway at the side of the church,
rather than obtaining relief, the darkness seemed to become more dense. He felt certain that he was possessed of an
evil spirit and struggled desperately to call upon the Lord to relieve him of
it. He was conscious of the presence of
his father, who had been dead some years, walking at his side vainly attempting
to assist him in his determination to
gain control. Failing in his effort,
Elder Durfey entered the home at the rear of the church building. Going upstairs to his bedroom he knelt down
and attempted to offer a prayer. After
exercising all the power in his being he concluded a few words. Leaving the upper room he again went outside and
was leaning against the rear wall when Elder Johnson found him. After explaining his condition to him Elder
Johnson assured him that he too had felt this same influence, though apparently
to a lesser degree. As they talked
together the tension became even more severe.
Entering the house they met Elders Palmer, Duncan and Jensen and there
discussed with them the unusual conditions, which were now felt by all of them.
In describing developments as they
then followed Elder Johnson writes: "We, having previously planned a trip
to Gawler to do missionary work, were to call a taxi. Elders Durfey, Palmer, and myself were left
in the room by ourselves. There was at
this time a loud, dull toned whistle blowing at the freight yards about a mile
away, which added to the dismal
feeling. During this time the evil power
was gaining a stronger hold on our bodies.
It became so strong that my whole body was cold and pale and as I looked
into Elder Durfey's face I saw that it was pale and twitching, and that he held
no power over his chin. Elder Palmer, in
seeing the condition said, "Something is going to happen." We all felt the same way and had done so for
a week, feeling the condition gradually growing. Elder Palmer then said, turning to Elder
Durfey, "Come, we will administer to you, and we went into the
room." I was so weak I could hardly
stand up, and as I was anointing his head with the holy oil, there was some
power trying to hold me from doing it. I
stood cold and shaking from head to foot for about a half minute, but at last
there was a little new life entered into my body that seemed to loosen my
tongue and lips so that I could speak, but my words were broken, and I was so
weak I could scarcely finish. All the time
I was anointing his head with the oil, my hands seemed to be knocked from off
his head and the room was black to my mortal eye. The cold, dull feeling seemed to paralyze my
body. It became almost stiff. Elder Palmer and I then, with much courage
placed our hands upon his head to seal the anointing and again the bones and
nerves of my body began to tremble, and the cold, stunning feeling went through
my system as if it were being carried by a high voltage electricity. As Elder Palmer rebuked the evil spirit the
first time I felt it leave the head of Elder Durfey, go up through my arms and
out of my body; at the same time I heard the door of the room give a dull
rumble. The sealing went on for nearly
ten minutes, during which three distinct times the evil spirits were rebuked,
and three times I felt the terrible overwhelming power let loose of my body,
and three times I heard the dull rumble of the door, and I became calm and very
quiet, yet I was very weak. Just as he
said "Amen" to the sealing of the administration, the dull sound of
the whistle stopped.
"We went into the other room,
all of us being greatly relieved of that evil influence. We found that the other Elders had returned
from calling the taxi. They had entered the
house just at the close of the administration, and we explained to them what
had taken place while they were gone. At
this time while all were seated in the room, Elder Durfey, who had been in the
mission field four weeks, arose and said: "For a month I have been asking
the Lord in prayer that he would use me as an instrument through whom the power
of the Priesthood might be manifest. I
know that this is the Gospel of Jesus Christ."
"Elder Johnson continues. "We were all very weak and continued to
feel as though we were in some danger, so we decided to have a circle
prayer. As we knelt with our arms about
each other's shoulders, Elder Palmer offered the most heart touching prayer I
have ever listened to in all my life.
Never in all my existence did I feel so humble and so in need of God's
blessings as I did at that time. Our
heads were together in circle prayer and tears were dropping from my eyes, but
all the time my heart was centered on God's laws and commandments. Never was I more desirous in knowing what to
do as I was then, but strong in the assurance that we knew God would free us
from all power of evil. "I was in
hope that Elder Palmer would tell us not to go to Gawler. I feared something would happen to us while
on our journey; something that might result in the death of one of us. But trusting in the divine care of God we
bade good bye to Elders Palmer and Duncan.
One hour later found us safely at our destination. I know that it was only by the power of God
that our lives were unharmed. I bear
testimony to all that may read this that it is true. I know that God hears and answers prayers, and
acknowledges the administrations that are performed by the power of the
Priesthood; that the divine Priesthood holds the power to rebuke evil spirits. I seal this testimony to all that read it in
the name of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour."
(Upon request of President Tingey,
of the Mission each of the five brethren, without consulting the others gave a
detailed version in writing of all that had been seen and heard and felt and
with striking accuracy recounted the circumstances as above stated. A most powerful testimony was contained in
each record of the definite knowledge received at that time; that they were
contending with evil spirits that were attempting to gain possession of their
bodies, and that through the power of the Priesthood of God, they were rebuked
and commanded to leave.)
There are other episodes of
importance that I could recount here but space prohibits further detail, as far
as the Adelaide labor is concerned.
As I have remarked before, I was
transferred back to Sydney, New South Wales to labor, and here continued to be
blessed with testimony making experiences.
Particularly impressed upon my mind today is the testimony I gained
through watching the Lord through work bring his people to a unity of the
faith. In the Bankston Branch, where I
first labored on the Church when I arrived in Australia. I was set apart as Branch President, and
given an Elder to work with me who formerly had caused considerable trouble to
the Mission Headquarters because of his non cooperation in maintaining
discipline throughout the mission. He
saw no harm in taking a young lady places although the mission rule said it was
taboo. All he did, I credit him, he did
openly and without offense in himself to any rule or order. Notwithstanding his own personal views on the
matter, he yet was disobeying the authority above him. Elder B... and I made our rounds of the
members there in Bankston, and found in the first eight that we visited a
profound bitterness existing. We were
first greeted with smiles then an outpouring of sorrow and tears, as each in
turn told their story, of persecution by others in the branch.
It didn't take us long to discover
that a very nasty situation existed here that would take a long time to clear
up. We discovered by putting the pieces
together that a brother and sister in the branch had been divorced. Both of them in an attempt at being right
gathered about himself all those in the branch who sympathized with him or her,
and with his recruits had commenced a very disastrous war upon the other group;
one group was supporting the wife and the other the husband. The remarks of the brethren were most
discouraging to us, and I felt that I was not capable of doing the job as it
should be done. We went, therefore, to
the Lord in humble prayer that He would give us light in the path we should
follow to bring these people to a unity of the faith, and good fellowship
again. This He did! The church had been built now for over a
year, but nothing had been done to the grounds to improve the looks of it, and
being minded that way, I commenced a campaign among the people to get the lawn
and flowers planted about it, and paths encircling it. We proved to the Saints that we were more
eager than they were about it by putting in heavy labor ourselves. Personally I planted the flowers and lawn,
and constructed the lattice work around the base of the church and a heavy one
across the lawn separating the front and the back. It looked good when it was done, but the
doing of it was the problem. How was it
best to commence? Well, here's the
story. First we called a mass meeting,
and personally invited each of them to come.
Without waiting for them to arise and make a remark, I boldly called
upon them, forcing as I did so, either a yes or a no. I discovered that they were all in favor of
it. Right in that meeting I appointed
committees to work. The primary method
of raising funds we gave the sisters, and by the way, these eight had been the
ring leaders of the fight just previously.
I gave them much credit that from that night until I left the mission
there was not a word said about the trouble that had been causing so much
distress. These sisters, in a month and
a half period, collected and presented a bazaar that netted them forty five
pounds (about two hundred and twenty five dollars), and above all, brought them
into a unity that was solid enough for us to mold into a relief society later
on.
Then we did a bold thing. It was within our powers there by persuasion
to convince these two who had been the cause of the fracas to transfer to some
other branch. Brother S... moved to
Sydney, and Sister S... moved to Newcastle, and the battle was over. That branch grew and prospered like I have
never seen one grow before. I hold my
labors there in greatest of reverence.
It was not long after this
experience that I was transferred to Sydney to assume the position of District
President of the New South Wales District.
And it was here that I had one of the finest of all my witnesses of the
truthfulness of the Gospel. One day I
was visiting with the Saints in one of the southern suburbs, and I called upon
Sister Street, and her two daughters (twins) who although married lived on
either side of their mother. I had
hardly made myself known when she said "Come in Elder Whitehead, I have
something important to talk to you about."
I went in and she immediately told me this story. She had been visiting with one of her
daughters with her other daughter about a week previous, and as she sat talking
to her children, the girls record, the voice of her son in law, Carl Hueschkel,
husband of another daughter, spoke out of her mouth saying, "I want you to
have the baptism done for me for I can't go any further without it. Don't tell my wife, for she won't
understand." This man had been dead
for a little over a year, she told me, and asked me what I thought about it. I noticed there was something unusual about
the situation and began to question her.
Carl had never joined the Church, nor had his wife, although all the
rest of Sister Street's family had been members for a long time. She was quite disinterested, and materially
prejudiced about the Church. Carl had
never taken any particular interest but had not been openly against it
either. So I told Sister Street that the
best thing she could do would be to compile his genealogical data and we should
send his name in for baptism on the next boat.
She was lacking in some important dates, so I inquired of her where I
could obtain them and she said that his wife, Mrs. Heuschkel could give them to
me, but she reminded me of what Carl had said about his wife not
understanding. I told her that on my way
back to Sydney I would drop in and see her about it.
When I knocked at the door, it was
opened by a rather fine looking woman, but with little life in her face. She looked tired and sick. I then introduced myself to her and told her
that I had come to make myself acquainted.
I was quite surprised to have her invite me in with the statement:
"Please come in, I want to talk to you." I followed her into the house and sat down in
a chair she offered me. She commenced to
tell me her story. Apparently since the
death of her husband, whom she had loved dearly, she had been suffering with
endurable oppression, spiritually. She
said: "Ever since Carl died it seems that I have had a thousand pound
weight on my shoulders which I cannot throw off. I can't be happy, and I can't take any
interest in life. Tell me what to
do?" I listened patiently and then
without any hesitation nor offence to her asked some questions which gave me
the information that I had come to get.
I did my best to cheer her, but it had little apparent effect. I left and went home and compiled the information
on a baptism and endowment sheet and on Dec. 23, 1930 sent it via the S.S.
Sonoma to Utah and the temple. Six days
later I visited Mrs. Heuschkel again.
This time she met me at the door with a big smile on her face and a
cheery welcome. I remarked to her how
happy she looked and inquired as to the reason for it. She told me "Do you know Elder, six days
ago almost as suddenly as it came upon me, the oppression and despondency left
me." A thrill started to play up
and down my back. "Instead of a
feeling like I formerly had, I now feel nothing but relief and
happiness." I said to her:
"Mrs. Heuschkel, did you know that on Dec. 23rd, exactly six days ago, the
information necessary for Carl's baptism had been sent on the Sonoma for
baptism in the temple in Utah?" She
told me that she did not. I continued,
"Mrs. Heuschkel, the spirit of interpretation is upon me, and I am going
to give you the answer to your problems of the past year. Since your husband died he has found the
truth in the Spirit world. He has
discovered that he had missed the truth here, and had not been baptized. He found out also that he could not be
baptized there for it was an earthly ordinance.
He has been trying to communicate with you, but found you unresponsive
to his attempts. Rather than
communicating with you, his attempts have merely caused you oppression and
sorrow, and confused rather than enlightened you. He found a willing vessel to give his message
in your mother, and he delivered it to her.
I knew about this before I came to see you, in fact it was because of
that I came. Your mother gave me as much
as she could, but I lacked some dates to make it complete, and I had come here
to you to get them." I told her the
experience her mother had, and said, "Now that Carl knows that his work is
insured, he hasn't found it necessary to communicate with you, and as a result
your life has come back to normal once more."
Upon hearing the testimony that I
bore of the work, she began to cry, and said, "Elder Whitehead, if what
you have said is true, you have done me a great favor, and if I continue to
feel as I feel now, when you get the word back from Salt Lake that Carl has
been baptized, you may baptize me and my two children."
I left her with the parting
injunction to be prayerful and ask, believing that the Lord would give it to
her. In due time I received word from
Brother Joseph Christensen, of the Salt Lake Temple that the work had been done
for Carl. Mrs. Heuschkel applied for
baptism, and I had the pleasure before leaving for home of doing the work for
them.
Other vital and interesting
experiences were my lot while I yet did my work in the Mission. My time was taken up pretty much with
presiding over the district, and editing the Austral Star, the mission newspaper
that I was instrumental in starting.
This I edited for a year or until I was released in 1930.
After my return home, I secured
employment at the Sewell's United Stores (grocery), where I worked
intermittently until 1933. Here I worked
as a manager until 1931, when I decided to continue my college education. In the meantime I had met and become engaged to a fine girl, but when I
made up my mind to continue my education I was given the choice of college or
her, and not in bitterness, but in wisdom, I felt that I should continue my
education. Our engagement was promptly
dissolved. I worked my way in part time
employment at the Sewell's stores after school, thus providing sufficiently for
my schooling. My history of schooling as
recorded above is quite complete and needs no further elaboration here.
 |
| Ella Lucile Ipson Whitehead c. 1933 |
After my marriage to Ella Lucille
Ipson, we took up our residence in Winnemucca, Nevada. It wasn't such a glamorous place to spend
one's honeymoon, but she was a reasonable girl and we got along splendidly,
until I decided that if I could make money for someone else, I could make it
for myself, without the irritation and constant fear of being relieved of my
position. So early in January 1933, I
began to build my first place of business at Coney Island, between Sparks and
Reno, Nevada. Upon 15 March 1933, I
opened for business at that place. All
went well for us, and we prospered in our stand. I only had forty dollars when I left
Winnemucca, and I paid out of that thirty two for a car payment upon arriving
in Reno, leaving just eight dollars. It
is to my record of hard labor that the years have continued to mount in
gathering about us the pleasantries of life, and to the blessings of my Father,
who has poured out upon me and mine, the choicest of the land. I had confidence and a lot of energy and it
wasn't long until another stand arose at the corner of fifteenth and B streets
in Sparks. Due to the strategic position
of this stand, however, the business of the Coney Island place was cut into
badly, and after two months of nursing it along, I closed it. The market at fifteenth and B streets was a
very successful one. My wife was
expecting a child sometime in November, and this was July. It was not to my credit that I permitted the
life of Nevada to gradually seep into my activities, but I did, and it
gradually crowded out the Spirit of the Lord that had been so much with me for
so long. It is odd when a circumstance
like the one I mention comes into the life of anyone, for the person involved
never realizes that there is anything wrong, and can't see the right. Even so was I. I had no quarrel with my Maker, I was always
religious in spirit, and my testimony was just as strong as before, but I
permitted the weakness of men to gradually eat out my better judgement, and I
fell away from the active participation in the branch. I was running along calmly with a great blow
just ahead of me.
 |
| Fruit Stand at 15 B St., Sparks, Nevada. |
 |
| "Whitey's" Market at 1510 B Street, Sparks, Nevada |
 |
| Josephine N. Whitehead and baby, Jane Whitehead, Nov 1935 |
 |
| Josephine N. Whitehead and baby, Jane Whitehead, Nov 1935 |
We concluded the ceremonies of
services conducted at the Ross Burke Mortuary, and left the same night for Salt
Lake, with the body. We arrived without
any mishap the following morning. We
conducted another funeral service in the Tenth Ward Chapel in Salt Lake and
interred her body in the City Cemetery.
I stayed in Salt Lake for two days more and then came back to Sparks.
During the viewing of the body just
prior to the services, Bishop Ipson of Richfield asked to have a circle of
prayer about the body. At the conclusion
of the prayer Mrs. Ipson stood on her feet, and looking up into her husband's
eyes, said: "Oh Dad, I have had a vision of heaven opened to me. I saw Lucille there, and oh, she was so
happy. I also saw Earnest's folks
standing there too." She was
beautifully happy at that time, and I felt that perhaps it had come a turning
point that Mother Ipson might from then on enjoy life a little more. She had grieved greatly for her daughter, and
although she has the complete custody of her daughter's baby, yet it has not
filled the gap left open by Lucille's passing.
Mother left with me for Sparks to
take care of little Jane until she was old enough to be moved to Salt
Lake. She stayed with me a month, when
she left with Jane on the train for Salt Lake.
A short time after this, Mother Ipson came to Sparks to visit with me
and to check over Lucille's belongings.
At this time she presented me a formal writ by which, if I signed, I
would relinquish all earthly custody of the baby, both for her maintenance, and
rearing. I felt that it was the only
thing I could do in justice to this little woman. The baby would have a home that would not be
possible if I took her, and besides I owed the mother something, for I had
taken her daughter away. The best thing
I could do would be to give her custody of this grandchild. We had named the baby previously in the
Sparks Branch, Jane Ellacile. Jane was
the name her mother wanted her named, and Ellacile was a contraction of Ella
Lucille, her mother's nickname by which she was known generally by her
friends. I was left alone after Mother's
departure with the baby. I don't know now
how I endured that winter. I had moved
my furniture into a little partitioned room in the market, where I slept. The room was exactly eight by nine feet
square. In it I had stored all the
linen, household utensils, bedding, etc., and the piano, chesterfield set and
radio. I slept on the chesterfield
set. I had no particular place to
go. I closed my shop at six-thirty, and
had either to go to bed or freeze. I
couldn't naturally keep warm for it was cold, and I had no heater in the place. I sought out the company of others, and it
was during this yearning for companionship that I met and became engaged to
Verda Marie Cooke. I have been
tongue-lashed considerably, especially by those of my friends in Salt Lake for
seeking such solace and companionship.
But ever in history has it been the same, no one ever trying to place
themselves in the same position as the accused to see what they would do under
the same circumstances. I felt perfectly
happy and satisfied with the manner in which events were passing. I knew that I had done nothing wrong nor
she. So undauntedly we pushed our way
forward seeking out those things that were good and that contributed to our
happiness.
 |
| Verda Marie Cooke Whitehead, c. 1932 |
It was just a week after my return
from Salt Lake that the greatest thing of my life happened. To most people it would seem that it was just
another job in the Church, but to me it was a calling of such importance that I
took it very seriously. I was appointed
Branch Representative in the Sparks Branch, in Genealogical Services. It has been that work that has kept me
through the past two years a faithful and energetic citizen in the Kingdom of
God. Since that memorable occasion, I
have been set apart as District Aid to the West Nevada District in Genealogical
Service, being responsible for the organization and maintenance of Genealogical
committees in Reno, Sparks, Carson, and Fallon Nevada, and Westwood, Portola,
and Susanville California. The Sparks
Committee was organized in 1934. The
Reno Committee was organized nearly two months ago, and are prospering to
date. Other committees are now in
process of being organized, three of which I expect to see operating before the
first of the year, 1937.
As I have recorded, I met and
married Verda Marie Cooke. We had been
married ten months when our first child was born. He was a bouncing youngster, a boy. He was born on 19 May 1936. We named him in the Sparks Branch, Armand
Toyn. Today he is a healthy youngster,
six and a half months old, weighing twenty-seven pounds.
 |
| Armand Toyn Whitehead, Oct 1936 |
Throughout my life I have been
healthy. I have never contracted any of
the serious diseases of man. As a child
I fell heir to the measles, whooping cough, scarlet fever, chicken pox, none of
them doing more than keeping me indoors during the prescribed quarantine. I thrive on hard work, and enjoy it more than
I do the fickle pastimes of life generally.
I live very simply on foods simple in structure and not much at a
time. I live nicely and without
discomfort on two meals a day, avoiding eating a breakfast, and when I sleep I
sleep all over. My work here at the
store, our home being in the same building, has always been attractive. I have always felt it a relaxation from the
general routine of merchandising to do my own carpentry, plumbing, painting,
etc. I am willing to confess that were
it not for a natural aptitude in this respect, I would not have been able to
build my business into what it is today, the lack of money being a natural
barrier to it.
In 1937, several important events
occurred which changed my life style and residence. Due to a slack time in business, I felt to do
something in the matter of writing a book.
My first desire was to research and compose a treatise on the History of
the World, dating back to the Adamic Period of the World.
I suddenly found myself, however,
distracted from the general subject and started on a research of the subject
House of Israel both ancient and modern.
Simultaneously, with this change of life, my wife and I received several
manifestations which I herein describe.
Before leaving the subject of
Genealogy, I would like to explain how God's purposes can sometimes be
misconstrued by man. The Church, because
of complaints, had cut down on the numbers of weekly meetings and as an
important part of that cut back, instructions were received by me through
President Nathan T. Hurst, that our weekly genealogical functions were to be
discontinued as an organization committee, and shortly after that, the Sunday
School was assigned the responsibility of teaching the genealogy lessons. The next stake genealogy meeting that was
held which was attended by our stake president, I recommended that the
committee be immediately disbanded. This
was done at that meeting. The following
night, I was awakened by a Heavenly Messenger dressed in white who stood by my
bedside looking at me very intently. He
said nothing and then disappeared. No
message was delivered but the following night, I was again awakened by a second
personage who was kneeling by my bedside in the attitude of prayer, and the
message was given to me through the Spirit that what we had done in dismissing
the committee was not according to the will of the Lord. Following this, the personage looked at me
and disappeared the same as the night before.
Now the following day, I repeated what had occurred to President
Hurst. Our mistake was corrected by the
re institution of the committee, and our meetings were held on Sunday.
My wife and I also enjoyed composing
both words and music for a number of genealogical programs. She composed the music and I the lyrics.
In 1941, the Stake Mission
President, Garth Heaton, was called into the armed services of his country, and
I was set apart as president of the Reno Stake Mission succeeding him. The Reno Stake was a fruitful mission and
there being about a four gentile to one LDS.
Because of an aggressive program which involved as high as 69
missionaries preaching the Gospel at one time, we became very successful, and
the last two years I presided, 1946 and 1947, our mission was more successful
more than any other stake mission in the Church. The year 1947 being the highest of any. 157 convert baptisms were performed. I personally was credited with 74 baptisms,
although I did not personally convert that many. It was because of the success we seemingly
had, that I found myself rising in pride over our accomplishments. This was climaxed by an event one night when
after my wife had retired to her bed and before I had knelt to offer my
prayers, I challenged Satan with the words, "Satan we are going to drive
you from your favorite campground." (Reno, Nevada) Immediately, my wife cried out, "Daddy,
there is someone in this room, and I'm being choked, please give me a
blessing." I placed my hands on her
head and with the knowledge I had that Satan was about to overpower her. I asked the Lord to help us and with all the
power of my Priesthood and the power of my Heavenly Father, I demanded that
Satan release her and to leave our home.
My wife immediately relaxed but was wet with perspiration and weakness. We thanked God for the Power of the
Priesthood through prayer.
About this time, the churches in
Reno decided upon a project of serving the city of Reno to ascertain the number
of residents of the various church members of that city. When the survey was complete, it was discovered
that were over 3700 members of the LDS Church although less than 700 of them
were on record in the Reno Branch. About
the same time also, the branches became wards.
We also discovered that the majority of the people who officiated in the
state and local offices were members of the Church but who because of fear of
prejudice would not align themselves with the Church. Two events occurred which testified to me of
the need for harmony among the officers of the Priesthood. As Mission President, (which I held for 7
years), I was numbered among Seven Presidents of the Seventies Quorum. We planned our outside visits to the wards in
the months of October to January.
Considerable jealousy and bad feeling crept into our presidency. One day we had made plans to visit the Fallon
Branch. The day was cold but the roads
were seemingly clear. We were traveling
a moderate speed in my car with four passengers. We came to a sharp curve in the road and in
attempting to make the curve the car skidded on black ice and completely turned
over. An empty gallon gas jug hit me on
the forehead dazing me temporarily. The
car was badly bent in places but we drove it back to Sparks where be disbanded
and decided to try to make the trip the
following Sunday. Because of my
damaged car, Bro. Irving Schelin offered his car to be used. We hadn't travelled 10 miles before both
front tires blew out. When we did get
back to Sparks, we decided as a group that something was not right, that the
Lord was displeased with the jealousy and bickering which had taken place among
us. We met in a very solemn prayer in
our home and we rededicated ourselves to follow the pattern of the Lord in our
councils. The spirit of our Quorum was
lifted up and has since become one of the best quorums in the Church. One of the interesting things that transpired
-- while I was General Chairman -- occurred when the stake mutuals complained
to the General Authorities that the genealogical committee was taking over the
functions of the MIA in the Reno Stake.
We had our own chorus of young people and social activities who met
weekly in the Sparks Chapel under the direction of Sister Rose Burgess, Sister
Delores Brown and several others. We had
a splendid chorus of about 40 voices, and we received an appointment from KSL
in Salt Lake City to sing over the radio while we were in Salt Lake City
getting some Patriarchal Blessings there.
Two events of interest: First, we thought that one Stake Patriarch could
give the blessings to the whole group, but when we arrived in Salt Lake, I
contacted my former mission president Charles H. Hyde, who at that time was
supervisor of all the patriarchs in Salt Lake City. He informed me that he had assigned 8 stake
patriarchs to give the blessings and it would be done in 2 days.
The second event of interest occurred
when Sister Rose Burgess took the group down to the baptismal room to do
baptisms for the dead. As they
approached the desk of the supervisor for that day, a second group of children
from the Ogden Stake were coming out of the baptistry and at the far end of the
group was the officiator and a very young man, who when they came to the desk,
told of this experience. The officiator
said, "When we thought we had finished the 16 names assigned to this boy,
we told him to come out of the font but he said, "No, I haven't
finished. There is still one more name
on that list I must be baptized for."
The supervisor said, "No, Son, that is all, come out." The boy replied, "No, there is still one
more name." and I replied, "I
don't think so, but I will check and after doing so, discovered that the
recorder had placed a ditto on the proxy column which led us to believe that we
had baptized 2 where we had only baptized one.
When the boy had been baptized for this person, he walked from the font
up the steps and came over to us, whereupon I asked, "Son, how did you
know there was another name on that list?" and he said, "As soon as I
entered the font, all the 16 men that were on my list suddenly appeared,
standing in the air above the edges of the font, and as soon as I was baptized
for one, he would nod his head in thanks for my service, but when you said they
were all finished, there was still one man standing there. He looked disappointed and I knew that his
work had not been done. As soon as his
work was done, he also nodded and disappeared."
Simultaneously, to me being called
to the mission presidency, I secured an agency for the sale of LDS books from
the First Council of Seventy to be sold through the quorum. I put the books in my store which also acted
as a headquarters for missionary service.
The volumes of business gradually grew through sales we had at our stake
conference in Reno, Nevada and the various missionaries. In 1943, I was notified by the First Council
that our business was too great for them to handle and requested that I take it
over as a personal project. This
experience in selling books for missionary support has carried down to the time
of this writing (1975). The history of
which will be given in later chapters.
In research on my book, The House of Israel, I was aided by a number of individuals which I will
briefly mention. As I mentioned
previously in this biography, I was first interested in writing a history of
the world, but became side tracked by the fascinating story of the Twelve
Tribes. A perfunctory history of the
beginning of Israel's history, I found to be well written and canonized through
the books of the scripture and able commentaries. This part, however, came to a sudden end with
the migration of the Ten Tribes into the North Country and with Lehi and
Mulech's expedition to the land of America.
My interest in the further research of the disbursed tribes was outlined
in the parable of Zenos contained in Jacob 5 in the Book of Mormon known as the
parable of the tame olive tree.
Interpretation of this parable was given in part in the foot notes of my
1925 edition of my triple combination.
It was only a start, however, and needed much more revelation for which
I prayed. The parable outlines the
planting and cultivation of four branches severed from the tame olive tree
(Judah) who was the main root thus making five groups located somewhere in the
world. The Jews were located in
Jerusalem, though the Ten Tribes had gone into the North countries and Lehi and
his colonies had gone to America. This
comprised only three of the five branches and it became my problem to locate
them through research. History books of
Western Europe revealed that the first settlers of Western Europe divided into
two groups both of which remained in Europe.
One in Scandinavia and one in Great Brittany. I used as my basis research of the following
categories: First, the route of
migration to these places in Europe.
Second, their customs and language.
Third, were they genealogical record keeping people? Fourth, did they "according to Zenos,
"have the legend of the visitation of Christ?" Fifth, do we have successful missionary work
among them today, and Sixth, do we trace them to our own families
(Ephraim). To all these questions I
found the answers to the effect that Great Britain housed the Royal House of
Israel described as the poor land by the prophet Zenos and Scandinavia housed
the commoner class, the main body of the Ten Tribes in what was described by
Zenos, "the poorest spot in all the vineyard."
Brother Archibald F. Bennett without
charge or excuse and in spite of a busy schedule provided me with pedigrees and
histories from the Genealogical Society in Utah of which he was secretary of
the Western European Peoples showing descent from the ancient people of our
modern prophets and leaders. This
combined with already accepted pedigrees in the legends of the visit of Christ
in Great Britain and his visit in Scandinavia as the God "Oden." This after much prayer and fasting was revealed
to me on numerous occasions during which I enjoyed great ecstasy within the
burning of my bosom. I now needed the
identification of the Fifth Branch to make it conform to Zenos' prophecy. The only other known identified group was
that branch which inhabited the many isles of the Pacific known as
Polynesia. I had a partial belief that
the story of Captain James Cook unfolded regarding the people of Hawaii and his
own personal testimony that he knew he was the object of reverence by the
Polynesians as the White God "Lono" returned again. I went again to Brother A.F. Bennett, this
time in person in a visit to Salt Lake and he told me of a brother in Idaho who
had been for a number of years, the Church's general representative among the
Polynesians. I left for home the same
day, planning on writing to Brother William H. Cole, but before the letter
left, I received two large cartons of material from this good man with
instructions to use any or all of it as I chose and when I had researched the
contents, I had found the evidence of what I was seeking for -- that the
Polynesian people were of the House of Israel -- that they had migrated from
the South American continent to Tahiti and Hawaii and from thence for other
parts of the Polynesian Archipelago and more important, it revealed the story
of Christ's visit to Tahiti which revealed the reason why Captain Cook with his
white complexion, his bearded face, and his gentle manner was mistaken for the
Messiah. I had completed the research
that had covered approximately 14 years, but realizing the crudeness of its
composition, I contacted a dear friend and former teacher -- Mrs. Maude Beeley
Jacobs -- who volunteered to assist me in the finished copy. After a year of typing and re-writing nine
times, the copy was completed and sent to Zions Press in Independence Missouri,
who contracted to print the book numbering 608 pages for the sum of
$5,100. Within a period of three months,
the book was off the press.
In the meantime, we had completed
seven years of missionary work in the Reno Stake Mission and having five
children and another one coming, we decided to pull up roots and move to Utah
(January 1946), where we could supervise the plan of the final writings of my
book. Bishop Peter L. Ferguson, a real
estate agent, listed our home for sale for $10,000 and had no success. We had three apartments, a grocery store,
stock, LDS books, and a small cafe located in a prominent spot on 15th St. in
Sparks, Nevada. After 7 months there had
been no applicants, and I had decided at the end of November that I should
continue on with the stake mission and forget the moving of my family. About the first of December, Bishop Ferguson
came to our house and said, "I think I can sell your property," and I
replied, "No, I have decided to fill another mission," whereupon he
asked, "How much will you take for a quick sale?" I laughingly replied,
"$20,000." He wrote it down
and said he would see me later. Five
days later, we had a check for $20,000, got packing and left on the 3rd of
January, 1946, for Utah with 18 inches of snow and 20 degrees below zero,
pulling a trailer with 7 of us in the car.
Eighteen hours later we arrived in Salt Lake to my mother's home.
Prior to our leaving Sparks and all
of our dear friends, our Bishop, Milford J. Piggot and his ward helpers planned
a farewell party for us to be held in the cultural hall of our new ward
building. It was held New Year's Eve
(1945-1946). What a glorious and happy
experience we had that evening. It was
one we shall never forget as all of our friends and relatives were there to
wish us a farewell and to wish us well in our new world in Utah. It was an evening full of love and gratitude
for the service we had given the ward and also to our community. We were each presented with lovely leather
wallets. As we pulled out of Sparks, the
car was quiet and a few tears filled our eyes because of leaving such a
wonderful group of people. We had made
it comfortable for five children -- we had made a complete bed for them on top
of the packed articles we could place in the car. As we looked back upon Sparks, we left much
of our hearts and our love there. These
dear people giving so much of themselves in our times of trouble and
misfortune. In this area we were
leaving, I had gained a testimony of the reality of God and through the
Priesthood bestowed upon me, I had seen many miracles wrought. Here also I had lost my dear wife Ellacile
with whom I had spent less than a year with and had lost an association of our
baby girl who lived her infant life in Salt Lake City with her grandparents
Mrs. Ella Ipson and prior to that was cared for by my mother Josephine Nixon
Whitehead. I was leaving a period of
great job and financial progress also, for I had survived the depression and the
war, and I was leaving with a substantial profit from the sales of our
property. I felt the Lord had given me
double what the property was worth.
We travelled for 18 hours through
sub-zero cold and snow-packed roads. We
arrived at my mother's home on 5th East, Salt Lake City, without accident or
trouble. We immediately set about trying
to locate a place to live in surrounding areas, and at last found a lovely home
in Provo, Utah on Haws Ave. in the Park Ward.
Here I became active as a Seventy in the Utah Stake Mission. The important thing that occupied my mind at
this time was the publication of my book, "The House of Israel." I spent nearly a year in revamping and
publishing the book.
Due to years of selling books in the
Reno Stake, I made the suggestion to the 45th Quorum of Seventies that a book
project would be a profitable means for securing funds for supporting
missionaries. The quorum agreed, and
they appointed me acting manager. Plans
were laid for the book store, contact was made with Deseret Book Company in
Salt Lake City regarding the feasibility of it.
When we organized the book store,
there were four stores in Provo selling LDS books -- namely, Heindselman's,
J.C. Penney, Standard Supply, and Utah Office Supply. The total wholesale business of these four
stores, it was reported by Deseret Books Company to our inquiry, totalled not
more than $10,000.00 per year, and it was their opinion that we could not
survive as a religious book store. This
report discouraged some of the brethren in the quorum, but there were some
stalwarts who still supported me in my opinion that a well supplied store could
function with success. We sent letters
of inquiry to other quorums of Seventies, but with the exception of the 34th
Quorum and the 45th Quorum, none of them had any faith in what we were trying
to do, suggesting in part that as soon as they found out it would succeed, they
would join forces with us, the policy of which we did not agree with.
We had no established place to put
the store, but it was suggested we manufacture cinder blocks and build a
building within the Park Ward on 4th West and 8th North. My business sense told me it was not the
proper location. We then pursued another
course and applied for a location through our stake president in the Bishop's
Store House on 1st North between University Ave. and 1st West. After this we went forward with the
construction of two wooden displays, and thinking we had the consent of the
stake presidency, loaded them on a truck and hauled them to the Bishop's Store
House. However, we were met at the door
by Brother Walter P. Whitehead (no relation) who was the manager of the Store
House, and we were told that the president of the stake had received word that
no profit making enterprise could operate in the premises listed as non-profit
property. There we sat not knowing what
to do when the inspiration hit me to take the truck to the Coon Furniture Co.
at 150 North University Ave. Brother
Irwin Coon, was owner and manager. We
explained our dilemma, and he in the goodness of his heart offered us a stall
in his store without charge.
In the meantime, the Utah Stake was
divided forming the West Utah Stake and the Utah Stake. The two quorums of Seventies were also
divided and now comprised the 49th Quorum of Seventies and the 349th Quorum in
the Utah Stake and the 372nd and the 34th Quorum in the West Utah Stake. We had a total membership of over 150. It was suggested that the capitalization for
the store should be set at $4,000.00, each of the four quorums to contribute
$1,000.00. This was agreed to, and the
Board of Directors set up with a member representing each quorum. (This goal was never achieved, however, for
the total money contributed by the four quorums did not exceed $1,100.00
total). Some of the brethren felt that
all we needed was $250.00 to buy stock and equipment for the store, because we
were so close to Salt Lake, and we could run up there any time we needed
anything. Had it not been for immediate
support of attorney Isaac Brockbank of $250.00 and his whole hearted support
during the time of his High Council supervision of the Utah Stake Quorums of
Seventies, it would have been a long time before success would be
apparent. To say the least, it was a
very tedious and unprofitable period at the beginning. There would be days on end in which there
were no sales of good volume achieved.
The Board of Directors voted me a 10% profit as manager on the gross volume
of business, needless to say, it was a very low income for the first year, for
the store grossed $4800.00 in book sales, and my wages amounted to $480.00 for
the entire year. It became apparent day
by day as I patiently served, why the Lord had given me $10,000.00 more profit
for my property in Nevada than I had expected.
With that $10,000 I was able to publish my book and maintain my family
over the first six years that was required before the book store began to pay
off. During my slow period at the store,
I entered into two projects. First, I
helped Brother Coon deliver furniture for which he paid me some money. Second, and more important, I compiled my
"Mark your Bible Reference," compiled a set of charts and published
them entitled "Twenty-Nine Gospel Charts and Maps." I also compiled and arranged a small
biography of 72 pages for Sister Rebecca Reed Rasmussen of Mt. Pleasant, Utah,
of which we published 500 copies. (First
edition of my concise reference of "Book of Mormon Reference," we
published 5,000 copies.) I suggested to
the Board of Directors that I would give 4,000 of those copies to the Foreign
Mission of the Church to help them in their study of the Book of Mormon and
help to advertise world-wide the availability of materials for their mission
use. This was approved by the board, and
they contacted the First Quorum of Seventies who agreed with it heartily and
sent us a list of the total number of missionaries in the missions of the
World. I wrapped and addressed the
bundle of References, and they were shipped out. We had an immediate positive acceptance. Orders began to come in from the mission which
necessitated an increase of stock and accommodations which we obtained in a
display office building at 47 West 1st North.
The Johnson Realty occupied the other half of the building. In the meantime, Heindselman's and J.C.
Penney discontinued their line of LDS books, and the Standard Office Supply
sold their stock to us for 50 cents on the dollar valuation. This left only the Utah Office Supply as our
competition. Our out of town business
immediately prospered and grew to such proportions that we sought another
location which we secured north of the Provo Post Office at 150 North 1st
West. This was a good building, and we
purchased it from funds already obtained and a small loan from the First
Security Bank. In the meantime, also, my
House of Israel had come off the press, and I was sought out nearly every night
of the week giving a series of seven lectures on its contents.
The West Utah Stake, when it was
divided from the Utah Stake called me to be the First President of the West
Utah Stake Mission, which office I held for six years. Some controversy sprang up in American Fork
due to the lectures I had given in one of their wards, and I was reported to
the Council of the Twelve. An Assistant
to the Twelve, Clifford E. Young, had accepted the negative criticism of my
book without investigating and notified Mark E. Peterson, a member of the
Twelve, wrote to my stake president, J. Earl Lewis, that if he had not read my
book, he should do so and then interview me pertaining to it, which he did and
in my interview reported he had nothing there to object to. I had written to Apostle Peterson for his
suggestion for correcting my book. He
made an appointment with me, and we talked about it. I found he was a skilled authority on the
doctrines of the Church in the history -- the way he had read it on the subject
of my book. We parted company with good
feelings between us, and his suggestion was I restrict my discussion of the Ten
Tribes in the confines of our churches, he thinking it would eliminate
controversy such as happened in American Fork.
With permission from him "Go ahead and sell your book. It's a free country." (Dr. Widtsoe
reviewed it in the Improvement Era).
While still in Coon Furniture
Company and having much time on my hands I compiled my "Mark your Bible
Reference" which was an organized mark your bible system particularly for
missionary use as I have used the scriptures in my nine months of missionary
work. The Reference was immediately
accepted, and it proved to be worthwhile in the presentation and organization
on the history of the apostasies and restoration during the Bible period. (Since it's publication in 1950, twelve
editions have been published aggregating 120,000 copies which equaled the sale
of my Concise Reference on the Book of Mormon.)
(My Concise Reference to the Book of Mormon was compiled in the
Australian Mission in 1930 while on my mission in response to a request by the
First Presidency that scholars of the Church compile a Ready Reference that
would be useful in gospel study and presentation.) I submitted a copy to the Church Headquarters
in Salt Lake City and later received a letter from President Heber J. Grant
which complimented me on the Reference, but that they could not use it because
it was specific on the Book of Mormon and not the other scriptures. As soon as I reached Provo in 1947, as I
noted above, I published the Reference and has since sold over 120,000 copies. In 1960 I turned the publication and
copyright over to the Seventies Mission Book Store to be published and
administered by them as a store project.
This was true also of my "Mark your Bible Reference."
The Seventies Book Store has acted
as a wholesale and retail agent and financier of the books, most of which have
been sold directly to the Church Distribution and the Deseret Book Company.
After 1950, book sales began to
grow, and I was also Utah Stake Mission President, which combinations of labors
required both evening and daytime. To my
knowledge, I have scarcely used a day off the six-day work week or had a noon
hour while working at the store as manager.
The Lord had blessed me with a strong body and great tenacity to
responsibility.
Simultaneously with my work at the
book store, I used the store as my headquarters for my stake mission work at 47
West 100 North. On one day I was visited
by the owner of Suttons Cafe located on Center Street. The owner was Robert Moorefield. After coming into the store, he asked if I
was Brother Whitehead which I affirmed.
He introduced himself and said this to me: "I own Suttons Cafe, and
I need some help. I was told to contact
you so that you might help me make a decision regarding my future and my
family. I was a P.T. boat commander in
the last war. I was living a high life
and had a girl in every port. Since
being released from the Navy, I have married a beautiful girl, and I have a
fine family. Through friends and other
influences, I have been encouraged to become active in the church and have my
family sealed to me. Because of the life
I pursued in the Navy, and since, I feel I am not worthy to be a candidate such
as they propose, but this much I promise you, that if you can guarantee that I
can take my family to the temple and will have them in the next world, I will
be completely changed and live as I should." I remarked to him: "Brother Moorefield,
I am in no spiritual position to give you the guarantee that you seek, that
would be up to you. As to your sincerity
and repentance and the authorization by someone higher in the Church than I,
but I know a man in Salt Lake whom I would recommend to you to consult, Apostle
Spencer W. Kimball, who in my estimate is as spiritual and sympathetic to
sinners as any man I have met or seen."
Brother Moorefield remarked, "I know him very well. He comes into my cafe quite often, and I will
do what you suggest, in the meantime, however, I would like to have some help
in understanding the Gospel so I won't be completely ignorant of what I am to
consult him about." Several weeks
passed by before the appointment was kept, through which, "Bob" as I
came to call him, made daily visits to the book store, during which many
intimate discussions of his personal obligations to the Church, to himself and
to his family, were given. Bob kept his
appointment with Bro. Kimball, and that good man did what I knew he would
do. He interviewed him thoroughly and
searched his soul and finding there a good spirit was his custom. They knelt in prayer after which Apostle
Kimball said, "Bro. Moorefield, I have a spiritual impression that if you
will make a turn about in your life and repent, and serve the Lord as you
should, that the Lord will bless you and forgive you of your transgression and
give your lovely family to you for Eternity."
Being Mission President, and with
great enthusiasm in my calling, I suggested to Bob that we could team up and
work with some of the business men that he personally was acquainted with who
were rather inactive or not members of the Church. We organized cottage meetings in Bob's lovely
home to which we invited these friends for Gospel meetings. Through his efforts and friendship, much of
the usual objections were overcome before we met in these meetings, and a very
delightful year of very worthwhile association has come which was the reason
for the repentance and activation of several friends and their wives who
attended and the baptism, as I recall it, of nine business men in Provo. The story of Bob continues beyond this, for
there was approximately three years after this missionary effort, while
travelling to the southern part of the state, Bob was killed in a car
accident. I am sure that the promise
made by Apostle Kimball will be fulfilled.
Another of these business men who attended the meetings, but who went
the extra mile, who came in the store almost daily, was Phillip Shane -- who
after spending 30 minutes of reading the Book of Mormon, confirmed his
testimony of its truth, but Phil, as I called him, had some bad personal
habits, mainly tobacco and liquor, would not join the Church nor would he give
up his habits. One day while standing by
the book rack, he confessed his belief in the Church and remarked that as soon
as he could overcome his weakness, he would join the Church. I answered him with great effort and said,
"Phil, I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to repent of your sins
and accept the Church and be baptized."
He turned to me with surprise in his eyes, "Do you really mean
that?" I replied with all my heart,
"Yes," and then he said, "Then I'll do it. Phil joined the Church, I baptized him, and
since then he has fulfilled all the covenants required to take his family to
their Celestial abode and has been a stalwart Preacher of Righteousness among
his friends and associates. He is listed
in my memory as one of the great achievements of my mission experiences.
My Stake Mission activity closed in
1955 when at the suggestion of Bruce R. McConkie that the stake mission was
lacking in intelligent leadership because our converts were only 35 for the
year. I resigned my office in
consultation with stake president J. Earl Lewis and consecrated my time and
efforts in maturing the Seventies Mission Book Store and other Church
activities which I was given.
I remained with the book store until
I was 67 years of age during which time several very fine men and women worked
with me, notably, -- Emil O. Jones and Erma Baggs, who were outstanding in
their service in preparing the store to become financially sound. There were three others who made their
entrance into the book store environment, Larry Benson, who trained for one
year to take over the management position but decided against it, Richard E. Madsen, (son-in-law), who also trained
one year for the manager position, (the position he now holds) and my son
Robert P. Whitehead who as of this writing, is the assistant manager. I have raised up a world of intelligent young
men and women and friends through our books sales through the Seminaries and
Institute for the Church and the over one hundred dealers that have purchased
books for retail. Several outstanding
men have also been of great help in maturing the book store, notably, Marvin
Wallin of Book Craft, William Mortimer of Deseret Book Company, Brother
Erickson of ZCMI and later wholesale stationers, Ruben and Emily Clark, who
made and provided the zipper covers. I
especially commend those business men in Provo, Utah for their generosity and
help to the book store even though it meant we would improve in volume sometime
to their taking a loss. In 1971, I
retired as manager of the book store and worked as assistant manager under Richard Madsen.
In 1972 I retired from the book store completely and my son Robert was
made the assistant manager to Bro. Madsen.
The volume of business has continued to rise under the management of
these two fine men who have established a much more efficient service for the
book store. As of this writing (1976),
the book store has made several thousand dollars contribution to the First
Council of Seventy in Salt Lake City for missionary support and the book store
has directly supported in part or full time over 500 missionaries whose efforts
have resulted in the conversion and baptism of more people that would be
required to make several stakes in the Church.
What the book store's future lies, only the Lord can know, but this much
can be said, it has filled a good mission.
In the first place as I have recorded, I was given $10,000.00 more than
I anticipated which money was used for its development over the years.
My testimony is that we have been
blessed through dedicated effort, family support, by a kind and generous public
who help and support never faltered, I give my sincere thanks and love.
I have lived in several homes, the
first with my wife Lucille Ipson in Winnemucca, Nevada, and later in Sparks,
Nevada, where I had been transferred by the Sewell Company to manage the
grocery store. It was here that my wife
died in child birth. I lived about six
months in a make-shift room in my fruit stand in Sparks, Nevada and lived there
until my marriage to my present wife, my Angel Verda, where we took up our new
home in an apartment behind our store (1935).
We bought a new home in Reno, Nevada and lived there over a year, but it
proved unsuccessful to our happiness. In
1947, we sold our property and made plans to move to Utah where we bought a
home on Haws Ave. This soon proved too
small so we searched for a larger one where we now live. Our first five children were born in Nevada:
Armand, Michael, Ray, David, Velma, and Vincent. Ray was born while we resided in our Reno
home, and Michael was a home confinement in our Sparks home on 1510 B St. My wife was expecting our 6th child when we
moved to Utah. The doctor (Lambert) who
lived next door to us in Sparks, Nevada delivered all the babies except Armand.
I filled 16 years of missionary work
in the Church: three years in the Australian Mission, seven years as stake
mission president in Reno, Nevada and six years as West Utah Stake mission
president in Provo, Utah. I was the Ward
Genealogical Representative and also the Reno Stake Genealogical
Representative. When I moved to Provo,
was appointed one of the seven presidents of the 45th Quorum of Seventies. Also in Sparks, Nevada, I held this same position. When we moved into the 11th Ward in Provo, I
was made mission president of the West Utah Stake. I have been a teacher in various offices of
the Church, Sunday School, Priesthood, Genealogy, which I have held up to my
contracting of Parkinson's Disease which has affected my memory, voice and my
stability. I have been honored by the
West Utah Stake Presidency who consulted with me regarding a position on the
Stake High Council. Also by the Provo
Temple, who has offered me on several occasions the privilege of working as an
Officiator, which callings I felt I could not fill due to my physical
condition. I hope that before very long,
something will be discovered that will assist me to regain my almost normal strength
and ability. I have felt very keenly, my
lack of constructive labor in the Church.
I have sung in many choirs since I was 17 years old and for the same
reasons stated above, was forced to retire.
I am at present Genealogical
Secretary for the Sunset 5th Ward of the Provo West Stake for special
assignments for the Provo Temple. I
presided as High Priest Group Leader in the Sunset 3rd Ward for four
years. I was Choir President for a
number of years for the choirs under the direction of Orvilla Stevens and my
wife Verda. Anagene Mecham was Organist
for these choirs for 14 years. I am at
the present time, doing about 25 to 30 endowments a month in companionship with
my wife who does about 20 endowments.
The schedule we have kept in Provo and a lesser effort in the Salt Lake
Temple. I have received a retirement
fund from the book store of $300.00 per month which was combined with my Social
Security and the income from our little house next door, have made us
financially secure with enough surplus to put in savings and assist our children
who have needed help on various occasions.
I am presently Treasurer of the Adolphus Rennie Whitehead Family
Organization. Having received this
position on July 4, 1975.
Wow! What an interesting and inspiring story. It made me laugh, cry and filled me with the spirit.
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment, Deb! It's stories like these that give you a glimpse into all the bravery that beats through your heart - it makes me KNOW I can do anything with the Lord!
DeleteWow! I love finding stories about my ancestors! Thanks for sharing! Adolphus Rennie Whitehead and Mary Elizabeth Goddard are my 3rd great grandparents. :)
ReplyDelete