Don Larry Peterson

I was born in Tempe, Arizona and was raised in Arizona. We moved around quite a bit from one end of the state to the other. For several years I lived on several of the Indian Reservations. That whole story has resulted in a autobiography of some 150 pages which I won't bore the reader with at the present time. I enjoyed scouting, where I achieved the rank of Eagle Scout and was in the Order of the Arrow. I was an active, up-and-coming Babylonian.

My family has always been LDS from the very beginning. I think the latest to convert was in about 1855. The family names besides Peterso(e)n are Anderso(e)n, Cluff, Haws, Faucett, Eyring, Whipple and many more. My mother was a first cousin to Camilla Eyring Kimball and my second cousin is an apostle in the LDS church, Henry B. Eyring.

I have two brothers and one sister and we were raised to be quite close until at adulthood we went our separate ways. While we still are in contact, we have gained insight into our own characters that has brought some traumatic changes in our lives.

I was always active in the LDS church, being baptized at 8, receiving the priesthood at 12, going on a mission at 19, (Bolivia, Peru and Chile) and getting married at 21 after returning from the mission.

I suppose that the first awaking that I had to some problem concerning religion occurred about the time I was twelve. I received the priesthood and was told what a great a marvelous thing it was. As other of the chartered events occurred, I was told how important and exciting they were, but I felt none of that. I soon got to the point where I felt that I was rejected by God and didn't know what to do. When I was living on the Reservation, I used to take long, solitary walks around the desert looking for "holy" places. I never found any, but I knew that there had to be such locations in the world. Locations where prophets stood, where major events took place. I assumed that any problems within the LDS church would be self correcting, and I had determined that Ezra Taft Benson would be the prophet of the "retrenchment." But, reading some of his works convinced me that, even though a good man, he too had fallen from the truth and would not be in a position to bring about the corrective action needed to bring the LDS church in line with it's initial mandates from the Lord.

After my mission, I began the usual process of getting married, going to college, beginning a family, two sons, two daughters, and preparing for what I thought would be a satisfying life. I always had in my mind what that would consist of, but never knew life would turn out as it did.

I first began to seriously study about church history, doctrine, etc, in about 1989. I had gone through a long period of underemployment and had time to read and study. This lead me to want to learn about consecration more than ever. As an undergraduate student in Anthropology, I had always been interested in economic interaction, but now I began to identify the needed interaction as being the Law of Consecration.

I had been employed for several years as an adjunct professor of Economics at Utah Valley State College and was disenchanted with the textbooks available. I began to research heavily into the Law of Consecration and began to write a book that I subsequently used in my class room.

In 1990, I became concerned because of the temple ordinance changes and wondered what would become of my grandfathers since they had learned different signs, tokens and key words and were now dead. Adjustments to be made later somehow did not put my mind at ease. How would they get past the sentinels to get into heaven?

By 1991, I was hired as a full time administrator in the Utah Department of Corrections. While I continued to read, I felt that I was at last going to have the accomplishment in career and home life that had eluded me and could now settle down to the perfect life with the blessings from God. We began plans to build our dream home and were finally able to get it built.

I still had grave concerns over the conditions in the church as it was obvious to me that the typical LDS person with whom I came in contact had very little doctrinal or historical savvy. There was little to learn or to present in class, whether priesthood or Sunday school. When I spoke in church (on rare occasions) at a report on scouting or at my son's missionary farewell, I would say things that would cause people to come up afterwards and comment that they never understood things in that manner and there was some discussion. There was never any official encouragement to speak or to make comments in classes that addressed the true meaning of the gospel.

My brother in law was becoming a constitutionalist, though I think he has changed from that now, and this energized me into searching even further. I prepared a list of criteria that a true church should teach, should have as ordinances, etc. I didn't want to be tossed about by the winds of doctrine and be confused as so many people have been. Shortly after moving into the new home (about February of 1994), the Spirit told me in no uncertain terms that this was not the right direction in my life. While I did not know then what the direction would be, I renewed a covenant made with God to do whatever it was that He would ask me to do, regardless of the consequences or sacrifice.

One day, in February of 1995, I had a dream that I had a bakery in Manti, Utah. When I awoke I was astonished. I had a new home, a good job and everything was going as usual in Babylon (not really good, not really bad). I had a friend in Ephraim with whom I had a lunch date. When I arrived to pick her up, she was not home and the spirit told me to go to Manti. In Manti, I found Jeff Hanks and Randy Maudsley, and we visited for about two hours. All of the questions that I had wanted addressed, but had found no answer, were answered. I was invited to the models two weeks hence and it has been a whirlwind ever since.

From virtually the very beginning, my wife refused to listen to anything that I had to say. She found people that "knew" what I was believing, but she refused to communicate. For the next year and a half, I thought that I could get her to listen, to study with me and to come to the models. She would have none of that. I didn't spend as much time with the kids as I would have liked as I spent most of the time with my wife trying to convince her to listen to me and study the doctrine.

By the first of 1996, she had decided to divorce and it was just a matter of time. She filed and the divorce was final on July 29, 1996. This was a very difficult decision and event in my life. I had dearly loved my wife and would have sacrificed everything, including my life for her exaltation. One thing that I would not sacrifice was my belief in God. He commanded me to go to Manti, He told me He had a great work for me and He told me that I would die an early death if I did not listen and obey.

All of that was devalued by the family and I was seen as a fanatic, I suppose, though no one of my family, even today will talk to me or tell me what they think. They refuse to address religious topics. While the sacrifice has been very severe and painful, the blessings have been overwhelming. I have received blessings, visions, revelations, and knowledge that I never knew existed. Being alone has been a very difficult experience, but I have learned a great deal from it.

In October, 1996, I was called to the Presiding Bishopric. We have labored to bring about an understanding of the Law of Consecration and to implement it into our daily lives. In December, I received my higher ordinances, and in January, 1997, I was called as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. That has been the most choice and exciting event in my life to date.

Currently, my temporal stewardship is to establish the "bishop's store" which is sort of a redistribution center to better enable us to live the Law of Consecration.

For years I have been able to feel the evil and abominations that are rampant in the world while others seem to be oblivious to those things. I testify that the work that is being done in Manti by the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days, is the work of God that was designed and implemented from before the foundation of the earth. The work is now progressing because the world is ripe in iniquity. God has sworn that he would sweep the wicked from off the face of the promised land and this work will begin in earnest very soon. The Zion that will be established in the mountains before the redemption of the New Jerusalem, is the city where Manti, Utah now stands. Brigham Young designated it as such and we are well on our way to creating a Zion, a just society.

Having now been associated with the re-restoration of the gospel for nigh onto four years, I have re-read my testimony and I have determined that it is somewhat inadequate to express my understanding at this point in time. As I have learned more and more of the nature of the gospel, as I have participated in work for the dead, I have progressed in my testimony and wish to share it with more people.

As I have researched my genealogy as I have been doing work for the dead, I have been reminded of the events surrounding the conversion, sacrifice and long-term commitment to the faith of the Fathers shown by my ancestors. I already knew of these things, of course, and their experiences have always had an impact upon my thinking, but my understanding has matured so that I truly can understand and appreciate the full meaning of the gospel and the plan organized by our Heavenly Father to prepare us to advance to become like He is.

It should be noted here that Joseph Smith and many of the early converts to "Mormonism" understood that what was happening was not just a restoration of the apostolic church that apostatized after the crucifixion of Christ, rather, they understood that the restoration was that of the ancient gospel as it was on the earth at the time of Adam and the ancient Patriarchs. Much of the activity, the searching and the time Joseph spent on earth was to gather the information about the ancient gospel, organize it into the church entity and then to teach it to the people. Sadly, most of the converts, the early members of the church, failed to understand the message he was trying to teach. Today, the LDS church has hidden, denied and refused to discuss this part of the restoration effort. The result is that most "Mormons" today have little understanding of the fullness of the gospel, or what really was restored to Joseph Smith.

Many of the early members understood the notion of North America being the promised land and were looking for a way to gather, to establish the House of Israel on the promised land.

I present my great-great-grandfather, Jens O. Petersen who was converted in Denmark in the early 1850's with his wife and children, and began preparations to gather with the Saints in Utah. Jens, his wife and children, including my great-grandfather Peter O. Peterson, left family, friends, and former beliefs behind as the message of the missionaries impacted their souls and they heard the voice of the Shepherd. They had the misfortune or great fortune, depending upon your point of view, of being assigned to the fated Willie Handcart company. While no one of the Petersen family died from the disaster, they were witnesses to this great, historical event. Jens later helped colonize Cache valley and Peter was instrumental in the SE Arizona colonization effort.

Great-great-grandfather Edson Whipple heard the gospel in 1840, immediately knew it was true and gathered to Nauvoo. He lost his widowed mother, his wife and his daughter during the struggles at Winter Quarters. He later was in the first group to enter the SL valley and was a leader in the stake organization in Salt Lake City. He later helped colonize Eastern Arizona and Mexico.

Great grandfather Henry Eyring, heard the gospel after arriving in St Louis in the mid 1850's from Germany. He knew it was true, went on a mission to the Indian Territories and later helped settle So. Utah and Mexico.

Great-great grandfather William Fawcett joined the church in England in 1840 and gathered to Nauvoo. He later helped settle St. George.

Great-great-great-grandfather Gilbreth Haws, with his family, joined the church in Illinois in the early 1840's later gathering in Utah and helping settle Provo. His son William Wallace Haws was involved in the Johnson Army defense and helped settle the Mexican colonies. William's son, George Martin Haws was instrumental in settling So Ariz and Mexico.

Great-great-great-grandfather David Cluff (Clough) and family had joined the church by 1835 and worked on the construction of the Kirtland Temple. He later settled in the valleys east of SLC, and then settled in So. Ariz. His son, Moses, served a mission in England where he converted mother and daughter, Rebecca Scoular and Rebecca Culy Langman. While gathering to Utah, the Rebeccas had the opportunity to have their faith tried as members of the Willie Handcart company. They survived and later were both sealed to Moses. Moses and family helped settle So. Arizona and his daughter, married to George Martin Haws, helped to settle So Ariz and the Mormon colonies in Mexico.

All of my ancestors joined the church in the early part of the dispensation and suffered much to gather with the Saints in the West. Most entered into the sacred practice of Celestial Plural Marriage, all participated in various forms with the law of consecration. They all sacrificed much by joining the church, having to leave family, friends, business, homes, etc. behind. Even after joining the church, the sacrifices did not end as my ancestors were frequently seen to move from place to place establishing Mormon strongholds throughout the "Mormon empire." They all bore strong witness to the truthfulness of the gospel, to the truth of the Book of Mormon, the truth of the prophetic callings of Joseph Smith and Brigham Young. They knew it was true, in most cases, on first hearing the "word." This is exactly what Christ expected when he said that "my sheep hear my voice." It did not take a miracle, it did not take an overwhelming spiritual experience; they just knew that the miracle of the restoration was true. Many had been seeking the truth, and they found it.

History tells us that during that period of time, there was much evangelical activity going on in the US. Many people were becoming aware of the need to look for truth. What was the difference between the restoration accomplished through Joseph Smith and other church and philosophical creations? In the first place, it was understood by many that the restoration of the gospel was not simply the replacement of the "Christian" tradition, the church that went into apostasy after the crucifixion of Christ. The "gospel according to Joseph Smith" was much more like the ancient Hebraic tradition of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. To be more clear, this was the gospel, restored once again to the earth, that was the same gospel that was taught to Adam and which gospel he taught to his sons and daughters. The gospel of the restoration was, indeed, something unique and historic. This was a time of the "first shall be last," that is, the gospel of the first dispensation, ie Adam's, was now the gospel of the last Dispensation.

It is hard to understand why people would give up everything to join a new church. We can see hints of this today as people join various religious and other organizations to find "roots" acceptance, and comfort. Even in the LDS church, as well as other Christian church's, many people have opted to leave their past to join. What made the difference? Why would David Cluff move from Kirtland to Nauvoo to Salt Lake City to Cluff ward, Utah, to So. Arizona, each time leaving much behind and suffering serious hardships? Why would Edson Whipple leave everything in Nauvoo, lose his family at Winter Quarters, travel the plains, settle the Salt Lake Valley, Eastern Arizona and the Mormon colonies? Why would the Petersen's and the two Rebeccas suffer so much to gather, suffer immensely with the disastrous Willie Handcart Company, and remain focused on the gospel principles? Many have left for much, much less. Even today, many are dissuaded by trials of faith. Very few then or today are willing to give up everything to focus on the Kingdom of God. Most people want an easy religion that requires little effort and allows the greatest latitude of behaviors.

When the gospel was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith, his entire effort and motivation was to establish a Zion Society, the Kingdom of God on the earth so that the Kingdom of Heaven could join with the kingdom on earth so that the earth could be exalted and Christ could receive his inheritance. Many of the early Saints understood this, many, sadly, did not. And even sadder still, most of the LDS today do not understand the truth of the restoration and what it is their forefathers lived and died for. Of course, most LDS today have no idea of the early history of the restoration.

Those that joined, gathered and "hung tough", were of the seed of the house of Israel as well as of the seed of Christ. That is clear in the scriptures and that is why they could hear and understand and follow the voice of the shepherd, their father, even Jesus Christ. Where is that seed today? Are they paying attention to the call to gather?

When I was still a young boy, I knew of the lineage of my fathers, I knew of their sacrifices and their willingness to obey the laws of God. I knew that Joseph Smith was and is the prophet of the Restoration and the Last Dispensation. I knew that the Book of Mormon was true, I knew much of the gospel and the laws as taught by the LDS church at that time was true, but I could feel that there was something missing in the church itself.

By the time I was growing up, I knew that plural marriage was a true doctrine of the gospel and I knew that I would someday live the law. I didn't understand why the LDS church kept distancing itself from that former exalting law. I did not know where to find the missing truth, and it grieved my soul. I found myself praying constantly for the answer. I knew that North America was the promised land and I couldn't understand why the concept of gathering was abandoned. If the Saints of God are to gather to the promised land to establish Zion, how could the LDS establish it with people scattered all over the globe? The answer was to change the doctrine!

I spent much of my life searching the scriptures, church history, and other writings to try to find out what happened to the truth. The answer was not forthcoming. Then just over four years ago, I heard about the restoration of the gospel that was occurring in Manti, and the spirit and my soul bore witness to me, it was the voice of the shepherd speaking out to me. I knew it was true from the very first time I heard of the gathering of Saints. While it took me some time to gather and resolve my life in Babylon, I finally left family, friends, career, new home, my good name, and gathered with the Saints in the only designated location for Zion in the West.

I bear solemn and true testimony that the True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Day, IS the restored remnant of Israel. This is where the blood of Adam, the blood of Ephraim, the blood of Israel, the seed of Christ or the "Holy Grail," the children of God are gathered to redeem Israel, to establish Zion, and to prepare the earth so that Jesus Christ can receive his rightful inheritance. My soul burns with this testimony and I extend it to all the world and invite all who are the "elect of Israel" to come to Manti and help us build Zion. I bear witness that this church is not just a branch or break-off of Mormonism, or just a 'faulty' Christian cult. I bear witness that this is the gospel that was taught to Adam in the Garden, the gospel that includes the fullness of the priesthood.

I bear this witness in the name of Jesus Christ, our Redeemer, Amen.

Don Larry Peterson

E-mail: dlpeterson@tlcmanti.org

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