Click here for my Husband's Testimony

My spiritual growth began in July of 1965, two months after my first child was born, when Mormon Missionaries called at our door in Minneapolis, Minnesota thinking that they were contacting a New York World's Fair referral. Actually, the lady they were looking for lived only two blocks over at the same house number.

Upon hearing the gospel message, as taught by these two humble missionaries, it was like a light had turned on inside, and the darkness had fled. It was like "coming home!" It was like a person who had had amnesia and then suddenly remembering. In other words, I felt that I'd always known what the gospel taught, but had just forgotten it for awhile. I was so grateful for those missionaries who had gotten the "wrong" address! So we were baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints two months later.

I had come out of a Methodist background (born and raised as a Methodist), and when I heard about the teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, I felt like I had been "resurrected from the dead." The teachings of the restored gospel burned deep within my soul (I was then 32 years old), and I wondered where had I been all my life! Ironically enough, I had grown up near Champaign-Urbana, Illinois which was only about 200 miles from Nauvoo; and I had never heard of the Mormons until I visited Utah in 1954. I was so grateful to finally belong to a church that stood up for what they believed or so I thought.

The Mission Field (anyplace outside of Utah) in Minneapolis was wonderful! We wanted to learn everything we could about the gospel. We were invited to join a small study group where we talked about such things as Calling & Election, plural marriage, preparing for hard times, etc., etc. - things that would happen one day or so we thought.

Then about two years after our conversion, we learned about natural health foods and about the John Birch Society which clued us in on the Communist Conspiracy, etc. We were actively supporting the JBS and were holding meetings in our home where we passed out literature, etc. Later, my friend and I who had passed out such literature after Primary were called into accountability by the Bishop of our Ward. He called us to a meeting in his home with our "so called" accusers there. We had no idea that anyone else would be there - not even each other.

That was the beginning of disappointment after disappointment, for finally I began to realize that the church I'd grown to love and support no longer stood up for the things that they originally had espoused to be true. At that time our Stake President was a member of the FBI, and he emphasized to us that all we needed to do was to study the gospel and keep our "nose" out of other things because there was nothing we could do about them. He indicated that things were too far gone for anyone to do anything. At that time, Pres. David O. McKay had put his signature on a little pamphlet which admonished us to "not be a slothful servant, but to do good continually, and to join study groups, etc.; and do all that was necessary and needful in order to support the Kingdom of God upon the earth." I chose to believe Pres. McKay, and wondered why the contradiction. So we went about our work quietly and without fanfare.

I knew that these were the end times; and that the scriptures were true; and that what I'd read of the early Brethren's prophecies and discourses were "food" to my soul for they did speak the truth, and it burned within me. So, why were the Brethren now trying to side-step the issues by watering down everything? Why? Why?

Since we didn't know the answers to the questions that plagued us, we continued being loyal and faithful members, and at the same time reading as much as we could. After reading Duane Crowther's book entitled "Prophecy, Key to the Future," we were moved by the Spirit to "gather" with the Saints in the mountains (in Utah) which Crowther had referred to as being designed to hide up the Saints in the last days. His book made a strong impression upon me as being words of truth and warning. Why weren't we getting things like this in our meetings? And why would half the people that I told about reading his book look at me in astonishment and say: "You must not read his books because he has been excommunicated!" Others that I told were in full agreement with him and with me, and they would never mention his excommunication. Interestingly enough, after moving to Utah and living in Paradise, Utah, I had the opportunity to meet his parents who lived in our Ward. Brother Crowther was the Stake Patriarch, and I was privileged to be a Visiting Teacher to Sister Crowther. So, one day while I was at her home, I asked her about the rumor I had heard back in Minnesota about her son being excommunicated. She laughed and said that that was not true, but that rumors like that get started somehow when a person chooses to write or talk about controversial subjects. How interesting!

So, we moved to Utah in January, 1971; and finally, in September of 1982 after 17 long years of waiting, wondering, and searching for something we could "sink our teeth into," a friend in Cache Valley opened up a whole new vision to us. She gave me the book "The Notes" written by Robert Openshaw which gave some early history of the church that we had never heard of before concerning the 1890 Manifesto, the 1886 Revelation, changes in the garment, changes in the Temple ceremony, etc., etc. We were stunned in a way, but on the other hand, it seemed to explain so much.

Our friend then introduced us to the Allred Fundamentalist group known as the AUB. Again, I wanted to be associated with those who stood up for the truth, or so I thought, and so we joined with them. Then, in January of 1983, we were excommunicated from the LDS Church in Paradise, Utah.

Even though, I had been a true and faithful member of that church, I felt no regret at the time of our excommunication because I knew my church had deceived me and let me down by preventing me from living the laws that would establish Zion:

"And Zion cannot be built up unless it is by the principles of the law of the Celestial Kingdom; otherwise I cannot receive her unto myself." (D&C 105:5)

They had wiped out every law so how could they establish Zion? Why? Why?

The Law of Gathering - abandoned in 1936
Celestial Plural Marriage (CPM) - abandoned in 1890
Adam-God Doctrine - abandoned in 1897
Law of Consecration - abandoned in 1900
Law of Adoption - abandoned in 1894

And there are many more too numerous to mention at this time.

I hadn't realized these things until I entered the Allred Fundamentalist Group. Then, I felt that my eyes were opened. I began to understand that my beloved church was truly in apostasy; however, the Allred's believed that their "Mother" church would some day be set in order by the "One Mighty and Strong." They didn't have a "clue" as to how that would be done.

As time went on (about 4 years), we began to see discrepancies which we couldn't justify in the AUB. For one thing, they didn't practice the "Law of the Gathering." They had groups spread out from Montana to Mexico. Another thing that really puzzled me was the fact that their "Prophet" would say before he performed a plural marriage: "They tell me that I have authority to do this. "I thought that strange since if you knew you were a true prophet then why wouldn't you know you had the authority? Another thing that was really strange was the fact that they would let you wear the long garment which they espoused, but not everyone who wore the long garments knew about the Endowment House they had. If you were worthy to wear the long garment, then surely you should be worthy to go into the Endowment House, don't you think? One big thing was that we hadn't heard any new revelation the entire time we were there.

Not long after we left the Allred's, we were drawn into another group who did not profess authority, but they claimed they were establishing a Zion Society. They did profess to receive revelation; however, at the time we did not know that all revelation has to agree with former prophets and has to be backed up by scripture. Because of certain revelations which this group received which we found out later were wrong, we felt deceived again. When were we to find the truth? There had to be a people (a remnant) someplace that could and would live all the laws! Where were they? Where? Oh, where?

I spent a couple of years attending the Preparedness Expositions in SLC. I knew from attending these events and reading and learning about the great strength which the adversary had, that there was no way that the Saints of God could survive when the calamities and nuclear war hit except by the power of God from on High. I began to see more clearly that if the earth was not to be "utterly wasted" that there had to be a people somewhere - someplace - that were living all the commandments that God expected before He could give them the POWER to act in His name so they could be delivered (saved). Where were these people?

I would like to share a few scriptures with you that speaks of this POWER which God has and will share with His appointed servants on the earth.

".....destruction shall come upon all those workers of darkness, according to the power of God, when they are fully ripe...." (Alma 37:28)

"....have ye not read that God gave power unto one man, even Moses, to smite upon the waters of the Red Sea...." (Helaman 8:11)

"...because thou hast done this with such unwearyingness...I will bless thee forever...I will make thee mighty in word, in deed, in faith and in works...that all things shall be done unto thee according to thy word, for thou shalt not ask that which is contrary to my will." (Helaman 10:5)

"...ye shall have power over this people...shall smite the earth with famine, with pestilence, and destruction, according to the wickedness of this people." (Helaman 10:6)

"...I give unto you power, that whatsoever ye shall seal on earth shall be sealed in heaven..." (Helaman 10:7)

"...if ye shall say unto this temple it shall be rent in twain, it shall be done." (Helaman 10:8)

"...if ye shall say unto this mountain, be thou cast down and become smooth, it shall be done." (Helaman 10:9)

I had recently read Hugh Nibley's book "Approaching Zion" and Monte S. Nyman's book "The Most Correct Book - Why the Book of Mormon is the Keystone Scripture," and I understood that the Book of Mormon was written for our day, that we needed to liken those scriptures unto ourselves, and that the stories in the Book of Mormon were a pattern for our day. So, where were the people who had the authority and power to act for God upon the earth? In other words, where were those people that would be left after the destructions? I knew there had to be a special place for the "remnant," but where was it?

At the Preparedness Expo in 1993, I met a person who put me in touch with others that were preparing "Cities of Refuge" as they called it. So, we took our Thanksgiving weekend that year and went north to Montana and Idaho to check out these places. They were just in the beginning stages and seemed very unorganized. We really didn't feel the Spirit of what they were doing. We came home rather discouraged.

Then, just a week later an old friend called (the one who had gotten us into the Allred's). She was then living in Moroni, Utah (Sanpete Valley), and she had recently listened to a man by the name of James D. Harmston. She was elated because, she said, he had put all the puzzle pieces together for her. She encouraged us to come and listen the following weekend to a two-day seminar which he called "The Models".

We came and listened and were awestruck with the truths that we were hearing. Never before had the witness of the Spirit penetrated my soul so deeply as it did that weekend in December, 1993. I knew very soon after that that I was, indeed, listening to a Prophet's voice!

It was a wonderful experience to learn how the gospel pieces fit together and how you then realize that it can be no other way. I've probably attended "The Models" close to 40 times in the last five years, and I never tire of listening to the truths contained, therein.

I declare that I have finally "come home" and associate with those Saints of God who have sacrificed much to live all the laws of God. You can read about many of them (over 50 testimonies to-date) on our TLC Website. I would like to quote to you the following:

"For a man to lay down his all, his character and reputation, his honor and applause, his good name among men, his houses, his lands, his brother and sisters, his wife and children, and even his own life also, counting all things but filth and dross for the excellency of the knowledge of Jesus Christ, requires more than mere belief, or supposition that he is doing the will of God, but actual knowledge; realizing, that when these sufferings are ended he will enter into eternal rest; and be a partaker of the glory of God....."

"Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation..." (Lectures on Faith 6:5, 7)

The last five years, in some ways, have gone by very quickly, but in other ways, it seems that I've had a life-time of learning the gospel crammed into a short period of time. I know by the witness of Heaven upon my soul that the "end times" are very near, and that we are that "Remnant" that the scriptures talk about. In fact, there are approximately 1,500 prophecies in the Old Testament which lead up to the Millennium and only 50 pertaining to the birth of the Savior. I bear strong testimony that this is that gathering of the "Remnant" from out of the House of Israel as prophesied for these the very last days. We have been taught the Fullness of the Gospel as taught by Joseph Smith and restored by him. We are being tried and perfected in living those principles that will establish Zion!

There are so many scriptures that I would like to quote regarding the Fullness of the Gospel, but if you are reading this testimony then you have probably read some of the others, also; so I won't repeat them here. However, I would admonish you again to read some of the other powerful testimonies. They speak the truth for the destruction of the wicked is about to happen, and God will deliver those who seek him. Please listen and then obey!

I know that many will not believe these words of testimony because they will not read, study, ponder, and pray. Please, know that the calamities will come, and that this place will be the only safe place because this is the only place that I know of where all the laws of God are being lived which will establish a Zion Society. I also know that the man James D. Harmston is a true Prophet, Seer, and Revelator and has been appointed by God to do this work in these the very "last days!" For some of you who might turn to this Website and recognize me by name, please feel free to contact me to hear the "rest of my story."

Helen Mae Ems Lithgow Harmston

January 26, 1999

You may reach me at the following E-Mail address: tlcacademy@tlcmanti.org