I attended all of my school days in Snowflake from 1st grade through 12th grade. I was always interested in sports and earned letters in football, basketball, and baseball.

I had many good friends and was quite popular and active in a number of school clubs and activities.

During the summer between my junior and senior year a new girl moved to town. Her name was Jeannine Stoddard. Both of her parents were hired as teachers in the high school.

Not long after they moved there, I started dating Jeany. This was the summer of 1955. We continued to go steady with each other for the next three years, and were married two months before she graduated from high school on April 1, 1958. She moved in with my parents while she finished high school and I continued my college education at Arizona State University. I continued with my education and finally graduated in the spring of 1961 with a B. A. degree in Education. During this time our first son was born to us on January 28, 1960. We named him Mark Shane Larson. Jeannine's parents, in the meantime, got teaching jobs in Hawaii. So, being a new graduate from A.S.U., we decided to go to Hawaii and apply for a teaching position. I was able to receive a teaching position at J.B. Castle High School in Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii. I taught there for two years. Shortly after arriving there our second son, Troy Douglas Larson was born on August 12, 1961.

We were very active in the Hauula Ward, L.D.S. church. I served as scoutmaster and deacon's quorum advisor while we lived there. Missing our families and friends a great deal, we decided to move back to the mainland to Fresno, California. I taught school there for the next six years. Three more children were born to us during that time. Brian Keith Larson was born on August 1, 1963, Darin Lee Larson on October 26, 1965, and Jennifer Maree Larson was born on October 28, 1967.

We had many wonderful experiences and memories during these six years with our growing family, and with the many friends that we loved dearly. Most of our friends came from the close association and being actively engaged in the L.D.S. church. I was called to serve in the Fresno 2nd Ward bishopric as 2nd counselor. Jeannine was the ward organist, so Sunday after Sunday, our four little sons would sit on the front row. Very seldom would either of us have to go down and discipline them. They were very good kids and were well trained and obedient.

We missed Snowflake very much, so in 1969 we moved back to my hometown, where I taught school at the junior high for the next nine years. It was good to get back to my hometown, to be near my parents and brother and sister as well as many of my former friends and associates. It didn't take long to become very busy. Besides teaching school, I drove school bus, coached football, basketball and softball and became a basketball referee.

Again I became very active in the L.D.S. church and was called to be the scoutmaster. In 1971, I was called in by the stake president and received the calling to be a bishop in Snowflake 4th ward. I served in this position for six years.

In the mean-time, we added four more children to our family; Amy Jeannine Larson, born June 14, 1971; Margaret Ella Larson, born May 21, 1974; Sara Elizabeth Larson, born April 28, 1976; and Matthew Alof Larson, born January 9, 1978.

These were hard years, but very rewarding in many ways. My life was very full in doing church work, teaching school, coaching, driving bus, cutting and selling wood as a business, as well as trying to be a good husband and father. But I feel that I was quite successful, even though my wife Jeannine had a very huge task in raising nine children.

One day in the early spring of 1978, Jeannine's aunt and uncle came to visit us about a trip that they had taken to Missouri. They had discovered a small group of L.D.S. people who had began to gather in the southwestern corner of that state. Some of the people were acquaintances of ours whom we had known in Fresno, Calif. and also some from Arizona. They stated that they were looking for a nice place where they could gather their family around them, where the land was fairly cheap and could settle in for the rest of their lives. They were very excited about it as they talked to us and we became very excited also. We communicated with Jeany's sister and brother in law in Fresno, Jack and Joycell Cooper, and planned a trip back there in April of 1977. The trip there was a clincher for us. We fell in love with the land, being in the northern part of the Ozarks, it was very beautiful. Some of our former friends were there and others were planning on moving there shortly. We also felt the spirit of the Lord prompting us that we should move there. We were always ready to listen the the Spirit, even though we knew if would be very hard to leave Snowflake. So in the summer of 1978, we sold our home in Snowflake, packed up our belongings and moved to Monett, Missouri. I began doing dental lab work for my brother-in-law who was a dentist. After a year or so I got a job as a dental lab technician in Pittsburgh, Kansas, which was about 75 miles from Monett. I worked there for four and one half years. On May 21, 1980 our tenth child, Jared Evan Larson was born.

In 1984, having moved to Pittsburgh, Kansas, we became restless once again. Our daughters were getting old enough to start noticing the boys. Even though there were some nice people there, there were very few L.D.S. people. So the feeling that we should move back to Snowflake began to be very strong. So we moved in May of 1984.

I was able to get a teaching position again at the Junior High, as well as bus driving and coaching. Also, I started my own dental lab business, doing work for the two local dentists.

Again, we became very active in the church. I was called to serve on the high council, Stake Young Men's President, Boy Scout District Leader, and Stake Sunday School President. All four of our older sons filled honorable missions for the L.D.S. Church. Also all of our children were married in the L.D.S. temple. During these years, Jeannine, mostly, and I were very open to seeking further light and knowledge and desiring to learn of the mysteries.

We became very well acquainted with Phil Savage, who was also very interested in delving deeper into the gospel. Going to church sacrament meeting and High Priest quorum meetings became very mundane and boring to say the least.. Phil would bring us any new information about the deeper things of the gospel. Many long discussions were beginning to occur more often.

Finally, Phil came to our home and told us of a trip he had taken to Utah, where he had visited several fundamentalist groups where he could live the higher laws. He had also stopped in Manti, Utah to visit with James D. Harmston who had been excommunicated from the L.D.S.. church for having gospel discussion meetings in his home and practicing the True Order of Prayer. He also was able to listen to "The Models," ( a lecture given by Jim Harmston) concerning further light and knowledge.

Phil came to our home very excited about the things he had learned and the strong spirit of truth he had felt. He encouraged us to take a trip to Manti to listen to this man. Jeannine was all for it, but I was a little skeptical, and stated that that man was an apostate and our membership in the L.D.S. church could be in jeopardy. With much fasting, prayer, and pondering, we decided to make the trip. Jeannine and I made the trip alone, leaving our three unmarried children at home and several of our married children whom lived around us. Phil was right, the spirit was very strong and we knew that we were hearing the true gospel taught, including some of the higher laws that we never heard in the L.D.S. church. However, I was scared because I knew that the word would get back to my bishop and stake president.

Sure enough, they had found out and were there to give us warning that if we continued in the path we were headed, our membership would be endangered. A group of us who had similar beliefs and desires to learn more began to have weekly meetings together to discuss the gospel and it's higher laws. We again visited Manti, this time with some of our children, who were also desiring to learn more. We were even more overwhelmed by the spirit that we felt, and our children were equally overcome by the truthfulness of the things that they heard.

Upon our return to Snowflake, our church leaders, friends and family were very concerned about what we were doing and gave us many warnings and expressed fear for us and our actions.

Our little group took it upon ourselves to be rebaptized. We continued our trips to Manti. During the month of October 1993, we were on the road to Manti every weekend. Finally we were able to be rebaptized and receive our real endowments in the endowment house. We were released from our L.D.S. church callings and our temple recommends were taken away. Speaking of the LDS temple, in 1990, several months after the temple ordinances were changed, etc., we went to do some sessions at the Arizona Temple. How surprised we were to find that there had been such drastic changes made. At one session, I was given the new name of Nimrod, one of the most wicked men in the Bible. I no longer could go to the temple with the feelings I used to have. The spirit just wasn't there. In one of our visits to Manti, we took occasion to visit the Manti Temple for a session. It was completely void of the spirit. Jeannine and I felt the same and couldn't hardly wait to get out of there.

Our leaders in Snowflake finally gave up on trying to change our minds and convince us that the things we were doing were wrong. What finally brought it all to a head, was when our youngest daughter Sara was taken as a plural wife. Our life long friends, the bishop and stake president and high council had no other choice than to excommunicate us from the L.D.S. Church. Then one by one, of our children and their spouses were also excommunicated. Our two youngest sons, Matt and Jared, finally requested that their names be removed from the membership of the church after we had moved to Manti.

We have lived in Manti since June of 1994. We willingly gave up all that we had in Snowflake, our good name, our home, our family relationships, even some of our children, and have moved here under the direction of the Spirit of the Holy Ghost and promptings and directions from the Holy Order whom have special interest in us.

My wife Jeannine and I entered into plural marriage on April 15, 1995. My second wife is Susan Tatum. She had been here at the gathering two months longer than we have. We met her some five years ago when her oldest son proposed to our oldest daughter. So now we have common grandchildren. She is a very sweet lady and has provided me with love and care and devotion that I have needed in my life. I love her very dearly and am very thankful for her. She has five children whom are all married except for her ten year old son Larran. We are thankful for him and the opportunity he brings to raise another son. Her oldest son Kent is married to my oldest daughter Jennifer, and her youngest daughter Laree, who is married, is also here in Manti.

Even though she is past child bearing age, it is nice to have common grandchildren.

I want to bear a solemn and strong testimony that I have been brought here to this gathering in Manti under the direction of the Holy Spirit. It is that same spirit that has touched my soul at various other times in my life. Our move to Missouri in 1978 was directed by the spirit. Also our move back to Snowflake in 1984 was also directed by the spirit. I have learned to recognize that special prompting. Now that we have the True Order of Prayer, it is much easier to recognize the promptings of the Holy Ghost and to receive true revelation.

I have come to know that through our obedience, faith and works in past probations, we gain favor with the Lord and become His elect. I know that that is why a few of His faithful children have been brought here to this gathering in these last days. We are here to help reclaim Israel, save a dying world and prepare for the coming of the Savior Jesus Christ. None of this could take place, if there weren't a tried and proven people who have earned that right. We know that the reason we exist is to strive to become a God, like our Father.. There is no way that any one including God and Jesus Christ that could do that in just one probation. So we have been in many probations, many times striving with the same people to gain experience and learn the things that we must know in order to become like God. I know that James D. Harmston is a living prophet, and has been appointed by God to be here to teach, guide, and bring as many as will come and who have eyes to see and ears to hear the truth of these last days. It is only through Him that we will very soon meet our Savior Jesus Christ, and if worthy be introduced into the throne room into the presence of our Father and God, even Adam.

I am grateful to be here and have this opportunity. I bear witness to the truth of this testimony and do so in the sacred and holy name of Son Ahman, even Jesus Christ. Amen.

Keith H Larson
April 9, 1997