Sierra Wilson - Standout Saints: Church History Heroes from Around the World

1820 Joseph Smiths First Vision

1830 Book of Mormon is published, and Church is officially organized

18301831 Saints are commanded to gather in Ohio

1833 Saints flee Jackson County, Missouri, due to persecution

1836 Kirtland Temple is dedicated

1837 First missionaries are sent to Great Britain

1842 First Relief Society is organized in Nauvoo

1844 Joseph and Hyrum Smith are martyred at Carthage Jail

1846 Saints begin to move to the West

1847 Brigham Young arrives in Salt Lake Valley

1867 Relief Society is reorganized in Utah

1875 Brigham Young Academy (now BYU) is established

1876 First missionaries arrive in Mexico

1878 First Primary meeting is held

1882 Deseret Hospital opens

1893 Salt Lake Temple is dedicated

1895 First stake outside the United States is established in Cardston, Alberta, Canada

1896 Utah achieves statehood

1901 Japan is dedicated and opened for missionary work

1912 First seminary program is established at Granite High School

19141918 World War I

1919 Laie Hawaii Temple is dedicated, first temple outside continental United States

1925 South America is dedicated for preaching of the gospel

19391945 World War II

1947 Church membership reaches one million

1955 Swiss Temple is dedicated, first temple in Europe

1958 New Zealand Temple is dedicated, first temple in South Pacific

1970 First stake in Africa is established in Transvaal, South Africa; first stake in Asia is established in Tokyo, Japan

1978 Revelation is received making priesthood available to all worthy male members; So Paulo Brazil Temple is dedicated, first temple in Latin America

1985 Johannesburg South Africa Temple is dedicated, first temple in Africa

1989 Fall of the Berlin Wall

1995 The Family: A Proclamation to the World is released

1997 Church membership reaches ten million

2000 The hundred millionth copy of the Book of Mormon is printed; Boston Massachusetts Temple is dedicated, becoming the one hundredth operating temple

2010 Kyiv Ukraine Temple opens, first temple built in a former Soviet Union nation

2020 The Church continues to grow throughout the world and celebrates the two-hundredth anniversary of Joseph Smiths First Vision; The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World is released

Introduction

What makes a Standout Saint? Awards? Fame? Worldwide recognition? Although many of the Saints in this book did achieve recognition and fame, others are less well known. Yet something makes them all stand out. That something is courageous faith. Each Saint in this book faced trials, from mob persecution to imprisonment, from loneliness and hunger to illness and death. But each of them chose to live by faith. They all chose to trust God, press forward, count their blessings, and do good during their time on earth.

I hope that as you read this book, the Saints you discover will inspire you. President M. Russell Ballard, a modern descendant of Hyrum Smith, said: The Spirit has confirmed to me the important responsibility we have to see that the legacy of faith of our pioneer forefathers is never lost. We can derive great strength, particularly our youth, from understanding our Church history. As Ive had the privilege of studying deeply the lives of past Saints, Ive gained my own testimony that President Ballards statement is true. The Saints who sacrificed, struggled, and rejoiced before us have left us with a rich legacy of faith and with powerful spiritual examples that can guide and inspire us today. They are a part of us, and we are a part of them, regardless of physical ancestry. As we follow their examples, we can be strong and courageous too.

As you read this book, I hope you will find new friends and heroes. Even more, I hope you will be inspired to become a pioneer yourself. Blaze new trails and do good, seeking Gods guidance. Endure your trials with faith, just like these pioneers did. As you will see in this book, there are many different ways to serve God, make a difference, and live by courageous faith. These are the last days, and God has a special work for each of us to do. Study and pray to learn what God has in mind for you.

I also hope youll be inspired to study more of Church history and your own family history. When you do, youll feel closer to your ancestors, and you may even feel them reaching out to you.

There are so many Church history heroes out there; selecting only forty for this work was one of my greatest challenges. There are also many more wonderful stories not in this book about each of these heroes. I hope youll start digging and find out more! If you find any great stories, Id love to hear them. You can share them on my social media or contact me through my website: sierrawilsonauthor.com. (Youll also find on that website a complete list of the sources for the stories Ive shared.)

Now its your turn to go forth and be a Standout Saint!

For I do testify that God has revealed himself to man again in these last days, and set his hand to gather his people.

L ucy grew up in a home full of love and faith, where she especially enjoyed stories of her fathers adventures as a soldier. When she was a teenager, her older sisters developed a deadly disease, tuberculosis. Lucy carefully took care of them for years until they died. A few years later, she developed tuberculosis too. All the doctors believed Lucy would die, but she didnt give up hope. Lucy prayed with all her heart that God would heal her, promising to serve Him always. Then Lucy heard a voice say, Seek and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Let your heart be comforted. She was healed within the hour.

Years later, after embracing the gospel her son Joseph helped restore, Lucy led a group of eighty Saints from New York to Ohio during the frigid weather of early spring. They traveled along the bitter-cold Erie Canal with little food. When they reached Buffalo, New York, the harbor was covered in ice. They were stuck. Her group started arguing and complaining, but Lucy bore her bold testimony: If you will all of you raise your desires to heaven, that the ice may be broken up, and we be set at liberty, as sure as the Lord lives, it will be done. Moments later, the ice parted, and she and her group were able to continue safely on their journey.

For the rest of her life, Lucy did all she could to help build up the kingdom of God. She suffered many sorrows, including the deaths of her husband and several children, but she held firmly to her faith. Lucy spent her life caring for others and was fondly known as Mother Smith, a faithful woman who kept her promises to God.