George Phillips Adams


George Phillip Adams was born on August 4, 1 817 in West Haverford, Pembroke, So. Wales.   He married Sarah Ann Beynon on November 22, 1845.

     Children born to this union were a daughter - Sarah (2nd child buried in Wales), Benjamin Nephi, Clement Carlos, George Alma, John Henry, William Isaac (the middle name was later changed to initial AJ), and a daughter, Matilda. 

     In his diary he states that he felt a desire to seek further knowledge concerning the principles of baptism and the laying on of hands as taught by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. As I began to discuss with them (the missionaries) on several points-they got pretty alarmed and began to inquire of me if I did mean what I said-My answer was to the advice of Paul, "to prove all things and hold fast in that which is good," so I did intend to do so. He was baptized the next day, October 8, 1849.

     He came to America in 1860 and settled in Utah in 1864. Four years later he and his wife and four children, Benjamin Nephi, Clement Carlos, George Alma and John Henry moved to Malad, Idaho.

     On November 5, 1868 he was ordained a High Priest by James Chivers and on Jun 7, 1869, he was sealed to his wife by Elder Wilford Woodruff at the Endowment House in Salt Lake City, Utah.

     He passed away on June 5, 1897, at his home in Malad, Idaho.

     It was the custom in those days to have burial clothes and all related items already except for the marking of the temple garments.

     Bishop George Stewart and Thomas Thomas (son of William Howell Thomas) were called to wash and prepare the body for burial. They later said there was a pulling force working against them as they tried to dress the body, but the task was accomplished.

     Sometime afterward as the family was assembled, it was noticed that the body was not at rest (a moaning of sorts seems to come from it). Several ideas as to the cause were explored but to no avail.

     A granddaughter, Margaret, (or Mag, daughter of Benjamin Nephi) was coming from the woodshed with her arras loaded with wood and as she stepped through the doorway, she said a voice said, "check the garments" (at the time she was the only one of the family that had received her Temple Endowment).

     Bishop Stewart and Brother Thomas were called again to come and examine the clothing and they found that the garments had not been marked. The garments were removed and properly marked and the corpse redressed. Thereafter the body seemed to be at rest-a testimony that the Temple Endowment is God given.

 

     The following was copied as close as possible from a Xerox copy of the hand written history of his great-great grandfather, George P. Adams, by Joel L. Tapley December 10, 1980:

 

     I was born according to the Acount that I have had in Haverfordwest in the County of Pembroke in the year 1817. My Father at that period of time had two females pregnant at the same time and instead of marrying my mother he married the other and for that reason I was rather rejected and dispised for as soon as I was born I was put out to Nurse and was treated rather roughish and nockt about from one to another until I arrived to three years old in which time my Grand Father and Grandmother took me after which I was taken pretty good care of untill I Came to Care for my self. I was from 18 to 19 years ofAge when I went to service to A fanner and after Awhile I went off like a Bird out of his nest to try my luck to the Iron Factories after which I went through many Difficulties Before I could get on properly through being strange and unacquainted with the Customs and forms of a strange Country but after A lettle time I got to work in the Iron Ore and then I got Along better and after A little I got familier with things and to get A little money so as I was Able to get my self some Cloths and other Nessasaries: I was About 20 years of Age when I went to the Iron Works and was between nine & ten years a nocking About as the general customs of youth are after which I got married to one after the name of Sarah Beynon in the year 1845 and I never was very much inclined to any of the religious partys. I was rather holding with the ideas of the Deist because I never Could see any Correspondence with the Different Creeds of the Day so I was rather opposed to them all. I was Aware that there must needs bee that A great reformation of things was Necessary to take place but I Could not see no union for the world for any Body of people would petion for any grant another would opose it so I was rather inclined to what they Called the Charter and the Denornenatians of the Day was opposed to it and this was the cause that persuaded me to A rather dislike to any of them. I wanted the Working Class to have their rights and I could not understand how it was going to come to pass without unionization and I saw that union could not be passed at all without seeing alike so in this Kind of way it passed on untill the year 1849 in which A great Harm took place an awfull malady Made its appearance called the colerah. This made A great measery Among the people and Numbers Joined relegeon some to one Sect and others to other sects some to the Baptists some to the Methodists asome to the independents and some to the Westleans but 'my lot fell with the Primative Methodists. I recieved A ticket on tryal to see if I had the composition in me that would compose A ranter but after I began to follow the Societese I also began to reade their Article which thay told me was the New Testament but I could not see the Article and the forms and notians that thay inbibd corresponding and the more I read the more contradictions I found so in this state of Meditatians my mind was called to reflect upon some princeples which I had heard through one and so the other that were embraced and cherished by a people called the Latter-Day saints.

     Now I found that the Article that the Premetive held represented to me confirmed that principles taught by the Latter Day Saints and seemd to Direct all together contrary to what they profesed to believe which Caused no small stir in my mind so
after the space of about Six weeks after my Forming them I felt A desire to see farther about it so I began to Discus with them on several points such as Baptizarn and the Laying on of hands and so forth so they got greatly alarmed alarmed and began to
inquire of me if I did mean what I said; and my Answer was according to the Advise of Paul which was to prove all things and hold fast in that which is good so I did intend to do so this Discource fast in that which is good so I did intend to do so this
Discource fast in October on the 7th/ 1849 and on the 8th, 1849 I went and got Baptizd by AAuthorized Servant of God and was adopted into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and from that time I am Able to rejoyes in the fullness of the Everlasting Gospel and in the glorious influences of the Spirit of the God of Israel and if I hapen to peruse A little in the old Article which is so much Cherishd by all Denomenations of people which is Called the Bible I am Able to Comprehend the Spirit in which it has been wreten and also what people it Aludes to so I am able to enjoy in the Age I live in: in which time God the Eternal Father is once More Communicating his mind and will to the Children of men so as they may understand his great purposes.

 

A Key for the Wise by George P. Adams


     When we pass behind the vaille we pass from sorrow and Strife where we will meet and each other greet in the bloom and viggar of life this may seem to many Strang but tis eternal truth we have got to come again and enjoy the Days of youth this is the grand secrete that never has been told unto the wise nor Noble nor Learned of the world but it has been from Heaven reveald in these the Latter Days unto the meeke and pure in heart as thay may know his ways this is what all the Prophets saw that livd in Days of Yore all things would be restord again Exactly as before. Some one may ask the question as to what will be the cause the answear come so forceibly the very selfsame Laws this is the grand Establishd Law we may rely upon but if we disregard that Law well then its goodby John. This is One of the brightest genies there is nothing to compare and all the theologans may refute it if thay Dare. 

 

Information submitted by:

David Nielson

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Immigrants:

Adams, George Phillips

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