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| Thomas Evans in his 20s |
Thomas Evans was introduced to the Latter Day Saint church by a co-worker at the coal mine by the name of Richard Bishop. Thomas and his wife Jane Ann walked a mile to attend the LDS meetings on Sunday and Thursday night for many months. Jane Ann was convinced that the gospel was true and was baptized in 1880. Thomas was reluctant, although he investigated the gospel for many years. He wrote: "I had a bad case of stuttering and it was hard for me to speak. I knew that if I joined the Church I would be advanced in the Priesthood and be expected to speak in the meetings. I was very sensitive about my stuttering and did not want to be ridiculed for it. This impediment kept me from joining the Church although I had attended for three years.”
“Then one of the Elders talked to me and told me I must not question the Lord’s work any longer, and so I decided to be baptized. When I was baptized and confirmed, this impediment [stuttering] left me at once and never came back. This is a strong testimony to me. I was confirmed the same night I was baptized, [Friday night, October 14, 1881]."
Thomas continues, “On Sunday, October 23, 1881, I was ordained a Deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood. Two months later I was made a Teacher. Two months from then I was ordained a Priest. Fourteen months from that time I was ordained an Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood. In 1883 I was appointed Branch Clerk and I was Clerk for a year. In 1884 I was set apart as First Counselor to the Branch President, and in 1886 I was set apart as Branch President.”
Thomas Evans was the father of Mary Ellen Evans who was the mother of Thomas Burgess Slade. On the Evans and Coles lines Thomas and his wife Jane Ann are the first to join the church. All generations that precede Thomas and Jane Ann were not members of the Church. It is Thomas and Jane who were the pioneers of the Evans and Coles line. After their conversion they were strong members of the church but suffered a lot of persecution in their homeland. They eventually emmigrated to Utah but that is another story.
When I reread this story I was touched by how Heavenly Father blessed Thomas when he had faith to move forward with his baptism. I had not noticed the part about how he was healed of his stuttering when he was baptized and how that helped his testimony to grow. This helped sustain him during the persecution he would endure during the next 11 years.
“Then one of the Elders talked to me and told me I must not question the Lord’s work any longer, and so I decided to be baptized. When I was baptized and confirmed, this impediment [stuttering] left me at once and never came back. This is a strong testimony to me. I was confirmed the same night I was baptized, [Friday night, October 14, 1881]."
Thomas continues, “On Sunday, October 23, 1881, I was ordained a Deacon in the Aaronic Priesthood. Two months later I was made a Teacher. Two months from then I was ordained a Priest. Fourteen months from that time I was ordained an Elder in the Melchizedek Priesthood. In 1883 I was appointed Branch Clerk and I was Clerk for a year. In 1884 I was set apart as First Counselor to the Branch President, and in 1886 I was set apart as Branch President.”
Thomas Evans was the father of Mary Ellen Evans who was the mother of Thomas Burgess Slade. On the Evans and Coles lines Thomas and his wife Jane Ann are the first to join the church. All generations that precede Thomas and Jane Ann were not members of the Church. It is Thomas and Jane who were the pioneers of the Evans and Coles line. After their conversion they were strong members of the church but suffered a lot of persecution in their homeland. They eventually emmigrated to Utah but that is another story.
When I reread this story I was touched by how Heavenly Father blessed Thomas when he had faith to move forward with his baptism. I had not noticed the part about how he was healed of his stuttering when he was baptized and how that helped his testimony to grow. This helped sustain him during the persecution he would endure during the next 11 years.
Sources:
Biography of Thomas Evans by grandson Richard P Evans
Picture is in possession of David Carl Slade
The name off the friend who introduced Thomas Evans to the Gospel was Robert Bishop, my Great Grandfather. They were friends and partners in the coal mines of Wales for thirty years.
ReplyDeleteNolan Dan Bishop
The name off the friend who introduced Thomas Evans to the Gospel was Robert Bishop, my Great Grandfather. They were friends and partners in the coal mines of Wales for thirty years.
ReplyDeleteNolan Dan Bishop