Strengthening Family Relationships Through Family History Research

Talk given Oct. 26, 2025 By Susan Davis 

32 years ago this Christmas Eve, we moved into our brand new home on

Wasatch Blvd. The next day, Christmas was Sunday. Jim and I and 7 of

our 8 children attended our first Sacrament meeting in this ward. We have

always believed we were guided to our home and this ward. It was one of

the best decisions we ever made!

The assigned topic for this talk is strengthening family relationships through

family history research. I have been blessed with an amazing heritage! So

many family histories written and preserved by others plus wonderful

parents who shared family stories with us as children. I have often

wondered, Why Me?” “Why have I been blessed to be born into a family

with my family heritage.” Then it makes me wonder, what is it I am

supposed to be doing because of this great heritage, lineage and

blessings.” That thought is kind of scary to me.

Many, many years ago, it was very early in the morning when our 3 rd child

Steven, crawled into our bed between Jim and me and snuggled in saying,

“Tell me again the story about my Granfauddar’s that were killed in jail.”

Steve was just 3 years old at the time and had a little difficulty saying his

“r’s.” Obviously, this was long, long time before we moved here in the

middle of his Junior year in high school.

We had recently returned from a family cross-country trek. Jim was the

Mayor of the City of South Salt Lake and serving as the Chairman of the

Wasatch Front Regional Council. He had a national conference at Niagara

Falls to attend. Instead of Jim just flying out to his conference in New York,

we decided we would drive and make the trip a family vacation.

We packed up our bougeed out new little blue van with camping supplies,

food, our 3 oldest children, James age 6, Missy age 5, Steve age 3 and my

mother to head across the country. We left our baby twins, Mindy and

Cindy, that were almost 2 yrs old home with my dear sister Zella Jeanne to

care for while we were on our family adventure. She surprised us upon our

return with the news she potty trained our twin girls, which I was eternally

grateful for.

As we travelled across the country, we drove out of our way to visit the

State Capitols of each state we passed through.

On our way home from Niagara Falls, we planned to have my sister

Carolyn and family drive from their home in Memphis Tennessee to meet

us along the way and drive to some historical LDS Church sites. Among

the places we visited was the city of Nauvoo, where we visited the

Historical Nauvoo Mansion House, the graves of Joseph Smith, his wife

Emman and our Great, Great Grandfather, the brother of Joseph Smith,

Hyrum Smith. Then we drove to the town of Carthage Illinois, about 30

minutes away from Nauvoo.

It was in the Carthage Jail where Joseph Smith and our Grandfather Hyrum

were martyred, killed by a mob of people storming the building forcing their

way up to the 2 nd floor where Joseph and Hyrum were being held.

We wanted to see this historical site and share the importance with our

young children.

Joseph and Hyrum voluntarily went to Carthage, the county seat, to answer

charges of Civil Disturbance. They were being held pending their trial and

had been guaranteed protection from any violence from the governor of

Illinois.

Joseph, Hyrum, John Taylor and Willard Richards were in the Jailer’s

upstairs bedroom when the mob stormed the jail. John Taylor was

wounded and Willard Richards escaped unharmed.

As we looked into the bedroom where Joseph and Hyrum were martyred,

Jim and I wanted our young, impressionable children to really feel the

importance and impact of had happened that day.

We carefully pointed out the blood of Hyrum staining the wooden planks of

the floor. Proudly and benevolently we told our little children how their

Grandfather Hyrum Smith and their Uncle Joseph Smith were killed in jail

by a mob at Carthage Jail.

We recounted the story of the mob shooting rounds of musket balls as they

raged up the stairs and shot through the bedroom door. Hyrum, who dearly

loved his younger brother Joseph, tried to secure the door by standing next

to the door, holding it from the inside. A musket ball went through the door

and shot him in his head. At almost at the very same moment, a second

ball came through the window and shot him in his back. Hyrum fell

backwards without moving his feet exclaiming: “I’m a dead man!”

Joseph Smith standing by the window, was hit by two musket balls. The

strength of the musket balls were so great it cause Joseph to fall from the

second floor window to the ground below.

We took our 3 little children outside the building to proudly show them the

spot where Joseph Smith’s dead body landed. We wanted them to know

their heritage of their grandfather and uncle who sealed their testimony of

the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ on earth with their blood. We

WERE and ARE extremely proud of our jailed martyred family and wanted

our little children to know and be proud too!

My family comes from a long line of religious dissenters.

A few years ago, Jim and I were visiting with our daughter Missy in

Massachusetts. I knew I had at least 1 ancestor on the Mayflower but did

not know who it was. Brad, her husband introduced us to a computer

program where we could research and track our Mayflower ancestors.

The Pilgrams were scrutinized, arrested, persecuted and banished

because they would not take the oath of loyalty to the Church of England or

other religious sects. They believed in the freedom of conscience,

separation of church and state ant the freedom to worship as they pleased.

Banished for their religious belief the Pilgrams moved to Holland. Then they

sought religious freedom in the new land the English had claimed. 105

people crowded on the Mayflower ship and traveled by stormy sea to reach

the new world. Of that 105 passengers, I was surprised to find I have 8

DIRECT Grandparents that sailed on the Mayflower, plus aunts and uncles

and cousins! I knew nothing of their histories. 7 of the 8 come through my

3 rd great grandmother, Lucy Mack Smith, the mother of Joseph and Hyrum

Smith.

The 8 th grandparent was Richard Warren coming through Winslow Farr on

my mother’s side of the family. When you see a picture of a statue of a

Pilgram, with the hat and buckles on his shoes, it is Richard Warren.

We also learned that William Brewster, the religious leader of the Pilgrams,

was Jim’s 11 th great grandfather!

While on that trip to Massachusetts, we had so much fun and learned so

much about family history that I did not know. We visited several

cemeteries with Missy’s family. Missy brought a wad of dollar bills; armed

with the app A Billion Graves, Missy would find a name of one of our

ancestors that were buried in that cemetery we were visiting. She

challenged her kids to run and find their grave. The first one who found the

grave received a dollar bill. We were able to locate several of our Pilgram

ancestors and other early colonizer family members. Later we googled that

ancestor to learn more about their lives and story.

Another grandfather, George Renyolds just after entering into Plural

marriage to his 2 nd , wife my Great Grandmother, the Morrrell Act was

passed by the United States Congress prohibiting Plural Marriage, making

it illegal. The leaders of the Church regarded the Act unconstitutional as it

prohibited religious freedom and practice. To test the constitutionality of the

Act, the U.S. Attorney for the Territory of Utah and Church Leaders agreed

to invite a “test case” before the U.S. Supreme Court. Great Grandfather,

George Reynolds was asked to be the defendant in the case known as

Renyolds vs. United States

To the surprise of all, the Supreme Court in 1879 ruled against the Church

and George Renyolds. He was sentenced to 2 years in jail with hard labor.

His case was appealed and his sentence was dropped to 18 months in jail

without the hard labor.

While imprisoned, George Renyolds zealously studies the scriptures

focusing on the Book of Mormon. He decided that the Book of Mormon

needed a Reference Concordance and began tying scripture citations

together. Upon his release, he had completed over 25,000 citations and

references.

Recently when President Nelson passed away, I had such tender feelings

after hearing the news and for the next week. I was flooded by my feelings

and special experiences I had with my Grandfather Joseph Fielding Smith,

the 10 th President of the Church…which made me reflect on “Why

Me…why am I so blessed.

President Nelson and his family moved into my family ward when I was an

older teenager. He became my Stake President and I taught one of his

daughter’s in Primary. President Nelson gave me my first Temple

recommend when Jim and I were going to be married. My mother and his

wife, Dansel were friends.

I felt for his family. It brought back such tender, sweet feelings and

memories of my own with the passing of my Grandfather Smith.

Jim and I were newly married when my parents went on a Church History

tour. They asked us to stay at my family home with my younger brother

who is 6 ½ years younger than me,

While they were on their tour, we received a call that came in for my

parents, that my grandmother, Jessie Evans Smith, Aunt Jessie as we

called her Grandpa’s wife, had passed away.

We were able to reach out to my parents who were somewhere back East.

They were fortunate to get a quick flight back home to Salt Lake the next

day. Jim and I picked my parents up from the airport and drove them

directly to Grandpa Smith apartment.

Grandpa was sitting in his favorite chair when we arrived, sad and very

sullen. “Why did she have to go he asked, over and over. “I have lost 3

wonderful, beautiful women. I was supposed to go before Jessie,”

Grandpa lamented.

Grandpa’s first wife, Louie, died from complications with her 3 rd pregnancy.

He married my grandmother, Ethel Georgina Renyolds, she died from a

cerebral hemorrhage and now his 3 rd wife Jessie, who preferred to be

called Aunt Jessie and was 26 younger than Grandpa proceeded him in

death.

Grandpa was so sad. It was heart breaking to see how deeply sorrowful he

was. Jim and I were part of this tender moment as expressed his deep

sadness of outliving these wives and his life companions.

During our visit with Grandpa, President Harold B. Lee and President N.

Eldon Tanner came. Seeing his great sorrow and sadness, in an effort to

comfort Grandpa, they suggested they, the members of the First

Presidency of the Church, start planning Aunt Jessie’s funeral.

Grandpa looked up a little shocked and amazed that these 2 apostles

would suggest that. Grandpa said, “ We cannot do that! My Bishop is not

here. It is his role as the Bishop to help plan her funeral!”

After Aunt Jessie’s passing, Grandpa moved in with my Aunt Amelia and

Uncle Bruce R. McConkie who lived just above the Capital, close to the

city.

The week before his death, Grandpa had a very busy schedule meeting

with the newly called Mission Presidents and their wives. Speaking at

several meetings and commitments. That Friday, as he left the office at the

Church Office Building, he asked to stop by the room where the telephone

operators worked. He stopped and chatted with each operator and thanked

them personally for their valuable service.

On Sunday, Grandpa asked Aunt Amelia if they could attend his home

ward which started at 2:00. After the meeting as he was leaving a young

mother brought her young child up to him and asked if he could just touch

her child. He smiled and lovingly patted the child. A young man took hold

of his arm to him down the steps, calling attention to the fact there were two

steps. With a twinkle in his eye, Grandpa asked, “Do you think I can jump

them?”

Later that afternoon, my Uncle Reynolds came and picked him up to drive

out and visit my Aunt Josephine in Bountiful. They were planning a family

reunion.

They returned home around 7:00 PM. Shortly before 7:30, my father

called to see if Grandpa would like to go down to Manti to see the Mormon

Miracle Pageant that a 2 nd cousin was directing. Grandpa and the

McConkie’s had a light supper then Grandpa retired to his favorite big,

black leather chair he had brought from his apartment to the McConkie

home. Aunt Amelia joined him in the room. The talked while she was

writing letters to family.

About 9:20, Aunt Amelia briefly left the room to go get some needed

addresses for her letters. She was only gone a few minutes, when she

returned, Grandpa had quietly passed away.

Aunt Amelia called my father, Joseph Fielding Smith Jr. the oldest son.

Jim and I happened to be visiting at my parents home that Sunday evening

along with my older brother Lane. Upon hearing the news, my Dad and

brother, who a medical doctor immediately left the house leaving my

mother to call the rest of Daddy’s siblings with the news of Grandpa’s

passing.

After Mom completed her calls, Jim and I drove Mom across town to the

McConkie home. When we entered the home, Dad and my brother had

moved Grandpa’s body over to the couch and laid him down.

Grandpa looked like he was asleep with his arms gently folded across his

chest. At that time the only people in the room were my Aunt and Uncle, a

couple of their younger children, my parents, my brother and Jim and I.

There was such a deep, sweet spirit as we conversed quietly.

We hadn’t been there very long when President Harold B. Lee and

President N. Eldon Tanner, Grandfather’s Counselors in the First

Presidency came in. President Lee walked reverently across the room and

took Grandpa’s hand as he dropped to his knees and knelt on the floor next

to the couch and Grandpa’s body. The room filled with such an intense

spirit. The Holy Ghost felt so close and there Jim and I were witnessing

this great, powerful moment. It almost felt like you could feel the weight of

the transferring of the priesthood responsibility to President Lee!

Again, I have wondered throughout the years, “Why was I so blessed to

witness this powerful event and to be there with Grandpa after the passing

of Aunt Jessie.” I feel so abundantly blessed. I am one of Grandpa’s 60

grandchildren.

To my little 3-year-old Steven and to all of my children and grandchildren,

remember the stories of your family and honor our heritage. REMEMBER

the stories of our “Granfaudders” and brave “Grandmauders,” who

courageously were willing to give their all, even to persecution, jail and

death for their knowledge, convictions and testimonies. The blood of our

great ancestors, kings, queens, prophets, indian chief’s, indian princesses,

women who bravely crossed the plains, giving up all their worldly

possessions and so many others who have come before us. REMEMBER;

Their blood runs through our veins. REMEMBER, they did very hard things.

REMEMBER, we can do hard things too!

I have been blessed with and so grateful for my noble heritage. I still

wonder, “Why me and what do I need to do,.” I am so grateful for my

testimony of our Savior, our Heavenly Father the knowledge that Joseph

Smith restored the fullness of the Church.