Religion: Conversions, Missions, Spiritual Experiences

Conversion Stories

The following are short facts on the conversion stories of our Ancestors.  They reflect the first in their family to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

  1. Thomas (father) and daughter Charlotte Jenkins— This family was with the Group of 600-800 people and ministers who were converted by Wilford Woodruff, he being inspired to go south to Herefordshire England. Wilford Woodruff’s baptism book records her father being baptized 10 March 1840.  I have not found her date yet.  FS shows a later baptism by proxy in a temple in Portland Oregon.  They sailed from England in 1840, arriving in New York and going up the Hudson river and West to Nauvoo.  Thomas passed away in 1841 in Nauvoo age 61.  Charlotte was 15 at the time of baptism and 16 when she sailed for America in September 1840.
  1. William (father) and son John Cole—This family was also among the group that was baptized by Wilford Woodruff in 1840. John’s baptism is recorded as 10 July 1840.  Some of the Cole family was on the same ship in September 1840 that sailed to America as Charlotte Jenkins was.  John was 19 years old at the time of the sailing.  It is not known if his father immigrated to America.  John and Charlotte were married August 25, 1843.
  2. Charles Merrell and Sarah (Finley) Merrell—The Merrell family had lived in North Carolina for generations. A large number of extended family members moved to Missouri in 1823. As this was new land being opened up the town they formed was called Merrellsville.  Sarah’s family moved from Kentucky to Missouri and is in the 1830 census living next to the Merrells.  Sarah and Charles were married in 1834 in Missouri.  At some point they moved and their first child was born in Iowa in 1837.  Iowa was being opened up in 1838 to federal land purchases and many people were moving there.  At some point, they met missionaries and joined the church and in 1839 moved to “New Nauvoo” Montrose, Iowa across the river from Nauvoo, Illinois.  Charles worked on the Temple and they were sealed 3 February 1846 and then headed to Winter Quarters.