One hundred years after the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was established, the first members from Huntsville, Texas, heard the gospel, converted to “Mormonism” and set up a meetinghouse. Once the members learned the gospel, which Joseph Smith restored, it took almost twenty years to establish church services of any kind. Initially, the Church met in a residential home. By learning the message that the missionaries taught, the newly converted members, used their faith in the Savior to “steadfastly hold to their testimonies,” even without a meetinghouse. [1] In the Huntsville area, started a “humble beginning” to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints with only a few ordinary men and women who chose to accept the true gospel of Christ. Throughout the scattered families, started what is now known as the Huntsville Ward, two Conroe Wards, Madisonville Branch and Crockett Branch.[2] And in the last year, the former two Conroe Wards branched into a third ward, the Montgomery Ward. Even if Huntsville is only one small place where members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints meet, the faithful members are in no part less valuable to the running of Christ’s Church. As the church becomes larger, so does the Huntsville Ward, and to some extent, they are one of the reasons that the church has been a success. Although they might be behind the progress of Utah in the early 1900’s, they are keeping up with the times and the progression very well, in today’s hectic society.
In 1820, fourteen year old Joseph Smith had his first vision of the Heavenly Father with Jesus Christ at his right hand. Joseph prayed and asked which church he should join, and Heavenly Father told him to join none of them. The organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was formed after Joseph and other witnesses translated the Book of Mormon in 1829. Joseph Smith founded the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 6, 1830 in Fayette, New York. Through an enduring journey, Brigham Young brought the group to Salt Lake Valley, Utah in 1847, seventeen years after the Church was organized.[3] When the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was started, everything was based on revelations given through the prophet. Everyone who joined the Church was a volunteer to the running of Christ’s Church. No one is paid for their “calling” in the Church. After migrating to present-day Utah, the Church of Jesus Christ expanded throughout the world. Although surrounding communities had members, it was not until the 1930’s when the Latter-day Saint missionaries reached Huntsville, Texas.[4]
Source Footnotes
[1] Lorita Steely Bellew, “Reflections on the Huntsville Ward,” January 2006, author’s collection.
[2] Bishop A. E. Ballew and Lorita Ballew, “Huntsville Ward History”, compiled February 1997.
[3] “History of the Church,” Official Website of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
[4] James S. Olson, interviewed by Kristen Maier, Wednesday, November 11, 2009, Dr. Olson’s office in AB4.
