Dan Jones: The River Captain Whose Chance Encounter with Joseph Smith's Stranded Boat Changed the History of Wales

The conversion of Dan Jones began not in a chapel or at a preaching meeting, but on the Mississippi River.

Dan Jones (1810–1862) was born in Halkyn, Flintshire, Wales and emigrated to America, where he became the captain of a Mississippi River steamboat. In 1843, Joseph Smith was traveling by river near Nauvoo when his vessel ran aground. Dan Jones happened to be nearby and came to assist.

The encounter between the two men — a Welsh riverboat captain and the Prophet of the Restoration — was electrifying. Jones was so struck by Joseph Smith's character, intelligence, and spiritual power that he could not leave him. He stayed near the Prophet, studied the gospel, and was baptized on January 19, 1843.

Within months, Jones had become one of Joseph's trusted companions and inner circle. He traveled with Joseph to Carthage Jail in June 1844, remaining at his side through the final night of the Prophet's life.

The 'chance encounter' on the river was no accident — it set in motion a chain of events that would bring over 5,000 Welsh souls into the kingdom of God, send hundreds of Welsh immigrants across the plains to Zion, and produce some of the most beloved pioneer families in Church history.

Today the Welsh Mission that Dan Jones built is considered one of the most successful single-person missionary efforts in the history of the restored Church. It all began with a stranded boat on the Mississippi.