David O. McKay's father's revelation to testify of Joseph Smith
Published October 23, 2026 at 3:51 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
While serving a mission around 1880, David O. McKay's father struggled with depression and a feeling that his spirit was 'clogged' after deciding to avoid testifying of the restoration of the gospel to appease hostile listeners. After seeking guidance, he retired to a cave near the ocean, where he heard an audible voice command him to 'Testify that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God,' which immediately relieved his spiritual distress.
In Their Own Words
“He entered that place and said: 'Oh, Father, what can I do to have this feeling removed? I must have it lifted or I cannot continue in this work;' and he heard a voice, as distinct as the tone I am now uttering, say: 'Testify that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God.' — Millennial Star 83:12”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), Vol. 83, No. 12 (1921). https://archive.org/details/millennialstar8312eng (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high)
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