Richard Smythe's Audible Divine Direction to Find Henry Moore
Published October 13, 2026 at 6:06 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
While serving as a missionary on the Isle of Man in 1862, Richard Smythe was seeking guidance on how to begin his labors. While in bed on a Sunday morning, he heard a clear, audible voice, which sounded like President George Q. Cannon, commanding him to go to a place called Cronk Na Mona and tell a young man there that his recent self-baptism was not acceptable to the Lord and that Smythe held the authority to baptize him. Smythe obeyed, traveled to the location, identified the young man (Henry Moore), and delivered the message, which led to Moore's conversion and subsequent baptism.
Upon arriving at the house in Cronk Na Mona, Smythe met a young woman and a young man who identified the missionary as one of the 'dippers.' After a lengthy discussion regarding the necessity of baptism, Smythe and the man left to return to Douglas. Before parting, Smythe delivered his message, prompting the man to reveal that he had previously read about the Savior's baptism and had secretly attempted to baptize himself in the sea, but found it unsatisfactory. Following this encounter, the young man, Henry Moore, and the young woman, Christian Cannel, were baptized by Smythe the following Wednesday and later married before emigrating to Salt Lake City.
In Their Own Words
“It was just then that I received a very convincing testimony of the truth of the Gospel, for I distinctly heard a voice instructing me what to do. The voice in a clear, forceful strain called on me, naming me by name, and said, Arise and go to Cronk Na Mona, and tell a young man there what he has done has not been acceptable to the Lord, and that you have authority to baptize him for the remission of his sins. I arose, dressed myself, and started for the place mentioned, which was about three miles distant. I felt that I was on the Lord's errand, and my heart was full of joy. On arriving at the house, I found a young woman and a young man. I introduced myself as a servant of God, and they, having heard of the 'Mormons,' or 'dippers,' as they were called, invited me in. We had a long conversation on the principles of the Gospel, and I explained to them the necessity of baptism by immersion for the remission of sins, and the laying on of hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost. The young man, whose name was Henry Moore, and the young woman, Christian Cannel, listened with great interest. After some time, I left them to return to Douglas. Before parting, I delivered the message I had been commanded to give. The young man was much surprised, and said he had been reading about the Savior's baptism, and had secretly gone to the sea and baptized himself, but he had felt that it was not satisfactory. He now saw the necessity of receiving the ordinance at the hands of one having authority. The following Wednesday, I had the pleasure of baptizing Henry Moore and Christian Cannel, and confirming them members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
— Richard Smythe, as quoted in The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 67, No. 12
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 23 March 1905 (Vol. 67, No. 12). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1905-03-23_67_12 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Additional sources (periodical research): Glenn Rawson, "This is Cronk Na Mona," Glenn Rawson Stories, https://glennrawsonstories.com/product/this-is-cronk-na-mona/ Full first-person account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, 23 March 1905 (Vol. 67, No. 12), pp. 184-185 https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1905-03-23_67_12
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