Spiritual Conversion

Thomas Ashment Sr.: English Convert and Pioneer Diarist of Richmond, Utah (1827–1900)

Published August 25, 2026 at 6:51 AM

1850s
England; Richmond, Cache County, Utah
Todd Morgan

Contributed by

Todd Morgan

Beaumont, CA, 92223

Share:XFacebookEmail

Thomas Ashment (1827–1900) was born in England, joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints there, gathered to Utah, and settled at Richmond, Cache County. He kept a journal from 1851 to 1899—preserved today in the BYU Library Special Collections (MSS 4064)—in which he recorded the life of an early Latter-day Saint and carefully copied down prophecies and spiritual material that circulated among the early Utah Saints. His journal is a quiet witness of a faithful English convert who preserved, in his own hand, the testimony and expectation of the early kingdom.

Sources & References

'Thomas Ashment journal, 1851–1899,' BYU Library Special Collections, MSS 4064 (https://archives.lib.byu.edu/); "'Lutius Gratiano' and the Uses of Prophecies," Journal of Mormon History 51, no. 2 (Thomas Ashment of Richmond, Utah, 1827–1900).

Miracle of the Week

One remarkable, documented account in your inbox every Monday, drawn from the full archive.