William Davies of Llanelli Finds the Assurance That Eluded Twelve Zealous Baptist Years (1848)

Writing from Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, in the spring of 1848, William Davies gave the Prophet of the Jubilee the account of his conversion from the Baptists to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He had been 'for many long years zealous with the Baptists,' yet testified that 'although I tried my best with religion for about twelve years, I failed to obtain one conviction of my acceptance by God; but at best it was practically all fears and doubts; but after getting hold of this one, there are no fears concerning the plan, rather great certainty through the Holy Ghost that this is his church.'

The difference he described was total — 'as much difference as between sound and substance — between light and darkness — between day and night — between truth and falsehood — between fantasy and the power of religion; yes, as much difference as there is between being a member of the church of Jesus Christ and being an outsider.' With the Baptists, he said, 'we had a church in one place, and the Testament in another, being impossible to recognize the Testament by the church, or the church by the Testament'; but among the Latter-day Saints, 'to read the Testament is to read the church — to go to the church is to go to the place where the promises of the Testament are fulfilled.' He was struck that the missionaries, though poor in the sight of the world, bore the same character as the apostles the Son himself had chosen. He closed with a determination, 'through the strength of my Father who is in heaven,' to go forward with this religion and spread it whatever men might say, and with a Welsh verse of witness: 'This is the best religion I have seen, and that I have liked in the world; this one brings to all men who come to it with obedient mind all knowledge, for perfecting them on their journey to their land, and they will have the Holy Spirit, to lead them to their Father.' His prayer was that his 'former and honest brethren' would come and experience it too — 'they will receive a reward a hundred thousand times better than they now have, and in the end eternal life.'