Truman O. Angell - Early Work in The Church

Early Work in The Church

At age 23, Angell joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints along with his mother and his wife, and the following spring he served a mission for the church for 9 weeks, traveling 500 miles. The following July, he and his wife settled in Lima, New York, with his mother staying behind. In the fall of 1835 they moved to Kirtland, Ohio, and Angell helped build the Kirtland Temple. He was soon ordained a member of the 2nd Quorum of Seventies and the following spring commenced making arrangements to go on a mission. One day while working, with only a day or two of work left, Joseph Smith, Jr. approached him and asked him to build a store. Angell answered "that in consequence of being a seventy I was about to go out into the vineyard to preach". "Well," Smith said, "Go ahead," and Angell continued his work. In Angell's words he says:

The next day I looked up and saw the First Presidency of the Church together, distant about forty rods. I dropped my head and continued my work. At this time a voice seemed to whisper to me, "It is your duty to build that house for President Smith," and while I was meditating, I looked up and Brother Joseph Smith, Jr., was close to me. He said, "It is your duty to build that house." I answered, "I know it." Accordingly I changed my determination and yielded obedience. The numerous and continued calls to do this and that job soon plunged me in business so deep that I asked Brother Joseph if it was my calling to work at home. He said, "I'll give you work enough for twenty men."

During the dedication of the Kirtland Temple, Angell recorded the following in his journal:

When about midway during the prayer, there was a glorious sensation passed through the house ; and we, having our heads bowed in prayer, felt a sensation very elevating to the soul. At the close of the prayer, F. G. Williams being in the upper east stand--Joseph being in the speaking stand next below--rose and testified that midway during the prayer an holy angel came and seated himself in the stand. When the afternoon meeting assembled, Joseph, feeling very much elated, arose the first thing and said the personage who had appeared in the morning was the Angel Peter come to accept the dedication."

Truman moved with the Saints to Far West, Missouri and then to Nauvoo, Illinois.