The Mission

As I said in an earlier post, one moment that linked me closer to John D Rees was finding his mission journal.

John D Rees was part of a group called during a general conference to serve in Europe. The following day they were given their specific assignments as to where in Europe they would be serving. He was called to go back to where he was from in South Wales.

Things were done a little differently back then for missions. Since the church was newer at this time, they not only needed men to spread the gospel but to be church leaders. At one point on his mission he was assistant to the President which back then meant something a little bit different. He was not only able to spread the gospel but                                                                    establish the church in South Wales.

He was married to at least two of his wives at this time and had some children. I love hearing of the sacrifices that my ancestors made for the gospel. It inspires me to follow his example.

A Mini Family Reunion

Have you ever thought about what it would be like to have a family reunion with all of your ancestors? I would love to have one with all of the descendants of John D Rees. John D Rees has affected so many lives, I would love to meet him one day and ask about his experiences. He changed so much in his life that has been passed down to generations. I love hearing his story.

John Davis Rees was born in Glamorganshire, South Wales on March 4, 1815. He was the third child of Meredith and Mary Davis Rees. When the first missionaries were called to spread the gospel in Europe, John and his first wife Mary Morgan were the first in their family to join the church. John and Mary were married on July 4, 1842 and had a few children before they discovered the church. It is not known how they were first introduced to the gospel, but they were baptized around the year 1846. In 1849, they traveled with the first group of emigrants from Wales to America.

They eventually made it to Utah and were able to be sealed together in 1852. John was advised to take a second wife. He married Mary's sister Jane the next month.

The story does not end there though. John was asked a few more times to take wives and had 4 wives overall. It is a long, interesting story that has been somewhat pieced together through research.  My line comes through his fourth wife Cecelia Howe.

When I do family history work and find new stories about my ancestors, I feel like I am having a mini reunion with that ancestor. I am able to learn about them and what they experienced in their lives. I am able to see their traits in my own family members.We all may not be sitting together face to face sharing stories, but I am able to feel closer to my ancestors the more I find. I hope to one day be able to all come together for a huge family reunion, but for now I will continue enjoying my mini reunions.

And so the interest began...

John Davis Rees was born on March 4, 1815 in Glamorganshire, South Wales. Around the year 1846, he and his wife Mary joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. They were part of the first group of saints who emigrated from Wales to the United States. This Welsh Heritage is known throughout the family since he was the first ancestor to come to America.

My interest in this ancestor began in the Special Collections area of the BYU library. The only thing I knew about this area of the library at that time was that it stored old documents that need to be handled with care. A search online led me to find a journal for John D Rees stored here. Even though this was not related to my research, I felt a need to go and look at this journal. I found out this was not just any journal but his missionary journal which he kept while serving in Wales. Since he was called to serve in South Wales, he was able to teach some of his relatives and bring them into the church.

At that time in my life I was in the process of filing out paperwork for my own missionary service. I felt a real connection to this ancestor and felt like this was a confirmation from the Lord that I was supposed to serve a mission.  

Information about his life can be found in this pamphlet compiled by the family. (John Davis Rees Pamphlet)