Hannah Welch McLachlan Lyon

Hannah was born to parents who were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints living in Utah Territory. When Hannah was 9 years old, she got sick with an illness that made her hands and feet shake. Hannah could not go to school for many weeks. Hannah was sad because she missed going to school. One day, an idea came to her mind that if she would be baptized, then her hands and feet would be healed. 

Hannah had a choice to make. 

She could ignore the idea that the Spirit had given to her in her mind,

or

She could choose to act in faith to be baptized and to be healed from being sick.

Hannah chose to be baptized. 

Hannah was nervous to tell her mother about this idea, so she prayed that Heavenly Father would tell her mother the same idea. That day, Hannah’s mother did get the same idea from the Spirit!  Hannah wrote in her journal about how happy she was to be baptized with the support of her mother the very next day. Hannah got better quickly from being sick. She believed this was because she chose to follow the Spirit to be baptized. Hannah was able to go back to school, and even went to college at the University of Utah. She was very smart for her age. Many of her classmates went on to become apostles and prophets in the Church. Hannah later got married to Warren Harvey Lyon when she was 33 years old and they had 5 children. 

When have you chosen to follow a prompting from the Spirit? 

Hannah Welch McLachlan Lyon

6 March 1875 – 13 March 1966

FamilySearch ID: KWCY-JG7

Birth: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah Territory, United States

Death: St George, Washington, Utah, United States

Married: Warren Harvey Lyon

William McLachlan

William was born and raised in a country called Scotland. William’ s mother died when he was 12 years old. His sister helped his father take care of him. William got a job in a hardware store when he was 13 years old so he could help support his family. William grew up and kept working hard. One day at work, William felt like he wanted to talk to Heavenly Father. But he had never heard anyone pray before in his family. 

William had a choice to make. 

He could choose to not pray because he did not know how,

or

He could choose to try to say a prayer on his own. 

William chose to pray. 

He would often kneel on the stairs at bedtime to pray so he could be alone. He felt comfort and strength when he prayed. When William grew up, his step brother convinced him to move to a nearby country called England to start a new job selling cloth for making clothes. William did not like this job, but he stayed to help his brother. Because he stayed, he met a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. She taught him about the scriptures and invited him to come to church. William felt the spirit when he went to church and read what apostles had written about the gospel of Jesus Christ. He was baptized when he was 19 years old. He married another new convert named Caroline Flier, and they had 10 children. They made the faithful and brave choice to move their family across the land and sea to Utah so they could live with the church members there. 

What have you felt when you prayed?

William McLachlan

30 May 1840 – 3 December 1916 

FamilySearch ID: KWCX-BWY

Birth: Gatelawbridge, Dumfriesshire, Scotland, United Kingdom

Death: Salt Lake City, UT, United States

Married: Caroline Flier

Luther Peet Lyon

Luther was born on a farm in New York to his parents who were the first settlers of the town. His mother died when he was seven years old. Before she died, he promised to help take care of his two siblings as they grew up. He attended the college that would later become Cornell University and worked for a law firm when he graduated. He traveled in a boat from New York all the way to California when he was 25 years old to join in the gold rush! Luther panned for gold for 10 years in California, then for 6 more years in Nevada. He became very well acquainted with the author Mark Twain during his travels. When he was about 40 years old, he moved to Salt Lake City, Utah, to visit his old friend from New York, Brigham Young. While practicing law, he loved to make Brigham Young laugh when he visited the law office. Luther read information published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and decided to join the Church. He met his wife, Elizabeth, the following year and they were married. They raised 9 children together in the Salt Lake Valley. Three of their first four children died as infants, making him very sad.

Luther had a choice to make. 

He could lose his faith and his sense of humor in the face of trials,

or 

He could choose to keep serving in the gospel of Jesus Christ with a light heart.

Luther chose to keep serving and laughing.

He continued to support his family by working as a teacher, a carpenter, and served as the bishop of his ward. His daughter Elizabeth Arnold wrote about her father, "He was a small man and had a great sense of humor and was always laughing and telling funny stories".

When have you chosen to look on the bright side or keep a sense of humor even when life got hard?

Luther Peet Lyon

23 December 1823 – 2 September 1897 

FamilySearch ID: KWNV-8FM

Birth: Genoa, Cayuga, New York, United States

Death: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States

Married: Elizabeth Harvey Baxter

Elizabeth Harvey Baxter Lyon

Elizabeth was born in Manchester, England, as the eleventh of twelve children in her family. Her father died when she was 13 years old. She joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when she was fifteen years old, along with her mother. 

Elizabeth had a choice to make. 

She could stay in England with her family and friends, 

or

She could choose to gather together with the Saints in Utah where they could practice their new religion freely.

Elizabeth chose to gather with the Saints in Utah. 

The same year of her baptism, Elizabeth boarded a ship to America with her mother and younger sister. They then took a train to Nebraska, then walked with a wagon company almost 1,000 miles over the next three months to get to Salt Lake City. When she was 18 years old, she married Luther Lyon and they had nine children together. She was very diligent in writing in her journal about her own life, as well as world events. She even wrote in her journal about the Titanic shipwreck. One year before she died, she met Martin Harris when he visited Utah. She wrote, “Never shall I forget the thrill that passed over my body when I heard Martin's testimony [of the Book of Mormon]. He was a small man and very pleasant to talk with.” She was counseled by Martin to bear testimony of what she had heard him testify of. Her husband died almost 30 years before her, and four of her children passed away before her as well.  She spent the last few years of her life doing temple work for her family and friends, crocheting, leading a women’s choir, and serving in the Relief Society. She would visit her children, including Mack Lyon, in Overton, Nevada, during the winters.

When have you chosen to go out of your “comfort zone” in order to get closer to Heavenly Father or follow Christ’s example?

Elizabeth Harvey Baxter Lyon

17 November 1847 – 6 September 1928

FamilySearch ID: KWNV-8X1

Birth: Manchester, Lancashire, England, United Kingdom

Death: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States

Married: Luther Peet Lyon

Mary Louisa Woolley

Mary was the daughter of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in St. George, Utah. Her father was a successful carpenter, so Mary had opportunities to travel the United States and get more education than most people in her community. Mary loved to serve the Church in the many callings she held, especially in leading the music at church. Mary chose to receive her temple endowment when she was 22 and married Samuel 2 years later. Mary and Samuel were called by the prophet Joseph F. Smith to move to Moapa Valley, Nevada to help the members of the church set up a new community there. Mary was used to city life and had never lived in a place without a town before.  

Mary and Samuel had a choice to make.

They could stay in Utah with their friends, family, and the majority of the members of the Church. 

or

They could follow the prophet’s request for them to serve the members of the Church in a new and far away place.

Mary and Samuel chose to follow the prophet.

They put all their belongings from their house and their business on a train and rode it down to Nevada for many hours. They put all their things in a covered wagon and rode into the night. In the middle of the night, they stopped in the middle of a desert and left Mary and her three children, ages 4 yr to 4 months, and their pet dog so they could go back to the train station to get the rest of their things. Mary was very afraid of the coyotes and Native Americans that might see her by the light of their little fire. After a long, cold night, her husband came back and helped her set up the tent they would live in for over 3 years while her husband cleared the land and planted crops to get ready for more settlers to join them. It was hard to live in the desert with very little of the nice things she was used to having growing up. Mary’s children said she never complained about her trials. They wrote this poem about her: 

“You always spoke well of everyone near you,

You dwelt on the good, the beautiful, the grand--

The music in our valley has been part of your mission

Guided under the able swing of your hand.”

When have you chosen to follow the Prophet, even when it was hard?

Mary Louisa Woolley

17 September 1874 – 10 May 1955

FamilySearch ID: KWCG-RFD

Birth and Death: St. George, Washington, Utah, United States

Burial: Logandale, Clark, Nevada, United States

Married: Samuel Henry Wells