Capt. Dan Jones Exhibition

Beginning February 2, 2010, the L. Tom Perry Special Collections in the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University will host an exhibition of many of the writings and publications of Capt. Dan Jones.

The exhibition can be seen on the 1st floor of the library in Special Collections (Room 1130) will run through the entire month of February. On Wednesday evening, February 17, at 7:00 pm, in Room 1131 (the Special Collections classroom) Ronald D. Dennis will give a presentation about the life and missions of Dan Jones, his great-great grandfather. All are invited to attend.

Capt. Dan Jones is often mentioned in LDS church history in connection with the Martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith. But Jones is also known for the prophecies made by the Prophet Joseph Smith regarding his future: that his life would be preserved and he would yet serve a mission to his home country Wales. The first prophecy was fulfilled when Jones’s life was spared on three separate occasions within thirty-six hours after it was made. And as for the prophecy about a mission to Wales, he actually served two missions–one from 1845 to 1849 and a second mission from 1852 to 1856.

Very little has been published about his missions for the simple reason that many of the records containing information about the growth of the Church in Wales during these years were recorded in Welsh. In addition to his sermons to many large gatherings all over Wales Jones also made extensive use of the printing press. He published a hymnal, a periodical, a 288-page scriptural commentary, and numerous pamphlets in an effort to proclaim the message of Mormonism to his compatriots.