This is the autobiographical narrative of James Henry Sullivan. Known by family as "Henry" and others as "Jim", he was born fifteen years following the end of the Civil War on July 20, 1880. Born into dire circumstances in Nahunta, North Carolina, he became acquainted with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the age of 18 and was baptized into the church shortly thereafter.
After serving a six-month mission for the Church, he emigrated to Utah to join the main body of Latter-day Saints. This volume describes his formative years in North Carola, his conversion to the Church, his courtship and marriage, and the commencement of a young family in Salt Lake City, Utah. With young children in the home, he was called and faithfully served a second mission for the Church -- this time for a duration of two years -- to his native North Carolina and surrounding states.
After return home, his family continued to grow and he experienced many of the blessings of raising a family, the agony of losing his beloved wife, and the uncertainty of employment during the Great Depression. The book is filled with expressions of love for his family, demonstration of devotion and dedication to his spiritual beliefs, detailed experiences from three church missions to the Southern States, and his retirement and relocation to Southern California. James H. Sullivan passed away at the age of 87 surrounded by loved ones in Costa Mesa, California.
This volume represents the combined efforts over many decades of several of his daughters and grandsons who transcribed, compiled, and typed volumes of journal pages. The final compilation, editing, and publishing was completed by his great-grandson, James Nelson Sullivan.