Karl G. Maeser

Today on my drive home from Colorado I discovered BYU radio on sirius xm radio. I don't normally support anything BYU ;) but since it was Sunday, and I wasn't attending church, I wanted to listen to something uplifting. They were playing a "Legacy" segment about a man named Karl G. Maeser, a name I had never heard before. (I'm sure all my BYU friends have heard of him) It was an interesting segment, and what stood out to me most was his conversion story. I love hearing about peoples conversions to the gospel.

Karl Maeser was born in Germany in 1828 and was educated and then taught in Dresden. Around 1855 after he'd finished his education and become a teacher, he came across an anti-Mormon book. He'd never heard of the LDS church, or met even one of it's members, but he became intrigued by the book. Although the book was well written, and very convincing, he felt right away that what he was reading was a lie. This began his search for the truth about this new religion. (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Saints was restored in 1830) The LDS church was banned in Germany, so he wasn't able to find any missionaries or members to answer his many questions. He wrote to men in England that at first didn't respond because they thought they were being bated by German police. He was finally able to convince them and Franklin D. Richards, an Apostle in Europe at the time, traveled to Germany to teach him. His questions were many and his conversion was swift.

As I write this I realize I'm not doing justice to the story. His history was told by a historian named A. LeGrand Richards that wrote a book about him titled, "Called to Teach: The Story of Karl G. Maeser."

After his conversion, and that of a handful of other people, they started to hold meetings in secret. When they were eventually found out they were given two choices: One, renounce their new found religion or Two, leave Germany. Since he could not in good conscience leave what he knew to be true the police escorted him, his pregnant wife and two year old daughter to the border and he left Germany behind. After arriving in England he was quickly sent on a mission and his church service began.

His family emigrated to the US and made their way to Utah. He was made the second Principal of Brigham Young Academy when there were only 59 students and it wasn't doing well. He revolutionized the teaching model there and made it into the second best university in Utah. ;)

What an amazing conversion story that came from his reading a 158 (or 138) page anti-Mormon book. His legacy continues today and has blessed thousands of people. Maybe someday one of my kids (GASP!) will be blessed to attend an institution he had a hand in making great. (Don't tell Mike about my secret plan to send Sarah to BYU)

If you didn't click on the link above, and would like to hear this segment about him, click HERE.