Levi Hancock

Levi Hancock

Last weekend, David was reading the Ensign (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saint's magazine) when he came across an article in this month's magazine titled, Revelations of God.  It briefly spoke of Levi Hancock's sacrifices for Heavenly Father, and His plans for Levi.

David showed me this and we were both excited to see this.  We were so excited because this is David's ancestor, as well as our Levi's namesake.

All our boys are named after Mormon pioneers and while Brigham and Hyrum's namesakes are often mentioned at church, Levi Hancock has never been mentioned during a time that Levi has been at church.  Even at home, Levi Hancock probably isn't mentioned as much as Hyrum Smith or Brigham Young.  Sometimes we will watch a movie or read a book with a character in the movie portraying Brigham and Hyrum.  I will make it a point to get all excited and remind the boys who they were named after.  You see, when David told me that he wanted his first son to be named after Levi Hancock, and I realized the man that Levi Hancock was, it became VERY important to me that all my children were named after someone who led a great and righteous life while on this Earth.

We have had Levi Hancock's journal in our home for as long as I can remember but I have never read it.  Seeing his name in the Ensign made me realize that I haven't spent enough time reminding our Levi who he was named after.  I read a little introduction speaking of Levi Hancock's life and then built a Family Home Evening on it.

Since then I have been fascinated with Levi Hancock.  I just finished reading his journal and I knew that I had to get on here and record for my Levi, what a wonderful man he was named after.  I hope he refers to this often, as a grown man, to remember who he is to honor.  

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Levi Hancock was born in 1803 in Massachusetts.  He was one of the first to join Christ's modern day church in 1830.  He held many "high" callings within the church but as I read about his life, those callings seemed to be of little importance compared to what he accomplished and who he was.

Some of the things that I absolutely loved learning about him is that he served his mission in Missouri (one of the states that David served his mission), was a cabinet maker (just as David loves to build things with wood), and Patriarch.  The last is so special to me because of the blessings that David has given me.  He gives such meaningful blessings from our Heavenly Father.  And I know that I am not the only one who see's this.  I have had a number of people comment to me how grateful they were that he was so "in tuned" with the spirit after giving such a wonderful blessing.  My sister, April, told me once that she could see David becoming a Patriarch one day.  

I write all this down because  not only is our Levi a spitting image of his Daddy, but he is also very much tempered like him.  If Levi is anything like his Daddy, then he will be much like his namesake. Levi is in love with me and wants to be near me all the times.  Just tonight, while everyone else was out in the living room watching TV or playing on the DS, he was in my bedroom with me.  I didn't ask him to come in there.  I was finishing reading Levi Hancock's journal but Levi just had to be on the bed with me because he "just wanted to spend time" with me.  He gives me way to much credit than I deserve, just like his Daddy.  He is very touchy feely like Daddy.  A junior David Adams, my son is.

Some things that I want Levi to remember from Levi Hancock's journal:

Levi was on a mission when he and his companion came to a town where they were approached by a man who informed them that if they were not gone by the following morning, that "the public" would have "something to reveal to you, far beyond the Book of Mormon."  Levi and his companion had an appointment to meet with some farmers the following day, however, they decided to stay.  They preached to these farmers while some men from "the public" came to the meeting.  After the meeting, Levi Hancock walked up to the men and said, "My father fought for liberty you now enjoy and you want to deprive me of the liberty that rightly belongs to me.  I am a son of the only man who survived the great struggle for independence, who belonged to the family, and I am a cousin to the first man who signed the Declaration of Independence.  Now if you want to reveal anything to me, come on, I am ready."  

Some of those same men, were later baptized into the church.

Levi Hancock loved the prophet Joseph Smith.  So much so, that he was a body guard to him at one point.  He spoke of how badly Joseph was treated at times.  He said, "...I did all I could do to hold up that good man.  My heart would ache for him.  He had to stand against thousands of his pretended friends seeing to overthrow him.  It was terrible the abuse he suffered."  This could not describe my Levi more!  Levi can not handle seeing someone who is hurting.  I have often seen tears in his eyes as Hyrum cried or when I am upset.

Levi Hancock died in 1882 after being one of the pioneers who settled Manti, Utah.