Two devoted servants on the Lord’s errand.
One historic mission that changed the world.

Many years before he became the leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, David O. McKay, spread the gospel on an extraordinary mission around the world. This mission broadened the horizons of the Church, and provided unforgettable spiritual experiences for the future prophet.

In 1920, Elder McKay was called by President Heber J. Grant to visit the Orient, the Pacific, Asia, and the Armenian Saints in Syria. President Grant selected Hugh J. Cannon, a son of George Q. Cannon and the Liberty Stake President, to accompany him.

Over the course of a year, from December 4, 1920 to December 23, 1921, they sought out Church members in remote areas, and they had numerous spiritual experiences that demonstrated the hand of the Lord in their efforts. Their many accomplishments included:

• The dedication of the land of China by Elder McKay for the preaching of the gospel
• A powerful visit to the land of Palestine where the Savior once walked
• An excursion to Egypt and the Great Pyramids
• Perilous journeys to Pacific islands where mighty miracles were performed
• Inspiring meetings with missionaries throughout Europe

Following their return to the United States, Elder McKay asked President Cannon to write down these experiences, which he did. A serialized travelogue of their journey was soon published in the Deseret News, but very few of the spiritual events were included.

The completed handwritten manuscript was later submitted for publication, but unfortunately the publisher misplaced it, and it was not found for many years. President McKay himself hoped for the day the manuscript would be found, so that these memorable experiences could “reach the young people of the Church, that their faith too might be increased.”

Now, more than eighty years later, the details of that historic journey have finally come forth.

---

Reviews-

"This first person account of LDS Apostle David O. McKay's groundbreaking journey around the world in 1920-21 was written by his chosen companion for the trip, Hugh J. Cannon. This lost manuscript, originally intended for publication soon after McKay became Prophet and President of the LDS Church in 1951, only recently came to light via Cannon's children. This may prove to be fortuitous timing as the book makes a nice side dish to the main entrée of the 2005 biography David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism by Gregory A. Prince and Wm. Robert Wright. Cannon's narrative is enjoyable for the elegant prose and dry wit of another era and for its details of McKay's formative super-Pauline journey (to which Prince and Wright devote just five pages). The significance of McKay's firsthand experience in dozens of cultures on this trip ripened as he oversaw significant globalization of Mormonism while head of the church in the 1950s and 1960s. Cannon's memoir, although laden with accounts of seasickness and miraculous acquisitions of berths on overcrowded steamers, is a porthole onto historical events and indigenous cultures, as well as the spiritual manifestations that accompanied these "special missionaries" to the world. Avid LDS historians will enjoy this snapshot of a budding international church and its insights into one of Mormonism's most charismatic leaders. "

—Publisher's Weekly
Religion Bookline, December 4, 2005

". . .This unusual little gem is a real departure from the standard ‘church books’ and a fun read."

—Julie M. Smith, Times & Seasons
Click here to read the entire review

"The record Brother Cannon kept of their journey including spiritual experiences that happened throughout the trip as well as visits to many historical places.  A wonderful testimony by Brethren of the hand of the Lord in all that they did."

—Book Reviews and More.com
read the entire review at http://www.bookreviewsandmore.com/davidomckay/

Spring Creek Book Company • PO Box 50355, Provo, Utah 84605-0355
Questions? Contact us at support@springcreekbooks.com