By Janiece Lyn Johnson


In June 1834 a young mother who was faced with being disinherited by her father wrote a bold and moving letter sharing her conviction of the Restoration. Although she must have known her prospects of changing his mind were dim, Rebecca Swain Williams nevertheless stood firm despite the impending consequences. She declared to her father, Isaac, that the Book of Mormon and the Church were true, just as the Prophet Joseph Smith described, and that she had heard the Three Witnesses "declare in public meeting that they saw a Holy Angel come down from heaven and [bring] the plates, and la[y] them before their eyes." 1

Rebecca's testimony is moving not just for the power it demonstrates but also because of her unshakable testimony and indomitable will. Despite her father's rejection and the fact that her husband, Frederick G. Williams, became disaffected from the Church for a time, Rebecca never allowed her faith to waver. Tireless and unyielding, Rebecca stands as an example to us today of how we can remain firm and steadfast in the face of life's greatest challenges, even when those closest to us may reject our faith and spurn us.