TELL ME A STORY

FOREWORD

“The Kingdom of Heaven is like unto a merchant man seeking goodly

pearls: who, when he had found one pearl of great price, went and sold all that he
had, and bought it.” (Matt. 13:45, 46)
Seekers after truth may acquire much that is good and desirable, and not
find the greatest truth of all, the truth that will save them.
Yet if they seek persistently and with right intent, if they are really in quest
of pearls and not of imitations, they shall find.
Men who by search and by research discovers the truth of the kingdom of
heaven may have to abandon many of their cherished traditions and even their
theories of imperfect philosophy and “science falsely so called” (I Tim. 6:20) if
they would possess themselves of the pearl of great price.
No man can become a citizen of the kingdom by partial surrender of his
earlier allegiances; he must renounce everything foreign to the kingdom or he can
never be numbered therein.
If he willingly sacrifices all that he has, he shall find that he has enough.
The cost of the pearl is not a fixed amount, alike for all; it is all one has.
Even the poorest may come into enduring possession; his all a sufficient
purchase price.
(“Jesus the Christ” by James E. Talmage, pages 278-279)

This book and website is in response to the implicit request: TELL ME A

STORY. It is a compilation of the stories of our ancestors - each married couple
of five generations that gave their all for their one pearl of great price.

I. Tell me a story about the married couple in the first generation;

Robert Keith Shaw-Mary Lou Abbott SHAW

II. Tell me a story about each of the two married couples in the second generation

John Riley Shaw-Josephine Cottam SHAW

Austin Neal Abbott-Ruth Venetta Naylor ABBOTT

III. Tell me a story about each of the four married couples in the third generation;

Edmund Riley Shaw-Sarah Jane Ward SHAW

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 John Cottam-Lille Rose COTTAM

John Austin Abbott-Chrissie Eveline Whitney ABBOTT

Frank Sefton Naylor Sr-Rhoda Lois Laird NAYLOR

IV. Tell me a story about each of the eight married couples in the fourth
generation;

Elijah Shaw II-Martha Ann Thomas SHAW

James Spackman Ward-Harriet Brown WARD
William Cottam-Ellen Bridget Gallagher COTTAM
Andrew Rose-Josephine Malcolm ROSE

Myron Abbott-Laura Josephine Allen ABBOTT

George Burton Whitney-Lovina Syphus WHITNEY
William Naylor-Annie Wright NAYLOR
Edward Laird-Valeria Ann Flint LAIRD

V. Tell me a story about each of the sixteen married couples in the fifth
generation and how they were converted and gave their all “when (they) had
found one pearl of great price.” Tell me a story about those that left their native
countries and what their personal conditions were and the routes they took to join
the main body of the Saints in America.

Elijah Shaw-Lydia Bowen SHAW

Jacob Thomas-Elizabeth Miller THOMAS
William Spackman-Sarah Ward SPACKMAN
John Brown-Sarah Mundy BROWN
James Cottam-Margaret McDonald COTTAM
John Gallagher-Ellen Hines Duffy GALLAGHER
George Washington Rose-Mary Moore ROSE
Jonathan Malcolm-Debra Moore MALCOM

Stephen Joseph Abbott-Abigail Smith ABBOTT

Orvel Morgan Allen-Jane Wilson ALLEN
George Sanders Whitney-Mary Barnard WHITNEY
Luke Syphus-Christina Long SYPHUS
George Naylor-Mary Sefton NAYLOR
Henry Wright-Ruth Nephewson WRIGHT
James Laird-Marie Rennie LAIRD
William Flint-Mary Jane Goodridge FLINT

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 The Saints be honored and praised for their faith, courage and strength
needed to overcome great obstacles.

These hardy pioneers had found their one pearl of great price.

Robert K Shaw
12.24.2009