I was born in Preston, Idaho in Franklin County Hospital on the 22 of September 1978 to Scott LaVell Koller and Pamela Aline Hyde. I was born the first of 5 children (one adopted). When my parents married they settled in Weston, where my dad had been raised, so that he could help his parents with the family farm.
In my early childhood we lived in my Grandpa and Grandma Koller’s rental house in the middle of town, about a block away from the local LDS church building. We then moved into a larger house right next door to my Grandparent’s, because our family needed more room to grow. I was raised in the LDS church and mind set and had a testimony of what they taught. I had a great desire to do what was right and what was required of me. I had a great love for the gospel throughout my childhood, and I wanted to live and grow up to be worthy to go to the temple.
Both my father’s and mother’s family line came from LDS background, my mother’s going back to the days of Joseph Smith. Having been in the LDS church all of our lives we were very familiar with the doctrine and the things that they taught. My family was thought of as “good” LDS people. We went to church every Sunday, paid our tithing, didn’t smoke or drink, and we did our community service when needed. We thought we were righteous and doing everything necessary to “live with Heavenly Father some day.”
About four years before we joined “The True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days” we began to notice things that were wrong with the government, which affected the public schooling system. My mom wasn’t happy with my brother’s education. He wasn’t getting anywhere. In fact, he was actually falling back. It was then that my mom decided to take him out and teach him at home. She gave me the choice of staying or leaving since I was doing okay in school. I thought about it – I was having a hard time getting everything done, and was disgusted with the way people were behaving and acting. I could see that I really didn’t have anything in common with them anymore. I was also very stressed out and overwhelmed, and the only reason that I would have liked to stay, and would miss the most, was the sports. Anyway, I chose to leave. It felt like a great burden was lifted off of me. When we left the public schooling system the people in Weston and in neighboring towns started to think of us as weird or “Constitutionalists.” Our family’s closest friends started to break their ties with us and ignore us. We were no longer part of the “clique.”
After a few months of home schooling we heard about a private school in Logan, Utah that a Ron and Karen Greene were going to begin if they could find enough people to attend. They were “Constitutionalists” like we were and most of those who attended the school were also. It lasted for about a year because Ron kept letting kids in from the public schools that had been suspended for bad behavior etc. Our family became really good friends with some of the families that had their kids attending, including pretty good friends with Ron and Karen Greene. I became really good friends with some of the kids that went to the school. It was during this time that my family was becoming a little uneasy with the LDS Church. We felt like we didn’t learn or get anything out of the meetings. We didn’t feel the spirit there anymore. It got to the point where we couldn’t see the reason why we should even go. We were confused because we had received witnesses of the Holy Ghost, in the past, as to the truthfulness of the things that the LDS Church taught. My parents began looking for information on deeper doctrine and such. They began reading Ogden Kraut’s books. I was so interested in them that I read as many as I could. I soaked up the information. I couldn’t read enough! This was a real no-no because we were supposed to just listen to the living prophet and not seek after “the mysteries.” Even our “Constitutionalist” friends, who were also mostly LDS, thought that what we were doing was wrong. We were confused. During this time Ron and Karen Greene had moved down to the Sanpete valley. They felt it was the place where God wanted them to be and that it was a safe place. We thought they were kind of weird and that they didn’t really know what they were talking about, but we kept wondering and thinking about things. My parents kept getting impressions that we needed to move. They were wondering if we should move to Wyoming or somewhere down south near Manti. We didn’t feel like we were where we were supposed to be. My parents kept thinking more of Wyoming. I remember telling my mom one day that I felt that we should move down to Manti or somewhere near there. She said she didn’t know or wasn’t sure.
Karen Greene happened to call my mom one day and tell her about this group in Manti that was having great manifestations and many spiritual experiences. Karen said she was had the baptism of fire at the time she called. My mom decided that she wanted to go down and see what was going on for herself. My dad was kind of uneasy about the whole thing and didn’t really want my mom to go down. Both her and my dad were worried that she might be deceived. She went down sometime in May of 1994. She told me that the whole way down she was praying in her mind that she wouldn’t be deceived and that she would find the priesthood. When she got there, she told Karen that she wanted Jim Harmston to give her a blessing. She asked for specific things in her mind that she wanted answered in the blessing. Well, they were answered, and she had an outpouring of the spirit upon her. She knew she had found what she was looking for!
We could tell she was excited when she got home. She couldn’t wait to tell us about what she had experienced, but she told my brother and I that she would tell us all about it when my two younger sisters went to bed. She went in and talked to my dad about it. He felt the spirit, that what she was saying was true, but still had some doubts about the whole thing. Later that night, after my sisters were asleep, my mom took us downstairs and told us about her experience. As I was listening to her, I noticed her aura around her. Especially around her head. As I told her that I saw this, my brother said the same thing (that he had seen it too). That was a witness to all three of us that what she was saying was true. The whole time that she was talking, I felt the spirit and had witnessed unto my soul, many times, the truthfulness of what she was saying.
My brother and I had most of our things packed, and in our closets, within the next few days, just in case my parents decided to move down to Manti. As time went on, my dad doubted some because he needed to experience it for himself. We all doubted, but we all knew deep down in our hearts that there was something going on down in Manti. Karen called faithfully every month to ask my parents to come to the models, but every month something would come up, so they couldn’t go. On August 20-21 they finally got the chance to go. The whole time they were gone I knew that they were going to come back and say get packed, we’re moving! – and that’s exactly what they did! We packed our big horse trailer, trying not to look too obvious to our neighbors that we were moving. That Sunday, my mom and dad handed their church books in and told some of the people in our ward that we were moving. That’s the first anyone knew what we were doing. They were all really shocked. We moved down to Moroni, Utah during the last of August and the first of September into Karen Greene Harmston’s old house. She had sold it to Kay and Marge Crabtree (who lived in Canada), when she had found a house in Manti to live.
My brother and I went to the Models for the first time on the 17 and 18 of September. It was great! It was like I knew everything that was being taught. It made complete sense to me. I had many witnesses during the models. I knew that this is what we had been looking for. This was where we were supposed to be! The group was just barely organizing a church called the “True and Living Church of Jesus Christ of Saints of the Last Days.” The conference was held on the 22 (my 16th birthday) and 23 of September. My brother and I were baptized and confirmed as members of the TLC on the 23. My parents both got rebaptized, as well as all the people in the group on that day also.
We stayed in Moroni until Kay informed us that he was going to move down from Canada, and wanted to move into his house (he and Marge were going to join the church), and that we needed to find a place to live as soon as possible. We found a place in Ephraim on the canyon road. It was a miracle that we found it so soon. We lived there for about a year, and then moved to Manti where my family and I have lived ever since.
I was married to Matthew Larson on May 11, 1996, and we had a son born to us on October 16, 1997. The Lord has truly blessed us. I am so happy and grateful to be a part of this work, and I desire to do my part in building Zion! I know that God blesses us and takes care of us, if we keep our covenants, for He has truly blessed us in our lives!
My Testimony
I have a very strong testimony that this is the work of God! The truth is here! I know that this is the gathering place and that this is where I am supposed to be. I have a great desire to do the Lord’s work, and I want to do everything necessary to fulfill my part in the establishment of Zion.
I know that Adam, even the Father of all living, is the one true God! I love my Father in Heaven and want to do everything necessary to again be able to enter His presence. I know that our Savior Jesus Christ died for all mankind that we might be able to be forgiven of our sins. I am so grateful for this, for I know that without repentance we cannot progress in the Lord’s work. I know that James Dee Harmston is a prophet of God, and that he is the one who has been sent to lead the Lord’s people here upon the earth. He is doing his part in the great work of these Last Days!
I testify that the modern LDS Church is in apostasy. They have changed ordinances and doctrine that would lead away God’s people. Satan has taken over, and they will soon be exposed for the many things that they have done to destroy the Lord’s work.
These are the very Last Days. The righteous remnant is being gathered, and soon destruction will come upon all those who will not repent of their sinful ways. The time has come for everyone to decide what side they are on – our Father Adam’s, or Satan’s. There is no in between!
I love this work, and I know that we will accomplish that which we have been sent to do. We will redeem Zion! This is my testimony in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.