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- Frank M. Edman Highlights from Oral History Summer 1975 prepared by Job Measom & Henry & Helen Starkphi of old, I, Frank M. Edman was born of goodly parents. They were poor, likewise proud; but otherwise honest. I wawas born in the year 1890 on the 17th day of March in Salem, Utah. It was much different then than it is now. There were no cement sidewalks or hard surfaced streets. There was no water system, no electric lights, no televisiononon, no radio, we were pretty much on our own. I was taught in the Salem schools. There were no high schools in the entire county. We went from the eighth grade to the Brigham Young Academy if we wanted to continue our education. I was raised like all boys in Salem. I don't remember a morning in my life when we didn't turn our chairs around at the breakfast table and have morning prayer. So I was brought up as an LDS Boy should be brought up.ch gave all Mormon Boys entering the service the privilege of their endowments in the Temple. I was ordained an Elder and recived my endowments in the Salt Lake Temple. A thing that took place there will always remain with me when the garment was promised to be a shield and a protection to me if I would live according to the principles of the Gospel. I was given the supervision of 45 other boys who boarded a train from Provo to Camp Lewis , Washington. I was a assigned to the 360 Engineers, 91st Division. We arrived in France July 12, 1918 just as the Battle of Chateau-Thierry was fought. The Germans were within twelve miles of Paris, and the French Commander told the American Commander there was no use for him to stay longer, that they better retreat. He answered, "Our flag can never go in retreat! The American people will not stand for it." So we stayed, and the Marne was bridged in broad daylight. Three regiments of U.S. engineers bridged the Marne and we crossed the river and the German horde was stopped. I entered the front-line service on September 11, 1918 under command of General Black Jack Pershing. As we entered the front line, o, our Captain said, "I am giving you a grandstand seat to the biggest show on Earth. The engineers were assigned to build a road across no-mans land. We buried 1,000 men out of our division on the battlefield in the Argonne Woods, and 2 250 in the battlefield at Flanders, up in Belgium. (Dad would tell us he knew it was the garments he wore that protected him as he ran through battlefields without being hit as his buddys were falling around him.) After the Armisstice was signed on November, 11, 1918 the we engineers began to rebuild the countryside that had been destroyed by war. We were busy doing that until late June when we headed back to the U.S.A.tle Gate, Utah. I returned there annd had charge of the mine car department where we built and repaired the mine cars. I worked there until the winter of 1922 when work became slack. I returned home in April, 1922 Soon after one night my Father and I were talking whehen we heard the stomping of snow off the feet of some visitors. I felt they were perhaps the Salem Ward bishopric and rushed upstairs to bed. The Bishop and his counselors and brother F.A. Hanks of the Nebo Stake High Council ccame up to my bedroom and said, Frank. you have been called my the Lord to go on a mission. Well, that ded something to Frank Edman. I could have easily said no to the Bishop, but I could not say no to the Lord.e 6, 1922. W;We receceived instructions from Joseph Fielding Smith and Melvin J Ballard of the Council of the Twelve in the Church Office Building. There were 35 of us. I was assigned to the California Mission in the San Francisco Conference, annd we lefeft by train. When we arrived in San Francisco they took us to my first street meeting as a Mormon missionary. I found something that I could do. I had many experiences, some good, some not so good. I was older by some ten years than most of the missionaries. I came to know why I was there and my purpose in being there. I knew there is a God in Heaven as well as a Satan who was trying to pervert His work. I labored in San Francisco, Oakland, Berkly, Richmond and Santa Cruz. I had a lot of wonderful experiences and witnessed many miracles. In December of 1923, I was made Conference President of the San Francisco Conference. I required quite a bit of travel, but I enjojoyed my work and responsibility. As Conference President I had the year-end report to prepare and send to the Mission Office. I knew nothing about reports, having never been trained in the art of bookkeping, but I had learnrned by this time that when I had problems I could take them to th Lord. After I worked as far as I could, I left my worksheets and went to bed after I had gone to the Lord telling him what I had done and what was left to be done. Thhe next mornning everything fell into place. I received a system of bookkeeping through revelation from the Lord. This knowledge has never left me. I have since been the Secretary/Treasurer of various committees and companys foor a good parrt of my life. I was the City Recorder for Salem for ten years. As I came back from my mission I was told if I wasn't married in five years, I would be back in the mission field. This happened after a few years when I was called back on a six month mission as Conference in San Francisco. or 13 years, Adult Aaronic priesthood Director and teacher and Project Temple teacher in three different wards. Also, I was High Priest Group Leader for ten years.crash in 1929, I became more interested in politics. I liked the chages that FDR proposed, so I became a Democrat. In 1932 I was elected to the Utah House of Representatives. The 1933 legislative session had one concern, we were in a financial mess. There was a hunger march on the State Capitol with delegates from most towns. They said their children were dying from malnutrition. Governor Harry Blood called a special session of the legislature in Augugust where we passed a 2% sales tax. I was re-elected in 1934, at which time we ratified the 21st Amendment ending prohibition. I was employed in 1937 in the Reference Attorney's Office of the State Legislature. T;That same year, I was elected mayor of Salem City. During my time in office, we had the first city streets hard surfaced. We also inlarged the Salem water system. I learned through these brief experiences that I couldn't change my mind ofterrn enough to be a successful politician.ould be justifiably proud. As I sit her I count my blessings, my wife, by children, my grandchildren, and my membership in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.ast hhalf of the ninth inning, I thank the Lord for the privilege of playing in this human life. I want to leave with those whom I love the most a testimony of the divine origin of the Church of Fesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know it is the greatest plan of life the children of our Father could ever be given. I want to leave with you my blessing, a Father's blessing, to stay with the Church. Don't let it get out of your lives. Take every opporunity that comes your way for service in the Church, and you will have a happy and full life. I leave my love and my blessing to you all through Jesus Christ. Amen
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1890 - 1985 (95 år)
