James Joseph Keep was born September 25, 1804 in Acton, London, England.  He was the son of James Joseph Keep and Ann Evans. His father died at the age of 29 when James was only five years old.  For a few years he was raised by his grandparents.  During his life he had very little school.

Later his mother remarried and he moved in with them.  This did not last, however, as his step-father kicked him out.  Consequently, he was a little boy without a home and stayed with friends until manhood.  During this time he worked caring for sheep and cattle to provide for his needs.  He also worked for a farmer and a florist for a time.  Sometimes he did whatever work he could find.  Finally, he apprenticed to be a brick-layer.

At the age of 21, James married a widow with a family.  Her name was Elizabeth Pair.  After nine years of marriage she died.  On July 25, 1836 James married Ann Miller, daughter of Joseph Miller and Ann Elkens Miller.

At this time in their lives they began looking for religion.  They joined the Methodist church.  For nine years, the church was too poor to pay its rent and was finally dissolved.  Then Joseph Miller asked him to go to the Baptist chapel and sing and play the flute for them.  James attended their meetings for seven years, but because he could not believe that water could wash away a sin he never joined them.  However, he stayed with them until a new minister came.  The new minister desired the congregation to sing, not a special singer.  So, at this time James decided that he would not stay with the church any longer.  James and Ann went to the Independent Chapel and remained there for four years.

Two young Mormon men came near the house preaching the true gospel and Ann told James to go out and hear them.  They were preaching about baptism.  He went into the house and searched his Bible to ascertain the truth of what they said.  Here he found that baptism was to be born of the water and the spirit.  When they came again to preach, James took a long bench for the people to sit on.  That evening he went to the meeting house.  There he heard the saints speak in tongues.

He decided that he would be baptized.  He went with a friend on Sunday morning, July 23, 1848 at five o'clock in the morning.  He did not hear anything about the prophet Joseph Smith or Brigham Young until he had been in the church for quite some time.  Once he had joined the church he felt that he understood God and his plan.  His wife and three daughters were also baptized into the LDS church.

In 1851, James was set apart to be a missionary for the church preaching the gospel in the open air.  He traveled many miles on Sundays, sometimes as many as fifteen, taking only a little bread and water to eat during the day.  Often he did not return home until 10:00 that evening.  He preached the gospel in many English provinces for fifteen years.

In 1866 James and his family left England and sailed 3,000 miles to America.  Near Newfoundland, a thick fog gathered for several days and the captain couldn't take observation.  Brother Rider, one of the passengers, turned himself to face the direction the ship was sailing.  At that instant, the fog lifted like a scroll from the sea, and the captain could see clearly for some distance.  The captain directly gave orders to turn the ship rapidly.  If the captain had delayed even a few moments longer, the vessel would have been among the breakers dashed to pieces on the rocks, and not a soul would have been saved.  Many ships were lost at sea; however, the Lord promised to protect the faithful Saints and never was a ship lost when an LDS person was aboard.

Once they landed in America the family continued their journey to the West.  James had mountain fever while on the plains and was a very sick man.  The family settled in Clarkston, Utah where James built chimneys for homes and did a lot of temple work for ancestors.  James practiced polygamy and had eleven children.  Five died in England-- the rest remained faithful throughout their lives and had large families.

On March 14, 1899, while living with his daughter Mary Turner, in Lehi, Utah, James died. His body was returned to Clarkston and buried by the side of his wife and youngest daughter, Maria Jane Keep Wilson.
 
 
 

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