Excerpt: The biography of Louis Alma Kelsch

(From left) Joseph W. Musser, Louis A. Kelsch, Dr. Rulon C. Allred

By Barbara Owen Kelsch

Since Louis's profession was playing in dance bands, he was free in the daytime. Sometimes he played only on weekends. He had a good car and was asked to drive his priesthood friends to visit others out of town. On one trip to Short Creek, Arizona, where people were living the fullness of the gospel, Louis drove some of the brethren and they had a good opportunity for a discussion.

He had always believed the doctrine his parents lived and had planned to live it someday. His visit with these men led him to think more about his own plans for the future and from then on he was committed to living the fullness of the gospel as he believed it.  

Louis's wife, Del, sensed he had changed the minute she saw him at the back door when he arrived home. He had been associating very closely with Leslie, Joseph and Lorin Woolley and believed in the doctrine they taught.  

In 1932 Louis was told he had been chosen a member of the High Priest Apostles. He told his family and close friends many times just how he was called. Lorin received the call for Louis in the same manner as he had received it for the five whom he had already called into that quorum. Lorin described all this to Louis in detail and said it had been the same for the other men called. According to Lorin, it was not just a warm feeling in his bosom, but an actual visitation by a messenger from heaven, his father.  

Lorin's father, John W. Woolley, who had died earlier, came and asked Lorin, as senior member, if he would accept Louis into the quorum. Lorin said he would. John then went back to report to the priesthood on the other side. He later came back and told Lorin to offer the name of Louis Alma Kelsch to the other High Priest Apostles in that quorum here on earth, namely, besides Lorin C. Woolley, J. Leslie Broadbent, John Y. Barlow, Joseph W. Musser, Charles F. hitting and LeGrande Woolley. Lorin Woolley called the quorum members to a meeting to discuss accepting Louis.  

(Brethren convicted of polygamy in 1945) Front left: Oswald Brainich, Joseph W. Musser, Louis A. Kelsch, Dr. Rulon C. Allred, Albert E. Barlow, Ianthus W. Barlow, John Y. Barlow, and Edmund F. Barlow. Back left: David B. Darger, Charles F. Zitting, Joseph Lyman Jessop, Heber K. Cleveland, Arnold Boss, Alma A. Timpson, and Morris Q. Kunz.

John Y. Barlow was out of town and could not be reached. He got a strong urge to go home and was back in time for the meeting. The members of the quorum met and were told of the choice. Although they thought Louis was young for this call, they voted unanimously to accept him. Lorin said it had always been unanimous to accept the man chosen by Christ. Lorin then waited for another visit from his father from the other side of the veil. When John Woolley came, Lorin told him the quorum had accepted Louis. John then left again. When he came back he told Lorin to see if Louis would accept the call.  

Louis said he would accept. He knew he would have to live the law of Abraham (D&C Sec. 132), referring to the plurality of wives, to be ordained to that calling, for no one could hold that position who did not live that law. Louis was now required to enter plural marriage.  

A German girl by the name of Elsie Meier was suggested by Louis's friend, Joseph W. Musser. Elsie was living with her grandparents and her Aunt Lucy Kmetsch who was Joseph's plural wife. Lucy had come from Germany to work and sent money back so her family could follow. The family had joined the Mormon Church in Germany. Elsie was born May 9, 1912, in Oberlungswitz, Germany, to Paul Meier and Kaethe Kmetsch. She was brought over from Germany by her grandparents who had raised her since she was about three years old Lucy's sisters came also and became converted to the fullness of the gospel. They married as plural wives, Anna to Leslie Broadbent and Golda to Lorin Woolley.  

When Louis came to see Elsie she accepted his proposal. They were sealed December 8, 1932, by a man who had been ordained to perform plural marriages.  

When Lorin C. Woolley's father returned to him and received Louis's affirmative answer, he then told Lorin to ordain Louis to that quorum, called the High Priest Apostles, also known as Friends of God and anciently known as the Sanhedrin. Louis was ordained on January 26, 1933, [Some records show June 26, 1933 as Louis's ordination date.] at age 27.  

Louis was told he was not an apostle in the church, but an Apostle of Jesus Christ. He was commissioned to perform marriages, particularly plural marriages and was told they were to see to it that not one year passed without children being born to parents who were living the celestial law of plural marriage. He received washings and anointings of the Holy Priesthood and was told his sins were forgiven.  

Lorin Woolley told Louis that he at one time thought a very good friend of his, namely Daniel Bateman, was a worthy man for that calling. His father carried his message to the Priesthood Quorum on the other side and when the answer came back Lorin said he never had such a rebuke in his life. He was told it was not his place to select a man for that quorum.  

Charles F. Zitting tells of hearing this same story from Lorin C. Woolley, (Charles F. Zitting) p. 62: 

Brother Woolley ... said, he had no right to even suggest a name to heaven for this high position. He said he got out of order once for suggesting the name or a friend he thought was worthy and he got a sharp rebuke from heaven. A person is first chosen by the Council in heaven and then a messenger comes here to reveal the man chosen to the President of  Priesthood. Then the Priesthood Council here votes on him and the results are taken back to the Priesthood Council in heaven, who call the man by revelation through the President of Priesthood. Again we see how God holds a tight rein on priesthood. 

One night a week, the seven men of the High Priest Apostles Quorum met for Lorin Woolley to teach the other six men in a school of the prophets what they needed to know in order to hold that position. When partaking of the sacrament in their meetings, they used wine of their own making as Joseph Smith had been directed.

You can read the complete biography by clicking here.

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