“HE SHOULD STAND AT 1 THE HEAD OF HIS RACE”

othing in the birth of Wallace “Wally” F. Toronto in Salt Lake City on December 9, 1907, sug- Ngested he would have any connection with Czechoslovakia nor achieve any greatness. His birth was a normal one in the obscurity of the Rocky Moun- tains. The only inkling that he would become great, and had a destiny to fulfill, came from two generations ear- lier because of his grandfather Giuseppe Efisio Taranto. Giuseppe Taranto, the son of Francesco Taranto and Angela Fazio, was born on June 25, 1816, in Cagliari on the island of . Sometime in his early twenties, he joined the Mediterranean Merchant Service, which was a commercial shipping company that often took 1 him to foreign ports around the world. At one point, he found himself in New Orleans and decided to stay and work there for a while on American ships. He frequently sailed to other states on the coast such as and New York.1 He worked hard and saved his money,

1. James A. Toronto, “Giuseppe Efisio Taranto: Odyssey from Sicily to Salt Lake City,” in Pioneers in Every Land, ed. Bruce A. Van Orden, D. Brent Smith, and Everett Smith Jr. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1997), 126–27. 2 Mission President or Spy? 5. 4. 3. 2. his “poverty-­ he decidedinsteadtocontinueincreasinghisprofits tosendback Nauvoo assoonpossible.Buthewasdoingsowell financiallythat Saints.” Themissionariescounseledhimtojoinwith theSaintsin first RomanCatholictojoinTheChurchofJesusChrist ofLatter-day George B.Wallace, becoming“thefirstnativeItalianandalsothe it, andin1843,attheageoftwenty-seven,hewasbaptizedbyElder a fewyearsbefore.”WhenGiuseppeheardthetruth,heembraced preaching about“thegospelasrestoredthroughJosephSmithonly then sellingthemtothelargeshipsatanchorinharbor.” ing fruitsandvegetablesfromthewholesalevendorsinBoston boat ofhisownandstartbusiness.“Hemadealivingbybuy ing for an Italian shipping firm, earning enough to purchase a small but anentirewayoflife. Giuseppe andlaterhisgrandson’s participationinnotonlyareligion his life the same as usual, the dream would stay with him and prepare asked seemedtoknowanythingabouthim. bor, Giuseppewenttoworkfinding“MormonBrigham,”butnobodyhe did so,hewouldbeblessedforit.Oncetheshipanchoredathar him togivehismoney“MormonBrigham.”Hetoldthatifhe he gotthere. York City, hebegantofearthatsomeonemightstealhismoney once could senditbacktohisfamilyinItaly. rather thanspendit“onwineandwomen”asothersailorsdid,sohe Taranto) T. Moody, andJames A. Toronto, comps., Toronto, “GiuseppeEfisio Taranto,” 127;see also Alan F. Toronto, Maria 1920), 47. John R.Young, Toronto, “GiuseppeEfisio Taranto,” 127. 356. Samuel W. Taylor, In ,GiuseppefirstlearnedofsomeMormonmissionaries From NewYork, Giuseppe wenttoBoston,wherehestartedwork That night,hehadadreamwheremanapproachedhimandtold (SaltLakeCity: Toronto FamilyOrganization, 1983),7. 3 stricken familyinSicily.” Memoirs ofJohnR.Young NightfallatNauvoo (New York City:Avon Books,1971), 2 DuringonejourneytoNew Joseph Toronto (SaltLakeCity:DeseretNews, 4 Thoughhewentonwith

(Giuseppe Efisio 5 - - - for thefollowinggenerations. spelling it the way it sounded in English. Hence, the new name stuck natural dialectandhadsomeoneelsewritehisnamedownforhim, age (oranyforeignerforthatmatter),hecouldnotreadorwritehis in hissurnameresultedfromilliteracy. LikemostSiciliansofhis more, heanglicizedhisnametoJosephToronto. Thespellingchange coping withthenewlanguageandculture.Inanefforttofitinalittle 6. produced asmuchtheprophet hadhopedfor. “Work onthetemple of theirmoney“tofinishthe Lord’s house,”theircontributions hadnot appealed toSaintswhoweretravelingfromoverseas to sacrificesome have to cease.” The tithing funds were depleted. Even though he had day, July6,1845,heannouncedthatthe“workontemplewould sions withthepromisethatLordwouldgivethem more.” those inchargeofthetemplefundstodealoutall remaining provi the situationbecamecritical,PresidentBrighamYoung instructed men workingonthetemplewereevenbarefootandshirtless. “When to providefoodandclothingfortheworkmenslowed thework.Some temple progressed,persecutionandtheSaints’lackof financialmeans the NauvooTemple hadjustbeenput into place.Asworkinsidethe ness andheadedwest. Nauvoo, .Subsequently, hesold hissmallvesselandbusi of theaccidenthedecidedtoheedcounseleldersandgo marked atraumaticandterrifyingturningpointinhislife,forbecause He lostmostofhiscargoandalmostlifefromdrowning.Theevent the BostonHarbor, hisboatcollidedwithalargershipandcapsized. 1845. One day, while transporting a loadoffruits and vegetablesin ger hadhenotexperiencedanearlyfatalaccidentinthespringof not knowhowtoswim.HemighthavestayedinBostonformuchlon seaman andhadspentmostofhislifeinshipsonthewater, he did Toronto, Moody, andToronto, By the time Joseph Toronto immigrated to Nauvoo, the capstone of One ironyofJoseph’s lifewasthatthoughheahighlyskilled Giuseppe remainedinBostonforaboutanotheryearandahalf, Joseph Toronto , 8. 6 OnSun

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” R H H S S H “ ce a is of d a e the t a nd a t hould 3 e 4 Mission President or Spy? 10. 9. 8. 7. Taylor repress smiles.”Thosefeelingsofbias,however, dispelled completely thicker, untiltheSaintsduckedtheirheadswithtongue incheekto became emotionalaboutthegospel,hisaccent thickerand anddidn’tseemtonoticethatasthespiritcameuponhimhe . . . “He was[as]friendlyasapuppydog.Helovedtobear histestimony accepted. Instead,hewouldflashagenuinesmileto everyone hemet. ern European.Josephneverexhibitedanyknowledge thathewasnot remarks fromavastnumberofSaints,whowerepredominatelyNorth His olive skin, jet-black hair, and dark eyes yielded condescending diced againsthimbecausehewastheonlyItaliantheyhadevermet. eventually evendowntoWallace Toronto, hisgrandson. bread.” head ofhisraceandthatneitherhenorfamilyshouldeverwantfor the temple,BrighamYoung blessedhimthat“heshouldstandatthe rags andtinboxes. that JosephgavetotheChurch—allingoldwaswrappedold bishops.” to meforprotectionandcounsel.Ilaidthemoneyatfeetof of thechurchandkingdomGod;hesaidshouldhenceforthlook and saidhewantedtogivehimselfallhadtheupbuilding that transpired.“BrotherJosephToronto handedtome$2,500ingold Young metwithhimin hisofficeandrecordedindiarytheevents could tohelpmovetheworkalong.”Theverynextafternoon,President moved bythewordsofprophetand“determinedtodowhateverhe thereby” would havetostop,withtheMormonsendangeringtheirsalvation Toronto, Moody, andToronto, 1945, http://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/clayton-diaries. William Clayton, “Nauvoo Diaries and Personal Writings,” Nauvoo, July 8, Toronto, “GiuseppeEfisio Taranto,” 129. When JosephhadfirstarrivedinNauvoo,someSaintswerepreju Joseph Toronto, whowaspresentinthecongregation,deeply 10 7 That promise would extend through the next two generations, (seeD&C124:31–33). 8 , NightfallatNauvoo William Claytonrecordedthat$2,599.75wastheexactsum 9 AsJosephdonatedhishard-earnedlifesavingsto , 356. Joseph Toronto , 8. - - complexion andstrangeaccent.” felt sheepish at his superior attitude toward a man because of his olive he openeditandspilledthegoldontable,immediately“Bernhisel Joseph “fumbledunderhisshirt[todraw]forth[his]moneybelt.”As was presentatJoseph’s meetingwithPresidentYoung andwatchedas had beendeeplyprejudicedagainsttheyoungItalianconvert.Buthe sacrifice. OneLatter-day Saintinparticular, Dr. JohnM.Bernhisel, when theSaintswitnessedJoseph’s actoffinancialgenerosityand 12. Young, 11. Taylor the LionHouse. of 1853,andZinaD.Young providedabeautifulreceptionforthemat ing theprophet’s counselasalways,Joseph marriedEleanorinthefall named EleanorJones,andIthinkthatyoushouldmarry her.” Follow into hisofficeonedayandannounced,“Thereisanice Welsh convert was beginningtoestablishahomestead,PresidentYoung calledhim to Utahandwaseveninstrumentalinfindinghim a wife.AsJoseph bers ofhisownfamily. to SaltLakeCityinAugust1851,hehadevenbaptizedseveralmem Palermo andsharethegospelwithhisfamily. Bythetimehereturned in . Onthis mission, Joseph wasable to visithishomein Heber C.Kimball called LorenzoSnow and JosephToronto toserve a the nation.”DuringgeneralconferencethatnextOctober, President send him“tohisnativecountry. . . tostarttheworkofgatheringfrom on April29,1849,PresidentYoung informedJosephofhisdesireto President Young. family.” And,oncehearrivedinSaltLake City, hebeganworkingfor and theprophet.Joseph“becameapermanentmemberof[Young] 14. 13. Toronto” The prophetcontinuedtoprovideforJosephoncehegotback After Joseph’s donation,astrongrelationshipgrewbetweenhim Toronto, Moody, andToronto, Toronto, “JosephToronto,” 15–16. , NightfallatNauvoo MemoirsofJohnR.Young Pioneer 14 12 However, thisemploymentwasshort-livedwhen 62, no.1(2014):15. 13 , 356. Joseph Toronto 11 ,

47; andJamesToronto, “Joseph , 16.

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” R H H S S H “ ce a is of d a e the t a nd a t hould 5 e 6 Mission President or Spy? 15. had leftoff.ThismaneventuallyjoinedtheChurch.Thereafter, Albert man. Thecompanionthencontinuedteachingtheman whereAlbert he suddenlyfoundthatcouldnolongerspeakor understand Ger began toteachhimaboutthegospel.Whenhiscompanion returned, stood the man’s Germanjust as well.As the twoconversed,Albert see thatthestrangerunderstoodwhathewassaying, andheunder struck upadiscussionwithGermanstranger. Albertwasamazedto had toleavehimforamoment.Whilehiscompanion was gone,Albert and hiscompanionbegantracting.Forsomereason, arrived inhismissionarea,havingnotyetlearnedGerman,whenhe sion, heexperiencedtheblessingofgifttongues.Hehadbarely he serveda mission in Germany from1899 to 1902.Earlyin his mis graduating withamajorinbusiness.Followinghisfather’s example, As ayoungadult,AlbertToronto attended theUniversityofDeseret, TorontoAlbert Toronto wouldpassaway. on February4,1878,inSaltLakeCity. Justfiveyearslater, Joseph come AlbertToronto, thefatherofWallace F. Toronto. Albertwasborn he wasfifty-sixyearsold,andshethirty. Fromthatunionwould took Anna’s handinmarriageattheEndowmentHouse.Attime, from theprophet,Josephfinallyagreed.OnJanuary22,1872,he and onlyaftermuchpersuasionfromEleanor”anendorsement because she had no family of her own to support her. “Reluctantly, close, EleanorsuggestedthatJosephtakeAnnaasasecondwife and helpcareforthefamily.” WhenEleanorandAnnabecamevery Swedish convertnamed“AnnaCatharinaJohanssontolivewiththem Toronto, Moody, andToronto, After almost twenty years ofmarriage, the Torontos hired ayoung 15 Joseph Toronto , 17. - - - but they made sure that they met everyone there before they left— he attended aparty with his sister. Thesiblings did not stay very long, appearance, which was especially beneficial to his social life. In 1902 experiences there,helearnedhowtomaintainaneatandattractive Barton’s Clothing Store in Salt Lake City asacashier. Through his guages wouldbepasseddowntohissonalso. picked uptheGermanlanguagequickly. 17. 16. the switchboard.”Luckily, Etta’s armspassedthetest.Shewasalso the applicant’s armsbe“long enough toreachtheouteredgesof to testherseeifshecoulddothejob.Oneoftests requiredthat a bittooyoung.Nevertheless,thechiefoperatorliked heranddecided mum agetobehiredbythephonecompanywasfifteen, andEttawas improvement inwages:fifteendollarsamonth.Atthe time,themini At agefourteen,shegotajobattelephonecompany, gainingasmall tion, shewenttoworkatacrackerfactory, receiving$3.50aweek. her “classpromotions”becausesheworkedsohard. Aftergradua she was the teacher’s pet,” but she declared that she had received graduated fromtheeighthgrade.Mostofherclassmates“claimed eight yearsold.Justfivelater, whenshewasonlythirteen, and AlmaElizabethMineerFelt.Herschoolingstartedwhenshewas Etta wasborninSaltLakeCityonFebruary21,1883,toJosephHenry Etta Felt him before,’Ettaanswered.” anything likethatbefore,’herMothersaid.‘I’venevermetanyone “to marry someday, if he would have her. ‘I’ve never heard you say night, shetoldhermotherthathadfoundayoungmanwanted including one EttaFelt.When returned homefrom the party that Toronto, Moody, andToronto, 1983), 1,5. Albert andEttaToronto Joseph Y. Toronto, Maria T. Moody, James A. Toronto, comps., When Albertreturnedfromhismission,hefoundemploymentat (AlbertToronto FamilyOrganization,February21, 17 Story ofAlbertand EttaToronto 16 Albert’s propensityforlan , 1,15. The Storyof

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” R H H S S H “ ce a is of d a e the t a nd a t hould 7 e 8 Mission President or Spy? 20. 19. 18. Albert wasabletohelpsupportEtta’s brothers,JoeandLamont,on Seventh East,whereEttaassistedhermotherinsewing burialclothes. they endedupmovinginwithEtta’s mother inhersmallhomeon it provedtoomuchforbothhimandEtta,sohegave up.”Afterward, National HouseCleaning,ajanitorialbusinessforcleaning homes;but band workedtosupporthisfamily. Atonetime,“[Albert]boughtinto of thegoodinfluenceshehadbeenintheirlives. ceeded foryearslater, manyofherformerstudentsreturned totellher the studentswithlessonsthatwouldbenefitthem.Shemusthavesuc dents intheclass.ForEtta,itfeltlikeagreatchallengetoprovide attending andtherewouldsometimesbeasmanyfortyorfiftystu teacher, LowellBennion.TheUniversityWard hadmanystudents because itwasan“oldcountry”tradition. not uncommonatthattimefornewlywedstolivewiththeirparents moved inwithAlbert’s motherintheToronto homeonAStreet.Itwas extended honeymoon in Oregon, they returned to SaltLakeCity and worked intheUtahboothatWorld’s Fair. Afterthreemonthsofan then movedtoPortland,Oregon,whereAlbertsoldinsuranceandEtta John R.Winder officiatedtheirmarriageonJune14,1905.Thecouple walk Ettahome,andfromthattimeforward,the two wereinseparable. Toronto. Aftertheboardmeetingended, Albertaskedherifhecould but theyoungmanshehadmetatpartytwoyearsearlier, Albert board. Whensheattendedherfirstboardmeeting,whoshouldappear instructed andwashired. and lengthenyourskirts,youcanpassfor15.”Shedidasshewas “Maybe ifyouputyourhairontopofheadliketheoldergirls fairly tallandlookedolderthanherage.Assuch,theoperatorsaid,

Toronto, Moody, andToronto, Toronto, Moody, andToronto, Toronto, Moody, andToronto, While Ettadevotedmuchofhertimetoteachinginstitute, herhus For many years, Etta cotaught an institute class with another In 1903,EttawascalledtoserveonherstakeSundaySchool 18 Story ofAlbertand EttaToronto Story ofAlbertandEttaToronto Story ofAlbertandEttaToronto 19 20 , 16. , 15,32. , 14,68. - - - 22. 21. Czechoslovakian Latter-day Saints. he wouldstandattheheadof and then his grandson Wally, and, more importantly, bread,” thatpromiseseemedtoextendhisson that neitherhenorhisfamilyshouldeverwantfor Toronto “shouldstandattheheadof hisraceand food andwerealwaysabletosupportthemselves. their missions.AlbertandEttaneverwantedfor

Toronto, Moody, andToronto, Toronto Toronto, Moody, andToronto, When Brigham Young prophesied that Joseph , 2. , 2. Story of Albert and Etta Story ofAlbertandEtta Joseph Toronto another 22 race:the , 8. 21 Woodger. Jane of Mary 1929. Courtesy vakia, July24, for Czechoslo dedication site Karlstejn, - 9