Under the circumstances in the South at that time they were not able to attend church at all. They made occasional contact with the missionaries, and that was the extent that they were able to participate. The missionaries, of course, in the deep South had to be discreet about their contact.

Eventually, when their family came along, they decided if they were going to do anything with the family in the Church, they were going to have to leave the area that they were living in. They moved to Cincinnati, Ohio. Immediately they began attending church there. Cincinnati is right on the border. It is just across the river from the deep South. It is a northern industrial city basically.

Shortly after, they began attending church. They were visited in their home by the branch president. I don't know anything about him other than the fact that she called him Brother Anderson. Brother Anderson was red-eyed; he was just crying. He told them that this was the hardest visit that he had ever made to anybody in his life. He would rather give up his right arm than to have to make this call, but there were objections in the branch to them attending church just because they were black. He said, "We will do everything that we can. We know that it isn't right, but the feelings of the people are something we just have to put up with. We will make a special trip out here each month to bring the sacrament to you and to have a church service in your home. We will fellowship you in every way that we can. We just are not able under the circumstances to have you function in the branch." Being aware of the circumstances, they accepted that.

From then on, a member of the branch presidency or someone representing the priesthood regularly came out and brought the sacrament to them. Of course, Brother Hope couldn't hold the priesthood, so if they were going to participate, someone would have to do that. They developed a great love for the people that came out and visited them. His faith apparently was just as unwavering in the gospel as it could be. was willing to be tolerant of the situation. The children could not participate with the other children in the branch, but they had people come into the home.

Sister Hope said the missionaries came out very frequently. They had a great affection for the missionaries. I remember her telling on one occasion that the missionaries had been visiting with them and had gone. She thought to herself, "I wonder if I can go outside and maybe see the tracks of the missionaries." She went out there, and her husband was already there. They were looking around. They had both come out for the same reason, to see the tracks of the missionaries, to see some little trace of the brethren who held the priesthood, who they loved so greatly.

They reared their family under those circumstances. They were not able to participate in the Church, but they were taught the gospel.