By Alan on Aug 16 in Blog tagged Alan Osmond, Bill Belew, chuck norris, Cricket Butler, Doctrine and Covenants, Elvis, Elvis Presley, Gold Plates, Hilton Hotel, Las Vegas, Lisa Marie, Olive Osmond, Osmond Family, Osmonds, Pearl of Great Price, Priscilla, The Book of Mormon, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, true | 3 Comments

- Elvis Presley -

Remembering the Friend, the Brother, the Legend

On this the 35^th anniversary of Elvis Aaron Presley’s death, my heart and thoughts are turned to that day when we heard of his passing.

My family and I knew Elvis pretty well when we were young and worked at the same Hilton Hotel and on the same stage that he did.  We even stayed in the same hotel suite that Elvis stayed.

My brothers and I, The Osmond Brothers, and of course Marie, loved Elvis Presley and got to know him an several occasions.  When we would return to the Hilton Hotel in Las Vegas to perform, Elvis would often have delivered backstage to us a beautiful bouquet of flowers designed in the shape of a guitar with a personal note welcoming us back.  When we performed there, the stage manager would sometimes give us a “code” that said, “The Boss is Upstairs”, which meant, “Elvis was watching the show from the light booth!”

 I remember the first time Elvis came to see us.  Yes, he always watched the show from the light booth of the theater because he would have been mobbed otherwise.  This night we heard that he was watching our show.  Boy, were we most anxious to do a good job as we honored Elvis showmanship, talent and his professionalism.  Our costume designer, Bill Belew, was also the same designer that made all of Elvis’s jump suits.  We also learned karate from Chuck Norris and knew that Elvis liked it also.  So here we were, The Osmonds, all dressed up in white jumpsuits similar to what Elvis wore, all six of us, and we hit the stage performing but glancing up to the light booth wondering if Elvis would liked it or not! Well, the show went well and believe it or not, Elvis came backstage to say hello and one of the first things he said was, “Hey, I love the jump suits!  Boy, that made us feel good!  We spent several minutes talking with Elvis backstage after the show with his body guards and my parents who were both there as well. Elvis was particularly interested in talking to our parents and he especially loved meeting my mother, Olive and gave her a big hug.  Elvis mentioned to her how much he missed his mother who had passed away.

Over the next few years, we had the privilege of seeing Elvis at the Hilton a few more times and I remember one particular evening before the show when Elvis called us backstage in our dressing room and I spent 20 minutes on the phone with him.  The operator called and said Elvis would like to talk to the Osmond Family.  As the oldest of the group, the phone was handed to me and I enjoyed our conversation together.  He said how much he enjoyed watching us and especially how we took the time to meet all of our fans.  He watched as our Father would escort the fans to the backstage door and allow them to come back single filed past our dressing room so we could sign all of their autograph requests.  The line up was so long that the hotel management had to cut them off so they could prepare the showroom for another show.  Elvis noticed how we met every fan and mentioned it to me and then said, “If I could do it all over again, I would do it just like you guys are doing and I would meet every fan and sign every autograph requested!   We all know how popular Elvis was and how hard it was to control his outgoing fans.  We talked a little more and he asked if he could talk to my mother, Olive.  When she got on the phone with me, he just opened up and expressed the love he had for his mother and said, “Oh how I love and miss my mother.”  He talked to my mother about how it is raising 8 boys and a girl and we had a great discussion.  He also told us, “I always wanted to be a preacher.”  He said how much he love the Lord and singing about Him with songs like “How Great Thou Art” and other songs.  We left the conversation with an invitation from Elvis for our entire family to come to his home in Los Angeles for a private barbeque.  The date would have been a week from today, 35 years ago!  Of course we never got to have that barbeque, but we believe that we knew why he wanted to meet privately with our family.

You see, Elvis had been reading and studying scriptures seeking a closer relationship with His Lord, Jesus.  A fan named Cricket Butler had often been waiting to see him outside his hotel and at an early hour in the morning out by the gate, she remained with hopes of meeting and talking with Elvis.  One night Elvis went outside and walked up to the gate and talked with her.  Cricket at a later date shared with me the conversation that Elvis had with her and what they were talking about.  It was about life and what it’s all about.  Cricket offered to give Elvis a copy of The Book of Mormon and as a Mormon, some of her beliefs telling Elvis that he ought to read it. Elvis accepted it and read it.  He not only read it, he wrote his comments in it as he read.

I was given this book after Elvis died.  I was told that those at Graceland did not want to have a Book of Mormon sitting around among Elvis’s remaining possessions and so they gave it back to Cricket.  Cricket was also a follower of our family’s music and said that Elvis really liked our family and even talked to Cricket about us.  Cricket said to me that, “I know Elvis would have wanted you to have this book because of how much he respected your family.”  The book had many special comments in it that Elvis had written in the margins. The book is now safely In the archives of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and anyone upon request can see this book which is only on private display.  If you do go and see it, you will see comments written in it by Elvis such as:

- “Yes! I know this is true!”

- By the side of a picture of the Gold Plates from which this book was translated Elvis wrote, “Gold Records… REAL ONES!”  (Yes, Elvis had many gold records but these were real gold records.)  

-The book records that “thou shalt have no other God’s before me.”  Elvis wrote, “Not me either!”  (Many fans called him King and worshiped him.)

(Not Elvis’s hands. Picture is from a movie made about Elvis.)

- Elvis wrote, “And He ans-(wered) me!” to the scripture: “And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the hearvens.”

-And a special note towards the end of the book he wrrote, “My daughter Lisa is 9.  She needs this church.  Please help her!”

I know that some may say that I am trying to use Elvis to get people to join our church.  To you I say, “You are wrong! Our church is already one of the fastest growing churches in the world.” I am sharing the truth about a friend with important insight on his spiritual side of his life. Elvis had a good heart!  This is what happened.  These words were not made up.  You can see the book that he wrote these things in and read them for yourself!  And yes, I would love to have everyone read this book.  It is true.  Much of it happened right here in America with many evidences coming forht as to the whereabouts!  The book also gives us warnings for our day that must be heeded in order to survive life’s purposes.

YES, I am pleased to have known that spiritual side of Elvis and how he wanted to know more about life and the Lord! He was contiasking for MORE FAITH!

I kept this book in my house for a few months after I received it but when others found out about it, they desired to handle it and to hold it.  I became worried that someone might take it from me so I told my wife Suzanne that I wanted to give it to her uncle, Elder Rex Pinegar, who is a general authority of our Church so he could secure it in the vaults of the Church in Salt Lake City, Utah where upon request, others may see it.

We later also learned from Cricket that Elvis had also read the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of Great Price which are two more doctrinal books of our church.  Elvis  also met with two different sets of missionaries and had the missionary discussions taught to him in Hawaii and in the states.

In follow up to Elvis’s request to help Lisa, I had only one copy of this book made with Elvis’s writings and with my brother Donny’s help and his contacts, had it delivered to Lisa Presley’s publicity agent at her office.  Donny knew her and felt she was a good way to get it to Lisa.  We have never heard a word from anyone since.

I have left notes on Lisa’s Facebook site, had other fans talk to her about the book and yet have heard nothing.

I know that Elvis is in the “Spirit World” where we all go to dwell until judgment day.  That is where my parents are also and I just know that they have probably gotten together with Elvis and renewed old acquaintances.

I invite everyone to read this book, to know that it does not take away from the Bible which we also believe, but it is another witness that fulfills prophecy in John 10: 16 of the Bible where it says: “And ^{other sheep} I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be ^one fold, and one shepherd.”  Jesus is the Shepherd and we are all His sheep.

These people who recorded these writings in the Book of Mormon left Jerusalem about 400 B.C. because the Lord said it was going to be destroyed.  They were taught how to built a boat and they traveled across the oceans to America.  This book also records the visitation of Jesus Christ and his appearance to these people in America after His Resurrection where Jesus said, in 3 Ne. 15: 17, 21 as recorded in The Book of Mormon,  “That other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one ^shepherd.  And verily I say unto you, that ye are they of whom I said: ^Other sheep I have which are not of this fold; them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one ^shepherd.”

Elvis read this book and second witness of Jesus Christ.  He believed it.  He took the missionary discussions twice and wanted the fullness of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

I invite you all to read what Elvis Presley read and to receive a FREE copy of The Book of Mormon.  Our Prophet Joseph Smith  did NOT write this book.  He merely with the help from God translated it from the gold plates that were found buried in Hill Cumorah in New York.  After they were translated, the Angel Moroni who showed him where they were, took the gold plates back to protect them from the evil designs of man.

I wish Elvis’s ex-wife Priscilla and daughter Lisa Marie Presley my very best.  I do want to share more conversations and things that were said with them personally.  If any of you know them and can extend my invitation to them both, but especially with Lisa Marie, to come and see Elvis’s Book of Mormon and let me share privately those precious memories that I had about her father, Elvis Presley.

He is an eternal Friend, a Brother in the Gospel of Jesus Christ, A Legend we will never forget!!!

www.elvis.com

Alan Osmond
For The Family