An inspiring story of King Charles III and the Book of Mormon

Alex Boyé, a former member of the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square and a prominent musician was in London acting for a charity that celebrates the achievements of the children of the city center called “The Prince’s Trust”.

One day during the tour, Boyé heard a frantic voice screaming from the hallway: “Quick, hurry up! Prince Charles wants to get to know everyone.”

“We thought it was a joke,” Boyé recalls until he saw the royal family helicopter landing on the lawn.

Struggling to dress, Boyé ran down, anxious and nervous to meet the heir and now king of England. But, while Boyé would stop at the ceremony with the members of his band, he felt a persistent need to return to his room. Unable to shake up the feeling, Boyé asked his band to keep his place while he ran upstairs.

Boyé stared at his room, confused by the suggestion. “I went to my room and stood there looking around and asking myself, ‘What now?’ Then I saw my copy of the Book of Mormon my ward mission leader gave me,” Boyé writes. “I grabbed it, stuck it in my back pocket, and rushed back downstairs.”

And with the copy of the Book of Mormon, Boyé prepared for his audience with the then Prince Charles.

While Prince Charles walked along the line of staff and celebrities, shaking hands and exchanging jokes, Boyé looked for something ingenious or unforgettable to say, but his mind went blank. The prince came and left, leaving Boyé standing there with a navy blue book that still protruded from his back pocket.

While Prince Charles and his team were preparing to board the helicopter, Boyé knew that he could not let this moment pass.

“As he approached the helicopter to leave I had a strong impression that I needed to give Prince Charles the book in my back pocket.”

I thought, “How could I accomplish this?’ He had already moved on and you’re not allowed to step out of line until Prince Charles has exited. So I wondered how to grab his attention without being disrespectful,” Boyé writes.

“I did the first thing that came naturally to me. I waved my hands in the air, screamed for Prince Charles, and stepped out of line. I did it. I had broken three rules. I realized what I had done and stepped back in line, putting my head down in embarrassment.”

“With my head still down in shame, two large feet appeared in front of me. I looked up and to my surprise, I saw Prince Charles. Gathering my composure, I said, ‘On behalf of my church I would like to give you a gift.’”

Boyé looked for the book in his back pocket. With this movement, the security guards began to descend.”Security went crazy, assuming I was reaching for something more dangerous,” Boyé says. “I managed to get the book from my pocket and extend my hand to give it to him, breaking the fourth rule. After looking at the book for what seemed like an eternity, he took it.”

“[King Charles] looked at it, brought it close to his chest, and said to me that he thought it would prove some interesting reading. ‘Yes it will,’ I responded. ‘Perhaps you could read it in the helicopter on your way home.’ He told me that he may just do that. And then he left.”

That next Sunday, when Boyé showed up to report on the challenge of his missionary leader, very few members believed him… until they saw images of him giving Prince Charles a Book of Mormon in the news later that night.

“Who would have thought that someone like me, trying to promote my music, would be standing at the feet of royalty in England promoting my faith?” Boyé asks. “The Lord uses ordinary people to accomplish extraordinary things. Thanks to the challenge of my ward mission leader, I had the courage to stand up for my faith and give a royal gift to royalty.”

Shortly after Boyé published his story of giving a Book of Mormon to Prince Charles in 2012, people began writing to share how that story impacted their own lives.

“This story brought a huge smile to my face! This goes to show that when the spirit is behind us, what need we fear? If something is Father’s will then it can be accomplished—kings, presidents, or dictators aside. The key is humility and worthiness that Alex must have had for this all to have happened,” Christmas Carole said.

“Your story about giving a Book of Mormon was so inspiring to me that I’ve committed to myself to carry one with me in my purse and car all the time so I can be prepared when the opportunity arises,” Geri Gibbs said. “Thank you for your courage. And, thank your ward mission leader, whose challenge may actually go around the world!”