A String of Pearls

Now, my young readers, we had not the value of fifty dollars, all told. I imagine, too, you think this was rather young for such and undertaking.

It was then, and is now the counsel to marry young – of course, at a proper age – and I bear my testimony to the good effect of early marriages.

My vocation was that of a farmer. The drawbacks we had in consequence of crickets, grasshoppers, drouth, alkali, etc., can be better imagined than described. A few circumstances will suffice to show how my wife and I were blessed by the Lord.

In the spring of 1855, seed wheat and bread-stuff were very scarce. I had none; but a neighbor of mine owed me a few bushels of wheat, and I went to collect it. He was absent from home, but his wife, being acquainted with me, sent me to the granary alone to help myself.

When I had put up all the wheat that was due me except the last half bushel, and while in the act of filling that, the temptation came to me to steal some of my neighbor's wheat. He had plenty and I had none, except the little I was then getting. I might take it without being detected, and he would never miss it. The thought had scarcely got through my mind when I knew it was from the evil one; and, as a punishment to myself for entertaining the temptation, I emptied part of the half bushel that was then in my hand back into my neighbor's bin, and did not take all that was my just due.

I took my wheat home. It was not as much as I wished to sow, but I was satisfied, and thankful for it. I placed it in a room adjoining the one I lived in, got my ground ready, and, as fast as I required it, I took wheat from my small store to sow it with.

I sowed all the ground I wished to, and sowed it thickly, as I wanted a good crop at harvest time. I afterwards noticed that I still had some sacks with wheat in left. I saw that they were my sacks, and it must be my wheat. I called my wife's attention to the matter, and then it was that the Spirit of the Lord rested upon us and convinced us that it had been increased by Him for our good.

I got the remaining wheat ground, and we had flour to last us till harvest, for which we gave God the glory; and I bear testimony that my wheat at that time was increased by the power of the same God that increased the widow's oil in ancient times.

In those days, most people that had teams had to depend upon the range for food for them. This was the case with me, and it often took me till ten or twelve o'clock in the day to find my team. When I found it I would return, tired out, and go to work. On one occasion I could not find my team. I knelt down and asked the Lord to direct me where to find it. After arising, contrary to my former intention, I went home. I found my horses tied up. They had come up themselves.

These things taught me to rely upon the Lord, and to ask Him when I needed help.

On another occasion I lost my team. I was satisfied it had been stolen. I was in Salt Lake City a short time after the occurrence, and was speaking to my uncle about my team being lost. He advised me to go to an old lady close by, and she would tell me where it was by means of cards. I told him I would do without the cards.

When I returned home my wife and I knelt down and prayed that the person who took my team might be prevented from taking it out of the country, and that we might get it again.

The team was taken in the summer, and in the fall of the same year a man came to me, in my field, and asked me if I knew of any person that had lost such and such animals, describing my horses. I told him they belonged to me. He then directed me where I should go to find them.

I thanked him for his information, and asked him how he happened to come to me, as we were strangers to each other, and my horses were not branded.

He said he did not know, only that he felt impressed to ask me.

Early next morning I started after my horses. That night I found them in charge of a man who told me that a person came to him in the summer time and desired to stop with him over night. The fellow had a band of horses which his host believed he had stolen. In the morning, as they were both looking at the horses, he said to the man who brought them there, "Here are two stray horses; I will take charge of these and get them to the owner." He accordingly left my two horses and took the rest of the band with him.

You can see, my young readers, how literally our prayers were answered. We recovered our horses in good condition, and thanked the Lord.

These, with many other blessings, served to keep us humble and faithful to our covenants.

Now, the result of our early marriage is this: my family numbers twenty-four. I am the father of nineteen children, four of whom are married, and I have seven grand-children, and my present age is forty-four. I have filled many positions of trust, and I think to the entire satisfaction of my superiors. I am now a Bishop in Zion, and I think I have the faith and prayers and confidence of the Saints over whom I have the honor to preside.

I mention this to show what can be done by being faithful and observing the counsel of those whose right it is to guide and direct.

CASES OF MIRACULOUS HEALING

BY G. W. HILL

GREAT ASSEMBLY OF INDIANS – BAPTIZING THEM – THE SICK INSTANTLY HEALED – CURIOUS ACTIONS OF INDIANS AFFECTED WITH EVIL SPIRITS – THE OLD CHIEF'S FAITH – CHILD CURED OF FEVER – THE DEAD REVIVED.

I have witnessed a great deal more of the power of God in my administration with the Indians then I ever experienced with any other people. In quite a number of cases I have seen Indians who were sick healed instantly, when the ordinance for the healing of the sick was performed in their behalf by the Elders.

I remember several cases of healing that occurred on August 1st, 1875.

A large party of Indians had come in from Wind River, to see what our Indians were doing, as they had heard that I was working with them, trying to teach them the principles of the gospel, as also how to live as the more civilized man does, by cultivating the earth.

They were very anxious to find out whether an Indian would be allowed to settle down and cultivate the earth as other people do. They also wished to ascertain what our religious views were that we were teaching to those Indians, as they were interested with them, because they not only belonged to the same nation, but were related to each other as well.

On the date mentioned I was holding a meeting with them. Our bowery was filled to overflowing. There were from four to five hundred Sho-sho-nees from Wind River, from one hundred and fifty to two hundred Bannocks from the far north, and our local Indians; in all probably about one thousand present.

During our services, Elder Lorenzo Snow, Sister Eliza R. Snow, and quite a number of the authorities from Brigham City came to pay us a visit, and were surprised to see us engaged preaching to so large an audience. They came into the bowery, and all took their seats as quietly as they could except Sister E. R. Snow, who continued to stand up, that she might have a better opportunity of seeing the effect the preaching had on the congregation.

Brother Lorenzo Snow spoke to us a short time; the rest preferred to look on. I expect they thought it was a queer spectacle to see a man trying to preach to a congregation such as I had. But a more attentive congregation I never saw, nor one that paid more respect to the speaker.

After the meeting was dismissed, the cases of healing to which I referred took place.

The Indians hurried me to the water, as there were so many that wanted to be baptized. I did not stop to visit with the brethren and sisters who came to see us, but went immediately to the river.

I baptized over three hundred before I came out of the water.

Among the number were several who were sick. Some had been sick for a long time, and all, without an exception, on being baptized for their health, were healed.

There was one man who had been sick a long time. He had been so bad that he was unable to walk a step for four or five months. It took three men to carry him into the water to be baptized. I baptized him for his health and for the remission of his sins, when he walked out of the river with one man walking on each side of him to steady him, and he got well immediately.

There were in this company of Indians, some eight or nine persons that were possessed of the evil one, or something of that kind. The first of these was a large, strong woman.

Now an Indian is no more afraid of water than a duck is; but when I raised this woman out of the water, she wilted and dropped on my arm, as lifeless, to all appearance, as if she had been dead a week.

The old chief was standing on the bank of the river, preaching to the Indians all the while I was baptizing. When he saw this, he shouted "one!" the second chief also shouted "one."

I did not know what this meant, but the old chief, noticing my embarrassment, said, "Do not be in a hurry, father, she will soon be all right."

In about a minute her breath returned to her, and she walked out of the river all right.

As I said before, I baptized eight or nine of such cases that day, the old chief keeping count all the time.

He told me that they had been practicing their witchcraft and working with their black art so much, that he did not expect anything else of them; but it caused me to reflect a great deal.

Some of those that were operated upon in this way were men, and when I would raise them out of the water they would hang upon my arm breathless, and as limber as a half-filled sack of wheat.

The old chief took sick about a week after he was baptized, and called for baptism for his health. I baptized him, and he got well immediately. The power of God was made manifest in his case to such an extent, and made so much impression upon him, that, on being taken sick last summer, he started to come a distance of between two and three hundred miles on horseback to be baptized for his health.

Now, if he had never been healed himself, nor seen anybody else healed, he would never have started that distance on horseback to have that ordinance performed.

The Lamanites are very much like other people; some of them have great faith, and will be healed of any sickness, no matter how severe the attack, while others will not seem to be benefitted in the least.

I have frequently administered to them when they were burning up, as it were, with mountain fever, and before I would get my hands off their heads, their faces would be covered with large drops of sweat, and the fever would be entirely gone.

I remember one case of this kind among many others that took place on Salmon River, in the fall of 1855.

A band of Indians came in from their hunt, with a little girl, very sick of mountain fever. Their relatives told them that we practiced the ordinance of laying on hands for the healing of the sick.

When the father came after me, I told him that we did not make a practice of administering to those who did not belong to the Church; and if we went and administered to the child, and it recovered, I should expect him to be baptized. He said it was a bargain.