Helpful Visions: The Fourteenth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Intended for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Religion
Helpful Visions: The Fourteenth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Intended for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day Saints
Latter Day Saint churches -- Doctrines
Elders Rodney C. Badger and Robert F. Neslen, of Salt Lake, also
addressed the congregation. Elder Neslen, in referring to the
missionary work performed by Briant Stevens, turned to a number of old
veterans of the Church who were sitting upon the stand, and said:
"This dear little boy by his own efforts brought four souls into a
belief in the everlasting gospel. His converts are here to day, sincere
believers, full of promise and devotion to the work, and now I doubt
whether some of the rest of us whose forms are bowed, and whose hair is
gray, with all our wanderings up and down the face of the earth, can
truly say that we have done more than he."
The little form of Briant Stevens was laid away in the cemetery; but
his work did not end with the vanishing of his form from its daily
associations. Of him truly it may be said that his work lives after
him. Some of his former companions have been changed from the hour that
they learned of his death; and if there be any prospect in human life
which can be deemed certain of fulfillment, these children will be his
imitators in all that was good. Word has come to his parents, even from
distant points, that children who knew him have said since his death,
"we will try to live like little Briant Stevens, so that if we should
die we can be remembered."
And two of his daily associates--one of them being Fred J. Bluth, was
with him on each occasion when he broke his arm, and the other being
Edgar Peterson, one of Briant's converts, have received a power and
manifestation concerning him which is not unworthy of mention.
Briant and Fred attended the Central School together; and each night
Briant, who was the earlier released from his classes, waited at the
gate for Fred. In the second night after Briant was buried, Fred had a
dream which he relates almost exactly in the following words:
"I thought that Briant was waiting for me at the gate as usual--only he
was dressed in white raiment, like that in which he lay in the coffin.
When I came near him, he sprang to my side and threw his arms around my
neck. He took my hand, and said: 'Come, Fred, with me.'
"Hand in hand, we ran up town together. We came to a house in which a
baby lay dead. We entered the room and looked at the little one. Still
hand in hand, we came out, and a large wagon stood before the door. The
driver came down from his seat, and we got in and drove to a building
like a granary. Briant opened the doors. And then I heard a voice
saying:
"'You must fill the wagon with corn.'
"Briant and I began to shovel corn into the wagon; but soon he stopped.
I asked:
"'Is it enough?'
"And he answered:
"'Not yet.'
"I worked a little longer, and again I called to him:
"'Is it enough, Briant?'
"And once more he replied:
"'Not yet, Fred.'
"After a still longer time, during which I worked diligently, I asked
him for the third time:
"'Is it enough?'
"And Briant replied:
"'Yes, it is enough. Now you must come with me, Fred.'
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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