Labors in the Vineyard: Twelfth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-Day Saints.Various
Religion
Labors in the Vineyard: Twelfth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-Day Saints.
Various
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Missions
We sailed along quite comfortably until the twenty-sixth of the month
when a terrible storm arose. About two o'clock in the afternoon the
sea began to swell and show its power, and the vessel lay first on one
side and then on the other. Water came in upon us on both sides of our
ship. We lost our sails and yard-arms, and the chains in the rigging of
the ship broke. In the evening, when everything looked most dismal, our
president called together his counselors and all joined in prayer to
the Lord to cause the winds to cease. Scarcely had the brethren ceased
their supplications when there was a calm, so sudden in fact that the
captain and the officers of the ship were greatly surprised, and they
came and inquired of us how it was that we felt so happy and gay amid
the great danger through which we had just passed. They could not
realize that the Lord removed all fear from the hearts of his faithful
Saints when they were endeavoring to do their duty.
On March 8, 1850, we arrived safely at New Orleans. We felt truly
thankful that the Lord had preserved us from the dangers of the deep
and brought us to the shores of America.
From the time of my arrival at New Orleans till the 1st of June, when I
started west, I spent my time between that city and Council Bluffs, in
preparing for my journey across the plains. I traveled with the camp in
Captain Aaron Johnson's company.
There were a few cases of cholera in the camp as we journeyed along.
I always assisted in nursing and administering to the sick. Many were
healed by the laying on of hands. One case of miraculous healing
I will mention: A Sister McGaw was taken with cholera in its most
dreadful form. I administered to her in the morning and she seemed
to be healed, but after a short time the suffering returned and was
worse, if possible, than before. She said if Brother Burgess could lay
hands on her again she would live, if not, she must die. I was at the
time a mile behind the train, assisting some of the brethren through
a bad place in the road; but the woman seemed so sure of her recovery
if I could administer to her again, that they sent a horseman after me
in all haste, who was to take charge of my team while I was gone. I
rode to the camp as fast as possible and found her in extreme agony.
She was so cramped that her head and heels nearly touched each other.
As I entered her wagon I felt the power of God resting down upon me
mightily. I laid my hands upon her head "in the name of Jesus Christ"
and by the authority of the Holy Priesthood commanded the destroyer to
leave her and the wagon instantly and trouble her no more. It did so
forthwith, but as it retreated I heard it hiss like an adder. The woman
was healed from that moment and went on her way rejoicing. Through the
mercy of God I reached the valley in safety and found my family alive
and well, as Brother Kimball had predicted when he gave me his parting
blessing on the banks of the Elkhorn River.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account