WARNINGS OF THE SPIRIT.
BY H.G.B.
IMPRESSED BY THE SPIRIT NOT TO GO ON A STEAMER, AFTER ARRANGING FOR MY PASSAGE—RUSH ASHORE BEFORE THE BOAT STARTS—BOAT SNAGGED AND SUNK IN THE MISSISSIPPI—WARNED BY THE SPIRIT NOT TO MEET AN APPOINTMENT—URGED BY MY FRIENDS, I START—AVERSION TO GOING SO STRONG, I GALLOP BACK—FRIENDS UNABLE TO ACCOUNT FOR MY FEARS—ROBBERY AT THE HOUSE WHERE I WAS TO HAVE GONE—SAVED FROM SUSPICION BY OBEYING THE VOICE OF THE SPIRIT.
There are no people on the earth, that we are acquainted with, that exercise so much faith in God our Heavenly Father as do the Latter-day Saints. No other people seek for His protecting care as they do. Nor are there any people to whom His protection is oftener extended or made manifest more visibly than unto this people.
Especially has this been the case with hundreds of our Elders, when traveling and preaching the gospel. A few of these instances of divine protection in my own experience I wish to relate.
While on my way to Nauvoo, Illinois, in the month of June, 1845, going down the Ohio River, the steamer I was aboard of ran aground on the "Flint Island Bar," just above Evansville, Indiana.
I remained on the boat for thirty-six hours; when, the water in the river being very low, and getting lower every day, and, seeing no prospect of our getting past this bar, I concluded to go ashore and work a few days, as I understood laborers were in demand in Evansville. The captain of the steamer aground, accordingly, refunded me a just proportion of the passage money I had paid him.
I procured work for one week, at the end of which time the river began to rise. Being very anxious to pursue my journey, I went aboard the first boat that landed at Evansville, which I learned was going as far up the Mississippi River as Galena. I made arrangements with the clerk for passage to Nauvoo, but did not pay him at the time, as he said the boat would not leave for two hours.
I was never more desirous of pursuing my journey than I was on this occasion, yet soon after going aboard a feeling of aversion to going on that steamer took possession of me. Instead of a sensation of joy, an undefinable dread, or foreboding of coming evil was exercising an influence over me, that increased in its power every moment, until I could resist no longer, and, snatching up my trunk, I fled with it to shore, just as the deck hands stopped to haul in the gangway, and the boat moved off.
I put my trunk down on the bank of the river, and sat down on it, too weak to stand on my feet longer.
This was a new experience to me, then. What did it mean? One thing was certain, I felt as if I had just escaped from some great calamity to a place of safety.
Two days after this I took passage on another steamer for St. Louis, where in due time I arrived in safety. As I walked ashore I met a newsboy crying his morning paper, and among the items of news it contained the most prominent was an account of the ill-fated steamer that I had made my escape from at Evansville, on the Ohio River. I purchased the paper, and found the boat had been snagged in the Mississippi River, below St. Louis, in the night, and sank, with a loss of nearly all that were on board.
The mysterious feeling that impelled me to leave that boat was cleared up to my satisfaction. There remained not the shadow of a doubt that Providence had interposed between me and the great danger.
The thanks, gratitude, and joy that filled my whole being on this occasion, I will not try to describe.
On another occasion, when on a mission in the State of California, in the year 1857, it became necessary for me to make a visit from the north end to the south end of San Francisco Bay.
There were two ways open to me to make this trip. One was to take the steamer and go by water from Petaluma to San Jose, the place I wished to visit. The other was by land, on horseback, around the east side of the bay, by way of Vallejo and Benicia.
I had stayed over Monday night at the house of a Mr. H—, who was preparing to move south with his family, and who prevailed on me to accompany him around by land. He offered to feed both myself and horse as far south as I desired to go, thus relieving me of any expense.
Mr. H—— had taken great pains to tell me of a Mr. O——, who was very favorably inclined to our people and doctrines. He thought that I ought, by all means, to visit him, and that I could do so on the coming Friday evening, and join him (Mr. H—) on Saturday morning at Vallejo, on the proposed trip.
This all appeared right enough to me, as Mr. O—— lived nearly in a direct line from Petaluma (the place I would start from on Friday) and Vallejo.
Mr. O—— had often invited me to make him a visit, and I therefore promised Mr. H—— that I would accept of his kind offer, and meet him at Vallejo as proposed.
On the Friday following, I took dinner at A. J. Mayfield's, near Petaluma. Soon afterwards I caught and saddled my horse, when I began to feel opposed to going to Mr. O——'s.
I remarked to Mr. Mayfield that I was tempted to give up my visit, at which he and wife (who were both great friends of ours) began to insist that I must not fail to visit Mr. O—— and family, as they were very anxious for me to do so. His acquaintance and friendship, they said, would be a great advantage to me, as he was a man of wealth and great influence.
Having nothing to offer as an excuse for not going, I mounted my horse and rode away.
The distance was about four miles; and, as I proceeded, the same mysterious influence was brought to bear upon me that had saved my life on the other occasion, just related.
This aversion grew and increased upon me until I came in sight of Mr. O——'s house, which was located in a beautiful vale, some half a mile away. From this point I could proceed no farther, or, to say the least, it seemed madness to do so.
So powerfully was I impressed that some impending evil awaited me if I went farther, that I turned my horse about and started back on a gallop, which I did not break until I arrived at Mr. Mayfield's again, feeling all the time as if I was fleeing from some great calamity.
The explanation I gave this family did not seem to satisfy them. I could see they thought me a little inclined to lunacy. However, next morning all was made plain enough.
Having given up my trip around the bay, I went, in company with Mr. Mayfield, to Petaluma, to take steamer and make my way by water.
We had been in town but a few minutes when we met with Mr. O—, who had come in to get out a warrant and an officer to arrest Mr. H—, whom I was to have met that same morning at Vallejo.
Mr. O—— had been robbed the night before of eight thousand dollars in gold, and he charged H—— with being the guilty party, which afterwards was proved to be true.
If I had not been prevented by a kind Providence, I would doubtless have been arrested at Benicia with him, as an accomplice.
The reader can easily perceive the dilemma this would have placed me in. And no doubt Mr. H—— and his family would have done all in their power to fasten the guilt upon me, in order to save themselves.
As soon as Mr. Mayfield and I were alone, he exclaimed, "O, I know now why you could not visit Mr. O—— last evening."
That family no longer regarded me as being superstitious.
As in the other case, I considered this a wonderful escape from a terrible snare, and was full of gratitude, giving thanks to Almighty God for the same.
Since then I have given more heed to the still small voice of the Spirit, and, consequently, have escaped many snares and evils that I might otherwise have fallen into.
Many other incidents I might relate of a similar nature. And there are thousands of our people that could testify to a great many marvelous deliverances, many of them more wonderful than those I have given in this sketch. Therefore, I advise the youth of Zion to seek always for the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and for our Heavenly Father's kind and protecting care to be extended over them.