"It seems strange to our natural senses that this child should be lying here, stilled in death, and yet we should entertain a belief—nay, a knowledge, that he will be with the Saints in his own dear person, at the building of the temple in Jackson County. And yet, my brethren and sisters, I know that the promise made to him will be fulfilled. We are drawing nearer to that great day when wondrous things shall be manifested unto us; the veil between us and the eternal abode of our Almighty Father is growing thinner day by day. It is almost ready to burst."
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: