A Psalm of Thanksgiving

Elder B. H. Roberts was a chaplain in the United States Armed Forces during World War I. The war finally drew to a close, and the peace treaty was signed on 11 November 1918.

Two weeks later, on Thanksgiving Day, the American soldiers were gathered together "in one grand Thanksgiving service.

The large attendance included high-ranking military officers and the services were conducted by the chaplains, who were seated on the grandstand.

Elder Roberts was relegated to one of the rear seats. He had not been asked in advance to participate on the program, therefore, it was with great surprise that he heard the chaplain in charge announce:

"Elder Roberts, the Mormon chaplain from Utah, will now step up and read the Thanksgiving Psalm."


Elder Roberts had never heard of the Thanksgiving Psalm but, hiding his personal embarrassment and possible impending embarrassment to the Church, he arose and walked to the podium, not knowing what he should say.
Years later he testified that, during the long walk to the front, he distinctly heard an audible voice announce: 'The 100th Psalm.' It was as clear as though another person had spoken at his side.


Elder Roberts faced the crowd, paused, then opened his Bible and read Psalm 100....
After Brother Roberts had closed his Bible and was returning to his seat, he noticed that his fellow chaplains refused to look at him; their eyes were immovably fixed on the floor.

It was then he realized that his part on the program had been a deliberate attempt to embarrass him, the Church and the priesthood. He acknowledged the help which he had received from the Lord in his moment of need and, when he returned to his tent that night, he checked the Book of Psalms, discovering that the 100th Psalm contained the most pertinent and appropriate sentiments on Thanksgiving.

("Inspiration, Key to Thanksgiving Psalm," Church News, 22 Nov. 1975, p. 12)

Joseph Millet - Known to God

Joseph was another of the faithful early settlers in southern Utah who sacrificed much because of his commitment to the Lord. By the time he wrote this little paragraph, his oldest daughter had died of typhoid, and he and the rest of the community had suffered great sickness and hunger.

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"One of my children came in, and said that "Brother Newton Hall's folks were out of bread. Had none that day." I put our flour in [a] sack to send up to Brother Hall's. Just then Brother Hall came in.

Says I, "Brother Hall, are you out for flour?"

"Brother Millett, we have none."

"Well, Brother Hall, there is some in that sack. I have divided and was going to send it to you. Your children told mine that you were out."

Brother Hall began to cry. Said "he had tried others. Could not get any. Went to the cedars and prayed to the Lord and the Lord told him to go to Joseph Millett."
"Well, Brother Hall, you needn't bring this back if the Lord sent you for it. You don't owe me for it." 

You can't tell how good it made me feel to know that the Lord knew that there was such a person as Joseph Millett.

- Joseph Millet, journal entry, 1871, Spring Valley.

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That last line is remarkably profound, and still sends chills up my spine after many readings. Remember in the Lectures on Faith when the three requirements for exercising faith in God are taught? The third was something like an actual knowledge that the course of life you are pursuing is according to God's will. I think that's what Joseph Millet sensed. Having that awareness, that God really does exist and really does care about _me_, is a wonderful gift...

Compiled and written by David Kenison

Israel Barlow: The Holy Ghost Kept Him Safe

Israel Barlow was born in 1806 in Massachusetts. He was baptized in 1832, and was part of Zion's Camp. He was ordained a seventy in 1835 by Sidney Rigdon, and was later listed as being the president of the 6th Quorum of Seventies. He is also noted as the first Church member to consider settling the Saints in Nauvoo, when he chanced upon the land in 1838 as he was fleeing Missouri from the extermination order of Governor Boggs.

Israel also became a trusted bodyguard of the Prophet Joseph Smith. His grandson described an event that took place shortly before the martyrdom, when persecution of the Saints around Nauvoo was severe. On one occasion, Joseph requested Israel to go on horseback and deliver a message to a brother who lived in one of the more hostile areas, and to observe conditions during his journey.
The Prophet gave very specific instructions to Brother Barlow: which day to leave, what time, what route to follow, etc. He was further told to accept the hospitality when he arrived at the destination, but not to spend the night in spite of their urgings - to leave in the evening, and then to "listen to the direction of the Spirit." Otherwise, his life would be in jeopardy.

Brother Barlow arrived safely and delivered the message. His grandson recorded what transpired as he started on his return:

"He left promptly at sundown and rode along the country road until it became dark. Just before he came to the river bridge, a voice said to grandfather, "Ride faster." He sped up his horse and the voice repeated again, with more emphasis, "Ride faster." Again he increased the speed of the animal when the voice said to him: "Ride for your life." He then sped for all the animal's strength. As the horse's feet clattered across the bridge he could hear the mob, which had gathered in the brush to intercept him, cursing at the top of their voices.

"He had crossed the bridge but a short distance when the voice said to him: "Turn to the right," and he turned his horse off the road into the brush toward the river. There he stood in silence as the mob, who had mounted their horses, came racing over the bridge at break-neck speed, and down the road they went, supposedly after him. After they had gone by he wound his way from the river's edge to the bed of the stream, and on through the willows. In the darkness he made his way along the river in the opposite direction from which the mob had expected him to go. Finally when he thought it was safe, several miles away, he emerged from the river and made his way over the country back into Nauvoo, just as the day was breaking.

Returning to Nauvoo, Israel found Joseph Smith pacing the street in front of his home. He started to share his adventure with the Prophet, but Joseph stopped him and said he already knew everything that had transpired:
The Prophet told him that he had been up all night, waiting for his return, and stated "I saw it all, you have no need to tell me." Thereupon the Prophet laid his hand upon grandfather's shoulder and gave him a blessing and said: "Thee and thine shall never want."

(See _Our Pioneer Heritage_, 19:324; _Faith Like the Ancients_ 1:196-7)   

Compiled and written by David Kenison

Jedediah M Grant Saved By A Vision

Jedediah Morgan Grant was born in New York in 1816. He joined the Church in 1833. As a young man of 18 years, he marched with "Zion's Camp" to Missouri. That experience was a very formative one in his life. Years later, speaking in Salt Lake City, he described an experience during the march:

"In the year 1834, when Zion's camp was moving from Kirtland to Missouri, one day I left the camp and went out to hunt in the woods of Ohio, and strayed away from the camp some 10 or 11 miles.
The camp kept moving on all the time, and I entirely lost the track, and having no compass, I knew not towards what point I should travel. I kept traveling on till the after part of the day; I then concluded I would pray, but I could not get any impression where the camp was. However, I soon after received an impression from the Spirit, the same Spirit we had in Kirtland, and the same Spirit we enjoy in this place; and immediately after receiving the impression, I looked before me, and there was the camp moving on in regular order. I could see it just as clear as I did in the morning; there were the people, the wagons and horses, all in their places as I left them in the fore part of the day, and I supposed they were not more than 80 rods off. But after turning away for a moment, I again looked in the same direction, but all was gone. Still the Spirit told me to travel on in the same direction I had seen the camp; I did so, and after traveling some 8 or 10 miles, came up with them, and when they first came in sight, they looked just as I saw them in the vision." (_JD_ 3:10-11, May 30, 1855)


In the years following Zion's Camp, Elder Grant served several missions and suffered persecution with the Saints. He became well known for his speaking ability; stories of his preaching a sermon from a blank text and of disarming an opponent by pointing out who was at the head of the Church are well known (see CH Story 14). He crossed to Utah in 1847 and later helped direct other companies on that journey. He was the first mayor of Salt Lake City in 1851, and then was ordained an apostle and became a counselor to Brigham Young in 1854. He had a son named Heber J., who later followed in his father's steps and eventually became president of the Church. However, a week after Heber was born in November 1856, Jedediah died an untimely death at 40 years old, having given great service to the kingdom.

After telling the story of his experience during Zion's Camp, Elder Grant observed:


"Again, whenever I have had anything that was great or important to accomplish, I have been impressed with my own weakness and inability to perform the task imposed upon me, and that of myself I was as nothing, only as I trusted in God, and under these circumstances I was certain to speak by the power and influence of the Holy Ghost. When I have trusted in books, or in my own acquirements that I had gleaned from reading the productions of different authors, (for I used to be fond of reading the works of Brown, Abercrombie, Locke, Watts, and other metaphysical writers,) I was sure to be foiled in my attempt, for all would leave me. But whenever I have trusted in the Lord, and relied upon Him for strength, it has come out right." (_JD_ 3:11)


(Compiled and written by David Kenison)