



Produced by Holly Astle, Mormon Texts Project Intern
(http://mormontextsproject.org/)







HELPFUL VISIONS.

THE FOURTEENTH BOOK OF THE FAITH-PROMOTING SERIES.


Intended for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-day
Saints.


JUVENILE INSTRUCTOR OFFICE,

SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH.

1887.



COMBINED FAITH-PROMOTING SERIES,

Nos. 1-5, $1.35,

Nos. 6-10, $1.25.



CONTENTS.

A TERRIBLE ORDEAL.

CHAPTER I.

Remarkable Spiritual Manifestations--Thrilling Experience of Elder
David P. Kimball, as Narrated by himself.

CHAPTER II.

Account of Patten Kimball and Others, Regarding the Search for and
Finding of his Father.

BRIANT S. STEVENS.

CHAPTER I.

Briant Stringham Stevens Becomes a Missionary to His Associates and
Brings Four Boys to Belief and Baptism--A Good Child who Passed Amidst
the Daily Temptations of Life Unscathed.

CHAPTER II.

Accidents to Briant--He is Ordained to the Priesthood--Patient
Endurance of His Sufferings--He is Blessed to be an Elder and then
Slumbers in Death.

CHAPTER III.

A "Helpful Vision" to Briant's Stricken Father--the Comforter Brings
the Peace which Passes All Understanding--The Funeral of the Little
Missionary--His Work Lives after Him.

FINDING COMFORT.

CHAPTER I.

Called to Australasia--The Modern Imitators of Job's Friends--Our
"Special Instruction" is to "Build up the Kingdom of God in those
Lands"--A Disappointment ends in a Blessing--Promises by an Apostle
which were Literally Fulfilled--We Reach Sydney, I am Separated From my
Companion.

CHAPTER II.

Labor which Brought Little Compensation--A Mysterious Call to
New Zealand--Attacked by an Evil Spirit--The Visitation Thrice
Repeated--Meeting the Brother of a Friend--On Board the _Wakatipu_
Bound for New Zealand.

CHAPTER III.

An Irreverent Company of Passengers--Sickness and a Horror of Life
Fall Upon Me--A "Helpful Vision"--"Only be True"--Invoking the
Name of Christ--A Jolly Singer and a Jolly Song--Landing at Port
Littleton--Strange Recognition of Brother Nordstrand--His Dream
Concerning Me.

CHAPTER IV.

Reason for my Sudden Call to Leave Sydney--The Little Old Lady of the
_Wakatipu_--She had Waited a Generation to Renew her Covenants--Another
"Helpful Vision"--A Mysterious Half-Sovereign--Saved from Death in a
Swift River.

CHAPTER V.

Some Old Members of the Church--The Spirit Prompts Promises to Them
which are Literally Fulfilled--Help from a Catholic Who is Suddenly
Converted and Who as Suddenly Apostatizes--A Spontaneous Prophecy--The
Journey Home--A Careful Observer--Safe in Zion.

TRAITORS.

Solemn Warnings--A Traitor can Never be Anything but
Despicable--Examples of the Past.



PREFACE.

The very encouraging reports we are constantly receiving from various
parts of the country concerning the vast amount of good accomplished by
these small publications, induces us to issue the fourteenth book, with
the sincere hope that it may not be less interesting or instructive
than those which have preceded it.

The Visions here recorded will again prove that truth is stranger than
fiction, and we trust that a perusal of these manifestations will lead
our young people to seek for the guidance of the Lord in all things,
and make Him their constant friend. The article on traitors is very
appropriate reading matter for the present season, and will, it is
hoped, cause everyone to look upon the men of this class with the
contempt they so justly merit, and sustain everyone in shunning as they
would poison, any traitorous act.

Our great desire is that this little book may assist in the education
and elevation of the young people and others who may peruse it.

THE PUBLISHERS.



A TERRIBLE ORDEAL.

BY O. F. WHITNEY.



CHAPTER I.

REMARKABLE SPIRITUAL MANIFESTATIONS--THRILLING EXPERIENCE OF ELDER
DAVID P. KIMBALL, AS NARRATED BY HIMSELF.

The following narrative of the experience of the late David Patten
Kimball, who was lost on the Salt River desert, Arizona, in the latter
part of November, 1881, is taken by permission from a letter written
by him to his sister, Helen Mar Whitney, of this city, on the 8th of
January, 1882. Brother Kimball was then a resident of Jonesville,
or Lehi, three miles from Mesa, where the letter was written. The
events described took place while he was returning home from a trip to
Prescott, the capital of that Territory.

The experience related was of so remarkable a character as to meet with
dubiety on the part of some, especially those inclined to be skeptical
regarding spiritual manifestations. Some went so far as to ascribe the
sights and scenes through which the narrator claimed to have passed,
to the fevered fancy of a mind disordered by strong drink. That such
should have been supposed, particularly by those who are ignorant of
spiritual things, is not surprising, when it is remembered that even
the Apostles of Christ, on the day of Pentecost, were accused of being
"drunken with new wine," when the power of the Spirit fell upon them
and they "spake with tongues and prophesied."

What is here presented is the plain and simple testimony of an honest
man, who adhered to it till the day of his death, which occurred within
two years from the date of his letter, and was in literal fulfillment
of certain things which he said were shown him in vision, and of which
he frequently testified while living.

For the benefit of such as may not have known Brother David P. Kimball,
we will state that he was the fourth son of the late President Heber C.
Kimball, whose wonderful encounter with evil spirits, on the opening
of the British Mission in 1837, has become a matter of Church history.
Here is the excerpt from David's letter:

"On the 4th of November, I took a very severe cold in a snow storm at
Prescott, being clad in light clothing, which brought on pneumonia
or lung fever. I resorted to Jamaica ginger and pepper tea to obtain
relief and keep up my strength till I could reach home and receive
proper care. On the 13th I camped in a canyon ten miles west of
Prescott, my son Patten being with me. We had a team of eight horses
and two wagons. That night I suffered more than death. The next night
we camped at Mr. McIntyre's, about twenty miles farther on. I stopped
there two nights and one day, during which time I took nothing to drink
but pepper tea. On the 16th we drove to Black's ranch, twenty-eight
miles nearer home, and were very comfortably located in Mr. Black's
house.

"About 11 p. m., I awoke and to my surprise saw some six or eight men
standing around my bed. I had no dread of them but felt that they were
my friends. At the same time I heard a voice which seemed to come from
an eight square (octagon) clock on the opposite side of the house.
It commenced talking and blackguarding, which drew my attention,
when I was told to pay no attention to it. At this point I heard the
most beautiful singing I ever listened to in all my life. These were
the words, repeated three times by a choir: 'God bless Brother David
Kimball.' I at once distinguished among them the voice of my second
wife, Julia Merrill, who in life was a good singer. This, of course,
astonished me. Just then my father commenced talking to me, the voice
seeming to come from a long distance. He commenced by telling me of
his associations with President Young, the Prophet Joseph, and others
in the spirit world, then enquired about his children, and seemed to
regret that his family were so scattered, and said there would be a
great reformation in his family inside of two years. He also told me
where I should live, also yourself and others, and a great many other
things. I conversed freely with father, and my words were repeated
three times by as many different persons, exactly as I spoke them,
until they reached him, and then his words to me were handed down in a
like manner.

"After all this I gave way to doubt, thinking it might be only a dream,
and to convince myself that I was awake, I got up and walked out-doors
into the open air.

"I returned and still the spirit of doubt was upon me. To test it
further I asked my wife Julia to sing me a verse of one of her old
songs. At that, the choir, which had continued singing, stopped and she
sang the song through, every word being distinct and beautiful. The
name of the song was, 'Does He Ever Think of Me.'

"My eyes were now turned toward the south, and there, as in a large
parquette, I beheld hundreds, even thousands, of friends and relatives.
I was then given the privilege of asking questions and did so. This
lasted for some time, after which the singing commenced again,
directly above me. I now wrapped myself in a pair of blankets and went
out-doors, determined to see the singers, but could see nothing, though
I could hear the voices just the same. I returned to my couch and the
singing, which was all communicative and instructive, continued until
the day dawned. All this time the clock I have mentioned continued its
cursing and blackguarding.

"Mr. and Mrs. Black were up in due time and got breakfast. I arose and
made my toilet, plain as it was, and took breakfast with my host and
hostess. When my boy got ready to start, I went to pay my bill, and to
my surprise heard a voice say or communicate: 'David Kimball has paid
his bill.' When I got into the wagon, my guards, or those who were
around my bed during the night, were still with me. My father had told
me that he and President Young and others would visit me the next night.

"We drove on until about 11 a. m., when a host of evil spirits made
their appearance. They were determined to destroy me, but I had power
of mind to pay no attention to them, and let them curse all day without
heeding them any more than possible. Five times they made a rush _en
masse_ to come into the wagon, the last one, where I was, but were kept
off by my friends (spiritual). About 2 p. m. I told my boy to stop and
we would water our horses. We used for this purpose barrels that we had
along with us. After this I walked to the west side of my wagons, and
looking to the east, I saw and heard the evil spirits floating in the
air and chanting curses upon Brigham Young. I saw two other groups of
the same kind, but did not hear them. Then I looked to the south and
the whole atmosphere was crowded with fallen spirits, or those who had
not obtained bodies. Others who tried to torment me were spirits who
had lived upon the earth. Having seen so many and being complimented
by my guard for seeing so well, I became a little timid and asked my
spiritual friends if they had any help. The answer was, 'Yes, plenty.'
I now told my boy to drive on--he was entirely oblivious of all that
was taking place with me--and soon after I was so exhausted that I fell
into a troubled sleep and must have slept quite a little while.

"After I awoke I seemed to be left alone, and was lying on my back,
when, all at once, I saw an old man and two young girls. This vision
coming on me so suddenly, I was startled, and finding my guard gone, I
jumped out of the wagon and got up on the spring seat beside my boy.
But I could not get away from them. I was told in a coarse, gruff voice
that the devil was going to kill me, and that he would follow me night
and day until he destroyed me. I remembered the promise father had made
me the night before--that he intended to visit me the next evening--and
I nerved up and tried to pay no attention to my persecutors, but I must
confess I was frightened.

"We arrived at Wickenburg just at sundown. The old man and the girls
were tormenting and tantalizing me all the way, but never coming very
near to me. We got supper and I took a room at Peeple's hotel and
retired about 10 p. m. When everything was quiet my spirit friends,
eight in number, returned and my tormentors were required to leave.
Soon after, a glorious vision burst upon me. There were thousands of
the Saints presented to me, many who had died at Nauvoo, in Winter
Quarters, on the plains and in Utah.

"I saw Brother Pugmire and many others whom I did not know were dead.
When my mother came to me it was so real and I was so overjoyed that
I exclaimed aloud. So powerful was this vision that I asked President
Young, who seemed to be directing matters, three times to relieve me,
or I would faint. A great many others passed in regular order; and I
recognized nearly all of them, and was told the names of all I did not
know. My father sat in a chair with his legs crossed and his hands
clasped together, as we have often seen him. Those who passed along had
hidden him from my view till then.

"This scene vanished, and I was then taken in the vision into a vast
building, which was built on the plan of the Order of Zion. I entered
through a south door and found myself in a part of the building which
was unfinished, though a great many workmen were busy upon it. My guide
showed me all through this half of the house, and then took me through
the other half, which was finished. The richness, grandeur and beauty
of it defied description. There were many apartments in the house,
which was very spacious, and they differed in size and the fineness of
the workmanship, according to the merits on earth of those who were
to occupy them. I felt most at home in the unfinished part, among the
workmen. The upper part of the house was filled with Saints, but I
could not see them, though some of them conversed with me, my father
and mother, Uncle Joseph Young and others.

"My father told me many things, and I received many reproofs for my
wrong-doings. Yet he was loth to have me leave, and seemed to feel very
badly when the time came for me to go. He told me I could remain there
if I chose to do so, but I plead with him that I might stay with my
family long enough to make them comfortable, to repent of my sins, and
more fully prepare myself for the change. Had it not been for this, I
never should have returned home, except as a corpse. Father finally
told me I could remain two years, and to do all the good I could during
that time, after which he would come for me; he mentioned four others
that he would come for also, though he did not say it would be at the
same time.

"On the 18th of November, about noon, we left Wickenburg (which is
twenty-two miles from Black's Ranch where we stopped the previous
night) on our journey home. I was exhausted from what I had
experienced, and could feel my mind fast giving away, but I had
confidence that I would reach home alive. There were no Elders to
administer to me and no kind friends to look after my wants except my
son, who had all he could do in looking after eight horses and two
wagons. As my mind wandered and grew weaker, I was troubled and led by
influences over which I had no power, and my friends, the good spirits,
had all left me.

"We drove about twenty miles that afternoon, camping about eight miles
from water, on the Salt River desert, which is about fifty miles
across. During the fore part of the night I heard the horses running as
though they were frightened. My son was asleep, but I got up and put my
overcoat across my shoulders and went out where they were and got them
quieted down. I was about to return to the wagon, when that same old
man with gray whiskers, who had tormented me before, stepped between
me and the wagons. He had a long knife in his hand. I was frightened
and fled, he pursuing me and telling me he was going to kill me. What
I passed through I cannot describe, and no mortal tongue could tell. I
wandered two days and three nights in the Salt River desert, undergoing
the torments of the damned, most of the time, which was beyond anything
that mortal could imagine.

"When my mind was restored, and the fever which had raged within me had
abated, I found myself lying on a bleak hill-top, lost in the desert,
chilled, hungered, thirsty and feeble. I had scarcely any clothing on,
was barefooted, and