MIRACULOUS HELP FROM THE LORD.
Elders have often found in their experience that the Lord has helped
them to a remarkable degree in their efforts to qualify themselves for
the labors before them. So much assistance have they received through
His Spirit that they have been astonished with their own utterances
when explaining the principles of the Gospel. While speaking, ideas
have been presented to them which they had never thought of before. And
often additional light has been flashed into their minds upon subjects
they were attempting to elucidate or explain. Many instances have
occurred where missionaries have been blessed with the gift of tongues,
when called to preach to foreign nations. One such instance was related
by Apostle Heber J. Grant in the course of remarks he made in the
Tabernacle in Salt Lake City, November 22, 1896. The narrative as he
gave it is as follows:
"When Brother Maeser was baptized in his native land, he called upon
the Lord in secret prayer, after he came out of the water, and said to
the Lord, 'O Lord, I have obeyed Thy Gospel; I believe in the divinity
of the mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith with all my heart; I believe
that the angel that was seen to fly in the heavens with the everlasting
Gospel, has come to the earth and restored the Gospel; now, O Father,
manifest unto me one of the signs that shall follow the believer, and I
pledge you that if you give me a witness of the divinity of the work in
which we are engaged, I will, if need be, give my life for that cause.'
After this he walked along asking questions of Brother Franklin D.
Richards, Brother Budge acting as interpreter. Finally when he asked a
question of Brother Richards, Brother Richards told Brother Budge that
he need not interpret that, as he understood it perfectly. Then Brother
Richards answered, and Brother Maeser told Brother Budge that he need
not interpret that, as he understood it perfectly; and they walked
along the street, one talking in English and the other in German, and
each understood the other by the inspiration of the Spirit of God."
Apostle Anthon H. Lund, while presiding over the European Mission,
wrote to the Millennial Star, in the course of correspondence, the
following:
"Elder Hyrum Jensen related an interesting experience he had had. When
he came to Norway last spring he knew very little of the language
spoken here. One day he attempted tracting, but the people laughed at
him when he tried to speak to them. He felt their ridicule keenly, and
was especially grieved at not being able to explain to them the saving
principles of the Gospel. His way passed by a grove. He entered it and
there in the humility of his soul he prayed God to aid him and loose
his tongue. He felt his prayer was heard, and with renewed courage he
commenced his labors. In a few hours he had sold all his tracts, and
the people listened attentively to what he had to say. He said: 'I spoke
Norwegian with more ease than I have ever spoken English.' Considering
the short time he has been in Norway, we were all astonished to hear
him use the language so well."
A young missionary sent to Germany, who had received but three lessons
in German before leaving home, preached to the Saints in the German
language seventeen days after arriving in their country. His rapid
progress continued till he could speak the language as perfectly as
could the natives themselves. He attributed his success to the help of
the Lord which he received to assist him in his studies.
The writer recollects hearing the late Elder George G. Bywater relate
an incident in his experience while upon his first mission. He was
laboring in Wales in company with another Elder of more experience than
himself. The senior Elder generally did most of the preaching. Upon
one occasion the latter took a severe cold on his lungs and became so
hoarse that he could scarcely whisper. An appointment had been made
for him to preach at a certain place where the congregation would be
mostly composed of Welsh-speaking people. The experienced missionary
was unable to speak on account of his hoarseness, so he informed his
young companion that he would have to do the speaking. Elder Bywater
felt his weakness and inability to satisfy the people's expectations,
as he did not understand the Welsh language; but, on being requested
to do so, he arose to address the audience as best he could, depending
upon the Spirit of the Lord to assist him in his utterances. He began
by speaking in the English tongue--the only one he understood--but soon
he found that he was speaking words which he did not understand, and
the fluency with which they came from his lips astonished him. After he
had finished preaching his companion, who understood the Welsh tongue,
told him that he had delivered an excellent sermon in that language,
and that if he lived to the age of Methuselah he would not be able to
preach a better one. He had been blessed with the gift of tongues that
his hearers might understand the message he had to declare to them.
President George Q. Cannon relates how he was in a marvelous manner
enabled to understand the Hawaiian language. He had been sent while
quite a young man, as a missionary to the Sandwich Islands. He soon
found that the white inhabitants of the islands cared very little
about hearing the Gospel, so he resolved to master the native tongue
and deliver his message to the Hawaiians. How he was divinely aided in
carrying out his determination is given in his own words:
"My desire to learn to speak was very strong; it was present with me
night and day, and I never permitted an opportunity of talking with the
natives to pass without improving it. I also tried to exercise faith
before the Lord to obtain the gift of talking and understanding the
language. One evening, while sitting on the mats conversing with some
neighbors who had dropped in, I felt an uncommonly great desire to
understand what they said. All at once I felt a peculiar sensation in
my ears; I jumped to my feet, with my hands at the sides of my head,
and exclaimed to Elders Bigler and Keeler who sat at the table, that I
believed I had received the gift of interpretation! And it was so.
"From that time forward I had but little, if any, difficulty in
understanding what the people said. I might not be able at once to
separate every word which they spoke from every other word in the
sentence; but I could tell the general meaning of the whole. This was
a great aid to me in learning to speak the language, and I felt very
thankful for this gift from the Lord."