Hearing A Voice When Nobody Is There: God’s Tool Box Part 3
For God’s Tool Box Part 2 – regarding losing something,
praying about it and then seeing it’s location in a visionary experience, click here.
God's Tool Box Part 3 though – oh this part 3 is about hearing a voice. A
voice that fills you with faith and sometimes even keeps you alive. I have
never had this experience myself, but I know an awful lot of people who have.
Below is a pretty big list of people who claim the experience. Some are from
pioneer days and some are more recent. It’s something that, according to the
glimpses below, isn’t specifically sought after. It does appear, though, to be
freely given.
This first one is from just before the martyrdom.
It’s interesting for a lot of reasons – the first is that it really does show
JS Jr. really was thinking about the Rocky Mountains as the next place for saintly roots to be thrown down. The second is that God
used the situation to help stack a testimony.
1) Samuel
W. Richards
“It was the purpose of the Prophet Joseph to come here and locate with his people. He organized this company and held weekly meetings with them for several weeks in Nauvoo, and when he had them sufficiently instructed, as he thought, to properly understand what was to be the character of their mission and fit-out, he went across the river and made a start to go toward the mountains. It was his intention to go to the mountains with us, as a company of pioneers. But he was followed by those who did not like the idea of his leaving, and while they were pleading with him to return, he told them, "If I go back, I go as a lamb to the slaughter." Nevertheless, they determined he should return, and he went back to Nauvoo. From there he went to Carthage, and we all know the history of what followed.
“Suffice it to say, I attended four meetings of this company and at one of them, which was in charge of Hyrum Smith, and three or four of the Twelve were also present, it was said that Joseph the Prophet had remarked that he wanted young men for that mission who could go upon the mountains and talk with God face to face, as Moses did upon Mount Sinai. When I heard that statement, I felt in my soul that I was not the one to go; and just before the meeting closed I got up out of my seat for the purpose of going to Brother Hyrum Smith and telling him I was not the one to go for I did not feel that I could meet these conditions, but as I got up there was a voice came to me and I heard it distinctly as from one standing by my side, saying, "Stop; rest awhile."
“I took my seat again, and instead of telling the Prophet Hyrum that I did not feel I could go, I went home, and before retiring I knelt by my bedside and prayed to my heavenly Father. If I ever prayed in earnest it was then, that I might know before morning whether I was a suitable one to go on that expedition, under the terms specified. The idea of going into the mountains and talking with God face to face, as Moses did on Mount Sinai, was more than I, as a boy, could think of encountering.
“No one perhaps need wonder that I should shrink from such a consideration. I retired to my bed and remained there about four hours, and during that four hours I got the answer to my prayer, and when I awoke I was prepared to go upon that journey and do just as the Prophet wanted me to do. During that four hours I saw all that I expect to see if I should live a thousand years. Someone came to me and told me where to go, and I performed that journey that night while I lay upon my bed.” (https://books.google.com/books?id=orcUAAAAYAAJ&pg=PA105&lpg=PA105&dq=I+heard+a+voice+distinctly+say+to+me+%22stop;+rest+awhile%22&source=bl&ots=jlcUT6gmxH&sig=_TFJv7tZXXwkBD7SFCNDQbgHUVQ&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwi1gd_wf_dAhUZHTQIHdfdAmoQ6AEwAHoECAQQAQ#v=onepage&q=I%20heard%20a%20voice%20distinctly%20say%20to%20me%20%22stop%3B%20rest%20awhile%22&f=false)
That first one was an event that happened towards the end of Joseph’s
life. This one happened a little before he was born.
2) Lucy Mack Smith
“While
living in Randolph, Maine, after she had Alvin and Hyrum, Lucy became extremely
ill. The doctors said she was going to die. She made a promise to God that she
would serve Him the best she could if He would let her survive this illness. She heard a voice say to her that she would
be healed because she faithfully asked God. She was healed in just a few
moments. After this, she became consumed with the subject of religion and began
her search for the truth. Eventually she realized that she felt there was not a
true religion on earth at the time, so she relied on the teachings of the
Bible.” (https://www.fairmormon.org/blog/2018/08/27/book-review-1001-facts-about-the-prophet-joseph-smith)
This next
one I’d never heard before. It shows two powerful testimony builders God gave to one hungry man, both literally and figuratively.
And the
implications here on Brigham Young’s assuming the Church’s earthly reins – it
would have been enough to make Sidney Rigdon trek west!
3) Samuel Taylor Orton
“It was July 1856 somewhere in
Wyoming, and the Bunker handcart company was running low on food. Twenty-four-
year-old Samuel Taylor Orton soon became too weak to pull his handcart, lagging
behind the company and asking the Lord to let him die. All at once, he heard a voice say, “Sam, are you here?”
He recorded in a journal entry, “I turned around and answered ‘yes’ but could
see no one, which surprised me very much.” However, this small incident
motivated the young pioneer to get up and keep walking.
“He soon caught up with the
company but began asking himself just what he expected to see when he reached
Salt Lake City. Why was he out here pulling a handcart on this arduous journey
to Zion After thinking it through, Brother Orton made up his mind that “if the
Father and the Son did appear to the Prophet Joseph Smith and reveal the gospel
unto him, and Brigham Young was his lawful successor, I wanted to see the halo
of light around his head, like there was around the head of the Savior on
nearly all of the pictures we see.” He then put the experience from his mind
and pulled his handcart the rest of the way to Salt Lake City.
“The Sabbath after he arrived in
the valley, Brother Orton was sitting in the old bowery waiting for church
services to begin. Looking around to see if there was anyone in attendance that
he knew, he saw President Brigham Young walk in. As Brother Orton looked toward
the stand, he instantly and distinctly “saw President Young with the rays of
light around his head.” At that moment,
the same voice that had spoken to him on the plains said, “Now, Sam, if ever you
apostatize, here is your condemnation.” Brother Orton recorded, “I looked
around me to see if the people heard it, but, I thought they did not.”” (http://bouldertrek.com/samuel-taylor-orton/)
Here’s a more modern prophet making the list. It’s
from when he was a kid, and it leaves me with a burning question: What was over
there? WHAT WAS OVER THERE?!
4) Harold B. Lee:
“As a young boy I was out on a
farm ... playing about ... when I saw over the fence in the neighbor’s yard
some broken-down buildings with the sheds caving in. ... I imagined ... that
might be a castle I should explore, so I went over to the fence and started to
climb through. Then I heard a voice as distinctly as you are
hearing mine: ‘Harold, don’t go over there.’ I looked in every direction to
see where the speaker was. I wondered if it was my father, but he couldn’t see
me; he was way up at the other end of the Field. There was no one in sight. I
realized that someone was warning me of an unseen danger—whether there was a
nest of rattlesnakes, or whether the rotting timbers would fall on me and crush
me, I don’t know. But from that time on, I accepted without question ... that there are processes not known to man by
which we can hear voices from the unseen world, by which we can have
brought to us visions of eternity”. (https://www.lds.org/new-era/1973/03/stories-from-the-general-authorities-president-harold-b-lee?lang=eng)
This next one is a transcription. I added the punctuation
and eliminated some ‘ums’ and ‘ahs’. It’s also one of the more recent
experiences on the list – withing the last 30 years or so. Bradley, if you
didn’t know, is a fascinating Church history researcher. I highly recommend the
whole video. In it he talks about his faith, the total loss of it and its return – all nestled in what he was finding in Church history. I’ll link the
whole thing below.
5) Don Bradley
“One day I was returning from the
church archives, I was gonna catch a bus up to where we lived at the top of the
Avenues. I was about to step off the curb onto a cross walk. It was a crosswalk
that had no light. You just step out and the cars are supposed to stop, and
they always had before. I had a thought or voice tell me “Don’t go out in front
of that car” There was a particular car that had just rounded the intersection
onto the street. I listened to the voice but I didn’t make a whole lot of it. I
walked out into the edge of the first lane and then waited and when the car
passed in front of me I saw that both the driver and the passenger were
looking, or scrambling to get something off the floor or something. They were
looking anywhere but at the road. The driver looked up at the road just after
he would have hit me…. It’s probably the most analyzed experience of my life.” (https://www.fairmormon.org/blog/2012/11/28/keeping-the-faith-5a-don-bradley-seeing-with-an-eye-of-faith-pt-1 at minute
22:40)
Next,
we have a twofer. One story compromising two different men hearing a voice at
different times. This story stems from a man who, at one point in his life, was
also stone-cold inactive:
6)
Jesse Knight & Joseph
Keeler
“Jesse became a mining
prospector in the Tintic Mountains near his home in Payson. One day in 1896
while he was prospecting, Jesse “heard a
voice distinctly say to him, ‘This country is here for the Mormons.’” Urged
on by this prompting, Jesse located what he considered a promising site…
“After two months of hard-rock
digging on their primitive tunnel, they found a rich enough deposit of silver
and gold that they sold the ore in two shipments for about $20,000. That same
year, President Wilford Woodruff confided in the local bishops that the Church
was in financial difficulty and needed to find members who could make loans
available. While on his way home one Sunday afternoon, Jesse Knight’s bishop Joseph Keeler said he heard “a voice as
audible as that of a person” say “Jesse Knight will lend the Church $10,000.”
Bishop Keeler went directly to Jesse’s home. Jesse said he would have a check
for $10,000 ready the next morning, which Bishop Keeler then hand carried to
the First Presidency. That was only the beginning of Jesse’s generosity to the
Church.” (http://www.ldsliving.com/A-Miraculous-Story-That-Illustrates-How-the-Temple-Sealing-Power-Can-Bring-Back-Loved-Ones-Who-Wander/s/89013)
In this case
– we do get to see what was lurking:
7) Sara Jane
“Sara Jane was a pioneer girl
who walked across the wilderness in America long ago to find a new home. After
she arrived in Utah, she lived with her aunt in an unfinished house. Stretched
across the top of the walls was a canvas roof held in place by a large rock at
each corner.
“Sara Jane was at home sewing
one day when she heard a voice say, “Move
away quickly.” There was no other person around, but Sara Jane moved to the
other side of the room. Just after she moved, one of the rocks holding down the
roof fell into the room. If Sara Jane had not moved, the rock would have hit
her.” (https://www.lds.org/manual/primary-2/lesson-13?lang=eng)
Here’s a good one. I screen-shot my source on this and can’t
find the original for the life of me. My source, too, was just a scan of a
page. Regardless, this is a pretty great story with a heavenly voice excited
enough that multiple people heard it.
8) William West
Woodland
“William tells of one experience
that they had with the Indians. William and the other men had been in the
saddle most of the time for about three days and nights without rest. About
midnight they were ordered to make up camp and to try to get some sleep. The
horses were unsaddled and unpacked and blankets were spread out on the ground. A
guard was put over the horses and soon all were asleep. Just as the day began
to break, a voice distinct and firm
called, “William”. Weariness caused no immediate reply. In an instant the voice came again with greater emphasis…
a third time with the sharpness of a
command it came. William sprang to his feet. Capt. Burton said, “William, who
called you?” He replied, “I don’t know but I am on the way.” He soon saw the
reason. The Indians were in the distance. He possessed a horse that was trained
to do many tricks and would come at a call. The guard had fallen asleep and the
horses were as close to the enemy as they were to them. He gave the call, the
horse came and William soon had the horses to camp. Capt. Burton had also been
awakened by the voice of the unseen watchman and by the time the horses were in
the camp, the bedding was ready to be placed on the animals, and within a few
minutes the little company had moved into the nearby ravine. They watched the
Indians pass directly over the spot where they had been sleeping a few moments
before.”
Next
is the most recent story on the list. It occurred during the Haitian
earthquake. Some of the details are pretty horrible if you follow the link. They may keep you up at night. It’s
a horrible story with a glimmer of hope and an unraveling master plan…
9) Williamson
Sintyl
“A voice came to
me, telling me to stop screaming because I would use up all my energy screaming
and I would die if I didn’t stop. I actually heard that voice telling me to be
calm…
“All the time I
was buried alive, there was someone there with me, keeping me calm. I was close
to dying; I was so tired and hungry. I kept hearing that voice that gave me
hope. I didn’t know much about God, and I had never said a personal prayer to
Him. I used all the faith in me and offered up my first sincere prayer. I asked
God to save my life. I promised Him that if He saved my life, I would serve Him
for as long as I lived.” (https://www.lds.org/blog/finding-god-while-buried-in-rubble?lang=eng)
These
were 9 stories but there are far more. Chances are you know someone that can
add to this list. You just have to be nice, respectful and sincere to hear
them.
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