A Prophecy and a Blessing
by John E. Fisher
When a boy of nine years, I received the following testimony:
During most of her life, my mother had but little voice and spoke in a subdued whisper, and for which medical treatment gave no relief. Great-grandmother was 88 years of age, lived with us in Bountiful and continued to pray that Mother would get her voice again.
One day there came to our home an elderly gentleman of medium height, light in complexion, with gray hair, blue impressive eyes and a voice most angelic. I was playing at the side of the house when I noticed this gentleman’s sudden appearance. I went quickly to my mother and told her that a sweet old gentleman wanted to see her at the front door. Just then he knocked and the sudden impression came to Mother–he is a Nephite, let him in quickly or he will be gone. He came in, upon invitation, saying, “Sister, I have come to bless you.” My mother assured him that she was blessed and in need of no blessing that she did not have. All this time she was whispering near his ear in order to make herself heard, which was a habit. The thought of overcoming her affliction seemed impossible, as for years she had been administered to by the Priesthood, and physicians, to no avail. “Yes,” he said, “You have need of blessings you are not aware of.”
Mother asked him who he was. “I am a Mormon,” he replied. She then asked where he lived. “Away down south,” was his answer in a sweet, calm voice, with a most peaceful smile illuminating his countenance, both of which I shall never forget.
After the first impulse that he was a Nephite, came feeling of fear and doubt, and Mother was weak and pale. She asked the gentleman if he would eat. He said, “Yes, sister, if it is not too much work.” Mother wanted [153] an opportunity to be by herself before allowing him to place his hands upon her head, so she prepared him a quick lunch, and while he ate she prayed upon her knees in the pantry for the discernment of truth of the spirit of the visitor. The feeling came back that all was all right and with much force the thought that she would be able to discern his influence as soon as he laid his hands upon her head.
After finishing a fairly hearty lunch, he sat a chair in the middle of the room and asked my mother to be seated. He stood at the back of the chair, laid his hands upon her head and said, “Sister, the prayer I pray no earthly ears may hear.” So saying, he went on, “O God, the Eternal Father,” and then remained quiet for a minute or so and said, “Amen.”
He then told us that he traveled the whole earth over, administering and bringing comfort to Saints in need. He told us many other things of interest to our family, of our people, our Church, etc., causes of certain atmospheric conditions, and stated in effect, in effect that the full choiceness of this land was being withheld because the people of the world would desire it and get it away from us if it were to be permitted to blossom in fullness and that this was God’s way of protecting the land for His work and His people.
He spent an hour or an hour and a half with us. Then he prepared to leave, and as he did he asked God to bless us, our home and surroundings. Placing his hands upon the heads of our children, he said, “These are tokens of God’s love entrusted for a time to your care.”
Mother and I followed this brother out upon the front porch to watch him depart. He went for about a hundred steps or so and then actually disappeared before our eyes, in the open road. Mother turned pale and had to lean upon the well of the house for support. She asked me if I saw what happened, this time using a rich, full voice, and I called her attention to that fact, which added to her alarm.
[154] While this, our brother, had visited us, a gentle shower fell in the vicinity of our home, so that to reassure ourselves, we traveled his steps. They went to the spot where he disappeared, but no further. Inquiry of the neighbors along the road failed to show that he had been seen after leaving our home.
When we went back into the house, great-grandmother, who sat quietly rocking all the while in an adjoining room watching what happened through an open door, said, “I have lived to be 88 years of age and this day have had the privilege of seeing a Nephite.”
We were all very much concerned over this matter and in relating our experience later to our neighbors, we were informed that on the previous Sunday in Sacrament Meeting, Apostle John W. Taylor had spoken with much spirit* and bore a fervent testimony, and then prophesied that before the week was over a Nephite should visit a home in East Bountiful and leave a blessing and that this testimony of the Gospel and the Gospel itself was true.
It was unfortunate that none of our family were present at Sacrament Meeting upon the occasion, but we feel it a great privilege to bear witness of these things. My mother’s voice has served her these seventeen years since, and for these things we are all thankful unto our Heavenly Father.
* Apostle Taylor was in attendance at a Priesthood conference meeting at Bountiful. He bore testimony of all the principles of the Gospel and said that one-half of the people under the sound of his voice would apostatize from some of the principles; and as testimony of the truth of this prediction, one of the Nephites would visit a home in the settlement and in consequence of such a visit some person would receive a great blessing.
One of Joseph Smith’s wives was the mother of Josephine Clark Fisher, the above mentioned woman, proxy daughter of Joseph Smith.
[155] I bear testimony and am a witness that the above is a brief account of the truth as I know it to be the truth. I pray it may help others as not a few of our people have had such visitations, but perhaps not all so impressive as this which we have had. (Signed: John E. Fisher, May 15, 1921; Salt Lake City, Utah)
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