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Don’t Go

I would suppose that most of us have heroes from whom we take examples and counsel for life. Wouldn’t it be an absolute tragedy to get to the end of our lives and realize that we had been looking to and listening to the wrong people? If there is anyone among all 7 billion of us who knows how to be truly happy here and hereafter, that is the person we ought to look to. In that regard please consider this story.

In early 1839, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints were being forced out of the state of Missouri. Anson Call was one of them, but though he knew he had to leave he wanted to sell a piece of property before he went. This would allow him to be less of a burden to others. But, should he go? His property was in the midst of the mobbers.

He asked counsel of Father Joseph Smith Sr, the Patriarch to the Church and President Brigham Young of the Twelve Apostles. Both said, ‘Don’t go.’

So, he went anyway and learned that his property had been taken over by mobbers named O’Niel and Culp. Anson went on to a neighboring farm where he learned that O’Niel and Culp had declared “that if I ever came to the place they would kill me and … others would help them.”

Just then, O’Niel and Culp walked into the house and demanded to know why he was there. Anson said:

“I told them that I was attending to my business. They said I had no business there, and if I got away from there, I would be smart. I replied that… it was time enough to be afraid when I saw danger, and that I should go when I pleased. They told me that they would as soon kill me as a dog, and that there would be no more notice taken of my death than if a dog were killed. This I very well understood. They then told me that they supposed I had come to get my property. I informed them I had; to which they replied that there was no property for me. After repeated threatenings I became convinced that it was in vain to think of obtaining anything, and started for my horse, which was hitched at the yard fence about five rods from the door.”

The two men followed him out to his horse. O’Niel picked up a club and from behind hit Anson over the head. It nearly brought him down. He looked about for a weapon to defend himself, but there was none. O’Niel kept hitting him and probably would have killed him if not for a thick woolen cap. One blow hit him over the eye which scar he carried the rest of his life.

Thanks to the intervention of the sympathetic neighbor, Anson made it to his horse and managed to escape. “On my way home,” Anson said, “I washed myself, and resolved not to inform anyone what had happened, as Father Smith and President Young had both told me not to go.”

The next morning, he got up and tried to stand. He fell to the floor. His wife took one look and screamed. Anson said, “I told her what had happened; but told her to keep the matter from my family. Father Smith, however, soon heard of the occurrence, and came to see me. He hoped, he said, that the lesson would do me good, and that he was glad that I was not quite killed.”

Anson concluded the narrative with these words,

“Had I obeyed the words “do not go, but stay at home,” I should not have fallen into this trouble. May you who read this be wise, and, in this particular, profit by my experience.”

Depending on who we listen to we will either receive liberty and eternal life through the Lord Jesus Christ or we will be delivered over to the buffetings and beatings of Lucifer. It is our choice.

Source: https://www.gutenberg.org/files/50072/50072-h/50072-h.htm#DISOBEDIENCE