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Speaker: Glenn Rawson
Hi, this is Glenn Rawson. One of the most powerful ways to share history and heritage is by the telling of stories. We began sharing inspiring stories nearly 30 years ago. Each of those stories is true and was intended to inspire and strengthen faith. Over the years, those stories have reached millions around the world. This podcast is for you to listen, learn and enjoy.
First Story: Children are an Heritage of the Lord
00:33
I shared this story some time back. But I think it bears repeating now. And maybe this story has no application for you except that most of the women that are listening would shout a hearty, sincere, Amen.
The scripture says, “Children are an heritage of the Lord, as arrows are in the hands of a mighty man so are children of the youth.” [Psalms 127:3-4]
But have you ever thought, what of millions, billions of mothers who cannot bear the children they longed for? Let me explain.
Some years back, Debbie and I were touring with a large group in mainland China. When a young Chinese woman boarded our bus to serve as our guide. Her English was superb. And her knowledge and understanding of her country and culture were outstanding. We enjoyed her teaching. She was articulate and surprisingly outspoken and blunt.
At one point, we got her talking about her country’s one child policy. She explained to us that the government, when she was a child, had mandated that couples could have only one child, and that if they chose to have more. Throughout China, at least in the cities, families of more than two children were uncommon.
Moreover, it was a cultural tradition to favor boys over girls. And even though it is slowly changing, centuries of tradition, yet remain to this day hard to overcome. Boys are still favored over girls.
Today, in certain circumstances, couples can be allowed to have a second child, particularly if the first child dies, or the first child is a girl. Our guide then explained to us that she had an older brother that she loved very much.
We were surprised to learn that this beautiful, capable young woman was a child that almost wasn’t. When her parents learned that they were expecting a second baby, they decided against all social norms and pressures, that at all costs they would keep her. They faced the scorn and ridicule of their neighbors, and the penalties and sanctions imposed by the government. That girl cost them dearly. There were tears and all among us on the bus as we listened to her describe the sacrifices her parents made to keep her. And even by American standards, it was a huge and costly sacrifice. And that sacrifice was not lost on that young woman.
Her gratitude and reverence for her parents was tender and obvious and in great quantity. It became her life’s work to honor and support her parents. All they did for her would be given back for as long as they lived.
I will never forget her telling us of that day with understanding. She asked her mother was I worth it? And her mother’s answer was all of it and more.
Now, I’m pretty sure that there are women listening tonight, perhaps, who have not been able to have children. And my heart goes out to you.
To all of us, have you ever considered how many dear mothers there are in China? How many millions of mothers in China wanted more children? And couldn’t have them? Could but couldn’t have them? How many children through the years all of you, have you mothered but did not give birth to think about that? How many children have you mothered, but didn’t give birth to?
I will always be grateful for those women who in love and kindness were like mothers to me, and my children. Blessed, are they?
Second Story: George, Do You Know Me? 05:50
This next story is for those mothers who mother, those who are not their own. I told this story sometime back. I repeated it here because it is appropriate.
April 12, 1847, Elm Grove, Iowa, Sarah De Armon Pea Rich recorded the following in her diary, “While here, the boy that was with us, George Patten was taken very sick with the mountain fever. Now, George Patten was just a boy. His mother had passed away in Nauvoo, and George’s father had given him to Charles and Sarah Rich, to take with them to the Rocky Mountains. So that’s who George is.
Sarah continued in a diary, “…and on the 22nd of April 1847, some of the companies started on and the boy that was with us, still very sick.”
The company traveled on until they reached Garden Grove, Iowa. On May 22,1847, Sarah wrote this, “Our boy, our boy, George Patten, still got worse and became as helpless as a vape was out of his head and to all appearance could not live. Our beds had to be made down in the tent and were fixed comfortably. For the sick boy, all our family did all they could for him. He had by this time become unconscious.”
“Mr. Rich came to my bed and called to me and wanted to know if I could watch over the boy for a while, for he must have a little rest. So I got up and went to the bedside of the sick boy, while my husband and Brother Brownell can have a little rest. They both thought the boy could not possibly live many hours.”
“So I took my seat beside the poor, sick boy, and began to reason with myself. My reasoning went something like this. I thought to myself, “This poor, dying boy, was put into our charge to watch over the same as one of our own children. Could we give up one of our own children to die without using all the faith within our reach, to plead with the Lord despair, the dear one, and not take him away from us? This boy had no mother, living to plead with the Lord to spare the dear one, and not take it to impress upon me what to do for poor George.”
“He was a good boy, and we all loved him. So when I got up from praying, I was led by my feelings, to put a teaspoon full of consecrated oil in his mouth. His tongue was drawn far back in his mouth and was very black, and his breathing, rattling and heavy, and his eyes to all appearance set in his head. I did not see that he swallowed the oil. So I anointed his face and head with the oil, asking the Lord to bless the same.”
“Then in a little while, I gave him another teaspoon full of oil, asking the Lord at the same time with a humble heart to spare the boy and accept my feeble efforts on his behalf. I felt she said brokenhearted before the Lord.”
“And to my great joy, I noticed that George opened his eyes and looked upon me as though he was astonished. I said, George, do you know me? He spoken a whisper. Yes. All how glad I felt by this time. Mr. Rich had woken up and inquired how the boy was saying afterwards, that he almost feared he was gone. I said to him, “Come and see!”.
The boy looked at him and smiled, which astonished Mr. Rich so much that he turned to me and said, “What has caused such a change? I said to him, “Prayer and faith, and hope and our Father in heaven.”
I told my husband what I had done and how humble I felt, while praying to the Lord to spare the boy’s life. My husband was truly affected, and told me the boy’s life would be spared to yet be a blessing to me in some future time. And from that time on, Sarah continued, the dear boy continued to mend slowly, and go well.
Well, in later years, the promise of Apostle Charles C. Rich, came to pass, George Patten grew to be a man, settled in pacing Utah, married, raised a family, and prospered. Sara wrote this, “Many has been the time that he (George), would bring me loads of provisions, butter and groceries, when Mr. Rich would be off on missions to forward the work of the Lord. And when George would help me, he would always say, “Ma’am, for that is what he calls me, he would say, ma’am, I owe my life to you for your faith in prayers saved me from death.”
Thank the Lord. For those mothers, who mother, those who are not their own. I for one, and one of those who has been so greatly blessed by such kindness.
I would like to just speak to the brethren for a moment on Mother’s Day. And no, I’m not going to lecture you about calling your mother or being nice to your mother. That’s none of my business. No, I want to thank you. For all that you do. To make the lives of the mothers a little easier, even if she’s not your mother, or the mother of your children. I am grateful for those who watch out for my dear mother who was so far away from me. I am grateful to all those who take care and minister as they should.
Third Story: Lucy and the Captain 12:46
It was May of 1848 when Elisha Groves and his wife Lucy, set out from the Missouri River and their journey to the valley of the Great Salt Lake. They were among nearly 2000 people traveling in this huge company, (wagon company) of Latter-Day Saints headed for the valleys of the Rocky Mountains. Passing through Indian country they had been told for their own safety not to stop their wagons and become separated from the train, but to keep the train unbroken.
Well, one day, somewhere in Nebraska territory, Mother Lucy attempted to climb out of the slow moving wagon, three miles per hour. She was weak from having just given birth just days before, and because of that, she slipped and fell in front of the wagon wheel. It passed right over her body, breaking three of her ribs in the process. Her husband was walking nearby, ran to her, grabbed her and tried to pull her away from the wagon. But the back axle passed over her, breaking one of her legs. Well, they had to stop the wagons. The captain came running to see what was happening and quickly assess the situation, set her leg, splinted it and gave her a blessing, “…assuring her that she would reach Salt Lake City in good condition.”
While they set up a large bed in the wagon box for Lucy and over the next several days Lucy was confined in the wagon box as the company of the wagon train went on. Her leg was mending well and it was expected that she would be up soon.
Then, nine days after the incident, Lucy’s daughter accidentally tripped over the leg and broke it again. This time it was so much worse. As the wagon jolted and bounced along the trail, the pain became agonizing, and unbearable. Lucy finally asked her husband to stop the wagon. He did hold the wagon out of the line, notwithstanding the danger and stopped.
Well, seeing the Groves’ wagon pull out of the line, the captain stopped the entire train and rode up to investigate. With tears of pain, coursing down her cheeks, Lucy explained the situation and urged the captain that the company go on without them. The captain replied that he would do no such thing. He would not leave any of his people behind. He stopped the train, ordered the company to make camp for the night and then instructed some of his men to saw the legs off Lucy’s four poster bed, so that nothing remained but the laced frame. They then fasten the frame to the wagon bows, effectively forming a free swinging hammock. This done, the captain then blessed Lucy again, promising her that she would live for many years.
The wagon train went on. For the next several days, this busy and harried Captain rode beside Lucy’s wagon, to make sure that she had no further trouble.
Lucy’s grandson later wrote of this event, “With this gentle, kind manner, Brigham Young, the wagon master, won the love of Lucy and her posterity, forever. “
Again, brethren, thank you, to all of you, who go out of your way to take care of mothers who have no one else to do it.
Fourth Story: A True Family Gathering 17:26
Now, I conclude with this next story. I shared the story with permission. But the story is one of those that is so incredibly powerful, that if it were not for the prompting that I received, I would never dare share it in a setting like this. It is sacred, and it is powerful. And I hope that you will treat it accordingly. It is a testament to the power and influence of good mothers on both sides of the veil. It’s called “A True Family Gathering.”
My friend and former student Beth was given a challenge to go to the temple for 20 days in a row. Every day, she would be at the temple doing ordinance work for the dead, as she knew as a busy mother and wife that if she accepted that challenge, there was going to be serious opposition.
After considering all the costs and the blessings, Beth decided that she would go ahead and accept the challenge. And she said opposition did come to a degree that even she was surprised. All the worst things that could happen at home and in the extended family seemed to come upon her like a flood. But with difficulty, Beth stayed the course to accomplish her goal and go to the temple every day. And that while doing her best to love, serve and maintain her home and her family.
She got down last week and invited her son and daughter to go with her to the temple one morning. When she made the invitation, she only had two family names. But just then a message came (I presume) through FamilySearch saying that 27 names were ready for temple work, and she accepted them and did the work.
Well, quickly, Beth printed off the names. She didn’t know any of them, didn’t know who they were. She printed off the names, and off to the temple she and her son and daughter went.
Strangely, when they got to the temple, the baptistry was empty. No one was there and no one was coming in. The workers invited them to do the work ordinances for all 27 names.
Those of you that are temple workers (frequent attenders) know how unusual this story is. Well, Mother Beth, chose to stay in the observation area and watch as her two children, (a son and a daughter) served as proxies for the dead. The elderly sister who served at the clothing counter, had nothing else to do so she came in to watch. There was no one needing clothing. Why not? She commented that she wondered if the reason no one was coming in was because this time had been reserved for the family whose names were being done. And Beth wondered if that could be true.
Just then, while sitting in the observation area, Beth’s deceased grandfather suddenly appeared sitting beside her. He smiled at her and winked, but he said nothing.
As Beth’s son began to baptize his sister for the dead, Beth described the following, “I saw it at the top of the font, a Golden Gate appeared, a lady angel came from the dark, and into the light next to the gate. I watched the lady angel as my son spoke her name. When my daughter went under, an angel in front of the gate opened it, and the lady angels stepped to the other side of the gate. With an expression of tears, joy and gratitude, the newly baptized sister suddenly disappeared, and reappeared across the room, approaching another group of spirits, who welcomed her with open arms of light.”
“After the third time this had happened best said the recorder stopped, wiped his eyes and said, Do you see this? This is a true family gathering. Beth’s son and daughter both acknowledged that they did see it. They continued, as each baptism was performed, another spirit passed out of the darkness into the light, in the arms of a welcoming family.
As the names of the women were finished, Beth’s son and daughter hugged each other. Beth said, “Heavenly angels were above them, and the light shone down on them in the water. There was not a dry eye among the temple workers or Beth. All could see it. Beth looked over at her grandfather who also sat watching the proceedings. He smiled and winked, grateful that his grandchildren were worthy to do this work.
Beth’s son stepped down into the font. And it began again, as it had happened for the women, so too did it happen for the men. He would later describe that as each brother received the ordinance of baptism, they were in the font with him.
Even with his eyes closed, he could see them and their smiles and gratitude spoke volumes. With the completion of the ordinance, each man embraced him. When the baptisms were complete, the sister who was baptized first returned back across the room to the gate.
From somewhere in the darkness, a person that Beth could not see but could hear cried, “Mom! they forgot me. I don’t want to be here without you, Mom, please. I don’t like it here. It scares me.”
Beth said she could feel the girls fear and yearning to cross over and be with her family. The mother assured her, No worries, I will make sure you come over quickly. I promise, I’ll get right to work. You, be with the missionary who is full of light. I love you. And I will get right to work.”
At this point, at the conclusion of the ordinances, Beth’s angel grandfather complimented her for raising children worthy to do the work and then commanded, “When you leave, you need to call your dad and share what has happened. He has information of who these people are, I love you, and hurry.”
Beth then heard her grandfather speak to the mother at the gate, “Don’t worry, my granddaughter will work with you and I’ll be with your daughter. She is in good hands.”
As they entered into the room to complete the ordinances of confirmation for all the newly baptized members, the same new members appeared again and were in the room, standing above the floor and watching. When Beth and her family came out of the dressing room, the baptistry began at that point, finally, to fill up with patrons, the way it normally would be on a Saturday morning. It was as though that time had been reserved for just this family and that experience.
Story doesn’t end there. Two more wonderful events followed. First, Beth told her father what had happened and the names of the mysterious family. As she did, his eyes filled with tears, and he explained that they were indeed her family, generations back. And her grandfather was the missionary beyond the veil, who had found, taught and prepared them for that day.
Second event, about one o’clock in the morning, of the very same night that this occurred, that would be early on a Sunday morning. Beth was awakened by the mother angel, who had promised her daughter, “…Wake up, she said, we have work to do.”
Beth described that with only her phone, and the Family Search app, the mother guided Beth through the keys and through all the menus, and found the records that verified her daughter, her birth and her death. Beth said by five o’clock in the morning, the documents were complete, the work could now be done for the missing daughter.
The following Tuesday morning of the first opportunity she could, Beth was at the temple and received the ordinances for the missing daughter. Joy and peace came as Beth realized that mother and daughter were together again. Beth concluded the telling of this story to me, “The promises are true. Family history and temple work and proclaiming the gospel bring about miracles.”
I have another motive in sharing that story with you. Being a parent, a mother is an eternal calling. And the love that you have for your children. And those who call your children on this side of the veil will in faith and righteousness only become stronger, more powerful, more pure and more perfect on the other side of the veil. What are our righteous mothers doing on the other side of the veil, for the work of God and for the children and grandchildren they so love on this side of the veil. I can only imagine.
Thank you for listening. Many of the stories you heard today have been published and are archived at glennrawsonstories.com. If you would like more information you can communicate with us there. We will be back again with another podcast next week.
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