Death and the Special Visitor

Little Mary Ann, who had been ill while crossing the plains, became worse and died October 22, 1863, about two and one-half weeks after their arrival in Salt Lake. Just before her death, she had called each of the family by name and wanted to get out of bed. Because it was cold her father said she had better not. Charles found her dead on his arm in the morning.

Mary Ann, the little daughter of Charles and Eliza, was buried the next day in the Provo cemetery. Brother Miller let them have the use of his buggy and horse, a driver to take these sorrowing parents and the little rough lumber coffin to the cemetery. Because of their so recent arrival in the community, their friends were few. The neighbors feared the child may have had a contagious disease, so no service was held. How different it would have been in England, where Charles and Eliza knew people who would have helped and

comforted them. So they returned home feeling very sad and downcast. “We had done the best we could and did not feel like murmuring,” said Charles, “Yet the loss of our daughter sent a gloom that seemed more than we could bear

“While pondering over these things in our mind, a tall gentleman came in without knocking. He sat down on the only chair we had, and commenced conversing with us. In his conversation he seemed to know our history. He comforted us in our trouble and blessed us. He was with us about one half to three quarters of an hour. During the time we both felt a heavenly influence, and all our troubles ceased and we felt happy. When he left he stepped backwards toward the door, opened it and went out. I followed directly after, but could see nothing of him. He was very gray and his beard came down to his chest.

Next day I went to Bishop Miller to thank him for his kindness in helping us to put  away our dead, also to thank him for sending us a teacher, whom we thought was a very good man. I described the teacher to him (as I thought) giving him full particulars. He said, ‘Brother West, we have no such teacher as you describe.

You have been blessed with the visitation of one of the Nephites, that was to remain on the earth.’”

-- What had we done, we reflected, that our child should be taken from us? What sin had we committed?