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Prophetic Sayings of Heber C. Kimball to Sister Amanda H. Wilcox

This is part of what Sister Wilcox has to say:

During the latter part of May, 1868, President Heber C. Kimball and I were standing in front of his place on North Main. After a few moments conversation he turned to me and said, "Now Sister Amanda, I am going to tell you something." Looking south, he observed, "What do you see?"

I told him that I did not know any of the places on Main Street except Brother Wells', Bishop Hunter's, Walker Brothers' and the Tithing Office.

He then remarked, "I will begin with Brother Wells' place. It will be torn down and a six-story building will be erected on that corner. All of the houses south of that place will removed to make room for buildings that will average from three to six stores high.

"Now we will come back from Fourth South to the Council House corner. Here a large fireproof building will be erected with an addition to it on the west. Where the Tithing Office now stands will be constructed a building that will be a credit and honor to the inhabitants of this whole intermountain. The land around the Temple Block will be owned by the Saints and this will become a city of beautiful buildings. Next comes the Temple. What do you expect to see there?"

I told him that I expected to see the Savior, Joseph, Hyrum and others.

He said, "Have you seen the Temple picture?"

I said that I had not.

He then put his hand on my shoulder and said, "Now Look."

"Oh, how white and beautiful!" I exclaimed.

He then removed his hand and the vision was gone. He then asked me if I knew where the Prophets, Joseph and Hyrum were. I told him that I knew, and he said, "This must be kept a secret."

He told me that the trials of the Saints would be hard to bear until the square of the Temple was reached. Before that time, however, our brethren would be imprisoned until the penitentiary shall be full, and some of them would be removed to other places. Mothers would weep for their husbands, and children would cry for their fathers. Some would die, and sorrow would fill the hearts of every Latter-day Saint.

Continuing, he said, "When the Temple roof is on, it will be somewhat better, but when the building is completed, the evil one will be shut out. The prayers of the Saints will be heard, and the sick will will be taken there to be healed. The Spirit of God will rest upon his people and work for the dead will be continued night and day. You will attend the dedicatory services on the third day, and if you will come to this very spot, after the meeting is dismissed, you will hear a mighty voice cry out, 'All is well.' "

I attended the services on the third day, and went to the designated spot, and heard the voice, as he said I would, repeated three times.

He went on to say, "An army of elders will be sent to the four quarters of the earth to search out the righteous and warn the wicked of what is coming. All kinds of religions will be started and miracles performed that will deceive the very elect if such a thing were possible. Our sons and daughters must live pure lives so as to be prepared for what is coming.

"After a while the Gentiles will gather to this place by the thousands, and Salt Lake will be classed among the wicked places of the world. A spirit of speculation and extravagance will take possession of the Saints, and the result will be financial bondage.

"Persecution will be next, and all true Latter-day Saints will be tested to the limit. Many will apostatize, and others will stand still, not knowing what to do. 'Darkness will cover the earth and gross darkness the minds of the people'."

"The judgments of God will be poured out upon the wicked to the extent that our elders from far and near will be called home. Or in other words, the gospel will be taken from the Gentiles and carried to the Jews.

"The western boundaries of the state of Missouri will be swept so clean of its' inhabitants that as President Young tells us, 'that there will not be so much as a yellow dog to wag his tail'.

Before that day comes , however, the Saints will be put to a test that will try the integrity of the best of them. The pressure will become so great that the more righteous among them will cry unto the Lord day and night until deliverance comes. Then the Prophet Joseph and others will make their appearance and those who have remained faithful will be selected to return to Jackson County, Missouri and take part in the upbuilding of that beautiful city, the New Jerusalem."

"Now Sister Amanda," he continued, "a few words to you in relation to your children. Do you know who they are? They are Joseph and Ephraim combined. The evil one will make a great effort to darken their minds in relation to the gospel, but they will come through all right."

Sister Wilcox closes her narrative with the following statement' "As soon as I reached home I made a record of what Brother Kimball had told me, as I knew that every word would come true. I did not see him again until next Sunday. After meeting he bade me good-bye, and that was the last time I ever saw him."

Amanda H. Wilcox

(Sister Amanda H. Wilcox, who relates the above sayings, was the daughter of Abraham Bastow Hillam and Hannah Helliwell, was born Feb. 10th, 1843 at Bradford, Yorkshire, England. She was baptized July 9th 1854 by Millen Atwood. Married to Walter Eli Wilcox May 9, 1860. Came to Utah in 1859 with ox team train. Had thirteen children, nine boys and four girls. Nine children were still living when this was published, all having remained true to the "Mormon" faith.

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