Relief Mine Chapter Four

2002-9-11 06:18:00

The Relief Mine
By Ogden Kraut
First Published 1978

Chapter 4

CHURCH MISSION

. . . the field is white already to harvest; wherefore, thrust in your sickles, and reap with all your might, mind, and strength. Open your mouths and they shall be filled, and you shall become even as Nephi of old, who journeyed from Jerusalem in the wilderness. (D & C 33:7-8)

Three years had passed without John's receiving any further manifestations from the Lord. Then one day while plowing his field, an audible voice spoke to him saying, "Would you go on a mission if, you were called?" John replied out loud, "Yes, I will!" He then stopped his horses to look around and see where the voice had come from, but not a soul was anywhere to be seen.

When he returned home, he said to his wife, "Em, I'm going on a mission." His wife was surprised, if not shocked. They had no money to do anything like that. It just didn't seem possible. He told her that he was going because he had just promised the Lord that he would.

Soon afterwards several members of the ward bishopric came to his home to visit with him. While they were there, they asked him if he would go on a mission. He replied that he would be glad to go, much to their surprise, because he seemed so willing and eager. They said they had hesitated to ask him because they realized he had very little money. But they went ahead and sent his name to Church headquarters with their recommendation; and after about three weeks had passed, John received his call to be a missionary and labor in the Southern States Mission.

[30] John told his wife to answer the letter and tell the Church authorities that he was ready to go, but she refused because she couldn't see how it was possible. His sister was there visiting at that time, so John asked her to write the letter. She finally agreed.

It was a very serious decision--he would be gone for two or three years, leaving his family without any prospect of financial support. For three weeks he tried every possible way to obtain money to get to his mission, and for the support of his family while he was gone. Three days before he was to leave, he still didn't have a dollar. Then it came to him that if he butchered two of his steers, he could sell them by quarters. He butchered one of them and took it to town where he met some Icelanders that he knew. They bought his beef and also promised to buy the other four quarters. These people were glad to buy the beef because he had previously befriended them when they were in need of help.

This sale would bring enough money to take him to his missionfield. He then decided to rent the farm, which would help support his family while he was gone. Thus he managed to prepare the necessary financial arrangements for his family and the missionfield in the last three days before he was to leave. He then bid farewell to his little family, leaving them in the hands of the Lord, and left for the Southern States Mission.

John arrived in eastern Tennessee which was a part of that mission, being presided over by President J. Golden Kimball. It was a rough mission. Only a short time before, two missionaries had been slain in cold blood in that missionfield.

The powers of darkness seemed to combine their forces to oppose the Mormon missionaries. Mormonism was despised and its people were hated. When the doctrines of the Gospel are taught in their purity, the wicked of the [31] world always fight against it. There can be no union between light and darkness, nor any alliance between their followers.

No sooner had John begun his labors in the missionfield than he and his companion were confronted by a blood-thirsty mob. They were pushed up against a wall and told that they were going to be shot. A large red-whiskered man, who seemed to be the leader of the mob, demanded to know what became of all the young girls that were taken to Utah. John began to talk--and very earnestly. After about an hour, the mobbers became divided and laid down their guns to argue among themselves. Some wanted to do away with the missionaries; others were contending for something else. All night they talked and argued and by dawn the whole affair had simmered down to an apology to the elders who were then released.

It was because of this experience that John very earnestly sought the Lord for protection and guidance while in the missionfield. Without the help of the Lord in such awesome circumstances, it could be very tragic.

The Lord was very mindful of Elder Koyle, and once again he was blessed with the gift of dreams. A short time later, while he was in the home of some investigators, he received a dream concerning some missionaries who were in a home only a few miles away. He saw a mob gather with the intention of taking the Elders captives. But in the dream the Elders escaped in the darkness of the night and went to a friend's house. But the mob followed them and forced them out of the house, throwing rocks at them as they ran. One of the rocks knocked the hat off of an Elder's head and another was hit in the ear, which made it bleed. The Elders ran desperately to the piece where John and his companion were staying. They shouted, "Get up; a mob is coming! Get up and run for your lives!" But John was shown in the dream that they should not leave that house--they must remain there regardless of the threats from the mob. He saw a mob of about 200 or 300 men surrounding the house and threatening the Elders. Then he [32] noticed the owner of the house grabbing his gun and boldly facing the mob, warning them that they were not going to take the Elders from his home. There was now a division taking place in the mobbers, for some of them were against any killing. Then a woman stepped out in front of the mob and began to chastise them for their evil and wicked deeds. She told them that the judgments of the Lord would be upon them for their attack against these missionaries. The mob settled down and began to disperse until they were all gone. That ended the vivid and exciting dream.

Elder Koyle had no sooner finished with this unusual dream when he was awakened by someone shouting, "Get up! A mob is coming!" The other Elders were now in the house and tried to get John and his companion to flee for their lives. John sat up in bed and tried to calm the Elders by relating the dream he had just received. He explained that if the first part had happened, then the rest would also transpire. Then the mob came and surrounded the house. John went down the stairs to witness the exact events he had seen in his dream. Even the woman was there, and "she sure did lay down the law to them," he said.

This was a harrowing experience for John and his companions. But when the missionaries realized how close the Lord was to them, by warning and instructing them through the gift of dreams, they were very thankful. This also brought considerable recognition to Elder Koyle for being an instrument through which the Lord could communicate.

President J. Golden Kimball soon learned of these experiences and also took notice of this unusual little Elder, John H. Koyle. And before much time had passed, Pres. Kimball was also to be a benefactor of Bishop Koyle's gift of dreams. A conference was planned for the Elders of that mission. But the night before it was to take place, Elder Koyle had a dream in which he saw a mob [33] gather for the purpose of capturing President Kimball. It appeared that he was the only one they were interested in seizing. He was told that if President Kimball would not appear at that meeting, the plan of the mobbers would be frustrated and they would become disappointed and leave.

Elder Koyle told President Kimball about his dream and warned him of the dangers in making an appearance at the meeting. Golden was already impressed with the spiritual manifestations of Elder Koyle, so he decided to heed the warning. He would not come to the conference.

The meeting took place as it was scheduled, but without the presence of J. Golden Kimball. And it was not long until a mob came to the building, looking into the windows as the service proceeded. They came to the doorway and made it known that they were looking for that "long, lean red-head". When they discovered that President Kimball was not there, they became frustrated because their plans for him were thwarted. They soon dispersed without causing any trouble for the rest of the Elders.

When President Kimball heard this experience of the Elders at the Conference, he was amazed. He later told Elder Koyle that "if you ever have any more dreams, I'd sure appreciate hearing about them."

Elder Koyle and J. Golden Kimball became lifelong friends. Although Golden later became one of the General Authorities of the Church, he would often visit with John Koyle.

Once while John was in the missionfield, he received a letter from his wife stating that the Rio Grande Railroad was surveying his land. They were planning to put their railroad tracks right through the middle of his farm. This would nearly ruin the use of his farm land. John was very concerned about this situation and took the matter up with the Lord. Then the Lord gave him a dream of consolation, showing him that the surveyors would change [34] their survey and cut off only about two acres of his farm. This would not impair his farm too severely. He immediately wrote a letter back home to his wife informing her of the dream. But before his letter reached Utah, she had written a letter to John telling him that the surveyors had just changed the course of the railroad. Their letters passed each other in the mail. This was something for both John and his wife to rejoice over--knowing that the Lord was so mindful of him and his family and their property.

Elder Koyle continued to serve his mission with the blessings of the Lord attending him. He completed his mission as the Lord had commanded his servants to do--without purse or scrip. He was an outstanding missionary, and the Lord blessed him and protected him through his gift of dreams.

Elder Koyle soon became greatly respected by his missionary companions as a man with an unusual spiritual gift. At times he would give his companions special counsel with inspired foresight and wisdom.

The gift of dreams was to continue with Elder Koyle throughout the rest of his life--although they would bring to him ridicule, honor, persecution and gratitude. But more than this, he knew that he was a little different from most men, for he was able to receive the word and will of the Lord.

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Chapter Five

Chapter Three

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