Raised from the Dead

Improvement Era Vol. XXXII SEPTEMBER, 1929 No. 1 1 Raised from the Dead By LeRoi C. Snow, of the General Board of Y. M. M. I. A. INTRODUCTION: These are the people who participated most prominently in the following remarkable experience, now published for the first time: LORENZO SNOW was the fifth president of the Church. ELLA JENSEN, now Mrs. Henry Wight, living in Juniper, Idaho. She is fifty- eight years of age, the mother of eight children, six of whom are now living, and has six grandchildren. JACOB and ALTHEA JENSEN, Ella's parents, and her Uncle HANS JENSEN, all of Brigham City, Utah, and all now dead. RUDGER CLAWSON, of Salt Lake City and president of the Council of Twelve. LEAH REES, now Mrs. Wilford Recder. of Brigham City. MRS. HATTIE CRITCHLOW JENSEN, of Salt Lake City and Los Angeles, now on a visit_ to Palestine. ALPHONZO H. SNOW, of Salt Lake City, father of little ALPHIE, who died at six years of age. THIS story, true in every particular, shows the fulfillment of a prophecy made upon the head of Lorenzo Snow when he was a young man, twenty-two years of age. At that time he received a patriarchal blessing, under the hands of the Prophet's father, Joseph Smith, Sen. This blessing was given in the Kirtland Temple. Among other things were these promises: "Thou shalt become a mighty man. Thy faith shall increase and grow stronger until it shall become like Peter's — thou shalt restore the sick; the diseased shall send to thee their aprons and handkerchiefs and by thy touch their owners shall be made whole. The dead shall rise and come forth at thy bidding." For several long weeks Ella Jensen had lingered, almost be- tween life and death, with scarlet fever. In order to relieve the tired parents from their weary hours of loving care, kind neighbors took turns in staying at the Jensen home over night to help look after the sick girl. Among these thoughtful friends was Leah Recs (now Mrs. Wilford Reeder of Brigham City). She occasionally played the little, old-fashioned harmonium and sang for Ella's entertainment. This particular evening the sick girl became very much worse. Leah had come about eight o'clock to remain until about eight the next

882 IMPROVEMENT ERA Sept.. 1929 morning. Ella was so weak that she could hardly speak above a whisper. "Ella asked me to sing and play for her," Leah says, "but, goodness, I was so worried about her condition, I felt more like crying. I sat down at the organ and began to play and sing but broke down and had to quit." After Ella had gone to sleep, Leah lay down on a couch in the room, and also dropped off to sleep. Makes Preparations to Die LEAH continues with her own story: "About three or four o'clock in the morning I was suddenly awakened by Ella calling me. I hurried to her bed. She was all excited and asked me to get the comb, brush and scissors, explaining that she wanted to brush her hair and trim her finger nails and get all ready, 'for,' she said, 'they are coming to get me at ten o'clock in the morning.' "I asked who was coming to get her. 'Uncle Hans Jensen,' she replied, 'and the messengers. I am going to die and they are coming at ten o'clock to get me and take me away.' I tried to quiet her, saying that she would feel better in the morning if she would try to sleep. 'No,' she said, 'I am not going to sleep any more, but spend all the time getting ready.' She insisted that I get the comb, hair-brush and scissors, which I did, but she was so weak that she could not use them. "As I was brushing her hair, she asked me to call her parents. I explained that they were tired and asleep and that it would be better not to disturb them. 'Yes,' Ella replied, 'you must call them. I want to tell them now.' "The parents were called and as they entered, the room the daughter told them that her Uncle Hans, who was dead, had sud- denly appeared in the room, while she was awake, with her eyes open, and told her that messengers would be there at ten o'clock to conduct her into the spirit world. The father and mother gft" \ ♦ / "'V^t ;,N^ ELLA JENSEN

Sept., 1929 RAISED FROM THE DEAD 883 feared that the girl was delirious and tried to get her to be quiet and go to sleep. She knew their thoughts and said: 'I know what I am talking about. No, I am not going to sleep any more. I know I am going to die and that they are coming to get me.' At about eight o'clock Leah left the house, realizing that the sick girl was gradually sinking. The father and mother remained at the bedside. Relatives and friends who had heard of Ella's sudden relapse came to see her. Pronounced Dead TOWARDS ten o'clock, Uncle Jake, the father, who was holding his daughter's hand, felt the pulse become very weak. A few moments later he turned to his wife saying: "Althea, she is dead, her pulse has stopped." The heart-broken parents wept and grieved at the loss of their beautiful daughter. Jacob Jensen, Ella's father, and uncle of the writer of this article, was familiarly known to the people of Brigham City as "Uncle Jake." Here are his own words to me: "Ella had been sick for several weeks. She awoke one morning with the idea that she was about to die, and told us that her Uncle Hans had appeared in her room and said he was coming for her that morning. We kind of put her off and told her we thought WHAT REMAINS TODAY OF THE OLD JACOB JENSEN HOME IN BRIGHAM CITY. CIDENT OF THIS STORY OCCURRED IN THE ROOM AT THE RIGHT. The In-

884 IMPROVEMENT ERA s,Pt.. 1929 she must have been dreaming and not to pay much attention to it, to go to sleep and she would feel better in the morning; but she said: 'No, I know I am going, because he told me he would be here for me at ten o'clock in the morning.' "She wanted to see all the folks and bid them good-bye. All who were near came in, all but Grandma Jensen. She was in town and I sent for her. She arrived just when the others of us had said good-bye. Ella put her arms around her grandmother's neck and kissed her good-bye. It was not more than a minute after that when her pulse stopped and she passed away. I was holding her hand and felt her pulse stop. "We talked the matter over and wondered what we should do I told my wife that I would go to town, more than a mile from home, and see President Snow, tell him about her death and have him arrange for the funeral. "I went out to the barn, hitched up, and drove to the tabernacle where your father, President Lorenzo Snow, whom we all loved so much, was in meeting. I went into the vestry, behind the main hall, wrote a note and had it sent to your father, who was speaking to the congregation. When the note was placed upon the pulpit, President Snow stopped his talking, read the note and then explained to the Saints that it was a call to visit some people who were in deep sorrow and asked to be excused. "President Snow came into the vestry and after I told him what had happened he meditated a moment or two and then said: 'I will go down with you.' Just as we were about to leave, Pres- ident Snow stopped me, saying: 'Wait a moment, I wish you would go into the meeting and get Brother Clawson, I want him to go also.' President Clawson was then president of the Box Elder stake." (President Rudger Clawson is now president of the Council of Twelve and lives in Salt Lake City.) Priesthood of God Steps in I WENT in and got him and took them both down to my home, about a mile and a half south of Brigham City. We went into the house. My wife and children were there. After standing at Ella's bedside for a minute or two, President Snow asked if we had any consecrated oil in the house. I was greatly surprised, but told him yes and got it for him. He handed the bottle of oil to Brother Clawson and asked him to anoint Ella. Your father was then mouth in confirming the anointing. "During the administration I was particularly impressed with some of the words which he used and can well remember them now. He said: 'Dear Ella, I command you, in the name of the Lord, Jesus

S'pt- 1929 RAISED FROM THE DEAD 885 Christ, to come back and live, your mission is not ended. You shall yet live to perform a great mission.' "He said she should yet live to rear a large family and be a comfort to her parents and friends. I well remember these words." President Rudger Clawson relates his experiences and after telling of Brother Jensen's coming to the meeting house toward the close of the morning session and being invited by President Snow to go along, says: "As we entered the home we met Sister Jensen, who was very much agitated and alarmed. We came to Ella's bedside and were impressed by the thought that her spirit had passed out of the body and gone beyond. A Call Heard Beyond the Veil ''TPURNING to me President Snow said: 'Brother Clawson, will ■"■ you anoint her,' which I did. We then laid our hands upon her head and the anointing was confirmed by President Snow, who blessed her and among other things, used this very extraordinary expression, in a commanding tone of voice. 'Come back, Ella, come back. Your work upon the earth is not yet completed, come back.' Shortly afterward we left the home." Uncle Jake, Ella's father, continues his account: "After Pres- ident Snow had finished the blessing, he turned to my wife and me and said; 'Now do not mourn or grieve any more. It will be all right. Brother Clawson and I are busy and must go, we cannot stay, but you just be patient and wait, and do not mourn, because it will be all right.' " As already stated, it was ten o'clock in the morning when Ella died. It was towards noon when Jacob Jensen reported to President Snow at the tabernacle service, and not long after twelve o'clock, noon, when President Snow and President Clawson left the home after the administration. Uncle Jake says that he and his wife remained at the bedside. The news of the death spread about the city. Friends continued to call at the home, express their sympathy to the sorrowing parents and leave. Continuing in Uncle Jake's words: "Ella remained in this condition for more than an hour after President Snow administered to her, or more than three hours in- all after she died. We were sitting there watching by the bedside, her mother and myself, when all at once she opened her eyes. Sl~r looked about the room, saw us sitting there, but still looked for someone else, and the first thing she said was: Where is he? Where

886 IMPROVEMENT ERA s.Pt.,i9Z9 is he?' We asked, 'Who? Where is who?' 'Why, Brother Snow,' she replied. 'He called me back.' Unwilling to Come Back WE EXPLAINED that Brother Snow and Brother Clawson were very busy and could not remain, that they had gone. Ella dropped her head back on the pillow, saying: 'Why did he call me back? I was so happy and did not want to come back.' Then Ella Jensen began to relate her marvelous experiences, marvelous both as to the incidents themselves, and as to the great number of them that occurred in the short space of between three and four hours. Hattie Critchlow (now Aunt Hattie Jensen, who is visiting Europe and the Holy Land as a birthday present from her lawyer sons in Los Angeles) was a young lady at the time of this story. She and a group of girl friends were on the street in Brigham City when word came to them of Ella's death. Ella was one of their associates. They decided immediately to go to the home to express their sympathy and to offer their help to the bereaved parents. As they reached the home they saw a lot of people in the house, but instead of expressions of sorrow and grief, they saw surprise and happiness in their faces. They entered the house and were astonished to hear Ella's voice. They had arrived just after Ella had returned to life and had begun the wondrous story of her visit to the eternal world. (The conclusion to this remarkable story will be found in the October Era) "Sun-Rise On Mt. Timpanogos" (Written near the top on morning of June 26. 1927) Softly and quietly the veil of darkness lifted, and wistful, dancing rays of light penetrated the gray dawn. Mountain peaks came to view dimly across the rocky canyon and stood out like carved images in the silent morn. Birds began to chirp and twitter as a morning breeze rustled the leaves on the mountain side. As I turned to the east a glowing mist appeared above the far-distant peaks, radiating its mystic, colorful rays into the new-born day. I watched it as it gained its strength and flooded the eastern sky. rising majestically and dashing its tints and colors upon the foamy clouds. Then out of its bed. all soft and fluffy, jumped the sun, beaming radiantly upon the world. The flowers and the trees reverently turned their faces to greet the morn. With the break of day came life and joy; the world once more was on its way of happiness and toil, until night should come again and hide the drooping heads in peace and quiet and rest. — Lowell Biddulph.