Miracle of the Fish who Paid Ferry Fee

To watch on Youtube click here :https://youtu.be/6qEYvzjQdWE
To listen on Spotify click here: https://creators.spotify.com/pod/show/krystine-stephenson/episodes/Missouri-Catfish-Miracle-of-The-Church-of-Jesus-Christ-of-Latter-day-Saints-e301r47

In the 1830's, Joseph Smith revealed to the Latter-day Saints that the Lord would return to Missouri. This revelation thrilled the Saints, the excitement was palpable. The Latter-day Saints were commanded to gather to Missouri, and believed that the Lord would come. The Saints believed they would live their lives with the Savior Jesus Christ. As the Saints began gathering in Missouri, opposition from the Missourians rose. The Missouri mobs and the Latter-day Saints began to clash, and ultimately fighting and terror broke out. The Saints experienced horrendous hardships but while these trails occurred the Lord did not abandon His people, but gave the Saints glimmers of hope, miracles that could get the Saints through these terrible times. It was like the refiners fire, and many Saints gained the strength they needed to endure.

One of these miracles occurred in 1863, when the Latter-day Saints were run out of the their homes in Jackson County by an angry mob. This poor group of Saints needed escape the terror but ended up at the banks of the Missouri River hoping to cross the river to safety. Having just escaped with their lives, when they made it to the Missouri river banks the group did not have enough money to cross.

This miracle was recorded by Mary Elizabeth Rollins Lightner saying:

“One or two families must be left behind, and the fear was that if left, they would be killed,” recorded Lightner.

The terror of being left behind, to the angry blood-thirsty mob, would have made anyone weep. The Saints knew that their safety was in groups. It seemed as through there was no way out of this horrible situation.

Not giving up, some of the men had an idea to trying to catch some fish from the river. Hoping the ferryman would accept the fish as payment, and the would all be able to cross together. The men put their fishing lines in the river they pulled out some small fish and a 14 pound catfish!

“On opening it, what was their astonishment to find three bright silver half dollars, just the amount needed to pay for taking their team over the river,” Lightner recorded. “This was considered a miracle, and caused great rejoicing among us.”

God has patterns and systems for His miracles. A similar story is retold in Matthew 17;24-27, when Peter finds the money in the fish to pay the tax collector. God knows exactly what we need to move forward, and both of these stories was the Lord giving his people what they needed at the moment they needed it.

Our Savior, Jesus Christ truly watches over and saves us. President Brigham Young (1801–77)taught, “Miracles … are not for the unbeliever; they are to console the Saints, and to strengthen and confirm the faith of those who love, fear, and serve God.”

Having faith allows us to see the good things that happen in our lives as the work of God rather than coincidences or good luck. Recognizing a miracle is part of the miracle itself! If we view life through a lens of faith in Jesus Christ, our eyes will be opened to the many miracles all around us.

The song "Miracle" by Shawna Belt Edwards speaks of the miracles of our Savior, Jesus Christ. " Jesus walked upon the water. He stilled the storm and calmed the angry sea. With His hands He healed the leper. He made the lame to walk, the blind to see. He fed a thousand people with a loaf or two of bread. And when the ruler’s daughter died, He raised her from the dead. Jesus is a God of miracles; Nothing is at all impossible to Him. But I know this: Of all His miracles, the most incredible must be The miracle that rescues me!"

References:

https://www.thechurchnews.com/2017/7/20/23212427/miracles-help-pioneers-overcome-obstacles-move-forward-with-faith

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/liahona/2019/03/youth/finding-miracles-in-everyday-life?lang=eng