When Prophet Lorenzo Snow Almost Drowned

Watch on Youtube:

Listen on Spotify:

Lorenzo Snow, the fifth prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints led a very eventful life after converting to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Lorenzo was baptized at 22 years old, served many missions, crossing the plains with the Pioneers, helped establish towns and cities and traveled the world. Each different assignment and callings was a chance for Lorenzo to lean on his Father in Heaven, Lorenzo knew the Lord would care for him.

One of these challenging assignments was when Lorenzo was called to the Sandwich Islands, now known as Hawaii to oversee the work of the area. Lorenzo traveled with a small group of men consisting of Ezra Benson, William Cluff, Alma Smith, and Joseph F. Smith.

The men traveled across the ocean on a large steamer ship, and made it to the island of Maui on the morning of March 31, 1864, . When the steamer had taken the group of men close to the island of Maui the men were to change to a small ship to get them the rest of the short distance to the island. When the men were going to change ships the ocean waves were large and dangerous, and the men were nervous. The Captain of the large steamer was transferring ships with the men, and assured the men there was not problem, and they would all be safe.

The young Joseph F. Smith refused to load onto the smaller boat, saying it was unsafe. Joseph F. stayed on the ocean steamer and watched over the mens luggage (You can read that story here: Joseph F. Smith Mission to Hawaii) The rest of the men decided to take their chances, loaded onto the small boat and it capsized.

The men all made it aboard the small boat, when, only moments later, a massive wave struck the boat, lifting its back end out of the water. The boat sped rapidly toward the reef, where it caught another wave that raised its back end so high that the oars no longer touched the water. When the wave broke, the boat swung around and capsized, plunging the men into the churning swells.

For a moment, there was no sign of the passengers. Then William, Ezra, and Alma surfaced, gasping for air, and swam to the overturned boat. The men looked around for Lorenzo and the captain, but they were nowhere in sight.

Some Hawaiians saw the accident from the shore and immediately came to the rescue. As some rescuers fished William, Ezra, and Alma out of the water, others dove in to search for the two missing men. The divers quickly found the captain lying on the ocean floor, but there was still no sign of Lorenzo.

Suddenly, William spotted a Hawaiian man swimming toward their boat, dragging Lorenzo’s body behind him. They swung the boat around, and William and Alma pulled the apostle out of the water and placed him facedown across their knees. His body was cold and stiff. He was not breathing.

When they reached shore, William and Alma carried Lorenzo up the beach, stretched him across the side of a barrel, and rolled him back and forth until water poured from his mouth. They then rubbed his arms and chest with a strong-smelling oil and rolled him across the barrel once more to make sure all the water was out of him. Lorenzo still showed no sign of life.

“We have done all that can be done,” said a man from shore who assisted them. “It is impossible to save your friend.”

Neither William nor Alma was willing to believe that God had brought Lorenzo all the way to Hawaii just to let him die. As a little boy, Alma himself had almost died when a mob attacked his family at Hawn’s Mill, Missouri. The mob had killed his father and brother and shot him in the hip, obliterating the joint. He nearly bled to death in the smoke-filled blacksmith shop where he was wounded, but his mother had called on God for help, and the Spirit showed her how to heal his wound.

Acting on faith, William and Alma tried once more to revive Lorenzo. A thought crossed William’s mind to place his mouth over Lorenzo’s and blow as hard as he could into the apostle’s lungs. He blew in and out, again and again, until he heard a faint rattle in Lorenzo’s throat. The noise encouraged him, and he blew again until the rattle turned into a groan.

“What is the matter?” Lorenzo whispered at last.

“You have been drowned,” William said. He asked the apostle if he recognized him.

“Yes, Brother William, I knew you would not forsake me,” he said. “Are you brethren all safe?”

“Brother Snow,” said William, “we are all safe.”

References:

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2012-05-0502-preparation-of-lorenzo-snow-preserved-to-become-a-prophet?lang=eng

https://www.deseret.com/2008/5/5/20787531/family-history-moments-aloha-uncle-alma