Faithful Prayer of a Young Girl

From the Personal History of Augusta Mortensen (she was 7 years old at the time)...

“Not long after this experience, our mother became extremely ill with quinsy. Her throat was so terribly gathered and swollen that she was unable to speak, so she had to write her messages on a paper. Night had fallen and she became alarmed concerning her condition, fearful that she might not survive it. She wrote on her paper (quote) ‘Will some of you children go down to Bishop Christensen’s (who lived over a mile and a half away from our home) and ask him to come and administer to me.’
Not being afraid of the dark and always eager to run any errand for Mama, I immediately volunteered to go and left at once upon my errand.

The night was black…coyotes were howling all around me…lizards, skunks, snakes, etc. were many on our ranch, but they didn’t bother me. Between our ranch and the Christensen’s was one of several slews and this one had a sharp bank that dropped off into the water. The fall grain had been cut, so I used the stubbles as my guide to follow in the road. I crawled on hands and knees all around the slew, feeling the stubbles to know where I was.

Finally, I reached one of the two barbwire fences through which I must crawl, when the Christensen’s dog began to bark furiously. But I wasn’t afraid of him, so I called him by name and he came, licking my face. When I reached the house it was in darkness and on one was home. How I did cry then—afraid that Mama would die if the Bishop did not come to her.

I waited for some time, sitting on their back doorstep with the dog for company. Finally giving up, I started my homeward way. I had crawled all around the slew and was on the straight road toward home with the coyotes sounding like they were within but a few feet of me, when I remembered how Mama had prayed and made me better. The thought came to my young mind that I could pray just as well as Bishop Christensen and surely Father in Heaven would hear my prayer and grant my wish. So I knelt down there in the middle of the old dirt road, with blackness all around me and talked with the Lord, just as if He were standing by my side. I told him all about not finding the Christensen’s home and how sick my Mama was and asked him if He would please not let her die.

My tears ceased, I stood up and fairly ran the remainder of the way home, knowing in my heart that all would be all right. When I entered the bedroom where the rest of the family was congregated, my mother spoke and said, ‘oh my blessed child.’ I told her of my disappointment—how I crawled around the slew, then of my prayer in her behalf.

She judged from the length of time it would take me to walk or run home from the spot where I had knelt and prayed that the gathering in her throat had broken and she was out of pain and danger at that same moment.

I had many testimonies similar to this in my young life and since, which have proven beyond a doubt that God does hear and answer our prayers and is ever near us.”