A meteorite shower occurred on a night in Church history long remembered by the Saints. It was the night thousands of Saints were camped along the Missouri River at Wayne City Landing, after being driven out of Independence at gunpoint in November 1833. Among them were the ALLREDS - William, Elizabeth and their 14 children. While camping there in the open, in the frigid cold weather, they witnessed a meteorite shower—a glorious display of heavenly lights which they interpreted as a sign from heaven that God was with them.
Apostle Parley P. Pratt, who was an eyewitness to events in Jackson County in 1833, left this record: Thursday, the shore began to be lined on both sides of the ferry, with men, women, and children, goods, wagons, boxes, chests, provisions, etc., while the ferrymen were very busily employed in crossing them over; and when night again closed upon us the wilderness had the appearance of a camp meeting. Hundreds of people were seen in all directions. Some in tents, some in the open air around their fires while the rain descended in torrents. Husbands were inquiring for wives, and women for their parents, parents for children, and children for parents. Some had the good fortune to escape with their family, household goods, and some provisions; while others knew not the fate of their friends, and had lost all their goods. The scene was indescribable, and I am sure would have melted the hearts of any people upon earth.... Next day, our company still increased, and we were chiefly engaged in felling small cottonwood trees, and erecting them into temporary cabins, so when night came on we had the appearance of a village of wigwams, and the night being clear we began to enjoy some degree of comfort.
Apostle Parley P. Pratt, who was an eyewitness to events in Jackson County in 1833, left this record: Thursday, the shore began to be lined on both sides of the ferry, with men, women, and children, goods, wagons, boxes, chests, provisions, etc., while the ferrymen were very busily employed in crossing them over; and when night again closed upon us the wilderness had the appearance of a camp meeting. Hundreds of people were seen in all directions. Some in tents, some in the open air around their fires while the rain descended in torrents. Husbands were inquiring for wives, and women for their parents, parents for children, and children for parents. Some had the good fortune to escape with their family, household goods, and some provisions; while others knew not the fate of their friends, and had lost all their goods. The scene was indescribable, and I am sure would have melted the hearts of any people upon earth.... Next day, our company still increased, and we were chiefly engaged in felling small cottonwood trees, and erecting them into temporary cabins, so when night came on we had the appearance of a village of wigwams, and the night being clear we began to enjoy some degree of comfort.
About two o'clock the next morning, we were aroused from our slumbers by the cry of, "Arise and behold the signs in the heavens." We arose and to our great astonishment all the heavens seemed enwrapped in splendid fireworks as if every star in its broad expanse had been suddenly hurled from its course and sent lawless through the wilds of ether. I can give the reader no better idea of this scene than by allusion to the shooting of a bright meteor with a long train of light following in its course such as many of us have seen in a bright starlit night. Now suppose that thousands of such meteors with their fiery trains were to run lawless through the heavens for hours together, this would be a scene such as our eyes beheld on that memorable morning; and the scene only closed by giving place to the superior light and splendor of the king of day. No sooner was this scene beheld by some of our camp than the news reached every tent and aroused everyone from their slumbers; every eye was lifted towards the heavens, and every heart was Tilled with joy at these majestic signs and wonders showing the near approach of the Son of God. (ibid., 180–181)
I love this description:
While the Saints were in camp in huts and tents made from bedding or carpets, or many of them without protection of any kind, they witnessed the wonderful "shower of stars." This was the morning of November 13,1833. The accounts of this night are many and interesting. The whole heavens appeared to be full of shooting, twisting stars, some like meteors, and some like "large drops of rain in sunshine." The streaks of brightness would twist and turn like serpents. They appeared to fall to the earth and be seen no more. (Vida E. Smith, Young People's History 1:140)
Not only did the saints feel buoyed by this miracle, their lives were spared. A mob had gathered to kill any saints left in Missouri and they had their eyes set on the banks of the river where it would be like "shooting fish in a barrel". On their way, the sky lit up striking the mob with such awe that they halted their advance on the Saints to watch the magnificent celestial display. In the morning, they simply turned around and went home, and immediately thereafter, the Saints safely escaped to Clay County.
It was from these events that W.W. Phelps penned the words, “Now Let Us Rejoice in the Day of Salvation.”
One encyclopedia explains that this was the Leonid meteor shower, which occurs every 33.25 years. It states that "every November, when the Earth passes through [the meteor's orbit], we meet at least a few Lenoids per hour," but that on November 13, 1833, the display was the greatest in recorded history. In that shower it was estimated to have "furnished 200,000 meteors for a given station [visible at a single place] between midnight and dawn, numbers of them brilliant, and many leaving trains" (The Encyclopedia Americana [1954] 18:713a, 713).
No comments:
Post a Comment