Grandma Parent's Testimony

My TESTIMONY of the GOSPEL -  by Dorthea Rebecca Frost Parent December 20, 1976

Since I was a small child, I have been taught the truthfulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, not only by precept, but as well as example.

I have been taught the efficacy of' prayer, never doubting that prayers would be heard and answered although not always in the exact way I had thought. they might be.

I think the strongest factor in building my testimony was the very strong testi­mony my mother had of the Book of Mormon.  She as a young girl had read it numberless times.  It's principles must have left a very strong and abiding testimony with her, for she never doubted for a moment it's truthfulness.

She knew the Book of Mormon characters so well, and a good deal about each prophet, and the principles of righteousness are taught there.  

Also, having worked in the Logan Temple as a young woman Her testimony was greatly strengthened.  She had also studied the works of Josephus and often quoted from this source.

My mother read a lot, and was a kind, charitable, and god-fearing person.

My Father, also a convert to the faith, had an unshakeable testimony of the divinity of the work. Both of my parents taught us children by precept as well as example.

The family prayers we had both morning and evening, as we knelt around the table were precious moments or testimony building and thankfulness -- and left an indelible impression on me.  I felt the Lord not only hears but answers prayers.

At one time our family were custodians for the old Nineteenth Ward Meeting house on 4th North in Salt Lake City. One afternoon, several of my brothers and sisters and I were cleaning, the classrooms downstairs, when we heard the upstairs door open, and then a "Clomp, clomp, clomp!" There was a demented man who lived in our area, and we immediately thought it was he! So we children all rushed into the ladies restroom, and locked the door. We knelt down and prayed to our Heavenly Father to protect us. We soon heard the clomp, clomp, coming down the stairs--- We waited-- Finally my father  call out " Children are you down stairs?  What a relief!

While we were living in Salt Lake City, a terrible tragedy happened to my sister, Geneva. She was about seven, years old at the time. On this 4th of July, which was a Sabbath day, our folks had gone to afternoon Sacrament meeting, and Geneva was wheeling our baby sister for a walk. While she was going along, one of our neighbor boys Billie S. came up to her with a lighted sparkler, and shouted to Geneva "I'm going to set you on fire"! And with that he im­mediately touched the glowing sparkler to the back of her dress. It was made of a fine material, and blazed up, burning all of her clothes off from her body!  She was a mass of solid. burned flesh, from. her neck down to her knees, as were also her elbows!

Our doctor didn't think she had a chance to live! But our family and friends fasted and prayed in her behalf! All summer long she lay on her stomach! The only re­lief she got was when Daddy would sometimes boost her up, she would face him and throw her arms  around his neck, and he'd carry her with her feet nesting in his two hands.

Her recovery was a direct answer to fasting and prayer!

Later on, sometime after she was well, she was playing in a trench, the city was digging for a sewer line. It was hand dug, and the soil was very sandy. Our mother had forbid any of us to go near it, but an older girl coaxed Geneva to make a play house for their dolls in it. Soon sand started to sift down into it.  The older girls ran, but Geneva was, completely buried. The girls ran a block to where men were digging on the trench, and they screamed that a girl was buried in the trench!  The workers ran back, and started digging furiously! When they got down to her, she was unconscious, and was spitting up blood and sand, which continued for days after­ward. Through the power of the priesthood in her behalf, and the faith and prayers of our family and friends, her life was again spared. This left a lasting impression on me!  

A few years later, we moved. to a small dairy farm, up in Oakley, Summit County, Utah­. One night our mother became violently ill, and in the middle of the night, our father called all of us children down stairs! We knelt down and surrounded mother's bed. We joined hands while our father prayed, and pled with the Lord to save our Mother's life!

We, were a pretty humble little group, but we had faith the Lord would hear and answer our prayers. Our mother did get well, and lived many years after. She and Father were privileged to go on a six months mission to Grand Forks, North Dakota, when Father was in his seventies.

During the First World War, in 1917-18, there was a terrible " Flu" epidemic.  Our brother, Clarence, was one of the players for the South Summit High School Basket Ball team. As they were champions of our district, they were privileged to go to Salt Lake City to the "State" Tournament, which was played in the old Deseret Gym. All the fellows on the team were required to go to Dr. Dannenburg's office for physical check-ups. Clarence didn't go in with the rest of the fellows, but stayed in the sleigh as he wasn't feeling well.

The team was playing in a tournament game, when Clarence collapsed on the floor! As the hospitals were all filled,  the only place they could take him was back to the hotel. His coach phoned our folks that Clarence was dying! Our mother and five of us children were all sick with the Flu at home, but Mother said she was going to Clarence. His teammate, Gilbert Marchant was also sick, so Dad took mother down to Peoa, where the Marchants lived, and Mr. Marchant took mother to Park City where she caught a train for Salt Lake City.  Mother nursed the boys as best she could, being ill herself!  We all did a lot of praying that the lives of our family wou1d be preserved! What a blessed reunion when they at last returned home, and our family was again reunited.  Many others were not so fortunate, and our hearts went out to them!

One time, while I was teaching school at Indian Springs, Nevada, I took my little class up to a high mountain nearby for a hike and picnic.  Mrs. Harnedy, the mother of one of my students went with us. One of my students,  Mary S., wanted to hike up to the top of the trail.  So I left the rest of the students with Mrs. Harnedy, and we took off.

However, as we neared the top, Mary had a fainting spell, and her face turned black! I moved her into the shade, and then I felt I must get some water for her.  I prayed fervently to the Lord to help me find some water.  I hiked on up the trail, and then came to the north side of a ledge, where there was still a snow bank.  I scooped some, up in my dress, and rushed back down the trail.

By applying snow to her face and giving her some in her mouth, she revived .  I truly thanked my Heavenly Father for his guidance, and His blessing Mary so that she revived.

Later on after teaching school in my home town of Bluffdale, I married and moved to Minnesota, with my husband, Joseph A. Parent.  During my third pregnancy, I became very ill, and had constant nausea and vomited so much, that I lost 50 pounds. One night as I lay trying to rest, my throat swelled nearly shut, and I couldn't breathe. I awakened my husband. He got the consecrated oil, poured a little in my throat and administered to me, blessing me that I would be able to breathe normally, and get some rest, which occurred as promised.

Later on, Dr. Victor S. Quale, who had trained at the Rochester Clinic with Mayo Brothers, came out to see me, and said I must be taken to the hospital immediately.  Joe got our neighbor, Bert Humphrey to drive our big bob sleigh, and they put a couch with seven pillows as a mattress, bundled me up with quilts and a bear robe, and down the river we went, as all the other roads were blocked with big snow drifts.

As soon as I arrived, they insisted on taking me to the X-ray room, and took a series of X-rays. They left me alone in the X-ray room with only a sheet over me and no one to look after me. I took a terrible chilling!

That night I really had to fight for my life!!!  It seemed it would be just so easy to turn over, give up, and die. I fervently prayed the rest of the night to the Lord to spare my life and that of my unborn baby. He must have heard my prayers, for that was the turning point in my recovery. The doctor would not let me out of the hospital until I had gained 15 1bs. I then weighed 85 lbs.  I finally made it, and four months later we had a fine baby girl, Marilyn, born to us.  How grateful I was!!

One day while we were living in East Grand Forks, Minn., I sent Joseph Jr. and Vernon down to the well to get a pail of· drinking water. It was perhaps a half-block from the house. All of a sudden a terrific rain storm came up.  There were torrents of water running between our house and the well house!!! The boys were pretty frightened, and they kneeled down and prayed. It was perhaps only fifteen minutes until the storm subsided, and. the boys were able to return to the house. We were very happy that they had sought the Lord in this emergency!

It is great to know that no matter where you are, and what the circumstances are, you always have someone with you. and can call on His Divine aid, and He will hear you and answer your prayer.

We lived in Minnesota for nine years after we were married, but then decided that we would move to Utah where there were better opportunities for our children to attend the different organizations of the church, seminary, etc.  So in the Fall of 1937,we moved to Utah, settling in Tooele for six months, and then moved to Vernal, Uintah County, Utah. While we lived in Vernal we operated a hardware store. We used to take the cash receipts at the close of the day, to our home for safe keeping. This particular time there was around $700.00 in the envelope.  I placed it on the top of the piano, and got busy with household chores. On Sunday morning, I remembered it, and went to get it, but it was nowhere to be found!  I questioned each of the children to see if any of them had seen it, but none had. I really prayed about it, as during the depression, money was hard to come by, and, losing that, much money would prove to be a disaster.

That night, I prayed to the Lord to help me find it, and I had implicit trust that he would. During the night, I had a dream that it was back of the piano! So early the next morning, I was up and had the boys help me to move it out, and there was the envelope, neatly lodged. between two of the sections on a cross bar. How grateful I was, and I immediately thanked my Heavenly Father. The Lord is ever ready to bless us, sustain, and help us, if we are humble, and try our best to live His commandments.

When our second son, Edward Alphonse, was four years old, he became terribly sick. We called in Dr F. and he doctored him for a kidney infection.  I carried him around much of the time to try to relieve him of his pain. One morning, after I had literally walked the floor with him all night. I prayed fervently for direction.  The answer came -- "get another doctor"!

So I phoned Dr. Hansen at the hospital. He said he was making his rounds, but would come over immediately afterward.

When he came, he took one look at Edward, and exclaimed, "That boy has a ruptured appendix. Get him to the hospital immediately, and we will operate in twenty min­utes!"  We were thunder struck!  Joe hurried down to the Post Office to get Bishop Haws who worked there.  He came immediately and gave Edward a fine blessing, and promised him he would live, that he had a mission to perform on the earth.

The operation was successful, although Edward needed a blood transfusion, and his father was the blood donor. All of our family have blood type A-Rh Negative. How grateful our whole family was for this wonderful blessing the Lord had given us in saving the life of Edward!

How much I appreciate the great blessing of faith and prayers! How we all need our Heavenly Father' s guidance and direction in all we do.  Prayer is the great channel that connects earth with heaven. What a great solace and blessing it is to all that believe!!!!

                        Written by Dorthea Rebecca Frost Parent December 20, 1976