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| Amanda Williams Clark 1835 - 1920 |
I shared a story called "Miracle of the Empty Flour Barrel" about a month ago. It is about an event in the
life of my ancestors James and Margaret Houston when they were faced with the risk
of starvation, along with other pioneers, because of massive crop destruction that
occurred in Utah territory. James and Margaret were able to survive the ordeal
and were greatly blessed because of their faith, obedience to counsel from
church leaders and also because of a legitimate miracle involving flour.
Another ancestor of mine, my
third-great grandmother Amanda Williams Clark, also lived in Utah Territory from its
beginnings. She also experienced a very similar event involving flour and a
miracle.
As background, Amanda arrived
in Utah Territory as a teenager in 1849. She got
married in 1850 at the age of fourteen to Riley Clark, and had sixteen children
during her life. According to various records, she lived in Utah up until her
death in 1920.
In the "Miracle of the Empty Flour Barrel" it is recorded that Brigham Young, the church leader then, had promised that those who had food, and divided or shared it with others
who did not have food, would not miss what they gave away. That is, they would
not go without because of their sharing and charity.
A small entry in Amanda's biography
mentions her sharing flour with those in need even when she herself was very low
on flour. While the biography does not indicate when the event took place, it
appears Brigham Young's promise may have also applied to Amanda. Tucked away
near the end of her biography the following is mentioned:
"During her pioneer days, [Amanda's]
home was always open to strangers and friends alike. She was a generous woman,
dividing her last bit of flour at night with someone and finding the same
amount in her bin in the morning; or keeping her last yard of factory muslin
that her neighbors in Manti might come in and unravel a few threads with which
to sew. Her life was one of sacrifice and charity."
Just as James and Margaret
Houston shared their flour until it was gone, Amanda did the same. Her flour
would also miraculously return again.
Flour miraculously showing up in
a barrel was also not isolated to my own ancestors. While I have no known
relation, Warren and Almira Davis experienced a very similar miracle with flour
in 1888. They also followed counsel given by Brigham Young and received a
similar blessing as my own ancestors. Warren and Almira Davis's own
"Miracle of the Flour Barrel" can be accessed here (https://familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/3313457).
These stories help strengthen my
faith in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and they also serve as a good reminder to heed
the counsel given by our church leaders.
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Amanda William's Biography (login may be required):
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