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Show ;· left the main road and hurried for the shelter of the ti"ees . The rain rapidly developed into a torrent , and the e lders \vere soo drenched to the s kin . It grev1 desperately dark; the trail thr ough the trees · a s a heavy. s ticky clay, making :lt most difficult to travel. Tired, hungry ., and cold •. the young n er stopped -..o rest . The r ~.in had ceased, bu · they kne ~1 not vvhere · hey were or v1hat to do. ln that n1oment, Elde r Ford's comoanion, t:ren1bling with c old a nd emotion, suggested that th· y kneel on the damp m uddy ground and pray. I-:Iad not Pre ~ddent Morgan promised them divine aid sho.uld cir ~ umstances r equ·re i t ? Surely , they had done th ~ i~r duty and ·were willin.g and desir ous of .c arry ~ng on. Su:rely God '\vould hear a nd a.n cwer their . rayer. And then on· b ended knees , far fr on j home and loved one .,, lost in wha t they t ought "vas a wholly u. nin~ -abited country; in the cold and dam. nes o£ those uninviting woods , the tv"o yo g elders knelt ir.~. pra yei+: E lde1· Ford did t e pray~ng . He had prayed aily sinc e he wa.s a boy a t his mother' s knee, but never unti l now had he k_:~.own the t r ue meaning a nd po\ver of p r ayer. He talked t o the Lord as though 'le was very near and pleaded f or the help necessar y t o a ssi st them out of th.ei r rni se rable dilema. And as h e prayed. they felt a divine influence about them ... a nd in that m.oment of supplic aticn. they r eceived assura.nce that the L ord \<vould help them to security and peace of mind. In closing his prayer Elde r Ford, in deep humilit y , thanked thei r Heavenly F ather for His ble s sings and for His Spirit which had enlightened their rninds and a ssured them the sec urity f.o:r '~hich th e)r had p r ayed. They arose to the' :r fee , and s carcely had they arisen when they heard |
