Continuing Zerah's story in his own words:
"I borrowed another horse and went to Illinois with my family and then returned for the remainder. We went into Bear Creek timber, and with one horse and our hands, built three homes, cleared thirteen acres of land and put it into crops, but we had nothing to live on until the crops were ripe. Brother Burgess (William Burgess, Sr.) and boys (William's sons) were strong to work out, but I was not able to do so on account of the exposure that I had past. Therefore, I could not do a days work in a day. I knew not how to obtain food for my family.
While hesitating upon these things, I dreamed that I was going to make boxes and measures, and also dreamed that my women and children were making baskets, and that I went to sell them. In the morning I went and found some excellent timber for that purpose and made the frame according to the pattern that I had seen and also found some suitable timber for baskets. The women went to work according to their direction from me. We soon obtained a small load and went out into the settlement and sold them directly for every kind of provisions that we wantd to live upon and some money. In this way we got along until harvest."
Isn't that awesome? He was able to get answers to his dilemma through this dreams. What I love about this account is that he exercised his faith by going out and getting that timber and then proceeding in the manner he had been shown in his dream. Through that faith, he was able to provide for his family until their crops were able to be harvested. I know that prayers are answered in many different ways and that we too can find answers and receive blessings as we exercise our faith today.
I am off to a genealogical conference up in Odgen so will write more later.
!
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