Benjamin Vere Wilson
Benjamin Vere Wilsons Autobiography written in the 1970sMission
Early in the spring a group of us were cleaning ditch. Bishop Johnson of the Hurricane North Ward came to me and said: “Vere, I’d like to eat lunch with you” so we ate lunch together and the conversation stopped rather abruptly when he said: “Vere, the Lord wants you to go on a mission.” I was silent for a few moments. I had talked about it and though I would like to go but there was just no money and it seemed impossible.
I talked to Dad about it and he said: “Well, if the Lord wants you to go we will do everything we can to send you.” The ward had never sent out a missionary. I told the Bishop I would go the following spring.
I trucked fruit all summer. It seemed I wasn’t able to save much so I went to Marysvale to work in the Deer Trail mine where they were mining gold, silver, zinc, and lead. Temptations of all kinds were thrown up in front of me. I’d had several girl friends that I liked but none seriously and all at once I met three who impressed me very much. The miners tried to get me to drink and smoke with them but I was able to resist everything the Evil One had designed to throw me—except I did take a cup of coffee as I had never tasted it and I thought it smelled really appetizing up there in the mountain air. This brought me much discomfort of mind and feelings of guilt and so that was my first and last taste of coffee. Finally they knew that I would not join in with them.
Around Thanksgiving, I was getting ready to go home for a visit. My partner and I took a shaft by contract, and we worked very hard to make our needed tally. One morning we decided to do some blasting and we drilled a dozen holes to place the dynamite in during the noon hour.
I loaded up the car with ore while my partner planted the fuses. I wanted to get the car unloaded so we could leave together and I kicked the blocks away from the wheels and gave the car a shove, but it wouldn’t move. I walked around to see if there was something in front of one of the wheels but there was nothing. I again pushed with all my strength but it would not budge. I decided to wait for my partner to help. But waiting, I decided that I would check the wheels again and again tried to move the car for the third time, to no avail. All at once a sprinkling of dust and rock came from the roof. Horror crept over me and I crawled into the deepest corner of the shaft and then it happened! Tons of rock and dirt fell down about 30 feet ahead of me. Had I been able to start the ore car, I would have been under all that cave in. My partner came hurrying to see if I was all right and amidst the dust which was choking us we began to make every effort to get out. It took us about two hours to dig out and stand in the clean mountain air. Thoughts of gratitude filled my mind and I knew that again my Guardian Angel had been on guard to save my life. For two weeks we worked to clear the shaft and move out all the rubble. When it was all removed, I went to the boss and told him I was quitting to go on a mission, so he paid me and I left for home.
I found that my truck had been repossessed while I was gone. Everything that I had tried to do to make money had failed and I had less than when the Bishop talked to me.
I told the Lord that I would accept His call and leave the rest up to Him to open the way. I received my call in February and by April I was on my way. I knew that if I did my best and served the lord that He would bless me and open the way. After a few days in the Mission Home, I left for a two year mission to teach the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and all its principles in the Southern States Mission.
I first went to Mississippi where I met many wonderful people. My first companion was Elder Carnley, a Southerner, who was eager and anxious to carry out our assignments. We held many cottage meetings and worked mostly in the country. Many people listened and many would have thrown us out if they had their way. We tried to follow the direction of the Spirit and learn all we could about the work. One day we nearly got run over by a man who either did not see us, or intentionally wanted to run us down. My companion saw him coming and pushed me into the barrow-pit and jumped in after me just in the nick of time. But as a rule the people were hospitable and friendly.
Elder Conover was my next companion and we were sent to Truman, Mississippi. We worked hard, tracted much, and traveled in the country on weekends visiting the Saints and investigators. We were together a month and then were called into a District Conference in Hattiesburg. This was a spiritual feast and then I was assigned to work with Elder Ashel J. Evans of Vernal, Utah. I enjoyed working with him very much and he was very considerate and things began to smooth out rapidly and I felt that I was making much progress and that my testimony was growing so strong that I began to be anxious to bear it, where before my fears had held me back far too much.
One day I did not get any mail and I suppose Elder Evans could see the dejected look on my face. When he finished one of his letters he said: “Here, read this, you’ll enjoy it.” So I read the letter as I was feeling lonesome for we only got mail once a week as we had to calculate where we would be a week ahead. If we did not figure it just right we would have to wait until the mail caught up with us.
This letter Elder Evans handed me turned out to be from one of his favorite cousins—her name, Lola Manwaring. I still remember the strong impression that came to me while reading that letter. I felt that I knew her. I read it over again and was impressed with the way she expressed her thoughts and the neat way she wrote. When we got back to our room, Ashel handed me a picture and said: “That’s Lola.” I remember how beautiful I thought she was and I made some comment about wondering if she would write to me. He said he thought she would. He wrote her a letter and I did too, asking her if she would correspond with me.
So that is how it all started! I think I loved her when I read her first letter and began wanting to meet her in person. But that was in the fall of 1936, and two years away. So I had to be satisfied with a few letters until sometime in the future. Elder Evans and I worked together four months and I truly enjoyed my time with him. At the next district Conference I was assigned to Ether C. Wolfley and we went to Tupelo, Mississippi, a town where a tornado had struck just a few days before we arrived. 500 people were killed, mostly children in a school. I was surprised how coldly we were treated. The terrible tragedy had not had much effect on the people. They were not humbled and willing to hear the word of the Lord. Then I understood why God had to deal with people the way He did in days of old.
We became very discouraged because no one would talk to us, no one cared; and so the Lord sent us to a more fertile field. I received a letter from my Mission President and he said that he had a work for me to do in Atlanta, Georgia. So I packed all my things and said goodbye. When I arrived in Atlanta I was informed that I was to work with Elder Ray E. Hanks right there in Atlanta. We were to play our guitars and hold street meetings. Elder Hanks had an electric Hawaiian guitar with a strong output and it could be heard for great distances. We held these street meetings twice and three times a week.
One day in downtown Atlanta we were holding a meeting in front of Lord’s Department Store where the manager, a good friend, would let us drop a cord down from a window on the 3rd floor to power the electric guitar. Elder Hanks was very talented and when he began to play, people began to gather in great numbers. Then we would have a prayer and begin to preach. As we taught the gospel, the crowd would begin to dwindle. Then we would play more music and another crowd would gather. We made many friends and opened up many homes to the elders.
One day Elder Hanks was speaking and I was conducting the meeting. I noticed a couple who stopped and listened for sometime. Then the husband decided to leave but the wife did not whish to go. However, he insisted and took his wife away much against her will, as she argued with him. I knew that she was interested, and regretted that we could not teach her. Six months later we received a letter from the Mission President which read something like this: “At last I’ve found you. Some time ago, I stopped at your meeting on Lord’s Store corner. Your missionaries were playing, singing, and teaching the most wonderful things. I wanted to hear more but my husband insisted on leaving. I have prayed that I would find out more about their Church and at last I have discovered you. While I was standing near you missionaries that day I saw a glorious light come from above and rest on the head of the one who was speaking and testifying of the truth of his message. A sweet feeling came over me and I wept all the way home. Since then I was stricken with a severe illness and have been bedfast. Could you please send those boys over to my home to teach me more?” As Elder Hanks had been released, I asked President Grandy, my District President, to go with me to find this lady. We walked several miles and had a wonderful talk together on the way. We finally found the house and I wondered if Satan may have gotten there before us to interfere with the Lord’s work as he often does. I knocked hesitantly, and we were invited in. We heard a voice from the other room exclaim excitedly, “Oh, It’s those Missionaries!” We were taken into her room where we found her lying on a couch, unable to move very much. We told her we would meet with her and tell her the truths of the restored Gospel. I met with her several times and she was a golden contact. However, I was transferred before I could finish teaching her, and the problems which descended upon me caused me to lose contact with her so I do not know the end of her story. But I know that some day I shall meet her again.
One thing I want to insert about Elder Hanks was of the time we were walking to Brennan, Georgia, having left around 6:00 and hoping to catch a ride so that we could get there by 9 or 10 AM in order to hold a street meeting. After we had walked about half way, Elder Hanks suggested we should rest and have our study class there in that beautiful place. We decided to study by ourselves and prepare our sermons. I had decided to talk on the Restoration and was thinking in that direction. We had prayed together and then separated a little way. For some reason I again turned to the story of the first vision, and though I had read it many times before, it seemed as if the words began to glow and the message took on a special significance. My mind opened up and I could see the great Apostasy and the need for the Restoration, the scattering and gathering of Israel. I knew the whole purpose of the Gospel Plan. That day, I received a perfect knowledge and testimony of the Truth by the power and gift of the Holy Ghost. I knew why I was in the mission field. Gratitude and peace filled my heart and I knew the Lord was with me and what I was teaching was right and good. I had a greater love for my God. Spirit had spoken to spirit and the joy of that moment has never been surpassed. The joy that filled my soul was indescribable.
After Elder Hanks went home, I was made senior companion to Elder Snow. We continued our contacts and tried to build up the Branch at Buchannan and in only 6 weeks I had another companion, Darwin W. Johnson. He was young and didn’t quite have the spirit of the work. But that is the way it goes and so we learn to live and to try to help each other. President Grandy came one day and told me to go to Augusta to work with Daryl Wilson, a tall athletic redhead. He was energetic and introduced me to their investigators. We were together only a short time and he was called to Florida to be a District President. But while laboring together we had an outstanding experience. We went to see a sweet lady, Jessie May Kennedy and she invited us in. I felt impressed that she would become a member of the Church so we worked with her and her children. We loved her very much and it seemed she wanted to learn, but she had read and studied a great deal, and much of what she believed in were the philosophies of men so it was a struggle for her and for us. She had to unlearn so much—or perhaps I should say she had to replace error with truth and it took time and effort. She taught her children to love the Bible and Jack and Betty were also seeking to learn the truth.
But Elder Wilson left and again I was assigned Elder Johnson. He still had not received a testimony and the work was hard for him and also for me. Then Pres. Grandy sent us to Athens to open up that city to missionary work. It was a college town and rather permissive and the people were rather proud of their learning and although they were friendly, they did not want to discuss religion. Possibly a lot of it was our fault, but we were not very successful. Jack Kennedy hitchhiked to Athens to talk to me and to get some things cleared up that Elder Chessor and his companion could not seem to answer, but we only had a short time together as it had taken too much time to catch a ride. I’m not sure that he got things cleared up but we had a good visit and I loved him for his integrity and strength of determination in his search for truth.
One time when Elder Johnson and I were going on a tour of the country area, we began hitch-hiking. We had 20 miles to go, but stood all day without catching a ride. It was getting late in the afternoon and we had a meeting scheduled than night. So we went to the woods and knelt in prayer. Then we went back to the spot we had held down all day. I asked Elder Johnson to go down the road for a ways and if I caught a ride I would ask them to pick him up also. Shortly, a car slammed on the brakes and backed up to where I stood. “Get in, I am supposed to pick you up for some reason though I never pick up hitch-hikers,” said the driver. He was talking so fast I could hardly get in the request that he pick up my companion. But he did, and then we told him who we were, and where we were going. He told us that was 40 miles out of his way, but that he would take us there and he did, making us a present of a gallon of southern molasses which I kept until I got home. I shall never forget that day when the Lord came to our rescue in such a dramatic answer to our prayer.
Ross Paul was my next companion—a very lovable person, a fine singer and he loved life and worried. One morning about 3:00 AM he got up and asked some odd question and said he was going to the lavatory. He did not come back to bed and I must have fallen asleep for a short time. I became concerned and got up to see what had happened to him, but he was nowhere to be found. I decided he must have wanted to be by himself and had gone for a walk. Six o’clock came and I was getting very worried. Then a call came from the police asking if we knew a fellow by the name of Ross Paul and I told them yes, and they brought him home. He had lost his memory or suffered from a spell of amnesia. His problem grew worse and we placed him in the hospital. The President of the Mission told me as I was the next one to go home that I should get ready to go home and take Elder Paul home. I went back to bid our special friends goodbye. Mother Kennedy, who had been so good to me and given us so many meals, asked for baptism and so I was most happy to baptize her and confirm her a member the following day. The feeling I had about her had been fulfilled and I knew that it had come from the source of light. I was so thankful that she had made the decision. I picked up Elder Paul, who had been taken to the Mission Home and was on my way home almost before I knew it. We traveled to his home in Riverside (three days) but the feeling I got when I saw the Rocky Mountains was really something special. What a beautiful sight! I dearly love my mountain home. After I delivered Ross to his home, I traveled to Los Angeles to see my sister, Ruth, as she was working there. She decided to make a visit home. So I stayed overnight and we went out the Tango ( a ship moored outside the 12 mile limit, because they had gambling on it, and it had to be outside of U.S. Territorial waters) as Ruth had tickets for a free chicken dinner. I was so sea-sick by the time we got there that I could not eat. We went back to Ruth’s, packed our things and went to Riverside. Ross introduced me to one of his girl friends, Elaine Mack, and when she saw us off at the train depot, she put a beautiful red rose in my lapel. I was quite impressed with her.
I only saw her once more at June Conference. She was with me when Lola came to our meeting place at the Seagull Monument. I got out of that predicament by introducing her to Lola as Ross’s girl friend and introducing Lola as Ashel’s cousin.
Back to the trip home—Ruth and I arrived at Lund, 22 miles out in the desert from Cedar City, and traveled in on the stage to Cedar where we were met by Morris Hinton who took us to Hurricane.
We were soon in Hurricane enjoying a wonderful family reunion. How I love my dear family! And so ended the exciting two years in the mission field.