Willard Richards Pronounces a Blessing on Potatoes — They Get More Than If They Had Kept What They Gave Away

In the spring of 1849, the Hancock family had only one-third of a peck of precious seed potatoes. Levi had generously divided his already-tiny supply, leaving almost nothing. When Elder Willard Richards came and asked if Levi could spare just one potato for seed, Levi chose three of his best.

Mosiah recounted what happened:

'Father picked out three of the largest potatoes in the pile — he held them in his hand for a minute with his eyes closed, as if asking a blessing over them. Then he handed them to me, saying, "Tell Brother Richards I make him a present of these, in the name of the Lord."

I returned to Brother Richards and told him what father had said. He took them in his hands and held them perhaps two minutes; then opening his eyes, he said, "Mosiah, tell your father that I say in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, that he will have more potatoes with what he has left than if he had kept these."

I asked father if I could tend the potatoes, and he said yes. So I planted a hill apiece for Brother Willard Richards, Brother Brigham, and Brother Heber... I got a good yield and took them to the brethren.'

The blessing was precisely fulfilled — the Hancock family's remaining fraction of a peck produced a good yield.