Sarah Pea Rich's Brother Thomas Requests Baptism on His Deathbed

Sarah DeArmon Pea Rich documented a significant spiritual event in her family regarding her brother Thomas Knighton. As Sarah wrote: 'Thomas K. lived to be 21 years of age, and died unmarried. We believed the gospel, but were not baptized, there being no elder near at the time of his death, for it was on his death bed that he requested baptism.' Although the family believed the gospel, they had not yet been baptized due to lack of access to elders. However, this account demonstrates the miraculous work of the Holy Ghost in Thomas's heart. Despite not having heard the full gospel preaching before his death, Thomas recognized the truth and sought the ordinance of baptism in his final moments. Sarah's record indicates that 'it was on his death bed that he requested baptism,' showing that God's Spirit testifies of truth even to those near death. This miracle demonstrates how the Lord reaches the honest in heart and awakens in them a desire for the saving ordinances of the gospel, even when circumstances prevent their full participation in the Church.