John Stoddard — Divine Protection at the Mt. Trumbull Temple Mill

During the construction of the St. George Temple in the 1870s, John Stoddard served as the superintendent of the lumber mills at Mt. Trumbull, which provided the massive timbers for the temple's framework. The work was notoriously dangerous, involving heavy machinery and the transport of logs down steep, rugged terrain. According to family history records, Stoddard experienced a distinct spiritual prompting to move himself and his crew from a specific work area. Moments after heeding this internal warning, a catastrophic mechanical failure or a falling timber (accounts vary on the specific object) struck the exact spot where they had been standing. This preservation was regarded by Stoddard and his fellow pioneers as a divine intervention intended to protect the men dedicated to the sacred task of building the temple.