Emma Williamson Stoddard — The Answered Prayer for Sustenance

In the mid-1860s, during the height of the 'starving times' in the Southern Utah Cotton Mission, Emma Williamson Stoddard and her family faced severe food shortages. As a young mother in St. George, Emma found her pantry entirely empty with no prospect of replenishment. She retired to a private place to offer a fervent prayer for the survival of her children. Shortly thereafter, an unexpected visitor—often identified as a neighbor or a traveler who felt 'impressed' to stop—arrived at her home with a gift of flour and other provisions. The timing and the specific nature of the gift were seen by Emma as a direct and miraculous answer to her prayer, providing the necessary sustenance to survive the season of famine.