Albert Hamblin's Dream and Divine Guidance Leading to Adoption
Published October 6, 2026 at 5:00 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
Albert Hamblin, an Indian boy and adopted son of Jacob Hamblin, was troubled by his mother's impending death and the departure of other Indians. He dreamed for three successive nights of picking up a stone that diffused a bright phosphorescent light and stuck to his fingers, spreading over him. The spirit informed him this was a 'bright stone' and to take the boy home. He found Albert crying near a smoke. Albert's mother was dying and had been left alone. Albert was willing to go with Jacob Hamblin, but his mother extracted a promise that Jacob would always be a father to him. Albert later confessed to Jacob that he had received counsel from 'three friends' who had white hair and beards, and who had advised him to go with Jacob. He was ordained to the lower priesthood and felt he had a mission to perform in the spirit world. He was later stricken with erysipelas in his eyes and face and was not healed until he received his endowments in Salt Lake City. In 1863, Albert predicted his own death before Jacob's return from a mission, and he died and was buried while Jacob was away.
In Their Own Words
“Kyowine how tly interested | children are in I — stories I ven- | ture to write them this one about | Al an Indian boy, the adopted | son Jacob Hamblin, the great | pioneer and Indian interpreter, In | the year 1850, Hamblin and his family | with other Saints settled in Tooele | Valley, Utah, which was at that time | inhabited by a band of Indians led by | a chief called Old Big Foot. Old | Big Foot was a bad Indian and he | and his followers caused the white | settlers a great deal of trouble by their | depredations, which, despite the efforts | of the people of Salt Lake and Tooele | to quell them, continued to last about | three years. | Finally Hamblin, who was then | lieutenant, asked that a company be | given him with which to make a raid | on the Indians; he succeeded finally, | not in killing them, but in effecting a | with them. ing his raid | same spirit it was also made | manifest to him that if he would not | thirst for their blood he should never | fall by hands. This precious | promise of the Almighty through His | and | spirit to Hamblin was a source of | gress strength and assurance to him | after and — him while | sences unmoved which — some | the bravest of other men to tremble. | after his return from trailing | after-Old Big Foot he dreamed that | he on friendly — to the | y been so long | th talk- | and while walking | them he picked up a stone. | on being touched, diffused a | bright phosphorescent light, and as | he handled it 3 stuck to his fin- | gers, and as he tried to brush it away it | continued to spread over him. | This dream made a great impres- | sion upon him and was repeated to | him for three successive nighta At | the third repetition of it arose | from his bed, saddled his horse and | taking his gun and blankets went | alone into the Indian country. He | entered the valley where there | had stood when he was there before | but saw no Indians, but a smoke | curled up near the center of the valley. | He directed his way to it and found | there sitting on a rock near by 4 little | Indian boy about ten old, who | was crying bitterly. Phe spirit said | to Hamblin as he addressed the boy, | “This is the bright stone | your dream; take the lad home | re He asked the boy the cause of | is grief; he replied b 41 | old lodge near by where an Indian | the boy if he would like to go home | with him; he replied that he | but added, “I want you | aad | administered to her by laying | hands upon her and she soon after sat | up and conversed | he knew very little of their | yet by the gift of tongues he was en- | abled to undeesteisd” theta and to | make himself understood. ry | They told him they had known all | day that he would come to and | the afterwards said, when Hamb- | lin asked him why be was so willi | to a him, the first white | he ever seen and a stranger, | three men having white hair | — Millennial Star 49:49.”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 5 December 1887 (Vol. 49, No. 49). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1887-12-05_49_49 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high)
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