Annie D. Palmer's Miraculous Inspiration for the Teachers' Institute Paper

“I was asked to read a paper at the county institute. The subject was one I had never taught, and one I had never studied. I felt that I was entirely unprepared, and the time was so short that I could not hope to prepare myself in the ordinary way. When I thought it over that Thursday evening, I knew that I must get my inspiration from heaven or fail utterly. I determined to seek by fasting and earnest prayer the assistance of my heavenly Father. Carrying out this thought, I took no food next day, and many times I lifted my heart to God before the close of school. When I reached home I sought the Lord in secret, reverent, earnest supplication. Then I took my pencil and wrote. Through the rest of the afternoon and late into the night I wrote, and when I had finished and read my paper over, I felt a satisfaction that rarely comes for a product of my pen. At the institute, the county superintendent, who was presiding, seemed to be as much interested as the rest of the audience. A professor from the U. A. C. was present, and he told me afterward that he had intended to leave the room, but that he felt compelled to listen to my paper from start to finish. He called it 'masterful, great.' I knew then that my prayer had been answered, and that the inspiration had come from the source I had sought.”

— Annie D. Palmer, The Young Woman's Journal