Baptism of Shoshone Indians at Fort Limhi

In 1855, a group of 26 missionaries led by Thomas S. Smith traveled approximately 350 miles north to the Salmon River region of present-day Idaho to establish a mission among the indigenous tribes. Among them was George Washington Hill, who served as the primary interpreter. Hill had been told in a blessing that he would know these people and that they would come to him by the hundreds. This began to manifest early in the journey near Fort Hall, where Hill encountered a group of Indians and told his companions, 'There come some of my children and I am going to baptize them,' which he subsequently did. After establishing Fort Limhi, the missionaries faced the challenge of acclimating to the region and learning the language. Later that fall, a Shoshone man sought out the missionaries to help his critically ill daughter. Hill stipulated that if he and his companions administered to the child and she recovered, the father must be baptized. Following the administration, the girl was healed instantly. This miracle helped pave the way for a larger movement; the following Sunday, a large crowd of Shoshone Indians attended a meeting where Hill preached to them. When he offered baptism to those who believed, the crowd collectively cried out their desire, and Hill baptized 56 individuals in that session. The converts expressed a strong interest in learning the arts of civilization and living among the Saints; notably, the missionaries reported such progress in their relationship with the tribes that they did not suffer a single theft during their residency at the fort. Despite their efforts, including successful attempts at irrigation farming, the mission was eventually abandoned in 1858 due to rising regional conflicts, by which time over 100 Indians had been baptized.