Divine Blessing on Charitable Contribution to Missionary Work
Published March 25, 2026 at 3:29 AM

Contributed by
Todd Morgan
Beaumont, CA, 92223
Brother Addison Pratt, who was in Salem with Brothers Gieward and Hanks on their way to the South Sea Islands, called upon Benjamin Ashby's father and asked if he thought he was able to help them to the extent of twenty-five dollars. Benjamin's father responded cheerfully and went to get the money. While his father was gone, young Benjamin, who was working in his father's shoe-making shop, contributed the small amount of twenty-five cents, which was all the money he possessed at the time. Benjamin later reflected that he did not think he ever spent a quarter of a dollar that gave him as much satisfaction as that did, indicating that the Lord blessed his widow's mite contribution to the missionary cause.
In Their Own Words
“I remember one day Brother Addison Pratt who was in Salem with Brother Gieward and Hanks on their way to the South Sea Islands called upon father and told him that he thought that he was able to help them to the extent of twenty-five dollars, to which he responded cheerfully, and while he was gone for the money, I contributed the small amount of twenty-five cents which was all the money I possessed and I do not think that I ever spent a quarter of a dollar that gave me as much satisfaction as that did.”
— Benjamin Ashby, Autobiography (1828-1847)
Sources & References
Benjamin Ashby, Autobiography (1828-1847), Photocopy of holograph, HBLL | Full text: http://earlymormonism.com/benjamin-ashby-1828-1907/ Full first-person account: Autobiography of Benjamin Ashby (1828-1847), Doctrine and Covenants Central https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/history/benjamin-ashby
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