Divine Guidance of Seviah Egbert through a Miraculous Letter

While traveling across the plains to Utah, Seviah Egbert was separated from her husband, Robert C. Egbert, who had served in the Mormon Battalion. Desperate for news and fearing he was gone, she was driving her wagon through a dense, wooded path when a mysterious man appeared, tossed a letter from her husband into her lap, and vanished into the brush. Robert later confirmed he did not write the letter and did not know her location at that time, as he had planned to return to look for her. The arrival of the letter provided the spiritual comfort and faith needed to complete the journey.

The transcript identifies that Seviah's brother-in-law, Joseph, was traveling with her and was driving her cow and calf. Upon receiving the letter, which specifically promised they would meet at the head of the Sweetwater, Seviah attempted to show the letter to Joseph, only to discover that it had inexplicably vanished. Upon their reunion at the Sweetwater, the couple concluded the mysterious messenger was likely one of the Three Nephites.

Fuller account of this event (as retold in Transcript for Seviah C. Egbert biographical sketch, Church History Biographical Database):

After Robert left to go with the Mormon Battalion she was very lonely. In the spring of 1848, when the Saints again decided to move westward she decided to drive her own team and go with them. She had never heard a word from Robert nor did she know if he was dead or alive. So Robert’s brother helped her hitch up her team and she drove it all the way across the plains. President Francis Marion Lyman was then just a small boy and he traveled with his parents right near her wagon. He helped her tend her team and her brother-in-law Joseph, drove her cow and calf. As she was Traveling along the dusty road she was so lonely and wished so much to know where her husband was and if she would ever see him again. She became so wrought up over his absence that she cried as she drove along. All at once she looked up and saw a man coming from the opposite direction, very strange she thought as there were no humans except Indians for hundreds of miles. She tried as he drew near to hide her face in her bonnet. The road was narrow, he could hardly turn out past the wagon for the high brush on both sides of the road. When he turned out enough to get out of the way of the horses he stopped by her wagon and inquired if she was Robert’s wife. She said yes, she supposed it was a messenger from California who had seen her husband. He said: “Here is a letter from your husband to you.” She took it and saw it was written in his own handwriting. It said he was well and would meet her at the head of Sweetwater. She looked up to thank him but he was no where in sight. When they came to a place where they could get by her brother-in-law Joseph, stepped up to the wagon and asked her who the man was and what he wanted. She told him about the letter and went to get it to show him but the letter was gone and she could not find it. She rejoiced and her spirits were buoyed up and she did not cry any more. The Saints finally arrived at Sweetwater, Wyoming, and stopped to make camp once more. She was elated and looked hard to see Robert. He was there but was not looking for her as he supposed she was waiting back in Council Bluffs for him to come after her. As he looked over the immigrants’ teams and outfits he came across one team that looked like his own but he was not sure. He scrutinized and looked around as much as he could without seeming too impolite by those in the wagons and who did he see but his young wife, Seviah. He was certainly surprised and here he was on his way back to get her. She told him about the letter she had received. He said he had never written her a letter as he had no way of sending one to her. They both marveled over this strange experience and declared it was one of the three Nephites who had written and gave her the letter, and the strange thing was he actually did meet her there. They arrived in Salt Lake Valley in the fall of 1848.