Divine judgment on Billy Keans via lightning strike
Published October 12, 2026 at 5:39 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
Billy Keans, a man known for his intense blasphemy and rejection of the truth despite his knowledge of the Book of Mormon's validity, was traveling with a wagon team. After cursing God under a tree because his team was stalled, he was struck by a bolt of lightning and paralyzed. He died shortly thereafter at Fort Wingate.
Fuller account of this event (the complete account as preserved in The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 57, No. 36 (5 September 1895)):
A man named Billy Keans, who was traveling with a wagon team near Fort Wingate, was known for his blasphemy and rejection of the truth. After cursing God under a tree because his team was stalled, he was struck by a bolt of lightning and paralyzed, dying shortly thereafter at Fort Wingate.
In Their Own Words
“He had not been under the tree long before a shaft of lightning struck so close to him that he was paralyzed. When Tobin reached his side he seemed very penitent, and said he would never make fun of sacred things again, or blaspheme the name of God. He only lived long enough to reach Fort Wingate, where he died in a few days. The judgment of the Almighty overtook him in the midst of his sin. — Millennial Star 57:36”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 5 September 1895 (Vol. 57, No. 36). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1895-09-05_57_36 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Complete account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 57, No. 36 (5 September 1895) https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1895-09-05_57_36
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