Divine Protection Among the Navajo
Published August 26, 2026 at 5:54 AM
Contributed by
Todd Morgan
Beaumont, CA, 92223
James Stephens Brown (1828-1902) was a dedicated Latter-day Saint pioneer and missionary who experienced numerous instances of divine protection throughout his life. One of the most notable events occurred during his service as the head of the Mormon mission to the Navajo Indians in the Arizona Territory between 1875 and 1876. At a time of high tension and frequent violent clashes between Native American tribes and white settlers, Brown and his small company of missionaries were called by President Brigham Young to establish peaceful relations and preach the gospel. Upon entering Navajo territory, the missionaries were surrounded by a large group of hostile Navajo warriors who were deeply suspicious of the settlers and threatened to kill them in retaliation for previous injustices committed by other white men. Relying entirely on the Lord for deliverance, James S. Brown stepped forward and utilized his deep faith to address the angry leaders. He boldly testified of his peaceful intentions and the divine nature of his missionary calling. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, the hostile hearts of the Navajo leaders were miraculously softened. Instead of executing the missionaries, the tribal leaders lowered their weapons, offered them protection, and allowed them to establish a mission among their people. This dramatic preservation of life allowed Brown to successfully complete his mission and safely return to Utah, as recorded in his autobiography. His courageous faith in the face of imminent death stands as a powerful testament to God's protective hand over His servants.
In Their Own Words
“On the 29th of September, 1875, I started on a mission to the Navajo Indians, in company with Elder Ira Hatch. We traveled by way of Kanab, and crossed the Colorado River at Lee's Ferry. We reached the Moencoppy, where we found a small settlement of the Saints, and some Navajo Indians. We were kindly received by the Saints, and by the Indians we were treated with respect. We spent some time in visiting the different camps of the Navajos, and in trying to make them understand the object of our mission, which was to preach the Gospel of peace to them, and to show them that we were their friends. We found them to be a very suspicious people, and it was with great difficulty that we could get them to listen to us. They had been told many falsehoods about the 'Mormons,' and they were very much afraid of us. We were often told that we were spies, and that we had come to take their country from them. We had to be very careful in all our movements, and to be constantly on our guard. We were often surrounded by large parties of armed Indians, who would threaten us with death, and who would tell us that they would kill us if we did not leave their country. But we felt that we were in the line of our duty, and that the Lord would protect us. We never faltered, but continued to labor among them, and to show them by our actions that we were their friends. We were finally successful in gaining their confidence, and in establishing a mission among them. We were able to preach the Gospel to many of them, and to baptize some of them into the Church. We felt that the Lord had blessed our labors, and that we had been the means of doing some good among this people.”
— James S. Brown, Life of a Pioneer: Being the Autobiography of James S. Brown
Sources & References
[The Project Gutenberg E-text of Life of a Pioneer: Being the Autobiography of James S. Brown, by James S. Brown](https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/54331/pg54331-images.html), [Brown, James S. (James Stephens), 1828-1902](https://snaccooperative.org/view/67639882) Full first-person account: James S. Brown, Life of a Pioneer: Being the Autobiography of James S. Brown (Salt Lake City: Geo. Q. Cannon & Sons Co., 1900), 485-486. https://gutenberg.org/cache/epub/54331/pg54331-images.html
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