Heber C. Kimball's Dream of Dead Fish Blocking the Stream — A Revelation on the Southern Mission (1842)
Published October 4, 2026 at 4:32 AM
Contributed by
Times and Seasons Research
On the 10th of September last, I, in company with Elders B. Young, G. A. Smith, and Amasa Lyman, started on a mission to the South. We proceeded to Quincy, and preached at that place several times. The indifference of the people, and the little regard they appeared to have for the truths of the gospel led me to reflect considerably on the hardness of their hearts, and situation. I went to bed and dreamed the following dream. I thought I went out on a fishing excursion; and whilst traversing up and down the stream to find a good fishing place, I was astonished to see so very few fish in the stream, and they were very small and very shy. After travelling awhile I discovered some large fish laying across the stream, dead, and which smelled exceeding bad. I then saw the reason why so few fish went up the stream, and why they were so small and shy; it was in consequence of these dead ones laying across the stream. This is the dream—and in the morning the following interpretation was strongly impressed upon my mind. These dead fish represent the dead members scattered abroad, hither and thither, who are considered as members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but are in fact but dead branches; they not complying with the revelations of God, which command them to gather together to the body; and as the branch of the vine cannot gather sap and nourishment from the body when separated from it, so the members of the church abroad, when commanded to gather to the body, cannot receive life and intelligence away from it, nor grow in the things of the kingdom of God as is their privilege; and such characters stand in the way of the gospel and prevent many from obeying the gospel through their neglect. I farther thought that it was not impossible that the bad smell of the dead fish represented those people who are to be met with, some with a chew of tobacco in their mouths, and some a pipe, and others whose breath smells sufficiently strong of whiskey to sicken a sober man when he comes near them. Much of our time was spent in endeavoring to remove these obstacles, by persuading the members to comply with the commandments given on the subject, that the channel might be cleared and a way opened for more live fish to pass up the stream; and we hoped that we should yet see the stream full of live fish, and the fishing places become exceeding good, and live fish plentiful.
In Their Own Words
“On the 10th of September last, I, in compa- ny with Elders B. Young,G. A. Smith, and Amasa Lyman, started on a mission to the South, We proceeded to Quincy, and preach- ed at that place several times. The indiffer- ence of the people, and the little regard they appeared to have for the truths of the gospel led me to reflect considerably on the hargners of their hearts, and situation. I weat to bed and dreamed the following dream.”
“I thought I went out on a fishing excurston: jand whilst traversing up and down the stream to find a goad fishing place, I was astonished to see so very few fish in the stream, and they were very small and very shy. Afte? travelling awhile I discovered some large fish laying acroe* the stream, dead, and which smelled excecd- ing.bed. I then saw the reason why so few”
“tieh- went up the stream, and why they wereso, emall and shy; it was in consequence of these}”
“dead ones laying across the stream. This is”
“the dieam—and in the morning the following”
“interpretation was strongly impressed upon my”
“mind. These dead fish represent the dead”
“‘members scattered abroad, hither and thither,”
“whe are considered as members of the Church”
“cf Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but are in”
“fact but dead branches; they not complying”
“with the revelations of God, which command”
“them to gather together to the body; and as”
“the branch of the vine cannot gather sap and”
“nourishment from the body when separated”
“from it, so the members of the church abroad,”
“when commanded to gather to the body, cannot”
“receive life and intelligence away from it, nor”
“grow in the things of the kingdom of God as is”
“their privilege; and such characters stand in”
“the way of the gospel and prevent many from”
“obeying the gospel through their neglect. I”
“farther thought that it was not impossible that”
“the bad smell of the dead fish represented those”
“people who are to be met with, some with a”
“chew of tobacco in their mouths, and some a”
“pipe, and others whose breath smells sufficient- ly strong of whiskey to sickena sober man”
“when he comes near them.”
“Much of our time was spent in endeavoring”
“te remove these obstacles, by persuading the”
“members to comply with the commandments”
“-given on the subject, that the channel might be”
“cleared and a way opened for more live fish to”
“pass upthe stream; and we hoped that we”
“should yet see the stream full of live fish, and”
“the fishing places become exceeding good, and”
“live fish plentiful. — Times and Seasons 4:2”
Sources & References
Times and Seasons (Commerce, later Nauvoo, Illinois, November 1839–February 1846), 1 December 1842 (Vol. 4, No. 2). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_times-and-seasons_1842-12-01_4_2 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high)
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