Jane Grover Speaks to Hostile Indians in Their Own Language After They Seize Father Tanner's Wagon (1848)
Published September 28, 2026 at 5:39 AM
In the summer of 1848, eighteen-year-old Jane Grover — eldest daughter of pioneer Thomas Grover — was waiting with her family near Council Bluffs for the trek west. One morning she went out with the aged patriarch John Tanner ('Father Tanner'), two Lyman sisters, and his little granddaughter Matilda to gather gooseberries. While the little girl and Jane strayed from the others, they heard shouts: Indians were gathering around Father Tanner's wagon, whooping and yelling. Jane and the girl climbed into the wagon, but four Indians seized hold of the wagon, two held the horses by their bits, and another came to pull Jane out. The Indians had begun taking Father Tanner's watch and handkerchief, and Jane saw plainly that their plan was to kill the old man, burn the wagon, and take the women prisoners. She silently appealed to her Heavenly Father, and the Spirit of the Almighty fell upon her: she rose with great power and spoke to the Indians in their own language. They let go the horses and wagon, stood before her bowing their heads and answering 'yes' while she spoke by the power of God, then returned everything they had taken, shook hands with the whole party, and left them unharmed. The Lord gave Jane a portion of the interpretation of her words: she had told the warriors that the Great Spirit was watching them and knew their hearts, that the party had come to gather fruit and do them no injury, and that if they harmed 'even the hair of our heads' the Great Spirit would smite them to the earth. She reminded them that they, like the Saints, had been driven from their homes, that they must cease their murders and wickedness, and that not one thing on earth — land, timber, water, or horses — belonged to them, but all belonged to the Great Spirit. Father Tanner and the little girl looked on in speechless amazement. Jane later crossed the plains with the Willard Richards company, married James Wesley Stewart, and raised eleven children in Farmington, Utah.
In Their Own Words
“One morning we thought we would go and gather gooseberries. One of the little girls and I strayed some distance from the others. Suddenly we heard shouts. We looked and saw the Indians gathering around Father Tanner's wagon, whooping and yelling. We ran to the wagon as fast as we could. I climbed into the wagon, and the little girl followed me. Four Indians had hold of the wagon, two had hold of the horses by their bits, and another came to take me out of the wagon. I then began to be afraid as well as vexed, and I asked Father Tanner to let me get out of the wagon and run for assistance. He said, 'No, poor child, it is too late.' Father Tanner's face was as white as a sheet! The Indians had commenced to take his watch and handkerchief. Their calculation was to kill Father Tanner, burn the wagon, and take us women as their prisoners. This was plainly shown to me. While I was praying and struggling, the Spirit of the Almighty fell upon me, and I arose with great power, and I talked to those Indians in their own language. They let go the horses and wagon and stood in front of me while I talked to them by the power of God. They bowed their heads and answered 'yes' in a way that made me know what they meant. Father Tanner and the little girl looked on in speechless amazement. The Lord gave me a portion of the interpretation of what I had said, which is as follows: 'I suppose you Indian warriors think you are going to kill us. Don't you know the Great Spirit is watching you and knows everything in your hearts? We have come out here to gather some of our Father's fruit. We have not come to injure you; and if you harm us, or injure even the hair of our heads, the Great Spirit will smite you to the earth, and you shall not have power to breathe another breath. You have been driven from your homes and so have we. You must cease your murders and wickedness. You must not think that you own the earth, or the timber, or the water, or the horses. It all belongs to the Great Spirit.' When I stopped talking, they shook hands with all of us and returned all they had taken from Father Tanner, who gave them back the handkerchief. By this time the other two women came up and we hastened home.”
— Jane Grover, quoted in 'An Evening of Historical Vignettes,' Ensign, October 1972
Sources & References
Jane Grover journal, quoted in 'An Evening of Historical Vignettes,' Ensign, Oct 1972, p. 86 (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1972/10/an-evening-of-historical-vignettes); Edward W. Tullidge, The Women of Mormondom (1877); Kate B. Carter, Our Pioneer Heritage, Vol. 7 (Daughters of Utah Pioneers); SUP Trail Marker Pioneer Stories (https://www.swhchs.org/stories-admin/public/view_story.php?story_id=329) Full first-person account: Ensign, October 1972, 'An Evening of Historical Vignettes' https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/ensign/1972/10/an-evening-of-historical-vignettes
Filed under
Related Miracles
Similar miracle types and stories from the 1840s.
Miracle of the Week
One remarkable, documented account in your inbox every Monday, drawn from the full archive.