Karl G. Maeser and Franklin D. Richards’s Gift of Tongues After Maeser’s Baptism

After Karl G. Maeser was baptized in the Elbe River in Germany on the night of October 14, 1855, he prayed for a sign confirming the truth of the work and pledged his life to its cause. While walking home at night with Apostle Franklin D. Richards and Elder William Budge, Maeser spoke German and Richards spoke English. Budge, who knew German, initially interpreted for them, but Richards said interpretation was no longer needed because he and Maeser understood each other perfectly. Another account describes the experience as occurring while Richards and Maeser crossed a bridge. The accounts identify the experience as a manifestation of the gift of tongues and interpretation; one fuller account also names Edward Schoenfeldt.