L. N. Scovil and the New Orleans Saints Preserved Through the December 1848 Cholera Scourge That Killed Thousands (1848)

During an outbreak of cholera in New Orleans in December 1848, many thousands died or fled. However, the Saints were encouraged to stand to their posts and trust in the Lord for protection, as it was one of the scourges of the last days. The entire company of Saints, including L. N. Scovil himself, contracted the disease but were preserved from death, while many others outside the church died. The ship 'N.ton' also arrived safely with Saints.

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

This has been, so far, an uncommon warm winter for this, and business has been very dull. About the 15th of December, that much dreaded monster, that walketh in darkness and wasteth at mid-day, (the cholera,) began to show itself, and has laid many thousands prostrate. This frightened many thousands that they immediately left the city; but I told the Saints that the best way was to stand to their post and trust in the God of Israel to protect us, as this was one of the scourges of the last days; and as we had been so highly favoured as to live in the evening of time, the right way for us was to show our faith by our works; and the whole of them showed by their acts they would do so. The air was very badly affected by the epidemic, and quite a number of the Saints were taken with it, myself among the rest, but we have trusted in the Lord, and our lives were all spared from this calamity, while others were dying upon our right and the left; not more than five or six were saved out of 100 in the city, take the time together, and part of the time, over 100 died there daily.