Missionaries' Protection and Singing on the Riverbank

“A number of years ago certain missionaries laboring in the Southern States of America were successful in making a number of converts to the faith of the saints. A time was appointed and preparations made for the baptism of the proselytes. On learning of this, a number of men, whose hearts were filled with enmity against the servants of the Lord, banded themselves together and threatened to assassinate the elders if they attempted to baptize the converts. . . . As the time went on, the faith of the elders increased, and when the hour arrived for them to go to the river to perform the ordinance, they committed themselves to the care of Providence and set out to baptize the converts. They found a mob awaiting their arrival, determined to carry the threat into execution. . . . the elder in charge requested them to unite in singing a hymn of praise to God. The effect was truly wonderful. . . . Not one of the mob moved when an elder entered the water and proceeded to administer the sacred ordinance of baptism. . . . A short time afterward a knock was heard at the door of the home which sheltered the missionaries, and on opening it the good man of the house was a little dismayed on beholding the leader of the mob and several of his followers. Imagine the gentleman's astonishment when he who a short time before had sworn to assist in taking the lives of the servants of God, requested him to ask the elders to come out and sing for them again the song they had sung that evening on the banks of the river. — Millennial Star 70:25”