Morgan Richards — Divine Sustenance During the Parowan Famine

In the winter and spring of 1855–1856, the settlement of Parowan, Utah, faced a desperate food shortage due to crop failures caused by grasshoppers and drought. Morgan Richards Sr. and his family were among those struggling for survival. According to the DUP manuscript history by Mary Richards McInelly, Richards demonstrated extreme faith by sharing his family's last remaining food supplies with neighbors who were in even greater need. The account notes a remarkable providence where the family's meager portions of flour and grain were spiritually sustained and unexpectedly replenished, allowing them to survive the famine without the loss of any family members. This event is cited in family records as a testimony of the power of prayer and divine provision during the early colonization of Southern Utah.