Rev. J. M. Caldwell's Answered Prayer and Financial Prosperity
Published October 6, 2026 at 5:41 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
Rev. J. M. Caldwell, a Methodist minister, testified that he consistently practiced tithing one-tenth of his income even during severe financial hardship. At one point, he lost all his property and was $5,000 in debt, with obligations totaling $40,000. Despite this, he continued to pay his tithe, and he later experienced financial recovery, ending in a better financial condition than before.
Fuller account of this event (the complete account as preserved in The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 50, No. 3, 16 January 1888, p. 46):
Rev. J. M. Caldwell, a Methodist minister, says: 'I have been a tither for years. I was once in debt $5,000, and my obligations were $40,000. I lost all my property, but I kept on tithing. I am now in better condition than I ever was before.'
In Their Own Words
“A few years ago he had supposed himself to be worth at least 12,000 dollars after his debts were settled. Suddenly he woke up to find his property all gone and himself 5,000 dollars in debt. It then became necessary for him to assume obligations to the amount of 40,000 dollars. Notwithstanding these heavy liabilities he continued giving one-tenth of his income to the Lord. As a result of this his debts were now paid, and he was in better financial condition than before. — Millennial Star 50:3”
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 16 January 1888 (Vol. 50, No. 3). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1888-01-16_50_3 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Complete account: The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star, Vol. 50, No. 3, 16 January 1888, p. 46 https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1888-01-16_50_3
Filed under
Related Miracles
Similar miracle types and stories from the 1880s.
Miracle of the Week
One remarkable, documented account in your inbox every Monday, drawn from the full archive.