Thomas E. Ricks — Divine Promise of Survival and Future Work
Published October 30, 2026 at 7:52 AM
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In 1848, while traveling with Heber C. Kimball’s company to settle in Centerville, Utah, 20-year-old Thomas E. Ricks was shot three times. While lying alone and near death, fearing for his family's welfare and his own life, he heard an audible voice clearly state: 'You will not die; you will live to go to the valley of the mountains and there you will do a great work in your day and generation.' Ricks survived the ordeal and lived the remainder of his life with the three bullets still lodged in his body, eventually becoming a prominent pioneer leader and the founder of what is now BYU-Idaho.
In Their Own Words
“Suddenly he heard a voice say audibly and clearly, “You will not die; you will live to go to the valley of the mountains and there you will do a great work in your day and generation.” — Thomas E. Ricks, as recounted in BYU-Idaho Scroll”
Sources & References
Thomas Ricks: Preserving the birthright | BYU-Idaho Scroll (https://byuiscroll.org/thomas-ricks-preserving-the-birthright/) (research confidence: high)
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