Just this week I received an e-mail from Marie Taylor reminding me of this story.
It may of be interest to my family, so I will retell it here for your information.
As stated earlier, I served a Mission in Salt Lake City. As I recall it was some
time in July of 2005 when I was asked to extend my Missioin. I had been
away from home for over two years by this time, and was not sure I should stay
longer. Some time earlier in the year, I had met an ex-Bishop and his wife in
the Conference Center at a Concert. (Lee and Annette Stoddard). Annette was
excited about a sculture Lee was working on, and asked me to look at some
pictures she had of it. A young pioneer girl with outstretched arms catching a
quail in flight. She explained that a friend had taken them to a spot on the
Mississippi River across from Nauvoo where a group of Saints who had been
driven out by a mob had camped. They were in very poor condition due to the
weather and lack of proper shelter, clothing and food. Just as the Lord had cared
for the Children of Isreal in the wilderness feeding them with Manna, here in this
lonely place the Lord sent quail in large numbers, so tame that the starving Saints
could catch them without much effort. Thus they were saved.
A non-member had taken it upon himself to start a Park on that spot, so tourists
could stop and look upon the beauty where the Temple had once stood, and a new
one is now seen. Lee was so inspired he started this project and was now in the
process of getting Church permission to place a life size model at the spot.
(I have'nt heard if he got such permission, but if he did, it would be inspiring.)
I never gave it much thought following that encounter, but in July of 2005
I had the following experience that made me recall it.
On a Saturday morning I had a call from a Missionary who had gone home.
(I guess I should take a minute to discribe the room. I had a basement
apartment where the windows were just ground level.) As we talked, I was
standing facing the window, and much to my surprise I saw a quail grazing
outside. My windows were all on the garden side of the building, where quail
had never been seen before. As I continued my talk with the friend the quail
walked back and forth much as you see in a shooting gallery. Within a short
time another quail joined in the march, back and forth. This continued the entire
time I was on the phone. When I looked out after I had hung up, the quail had
vanished. Strange, but I again forgot about the incident.
Wednesday was my usual day for attending the Temple. After working all day,
I left and drove to the Bountiful Temple as usual and decided to dedicate this
day to meditation on whether I should accept the extention, or go home. I would
attend two sessions, and each session, I got the impression that I should accept
the extention. When I left the Temple, I had pretty well made up my mind that
I would continue on until March 2006.
The time by now was going on nine o'clock. Driving home, I passed a shopping
center that was set off the road, with lovely landscaping along the curb. As I
approached I say two quail and a clutch of babies come out of a flower bed. It
was strange as the traffic was heavy and it was not a normal place to see quail.
Just as fast as they appeared, they were gone again. How strange! I thought
about it for a moment and then recalled the telephone call and seeing the quail
outside my window. Niether time had been a normal siting. Just then the name
of the little Park across from Nauvoo came into my mind, "Linger Longer". The
Lord had given me my answer.
To make the story even more an inspiratioin - the following week when I came
back from the Temple I looked for that flower bed - there wasn't any!
written this 29th day of January 2009
P.S. In September of 2006, following my return from my Mission, three other
Missionaries and I took a road trip and visited the Temples and Church History
sites from California to Springfield, Illinois. On our return, we stopped at that
little Park. The view of the Temple was spectacular, but there was no "young
pioneer girl".
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