2002-9-30 04:44:00
Hope you continue to enjoy this book.
Thanks to Blayne for filling the group in on the latest gathering.
The Relief Mine
By Ogden Kraut
First Published 1978
Chapter 9 Part 2
A PROPHET, SEER, AND REVELATOR
On February 28, 1929, the Spanish Fork Press announced that the operators of the local "Dream Mine" had struck platinum. J. W. Warf, assayer for the company, had determined from samples 3/10% or more of platinum. This was confirmed by another assayer from Eureka. Immediately stock was in great demand. The stock price rose with the excitement:
When this news got out, people became excited all right. They began coming to Koyle's house just as he had seen they would, holding up greenbacks in their hands, wanting to buy stock. And they came in such droves that they filled every room in the house at times. No telling how much money would have come in if Bishop Koyle hadn't put a stop to the stock selling at $1.50 a share. After that at the request of the miners who had stock coming to them, he sold some for them at $5.00 a share, and then stopped that, too. Meanwhile the offers poured in from men wanting to buy every share of his personal stock for as much as $10 a share. Although Bishop Koyle had around twenty thousand shares of his own personal stock, and could have sold every share of it then and there for $10 a share, he wouldn't sell any of it. He tried to tell them that it would blow over, that it was not the big strike that would not blow over. But no one wanted to listen to him; they [108] wanted to buy the stock; therefore, many of them searched elsewhere until they found a stockholder who was willing to sell for $10 a share, and there was much of it that changed hands at that price. When the excitement blew over and things calmed down again, the buyers who had purchased employee stock from Bishop Koyle at $5.00 a share were given as much again stock as they had purchased without cost, because Koyle did not want this to be such an expensive lesson to them. "But when the next excitement comes," he told them, "the people will rush to our house much more excited than ever, and they would fill the house, and the lawn and even the road in front of the house, and on down the road causing a traffic jam for quite some distance away. This excitement will not blow over, but it will be permanent, a]though the people could no longer buy stock from the company at that time." (The Dream Mine Story, Pierce, p. 48)
The mine was then experiencing a boom--much the same as the rest of the country. It was the year 1929. Early in July of that year some visitors came to John's home, which was a small adobe house in Spanish Fork. John was renting this house from his stake president, Henry Gardner, who was also his banker.
Bishop Koyle was absent on this occasion so they interviewed Mrs. Koyle, asking her how she felt about her husband's dreams, if she thought they were true or not. "Yes, John has had quite a few dreams a]ready prove to be true, so I don't see why this one about the mine shouldn't prove to be true, also," she said. "Has he had anything unusual given to him lately ?" [109] "Yes, he saw that a financial crash would come over the nation just four months from now. That was June 29th." "Does Mr. Gardner, your banker, know about this?" "Yes, the other day John went down to see Mr. Gardner and told him about it, and advised him to get as many of his loans back in as he could before October, because that was when the trouble would come." "Would you mind telling us," suggested one of the visitors, "if your husband has ever had one of these unusual dreams that has ever failed to prove true." "I have never seen one of them fail yet," she affirmed.
An interesting sequence to Bishop Koyle's informing Mr. Gardner, the banker, of the forthcoming market crash, was as follows: As the four months rolled by, and nothing, of the sort had as yet happened, Henry Gardner hailed Bishop Koyle into his bank as he was passing by, saying that he had a bone to pick with him. He then rather in a facetious mood upbraided Koyle for being a false prophet. He pointed out how he had taken his advice and had not extended some of the loans which now appeared to have been good risks. And now no sign of a market crash. What did Koyle have to say for himself now? Bishop Koyle faced up to him squarely and insisted that his prediction still stood without any changes, and that Mr. Gardner was jumping the gun on him for he still had one more day before the four months were up, as it was only October 28th. He could call him back after tomorrow if he had any bone to pick with him. But this dream was true, make no mistake about that! Needless to say, the following day, October 29th, the newspapers carried big headlines about [111] the history-making stock market crash, while Henry Gardner had good cause to marvel at his most unusual tenant. (The Dream Mine Story, Pierce, pp. 48-49)
The Bishop had received many important dreams concerning the mine and also of national events. But he also received instructions from the Lord concerning his own family. One time he received instructions for a brother who learned a hard lesson, but gained new respect for the Bishop.
Bishop was carried in the spirit into the spirit world where he saw beauty beyond anything he had ever seen on earth. The homes were neat, well arranged and surrounded with gardens of flowers that defied description; rare and brilliant colors not seen on earth. As he walked up the path toward a T-shaped house, his father, who had been dead a number of years, came out on the walk and greeted him with a hearty welcome. He said, "John, I want you to go back to earth and teach the Gospel to your brothers and sisters and see that they repent and go to the temple and be sealed for time and eternity. Tell Harry if he doesn't quit his profanity and getting drunk, he will get an awful shaking up." John came back and went to work teaching and working with them, and they all were obedient but Harry who was stubborn and unwilling. John said to him, "I have warned you these three times and if you don't straighten up, you will be punished with an awful shaking up." The warning was like pouring water on a duck; he paid no heed until one day he was going up the trail in Flat Canyon taking supplies up to his sheep camp. He was walking, leading the pack horses through the oaks when suddenly an unseen power seized him and shook him with such fury that [112] when he clung to the oaks, it tore the flesh off his hands. That changed his whole life. He quit drinking and went to the temple and had his wife and children all sealed to him for eternity. (Relief Mine Story, J. Young, p. 4)
One of the Hanks family living near Salem met the Bishop one morning. Bishop asked him if he could help him for the rest of the day, but Hanks replied that he was in the middle of some work with his sheep. He just couldn't spare the time--however, if the Bishop couldn't locate anyone else to help him, then he would go.
The Bishop asked Hanks if he was selling his sheep, to which Hanks replied that he was going to wait until fall to sell them. The Bishop walked over to the gate and then stopped. He turned back to Hanks and said, "You had better sell them before fall, because if you don't, you'll be lucky to get $3.00 a head." The Bishop opened the gate, went through, and turned back to Hanks and added, "And then you'll have to leave their bells on them."
That fall when Hanks was getting ready to sell his sheep, the market plunged. He couldn't find a buyer for them anywhere. Finally, he located someone up near Bountiful who said he would give him only $3.00 a head. They prepared a bill of sale, and the man was just about to put his pen to the paper, but stopped and said, "And you'll have to leave the sheep bells on."
Nearly ten years before World War I, Bishop Koyle predicted the involvement of the United States in a world war. He also predicted the involvement of the 145th Field Artillery which was composed of Utah boys. He declared that he saw a dream that the 145th would be called to the front but would never see action. When the war began, many remembered the Prophecy--that it was a fulfillment of the Bishop's dream. Many of the parents of the boys who had sons in the 145th Artillery began to take comfort in the rest of the prophecy that their boys would not see [113] action. His prediction of the war and the 145th made wide circulation since the war was uppermost on everyone's mind, especially those who had boys in the 145th Artillery.
Then one morning the newspaper headlines bore the news that the 145th Field Artillery had received orders to move up to the front lines. They would encounter an engagement with the enemy that same day. This was a blow to many of the parents who had trusted in the Bishop's prediction.
A man by the name of Fred Squires from Salt Lake City, an active stockholder in the mine, read the paper with shock. He was so disturbed about this prophecy failing that he went to the mine and found Bishop Koyle to show him the paper. When the Bishop saw the headlines, he calmly said, "Fred, they are telling a lie! The 145th will not see action on the front lines .... The war will be over by the time they reach the front lines!" Fred was holding a newspaper with the date of November 11, 1918. Strangely enough, the armistice had already been signed and it had caused the cancellation of the 145th Field Artillery from going into action. By the time Fred Squires arrived back in Salt Lake City, the news of the armistice had already been received.
While compiling information for the first edition of this book, I noticed a prophecy attributed to Bishop Koyle that was recorded by Norman Pierce. Since Pierce was no longer alive for confirmation and since I personally had never heard Bishop Koyle give such a prophecy, I decided not to include it in my book. Furthermore, I thought it sounded too fantastic and impossible to ever be fulfilled. It is important to record in this revised edition this very significant prophecy and its fulfillment:
[114] Muddy Water in the Streets Like Rivers
About this time Bishop Koyle had another of his same prophetic dreams which I heard him relate, saying: "It looks like it won't be long now before we'll be having some of the big troubles we've been expecting. I saw in a dream the other night that muddy water would flow in the streets like rivers in almost every community from one end of the state to the other. When it comes, it's going to cause a lot of trouble for a lot of people around here. It will be the beginning of really big troubles." (The Dream Mine Story, Pierce, 1958, p. 90)
Years later, in 1983, rains began to pour over the state of Utah. They continued until water literally ran down the streets of cities from one end of the state to the other. Some small towns were literally abandoned until the water receded. Over half of the counties asked for Federal Emergency Assistance.
The Agriculture and Health Committee was told that Utah's farms and ranches have sustained an estimated $57.7 million loss. (S.L. Tribune, "Utah Floods", p. 62)
There were $63 million dollars in road damages in the State. The total estimate for damages from the rains and too rapidly melting snow came to over $200 million dollars.
[116] Bishop Koyle's prophecies were becoming a thorn in the side of many of the General Authorities of the LDS Church. There was a continual fulfillment of prophecies and predictions from the mine on the hill, yet a famine of such gifts existed with the leaders of the Church in Salt Lake City.
The gap between some of the Church leaders and Bishop Koyle was growing further and further apart. Yet more and more people were receiving inspiration of their own that the mine was the work of God. One unusual testimony came from a man by the name of Parley Alton Waters. Waters said an angel came one night and gave him some very interesting information which he put into a poem and later gave to Bishop Koyle:
I stood at the open portal Of a tunnel peculiarly grand. The patience required in its digging Was famed throughout the land. And one of an ancient nation Stood guard at the entry there-- Hallowed, though stern, was his visage, Snow white were his beard and hair.
With this guide I entered the chamber Its cavernous depths to explore; And I felt as I hastened forward, As I never had felt before; For I knew here was perfect safety, And that I had nothing to fear; For those with motives untainted, Were protected in working here.
Near a wintze at the end of the tunnel, Stood another of a solemn mien, Stern visaged and armed with a saber As he at the portal had been. As we passed onward and downward, Each landing was guarded the same, 'Til by curious motives prompted, I asked, "Friend, what is thy name?"
[117] "And why dost thou and thy fellows Stand guard in these workings old? Perchance, in the depths below us There are uncounted treasures of gold?" To my query he thus made answer: "Son of earth, thou hast rightly said, For I and my brothers are remnants Of a nation long since dead."
"Ages gone, when I dwelt among mortals, These mountains were teeming with wealth, And our Father was granting my people Wisdom, great riches and health. But in the pride of their hearts They forsook Him and worshipped mammon alone, 'Til their sins reached upward to heaven, And earth 'neath corruption did groan.
"'Twas then that the spirit ceased striving And left them in darkness once more. For every man's hand smote his neighbor, And destruction was rapid and sure. And then when iniquity ripened, The earth in convulsions did lie. And the wealth of these mountains was hidden From their evil and covetous eye.
"The wealth of the mountains of Ephraim, Thus saith the Lord, is mine. And to all who partake of their fatness, I give by right most divine. Here, then, was preserved for a people Prepared to accomplish His will, The wealth which the Father hath hidden Beneath this most notable hill. [118] "We are guarding this wealth & the workers That corruption shall not allure. --The toiler who enters these caverns With motives unselfish and pure. For the Father's purpose will ripen, Though derision and scoffers abound. And coming from sources unthought of, Dark clouds will cover them around."
I awoke from my sleep and my dreaming, And sought my companion again. But naught did I see but the mountain, And the place where my visit had been. But I knew that this wealth that was hidden From a nation now under the sod, Must be used as my guide had bidden, FOR THE GLORIFICATION OF GOD!
Brother Waters thought he was to open and work this mine, but he got no direction as to where and how to find it till one day while in Spanish Fork someone asked him to go to the annual Dream Mine meeting that was being held on the hill that day. He went gladly. When he saw the mine tunnel, he was greatly surprised and thrilled, for it was the very thing the messenger showed him in the dream. He took the poem out of his pocket, handed it to Bishop Koyle and said, "Here Bishop, this belongs to you. It's your work and mission to bring relief to the people in time of great need and trouble." Bishop Koyle gladly received the wonderful new testimony to the divinity of his great mission and work. (A Relief Mine Story, J. Young, p. 6)
Men were receiving testimonies from God that the work of the mine was divinely inspired, yet men like Talmage declared it to be from the "Evil One". Men in the Church declared themselves to be "prophets, seers and [119] revelators," yet they failed to produce any revelations. Bishop Koyle never made any pretense to being a prophet, yet he was able to say "the Lord showed me" and then make a prophecy which was soon fulfilled in every respect. Who really was a prophet--and who was being directed by the spiritual gifts of prophecy and revelation? Every man had to ask these questions--and then seek the answer for himself. Heber C. Kimball prophecied:
To meet the difficulties that are coming, it will be necessary for you to have a knowledge of the truth of this work for yourselves. The difficulties will be of such a character that the man or woman who does not possess this personal knowledge or witness will fall. If you have not got the testimony, live right and call upon the Lord and cease not till you obtain it. If you do not you will not stand. Remember these sayings, for many of you will live to see them fulfilled. The time will come when no man nor woman will be able to endure on borrowed light. Each will have to be guided by the light within himself. (Life of Heber C. Kimball, pp. 460-461)
It requires the spirit of prophecy to recognize the voice of a prophet. The "testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy," said Joseph Smith, and men were now learning by the Holy Ghost that John H. Koyle was inspired of the Lord.
One day J. Golden Kimball received word that Bishop Koyle wanted to see him as soon as possible, so he drove right down to the mine. Koyle immediately got into the subject that was causing him considerable distress by saying, "Golden, the Lord showed me in a dream that Joseph Fielding Smith is preparing a conference sermon that is against the Dream Mine--and the Lord doesn't want him to deliver it. I want you to go up there and tell him not to give that sermon."
[120] "Not me!" replied Golden. "I'm not going to put my head in the lion's mouth." Koyle grabbed Kimball by the coat collar and said, "Golden, God hates a coward." He looked a little sheepish and replied, "All right, Bishop, I'll tell him, but I don't have any faith that it will do any good." The Bishop smiled and retorted, "Don't worry; I'll take care of the faith."
Kimball returned to Salt Lake City and went directly to Joseph Fielding Smith's office. Smith was at his desk, so Golden walked over and said, "Brother Smith, you're not supposed to deliver that conference sermon that's against the Dream Mine." Smith jumped up and shouted, "How did you find out about that sermon? I haven't told anyone." Golden replied, "Well, the Lord knows, and He told Bishop Koyle about it."
When conference came, Joseph Fielding Smith delivered a sermon, but it made no mention of the Dream Mine.
Carter Grant and some friends visited the Koyle home one evening. The Bishop was away, so they asked his wife the following question:
"Would you mind telling us," suggested one of our number, "if your husband has ever had one of these
plain dreams' of which you refer, that has failed to prove out." "I have never seen one yet," she declared. ("Statement by Carter E. Grant to James E. Talmage," Sept. 9, 1931, p. 12)
Although Bishop Koyle's wife never knew of any prophecy to fail, a few people thought he had missed one particular prophecy:
Statements made by the Bishop would become enlarged or exaggerated by over-enthusiastic believers, or else twisted and warped by his enemies. This misconstrued information caused Bishop Koyle trouble from friends and enemies alike. One prominent story which was circulated [121] and accredited to the Bishop as a prophecy was, in reality never given by him at all. It was to the effect that the mine would come out on August 27, 1946. What actually happened was that the Bishop once said that it would be very appropriate and coincidental if the mine should come in on August 27th--on the very anniversary of the appearance of the messenger who first called him to that work. By the time the Bishop heard how erroneously his statement had been changed, it had spread too far to stop. Years later some of the stockholders still thought it had been a prophecy, but the Bishop never did set a date for the mine to come in.
Whenever the Bishop related a dream or said the Lord had revealed something to him, the manifestation was always correct; or if it was a prophecy, it always came true.
Prophecies and revelations are abundant with details of the famines of the last days. Bishop Koyle also described this food shortage that had been shown to him in dreams. Grain would grow up as though it would produce a fine crop--but something caused it to shrivel up and become a valueless harvest. Famine would occur all over the world--not only because of crop failures, but because of the troubles and chaos caused by the shutdown of manufacturing and transportation.
At that early date he also said words like these: "By the time we get our ore, the mining districts will be almost at a standstill. These automobiles will get larger and larger, until some of them will resemble street cars, filled with people. Then, too, I saw the farms all though the country all being mortgaged, and as a relief to the condition, the people were coming to borrow money at a low rate of interest from the Koyle Mining Company. I also saw a large bank belonging to our company standing on a certain corner in Spanish Fork. (I have since been shown the [122] corner.) Then I saw the hard times beginning to tell upon the treasury of the Church, being more depleted than in many years. Then, right in the very midst of all these happenings, with things at their darkest, we began shipping ore, giving a decided relief to the situation." ("Grant/Talmage Statement", Sept. 9, 1931, p. 10)
A professor at Utah State University, Austin Fife, and his wife, heard Bishop Koyle say that:
Brigham Young stood right down here in Salem and pointed up to this mountain and said, "There's enough gold and silver in that mountain to pave all the streets in Utah County." I've talked to two of the three witnesses that heard him say so. (Saints of Sage and Saddle, Austin and Alta Fife, 1956, p. 283)
Many people have received testimonies that the mine really does contain valuable ore and other treasures. A man named Erickson wrote:
It was revealed to me by the Holy Ghost that in a deep narrow gorge, in a southeasterly direction from Salt Lake, hidden records are concealed. (Visions of the Latter Days, Kraut, 1983 ed., p. 129)
Visitors from the other world were not uncommon to Bishop Koyle. He had met and visited with members of his family who had left this earth many years before. Also, other heavenly and holy beings had visited with him, such as Nephi, Mormon, the Three Nephites, Moses, and also the Prophet Joseph Smith. Such a work required special direction, and divinely inspired messengers were on hand to guide and protect it.
The mission of Moses was to gather the House of Israel out from among the gentiles. It required outstand-[123]ing miracles and plagues to accomplish that feat. Even while they were captives living in bondage to the Egyptians, they had to be separated physically and socially from the Egyptians. They had to begin their own nation. Moses was their deliverer--and led them out of their bondage. They had to be taken away from the slavery, the unholy practices, the traditions, financial, military and political corruptions of their captors. When they were delivered away from that power and influence, they were then in a condition favorable to receiving the word and will of the Lord.
When the Prophet Moses appeared to the Bishop, he explained how difficult it had been for him to gather Israel and lead them in the paths of God. He also explained how this mine would some day be used to gather Israel from the nations of the earth where they are now scattered. They cannot be saved in a scattered condition; therefore, there would be "one like unto Moses" who would help in leading and gathering Israel from the temporal and spiritual bondage they are now in.
Today, Israel must be delivered from the modern bondage of the gentiles. They must be gathered home to the land and the places the Lord has designated for them. The House of Israel is scattered among the nations of the earth, living and dying in the customs and traditions of gentiles. They live by the laws of the land in many different nations, rather than by the laws of God. The children of Israel are marrying gentiles, living in the society of gentiles, and gradually forsaking the doctrines of God. They must be delivered from bondage again, or they shall die by plagues and wars.
No wonder Moses came to Bishop Koyle to explain the work of gathering Israel. It will take wealth and power, not only to bring them back from so many nations, but to support and sustain them when they arrive.
[124] Bishop Koyle was told that when this mine brings forth its riches, it will have such power and influence with the children of Israel, that more of them will come into the fold of Christ than has been accomplished by all the missionaries that have ever travelled the earth since the restoration of the Gospel.
It is no wonder that Bishop Koyle and his work were so highly esteemed by the Lord. Many spiritual men learned that John Koyle was a true prophet, seer and revelator!
You can buy Ogden's books by going to:
http://www.ogdenkraut.com/orderogdenbooks.html
Copyright 2002 by J.J. Dewey, All Rights Reserved