Gomer T. Griffiths

Quorum of Twelve Apostles

Vision that the Church will Endure

In 1918, Apostle Gomer T. Griffiths had the following vision of the destiny of the Church.

"We realize that very many of the Saints in the Church today are discouraged because of the distressing condition that the Church is in at the present time. I feel led to call the attention of latter day Israel to a dream the writer had about the year 1918, which seemed to indicate that the Church would be called upon to pass through many trying periods of discouragement and threatened with final destruction, but that God by His matchless power would bring the Church through triumphantly in spite of the forces that would be brought to bear to impede its progress and destroy it. The dream is as follows:

"I seemed to be associated with many others, prominent officers in the [RLDS] Church, with the responsibility of caring for and looking after a very magnificent steamboat. This steamer was loaded down with Latter Day Saints and these officers referred to above had the supervision of the boat. It was their duty to feed the people and look after their welfare as well as to care for the boat itself. We appeared to be going downstream on a river similar to the Mississippi River. The channel varied in its course. It would be on one side of the river, in the center, and then on the opposite side. We apparently were making good headway but all at once, to our dismay and surprise, the channel grew narrow and the water became very shallow and it was with difficulty that the steamer could make headway -- and now, to our consternation, the channel made a short turn, and in view of the narrowness and shallowness of the water, it seemed almost impossible to get that steamer around that short curve. And as a matter of course, those in charge thereof were much distressed over this trying condition confronting them.

"In process of time the steamer passed over that dangerous period and moved along quite nicely for a time until we came to another narrow spot where the channel grew more narrow and the water more shallow, and there was an abrupt turn which was worse than the one passed over previously. We were now in a terrible mental condition for it seemed almost impossible to get the steamer over that danger spot. This time the channel was in the center of the river and little islands on both sides; and to our delight and rejoicing, we got the boat over in safety.

"The steamer moved on now without any further interruption for some distance until finally the channel went to the right of the river and ran up close along side of what seemed to be a steep mountain, which appeared to be perpendicular and huge rocks projected, some of them six to eight feet. The water got shallow and the channel narrow, more so than had been experienced in the other two instances referred to. If the boat went the least bit out of its course to the right those rocks would rip it from bow to stern and destroy it. Imagine our feelings at the perilous condition the boat was in with all those people on board, with whose safety we were intensely concerned! The future did not look very bright for the boat nor the people thereon.

"But a long distance ahead of us we beheld the open sea and our aim was to get our boat there, where she would be perfectly safe. I remember I was on deck and beholding the hazardous position of the boat, and wondering how it was possible for us to get our boat to the open sea. I thought I would look into the pilot house and see who was at the wheel. To my great amazement and happiness a divine personage (Christ, the great Pilot) was at the wheel guiding the boat. He did not turn to speak nor look at me for the reason that He had to pay His entire attention to the directing of the boat through this dangerous channel, which made it necessary for the boat to move very slowly and carefully. At last, after what seemed to be a long time, because the bad condition of the channel made us move very slowly, the boat reached the open sea with all those on board. Of course there was great rejoicing on the part of those on the boat that the pilot had so successfully guided the boat through this difficult and dangerous channel. And then I awoke."

(Quoted in Vision #33, January 2000, p. 3,27, emphasis added)

A few comments by Jon Tandy on this vision:

The boat was described as the RLDS Church, and the officers thereof. It is evident that Christ is at the head of this "boat" (Church), and will guide it to the open sea, which must refer to Zion. The RLDS Church has indeed passed through many periods of spiritual trial. Apostle Griffiths believed that two of those periods included the early 1900's and the 1925 crisis. The third, it seems evident to me, is the present time Liberal Apostasy which started in the mid-1950's.

In the last paragraph, the statement is made that Christ "did not turn to speak nor look at me for the reason that He had to pay His entire attention to the directing of the boat." Today we despair of the fact that we aren't experiencing the gifts of the Spirit as the Saints in former times. While this is a terrible situation, and though many individuals are experiencing the spiritual gifts, I believe this statement is a hint that during the present period there will be a lack of the manifestation of the gifts of the Spirit. It is a time of darkness, and all saints are required to have their own testimony. After this period, the promises have been given that the Spirit will be poured out abundantly again, even upon all flesh (D&C 92:1c).

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