The Prompting That Saved a Life

A Pioneer's Tale of Trusting the Still, Small Voice When It Mattered Most

Annie Iverson sometimes got what she referred to as “premonitions.” Little nudges from the Holy Spirit telling her to do something or warning her of danger. 

One day, as she and her friend were walking home from church, she felt the nudge again. As she was passing another friend's house “something told [her] to go in and see her as [she] was needed there.” 

When she arrived in the house, she found her friend passed out, “more dead than alive”.  She had her friend’s daughter call the doctor and used her nursing background to help keep her alive until he got there. 

Annie had honed her skills as a nurse as means of survival. When Annie had been married just 5 years, her husband, Alfred Folker, died. Leaving her to raise their daughter alone. Annie was plunged into grief and debt. She even lost her home amid legal trouble (though she did not clarify what kind).  She did anything she could think of to make money, including housework and nursing. 

Thankfully, the doctor arrived and her friend was saved. She was able to live a long, prosperous life. 

Annie saved her friend's life because she listened to the Spirit. 

Now, I’ve never saved a life from listening to the Spirit… not that I am aware of, but I do understand something of the “premonitions” that she speaks of, though I wouldn’t call them that. Three times now, I have received a very strong anxious feeling. It feels as if my insides are all tied in knots.

Two of the times I’ve had this feeling, my husband has ended up in the hospital, the third, I narrowly avoided a car accident. 

Once I recognized this pattern, I started to pray to ask what was going to happen. But, perhaps that was the wrong question, because I haven’t received an answer. 

But, Heavenly Father must be warning me for a reason, right? 

That’s why, moving forward, when I get that kind of prompting again, I will be asking how I need to prepare. 

Have you ever experienced anything like me or Annie? Do you have any stories about how following a prompting helped you or someone else? I’d love to chat about it in the comments! 

P.s. You can find more information about Annie on Family Search here, and the interview where I found this story here.