(SMITH) The Headstone That Answered a Prayer

"God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs."1

Eliza R. Snow, Lucius's wife's cousin, reflected on Joel's funeral. [2]

On May 10, 1844, Lucius Scovil suffered a tragic loss: his 14-year-old son, Joel, died. 




About a year-and-a-half after Joel’s death, the Scovils decided to place a headstone on his grave. Lucius went to a local stonecutter, Charles Lambert, with the commission.[3]

Lucius Scovil

His timing was more inspired than he could have guessed.

Earlier that day, Charles had arrived home to find his wife in tears. She said “she could stand anything but this (that was the children crying for bread and she had none to give them). I replied ‘why do you not go and ask the Lord to send you some? why do you not go with me?’” The couple repaired to their bedroom and petitioned the Lord.

“In about an hour after, Br. Lucious Scovil came and…said he would like me to make a grave stone to mark the place where his son was buried”. 

Lucius did not have any money. Without knowing anything about the Lamberts' earlier prayer, he offered to barter for the headstone with precisely what they needed:  Lucius paid Charles with four bushels of wheat. As Charles later wrote of this compensation, "Thus our prayers were answered."

Most of Joel's headstone survives today. The inscription
reads: In memory of Joel F. son of L. N. Scovil.
Died May 10

Truly, "God does notice us, and he watches over us. But it is usually through another person that he meets our needs."1

___________________________
Line of descent:

Lucius Nelson Scovil, born 1806
Asa Brigham Scoville, b 1861
Lucia Naomi Scoville, b 1889
Alice Zemp, b 1925
___________________________
Notes:

All genealogical information is from familysearch.org.

1 - Spencer W. Kimball, "Small Acts of Service," Ensign, December 1974, https://www.lds.org/ensign/1974/12/small-acts-of-service?lang=eng

2 - Times and Seasons, vol 5 #10, May 15, 1844,
http://contentdm.lib.byu.edu/cdm/ref/collection/NCMP1820-1846/id/8375

3 - The entire story about Joel's headstone is from Stonecutter and Lucius Scovil "THUS WAS OUR PRAYER ANSWERED”,
https://familysearch.org/photos/stories/4118703

4 - Photo from findagrave.com. Joel is buried in the Old Nauvoo Burial Grounds. http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=14722638