(An account written by Aaron Alexander Tolman’s niece, Goldie Adams Tolman, wife of Royal Clifford Tolman.)

Uncle Alex’s encounter with the bear would not be complete unless I add this faith promoting story which was told by Aunt Martha Tolman when bearing her testimony in Relief Society.

My husband, Alex Tolman, lay four weeks in terrible agony. The flesh would not heal. When the elders administered to him, they promised he should live to a ripe old age. The doctor shook his head and said, “I don’t see how it is possible with gangrene already setting in and his leg just rotting away.”

That night I prayed constantly that help and inspiration would be given to them that Alex would be permitted to live, to be a companion to me and a servant unto the Lord.

The next morning, I walked onto the porch and there stood a handsome man. He was about five feet, eight inches tall and there were streaks of grey in his hair. He was clean shaven and very neat. He said, “Good morning. How are you this morning?” I replied, “I am well, but my husband is very ill. He was attacked by a bear and his leg is badly mangled.”

He led me over to a Juniper bush and an Aspen tree and said, “we will gather some wood and bark from each tree and burn them, then take the ashes, make a poultice and apply it to the leg which is so badly infected.” I did as he said, then I turned to talk to him, but there was no one there. I stood there on the porch in amazement.

My husband immediately began to get better and the doctor could not understand how such a change could take place overnight. Alex continued to improve and soon the gangrene was gone and the flesh was new and healthy.

(Aunt Martha testified that she knew that it was one of the Three Nephites or John the Beloved who came to her aid. Uncle Alex lived to be seventy five years old. There were scars on his body to the day he died.)

Visit FamilySearch to learn more about Aaron Alexander Tolman, Martha Mary Barrett,  and other ancestors.  Also visit the Thomas Tolman Family Organization to find out how you can get more involved in family history.

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An Encounter with a Bear

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