Blessings Received by Dawn Orrock
Compiled: Sept. 6, 2003
One night Scott and I were driving from Page, Arizona to Provo, Utah. Scott was driving our truck and I was following in our car.
Scott got a bit ahead of me and as I was driving up the mountain, crossing over from Panguitch to the freeway, the moon suddenly
came out from behind a big cloud. My view of that moon emerging in front of me took my breath away, it was so beautiful. I
suddenly thought of my mother and became emotional, tears welling up in my eyes. I felt I had received a special blessing from
her. I was thanking Heavenly Father for this wonderful gift and slowed down to gain my composure. As I tried to wipe away my
tears, I was still feeling that wonderful feeling; I slowly drove around a curve. Right before my eyes stood two deer in the
middle of that road! They stood there staring at me and then turned and walked off. Had I been going as fast as I had been
traveling before this experience, I would have plowed right into them. I continued on to the freeway where Scott was waiting for
me at the side of the road. I got out of the car and while telling him of my experience, I sobbed and sobbed. I knew I had had a
life saving miracle.
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1992 was the year Scott and I moved to St. George. On one of our trips, hauling belonging from Page, Arizona to St. George,
Utah, I was driving David’s small, old truck, filled with our belongings. Seated by my side was Diane, well into her sixth
pregnancy. Scott was in the lead, driving a car or truck (memory fails me here). The time was about 2:00 a.m. Suddenly, Diane
and I realized something was wrong with the truck. Just as I feared, we had a flat tire! I pulled over to the side of the road. We
were between Page and Kanab, a very remote area, especially at that time of the night. We hadn’t passed a single car. Diane
and I both knew the only thing we could do was to say a prayer.
Just after our prayer was said, we saw headlights coming toward us. I believe we were both out of the car by then. A truck
pulled off the road just behind us. Three young men got out of the truck and learned of our plight. Our angels that night, at
first, were what you might call a little forbidding. They were traveling to Lake Powell from Las Vegas, Nevada, to play on the
lake. It was obvious right away they had all been drinking by the language they were using and the smell of liquor that
permeated the air around them. They immediately got down on hands and knees, looking under the truck for the spare tire. The
tire was in a very difficult place to get to. Tools kept being handed from their truck to the person who happened to be under our
truck, trying to loosen the tire from its nest. More than a few swear words were uttered as they struggled. I asked them if they
were mechanics because of all the tools they seemed to have. They said, “No, we just drive old cars.” As time went on and the
liquor wore off, two of them were careful to clean up their language; it took the other one longer, as he also became aware of
two ladies in his presence. He even offered me his jacket to warm me up.
Scott had finally noticed we were not behind him when he arrived in Kanab. He turned around to come back to find us. Just as
he drove up, the tire under our truck dropped down. It was flat! I thought surely those young men would have said they had had
enough, but no, they waited with me while Scott took Diane and the flat tire into Kanab to get it fixed. When Scott returned
with the repaired tire, we realized there was no way Scott could have crawled under our truck to get that tire off or on!! Those
young men spent at least two hours that night answering our prayer! They would not take any money for their efforts. It seemed
our grateful words were enough. Once again, we had witnessed how our Father in Heaven was aware of our needs before we even
knew of them and sent three somewhat tattered angels to answer our prayers.
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One day, when living in St. George, Utah, I was unloading groceries from the trunk of our car. The lid of the trunk was very
heavy, and I was balancing it while retrieving the grocery sacks. I had my keys in my left hand when suddenly, the trunk came
down on two of my fingers on my right hand, the trunk shutting completely. My first thought was, “Oh no, now I can’t clean
Sister ………’s house tomorrow!” I was the Relief Society president at that time and had made an appointment for Vi Hancock and
me to clean a sister’s house the next day. With my left hand shaking, I put the keys in the lock and lifted the trunk. My fingers
were bleeding and looked terrible. I went into the house and cried on Scott’s shoulder, telling him what had happened. I think I
was in shock. He soothed me, washed the blood off my fingers and wrapped them up. I went to bed that night, dreading the
throbbing I knew I would experience all that night. I kept waiting for my fingers to hurt, but they never did! I still carry the
scars on two of my fingers where the trunk came down on the. With a rubber glove on my right hand, Vi and I cleaned our sister’s
home the next day, as if nothing had happened. I believe I was saved the pain because of the service Father in Heaven knew I
needed to do.
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The night before leaving for Hawaii with Scott, David and Julie, I hit into the couch with my foot and broke one of my toes. The
pain was excruciating. I could hardly make it to my bedroom. Scott had gone to bed early to get his needed rest before the
flight.
Susan had arranged a trip for us to fly to the big island of Hawaii so Scott could visit, for the last time, his first area of labor
while serving as a missionary some fifty years previously. He was anxious to try and locate some of the people he had taught
there. Scott was really looking forward to this trip and had already started making phone calls to Hawaii, trying to get in touch
with some of the members he knew still lived on the island. Much to my horror, I couldn’t walk on my foot. I had ruined the trip!
There was no time for me to get help from a doctor, as we were scheduled to leave on the plane from Las Vegas early the next
day. I sat on the side of my bed. I cried and pled with my Father in Heaven to heal my toe. I prayed that I knew He had created
my body and I knew that He could heal it. I plead that He might do so for Scott’s sake. After my prayer, I could barely hop to
the bathroom and back to my bed, the pain was so intense!
Early the next morning, I woke up and carefully stepped out of bed. I had no pain at all!! My toe felt fine! A year or so later,
while seeing a podiatrist for a different problem, he x-rayed my foot and mentioned, “It looks like you have broken your toe at
some time.” I had healed just fine.
I want to bear witness that I was created by a loving Heavenly Father. He loves me and He lets me know He loves me. He hears
my prayers and has answered them many times.
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The most amazing spiritual experience I have ever had in my life occurred in the St. George temple. One evening while attending
a session at the temple, I was waiting to be called up to the veil. As I thought about the words that had been said, I remember
thinking, “This is true!” Just as this thought occurred to me, I was amazed as my whole body was filled with a wonderful heat.
It is so hard to explain; it almost overpowered me. I started to tear up and felt so full I could hardly speak as I went through the
veil. I couldn’t talk to anyone or explain just what had happened. I kept pondering about it, wondering if I had just had a
blessing, or what? But I knew something very special had happened to me.
The next morning when I looked in the mirror, I expected to see the terrible, blotching rash I had been dealing with for weeks. I
had come to the conclusion the day before that I couldn’t stand the pain and itching and was going to see the doctor again. (I
later found I was allergic to Naprosyn, a medicine I had been taking for arthritis.) As I gazed at my reflection, I was shocked to
see my skin perfectly clear! At first I couldn’t figure out what had happened, until I remembered my experience in the temple
the night before. I felt I had been totally cleansed. My skin stayed smooth and clear for at least two months. Soon after, I was
able to rectify my skin problem. What a testimony of the power and love I was shown that night in the temple.
I have a testimony of my Savior and of His sacrifice for us that we might all live again. I have a testimony that He can cleanse us
from our sins. He knows our weaknesses and desires to give us hope through repentance, as each of us struggle through this life.
He has shown me His great healing powers that I might have faith in Him. I testify to this.
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Tuba City is located about 75 miles south of Page, Arizona. While we were living in Tuba City, our son, Jim, who was about
sixteen years old, began having stomach problems. Jim always stood very straight, and I realized he was bending a bit. After
questioning him, I suspected he had appendicitis. We had already had four of our children who had had appendectomies. I took
him to the hospital at Tuba City. Ordinarily, they only took Native American patients, but they said they would make an exception
and a doctor would see him. After the doctor examined Jim, he said, “He doesn’t have appendicitis, or he would be in more
pain.” I asked him to check the blood count. The doctor said, “We don’t do that anymore. Just take him home and watch him.”
I asked what would happen if he did have appendicitis? He told me his pulse would become more rapid.
My insides churned as I checked Jim’s pulse every few minutes. I finally decided his pulse was becoming more rapid. I called
Doctor Washburn, our Stake President and doctor, who lived in Page. It was late, but I happened to reach him at home. He was
very kind and asked a few questions. I believe he could hear in my voice how anxious I was. As soon as Doctor Washburn told me
to bring Jim to the hospital so he could look at him early the next day, I had a completely peaceful feeling rush over me. Jim
said he was going to shower before we took him, and I calmly replied, “That’s fine.”
When we arrived at the hospital in Page, Doctor Washburn admitted Jim. Because it was so late, Doctor Washburn was so kind as
to have us stay at his house that night. Early the next morning, Doctor Washburn operated on Jim. He called us from the
hospital to say how shocked he had been to discover that Jim’s appendix had already burst but had miraculously walled off the
poison from getting into his system.
I believe that was the first time I recognized the Holy Ghost had been prodding me to get help for Jim, and as soon as Doctor
Washburn told me I could bring him to Page, the Holy Ghost assured me that all would be well.
I testify that if we will follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost in our lives, we will be blessed.