Strength Such as is Not Known Among Men

Yesterday a sister in our ward told of how the patriarch who gave her a patriarchal blessing many years ago was Creed Haymond. She didn’t know his story at the time, but later she learned of his amazing story related to the Word of Wisdom. He recounted how as an eight-year-old boy he promised his mom that he would keep the Word of Wisdom. He related, “The following Sunday, one week later, Joseph J. Cannon was visiting at our home. And I told him what I had promised. So he took my twin sister and me out on the front porch, and we placed our hands alternately on each others hands, and made this pledge: That neither of the three of us would ever taste tea or coffee, or liquor or tobacco, as long as lived, unless we were all three together, and did it with common consent.” Many years later he found himself in Boston, Massachusetts running an important intercollegiate track meet. He told what happened the night before the meet: “Just before I went to bed that night, Lawson Robertson, my coach, came to me with a glass of Sherry wine in his hand. He said, “Creed, I know your funny Mormon ideas. I know your standards. But I’m going to ask you to lay them aside tonight, and I want you to drink this glass of wine. You’ve been training for five months, and you didn’t run today with the ease that I would like to see. I’m afraid that by tomorrow you may go stale. Take this stimulant, and it will keep you from going stale.”  But Creed wouldn’t do it. He said, “Well it came to me as a tremendous emotional shock. I said, ‘Robby, I can’t do it.’” His coach told him, “Alright, but if you lose tomorrow, and the University of Pennsylvania loses, I’m going to hold you personally responsible!” He prayed that night for a surer witness of the Word of Wisdom and slept very soundly. At the race a series of miracles then ensued. In the first race he got a bad start and was immediately three yards behind (in a 100-yard sprint) but still managed to come back and miraculously win it. After a trial run he was asked to run again the 220 yard sprint and even though he was in no condition to run (having just barely finished the previous run) he won that one as well. He then was asked to race again to try to beat the world record, and he posted the fastest 220-yard time on world record up to that point at 21 seconds. It was indeed miraculous, and he summarized how he felt that night as he went to bed: “As I laid there, and thought of all the conditions that had occurred in the meet, and the conditions of almost impossibilities, I realized that my prayer the night before had been answered. I had been given a witness that this thing called the Word of Wisdom was ordained of God.” He had indeed found the truth of this promise: “And all saints who remember to keep and do these sayings, walking in obedience to the commandments, shall receive health in their navel and marrow to their bones; And shall find wisdom and great treasures of knowledge, even hidden treasures; And shall run and not be weary, and shall walk and not faint” (Doctrine and Covenants 89:18-20).

               Another promise from the Lord comes to mind as I think about this story of Creed Haymond. The Lord said this to Oliver Cowdery: “And at all times, and in all places, he shall open his mouth and declare my gospel as with the voice of a trump, both day and night. And I will give unto him strength such as is not known among men” (Doctrine and Covenants 24:12). For standing as a witness of the Savior, Oliver Cowdery was promised that he would have strength above other men. That night as Creed stood for the Word of Wisdom and refused to break a commandment of the Lord, he too received strength above other men, so much so that he broke a world record the next day. Our experiences may not be as dramatic as his, but as we strive to open our mouths for the Lord and stay true to our covenants, he will support us and give us strength beyond our normal capacities. As the Lord told the Prophet Joseph after he had failed to do so with the 116 pages, “Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble” (Doctrine and Covenants 3:8). Like He was for Creed, He will be with us in every time of trouble as we hold fast to His commandments.