Miracle 104: A Banana Boat Miracle

This powerful miracle is from one of my friends living in Utah!


Today I was reminded of a powerful miracle in my life that has forever changed me. The memory of this experience was a God send at this point in my life of crossroads and crucial decisions and I felt impressed to share it in some way. The brevity of this experience makes it easy to overlook, even for me, however, it has been such a pivotal and powerful experience that it remains in a position of importance and motivation in my life. 

I was with a group of peers on a river rafting trip that was organized and sponsored by the church I belong to, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints (commonly referred to as the Mormon Church). Our leaders had led us down to a portion of the Green River in Southern Utah where we had spent the first day camping out. The next day we began a river rafting trip down the Green River and were having a great time. During one part of the day I climbed onto the back of an inflatable “banana” boat with a good friend. A “banana” boat is a long, skinny boat, like a small canoe, where one person sits in the front of the boat and the other a number of feet behind the first, in the back. My friend and I were having a fun time in our small, nimble, inflatable craft, when we came across a large rapid that seemed to double back on itself so that the underneath part flowed with the current of the river and then the top folded back on itself, ultimately flowing upstream. Looking for an adventure and feeling invincible, my friend and I took this rapid head on. Plunging into this obstacle with momentum, my friend and his half of the boat were carried past the rapid before we came to an abrupt stop while me and my half were stuck just on top of this rapid. We rowed excitedly with all of our might for a few brief seconds, trying to free ourselves from this rapid. Suddenly our inflatable raft folded in half and I was sucked into the water and immediately drawn into this rapid. 

Initially, I felt no concern for my situation, I had grown up in the water, was wearing a life jacket and being submerged was far from a new experience for me. After remaining under water for a time without surfacing however, I began to get nervous. Though my eyes were closed I could tell that I was going deeper and deeper into the water as the light that gently illuminated my eyelids grew fainter and fainter. I did not seem to be moving forward, but rather seemed to be driven downwards, held in place by this rapid which flowed in two directions at once. Though in reality it was probably only a couple of seconds, I felt an eternity had passed as I began to perceive only darkness. Like a bolt of lightning the thought struck me, “I am going to die.” As quickly as that thought came it left, and my mind turned to the incredible promises that had been made to me in my patriarchal blessing. What’s more, I remembered the beautiful words of God spoken directly to me through His servant, a humble patriarch, who told me of the great works I was sent to this earth to do. I knew in an instant that it was not my time to go, that I could rely on the Savior and that He would get me through any hardship, including my immediate and consuming struggle in that moment. No sooner had that illuminating thought crossed my mind than I shot to the surface, was able to take breath once again and my struggle was over. Almost without delay a couple appeared next to me in the water, quickly pulled me up onto their raft, carried me past the turbulent water and back to my group. 

I know that my Father in Heaven somehow pulled me out of that situation to preserve me for some future purpose and I am ever grateful for His love and presence in my life and for the great hope the Savior of the world brings to each of us if we will but turn to Him.


There will be miracles when you believe in God.

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