Spiritual Experiences--Raising the Dead

In 1988 my wife was pregnant with our third daughter. I had moved down to Chattanooga Tennessee to teach fifth grade. It was a very hard time as I made about $17,000 so things were pretty tight. My mother was diagnosed with breast cancer so I was concerned about being so far away from her. In addition the principal of the school didn't like Mormons being a good Southern Baptist he had been forced to hire me by the LDS Stake President who was president of the school board. I left after the first semester and went back out West. We stayed a short time in Las Vegas then went on up to Provo. A couple in Provo whose father had gone on mission let us live in the basement of their parents home. My wife had used some local midwives. They had deliver dozens of babies with no deaths. I was not really big on the idea of home birth but my wife was adamant that is what she wanted to do. On January 15 she went in to labor. Being my first experience I was really frightened. We have prayer before the baby was delivered. We all agreed to not cut the cord too quickly. As the birth proceeded the baby had a hard time coming out. It began to take longer than it should. Finally the baby came out. The cord was wrapped twice around its neck. It wasn't breathing at all. The began to butterfly the baby. One of them had oil olive and pass the vial to me shaking her head. After about ten minutes it didn't look very good as the baby wasn't breathing at all. I anointed the baby with the oil and blessed her in the name of Jesus Christ and through the holy priesthood I blessed her to come forth and live. Within in seconds of removing my hands the baby took a breath and began to cry. Both women told me that they believed she was dead. The combination of not cutting the cord and the blessing are the only reason that she lived. I knew that child would be special in the eyes of the Lord. A day after the birth I went and visited President Ezra Taft Benson in his apartment at the Eagle Gate Apartment Building in Salt Lake City. I told my wife that I would name this baby. President Benson was sitting in his recliner in his stocking feet and Sister Benson was sitting on the love seat with her afghan around her. He placed his hands on his head and leaned back and smiled saying, "Her name is Flora." I say oh no my wife doesn't like that name or Camilla I suggested both to her. He then turned to Sister Benson and said your name has special meaning doesn't it. She said yes. He looked at me and said "You tell your wife her name is Flora and that she will be highly favored of men and have special power one day." Not arguing with a prophet of God I went home and told my wife her name is Flora. I went back and told my wife who tried to call her Aimee as we named her Flora Aimee. When she was around eight years old Flora said, "I will go by Flora now despite all them except me calling her Aimee.