Dear Daughters of God

Dear Daughters of God - Ep. 17- Divine Interventions How Faith Shaped HIs Life and Others

• Stephanie Eccles • Season 1 • Episode 17

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Join us for Episode 17 of Dear Daughters of God: "Divine Interventions: How Faith Shaped His Life and Others". In this heartfelt conversation, Stephanie Eccles sits down with her uncle, Billy Webb, to explore the profound ways faith and divine guidance have influenced his life, his family, and his service in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. From miraculous healings to transformative acts of faith, Uncle Billy shares inspiring stories of hope, resilience, and the enduring power of prayer.

 Discover how his unwavering belief in God not only shaped his path but also uplifted those around him. Don't miss this touching journey through family memories, miracles, and testimonies.

Thanks for listening! I'm on Instagram as deardaughtersofgod. Follow me on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/invites/contact/?i=1iyjqx0cq4kbk&utm_content=qr66nqv

Stephanie:

I'm Stephanie Eccles. This is Dear Daughters of God..

This is Episode 17, Divine Interventions, How Faith Shaped His Life and Others.

Microphone (Samson Q2U Microphone)-9:

My name is Stephanie Eccles. I'm a school administrator, natural storyteller, and I am a daughter of God. I tell the stories of our lives from the perspective of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Welcome, Dear Daughters of God. I address you that way because that's what you are to Him. To our Heavenly Father, you are dear.

Stephanie:

Welcome. We have a guest today. He is so dear to me. His name is Billy Webb and he is my uncle. Billy, welcome to Dear Daughters of God. We're so glad to have you today. Thank

Billy:

you it's

Stephanie:

good

Billy:

to be here.

Stephanie:

And I am in West Virginia. With Billy, it is so special to be in West Virginia.

I hope that you'll tune into our YouTube channel, Dear Daughters of God, so you can meet Billy in person and see all the pictures that we've added to help illustrate Billy's stories.

Stephanie:

What I remember about Uncle Billy is I used to love playing with his two oldest kids. They were my age, Clifford and Curtis. Billy had All the neat things like the motorcycle, which my dad didn't want us to, to ride. I remember your house and driving up this hill to your house, and this beautiful landscape. It was such a joy being with Uncle Billy and his family, coming to West Virginia. here we are together again. Uncle Billy, are you the fourth? Out of the 12 children, is that right?

Billy:

Yes.

This is a picture of Billy with his siblings as adults, along with their mother, Lola Webb. Their father, Lolan, had passed away. They're standing in birth order. My mother, Joy, is right behind her mother, and then Uncle Billy. Now Aunt Jenny is missing from this picture, but you'll notice there are not 12 siblings there, and that's because nine of them made it to adulthood. The story of how one of the three children that died is in one of the previous episodes called Poverty and Polio. I'll put the link to that episode in the show notes and in the comment section on YouTube. Now I'm going to flash to another family picture. This picture was arranged for by Aunt Nancy right there in the top center. My mother Joy was serving a mission at the time and really wanted a family picture. Notice how times have changed in just 15 years.

Stephanie:

Okay, which year were you

Billy:

born in, Uncle

Stephanie:

1938. And were you born in White Sulphur Springs area?

Billy:

Yes, in fact I was born right out, rock throwing distance of where we are right now.

Stephanie:

Okay, and you went to school right here in town?

Billy:

Yes.

Stephanie:

And how did you meet Gladys?

Billy:

Met her in a movie.

Stephanie:

In a movie?

Billy:

There was a movie. About a boxcar. It was all fixed up fancy, and they made a movie about it, and I had gone to the movie. A lot of times I go by myself, and she was there with a couple of her girlfriends, and we just got to talking.

Stephanie:

Ah.

Billy:

Oh, that's sweet. She was a farm girl. We went from there.

Stephanie:

Ah. I understand you served in the military. Is that right?

Billy:

Yes,

Stephanie:

tell us about that. Were you married at the time you were in the military?

Billy:

I hadn't been married too long. I went to the Army on the 4th.

Stephanie:

I got

Billy:

married on the 2nd.

Stephanie:

That must have been difficult to part ways right after getting married.

Billy:

Well, it was. She had some family down pretty close to Fort Jackson and she'd come down there. On some weekends, we could get a day off I'd go up there and see her,

Stephanie:

After your military service, you came back to White Sulfur Springs area?

Billy:

Yes, and found a job at Westlake Covington.

Stephanie:

And how many children did you and Gladys have?

Billy:

We had, four boys and one girl.

Stephanie:

So four boys and one girl. Billy, there was an experience in your life that involved a woman named Sister Samson, would you like to tell me about that experience?

Billy:

Well, Sister Samson, had gone to the doctor, And they diagnosed her with cancer. They scheduled her for surgery to try to take the cancer out. She was a very humble, faithful member of the church. She wanted a blessing and we, Met her down there at the church I thank her son in law, Richard, for that. Helped me give her a blessing. I can't remember what was said in that blessing. But it was pretty strong, something that I wouldn't have had nerve enough to say without the guidance of the Spirit. She went to the hospital the next day, and they took x rays. And the doctor come back in and says, Mrs. Samson, we can't find any evidence that you've ever had cancer. And sent her back home. She lived for several years after that. when she passed away it wasn't cancer. So that was pretty special.

Stephanie:

That is amazing.

Billy:

And her son in law was a very faithful priesthood holder.

Stephanie:

He was the one that was part of that blessing. How wonderful to be a part of that miracle.

Billy:

The power of the priesthood and faith in the Lord is what did it.

Stephanie:

It was, interesting how there are times where the Lord will act and heal because it is right for that person and then there are other times where it is not right for that person to be healed it's not something we can always understand, but it's amazing to be a part of such a miracle.

Billy:

I think it's things like that that's kept me going to the church for all these years.

Stephanie:

For all these years, How long were you bishop, Uncle Billy?

Billy:

I was a branch president. In the early 70s, was released and called as a bishop. I served as branch president for six years, I was released. We outgrew the little chapel down there in town. They called me to be a bishop and I served. Five or six years and, I was released, Terry Van Netter was called to be a bishop, and he called me to serve as one of his counselors, He was released, and they called me to be bishop

Stephanie:

again.

Billy:

I Two times as a bishop. And one time as a branch president.

Stephanie:

I see.

Billy:

that was, we moved in that new building in December. of 1985, I think it was, on Christmas Day when we had the first meeting in there.

Stephanie:

That's an exciting time to have a new building.

Billy:

there was things that happened in those years that, that has really meant a lot to me.

Stephanie:

Yes. What about your recent hospital stay? Would you like to tell us about that?

Billy:

I got sick early in the fall of last year I was losing weight and getting weaker every day. I went to the VA hospital. There was a doctor there that I'd never seen before. That doctor prescribed, a diabetic medicine to lower my blood sugar. I'd never been diabetic, but thinking that she knew what she was doing, I took the medicine. I passed out and fell at the house and hit my head on the wall. As it turned out, my head was tougher than the wall, I didn't go to the doctor when that happened, when I went back for my regular visit at the VA, a few days later, they asked if I'd fallen recently, and I said yes. They rushed me down to the emergency room the doctor took a CAT scan and found a spot on my brain. I tried to convince him that that was my brain, but they wouldn't believe me. They took me in an ambulance and took me to Roanoke, to the Roanoke Memorial Hospital. And, that, Neurologist down there took the same cat scans, and he come back and he said Mr. Webb, he said that spot has been there probably since you were born. He said it's nothing to worry about. I'll send him a letter to that effect. When I was losing weight, I couldn't see. Anything to do with my head. I come back home. I stayed over there for about a week, I had to use a walking stick to walk. I went back to the VA clinic. I told the girls that I had the diarrhea that I was losing weight at a rate of a pound a day.

Stephanie:

Oh my goodness.

Billy:

As weak as a cat and I couldn't. And, they said, well, I have you fallen recently? Well, that was a mistake. I said, yes. A few weeks ago, we were going to put that kid in the ER. They sent me down to the ER. That same guy took a picture, put me in a helicopter, and flew me to Roanoke.

Stephanie:

Again?

Billy:

Again. When I got down there, that neurologist, I took the same CAT scans and he'd come in my room. He was like, look, he's mad. He said, Mr. Webb, why are they keep sending you down here? I said, I sent them a letter and told them at that spot there's nothing to worry about. I told him I didn't know why they did it. They went through a whole series of stuff pertaining to my head and damage there. And there was this little girl with him. I called her a little girl. I don't know, she was probably 27, 28 years old. When they left, she came back in the room.

Stephanie:

Huh. And,

Billy:

She just had that special feeling, when she'd come in the room.

Stephanie:

I see.

Billy:

And she just looked at me and said, Mr. Webb, what is one thing that I can do for you today that will make you feel better? I said, if you'll sit down there in that chair and listen to me for five minutes. She said, I can do that. She sat down there and I told her this story up to where we are now. She said, okay I'll be back in a little bit. She came back with about three or four other people and they took stool samples urine samples and blood samples and everything that you can take. About three hours she came back and said, Mr. Webb, you had a very serious and very dangerous intestinal virus, she said. She said, it's highly contagious hard to get rid of and it can kill you. said, I'll be back in a little bit. She come back and started treating me, started me on some medicine. I was over there a week. And I've never seen that girl again.

Stephanie:

Really? And,

Billy:

I feel bad about that because, at least there were a thank you. the medicine that she gave me started turning things around. And, and, at this point, I'm Gained weight back. I got down to 151 pounds and gained weight back. I'm getting stronger each day. my doctor that I go to here that looks after my heart, told me, she calls me Billy. She said, Billy, We're just one step from the grave when you were in here the last time. she said, I'm glad, so glad to see you. so that turned that around, and if it hadn't been for that little girl, we wouldn't be holding this interview today, or I wouldn't be here. And I know, as sure as I'm set here, that Heavenly Father had a hand in that girl. And I feel so bad about never getting to thank her for what she does.

Stephanie:

Oh, she certainly did. She was guided to your room and to have taken the time to just ask you, What can I do to help you today? And then just taking the time to listen. That's exactly what you needed to tell your five minute story of what had happened to your body. Thank In the last few months, oh, and she turned it around in just few short hours. Oh, that's, that's incredible. I'm sure that you started to get better. Thank you.

Billy:

I know she probably knows that because she would have had to follow up on the treatment

Stephanie:

yes. Oh, that is a beautiful story of another miracle. So grateful. Heavenly Father blessed you with an angel on earth. An angel on earth to come and listen and help you. And guide you to healing. Thank you.

Billy:

heard a lot of people say the Heavenly Father is just something that hangs around up there and, they don't realize how close he is to them.

Stephanie:

How closely involved he is.

Billy:

There I was, Went to the hospital, praying for something to happen that would fix me, and here comes this girl again, and, he wasn't far away when I was saying those prayers.

Stephanie:

He wasn't,

Billy surprises me after he shares his testimony, and I have it on tape.

Stephanie:

Uncle Billy, would you like to end with sharing your testimony with us?

Billy:

I'm a firm believer in prayer and I know God is our Father, Jesus Christ is our Savior, and we're guided each day if we let the right direction. I know that the scriptures we have in the church are true and divine instruments in bringing about God's plan. I believe that the family is a divine organization, to keep us together. Give us an opportunity to love and understand and deal with the problems of life. It's a great opportunity to be here on this earth and partake of his gospel and blessings. I leave that with you in the name of Jesus Christ.

Stephanie:

Thank you, Uncle Billy.

Billy:

You're not recording now, are you?

Stephanie:

I am, but I'll cut it out.

Billy:

No, you don't have to.

Stephanie:

Okay.

Billy:

There was a guy moved into the ward and we searched this place over and we couldn't find him. Didn't have any electricity, any phone, any anything in his name.

Stephanie:

He was a new guy in your ward?

Billy:

We knew he was here, but we just couldn't find him. One evening, the phone rang. It was this boy. And he was all upset. He called me. He wanted me to meet him at the church. I went down to the church. He come in and he started explaining to me all of this. And the reason for anything, his name, and he was living with his dad. He had always followed his dad around. His dad had, separated from his wife and moved down here to farm. He brought the boy with him to help on the farm. This boy had left his wife and two young children up there. And his mother didn't. Get a divorce. He just left them there and come down here. They'd been here for, three or four years. I listened to him for a good while. He, was almost begging me to tell him that what he'd done was right. I said, well, I got a few words of advice for you. One is You leave your father tomorrow morning and go to Pennsylvania get your wife and kids and get your family back together. I said, you start going to church. He said he dropped out of church because he heard two women talking about him. I said, what you did is right at that point you let those two women take Your life over I said you should be ashamed of yourself for that I figured I just made him mad and the next morning he called me and he said Bishop I'm packing my car going to Pennsylvania. Well, the next year just about Christmas time I got a letter from him, it was three pages written on both sides of these long yellow legal papers. And he went on about, you know, his wife was a Catholic.

Stephanie:

Okay.

Billy:

And she wouldn't go to church with him.

Stephanie:

Oh. And

Billy:

he went on about she had started going to church with him one week and go to her church the other week.

Stephanie:

I see.

Billy:

He asked me, Well, how would I make a living? I said, What do you do before you come down here? He said, I work for a publishing company. I said, Go back to the publishing company and ask them for a job. And he said, I got my old job back. And he said, we're really doing good. The next year I got a letter from him. It said, Dear Bishop, I'm the world mission leader. And my wife is attending church every Sunday. Thank you. And then the third year, I got a letter from him, and he said, Dear Bishop, My wife joined the church right after I wrote you last year. We're going to the temple, to be sealed in the temple. And he said, I'm so thankful for the meeting I had with you. And I said, Mark, it's all about that. If that had just been Miller Webb talking, I wouldn't have been able to talk to that man, that direct. I never got another letter from him,

Stephanie:

That was the end. What an experience that he comes after all that effort to find him and he just calls you out of nowhere and you tell him go back to your family just like that and he does. What a blessing it is to be in that position as a bishop and to be a part of the Lord's work and to see these changes in people's lives as they gain a testimony in their Savior Jesus Christ and start living as he would like them to live.

Billy:

that has been my life since I got out of the service. working for Floor Daniels, building a paper mill right outside of Savannah, Georgia. They handed me a clipping of a contractor in Roanoke looking for a job superintendent. I sent them a resume. They called me to come in for an interview. They told me, we'll give you a call next week, but I'm pretty sure we're going to hire you. They did, but I had to go to work for them for half of what I was making. It was a struggle for us. I went to work with them with the understanding that I'd work a year. the end of that year, they'd adjust my pay to make it somewhat what I should be making. I never did get back to what I was making.

Stephanie:

Really?

Billy:

But, Mr. Whittle, I told him, I'm acting in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints. And I said, I'm involved in, I have to take off sometimes to take care of a funeral or some other church business. He said, Billy, as long as you've got your job together and going as it should, you go take care of your church business and your family. In fact, the Fort Howard Paper Company that we were building the paper mill for in Georgia, called me several times for me to come and oversee work that they were having done.

Stephanie:

Really?

Billy:

Way more money than I was making. But I stayed where I was because I could be. I had to get involved in my church work, and it paid off. Not too long before Gladys died, we were sitting talking, we said how fortunate we'd been, and we'd both worked together. You know, there hadn't been a time that we didn't have shelter and food. you know, we weren't the richest people on the block, but we had what Heavenly Father thought we needed. That was all that mattered. Yes,

Stephanie:

Oh, I'm glad you added those stories, Uncle Billy. It's been such a delight. Thank you for sharing these stories where you've seen the hand of your Father in Heaven in your life and in your family's lives and in your community members lives, your congregation's members lives. They've been so beautiful to hear these miracles. Thank you. It has been a delight for me. For now we will say farewell until we meet again. Okay?