Early Scenes in Church History: Eighth Book of the Faith-Promoting SeriesVarious
Religion
Early Scenes in Church History: Eighth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series
Various
Latter Day Saint churches -- History
I will here observe that about the time of which I write, there were
many signs and wonders seen in the heavens above and in the earth
beneath in the region of Kirtland, both by Saints and strangers. A
pillar of light was seen every evening for more than a month hovering
over the place where we did our baptizing. One evening also, as Brother
William Blakesley and I were returning home from meeting, we observed
that it was unusually light, even for moonlight; but, on reflection, we
found the moon was not to be seen that night. Although it was cloudy,
it was as light as noonday, and we could seemingly see a tree farther
that night than we could in the day time.
Soon after this Joseph with his father's family came to Kirtland, and
said the Lord had sent him there, and he or the devil would have to
leave.
This was the first time I had beheld Joseph. After he arrived the false
spirits which had been operating through the members of the Church
ceased for awhile.
I held myself in readiness to assist the Smith family with my means or
my personal services as they might require, as they were financially
poor. They were living on a farm owned by F. G. Williams, in Kirtland,
upon which there was a debt of four hundred dollars due, which had to
be paid within a stated time or the farm would revert to its former
owner.
Joseph Coe, who was required to raise this amount to save the farm,
said he could not do so, for his wife held the money and she did not
belong to the Church. Being present with Joseph when the subject came
up, I said to him, "I can raise the money!" and he replied that if I
would, I should be blessed.
I explained to him how I would have to raise the money. I owned twelve
hundred acres of land lying twenty miles south of Elyria, which was
worth three dollars per acre. In order to raise the money then I would
have to sell a portion of it for one dollar and twenty-five cents per
acre, and I accordingly did so and paid Joseph the four hundred dollars.
When Joseph came to Kirtland his fame spread far and wide. There was a
woman living in the town of Hiram, forty miles from Kirtland, who had a
crooked arm, which she had not been able to use for a long period. She
persuaded her husband, whose name was Johnson, to take her to Kirtland
to get her arm healed.
I saw them as they passed my house on their way. She went to Joseph and
requested him to heal her. Joseph asked her if she believed the Lord
was able to make him an instrument in healing her arm. She said she
believed the Lord was able to heal her arm.
Joseph put her off till the next morning, when he met her at Brother
Whitney's house. There were eight persons present, one a Methodist
preacher, and one a doctor. Joseph took her by the hand, prayed in
silence a moment, pronounced her arm whole, in the name of Jesus
Christ, and turned and left the room.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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