Life of David W. Patten, the First Apostolic MartyrWilson, Lycurgus A. (Lycurgus Arnold)
History
Life of David W. Patten, the First Apostolic Martyr
Wilson, Lycurgus A. (Lycurgus Arnold)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Apostles -- Biography; Patten, David W., 1799-1838
Immediately upon taking up his labors in Michigan, in calling at the
house of a stranger to ask for dinner, David found in the family a very
sick child, and while discussing the restoration of the Gospel with the
parents, was asked to administer to the little one. Finding the mother
had faith, he did so, and it was at once healed.
In administering the healing ordinance David had a method of procedure
peculiarly his own. On reaching the beside, he would first teach the
principles of the Gospel and bear his testimony to their truth, when he
usually made a promise that the invalid should be healed if he would
agree to accept baptism. President Abraham O. Smoot, of Utah Stake,
once said he never knew an instance in which David's petition for the
sick was not answered, and this was also the testimony of President
Wilford Woodruff.
At the close of one of his meetings in Michigan, where he had no doubt
spoken of the gift of healing, two children sick of fever and ague
were brought to the meeting-house to be healed. David had started off,
but was called back and upon learning from the parents of their faith,
acceded to their request, and the children were healed instantly.
Until the latter part of September David and his companion labored
in Southeastern Michigan, baptizing sixteen persons in a branch of
the Maumee River during that time. Late in the summer they took up a
journey to Kirtland, preaching by the way.
Perhaps the first person they met at Kirtland was Elder Joseph C.
Kingsbury, for they inquired of him at Newel K. Whitney's store the way
to the home of the Prophet Joseph. It was early in October; the Prophet
was on a mission east, and while waiting his return, David spent the
next two or three weeks on the Prophet's farm, helping to dig potatoes
and harvest corn.
Soon after the return of the Prophet Joseph Smith, David W. Patten was
sent into Pennsylvania on his second mission, traveling sometimes with
John Murdock as a companion, and at other times with Reynolds Cahoon.
The Prophet, in sending out these early missionaries, had no particular
field of labor in mind for any of them. They were sent to warn all men,
but their message was specially to the honest in heart, and these they
had no way of finding except by the inspiration of the Lord. Just at
this time a large number of Elders had been sent east from Kirtland in
response to the revelation of September 22, 1832, from which we quote
as follows:
"62. Go ye into all the world, and whatsoever place ye cannot go into
ye shall send, that the testimony may go from you into all the world
unto every creature.
"63. And as I said unto mine apostles, even so I say unto you, for you
are mine apostles, even God's High Priests; ye are they whom my Father
hath given me--ye are my friends;
"64. Therefore, as I said unto mine apostles I say unto you again,
that every soul who believeth on your words, and is baptized by water
for the remission of sins, shall receive the Holy Ghost;
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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