In the year 1848, the father heard of the Latter-day Saints, and, on attending one of their meetings, was immediately attracted by their doctrines. The mother could not be persuaded to attend a meeting for a long time because of the unpopularity of the "Mormons," and for the reason that their place of worship was in a somewhat disreputable part of the town. When she did finally hear the "Mormon" Elders, she too, as well as Thomas, became interested, the latter especially so on hearing a discourse on "the gifts of the Gospel and the signs that follow the believer." Thomas at that time was sorely afflicted with what the doctors called a withered limb. What he heard set him to thinking, reading the Bible and praying. His parents had spent a large amount of money on having his left leg, (which had ceased growing, and was very painful,) treated by various doctors, but all in vain. In the fall of 1848 the Father embraced the Gospel, and near the same time he took Thomas to a very noted doctor, in the hope that he would be able to cure him; but the doctor, after examining the boy, said his was a very bad case, and told the father confidentially that he could not live much longer. On leaving the doctor's office the boy asked his father what the doctor had said about him, and received the discouraging reply that, in the doctor's opinion, he could not live to be a man. Thomas determined to rely no more upon the doctors' treatment, but to appeal to the Lord, and if he could not be healed in answer to the prayer of the Elders to be satisfied to die. The Elders at that time frequently held meetings at the Briggs home, so the very next time they met there the father informed the President of the Branch of the boy's wish. He was accordingly anointed with oil, after which the Elders laid their hands upon his head and prayed for him. He slept well that night and when he arose the following morning his lame limb was as sound and well as the other, and of the same length, although it had previously been fully two inches shorter, causing him to walk with a decided limp. A pair of shoes had been ordered for him with a specially thick cork sole upon the left one, to enable him to walk without limping, but as they had not been finished before he was administered to, the thick sole feature was the next day countermanded. The left limb had never been as vigorous as the other from the time he was three months old, and it was a few weeks after the incident referred to before it became as fleshy, although it was equally strong. After that one could not have told from the appearance of his limbs when nude which had been affected; nor, in fact, that either ever had been.