The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt: One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry, and TravelsPratt, Parley P. (Parley Parker)
Religion
The Autobiography of Parley Parker Pratt: One of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, Embracing His Life, Ministry, and Travels
Pratt, Parley P. (Parley Parker)
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Apostles -- Biography; Pratt, Parley P. (Parley Parker), 1807-1857
There was living within a short day's journey of Toronto, in a
certain neighborhood where I ministered every two weeks (for the
circuit of my labors had now so much enlarged that I had to travel
continually from branch to branch and neighborhood to neighborhood),
a man named Lamphere, who was noted for being the most irreligious
man in all the country; he and the family were hardly ever known to
attend a religious meeting; they would work on the Sabbath, and swear,
curse, etc. This man and his family were so wrought upon by the power
of truth that he opened his house for stated meetings, which I held
there regularly every two weeks. He and the family always entertained
me with every kindness and every demonstration of hospitality in their
power. The people of the neighborhood always turned out to hear, and
seemed to receive the Word with faith and joy, but as yet none of them
had been baptized, or joined the Church of the Saints. All noticed the
change in the Lamphere family, and all rejoiced, and even marvelled at
so sudden a reformation in a family so gospel hardened, as they called
it, though in truth none of them had ever heard the gospel in its power
and fullness till my visits commenced there.
Now there was living in that neighborhood a young man and his
wife, named Whitney; he was a blacksmith by trade; their residence
was perhaps a mile or more from this Lamphere's, where I held my
semi-monthly meetings. His wife was taken down very suddenly about
that time with a strange affliction. She would be prostrated by
some power invisible to those about her, and, in an agony of
distress indescribable, she would be drawn and twisted in every
limb and joint, and would almost, in fact, be pulled out of joint.
Sometimes, when thrown on to the bed, and while four or five stout
men were endeavoring to hold her, she would be so drawn out of all
shape as to only touch the bed with her heels and the back part of
her head. She would be bruised, cramped and pinched, while she
would groan, scream, froth at the mouth, etc. She often cried out
that she could see two devils in human form, who were thus
operating upon her, and that she could hear them talk; but, as the
bystanders could not see them, but only see the effects, they did
not know what to think or how to understand.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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