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
him' when immediately Newel spoke out and said, 'that he saw the
devil leave him and vanish from his sight.'*
[Footnote] *This was the first miracle which was done in this
Church, or by any member of it, and it was not done by man nor the
power of man, but it was done by God, and by the power of
godliness; therefore, let the honor and the praise, the dominion
and the glory, be ascribed to the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, for
ever and ever. Amen.
"The scene was now entirely changed; for as soon as the devil
had departed from our friend his countenance became natural; his
distortions of body ceased; and almost immediately the Spirit of
the Lord descended upon him, and the visions of eternity were
opened to his view. He afterwards related his experience as
follows:
"'I now began to feel a most pleasing sensation resting upon me,
and immediately the visions of Heaven were opened to my view. I
felt myself attracted upward, and remained for some time enrapt in
contemplation, insomuch that I knew not what was going on in the
room. By-and-by I felt some weight pressing upon my shoulder and
the side of my head, which served to recall me to a sense of my
situation, and I found that the Spirit of the Lord had actually
caught me up off the floor, and that my shoulder and head were
pressing against the beams.'
"All this was witnessed by many, to their great astonishment and
satisfaction, when they saw the devil thus cast out and the power
of God and His Holy Spirit thus made manifest. So soon as
consciousness returned, his bodily weakness was such that we were
obliged to lay him upon his bed and wait upon him for some time. As
may be expected, such a scene as this contributed much to make
believers of those who witnessed it; and, finally, the greater part
of them became members of the Church."
This Colesville branch was among the first organized by Joseph
Smith, and constituted the first settlers of the members of the
Church in Missouri. They had arrived late in the summer, and cut
some hay for their cattle, sowed a little grain, and prepared some
ground for cultivation, and were engaged during the fall and winter
in building log cabins, etc. The winter was cold, and for some time
about ten families lived in one log cabin, which was open and
unfinished, while the frozen ground served for a floor. Our food
consisted of beef and a little bread made of corn, which had been
grated into coarse meal by rubbing the ears on a tin grater. This
was rather an inconvenient way of living for a sick person; but it
was for the gospel's sake, and all were very cheerful and happy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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