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Church History Library of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| Collection Name | Wilford Woodruff journals and papers, 1828-1898 |
| Collection Description | Wilford Woodruff journal, 1840 January-December |
| Collection Number | MS 1352 |
| Collection Page | 5-286 |
| Source Link | The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints |
| Rights and Use | Copyright and Use Information |
| Transcript | View Full Transcript |
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March 26, 1840 ~ Thursday 26th I walked to Stokes Lane & preached at the House of Joseph Evins & spent the night at br William Davis, & had the following Dream. I saw by night a River in which were many fish. I cast an hook & caught some of them, & while fishing I saw some large ones near shore I put the hook to their mouth they bit it & I caught them, & one vary notable one exceding all other fish that I had caught & as I was taking care of them. I saw a still larger River. It appeared like Farmington River in the U.S.A. at the Mill which my Father is tending, & on the other side of the River was a Boat to which was tied many fish lines on one hook was a fish so large that the captain of the Boat Israel Dormon by name could not bring him into the Boat, & he sailed the Boat across the River whare I was, & the fish was taken out & a Bellman was called for to divide the fish & after the Bell was rung each man took a part, & while dividing the fish, one man said to another man I saw Baptizing last night was not you Baptized. I also saw a trunk representing to have
O how much strength & wisdom I nead in the midst of so much labour, but surely the Lord does give me grace according to my Day for which I feel vary thankful.
O how much strength & wisdom I nead in the midst of so much labour, but surely the Lord does give me grace according to my Day for which I feel vary thankful. I am informed this day that the Ministers of the Church of England are holding meetings & councils to petition Parliment to Stop my preaching & to cause our religion to scease out of the land, but may the Lord order all things aright I pray.
We spread the case of Elder Turley before the Lord & plead before God for his deliverance out of Prision until the Lord testified unto us that he would spedily do it. & I say in the name of Jesus Christ it shall be done. & his enemy shall fall & the weapons formed against him shall be broaken.
notwithstanding the persecution I repared to the pool about 12 oclock at night which was surrounded by a desperate mob of the gentiles I went down into the water & Baptized 5 persons in the midst of a shower of stones flung at me by the mob. & while they were pelting my Body with stones One of which hit me in the top of my head which nearly knocked me down into the water with the man that I was Baptizing but the Lord saved me from falling & I continued
It seemed as though some would worship me while they cried out here is a man of Zion the man of God that we have so long looked for who is worthy to receieve him into our house. I told them to worship God for I was ownly a servant of God.
Elder Kington made a feast for the Saints. which had been a custom among the United Brethren But as they now were all receiving the fulness of the gospel they had become Saints. the Saints began to collect at 2 oclock by 4 we had nearly 100 saints together to the feast. We truly had an interesting time. Elder Young addressed the Saints clothed with the power of God, & then asked a blessing upon the food prepared. We then sat down to the table & eat & drank with nearly 100 saints possess ing glad hearts & cheerful countenances. Elder Richards remarked that he did not believe their had ever been such a company of Saints prepared in so short a time & bid fairer for the kingdom of heaven than the company now before us, at least since the Church of Latter Day Saints was first Organized, & I truly felt Grateful to my heavenly Father, for his mercy when I reflected back upon the time ownly two months & a half since when I first proclaimed the fulness of the gospel in this region & began to Baptize such as received my testimony, & now their is nearly 400 souls standing in the new & Everlasting covenant & the prosperity of the work constantly increasing.
Mary Pitt had not walked except on crutches for 11 years was healed by laying on of hands
A notable miracle was wrought by faith & the power of God in the person of Sister Mary Pitt at Dymok She had been confined 6 years to her bed, with the spine which mostly deprived her of the use of her feet & ancles. & had not walked for 11 years ownly with the use of crutches. Elders Young Richards & Woodruff lade hands upon her & rebuked her infi- rmity & her ancle bones received strength & she now walks without the aid of crutch or staff
Elder Richards Preached from these words "if the Lord be God serve him" the power of the Priest Hood rested upon & the principles of Eternal truth were presented so plain that no opposing power could withstand them when he closed I arose & bore testimony to the truth of what they had herd. The Church minister in the Parish Sent a spy to attend meeting to carry him word what we preached. as soon as meeting closed, I put my hand upon his shoulder & asked him what he thought of our doctrin he replied "I think it is of God" he appeared asstonished when he left the house.
The power of God is among the People the Lord is making a short work in this part of the Land. the Churches in this part of the vineyard now number more than 500 souls whare a little more ^less^ than four months since ther was not one to be found or the fulness of the Gospel herd. Praise the Lord O my Soul for all his goodness to the children of men, Prase ye the Lord O his Saints
I had not been in the house but a short time before two men came in full of wrath & anger & brought a blind girl & demanded me to heal heal her & work a miracle that they might have a sign to make them believe. After telling them what the character was of tho se that sought signs one of them by the name of John Hadley brought much railing accusation against me & rejected my testi mony.
while the man that tends the gas lights at the Carpenters Hall was light- ing the Chandaliers for a publick discussion 12 of them burst in peaces Elder O Pratt stood beside of me at the time, the man said he had never seen such a thing before, this was to light the Hall to accomodate Mr Berry who pledged himself to prove the Book of mormon fals & water Baptism not essential unto Salvation
Let the American Nation spedily learn that their is still a God in Israel who holds the destinies of all nations in his own hand & at whose command goes forth the issues of life & death
Elder Smith spoke first & recommended the Saints to spend 5 minutes each day in getting an Idea in their minds from the scriptures & in one year they would have 365 new Ideas in their minds which would form a fountain of Intelligence & knowledge which would benefit themselves & man kind.
Elder Smith spoke first & recommended the Saints to spend 5 minutes each day in getting an Idea in their minds from the scriptures & in one year they would have 365 new Ideas in their minds which would form a fountain of Intelligence & knowledge which would benefit themselves & man kind.
A person appeared unto me which I conside rd was the Prince of Darkness or the Devil he made war with me & attempted to take my life. he caught me by the throat & choaked me nearly to death. he wounded me in my forehead, I also wounded him in a number of places in the head as he was about to overcome me I prayed to the father in the name of Jesus for help. I then had power over him & he left me though much wounded [illegible] 3 personage [ink blot] dressed in white came to me & prayed with
though I had a mission & a message to the Inhabitants of London & stood in there mids[t] ready to deliver it as soon as God opened my way yet I was as little unknown by them, as Jonah was to the citizens of Niniva while in the whales Blelly & I clearly saw & realized that notwi- thstanding this great display of talent, Power & Policy, to send missionaries to the heathen they as much need an humble messenger of God to teach them the first Principles of the Gospel of Jesus Christ as Niniva Did a Prophet to cry repen tance unto them
"He that judgeth a matter before he heareth is not wise"
Phebe's letter was Dated July 18th 1840 The following is an extract My Dear Willford, what will be your feelings, when I say that yesterday I was called to witness the depar- ture of our little Sarah Emma from this world, yes she is gone the relentless hand of death has snatched her from my embrace - but Ah! she was two lovely to kind, to affectionate, to live in this wicked world when looking on her I have often thought how I should feel to part with her. I thought I could not live without her esspecially in the Absence of my companion. but she has gone the Lord hath taken her home to himself for some wise purpose. It is a trial to me, but the Lord hath stood by me in a wonderful manner I can see & feel & that he has taken her home & will take better care of her than I possibly could for a little while untill I shall go & meet her yes Willford we have one little Angel in heaven & I think it likely her spirit has visited you before this time. It is hard living without her she used to call her poor Pa-Pa & putty pa-pa many times in a day she left a kiss for her pa-pa with me just before she died.
November 1, 1840 ~ Sunday NOV 1st Sunday. It seems to be a hard matter to esstablish the truth in the city of London there is so much agoing in the city to draw the attention of the people that it almost required a trump to be blown from heaven in order to awaken the attention of the people to the subject of the fulness of the gospel I freequently think o[f] Pauls perils in the city, their was a great differance between Paul who was without purse or scrip & the Pharasees who had thei[r] large reward for Divineing, so it is with us in trying to warn London without purse or scrip. Still we have to pay high for all we eat, drink, sleep, room, fire, candles, & a room to warn the people in &c. & we are out of money but still we feel to put our trust in God.
there is a small portion of the community among the nations of the earth, who are looking upon other singns of this present generation as indicating a day big with events, even the restoration of pri- mitive Christianity, the proclamation of the ful- ness of the Everlasting gospel among all natio- ns both Gentile & Jew, the restoration of the Jews to their own land, the rebuilding of Jerrusalem, great changes, Judgments, wars & revolutions of the gentile nations, the Second Advent of the Mesiah in the clouds of heaven, & the great Millennium or rest of the Saints of one thousand years all of which events have been predicted by the Holy Prophets who have Spoken since the world began. None feel more interested in the signs of the Heavens & the earth which clearly indicate these great & important
A deluge of water once depopulated the world for crime; a similar scourge, by a different elem- ent, has a similar mission to perform & for a like cause. The measure of human crime is coming to the full, and the arm of Omnipotence lifted to "shake terribly the earth" and the watch quarrelling about creeds, territory or gold. The present Christian dispensation is about to close like the Jewish—the heavens about to [be] rolled together like a scroll; the star in that heaven about to be thrown from their orbits, in wild consternation and the indications overlooked; prophetic allusions to the terrible wreck, mistaken, misapplied or applyed to the wreck of Nature; an event without foundation in holy writ. These things are true.— They are not the freaks of a heated imagination; but predicated upon a long candid, cool, unbiassed investigation of the living oracles; and on the premises we throw the gontlet to all the clergy, learned or unlearned on earth!
