and carried to my wagon in a chair.
I was met in the street by Presidents Brigham Young, H. C. Kimball and W. Richards and others, who assisted
in carrying me to my family. Before
laying me upon my bed, the Presidency laid hands upon me, rebuked my suffering
and distress in the name of the Lord, and
said I should live and not die. I was
then laid upon my bed in my wagon,
and as the Apostles prophesied upon
my head, so it came to pass. I
employed no physician on this occasion,
but was administered to by the Elders
of Israel and nursed by my wife. I
lay upon my bed unable to move until
my breast bone began to knit together,
which commenced on the ninth day.
I began to walk about in twenty days; in
thirty days from the time I was hurt
I again commenced to do hard labor.
—While on a mission
to the Eastern States, I drove my
carriage, containing myself and family
into the dooryard of brother James
Williams in Iowa, to camp for the
night. I tied my mules to a large oak
tree several rods from the carriage.
As we were about to lay down in the
carriage for the night, I was strongly
impressed to go and move my mules
from the oak tree, and also to move
my carriage. I followed the dictates
of the spirit, and removed my mules to
a small hickory grove, also moved my
carriage several rods, and retired to
rest. In a short time a heavy rainstorm
came on, which broke the tree near the
ground, and laid it prostrate where my
carriage had stood. As it was, the top
struck the hind end of the carriage;
the tree was two feet in diameter.
Thus, by obeying the whisperings of
the Spirit, myself and family were
preserved.
On the ,
while assisting to remove an ox that
had died from poison and had been
skinned, I inoculated my arm with
poison and mortification ensued. The
poison worked through my system for
seven days before it showed itself out-
wardly. On the my arm began
to swell, was in great pain and showed
signs of mortification. I showed it to
President Young, who advised me to
cleanse my stomach immediately, and
put on onion poultices, and anything
that would draw the poison from my
system into my arm, which counsel I
immediately put in execution. The
was another trying day to my
life; the poison had so thoroughly
penetrated my whole system, that my
strength left me; I could not stand, I
was led to my bed, my bowels and
stomach ceased to act, my speech was
like that of a drunken man. President
Young called, in company with Dr.
Sprague, and laid hands upon me, and
rebuked the disease and the power of
the destroyer which had seized my
body, and promised me in the name of
the Lord, that I should not die but live
to finish my work which was appointed
me upon the earth. I soon began to re-
cover. The poison and mortification left
my system and centered in my arm, and
was drawn from my arm through the aid
of charcoal poultices, moistened with
a strong decoction of wormwood,
ragweed and wild sage; the dead flesh
was removed from my arm with
instruments and lunar caustic, and in
a few days I was well again.
I have occupied considerable space
in referring to those peculiar circum-
stances which have attended me
during life, and to sum the matter up
it stands thus:—I have broken both
legs—one in two places—both arms,
my breast bone and three ribs, and
had both ankles dislocated. I have
been drowned, frozen, scalded and bit
by a mad dog—have been in two water
wheels under full head of water—have
passed through several severe fits of
sickness, and encountered poison in its
worst forms—have landed in a pile of
railroad ruins—have barely been
missed by the passing bullets, and
have passed through a score of other
hair-breadth escapes.
It has appeared miraculous to me,
that with all the injuries and broken
bones which I have had, I have not a
lame limb, but have been enabled to
endure the hardest labor, exposures
and journeys—have often walked forty,
fifty, and on one occasion, sixty miles
in a day. The protection and mercy
of God has been over me, and my life
thus far has been preserved; for which
blessings I feel to render the gratitude
of my heart to my Heavenly Father,
praying that the remainder of my days
may be spent in His service and in the
building up of his kingdom.
(To be continued.)
and carried to my wagon in a chair.
I was met in the street by Presidents
Brigham Young, H. C. Kimball and
W. Richards and others, who assisted
in carrying me to my family. Before
laying me upon my bed, the Presidency
laid hands upon me, rebuked my suffering
and distress in the name of the Lord, and
said I should live and not die. I was
then laid upon my bed in my wagon,
and as the Apostles prophesied upon
my head, so it came to pass. I
employed no physician on this occasion,
but was administered to by the Elders
of Israel and nursed by my wife. I
lay upon my bed unable to move until
my breast bone began to knit together,
which commenced on the ninth day.
I began to walk about in twenty days; in
thirty days from the time I was hurt
I again commenced to do hard labor.
—While on a mission
to the Eastern States, I drove my
carriage, containing myself and family
into the dooryard of brother James
Williams in Iowa, to camp for the
night. I tied my mules to a large oak
tree several rods from the carriage.
As we were about to lay down in the
carriage for the night, I was strongly
impressed to go and move my mules
from the oak tree, and also to move
my carriage. I followed the dictates
of the spirit, and removed my mules to
a small hickory grove, also moved my
carriage several rods, and retired to
rest. In a short time a heavy rainstorm
came on, which broke the tree near the
ground, and laid it prostrate where my
carriage had stood. As it was, the top
struck the hind end of the carriage;
the tree was two feet in diameter.
Thus, by obeying the whisperings of
the Spirit, myself and family were
preserved.
On the ,
while assisting to remove an ox that
had died from poison and had been
skinned, I inoculated my arm with
poison and mortification ensued. The
poison worked through my system for
seven days before it showed itself outwardly. On the my arm began
to swell, was in great pain and showed
signs of mortification. I showed it to
President Young, who advised me to
cleanse my stomach immediately, and
put on onion poultices, and anything
that would draw the poison from my
system into my arm, which counsel I
immediately put in execution. The
was another trying day to my
life; the poison had so thoroughly
penetrated my whole system, that my
strength left me; I could not stand, I
was led to my bed, my bowels and
stomach ceased to act, my speech was
like that of a drunken man. President
Young called, in company with Dr.
Sprague, and laid hands upon me, and
rebuked the disease and the power of
the destroyer which had seized my
body, and promised me in the name of
the Lord, that I should not die but live
to finish my work which was appointed
me upon the earth. I soon began to recover. The poison and mortification left
my system and centered in my arm, and
was drawn from my arm through the aid
of charcoal poultices, moistened with
a strong decoction of wormwood,
ragweed and wild sage; the dead flesh
was removed from my arm with
instruments and lunar caustic, and in
a few days I was well again.
I have occupied considerable space
in referring to those peculiar circumstances which have attended me
during life, and to sum the matter up
it stands thus:—I have broken both
legs—one in two places—both arms,
my breast bone and three ribs, and
had both ankles dislocated. I have
been drowned, frozen, scalded and bit
by a mad dog—have been in two water
wheels under full head of water—have
passed through several severe fits of
sickness, and encountered poison in its
worst forms—have landed in a pile of
railroad ruins—have barely been
missed by the passing bullets, and
have passed through a score of other
hair-breadth escapes.
It has appeared miraculous to me,
that with all the injuries and broken
bones which I have had, I have not a
lame limb, but have been enabled to
endure the hardest labor, exposures
and journeys—have often walked forty,
fifty, and on one occasion, sixty miles
in a day. The protection and mercy
of God has been over me, and my life
thus far has been preserved; for which
blessings I feel to render the gratitude
of my heart to my Heavenly Father,
praying that the remainder of my days
may be spent in His service and in the
building up of his kingdom.
