July 22—I was with Prest. Joseph Smith and his council and the Twelve: it was a day of God's power with the Prophet. He healed many who were sick nigh unto death, among whom were Elijah Fordham and Joseph B. Nobles; even the wicked rabble followed to see the sick healed. As Joseph was about to cross the river a man came to him and asked him if he would go about three miles and heal two of his small children, who were twins, about three months old, and were sick nigh unto death. He was a man of the world; he had never heard a sermon preached by a Latter- day Saint. Joseph said he could not go, but he would send a man. After hesitating a mo- ment, he turned to me and said, "You go with this man and heal his children"—at the same time giving me a red silk handkerchief, and said, "After you lay hands upon them, wipe their faces with it, and they shall be healed; and as long as you will keep that handkerchief it shall ever remain as a league between you and me." I went and did as I was command- ed, and the children were healed.

I was immediately called upon to visit a woman possessed with the devil; she was raging and foaming and had to be held by four men. The more we rebuked the devil the worse she raged. We continued to pray and administer until we cast the devil out. She arose and gave thanks to the Lord. The devil then entered into a young child, and we cast him out. I

December 3rd found my wife very low. I spent the day in taking care of her, and the following day I returned to Eaton to get some things for her. She seemed to be gradually sink- ing and in the evening her spirit apparently left her body, and she was dead. The sisters gathered around her body, weeping, while I stood looking at her in sorrow. The spirit and power of God began to rest upon me until, for the first time during her sick- ness faith filled my soul, although she lay before me as one dead. I had some oil that was consecrated for my anointing while in Kirtland. I took it and consecrated it again before the Lord for anointing the sick. I then bowed down before the Lord and prayed for the life of my companion, and I anointed her body with the oil in the name of the Lord. I laid my hands upon her, and in the name of Jesus Christ I rebuked the power of death and the destroyer, and commanded the

Brother Fordham had been dying for an hour, and we expected each minute would be his last. I felt the power of God that was overwhelming His Prophet. When we entered the house, Brother Joseph walked up to Brother Fordham, and took him by the right hand; in his left hand he held his hat. He saw that Brother Fordham’s eyes were glazed, and that he was speechless and unconscious. After taking hold of his hand, he looked down into the dying man's face and said: "Brother Fordham, do you not know me?" At first he made no reply; but we could all see the effect of the Spirit of God resting upon him. He again said: "Elijah, do you not know me?" With a low whisper, Brother Fordham answered, "Yes!" The Prophet then said, "Have you not faith to be healed?" The answer, which was a little plainer than before, was: "I am afraid it is too late. If you had come sooner, I think it might have been.” He had the appearance of a man waking from sleep. It was the sleep of death. Joseph then said: "Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ?" "I do, Brother Joseph," was the response. Then the Prophet of God spoke with a loud voice, as in the majesty of the Godhead: "Elijah, I command you, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, to arise and be made whole!" The words of the Prophet were not like the words of a man, but like the voice of God. It seemed to me that the house shook from its foundation. Elijah Fordham leaped from his bed like a man raised from the dead. A healthy color came to his face, and life was mani- fested in every act. His feet were done up in Indian meal poultices. He kicked them off his feet, scattered the contents, and then called for his clothes and put them on. He asked for a bowl of bread

The sick were healed, devils were cast out, and the lame were made to walk. One case I will mention: Mary Pitt, who died in Nauvoo, sister to Wm. Pitt, who died in Salt Lake City, had not walked upon her feet for eleven years. We carried her into the water and I baptized her. On the evening of the 18th of May, 1840, at Brother Kingston's house in Dymock, Elders Brigham Young, Wil- lard Richards and I laid hands upon her head and confirmed her. Brigham Young, being mouth, rebuked her lameness, and commanded her to arise and walk, in the name of the Lord. The lameness then left her, and she never afterwards used a staff or crutch.

Brother Smith and myself were together, and had retired to our rest, each occupying a cot, and but three feet apart. We had only just lain down, when it seemed as if a legion of devils made war upon us, to destroy us, and we were strug- gling for our lives in the midst of this warfare of evil spirits until we were nearly choked to death. I began to pray the best that I could in the midst of this struggle and asked the Father in the name of Jesus Christ to spare our lives. While thus praying three personages entered the room, clothed in white and encircled with light. They walked to our bedside, laid hands upon our heads and we were instantly delivered; and from that time forth we were no more troubled with evil spirits while in the city of London. As soon as they administered unto us they withdrew from the room, the lights withdrew with them and darkness returned.

As Joseph was about to cross the river, a man came to him and asked him if he would go about three miles and heal two of his small children, who were twins, about three months old, and were sick nigh unto death. He was a man of the world, he had never heard a sermon preached by a Latter-day Saint. Joseph said he could not go, but he would send a man. After hesitating a moment, he turned to me and said, "You go with this man and heal his children," at the same time giving me a red silk handkerchief, and said, "After you lay hands upon them, wipe their faces with it, and they shall be healed; and as long as you will keep that handker- chief, it shall ever remain as a league between you and me." I went and did as I was commanded, and the children were healed.

At the commencement I attempted to lay on hands for their recovery but I quickly learned by painful experience that when the great Jehovah decrees destruction upon any people and makes known his determination, man must not attempt to stay his hand. The moment I attempted to rebuke the disease, I was attacked; it seized upon me like the talons of a hawk, and I said to the brethren if I had had my work done, you would have had to tumble me into the ground without a coffin; and had I not desisted I must have saved the life of my brother by the sacrifice of my own.

At the commencement I attempted to lay on hands for their recovery but I quickly learned by painful experience that when the great Jehovah decrees destruction upon any people and makes known his determination, man must not attempt to stay his hand. The moment I attempted to rebuke the disease, I was attacked; it seized upon me like the talons of a hawk, and I said to the brethren if I had had my work done, you would have had to tumble me into the ground without a coffin; and had I not desisted I must have saved the life of my brother by the sacrifice of my own.

Respecting females laying on hands, he further remarkd there could be no devil in it if God gave his sanction by healing that there could be no more sin in any female laying hands on the sick than in wetting the face with water that it is no sin for any body to do it that has faith, or if the sick has faith to be healed by the administration.