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Sister I. S. Winnerholm, from Denmark, was brought into the church, in Copenhagen, through a series of spiritual experiences of unusual power and interest; and, throughout her entire life since, she has been remarkably gifted with the power of healing, the interpretation of tongues, etc. Concerning the gift of tongues, she testifies that at a ward meeting in Salt Lake City she heard a lady manifest the gift by speaking in the dialect of Lapland, which she was fully competent to translate, being conversant with that dialect, and which the lady in question positively knew nothing about, as she had never seen a person from that country. Sister Winnerholm has been a resident of Salt Lake City since 1862, and a member of the church since 1853.
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As a representative from Scotland, Sister Elizabeth Duncanson, who is one of "Zion's nurses," may be mentioned. A remarkable incident of her life is the fact that at about the identical moment of the martyrdom of Joseph and Hyrum Smith, she, in her home in Scotland, saw the entire tragedy in a dream. She told the dream to her husband at the time (both of them were members of the church), and they were much dispirited with their forebodings concerning it. In about six weeks, by due course of mail, the tidings reached them. Herself and husband reached Utah in 1855, and in that same year she was ordained, by President Young, to the office of nurse, which she has since most acceptably and skillfully filled.
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Another sister from Scotland, Sister Mary Meiklejohn, since 1856 a resident of Tooele City, and also one of "Zion's nurses," shall here be mentioned. While residing in Bonhill, Scotland, herself and husband were baptized into the Mormon Church by Elder Robert Hamilton. Her husband at once became active in the work of spreading the gospel, and was soon the recipient of the benefits of the gift of healing, to a remarkable degree. By an accident one of his feet was crushed and terribly lacerated by being caught in a steam engine. The physicians determined that the foot must be amputated in order to save his life; but the elders thought differently, and after administering to him, they called a fast, for his benefit, among all the branches in the neighborhood, and the presiding elder prophesied that he should so completely recover the use of his foot as to dance on it many times in Zion. This has been literally fulfilled. Mrs. Meiklejohn is the very acceptable President of the Tooele Relief Society, which position she has held since its organization in 1870.
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It is also noteworthy that among the sisters is Mrs. Josephine Ursenbach, once a Russian Countess. With the instincts of her rank, she took it upon her to officiate for many of her aristocratic compeers of Europe, in the beautiful ordinance of baptism for the dead. The Empress Josephine and Napoleon's wife, Louisa of Austria, were among the number. Also Elizabeth of England.
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The reader will have noticed in the sketches of the sisters, both American and foreign, frequent mention of the "gift of tongues." This seems to have been markedly the woman's gift. One of the first who manifested it approvedly was Mother Whitney. She was commanded by the prophet Joseph to rise and sing in the gift of tongues in the early days of Kirtland. She did so, and Joseph pronounced it the "Adamic tongue," or the language spoken by Adam. Parley P. Pratt afterwards gave a written interpretation of it. It was a story, in verse, of Adam blessing his family in "Adam-Ondi-Ahman"—the Garden of Eden in America.