With that I appointed a meeting, and preached that evening at the house of David Young, a brother of Mark Young, the Methodist class leader, to a large body of inquiring minds.
The following day I preached by the side of a clear running brook. After the preaching many demanded to be baptized. I went down into the water and baptized twenty-eight persons, among whom were two well educated young men. One was a nephew of Gov. Carlin, of Illinois; the other was Brother McCullough, now a bishop at Alpine City, Utah.
Elder Samuel B. Frost had been laboring in DeKalb County, east Tennessee, where he baptized about thirty converts. As he was on his return to Nauvoo, I asked him to tarry with me a few days, and assist me, as Brother Young had returned home. Those of the people who had been under the power of the spirit of darkness had become alarmed, and dared not trust themselves away from us. We fasted and prayed three days and three nights, pleading with the Father, in the name of the Son, to give us power over those evil spirits.
And here I will say that up to the time of my witnessing what I have narrated I was skeptical on the subject of our power over evil spirits. I had heard of such manifestations, but had never seen them with my own eyes. My experience here impressed me with the fact that we could attain such power, and showed me the stern necessity of living near to God; for man, in and of himself, is nothing but a tool for the tempter to work with.
As I said, the people dared not trust themselves away from us. Once we were in a large room at Mark Young's house. I was sitting by a desk writing in my diary. Adolphus Young, the chairman of the delegation which had waited on me and requested me to remain with them and set them right, was walking to and fro across the room. As he came near me I noticed that his countenance changed, and as he turned he cast a fearful glance at me. I kept my eyes upon him as he walked away from me. When near the center of the room he wilted down and exclaimed:
"O God, have mercy on me!"
Without a word spoken, Elder Frost and I sprang to him. Laying my hands upon him I commanded the evil spirits, by virtue of the holy Priesthood, and in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of him.
As I spoke these words I felt as if a thousand darts had penetrated my mouth, throat, and breast. My blood ran cold in my veins; my pulse stopped beating; in a word, I was terror- stricken. I saw a legion of evil spirits in the vision of my mind. And what was still more, they had fastened their fangs in me. I was about to give up the contest, when another influence came to my relief, and said to my spirit:
"Why yield to the powers of darkness? You hold the keys over evil spirits. They are subject to your bidding in the name of Jesus, through faith."
This last comforting assurance relieved my fears, strengthened my faith, and gave me power to overcome the evil spirits. I was only a minute or two in this situation, but during that time I endured more agony, torture, and pain than I ever did before or since. The man was restored, and bore witness to the power of God in his deliverance, and was to the day of his death an honorable, good citizen.