Life of Heber C. Kimball, an apostle

by Orson F. Whitney

[Illustration: Hyrum Smith]

But this unhappy condition of affairs—rendered doubly disheartening from following so closely upon the Missouri troubles—was not without its recompense. It was the occasion of a marvelous and miraculous display of divine power in behalf of the Lord's afflicted people. Heber thus describes the event:

"July 22nd, the Prophet Joseph arose from his bed of sickness, when the power of God rested upon him, and he went forth administering to the sick. He commenced with the sick in his own house, then visited those who were camping in tents in his own dooryard, commanding the sick in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to arise from their beds and be whole; when they were healed according to his words. He then went from house to house, and from tent to tent, upon the bank of the river, healing the sick by the power of Israel's God, as he went among them. He did not miss a single house, wagon or tent, and continued this work up to 'the upper stone house,' where he crossed the river in a boat, accompanied by Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, John E. Page, John Taylor and myself, and landed at Montrose. He then walked into the cabin of Brother Brigham Young, who was lying very sick, and commanded him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to arise and be made whole. He arose, healed of his sickness, and then accompanied Joseph and his brethren of the Twelve, and went into the house of Brother Elijah Fordham, who was insensible, and considered by his family and friends to be in the hands of death. Joseph stepped to his bedside, looked him in the eye for a minute without speaking, then took him by the hand and commanded him in the name of Jesus Christ to arise from his bed and walk. Brother Fordham immediately leaped out of his bed, threw off all his poultices and bandages, dressed himself, called for a bowl of bread and milk, which he ate, and then followed us into the street. We then went into the house of Joseph B. Noble, who was also very sick, and he was healed in the same manner.

"Joseph spoke with the voice and power of God.

"When he had healed all the sick by the power given unto him he went down to the ferry boat, when a stranger rode up almost breathless, and said that he had heard that Joseph Smith was raising the dead, and healing all of the sick, and his wife begged him to ride up and get Mr. Smith to go down and heal her twin children, about three months old. Joseph replied, 'I cannot go, but will send some one.' In a few minutes he said to Elder Woodruff, 'You go and heal those children, and take this pocket handkerchief, and when you administer to them, wipe their faces with it, and they shall recover.' Brother Woodruff did as he was commanded, and the children were healed.

"The mob spirits, when they saw men whom they thought were dying, arise from their beds, and pray for others, stood paralyzed with fear; yet those same men would have killed Joseph and his brethren if they had had an opportunity. Joseph recrossed the river to his own home and I returned to mine, rejoicing in the mercies and goodness of God. This was a day never to be forgotten by the Saints; nor by the wicked; for they saw the power of God manifest in the flesh."

"August 4th, being Sunday, the Saints met to partake of the sacrament, and received an exhortation from the Prophet Joseph, impressing upon them the necessity of being righteous and clean of heart before the Lord. He also commanded the Twelve to go forth without purse or scrip, according to the revelations of Jesus Christ.

"During the night of August 23rd, my son, David Patten, was born in Commerce, in the log cabin I had put up at the end of the Bozier house. We had a heavy thunderstorm that night, but the hand of the Lord was over us. As soon as my wife was able I moved my family into the new log house that I had built."

September came, and the Apostles prepared to take leave of their families and friends and depart on their mission to Europe. Again the evil one laid his plans to circumvent them. As he once afflicted righteous Job, striving to overthrow his trust in God, he now sought by similar means to undermine the faith and integrity of these latter-day servants of the Lord. But his efforts were unavailing; he had the same class of spirits to contend with as in days of old; men who could say with the patient man of Uz, though bowed in sorrow and humiliation: "I know that my Redeemer liveth," and "though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him."

"September 14th," says Heber, "President Brigham Young left his home at Montrose to start on the mission to England. He was so sick that he was unable to go to the Mississippi, a distance of thirty rods, without assistance. After he had crossed the river he rode behind Israel Barlow on his horse to my house, where he continued sick until the 18th. He left his wife sick with a babe only three weeks old, and all his other children were sick and unable to wait upon each other. Not one soul of them was able to go to the well for a pail of water, and they were without a second suit to their backs, for the mob in Missouri had taken nearly all he had. On the 17th Sister Mary Ann Young got a boy to carry her up in his wagon to my house, that she might nurse and comfort Brother Brigham to the hour of starting.