About the middle of June, 1884, Thomas had a visit from his son David, who informed him that he had been so greatly blessed, and done so well materially, since he was married, that he had decided to go to school during the following winter, and prepare himself for a mission. Nothing that he could have proposed would have pleased his father more than this for he desired above all things that his posterity should devote themselves to the service of the Lord.
Only a few days later, June 19th, 1884, David stepped in front of the sickle bar of his mowing machine to unhitch his horses, after having been engaged in cutting grass about two miles from home, when the horses suddenly started, catching his feet in the sickle bar and nearly severing them. He had to go ten miles for medical aid, and the doctor amputated his feet. The weather was very warm, and blood poisoning set in, and on the 27th of June, eight days after the accident, he died.
Thomas was quite sick at the time, and was grief-stricken over his son's death. He had counted so confidently on his son's death. He had counted so confidently on his son's future development as a good and useful man, and the head of a large family, that he felt the disappointment very keenly, and could hardly be reconciled to his death.
During the summer of 1885, his sons were necessarily absent from home much of the time, and Thomas was under the necessity of working alone. While doing so he accidentally fell from his wagon one day, and hurt his lame leg very severely. The neighbors carried him into the house, and persuaded him to send for a doctor. The doctor came, and said the leg was very badly hurt, and that his patient would have to lie in bed for fully a month.
One night soon afterwards Thomas had a vision. He saw a bright light come through the east window of the room in which he lay, which seemed to move along the wall until it was opposite to where he was lying, when it stopped. A voice came from the light, which said: "Go to the hospital, and have that limb taken off; for you have a work to perform which you cannot do with the limb on."
Thomas was amazed, and kept looking at the light, when the voice was again heard, saying: "You doubt it, as you think if you go you will leave your family in debt, as you have not much money; but you need not fear, for means will be provided for you. And when you get the limb off, send for another limb, and you will astonish both saint and sinner, as you will be able to put it on as soon as you get it; and the train which shall bring your limb shall be delayed for a short time."
This was the vision, as far as he could relate it, and the light vanished the same as it had come. He told his family of it, and requested his son Ephraim to see Dr. Anderson, and tell him he was ready to have his limb amputated.
He went to the hospital on the 15th of December, 1885, and two days later the leg was amputated six inches from his body. Many of his friends, knowing his condition, expressed the belief that he would never come out of the hospital alive, but all went well, and on the 31st of January, 1886, he rode home from the hospital in a surrey.
While lying in the hospital, Brother Briggs asked a patriarch who called to see him, if he had a blessing for him. After looking at him for some time, the patriarch said he had, and placing his hands upon the patient's head, told him not to fear, for he should get well. He also said that angels were watching over him, and that he would live to accomplish a great work in the Temple—such as he had never conceived of.
For many months after Thomas returned from the hospital he experienced the sensation of pain in the missing foot. He could get no relief from it day or night, and found that it was wearing his wife out, waiting upon him. After much persuasion he induced his sons to exhume his leg, which was buried in the cemetery, straighten out the toes, which he felt must be in a cramped position, and put it in a larger box. About the time when the leg was dug up and the box opened, Thomas, though fully two miles distant, felt two sympathetic throbs in the stump of the limb, and then it turned ice cold. He remarked to his wife that they had taken the lid off the box. After the limb had been carefully wrapped in absorbent cotton and placed in a larger box, he felt very comfortable.