Entering the bedroom, he saw the most emaciated girl he thought he had ever beheld, bolstered up in bed, with a chair in front of her, upon which, and also behind her, pillows were piled to keep her from falling over. A coverlet was drawn up over the pillows in front of her, and upon it her bony and colorless hands were outstretched.
The Elder approached, and, taking her gently by the right hand expressed his sympathy for her suffering. She simply bowed her head in response, for she was too weak to speak above a whisper.
There was a small table with a large Bible on it near the bed. Seating himself and taking the bible upon his lap, Elder Farrell opened it mechanically, and before his eyes were the words of the Savior, commanding His apostles to go into all the world and preach the Gospel, which he read aloud. When he came to that part in which the Lord promised that certain signs should follow those who believed—that the sick should be healed, that devils should be cast out; that if they drank any deadly thing it would not hurt them, etc., he read that aloud also, and then quoted from James the declaration that the prayer of faith should save the sick, and that the Lord would raise him up.
He then called the girl's attention to the fact that he had not specially selected these passages, but that the Bible had fallen open as he placed it in his lap, and he had read the first passage his eye caught sight of. He then declared to her that he and the other Latter-day Saint missionaries held the same priest-hood that the early-day apostles held; that they were sent out to preach the same Gospel that they were, and that they were preaching it in the same manner—without money and without price; that they had authority to anoint the sick with oil and pray for them just as the first apostles had, and that the Lord was just as ready and willing to raise them up as He ever was. He testified to her that he had known hundreds of sick people to be healed, and assured her that if she had faith she could be healed.
On concluding he noticed the sick girl crook her finger as a means of beckoning to her mother, who immediately approached and put her ear close to her daughter's mouth, and listened for awhile. When she arose she said, "Brother Farrell, she wants to know if you will anoint her with oil and bless her."
"Certainly, I will be glad to do so, replied the Elder. Have you any oil?"
The mother replied that she had no oil, but said she would go out and buy some.
"All right, said the Elder, you please buy a bottle of olive oil, and while you are out call at No. 120 and ask Elder Morris to come up, and we will anoint and bless her."
While the mother was absent Elder Farrell talked encouragingly to the girl, and when the oil arrived the missionaries proceeded to bless and consecrate it, Elder Morris offering the prayer.
The mother was then asked to inquire of her daughter who she would like to anoint her and the girl pointed to Elder Farrell to signify that he was her choice.