A light having been procured so that those present could see one another, Elder Lyman whispered to Elder Farrell, "I believe that is the woman who had the red shawl on, and who was in the barn last Sunday while you were preaching." He replied that he would soon find out, and, accosting the lady, he asked when she had heard the Gospel preached. The reply was: "I have heard you preach at Offord several times." He then inquired: "When did you make up your mind to be baptized?" The reply was, "Right while you were preaching in that barn at Offord. I made up my mind that the first time I heard that you were going to baptize I would come, and here I am!"
It was soon arranged that Elder Farrell would proceed to the water about fifty yards distant with the new arrivals, and while he was baptizing them Elder Lyman and Mr. Baker could be carrying the sick girl to the water in a chair, while Sister Underwood could walk behind and hold the chair, to keep it from tipping.
The latter party not having arrived at the water by the time the man and woman were baptized, Elder Farrell started towards the house and met them coming very slowly, and, to his surprise, found the sick girl not being carried in a chair, but walking. He exclaimed on seeing her, "Why Nellie, you are walking!" "Yes," she said, "I told Brother Lyman and Mr. Baker if they would let me take their arms I felt that I could walk. If you remember, when you first blessed me you promised me that I should be able, if I had faith, to walk to the water within three months, and the three months will be up to-morrow."
"The Lord bless you for your faith!" said the Elder, and, leading her into the water until it came up to her waist, he added, "Now you may take your two hands and throw water over your body as much as you like, to get used to the temperature, for I am going to bury you in the water eight times—once for the remission of your sins, and seven times for the restoration of your health. Do you think you can stand it?" [A]
[Footnote A: This is not a doctrinal treatise nor a portrayal of the approved methods of performing ordinances, but a simple narrative of what actually occurred. Baptism by immersion is an ordinance by which repentant believers are initiated into the Church, and is also for the remission of sins. There is no warrant in revelation ancient or modern for the immersion of a person for the restoration of his health, anointing with oil and the prayer of faith being the ordinance for that purpose. However, baptism (a single immersion) as a means of restoring health has been practised in the Church from a very early period, originating probably with cures that were apparently traceable to baptism. Instances of persons affected with serious ailments being miraculously healed on accepting the Gospel have been somewhat numerous, and have occurred all through the history of the Church, due doubtless to the faith exhibited, and it is not surprising that persons should associate in their minds the cure with the rite of baptism. Possibly Elder Farrell had the case of Naaman the leper in his mind, who was healed on obeying the requirement of the Prophet Elisha, to wash seven times in the river Jordan. It was a sublime test of faith that he subjected the invalid girl to. He might have added in her case, in the words of the Savior: "Thy faith hath made thee whole," for it was her faith, and not any magic in the number seven, that brought her the blessing.]
She replied "Oh, yes; if you take hold of me, I have full faith."
Calling out to Elder Lyman who stood upon the bank, Elder Farrell said:
"Now count upon your fingers as I baptize her, and when she has been buried under the water eight times please tell me." He did so, and at the conclusion of the ceremony the girl, who had stood the ordeal remarkably well, was seated upon a chair and thus carried into the house.
After dry daiment had been resumed, the newly baptized persons were confirmed, and when Elder Farrell was confirming the girl, being prompted by the Spirit, he promised her that if she would continue to have faith she would live to go to Zion and become a mother in Israel. When supper had been partaken of and the dishes cleared away, a brief time was spent in chatting, and a general time of rejoicing indulged in. The girl was full of vivacity and enthusiasm, and declared that she was completely healed, and praised the Lord therefor.
Soon afterwards Elder Farrell was released to return from his mission, arriving at his home July 10, 1876. He came down to Salt Lake City to attend conference as usual in the following October, and having had a request from Sister Clark, of Stanwick, while he was still in England to call upon her sister in Salt Lake as soon as he could after his arrival, and, as she lived near the depot, he made his way there when he alighted from the train. To his great surprise and pleasure, he found Brother Challis and his daughter Nellie there. After greeting them he inquired: "Nellie, where is your Mother?" She replied: "Brother Farrell, mother took sick, and I sat up with her and waited on her nine days and nights without removing my clothing to obtain sleep, and my poor mother died, and I have not been sick one minute. And here I am in Zion, thank the Lord. Every word that you promised has been fulfilled thus far. And now we want to go to your part of the country to live, so that we may see you often. Do you think you could find father a place to work near your home at shoe-making?"