I admitted having been converted and that I knew my sins were forgiven, and further testified that obedience to "Mormonism," so-called, was what had brought peace to my soul; and the nearer I lived to it, the more of the peace of the Holy Spirit I felt.
The gift of prophecy was poured out upon me. I also received the gift and interpretation of tongues. But what then and ever since has seemed to me the greatest gift I received was to speak easily and fluently in my own language. This was the first gift I received. It came upon me in great power. A few months after my baptism several leading Elders from Kirtland, Ohio, were about to be dragged from our school house by a mob who had assembled to tar and feather them. When the Elders and others failed to stop them from disturbing the meeting, I stepped upon a form or bench and began to talk to the people. Five minutes had not elapsed when, aside from my voice, a pin dropping upon the floor might have been easily heard. After I had spoken about ten or fifteen minutes the mob left the house, and, after consulting outside a few moments, retired, and we had a good meeting.
This circumstance had gone out of my mind until about 1849, while stopping over night at the house of a brother named Brim. Alfred O. Brim, who was one of the mob, called my attention to it, and asked me if I knew that they had a keg of tar and a feather bed in the carriage in which they came to the meeting.
I replied that I did not think I ever heard of it. He said they brought the tar and the feathers with the full intent to use them on the Elders, but they were so surprised at the power with which I spoke that they knew I was helped by some invisible spirit. They had known me since I was seven years old, and were satisfied that I had not made up the speech, and that I was not capable of doing so. They decided that it must be of the Lord or of the devil. Of this they could not be the judges, not, as they said, having the discerning of spirits. Hence one of them suggested that lest they be found fighting against God, they had better retire. All agreed to it and they left.
Brim and several of his brothers afterwards joined the church, and were at one time prominent tanners in Salt Lake county, Utah.
Dr. Rion, an eminent physician of Springfield, who, I believe, was the leader, it was said, died instantly of apoplexy, some time after, while sitting in his chair.
I never heard any more talk of mobbing in that neighborhood. Thus the Lord made use of a humble, unlearned boy to break up a spirit of mobocracy which had existed for some months, and saved His servants from cruel treatment and possible death.
CHAPTER III.
ORDAINED TO THE PRIESTHOOD—INVITED TO PREACH—I MAKE UP A SERMON ON MY WAY—SERMON APPARENTLY A FAILURE TO ME—MY HEARERS SATISFIED WITH IT—ABUSED BY A BAPTIST MINISTER—HE DESIRES A SIGN—A SIGN PROMISED AND FULFILLED—BLESSINGS RECEIVED IN THE KIRTLAND TEMPLE—WORDS OF THE PROPHET JOSEPH—THEIR FULFILLMENT—AN INCIDENT IN MISSOURI—LITERAL FULFILLMENT OF A PREDICTION UTTERED BY JOSEPH SMITH—HIS PATRIOTISM—STRANGE PHENOMENON—ITS EFFECT.