EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY.

PREFACE.

Many deaths have occurred within the last few years among the veteran members of our Church. Numbers of persons have recently passed away who were connected with the Church during the early years of its existence, and whose lives were filled with scenes and incidents of the most interesting nature. Their wonderful experience so far as known is appreciated by their intimate friends, in whose memories it is embalmed, but it will hereafter only be known as tradition, for, as a rule, they have left no written testimony or record of their lives to show to future generations what they have seen or passed through. We have scarcely ever heard of the death of such a person without a feeling of regret that the important scenes of which he was a witness while living were not better known, and that a definite and accurate account of them had not been written before his death.

A short time since we conceived the idea of publishing a volume of the "Faith-Promoting Series," entitled EARLY SCENES IN CHURCH HISTORY, to be made up of such incidents of appropriate nature as we could obtain from early members of the Church.

Of course we were aware that a single volume of the size contemplated could not describe a tithe of the interesting scenes of a faith-promoting nature with which the early history of the Church abounded, but not until we had started the compilation did we realize to the full extent the vastness of the field which we had entered upon. We gathered the incidents contained in the present volume at random (mostly from verbal narratives), compiled them very hastily, with too little regard perhaps for variety, and feel that we have hardly made a commencement at recounting the early scenes of which a record should be perpetuated.

In compiling this volume no effort has been made at selecting scenes of a marvelous or sensational character; the aim has rather been to mention such incidents as would tend to show how the power of God was manifested in behalf of the Saints in those early days, and thereby promote faith among the young, for whose benefit this Series is published. Nor is it to be supposed that such scenes as are herein described have been confined to any particular period of our Church's history. As wonderful incidents of special providence could be related of the present age as of that which is past. The power of God is as manifest now in shaping the destiny of His Saints, in preserving their lives and in answering their prayers as it ever has been. The faithful never had greater cause to rejoice nor the wicked to tremble than they have at the present time. That the perusal of this volume may cause those into whose hands it may come to be more faithful and devoted to the cause of God, is the earnest desire of

THE PUBLISHER.

CONTENTS.

"SHOW US A SIGN."

My Sister's Hip Broken—No Hopes of Ever Being Able to Walk—Our Family Embrace the Gospel—Scoffers Demand as a Sign that my Sister be Healed—Elder Brackinbury's Designs—Caught in the Act of Robbing the Grave—My Brother's Death—My Sister Healed-The Healing Fails to Convince the Unbelievers.

CONTEST WITH EVIL SPIRITS.

The Savior's Promise—Sent on a Mission When a Boy—Conference in Burke's Garden—A Girl Apparently Stricken With Death—My Fright at Being Asked to Administer to Her—Prompted by the Spirit to Cast the Devil Out of Her—The Evil Spirit Leaves Her and Enters Two Others—Six Elders Contend With the Evil Spirit for Thirty-Six Hours—Its Final Banishment.

EARLY EXPERIENCE OF A. O. SMOOT.

CHAPTER I.

Sickly Condition when Young—Healed According to Elder Patten's Prediction—Labor as a Missionary with Elder Woodruff—Severe Sickness—Healed Under the Administration of my Brethren—A Mission to the Southern States—Removal to Far West—Mission to Missouri and Arkansas—Opposed by a Baptist Deacon—Terrible Judgment upon Himself and Family—John Houston, the Infidel—Far West Besieged—Taken Prisoner.

CHAPTER II.

Married while a Prisoner of War—Property Confiscated—Removal to Quincy—First Hard Work—Removal to Montrose—Mission to Tennessee—Shot at—Camp, my Champion—A Lawyer and his Mob—Appeal to Masons for Help—Ready Response—Camp's Vengeance on the Lawyer—News of Martyrdom—Return to Nauvoo—Brigham Young Inspired—Another Mission South—Blessings in the Temple—Journey to Salt Lake Valley.

CHAPTER III.

Almost Lost in the Atlantic—Narrowly Escape the Saluda Disaster—Nearly Dead with the Cholera—Healed in Answer to Prayer—Blown up with a Keg of Powder—A Sick Woman Healed—Elder Patten's Remarkable Prediction Fulfilled—A Man Almost Dead Recovers on Being Baptized.

SCENES IN THE BRITISH MISSION.

CHAPTER I.

Elder Halliday Applied to for Help By a Sister whose Son is Dying—Not Able to go, he Gives the Lady his Handkerchief and Promised her the Child Shall Live—The Child Revives from Apparent Death by the Woman's Faith and Prayer—Preaching in Penzance—Discouragement and Want—Strange Conduct of a Lady Attending the Meeting—Invitation to go to St. Just—Gift of Tongues and Interpretation Given to Elder Halliday, Through which he Receives a Revelation—Revelation Literally Fulfilled.

CHAPTER II.

Elder Elias Morris Falls with a Scaffold a Distance of Thirty Feet Without Being Hurt—Gift of Healing Possessed by Elder Abel Evans—A Woman Healed who had Her Face Eaten Away by a Cancer—Storm at Sea Rebuked—A Broken Leg Cured—A Broken Skull Mended—Fever on Shipboard Stopped by the Prayer of Faith.

CHAPTER III.

Elder John Parry's Statement—His Brother's Testimony and Death—His Sister's Reproof and Death—Embrace the Gospel—His Sleep Troubled—A Remedy and Lesson—Orson Spencer Healed—Providential Help—Escape from a Mob—Cancer in a Man's Face Cured by Laying