JOSEPH SMITH'S PERSEVERANCE--ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH--JOSEPH SMITH
VISITS ME--HIS OWN ACCOUNTS OF HIS VISIT--HE ASKS ME TO PRAY--I
REFUSE--I GO TO THE WOODS AND TRY TO OFFER UP PRAYER--AM ATTACKED BY
A DEVIL--CURIOUS ACTIONS WHILE THUS AFFLICTED--THE PROPHET CASTS THE
DEVIL OUT--THE SPIRIT OF GOD SHOWS ME GLORIOUS THINGS--THIS MIRACLE
WITNESSED BY MANY PERSONS.
Joseph persevered, and the Lord raised up friends who aided him in the
great work of translating and printing the record which the unsealed
part of the sacred plates contained. The title given to the book being
THE BOOK OF MORMON.
On the sixth day of April, 1830, by revelation and commandment from
God, a Church was organized, called, "The Church of Jesus Christ,"
which consisted of only six members, viz., Joseph Smith, Jun., Oliver
Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, Peter Whitmer, Jun., Samuel H. Smith, and David
Whitmer.
On Sunday, April 11th, 1880, the first public discourse, preached by
a Latter day Saint, was delivered by Oliver Cowdery, at the house of
Peter Whitmer, Sen. During the same month the prophet honored me with a
visit, during which time I received a great manifestation, one long to
be remembered, and in order that my children may know how the Lord has
dealt with me I will make this extract from Joseph Smith's history.
"During this month of April I went on a visit to Mr. Joseph Knight,
of Colesville, Broome Co., N. Y., with whom and his family I had been
previously acquainted, and of whose name I have made mention as having
been so kind and thoughtful towards us, while translating the Book of
Mormon. Mr. Knight and his family were Universalists, but were willing
to reason with me upon my religious views, and were as usual friendly
and hospitable. We held several meetings in the neighborhood, we had
many friends, and some enemies. Our meetings were well attended,
and many began to pray vocally to Almighty God, that He would give
them wisdom to understand the truth. Among those who attended our
meetings regularly, was Newel Knight, son of Joseph Knight. He and
I had many serious conversations on the important subject of man's
eternal salvation; we had got into the habit of praying much at our
meetings and Newel had said he would try and take up his cross,
and pray vocally during meeting; but when we again met together he
rather excused himself. I tried to prevail upon him, making use of
the figure, supposing that he should get into a mudhole, would he not
try to help himself out? and that we were willing now to help him out
of the mudhole, he replied that provided he had got into a mudhole
through carelessness, he would rather wait and get out himself than
have others help him, and so he would wait until he should get into
the woods by himself, and there he would pray. Accordingly he deferred
praying until the next morning, when he retired into the woods; where
(according to his own account afterwards) he made several attempts to
pray, but could scarcely do so, feeling that he had not done his duty,
but that he should have prayed in the presence of others. He began to
feel uneasy, and continued to feel worse both in mind and body, until
upon reaching his own house, his appearance was such as to alarm his
wife very much. He requested her to go and bring me to him. I went,
and found him suffering very much in his mind, and his body acted upon
in a very strange manner. His visage and limbs were distorted and
twisted in every shape and appearance possible to imagine; and finally
he was caught up off the floor of the apartment and tossed about most
fearfully. His situation was soon made known to his neighbors and
relatives, and in a short time as many as eight or nine grown persons
had got together to witness the scene. After he had thus suffered for
a time, I succeeded in getting hold of him by the hand, when almost
immediately he spoke to me, and with great earnestness requested of me,
that I should cast the devil out of him, saying that he knew he was in
him, and that he also knew that I could cast him out. I replied, if
you know that I can, it shall be done, and then almost unconsciously
I rebuked the devil; and commanded him in the name of Jesus Christ to
depart from him; when immediately Newel spoke out and said that he
could see the devil leave him and vanish from his sight. This was the
first miracle which has been done in this Church, or by any member of
it, and it was done by God, and by the power of godliness; therefore
let the honor and the praise, the dominion and the glory, be ascribed
to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, forever and ever, Amen.
"The scene was now entirely changed, for as soon as the devil had
departed from our friend, his countenance became natural, his
distortion of body ceased, and almost immediately the Spirit of God
descended upon him, and the visions of eternity were opened to his
view. He afterwards related his experience as follows: `I now began
to feel a most pleasing sensation resting upon me, and immediately
the visions of heaven were opened to my view. I felt myself attracted
upwards, and remained for sometime enwrapt in contemplation, insomuch
that I knew not what was going on in the room. By and by I felt some
weight pressing upon my shoulder and the side of my head; which served
to recall me to a sense of my situation, and I found that the Spirit of
the Lord had actually caught me up off the floor, and that my shoulder
and head were pressing against the beams.'
"All this was witnessed by many, to their great astonishment and
satisfaction, when they saw the devil thus cast out, and the power of
God and His Holy Spirit thus made manifest. As soon as consciousness
returned, his bodily weakness was such that we were obliged to lay
him upon his bed and wait upon him for some time. As may be expected,
such a scene as this contributed much to make believers of those who
witnessed it, and, finally, the greater part of them, became members of
the Church."