208 singing in tongues. For a moment I was overpowered with joy. I exclaimed, 'Is it possible that God has remembered my family.' Immediately I went up, and when I was within one or two steps of the house, I paused. I listened, and O the thrill of joy that went through my soul! I knew that it was of God. My child, my dear child was born of the Holy Spirit. I opened the door and went in. It appeared to me that the entire room was filled with the Holy Spirit. Shortly after I requested them all to join with me in asking the Lord to tell us who the successor of Joseph Smith was. I felt anxious to know that I might bear a faithful testimony. We spent a few moments in prayer, when the Holy Spirit declared, 'The successor of Joseph Smith is Joseph Smith, the son of Joseph Smith the Prophet. It is his right by lineage, saith the Lord your God.'
"It is proper here to state that the main body of the church lived from four to eight miles from us, and having learned that we had left Strang they regarded us as apostates. However, it was not long after the gifts were manifested and when they came to know that these blessings were indeed with us, they admitted that they were of God, and gradually, one after another, united with us, until the whole church were made to know the truth of our position, and rejoice with unspeakable joy. Although the church had been organized more than a year, and striving to live right before God, yet no visible gifts had been manifested among us.
"It was now necessary that we should change our organization and position in relation to the Presidency of the Priesthood. The branch had been organized under Strang. The Lord had taught us that this was wrong, consequently we appointed a day for the purpose of acknowledging the legal heir. The day arrived, and it will be long remembered by many that were present. While we were singing the opening hymn, the Holy Spirit was sensibly felt. Several sung in tongues. A halo of glory seemed to be spread over the congregation, and when we bowed before Almighty God in solemn prayer, all felt and all knew that what we were about to do was approbated of God. After
(page 208) |