| 1830— |
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At the time of the restoration |
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| George
A. Smith |
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In many parts of the country there were "strange
manifestations" at Protestant camp meetings. The spirit "deprived
men of their strength; they would faint away, or, they would manifest a
variety of contortions of countenance … a phenomenon called the jerks
[in which] persons … would jerk seemingly enough to tear them to pieces." |
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Satan
Came Also (1864 discourse)
Also see Doings and Sayings for similar
George A. Smith recollections.
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Hiram Page received
revelations through black stone. |
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A false spirit enters members living on Isaac
Morley's farm. "A negro known generally as Black Pete," became
"a revelator." John Noah claimed to be a prophet, as did a man
named Hoton. Others reported seeing angels, and letters falling from heaven. |
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When Joseph corrected them, some left the church
and organized the "Pure Church of Christ," a short-lived splinter
group. |
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| 1830–1831 |
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Kirtland before Joseph |
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| Eber
D. Howe |
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Immediately after Mr. R. and the four pretended prophets
left Kirtland, a scene of the wildest enthusiasm was exhibited, chiefly,
however, among the young people; they would fall, as without strength, roll
upon the floor, and, so mad were they that even the females were seen on
a cold winter day, lying under the bare canopy of heaven, with no couch
or pillow but the fleecy snow. At other times they exhibited all the apish
actions imaginable, making grimaces both horrid and ridiculous, creeping
upon their hands and feet, &c. Sometimes, in these exercises the young
men would rise and play before the people, going through all the Indian
maneuvers of knocking down, scalping, ripping open, and taking out the bowels.
At other times, they would start and run several furlongs, then get upon
stumps and preach to imagined congregations, baptize ghosts, &c. At
other times, they are taken with a fit of jabbering after which they neither
understood themselves nor anybody else, and this they call speaking foreign
languages by divine inspiration. Again the young men are seen running over
the hills in pursuit, they say, of balls of fire which they see flying through
the air. |
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Painesville Telegraph,
February 15, 1831
The pretended prophets, Oliver, Parley, Ziba, and Peter Jr., left
the area for Missouri about November 23. Sidney and Edward reached Waterloo
December 10, so they probably did not leave Kirtland until early December.
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John Whitmer
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But the enemy of all righteous had got hold
of Some of those who profesed to <be> his followers, because they
had not sufficient knowledge to detect him in all his devices. He took anotion
to blind the minds of some of the weaker ones, and made them think that
an angel of God appeard to them, and showed them [14] writings on{d} the
outside cover of the Bible, and on parchment, which flew through the air,
and on the back of their hands, and many such foolish and vain things. Others
lost their strength and some {scooted} <slid> on{d} the floor, and
such like maneuver, which proved greatly to the injury of the cause. |
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J. Whitmer, 13–14.
John arrived in the second week of January 1831. This may have been written
a year or two later. |
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| Josiah Jones account |
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Detailed account by an early dissenter of attempts to heal,
speaking in tongues, visions, imitation of Indian behavior, prophecies. |
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History of
the Mormonites (1831) |
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| Philo
Dibble |
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There was a branch of the Church raised up in
Kirtland before the Prophet came there, and at the time he arrived a variety
of false spirits were manifested, such as caused jumping, shouting, falling
down, etc. Joseph said, as soon as he came, "God has sent me here,
and the devil must leave here, or I will." Those delusive spirits
were not seen nor heard any more at that time. |
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¶
Joseph Remembered: Philo (1893) |
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Joseph's recollections |
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| Joseph
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Joseph recalls false spirits in the early days of the church
in Kirtland—all sorts of visions, enthusiastic notions, fallings-down,
false speaking in tongues, false discernment of spirits without evidence,
etc (authorities were absent). Members exhibiting such spirts were tried
and disfellowshipped or excommunicated. |
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Try
the Spirits (written 1842) |
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Sister Hubble |
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| John Whitmer |
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About these days there was a woman by
the name of Hubble who professed to be a prophetess of the Lord and professed
to have many revelations, and knew {that} the Book of Mormon was true; and
that she should become a teacher in the Church of Christ. She appear very
sanctimonious and deceived some, who were not able to detect her in her
hypocracy. |
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J. Whitmer, 37
(this part written 1833–1836)
¶ Ezra Booth Letter 8
Possibly a thirteen-year-old girl? ¶
History of the Mormonites |
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| 1831 |
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Fuller, Basset, and
Riggs |
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| Mission call |
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[December 1830] Heman Basset receives an "aerial
commission" calling him, Edson Fuller, and Burr
Riggs to preach the gospel. |
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Arial
Commissions |
| Missionaries |
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January 1831, Elders Edson
Fuller, Heman
Basset and Burr Riggs call at the home
of James Baldwin near Rome, Ashtabula county, Ohio. Baldwin’s friend, Levi
Hancock, also an elder, happens to be staying him. They begin holding
meetings and baptizing: |
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¶
Levi Hancock
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Angels, jumping, unconscious,
frothing
Burr Riggs worst |
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The elders ran into all manner of doings, Receiving
revelations seeing angels falling down frothing at the mouth. One of them
who acted the worst was Burr Riggs I have seen him jump up from the floor
strike his head against the joist in Mr. Baldwins new house and swing some
minutes then fall like he was dead after an hour or two he would come to
then prophesy and tell what he had seen at other times he appeared to be
so honest I was led to believe all said but concluded that all could not
be blest and perhaps I was not as pure as those young men and what I had
received was enough for me.
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Edson's face turns
black
Basset behaves like baboon |
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Edson would fall and turn black in the face.
Heman Basset would behave like a baboon he had a revelation he had received
in Kirtland from the hands of a angel. He would read it show the picture
of a course of Angels declared to be gods then would bare testimony of the
truth of the work and I believed it all like a fool. |
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| Levi afraid to speak
out |
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I dare not come out against anything that an
elder should say for fear I should speak against the Holy Ghost. I let them
go on in this manner until the people got mad at them and tried to convince
me that I was led astray. They said I was honest and the dream I had they
did not doubt but the doctrine was false. |
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No other prophets |
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| February [6–23],
1831 |
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Revelation: accept no substitutes. Joseph is
the only prophet. |
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D&C
43:1–7 |
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| March [3–4],
1831 |
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Joseph performs exorcism |
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| Satan at work,
exorcism, lying in wait (?) |
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Joseph is "regulating the Churches here
as … the devil has made many att[e]mpts to over throw them it has
been a serious Job". Called out late at night to perform an exorcism.
Urges Hyrum to come soon but warns not to come through Buffalo "for
th[e]y [no antecedent] will lie in wait for you." |
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¶
Joseph to Hyrum, March 3–4, 1831
¶ Joseph to Hyrum, March 3–4,
1831 |
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| May
9, 1831 |
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Satan's false spirits deceive |
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| Satan at work |
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Revelation:
Satan uses false spirits to deceive. |
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D&C
50 |
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Man of sin |
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| Joseph
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Joseph prophesies the man of sin will be revealed
at the first conference in Kirtland. More than one of the brethren are possessed
during the conference.
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¶
Minutes of June 3–6, 1831
¶ Minutes of June 3–6,
1831 |
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Ohio Opposition
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