Arise and Walk!

Mormon History 1830-1844

Arise and Walk!

Joseph's heals the sick in Commerce and Montrose, July 22, 1839.
Some events in Joseph's life achieved mythic proportions after his death in 1844. This is one of those episodes. Through oral tradition and written accounts, an interpretation of events evolved focusing attention not so much on the mercy of a kind and loving Heavenly Father, as on the power and majesty of his prophet. Comparison of three versions suggest church leaders took preceeding accounts seriously, following a nearly identical sequence of events and recycling many of the same words and phrases. The Parley P. Pratt account is much shorter than the other two, though he does focus more closely on his friend, the dying Elijah Fordham. He seems completely unaware of the healings in Commerce, while Heber and Wilford—perhaps the two most extravagent of all Mormon story tellers—claim the Prophet healed every single person on the east bank before crossing to Montrose. Parley does not report Brigham being healed, or Joseph B. Noble, but he does state that "several" were healed in Montrose. Interestingly, Heber explicitly states that Joseph did not speak to Elijah before issuing the command to rise and walk, while Wilford has a little back-and-forth about the dying man's faith in Jesus before the command is given. Again Heber and Wilford agree on the presence of a "mob"—which Parley fails to mention—but Heber paralyzes them with awe, while Wilford afflicts them with the Book of Mormon falling-down syndrome. Only Wilford explicitly identifies Joseph healing the sick with Jesus healing the sick. He carries the analogy further by nothing that when Jospeh commands Elijah to rise, it is "like the voice of God." Finally, Heber and Wilford agee, Joseph gives Wilford his handkerchief to wipe the faces of deathly-ill twins, with the promise that they will be healed.
Parley By 1857	Heber By 1867		Wilford 1881
Parley P. Pratt, 355.	Orson's Heber, 263.		Leaves, 75–79.
			WHILE I was living in this cabin in the old barracks, we experienced a day of God's power with the Prophet Joseph. It was a very sickly time and Joseph had given up his home in Commerce to the sick, and had a tent pitched in his door-yard and was living in that himself. The large number of Saints who had been driven out of Missouri, were flocking into Commerce; but had no homes to go into, and were living in wagons, in tents, and on the ground. Many, therefore, were sick through the exposure they were subjected to. Brother Joseph had waited on the sick, until he was worn out and nearly sick himself.
	July 22nd, the Prophet Joseph arose from his bed of sickness, when the power of God rested upon him, and he went forth administering to the sick.		On the morning of the 22nd of July, 1839, [Joseph] arose, reflecting upon the situation of the Saints of God in their persecutions and afflictions, called upon the Lord in prayer, and the power of God rested upon him mightily, and as Jesus healed all the sick around Him in His day, so Joseph, the Prophet of God, healed all around on this occasion.
	He commenced the sick in his own house, then visited those who were camping in tents in his own dooryard,		He healed all in his house and door-yard, then, in company with Sidney Rigdon and several of the Twelve, he went among the sick lying on the bank of the river and
	commanding the sick in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to arise from their beds and be whole; when they were healed according to his words. He then went from house to house, and from tent to tent, upon the bank of the river, healing the sick by the power of Israel's God,		he commanded them in a loud voice, in the name of Jesus Christ, to come up and be made whole, and they were all healed.
	as he went among them he did not miss a single house, wagon or tent, and continued this work up to "the upper stone house,"		When he healed all that were sick on the east side of the river,
… I accompanied Joseph Smith over the Mississippi in a skiff to visit some friends in Montrose.	where he crossed the river in a boat, accompanied by Parley P. Pratt, Orson Pratt, John E. Page, John Taylor and myself, and landed at Montrose.		they crossed the Mississippi river in a ferry-boat to the west side, to Montrose, where we were.
Here many were
lying sick and at the point of death.	He then walked into the cabin of Bro Brigham Young, who was lying very sick, and commanded him in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to arise and be made whole. He arose, healed of his sickness, and then accompanied Joseph and his brethren of the Twelve,		The first house they went into was President Brigham Young's. He was sick on his bed at the time. The Prophet went into his house and healed him, and they all came out together.
			As they were passing by my door, Brother Joseph said: "Brother Woodruff, follow me." These were the only words spoken by any of the company from the time they left Brother Brigham's house till we crossed the public square,
Among these was my old friend and fellow servant, Elijah Fordham, who had been with me in that extraordinary work in New York City in 1837. He was now in the last stage of a deadly fever.	and went into the house of Brother Elijah Fordham, who was insensible, and considered by his family and friends to be in the hands of death.		and entered Brother Fordham's house. Brother Fordham had been dying for an hour, and we expected each minute would be his last.
He lay prostrate and nearly speechless, with his feet poulticed; his eyes were sunk in their sockets; his flesh was gone; the paleness of death was upon him; and he was hardly to be distinguished from a corpse. His wife was weeping over him, and preparing clothes for his burial.
			I felt the power of God that was overwhelming His Prophet
	Joseph stepped to his bedside, looked him in the eye for a minute without speaking,	¶	When we entered the house, Brother Joseph walked up to Brother Fordham, and took him by the right hand; in his left hand he held his hat.
			He saw that Brother Fordham's eyes were glazed, and that he was speechless and unconscious.
Brother Joseph took him by the hand,	then took him by the hand		After taking hold of his hand, he looked down into the dying man's face and said: "Brother Fordham, do you not know me?" At first he made no reply; but we could all see the effect of the Spirit of God resting upon him.
			He again said: "Elijah, do you not know me?"
			With a low whisper, Brother Fordham answered, "Yes!"
			The Prophet then said, "Have you not faith to be healed?"
			The answer, which was a little plainer than before, was: "I am afraid it is too late. If you had come sooner, I think I might have been."
			He had the appearance of a man waking from sleep. It was the sleep of death.
			Joseph then said: "Do you believe that Jesus is the Christ?"
			"I do, Brother Joseph," was the response.
and in a voice and energy which would seemingly have raised the dead, he cried:	and commanded him		Then the Prophet of God spoke with a loud voice, as in the majesty of the Godhead:
BROTHER FORDHAM, IN THE NAME OF JESUS CHRIST, ARISE AND WALK.	in the name of Jesus Christ to arise from his bed and walk.		Elijah, I command you, in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, to arise and be made whole!
It was a voice which could be heard from house to house and nearly through the neighborhood. It was like the roaring of a lion, or the heavy thunderbolt.			The words of the Prophet were not like the words of man, but like the voice of God. It seemed to me that the house shook from its foundation.
Brother Fordham leaped from his dying bed in an instant,	Brother Fordham immediately leaped out of his bed,		Elijah Fordham leaped from his bed like a man raised from the dead. A healthy color came to his face, and life was manifested in every act.
shook the poultices and bandages from his feet, put on his clothes so quick that none got a chance to assist him,	threw off all his poultices and bandages, dressed himself,		His feet were done up in Indian meal poultices. He kicked them off his feet, scattered the contents, and then called for his clothes and put them on.
and taking a cup of tea and a little refreshment,	called for a bowl of bread and milk, which he ate,		He asked for a bowl of bread and milk, and ate it;
he walked with us from house to house visiting other sick beds, and joining in prayer and ministrations for them,	and then followed us into the street.		then put on his hat and followed us into the street, to visit others who were sick. …
while the people followed us, and with joy and amazement gave glory to God.
Several more were called up in a similar manner and were healed.
Brother Joseph, while in the Spirit, rebuked the Elders who would continue to lay hands on the sick from day to day without the power to heal them. Said he:
It is time that such things ended. Let the Elders either obtain the power of God to heal the sick or let them cease to minister the forms without the power.
	We then went into the house of Joseph B. Noble, who was also very sick,		As soon as we left Brother Fordham's house, we went into the house of Joseph B. Noble, who was very low and dangerously sick.
	and he was healed in the same manner.		When we entered the house, Brother Joseph took him by the hand, and commanded him, in the name of Jesus Christ, to arise and be made whole. He did arise and was immediately healed.
	Joseph spoke with the voice and power of God.
			While this was going on, the wicked mob in the place, led by one Kilburn, had become alarmed, and followed us into Brother Noble's house.
			Before they arrived there, Brother Joseph had called upon Brother Fordham to offer prayer.
	****The mob spirits,		While he was praying the mob entered, with all the evil spirits accompanying them.
	**** when they saw men whom they thought were dying, arise from their beds, and pray for others,		As soon as they entered, Brother Fordham, who was praying,
	****stood paralyzed with fear; yet those same men would have killed Joseph and his brethren if they had had an opportunity.		fainted and sank to the floor.
			When Joseph saw the mob in the house, he arose and had the room cleared of both that class of men and their attendant devils. Then Brother Fordham immediately revived and finished his prayer.
			This shows what power evil spirits have upon the tabernacles of men. The Saints are only saved from the power of the devil by the power of God.
			This case of Brother Noble's was the last one of healing upon that day.
			It was the greatest day for the manifestation of the power of God through the gift of healing since the organization of the Church.
			When we left Brother Noble, the Prophet Joseph went with those who accompanied him from the other side, to the banks of the river, to return home.
	When he had healed all the sick by the power given unto him he went down to the ferry boat,		While waiting for the ferry-boat,
	when a stranger rode up almost breathless, and said that he had heard that Joseph Smith was raising the dead, and healing all [263] of the sick, and his wife begged him to ride up and get Mr. Smith to go down, and heal her twin children, about three months old.		a man of the world, knowing of the miracles which had been performed, came to him and asked him if he would not go and heal two twin children of his, about five months old, who were both lying sick nigh unto death.
			They were some two miles from Montrose.
	Joseph replied, "I cannot go, but will send someone."		The Prophet said he could not go; but, after pausing some time, he said he would send some one to heal them;
	In a few minutes he said to Elder Woodruff,		and he turned to me and said:
	You go and heal those children,		You go with the man and heal his children.
	and take this pocket handkerchief, and when you administer to them, wipe their faces with it, and they shall recover.		He took a red silk handkerchief out of his pocket and gave it to me, and told me to wipe their faces with the handkerchief when I administered to them, and they should be healed.
			He also said unto me: "As long as you will keep that handkerchief, it shall remain a league between you and me."
	Brother Woodruff did as he was commanded, and the children were healed.		I went with the man, and did as the Prophet commanded me, and the children were healed.
			I have possession of the handkerchief unto this day.
	****
Joseph recrossed the river to his own home and I returned to mine, rejoicing in the mercies and goodness of God.
This was a day never to be forgotten by the Saints; nor by the wicked; for they saw the power of God manifest in the flesh.
			Old Testament Signs and Wonders New Testament Signs and Wonders Healings