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CHAPTER X
LEE CASTS OUT DEVILS AND DOES OTHER WONDERFUL WORKS.
A SHORT time after holding the discussion mentioned in the preceding chapter, Dr. A. Young, of Jackson County, Tenn., came to me and wished me to go with him, and join in a discussion with a couple of Campbellite preachers. At first I declined, as the distance was nearly one hundred miles, and my labors in the ministry where I then was were pressing. I had more calls to preach than I could fill.
Dr. A. Young was made a bishop, and A. 0. Smoot, a convert, was made an elder in the Church.
I finally consented to go and attend the discussion. On our arrival at the place agreed upon, I learned that all necessary arrangements had been made. The subject was, "Is the Book of Divine authenticity, and has it come forth in direct of prophecy, found in the Old and New Testaments, and is Joseph Smith Divinely inspired and called of God?" We had the affirmative. There was a large concourse of people assembled. The discussion lasted two days. At the close of the debate the judge decided that the Mormons brought forth the strongest reasonings and scriptural arguments, but that the other side had the best of the Mormons in sarcasm and abuse.
When I was about to leave Dr. Young exchanged horses with me, he keeping my pony, and giving me a very fine blooded black mare. I was then built up, so far as a good out-fit for traveling was concerned. Dr. Young traveled with me as far as Indian Creek, Putnam County, twenty-five miles south-east, as report said that a couple of Mormons had been "raising h-l there, to use their own words. So we concluded to visit the place and learn the facts. This was about the first of March. it was on Saturday that we arrived there. We rode at once to the Methodist Chapel. Here we found several hundred people assembled - the most distressed and horrified looking worshipers my eyes ever beheld. Their countenances and actions evinced an inward torture of agony. Some of them were lying in a swoon, apparently lifeless; others were barking like dogs; some singing, praying and speaking in tongues, their eyes red and distorted with excitement.
The chapel was situated in a yard surrounded with trees. I was so overcome with amazement and surprise that I had forgotten that I was on horseback. The first that I remember was that a man had led my horse inside the gate and was putting me off, saying, "Come, get down, you are a Mormon preacher; we are having fine times. I objected, but walked to the south end of the chapel, instead of going inside. A chair was set for me by some rational person, and I leaned my head upon my hands and commenced praying. I was a stranger, both to the people and to their religious exercises. I was puzzled, not knowing what to do in the situation. I saw a young woman, about eighteen years of age, of handsome form and features, in her stocking feet, her handsome black hair hanging down over her shoulders in a confused mass. She was preaching what she called Mormonism, and warning the multitude to repent and be baptized, and escape the wrath of God. In front of her stood a young Methodist minister, to whom she directed her remarks. He smiled at her. All of a sudden she changed her tack, and belted him right and left for making light of what she said. The next moment she confronted me, and said, "You are a preacher of the true Church, and I love you!" Thus saying, she sprang at me to embrace me with open arms. I stretched fort my hand and rebuked the evil spirit that was in her, and commanded it to depart in the name of the Lord Jesus, by virtue of the holy priesthood in me vested. At this rebuke she quailed, and turned away from me like a whipped child, and left the crowd and went home, ashamed of her conduct.
This occurrence gave me confidence in God, and in Him I put my trust still more than I had ever done before. It was now about sunset and we had had no refreshment since morning. I arose and informed the multitude that we would preach at that place on the morrow at ten o'clock. A merchant by the name of Marshbanks invited us home with him, some of the leading men accompanying us. They informed us that a couple of men, brothers, from West Tennessee, named William and Alfred Young, formerly members of the Baptist Church, who had joined the Mormons, had been there and preached; that they enjoyed spiritual gifts as the apostles anciently did, and had baptized the people into that faith, and had ordained John Young, Receiver of the Land Office there, a preacher; that he was an intelligent, well-educated man, but was now a fanatic, and many of their leading men were ruined and business prostrate, and all through that impostor, Joe Smith. They said he ought to be hung before he did any more harm; that their settlement was being ruined and all business stopped; that if any one would give John Young, or Mark Young, his father, who was formerly a Methodist class leader, their hand, or let them breathe in their face, he could not resist them, but would come under the same influence and join them. I told them that I had been a member of this Church for a number of years and had never seen or heard of anything of this kind.
The next morning, about day break, those two fanatics were at Marshbanks' house. They said they had a glorious time through the night, and had made a number of converts. I began to reason with them from the scriptures, but as soon as I came in contact with their folly, they began to whistle and dance, and jumped on to their horses and left.
Sometime on our to the chapel, my friend Marshbanks indulged in a great deal of abuse of Joe Smith. He told me that I could not be heard among the fanatics at the chapel, and that I had better return to his house and hold a meeting there.
I said to him, "In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, I will preach there to-day, and not a dog will raise his voice against me, and you shall bear witness to it." He replied, "Very well. I will go with you and try and keep order." As we entered the chapel, the same scene of confusion prevailed that we observed the day before. Some were stretched on the floor, frothing at the mouth, apparently in the agonies of death. Others were prophesying, talking in tongues, singing, shouting and praying. I walked into the pulpit as a man having authority, and said, "In the name of Jesus Christ, and by virtue and authority of the Holy Priesthood invested in me, I command these evil spirits that, are tormenting you, to be still, while I lay before you the words of life and salvation." As I spoke every eye was turned upon me and silence reigned; the evil spirits were subdued and made powerless. There were two Presbyterian ministers there who asked leave to take notes of my sermon, which I freely granted, telling them further that they were at liberty to correct me if in anything I spoke not according to the Law and Testimony of Christ.
I preached a plain sermon on the first principles of the gospel of Christ, as taught by the apostles. I showed to them that the house of God was a house of order, and not confusion; that the Spirit of God brings peace, joy, light and complete harmony. The testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy, and every person who has the Spirit of Jesus has the spirit of prophecy, and should and would do the will of Heaven; that one may have a gift of prophecy, another of tongues, another of interpretation - but let one speak at a time; that this fanaticism which they had witnessed during the last few days was not to be fathered upon Joseph Smith or upon the Mormons; that we had no affinity for such a religion, and that we discarded it as from beneath and not from God. Before I dismissed the meeting I asked my Presbyterian friends if they wished to reply to me. They said they did not; that they were much pleased with my remarks, and that they were scriptural and reasonable.
I then concluded to return to the Branch at Rutherford County, and continue my labors there. A delegation came to me from the Assembly and said, "Mr. Lee, your discourse today has turned us up side down. You have convinced many of us that we are going astray. Do not, for mercy's sake, leave us in this situation. We are persuaded that many are honest-hearted and will obey the truth. I replied, "My mission is to preach the truth, to call erring children of men to repentance. I appointed a meeting, and preached that evening at the house of David Young, a brother of Mark Young, the Methodist class leader, to a large body of inquiring minds. The following day we preached at the side of a clear running brook. After the preaching many demanded to be baptized. I went down into the water and baptized twenty-eight persons, among whom ware two well educated young men. One was a nephew of Gov. Carlin, of Illinois; the other was F. McCollough, now a Bishop at Alpine City, Utah.
Most of the leading families of Putnam County were converted and I organized them into a Branch, and remained with them about ten days, teaching and instructing them, the better to establish them upon the true basis of order and equity, and to guard them against those fanatical influences that had been ruining the people of this neighborhood.
Elder Samuel B. Frost had been laboring in DeKalb County, East Tennessee, where he had baptized about thirty converts. As he passed on his return to Nauvoo, I sent for him to tarry with me a few days, and assist me, as Dr. Young had returned home. Such of the people who had been under the power of the spirit of darkness became alarmed, and dared not trust themselves away from us. We fasted and prayed three days and three nights, pleading with the Father, in the name of the Son, to give us power over those evil spirits.
And here I will say that up to the time of my witnessing what I have here narrated, I was skeptical on the subject of our power over evil spirits. I had heard of such manifestations, but had never seen them with my own eyes before. My experience here impressed me deeply, that we could attain such power, and showed me the stern necessity of living near to God, for man, in and of himself, is nothing but a tool for the tempter to play with.
As I said, the people durst not trust themselves away from us. One time we were in a large room, at Mark Young's house. I was sitting by a desk writing in my diary. Adolphus Young, the chairman of the delegation which had waited on me and requested me to remain with them and set them right, was walking too and fro across the room. As he came near me I noticed that his countenance changed, and as he turned from me he cast a fearful glance at me. I kept my eyes upon him as he walked away from me. When near the centre of the room be wilted down and exclaimed, "Oh! God, have mercy on me." Without a word spoken, Elder Frost and myself sprang to him. Laying my hands upon him I commanded the evil spirits, by virtue of the Holy Priesthood, and in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of him. As I spoke these words I felt as if a thousand darts had penetrated my mouth, throat and breast. My blood ran cold in my veins; my plume stopped beating; in a word, I was terror-stricken. I saw a legion of evil spirits in the vision of my mind. And what was still more, they had fastened their fangs in me and I was about to give up the contest, when another influence came to my relief, and said to my spirit: "Why yield to the powers of darkness? You hold the keys over those evil spirits. They should be subject to your bidding in the name of Jesus, through faith. This last comforting influence relieved my fears, strengthened my faith, and gave me power to overcome the evil spirits. I was not more than a minute or two in this situation, but during that time I endured more agony, torture, and pain than I ever did in the same time before or since.
This may seem to be a fabulous story to my readers, many of whom will, no doubt, attribute it to fanaticism; nevertheless it is true. The man was restored, and bore record of the power of God to his deliverance, and was to the day of his death an honorable, good citizen.
I was never considered a long-faced preacher. During my stay here I added to this branch of the Church until it was more than fifty members strong. My friend, Elder Frost, agreed to wait in Overton County until I could re-visit the branch in Rutherford County, and set things in order there. Then I was to accompany him home to our families in Nauvoo, the City of Joseph.
I ordained William Pace to the office of the lesser priesthood, to take charge of the Saints there. We also ordained Adolphus Young to preside over the branch at Indian Creek, Putnam County. After calling on Dr. A. Young, I joined my friend, Eider Frost, and drove to Nauvoo for him six jacks and jennets to exchange for land, that he might have a place to come to. We had a pleasant journey to Nauvoo, as the weather was fine. On arriving In the city I met my family, all in good health. I traded some of my stock with Hyrum Smith, the Prophet's brother, for land.
It was now June, 1842. In the summer and fall I built me a snug, two-story brick house on Warsaw street, and made my family quite comfortable. I enclosed my ground and fixed things snug and nice. I then took a tour down through Illinois. H. B. Jacobs accompanied me as a fellow companion on the way. Jacobs was bragging about his wife and two children, what a true, virtuous, lovely woman she was. He almost worshiped her. But little did he think that, in his absence, she was sealed to the Prophet Joseph, and was his wife.
We raised up quite a branch of the Church in Clinton County Among others whom we baptized, were the Free sisters, Louisa and Emeline; also the Nelsons. Emeline Free was afterward sealed to Brigham Young, and her sister Louisa to myself. She is now Daniel H. Wells' first wife.
I also visited my relatives in Randolph County, the home of my youthful days. Here I baptized my cousin Eliza Conners, with whom I had been raised. I also baptized Esther Hall, the sister of my old friend Samuel Hall, with whom I lived when I was first married. I was kindly received in my own county.
But few, however, cared to investigate the principles of Mormonism, as the most of them were Catholics. In all my travels I was agent for our paper, the Nauvoo Neighbor, and collected means, tithings and donations for the building of the Temple. From here I returned home by steamboat.
Through the winter Joseph Smith selected forty men for a city guard, from the old tried veterans of the cause. I was the seventh man chosen. These men were also the life-guard of the Prophet and Patriarch and of the twelve Apostles. My station as a guard was at the Prophet's mansion, during his life, and after his death my post was changed to the residence of Brigham Young, he being the acknowledged successor of the Prophet. From the time I was appointed until we started across the plains, when at home I stood guard every night, and much of the time on the road, one-half of the night at a time, in rain, hail, snow, wind and cold, to nourish, protect and guard, and give strength to the man that has proven to be the most treacherous, ungrateful villain on earth. In return for all of my faithfulness and fidelity to him and the cause that he taught, he has wantonly sacrificed me, in a dastardly and treacherous manner. But I must not think or reflect too much upon so frail a being. He has contracted the debt himself, and sooner or later must atone for his own sins. "Vengeance is mine, saith the Lord, and I will repay." Such a base, vile, inhuman wretch, cannot long escape justice. However, I intend to speak more fully of this depraved man at the proper time and place in this narrative.
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