Lucy Mack Smith, History, 1844–1845

  • Source Note
  • Historical Introduction
Page [1], bk. 11
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Book 11
difference between the spirit of God and the spirit of the Devil so that they could try the spirits in a measure themselves. Now said when a man gets up to speak and draws his face or limbs into an unnatural shape or position and seems to be <​is​> convulsed in a manner that makes him appear to be in pain when there is no piciptible [perceptible] cause you may rely upon it that he has the spirit of the Devil— But on the contrary when a man has the spirit of God he is calm when he speaks and except he is animated by what the subject he speaks upon and that does not cause him to do any thing ridiculous or unseemly you can also perceive that his Mind is filled with intelligence and speaks from the abundance of his heart— He then called upon one of the brethren who had been deceived by an evil spirit to speak when he arose he <​was​> immediately began to <​be​> drawn his in the convulsed in the most singular manner his face his arms and his fingers being drawn like a person in a spasm. Josep[h] turned to and said will you go and lay hands on that brother when did so the man fell back into his Chair as weak as though he had exhausted himself by excessive <​Hard​> labor— he then called upon another who was standing looking on the outside of the house leaning in the window this man fell pitched forward into the house and after trying somtime to speak without being able to do so was administered to by the laying on of hands which affected him in the same as the one who preceeded him this showed the brethren clearly the mistake under which they had been laboring and they all rejoced together in the goodness of God in that he condescended to lead the children of Men once more by revelation and the Gift of the Holy Ghost as in former days—. [p. [1], bk. 11]
Book 11
difference between the spirit of God and the spirit of the Devil so that they could try the spirits in a measure themselves. Now said when a man gets up to speak and draws his face or limbs into an unnatural shape or position and is convulsed in a manner that makes him appear to be in pain when there is no piciptible [perceptible] cause you may rely upon it that he has the spirit of the Devil— But on the contrary when a man has the spirit of God he is calm when he speaks except he is animated by the subject he speaks upon and that does not cause him to do any thing ridiculous or unseemly you can also perceive that his Mind is filled with intelligence and speaks from the abundance of his heart— He called upon one of the brethren who had been deceived by an evil spirit to speak when he arose he was immediately convulsed in the most singular manner his face his arms and his fingers being drawn like a person in a spasm. Joseph turned to and said will you go and lay hands on that brother when did so the man fell back into his Chair as weak as though he had exhausted himself by excessive Hard labor— he then called upon another who was standing on the outside of the house leaning in the window this man pitched forward into the house and after trying somtime to speak without being able to do so was administered to by the laying on of hands which affected him the same as the one who preceeded him this showed the brethren clearly the mistake under which they had been laboring and they all rejoced together in the goodness of God in that he condescended to lead the children of Men once more by revelation and the Gift of the Holy Ghost as in former days—. [p. [1], bk. 11]
Page [1], bk. 11