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Contest With Evil Spirits.
BY H. G. B.
THE SAVIOR'S PROMISE-SENT ON A MISSION WHEN A BOY-CONFERENCE IN BURKE'S GARDEN-A GIRL APPARENTLY STRICKEN WITH DEATH-MY FRIGHT AT BEING ASKED TO ADMINISTER TO HER-PROMPTED BY THE SPIRIT TO CAST THE DEVIL OUT OF HER-THE EVIL SPIRIT LEAVES HER AND ENTERS TWO OTHERS-SIX ELDERS CONTEND WITH THE EVIL SPIRIT FOR THIRTY-SIX HOURS-ITS FINAL BANISHMENT.
JUST a few minutes before our Savior took His leave of the twelve apostles and ascended on high, He promised that certain gifts and blessings should be enjoyed by the believer.
You will find this promise recorded in the 16th chapter of the gospel according to St. Mark, 17th and 18th verses. It is of one of these gifts that I wish to speak.
When on my first mission (in the year 1844), in the State of Virginia, we were attending a conference in Burke's Garden, Tazewell County. There were some ten or twelve Elders in attendance, most of whom had just arrived a week or two previous from Nauvoo, where they had, during the April Conference, been called and set apart for missions in Virginia. It was Sunday evening, some time early in May. Our conference had just closed, the last services of which were the ordinances of baptism and confirmation administered to several persons.
The Saints and strangers had dispersed to their homes, except some of the Saints who lived at a distance. A few of these had put up with Colonel Peter Litz, who, with his family, were members of the Church, and where also several of the Elders, myself included, were going to stay over night.
The time in the evening was what would be called early twilight. Some of the Elders had taken an evening stroll. At any rate, I was the only Elder that was about the house, when Sister Litz came to me (I was seated at the time out in the yard) very much excited, and said that one of the sisters who had come to stay over night, was taken suddenly and very severely sick, and she (Sister Litz) desired me to administer to her.
I was only a boy, yet in my teens, and with little or no experience, and had never been called upon, up to that time, to administer to the sick. I naturally shrank from the task, and would have given anything to have had some one to take it off my shoulders.
However, there was no escape for me-no other Elders were present, and she insisted that I should attend to the ordinance.
I followed Sister Litz into the house, and there lay the girl, stretched upon a bed, apparently lifeless, without breath or motion.
I asked Sister Litz what was the matter with the girl, but she could not tell.
"What can I do?" I thought. What could any one do? Nevertheless, I placed my hands upon her head, knowing full well if the Lord did not help me, that I would utterly fail in being able to say the first appropriate word, or exercise the least power.
As soon as I opened my mouth, I began to cast a devil out of her, which was farthest from my thoughts before I commenced. I commanded it, in the name of Jesus Christ, to come out of her, and not to return again. The evil spirit immediately departed from her, she being restored to her normal condition, seemingly as well as ever.