JOSEPH SMITH'S PERSEVERANCE—ORGANIZATION OF THE CHURCH—JOSEPH SMITH VISITS ME—HIS OWN ACCOUNTS OF HIS VISIT—HE ASKS ME TO PRAY—I REFUSE—I GO TO THE WOODS AND TRY TO OFFER UP PRAYER—AM ATTACKED BY A DEVIL—CURIOUS ACTIONS WHILE THUS AFFLICTED—THE PROPHET CASTS THE DEVIL OUT—THE SPIRIT OF GOD SHOWS ME GLORIOUS THINGS—THIS MIRACLE WITNESSED BY MANY PERSONS.

Joseph persevered, and the Lord raised up friends who aided him in the great work of translating and printing the record which the unsealed part of the sacred plates contained. The title given to the book being THE BOOK OF MORMON.

On the sixth day of April, 1830, by revelation and commandment from God, a Church was organized, called, "The Church of Jesus Christ," which consisted of only six members, viz., Joseph Smith, Jun., Oliver Cowdery, Hyrum Smith, Peter Whitmer, Jun., Samuel H. Smith, and David Whitmer.

On Sunday, April 11th, 1880, the first public discourse, preached by a Latter day Saint, was delivered by Oliver Cowdery, at the house of Peter Whitmer, Sen. During the same month the prophet honored me with a visit, during which time I received a great manifestation, one long to be remembered, and in order that my children may know how the Lord has dealt with me I will make this extract from Joseph Smith's history.

"During this month of April I went on a visit to Mr. Joseph Knight, of Colesville, Broome Co., N. Y., with whom and his family I had been previously acquainted, and of whose name I have made mention as having been so kind and thoughtful towards us, while translating the Book of Mormon. Mr. Knight and his family were Universalists, but were willing to reason with me upon my religious views, and were as usual friendly and hospitable. We held several meetings in the neighborhood, we had many friends, and some enemies. Our meetings were well attended, and many began to pray vocally to Almighty God, that He would give them wisdom to understand the truth. Among those who attended our meetings regularly, was Newel Knight, son of Joseph Knight. He and I had many serious conversations on the important subject of man's eternal salvation; we had got into the habit of praying much at our meetings and Newel had said he would try and take up his cross, and pray vocally during meeting; but when we again met together he rather excused himself. I tried to prevail upon him, making use of the figure, supposing that he should get into a mudhole, would he not try to help himself out? and that we were willing now to help him out of the mudhole, he replied that provided he had got into a mudhole through carelessness, he would rather wait and get out himself than have others help him, and so he would wait until he should get into the woods by himself, and there he would pray. Accordingly he deferred praying until the next morning, when he retired into the woods; where (according to his own account afterwards) he made several attempts to pray, but could scarcely do so, feeling that he had not done his duty, but that he should have prayed in the presence of others. He began to feel uneasy, and continued to feel worse both in mind and body, until upon reaching his own house, his appearance was such as to alarm his wife very much. He requested her to go and bring me to him. I went, and found him suffering very much in his mind, and his body acted upon in a very strange manner. His visage and limbs were distorted and twisted in every shape and appearance possible to imagine; and finally he was caught up off the floor of the apartment and tossed about most fearfully. His situation was soon made known to his neighbors and relatives, and in a short time as many as eight or nine grown persons had got together to witness the scene. After he had thus suffered for a time, I succeeded in getting hold of him by the hand, when almost immediately he spoke to me, and with great earnestness requested of me, that I should cast the devil out of him, saying that he knew he was in him, and that he also knew that I could cast him out. I replied, if you know that I can, it shall be done, and then almost unconsciously I rebuked the devil; and commanded him in the name of Jesus Christ to depart from him; when immediately Newel spoke out and said that he could see the devil leave him and vanish from his sight. This was the first miracle which has been done in this Church, or by any member of it, and it was done by God, and by the power of godliness; therefore let the honor and the praise, the dominion and the glory, be ascribed to the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, forever and ever, Amen.

"The scene was now entirely changed, for as soon as the devil had departed from our friend, his countenance became natural, his distortion of body ceased, and almost immediately the Spirit of God descended upon him, and the visions of eternity were opened to his view. He afterwards related his experience as follows: `I now began to feel a most pleasing sensation resting upon me, and immediately the visions of heaven were opened to my view. I felt myself attracted upwards, and remained for sometime enwrapt in contemplation, insomuch that I knew not what was going on in the room. By and by I felt some weight pressing upon my shoulder and the side of my head; which served to recall me to a sense of my situation, and I found that the Spirit of the Lord had actually caught me up off the floor, and that my shoulder and head were pressing against the beams.'

"All this was witnessed by many, to their great astonishment and satisfaction, when they saw the devil thus cast out, and the power of God and His Holy Spirit thus made manifest. As soon as consciousness returned, his bodily weakness was such that we were obliged to lay him upon his bed and wait upon him for some time. As may be expected, such a scene as this contributed much to make believers of those who witnessed it, and, finally, the greater part of them, became members of the Church."