arise from his bed and walk

A most remarkable manifestation of the healing power of God was given in the early days of Nauvoo. Many of the Saints, driven from Missouri and weakened by the exposures, were taken sick, in the moist, malarial air of the new settlements. On the 22nd of July, 1839, the Prophet arose from a bed of sickness and went forth in the power of God to administer to the sick. Heber C. Kimball describes what followed thus:

“He commenced with the sick in his own house, then visited those who were camping in tents in his own dooryard, 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 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,” 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. He then walked into the cabin of Brother 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 thus accompanied Joseph and his brethren of the Twelve, and went into the house of Elijah Fordham, who was insensible, and considered by his family and friends to be in the hands of death. Joseph stepped to his bedside, looked him in the eye for a minute without speaking, then took him by the hand and commanded him in the name of Jesus Christ to arise from his bed and walk. Brother Fordham immediately leaped out of his bed, threw off all his poultices and bandages, dressed himself, called for a bowl of bread and milk, which he ate, and followed us into the street. We then went into the house of Joseph B. Noble, who was also very sick, and he was healed in the same manner” (Orson F. Whitney, Life of Heber C. Kimball, p. 273-4).


Doctrine and Covenants Commentary by Hyrum M. Smith and Janne M. Sjodahl. Deseret Book. 1965. p.233