Acts of Special Providence in Missionary Experience: Evil Spirits Rebuked; The Gift of Tongues and Prophecy

ACTS OF SPECIAL PROVIDENCE IN MIS- SIONARY EXPERIENCE.

EVIL SPIRITS REBUKED—THE GIFT OF TONGUES AND PROPHECY.

BY ELDER EZRA C. ROBINSON.

While traveling as a missionary in the Southern States, it was my happy portion on a number of occasions to witness a fulfillment of the Savior's promises to the believers. To the many testimonies borne that the signs follow the believers and that the gifts and blessings of the Gospel are enjoyed among the true followers of Christ in this age, I wish to add one more testimony. In the central part of North Carolina a few honest souls had A small branch of the accepted our testimony and were baptized. Church was established and we held conference with the Saints resulting in the arousal of considerable interest. At the close of the meeting a number presented themselves for baptism. A young lady who was converted and who had previously witnessed the power of God in her own behalf in the rebuking of evil spirits, attended our meetings with the intention of accepting the Gospel, but for some reason she decided to defer baptism until some other time. As soon as she returned home she was again attacked by evil spirits who obtained possession of her body, cast her to the floor, and tormented her fearfully. We were called in to administer

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to her and she asked us to baptize her and to pray to the Lord in her behalf. Before we could attend to the ordinance of baptism, we had a terrible encounter with the powers of darkness. For three hours we stood over her exercising the authority of the Priesthood in rebuking the evil spirits who stubbornly resisted us and returned at short intervals after being rebuked, struggling for the mastery. She pointed toward the ceiling, crying, "Can't you see them?" When we placed our hands upon her head she rose from her prostrate position with such violence as to throw me upon my back. Finally, impressed by the Spirit of the Lord, we anointed her with oil and she was relieved from that time until she was baptized a few hours later. When taken to the water she was very weak, unable to walk without assistance, but when baptized she was restored. The glow of health returned to her cheeks and she walked home without the least assistance. Her father, who had been an avowed infidel for many years, soon after- wards accepted of the Gospel with others of his family, rejoicing in the mercy of God which had led them into the light. Although born and reared in the Church, I had never had the privilege of hearing the gift of tongues manifested prior to my missionary call. On one occasion while in the field, I felt a peculiar desire to hear the gift. Six of the Elders were holding a Priest- hood meeting. Before the meeting opened I had besought the Lord to bless a certain Elder (naming him) with the gift of tongues during the meeting we were about to hold. In the meeting, while addressing the brethren on the gifts and blessings promised to the Saints, I offered a silent prayer that the Lord would bless this particular Elder with the gift of tongues. Almost instantly he was raised to his feet by the power of God and spoke in an unknown tongue, even before I had taken my seat. Very vividly do I recall with what unspeakable joy I realized that before me stood a servant of God clothed upon with the Holy Ghost, speaking as did the apostles of old upon the day of Pentecost. Tears of joy sprang to our eyes and we felt that we were indeed baptized with the Holy Ghost and with fire. And, when the interpretation was given by the same power in answer to our humble petitions, we felt we could go forth and testify that we knew of a surety that

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the gifts and blessings of old were restored, for we had tasted of the heavenly gift. My mind reverted back a year and a half when the Lord had blessed me with the spirit of prophecy and before thirty-six Elders of our conference I had prophesied that we would yet go forth and speak with tongues and prophesy, and heal the sick by the power of God, and build branches of the Church in many parts of that land. I realized that here was at least a partial fulfillment.

Afterwards I witnessed these blessings poured out in abund- ance, and I wish to bear my humble testimony to the youth of Israel that I know that the signs do follow the believers in this age and that the God of Heaven has restored the Holy Priesthood to earth again, and that the Gospel is indeed the power of God unto salvation.

Manitoba, Canada.

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