8 Times LDS Priesthood Holders Raised the Dead
But there is a fear of death. Lazarus being brought back
from oblivion resonates for a reason. “Lazarus,
come forth,” said
Christ in John 11:43, and Lazarus did just that. In a gross over simplification, the once-dead man stepped
out of the tomb like Boris Karloff
on a film set in 1932.
The ultimate miracle in the Bible was
Christ’s own resurrection, but the raising of Lazarus is one of the next few to
come to mind.
Peter raised the dead too. Acts 9:40 “But Peter put them all forth, and
kneeled down, and prayed; and turning him to the body said, Tabitha, arise. And she opened her
eyes: and when she saw Peter, she sat up.”
Paul did it too. Acts
20: 9 And there sat in a window
a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul
was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft,
and was taken up dead. 10 And
Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing him said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life
is in him. 11 When
he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a
long while, even till break of day, so he departed. 12 And they brought the young
man alive, and were not a little comforted.
No small feat. But has it happened outside the Old Testament?
Has it happened in modern times? Yes! And Yes! The following are but 8
instances found in LDS history of people who died but were brought back by the
laying on of hands with the restored priesthood. Some of them even include
NDEs!
Joseph Smith only makes one appearance on this list (Which is
directly related to A Day of
God's Power – remember that post?)
– and here it is:
1) Raising William Huntington from the Dead, as recorded by Levi Curtis:
“About the month of August, 1856, William D. Huntington and I went into
Hobble Creek Canyon to get a tree or log suitable for making drums. After we
had finished our labor and started for home, both of us riding on the log, our
conversation naturally turned upon the doctrines of the Church and experiences
of the past, when the life and labors of the Prophet Joseph were touched upon.
This subject aroused into more than usual earnestness the mind and conversation
of my associate.
“He said that in Nauvoo he lived in the family of
and worked for Joseph Smith at the time the Prophet had such a wonderful time
with the sick, when nearly everybody was stricken down and he himself was among
the afflicted, and was one of those who were healed by Joseph. He said he had
been sick some weeks and kept getting weaker, until he became so helpless that
he could not move. Finally he got so low he could not speak, but had perfect
consciousness of all that was passing in the room. He saw friends come to the
bedside, look at him a moment and commence weeping, then turn away.
“He further stated that he presently felt easy,
and observing his situation found that he was in the upper part of the room
near the ceiling, and could see the body he had occupied lying on the bed, with
weeping friends, standing around as he had witnessed in many cases where people
had died under his own observation.
“About this time he saw Joseph Smith and two
other brethren come into the room. Joseph turned to his wife Emma and asked her
to get him a dish of clean water. This she did; and the Prophet with the two
brethren accompanying him washed their hands and carefully wiped them. Then
they stepped to the bed and laid their hands upon the head of his body, which
at that time looked loathsome to him, and as the three stretched out their
hands to place them upon the head, he by some means became aware that he must
go back into that body, and started to do so. The process of getting in he
could not remember; but when Joseph said “amen,” he heard and could see and
feel with his body. The feeling for a moment was most excruciating, as though
his body was pierced in every part with some sharp instruments.
“As soon as the brethren had taken their hands
from his head he raised up in bed, sitting erect, and in another moment turned
his legs off the bed.
“At this juncture Joseph asked him if he had not
better be careful, for he was very weak. He replied, “I never felt better in my
life,” almost immediately adding, “I want my pants.”
“His pants were found and given him, which he
drew on, Joseph assisting him, although he thought he needed no help. Then he
signified his intention to sit in a chair at or near the fireplace. Joseph took
hold of his arm to help him along safely, but William declared his ability to walk
alone, notwithstanding which, the help continued.
“Astonishment had taken the place of weeping
throughout the room. Every looker-on was ready to weep for joy; but none were
able or felt inclined to talk.
“Presently William said he wanted something to
eat. Joseph asked him what he would like, and he replied that he wanted a dish
of bread and milk.
“Emma immediately brought what he called for, as
one may easily comprehend, every hand was anxious to supply the wants of a man
who, a few moments before was dead, really and truly dead! Brother Huntington
ate the bowl of bread and milk with as good a relish as any he ever ate.
“In a short time all felt more familiar, and
conversation upon the scene that transpired followed. William related his
experiences, and the friends theirs.
“Joseph listened to the conversation and in his
turn remarked that they had just witnessed as great a miracle as Jesus did
while on the earth. They had seen the dead brought to life.
“At the close of his narrative to me William Huntington
remarked:
“Now I have told you the truth, and here I am a
live man, sitting by the side of you on this log, and I testify that Joseph
Smith was a Prophet of God.” (Levi Curtis, “Recollections of the
Prophet Joseph Smith,” Juvenile Instructor 27, no. 12) (15 June 1892): 385-86)
That was JS’ lone entry on this raising the dead list, but that doesn’t
mean there aren’t other prophets. This one is probably the best known on the
list – Lorenzo Snow:
2) Raising Ella Jensen From
the Dead (2 Separate Accounts):
Account #1
“On the 1st of March, 1891, I was taken severely
ill with the scarlet fever, and suffered very much for a week. It was on the
morning of the 9th that I awoke with a feeling that I was going to die. As soon
as I opened my eyes I could see some of my relatives from the other world. . .
. I then asked my sister to assist me in getting ready to go into the spirit
world. She combed my hair, washed me, and I brushed my teeth and cleaned my
nails that I might be clean when going before my Maker. . . . I then bade my
dear ones good by, and my spirit left my body.
“For some time I could hear my parents and
relatives weeping and mourning, which troubled me greatly. As soon, however, as
I had a glimpse of the other world my attention was drawn away from them to my
relatives there, who all seemed pleased to see me. . . . I saw so many of my
departed friends and relatives, all of whom I have mentioned many times
afterwards, and with many of them I conversed. . . . After having stayed with
my departed friends what seemed to me but a very short time, yet it lasted
several hours, I heard Apostle Lorenzo Snow administer to me, telling me that I
must come back, as I had some work to do on the earth yet. I was loath to leave
the heavenly place, but told my friends that I must leave them. . . .
“For a long time afterwards I had a great desire
to go back to the place of heavenly rest, where I dwelt so short a time.” (quoted in
“Remarkable Experience,” Young Woman’s
Journal, Jan. 1893, 165)
Account #2 (the Earthly side)
On the recommendation of Elder Snow, Rudger
Clawson became president of the Box Elder Stake following his release from the
penitentiary. Although Elder Snow was the older of the two by forty-three
years, there was an unusually close relationship between them. In March 1891
they joined in raising Ella Jensen from the dead. Ella had died at 10:00 a.m.
on a Sunday morning. Her father, Jacob Jensen, Elder Snow's brother-in-law,
traveled from his farm to Brigham City to tell Lorenzo. Called out of a meeting,
he took Rudger Clawson with him. By the time they reached the farmhouse, Ella
had been dead two hours. All were surprised when Elder Snow, after meditating,
asked for consecrated oil. He had Rudger Clawson anoint Ella, and Lorenzo
sealed the anointing. According to Brother Clawson, in the blessing Elder Snow
said "in a commanding voice, 'Come back, Ella, come back. Your walk upon
the earth is not yet completed, come back.'" An hour after Elder Snow and
Rudger Clawson left, Ella's spirit returned to her body. She later married,
gave birth to eight children, and lived to age eighty-six. (Francis M.
Gibbons, Dynamic Disciples, Prophets
of God: Life Stories of the Presidents of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints, p.127)
Notice the moment of meditation Snow took just before the raising.
Seeking permission perhaps? Wilford Woodruff, according to his account,
received permission unexpectedly:
3) Raising Phoebe Woodruff
from the Dead
“December 3rd [1838]
found my wife very low. I spent the day in taking care of her, and the
following day I returned to [the nearby town of] Eaton to get some things for
her. She seemed to be gradually sinking, and in the evening her spirit
apparently left her body, and she was dead.
“The sisters gathered
around her body, weeping, while I stood looking at her in sorrow. The spirit
and power of God began to rest upon me until, for the first time during her
sickness, faith filled my soul, although she lay before me as one dead.
“I had some oil that
was consecrated ... in Kirtland. I took it and consecrated it again before the
Lord for anointing the sick. I then bowed down before the Lord and prayed for
the life of my companion, and I anointed her. ... I laid my hands upon her, and
in the name of Jesus Christ I rebuked the power of death and the destroyer, and
commanded the same to depart from her, and the spirit of life to enter her
body.
“Her spirit returned
to her body, and from that hour she was made whole; and we all felt to praise
the name of God, and to trust in him and keep his commandments.
“While this operation
was going on with me (as my wife related afterwards) her spirit left her body,
and she saw her body lying upon the bed, and the sisters weeping. She looked at them and at me, and upon her babe, and, while gazing
upon this scene, two personages came into the room. ... One of these messengers
informed her that she could have her choice: she might go to rest in the spirit
world, or, on one condition she could have the privilege of returning to her
tabernacle and continuing her labors upon the earth. The condition was, if she
felt that she could stand by her husband, and with him pass through all the
cares, trials, tribulations and afflictions of life which he would be called to
pass through for the Gospel’s sake unto the end. When she looked at the
situation of her husband and child she said: ‘Yes, I will do it!’
“At the moment that
decision was made the power of faith rested upon me, and when I administered
unto her, her spirit entered her tabernacle. ...
“On the morning of the
6th of Dec., the Spirit said to me: ‘Arise, and continue thy journey!’ and
through the mercy of God my wife was enabled to arise and dress herself and
walk to the wagon, and we went on our way rejoicing”. (“Leaves from My Journal,” Millennial Star, Oct. 3, 1881, 639)
That
was the last Church President on this list that raised the dead. But here is
the brother of one being raised:
4) Raising Hyrum Grant from the
Dead
“Hyrum Grant, my
brother, had yellow jaundice which turned to black jaundice. He became as black
as my coat. He weighed slightly more than seventy pounds, and was in a most
terrible condition. A doctor Van Cott, as I remember it, was waiting on him,
and finally announced that my brother was dead. He said, “His pulse has not been
beating now for some four or five minutes. He is gone.”
“Hyrum’s son and
son-in-law laid their hands upon his head and prayed to God that his spirit
might return, that he might live to fulfill a promise made to him that he
should live to preside over the Davis stake of Zion. When they got through
praying, my brother opened his eyes, and said, “What is the matter with you
folks? You look scared half to death.” He got well and did preside over the
Davis stake of Zion.” (Modern Miracles, Jeremiah Stokes, p.
131)
This
one is interesting. It involves two priesthood holders who seemingly felt over
their heads and just wanted to let the dead be. The mother of the deceased,
however, wouldn’t:
5) Raising Eliza Ursenbach
from the Dead
“It was about the year 1872 that Eliza Ursenbach,
widow of Octave Ursenbach, died, her spirit passing into the spirit world,
leaving two small children-my sister and the writer. Phoebe Durrant, her
mother, and one of the faithful converts from England, was so distracted to a
frenzy that she determined that Eliza must return. To this end she sent for two
elderly brethren – Elders Goble and West of the sixteenth ward, Salt Lake City.
Upon their arrival they said they were sorry, but that they were too late.
“Grandmother answered: ‘It is not too late, for
Eliza must return and raise these babies, exercise your priesthood with our
faith and God will hear our prayers.’
“Quite reluctantly, the brethren attended to the
administration, when suddenly mother opened her eyes and complainingly lisped:
‘Why did you bring me back?’” (Gaze Into Heaven, Marlene Bateman
Sullivan, P 20)
FYI – that one
included a NDE where the deceased’s dead husband came for her. It’s interesting
and you should track it down. Here’s one performed by Ephraim Hanks that occurred on
the pioneer trek west:
6) Raising Blair from the Dead
"After dark, on the evening
of my arrival in the handcart camp, a woman passed the camp fire where I was
sitting crying aloud. Wondering what was the matter, my natural impulse led me
to follow her. She went straight to Daniel Tyler's wagon, where she told the
heartrending story of her husband being at the point of death, and in pleading
tones she asked Elder Tyler to come and administer to him. This good brother,
tired and weary as he was, after pulling hand-carts all day, had just retired
for the night, and was a little reluctant in getting up; but on this earnest
solicitation he soon arose, and we both followed the woman to the tent, in
which we found the apparently lifeless form of her husband. On seeing him,
Elder Tyler remarked, 'I cannot administer to a dead man.' Brother Tyler
requested me to stay and lay out the supposed dead brother, while he returned
to his wagon to seek that rest which he needed so much.
"I immediately stepped back
to the camp fire where several of the brethren were sitting and addressing
myself to Elders Grant, Kimball and one or two others, I said, 'Will you boys
do just as I tell you?' The answer was in the affirmative. We then went to work
and built a fire near the tent which I and Elder Tyler had just visited. Next
we warmed some water, and washed the dying man whose name was Blair, from head
to foot. I then anointed him with consecrated oil over his whole body, after
which we laid hands on him and commanded him in the name of Jesus Christ to
breath and live. The effect was instantaneous. For the man who was dead to all
appearances immediately began to breathe, sat up in his bed and commenced to
sing a hymn. His wife unable to control her feelings of joy and thankfulness
ran through the camp exclaiming: 'My husband was dead but is now alive praise
be the name of God. The man who brought the buffalo meat has healed him.'” (https://history.lds.org/article/pioneer-story-martins-cove-ephraim-hanks?lang=eng)
Brother Hanks, as you can imagine, was then pulled left and right to
perform healings in the camp. Here’s one from the early days of the church, as
recorded and performed by the not-talked-about-enough Benjamin Brown:
7) Raising Sister Crowell
From the Dead
“Another very remarkable case of prophecy and
healing came under my observation the following spring. A revelation was given
by the Spirit, in tongues, to the effect, that one of our number would be
poisoned by the enemies of the Church, and be brought nigh to death, but that
if she was faithful and sent for the elders of the Church, she should be
restored.
“This warning was repeated twice at intervals of
about a month. On the last occasion, in addition, it was stated that the person
giving the interpretation would be the sufferer. This terrible idea so affected
her, that she was completely overcome. After recovering, she proceeded home,
and the weather being warm she drank of some sweetened water, which she had
prepared in the morning, and had left in an exposed situation, for use. When
she had done this the second time, she felt her mouth burn. She immediately
declared she was poisoned, and commenced reaching (wretching) violently until
she became blind. Her husband, after procuring a person to stay with her, left
for one of the elders, but as he had to go some six miles before he returned
with myself, she was, to all appearance, dead, and had not been perceived to
breathe for an hour.
“Upon arriving at the house, I asked the Lord to
cause her to breathe, if she was to recover. Upon looking at her closely, I
perceived that she gave two distinct gasps, such as are usually given when the
breath is leaving the body. Had I not seen this, I should have concluded that
she was dead, for the women who were watching with her said, directly we
entered, that she was dead, and had been so an hour. I then administered to her
in the name of Jesus, and prayed the Lord to preserve her life till my
son-in-law returned with some oil which he had gone to procure. As soon as I
had done this, she was able to speak sufficiently, in a whisper, to ask for
some water, but so great was her weakness, she fell over on her face when
raised to receive the water. The oil arriving, we administered some to her
internally, in the name of the Lord, when she arose without assistance, saying,
"I am healed! I am well! but I am blind!" I then anointed her eyes,
telling her that she should see the light of the day. Her sight immediately
returned, and the next day, she, with her husband, was on her way to Illinois.
“The cause of her going there so suddenly was
that it had been given in tongues, directly after her recovery, that unless her
husband departed at once from that place, both of them would be poisoned! With
what had just occurred before their eyes, they needed no second warning this
time. This was the same woman that was healed of the cancer, and she is now, I
believe, in the valley of the Great Salt Lake.” (https://www.boap.org/LDS/Early-Saints/BBrown.html)
Now for the last –
and the most recent – example (1940s-ish). Matthew Cowley, an eventual member
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, spent a lot of time as Missionary and
then as Mission President with the saints in New Zealand. He performed a lot of
pretty major miracles himself – but this time he saw one performed:
8) Raising a Maori Man from the Dead
“I was called
to a home in a little village in New Zealand one day. There the Relief Society
sisters were preparing the body of one of our Saints. They had placed his body
in front of the big house, as they call it, the house where the people come to
wail and weep and mourn over the dead, when in rushed the dead man’s brother.
He said, “Administer to him.” And the young [Maoris] said, “Why, you shouldn’t
do that; he’s dead.” “You do it!”
“This same old man that I had with me when his niece was so ill
was there. The [dead man’s brother] got down on his knees, and he anointed this
man. Then this great old sage got down and blessed him and commanded him to
rise. You should have seen the Relief Society sisters scatter. He sat up and
said, “Send for the elders; I don’t feel very well.” Of course, all of that was
just psychological effect on that dead man. Wonderful, isn’t it—this
psychological effect business? We told him he had just been administered to,
and he said, “Oh, that was it.” He said, “I was dead. I could feel life coming
back into me just like a blanket unrolling.” He outlived the brother that came
in and told us to administer to him.” (https://www.lds.org/ensign/2004/10/miracles?lang=eng)
These eight stories from nine people are almost overwhelming when you
read them all together like that. Kind of like how the seer stone stories are overwhelming
when they’re shotgunned at you. Or like when you read about the eleven separate instances of glowing people.
Now before you decide you’re invincible
and go jumping into the business end of a large sea mammal (with only a head
lamp and two ziplock bags full of trail mix), think about this: Most of Joseph Smith’s
children died before reaching adulthood. The Haun’s Mill victims all stayed
dead. There were an awful lot of shallow graves along the sad trail to Utah.
These 8 examples are incredible – but they are the exception, not the rule,
obviously.
Still, it’s enough to make us all pause and take note.
Once you’ve wriggled past those whale polyps, anyway.
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