One Saturday evening I was appointed by the brethren to baptize a number the next morning in the river Ribble [in England—A. K.], which runs through that place. By this time, the adversary of souls began to rage, and he felt a determination to destroy us before we had fully established the gospel in that land; and the next morning I witnessed such a scene of satanic power and influence as I shall never forget while memory lasts.

About daybreak, Brother Russell (who was appointed to preach in the market place that day), who slept in the second story of the house in which we were entertained, came up to the room where Elder Hyde and I were sleeping and called us to arise and pray for him, for he was so afflicted with evil spirits that he could not live long unless he should obtain relief.

We immediately arose, laid hands upon him and prayed that the Lord would have mercy on his servant and rebuke the devil. While thus engaged, I was struck with great force by some invisible power and fell senseless on the floor as if I had bee shot, and the first thing that I recollected was that I was supported by Brother Hyde and Russell, who were beseeching the throne in my behalf. They then laid me on the bed, but my agony was so great that I could not endure, and I was obliged to get out, and fell on my knees and began to pray. I then sat on the bed and could distinctly see the evil spirits, who foamed and gnashed their teeth upon us. We gazed upon them abut an hour and a half, and I shall never forget the horror and malignity on the countenances of these foul spirits, and any attempt to paint the scene which then presented itself, or portray the malice and enmity depicted in their countenances would be vain.

I perspired exceedingly, and my clothes were as wet as if I had been taken out of the river. I felt exquisite pain, and was in the greatest distress for some time. However, I learned by it the power of the adversary, his enmity against the servants of God and got some understanding of the invisible world. —H. C. Kimball's Journal, pp.19, 20

EXPERIENCES BY KIMBALL AT NAUVOO IN 1839

One night I was awakened out of my sleep by my wife making a noise as though she was nearly choking to death. I inquired the cause, and she replied that she had dreamed that a personage came and seized her by the throat and was choking her. I immediately lit a candle and saw that her eyes were sunken and her nose pinched in as though she was in the last stages of cholera. I laid hands upon her and rebuked the evil spirit in the name of Jesus, and by the power of the holy priesthood commanded it to depart. In a moment afterwards I heard some half a dozen children in different parts of the Bozier house crying as if in great distress. The cattle also began to bellow, the horses neighed, the dogs barked, the hogs squealed, and hens cackled, and roosters crowed, and everything around seemed in great commotion. In a few minutes afterwards I was sent for to lay hands upon Sister patten, the widow of David W. Patten, who was living in the room adjoining mine, and who was seized in a similar manner to my wife. —H. C. Kimball's Journal, pp.19-20.