Based on the journal of Elder Joseph Argyle. He and Elder John W Sharp were preaching among the saints of the Hickman & Maury counties in Tennessee. I have made some serious corrections for spelling, punctuation and grammar.
Friday May 25 1877
While at the home of John Mullens, preparing for a meeting at Pleasant Ridge, Elders Argyle and Sharp heard a shout across the Duck River. It was Thomas Coleman; a friend of the church but not yet a member. Thomas was asking that the missionaries would come to the aid of Sally Moore. Sally, Thomas said, was not expected to live til morning and he wanted the Elders to come right away and giver a healing blessing. In the exchange of shouts across the river, the elders deferred saying they had a meeting they were obligated to hold and could not make it that night, but that they would come to see her the next morning. Thomas was distraught fully believing Sally would not last that long. Elder Argyle felt prompted to promise she would be fine until then.
The Elders still had some time before their meeting so they "found a lonely place in a bunch of new cedar" and prayed on the behalf of sister Moore, asking that the Lord would "stay the [disease] that was then praying upon her [system.]" First Elder Argyle prayed and then Elder Sharp. When they rose from their knees, Elder Argyle said "look at your watch and see what time you have got and I will look at mine and ... we will see what transpires at this time" for he knew she would be restored. The two went and held their meeting and then stayed the night with Brother [Thomas] Holiday Church.
Saturday May 26th 1877
The next morning they walked to Robert Church's home and had breakfast. Then they borrowed two of Robert's horses, which had been set aside for that purpose, and started off toward Sally Moore's home. It was about 7 miles away. Along the way they overtook Brother William Bryant who said he too was heading for Sally Moore's home because he heard she was nearly dead. Along the way they ran into a young man riding the other way. Brother Bryant asked him if he knew how Sally was doing and he said she was better.
When the three arrived at the Moore home, Sally's husband greeted them at the door. As they walked through the door Sally, still in her bed, smiled and told them she was feeling much better. Elder Argyle asked her when she began to feel better. She said it was the previous night and told him the time. Elder Argyle wrote that "it was the same time that we prayed for her." Sally's husband turned to Brother Bryant and said that he too noticed the change in Sally at that time and that he felt strange in a way he could not describe and he knew at the time it had something to do with the men Tom Coleman said he was going to get.
Elder Argyle and Sharp spent the night at the Moore home, giving instructions and in the morning they administered a blessing to sister Moore and continued on their way the Hoover home.
11 months ago
4 comments:
I don't have any thing to add, Bruce, but thanks for posting this.
Thank you for taking the time to read and comment.
What an inspiring story. I'm glad the Elders were so forward thinking, not only to note the time to show these people the Lord's hand at work, but also in writing it down in their journals. Who knew if they every thought that people nearly 150 years later would be reading their story and being influenced by their faith. Thank you, Bruce, for digging this up and publishing it. Is there an epilogue to this story?
Thank you. There probably is an epilogue, but I haven't found it yet. The missionary who wrote about it in his journal wasn't kind enough to include it. And Sally has eluded my attempts to find her. But I'm working on the history of the branch of which she was a part, so I may yet find more.
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