| 84 relative to his gifts and callings from God, and concerning the great work of the last days. Not a jar appeared in our sentiments or feelings, and we retired. On the 5th he had an engagement, but in the evening he, his brother Jacob, and myself, retired to a lonely place, and there under the cover of the night and of the forest David gave me a succinct history of the dealings of the Lord with him back until the year 1839, when I had last seen him. At the close of this interesting interview we bowed together in the stillness of a late hour at night, in the shady grove, and each vocally called upon God, the one after the other, while his Holy Spirit distilled upon our hearts as the morning dew.
"On the 6th David and Jacob Whitmer and Hiram Page accompanied me to Far West, to visit their brother, John Whitmer. On the 7th, in the morning, we bowed in family prayer, David being mouth. But in the midst of his prayer his own weakness and the greatness of the work of the Lord pressed in full view before him; he shrank and cried aloud for mercy. His head as it were was a fountain of tears and his eyes streams of water; his whole frame trembled and shook under the power of God, and his natural strength began to give way, and he cried out, 'Brethren, lay hands upon me that I may have strength to do my duty.' We arose and ministered to him, and if ever deep and powerful feeling filled my whole heart, that was the time. He received strength and concluded his prayer.
"After breakfasting, we retired to a pleasant inner room and dedicated ourselves to God, in a council capacity, and then held a free and lengthy consultation about the first rise and progress of the work from the year 1827 up to 1834 and onward to the present time. We conversed freely, and particularly about the reorganization of the same church by us in Kirtland, in February, 1847. I was particular to relate to them all the great and important principles made known to us, and upon which we had acted. The following revelation which we had received on the 10th of February preceding, which was the cause of the reorganization, was read and approved:-
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