Wilford Woodruff Blessing Miracle

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Jeffery R. Holland said "Believe in Miracles. . . Hope is never lost." When all seems to be lost, the Savior Jesus Christ has given us the assurance that hope is never lost. There are many powerful stories of miracles throughout Church History, and this story of Wilford Woodruff and his wife Phoebe is one of those examples of the power of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. Phoebe contracted a sickness and died. Phoebe was miraculously brought back to life by the power of the Priesthood of Jesus Christ. Her life was spared for a time, so she could finish her mission on Earth. Hope is never lost, sometimes we simply do not know the end but our Savior does.

In 1838, Wilford Woodruff was traveling to Zion(Missouri) to assume his new assignment in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. On the journey, his wife Phoebe, was overcome with a high fever. "I alighted at a house' Brother Woodruff wrote, "and carried my wife and her bed into it, with a determination to tarry there until she recovered her health, or passed away. This was on Sunday morning, December 2.

After getting my wife and things into the house and wood provided to keep up a fire, I employed my time in taking care of her. It looked as though she had but a short time to live.

She called me to her bedside in the evening and said she felt as though a few moments more would end her existence in this life. She manifested great confidence in the cause she had embraced, and exhorted me to have confidence in God and keep his commandments.

To all appearances she was dying. I laid hands upon her. . . and she soon revived and slept some during the night.

December 3rd found my wife very low. I spent the day taking care of 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 for my anointing while in Kirtland. . . I then bowed down before the Lord and prayed for the life of my companion, and I anointed her body with oil in the name of the Lord. 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 to 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, while gazing upon this scene, two personages came into the room. . ., and told her they had come for her. . . One of these messengers informed her that she could have 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 will 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 that moment the decision was made the power of faith rested upon me, and when I administered unto her, her spirit entered her tabernacle, and she saw the messengers [go out] the door."

References:

"Precept upon precept" ch 12 pg 232-234