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Testimonies for the Church Volume 4
We returned to Groveland on Tuesday to find the camp breaking
up, tents being struck, our brethren saying farewell and ready to step
on board the cars to return to their homes. This was one of the best
camp meetings I ever attended. Before leaving the ground, Elders
Canright and Haskell, my husband, Sister Ings, and I sought a retired
place in the grove and united in prayer for the blessing of health and
the grace of God to rest more abundantly upon my husband. We all
deeply felt the need of my husband’s help, when so many urgent calls
for preaching were coming in from every direction. This season of
prayer was a very precious one, and the sweet peace and joy that
settled upon us was our assurance that God heard our petitions. In
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the afternoon Elder Haskell took us in his carriage, and we started for
South Lancaster to rest at his home for a time. We preferred this way
of traveling, thinking it would benefit our health.
We had daily conflicts with the powers of darkness, but we did
not yield our faith or become in the least discouraged. My husband,
because of disease, was desponding, and Satan’s temptations seemed
to greatly disturb his mind. But we had no thought of being overcome
by the enemy. No less than three times a day we presented his case to
the Great Physician, who can heal both soul and body. Every season
of prayer was to us very precious; on every occasion we had special
manifestations of the light and love of God. While pleading with God
in my husband’s behalf one evening at Brother Haskell’s, the Lord
seemed to be among us in very deed. It was a season never to be
forgotten. The room seemed to be lighted up with the presence of
angels. We praised the Lord with our hearts and voices. One blind
sister present said: “Is this a vision? is this heaven?” Our hearts were
in such close communion with God that we felt the hallowed hours too
sacred to be slept away. We retired to rest; but nearly the entire night
was passed in talking and meditating upon the goodness and love of
God, and in glorifying Him with rejoicing.
We decided to travel by private conveyance a part of the way to
the Vermont camp meeting, as we thought this would be beneficial to
my husband. At noon we would stop by the roadside, kindle a fire,
prepare our lunch, and have a season of prayer. These precious hours
spent in company with Brother and Sister Haskell, Sister Ings, and
Sister Huntley will never be forgotten. Our prayers went up to God all