[Hosea Stout]
My child was still worse[.] ...
My child seemed strangely affected to night after laying hands on him we found him to [be] troubled with evil spirits who I knew now were determined on his destruction[.] He would show all signs of wrath to wards me & his mother and appearantly try to talk. His looks were demoniac accopanied by the most frightful gestures I ever saw in a child. His strength was greater than in the days of his health.
At times I felt almost to cowl at his fierce ghastly & horrid look and even felt to withdraw from the painful scene for truly the powers of darkness now prevailed here. We were shut up in the waggon with nothing to behold or contemplate but this devoted child thus writhing under the power of the destroyer[.] It was now late in the night & he getting worse when we came to the conclusion to lay hands on him again that the powers of darkness might be rebuked if he could not be raised up. Thus alone my wife & me over our only and dearest son struggled in sorrow and affliction with this last determination that we would not yield with the portion of the Priesthood which we had to the evil spirits[.] After laying hands on him and rebuking the evil spirits he took a Different course[.] He ceased to manifest a desire to talk & his ghastly and frightful gestures and with a set and determined eye gazed at me as if conscious of what had been done
We thus beheld him a long time until finally he became easy and went to sleep[.] Late at night we went to sleep also leaving a burning candle in the waggon.
[Source: Diaries of Hosea Stout]
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