History of David W. Patten

In the early part of my life, I was often called upon to repent of my sins, and the Spirit of the Lord did often reprove me. In the twenty first year of my life the Lord visited me by his Holy Spirit, and called upon me again to repent. I rejected the call at first, but, upon mature reflection, considered it was reasonable the Lord should require obedience, and I turned to the Lord and found his favor.

I lived in the enjoyment of his Spirit for three years, during which time, by dreams and visions, many things were made known unto me, which were to come; and from the teachings I received of the Holy Spirit, I was looking for the Church of Christ to arise in its purity, according to the promise of Christ, and that I should live to see it.

From this happy state I fell away and lived, in a measure, in darkness until the year 1830, when my mind became again aroused by the Spirit of God to a sense of my situation, and I began to pray mightily to God that he would pardon my sins and grant me his Holy Spirit.

About this time the sound of the Book of Mormon came to my ears, and I was greatly agitated in mind about it, and desired to see it. I saw the book that same summer, but had no opportunity of reading it further than the preface and testimony of the witnesses. A fear came upon me, and I dare not say anything against it. From that time I began to cry to God for saving faith.

Nothing took place worthy of note until May, 1832, when on receiving a letter from my brother in Indiana, giving me information of the rise of the Church of Christ, the reception of the Holy Ghost and the gifts thereof by the Saints. My brother informed me that he had received the Holy Ghost by the laying on of the hands of the Elders of the Church. This caused my heart to leap for joy, and I resolved to go immediately and see for myself.

I soon became satisfied that the work was true, and was baptized on the 15th of June, 1832, in Greene Co., Indiana, by my brother, John Patten. I was ordained an elder on the 17th, under the hands of Elisha H. Groves in said county, when I was appointed, in company with brother Wood, to preach in the Territory of Michigan. We travelled and preached together, and I recorded many remarkable cases of healing, which occurred under my administration: in many instances I went to the sick, who said they had faith and promised to obey the Gospel when they got better, and commanded them in the name of the Lord to arise and be made whole; and they were immediately restored. Sixteen persons were baptized near the Maumee River.

After preaching a short season, we returned home; and on the 16th, Oct., I started for Kirtland, preaching by the way, took steamer on the 18th from Detroit for Fairport; had much conversation on board, among others with a priest who tempted God and asked a sign, and pretended that he would believe if he could see a sign, and because he could not have a sign, he mocked and scoffed at all I said, not being able to maintain his position by argument. I was then attacked by sceptics, one of whom declared he was not under any obligation to believe anything that he could not see: I asked him if he considered himself bound by that rule; he answered in an air of triumph, yes! I asked him if he had got any back bone, he replied yes! when I asked him how he knew, if he had ever seen it? for according to his own words, he was not under any obligation to believe he ever had any back bone: at this the company shouted and laughed, and the sceptic sneaked off.

I arrived in Kirtland in October [1832], and remained two or three weeks, helping the brethren to dig potatoes and harvest corn.

Nov. 9, 1832, I started on a mission to the east, travelling sometimes in company with brother John Murdock, and sometimes with brother Reynolds Cahoon; we baptized several on our journey.

Nov. 29. Held Council with brothers John F. Boynton and Zebedee Coltrin relative to our duty on our mission; we retired to a grove to enquire of the Lord, and agreed that brother Zebedee Coltrin should be the person through whom the Lord should make known his will unto us, and in mighty prayer we did call on him, and he heard our prayers and revealed unto us that we should pursue our journey eastward, not in haste nor by flight. Our hearts were filled with joy, and we praised the Lord, and pursued our journey, the Spirit of God leading us, and signs continually following.

When we arrived at the Springfield (Pa.) Branch we met with brothers Hyrum and William Smith. We held a meeting and had a joyful time together, brother Hyrum baptized six at the close of the meeting: next day two were baptized.

When we found any sick I preached to them faith in the ordinances of the Gospel, and where the truth found place in their hearts, I commanded them in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ to arise from their beds of sickness and be made whole; in many instances the people came after me to lay hands on their sick, because of this gift which the Lord had bestowed upon me, and almost daily, the sick were healed under my hands: a woman who had an infirmity for nearly twenty years was instantly healed. I arrived home in Kirtland, Feb. 25, 1833.

March 25. The Elders were sent out from Kirtland to preach the Gospel, and counsel the Saints to gather to Kirtland. I started with brother Cahoon east, and on reaching Avon I preached at father Bosley's, where there was a man present who had disturbed several of our meetings, and would not be civil or quiet; he had defied any man to put him out of the house or make him be still. I felt stirred up in spirit, and told him to be quiet, or I certainly would put him out; he said I could not do it; I replied, "In the name of the Lord I will do it," whereupon I walked up to him, and seizing him by the neck with one hand and by the seat of the breeches with my other hand, I carried him to the door, and threw him about ten feet on to a pile of wood, which quieted him for the time being. From this circumstance the saying went out that David Patten had cast out one Devil, soul and body.

May 20, 1833, brother Brigham Young came to Theresa, Indian River Falls, where I had been bearing testimony to my relatives; and after preaching several discourses, he baptized my brothers Archibald and Ira Patten, Warren Parrish, Cheeseman and my mother and my sister, Polly.

I continued my labors in Jefferson Co., and by the blessing of God, raised a branch of eighteen members in the town of Orleans, through much persecution and affliction, and all manner of evil speaking; and when divers persons were hardened in that vicinity, I went to Henderson, where I found a noble people who received the word of the Lord; and when I had preached the first principles of the doctrine of Christ, there were eight persons who came forward and were baptized for the remission of their sins, and when hands were laid upon them the Holy Ghost fell on them, and they spake with tongues and prophesied.

I labored continually through the months of May, June, July and August, during which time by the blessing of God, I raised some other branches, in all eighty members. Now the Lord did work with me wonderfully in signs and wonders following them that did believe in the fullness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ; insomuch that the deaf were made to hear, the blind to see, and the lame were made whole; fevers, palsies, crooked limbs and withered limbs, and in fine all manner of diseases common to the country, were healed by the power of God that was manifested through his servants.

I returned to Kirtland, Ohio, in company with my brother, Ira, and found the brethren all well. They had begun to build the house of the Lord [Kirtland Temple]; I tarried and worked on the house one month, and then went to Michigan Territory to my former place of residence, on business; and concluded to remove my effects to Florence, Ohio, which I did, and where I remained about seven weeks, during which time I was sick about five weeks; when I commended myself into the hands of God, and went into the world to proclaim the Gospel again, and travelled about two weeks, when the Spirit of the Lord came upon me, and the Lord said unto me, "Depart from your field of labor and go unto Kirtland, for behold I will send thee up to the land of Zion, and thou shalt serve thy brethren there."

I obeyed the word of the Lord, and was sent in company with Wm. [William] D. Pratt to bear despatches to the brethren in Missouri. I started December 28, 1833, and arrived in Clay County, March 4, 1834, having passed through much cold and fatigue; still I was blessed of the Lord, and much good was done in consequence of my mission. I tarried in Missouri until the camp of Zion came from Ohio; and when they arrived the people of Clay County besought us in the name of God not to go over into Jackson County, and they would use their utmost endeavors to give us our rights according to the laws of the land. Now, the laws were good, and gave every man a right to worship the Lord according to the dictates of his own conscience; but the magistrates, officers and people were wicked, and trampled the law under their feet, and persecuted and murdered the Saints with impunity.

A violent persecutor stepped up to me, and said, "You damned Mormon," drawing his bowie knife, "I will cut your damned throat." I looked him full in the face, at the same time putting my hand in my left breast pocket, and said to him, "My friend, do nothing rashly." "For God's sake, don't shoot," he replied, and put up his knife and left me, though I was unarmed.

Sept. 12, 1834, I started in company with brother Warren Parish to go into the world to preach the Gospel, travelled through Upper Missouri, preaching by the way. At La Grange I took steamboat for St. Louis, and from thence by steamboat to the mouth of the Ohio, where we landed October 2nd, and proceeded to Paris, in Tennessee; where we tarried about three months, preaching the Gospel in that vicinity and the region round about, we baptized twenty, during which time several instances of the healing power of God were made manifest, one of which I will mention, which was wrought upon the wife of Mr. Johnston F. Lane, who had been sick for eight years, and for the last year had been unable to walk, she hearing of us, and the faith we preached, prevailed on her husband to send for us: I went with him immediately and taught them the Gospel, showing what power was exercised by the Lord upon those who had faith; she believed with all her heart all the words which I spake unto her; and I laid my hands upon her and said, "In the name of Jesus Christ I rebuke this disorder, and command it to depart." I took her by the hand, and commanded her to arise in the name of Jesus Christ, and be made whole; and she arose, and was made whole every whit. I then commanded her to go to the water and be baptized; she walked down straightway the same hour, and was baptized.

After I had baptized and confirmed her I told her she should amend and gain strength, and in less than one year she should have a son (she had been married some twelve years, and had no children,) which came to pass according to my words, and the parents called the child David Patten; she afterwards bore several children.

The Battle of Crooked River -- Death of D.W. Patten