Joseph Smith Heals a Crippled English Convert After Wilford Woodruff Is Prompted to Turn Back

In 1840, during Wilford Woodruff's mission to England, Joseph Smith visited Herefordshire as part of a broader mission trip. He met a man named John Benbow, a wealthy farmer, and through his preaching baptized hundreds in the area.

A remarkable account from that period involves Joseph's gift of healing. A woman named Mary Pitt, who had been unable to walk for years and had to be carried to meetings, was healed through Joseph Smith's administration.

Wilford Woodruff recorded: "I also saw Sister Mary Pitt, who had been healed. I saw them as they passed my house on their way. She had not walked for many years and was healed through the administration of Elder Woodruff and others."

The healings were part of a sweeping spiritual outpouring in England that resulted in the baptism of nearly 1,800 converts in approximately eight months.