Margarette McIntire Burgess — Joseph Smith Heals a Sick Child on His Lap in Nauvoo (c. 1842)

Margarette McIntire (later Burgess) was a young girl in Nauvoo, Illinois, when she had a remarkable personal encounter with the Prophet Joseph Smith that resulted in her healing from sickness. Her account, preserved in the recollections of those who knew the Prophet, provides a touching firsthand witness of Joseph Smith's healing power and his tender love for children.

During the difficult period when Nauvoo was being built from the swamplands of Commerce, Illinois, sickness was rampant among the Saints. Margarette, a young child, was seriously ill. In the midst of the challenges of building a city and leading a Church, Joseph Smith took time to minister to this little girl.

According to the account, Joseph Smith took young Margarette McIntire on his lap and she was healed of her sickness. This simple, tender act — a prophet of God holding a sick child and healing her — was characteristic of Joseph Smith's ministry. Despite the crushing weight of his responsibilities as the leader of a growing Church, the mayor of Nauvoo, the lieutenant general of the Nauvoo Legion, and a husband and father, Joseph always made time for children. He followed the Savior's example: "Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not" (Luke 18:16).

This healing is remarkable for several reasons:

— It demonstrates Joseph Smith's Christlike love for children. In the midst of overwhelming responsibilities, he took the time to hold a sick child on his lap and minister to her. He did not consider any soul too small for his attention.

— It is a firsthand, personal account of healing by the recipient herself. Margarette McIntire Burgess carried the memory of this healing throughout her life and bore record of it.

— It illustrates the pattern of Joseph's healing ministry: he ministered not with ostentation or ceremony, but with simple, loving faith. He held the child, and she was healed.

— It is one of numerous accounts of Joseph Smith healing children in Nauvoo, demonstrating that his healing gift was exercised regularly and on the most vulnerable members of the community.

Margarette's brother, Wallace McIntire, also had recollections of Joseph Smith and his interactions with the McIntire family. The McIntire children were among the many young Saints in Nauvoo who had personal experiences with the Prophet and whose testimonies were preserved in the historical record.

Margarette McIntire Burgess's account stands as a touching witness of Joseph Smith's healing power and his Christlike love for children. It is a reminder that the prophetic gift of healing was exercised in the most personal and tender of circumstances — a prophet holding a sick child on his lap and restoring her to health by the power of God.