Divine Judgment upon Mr. Akeman
Published October 13, 2026 at 6:11 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
In early 1835, Wilford Woodruff encountered an apostate named Alexander Akeman in Pope County, Arkansas Territory. Woodruff reported that he had been prompted by the Lord three times to bear his testimony to Akeman. During these visits, Akeman repeatedly railed against Woodruff and eventually ordered him out of his house. On February 14, 1835, after Woodruff left the home, a very angry Akeman followed him. When Akeman approached Woodruff about eight rods from the house, he suddenly fell dead at the apostle's feet. According to Woodruff's account, Akeman's body immediately turned black and swelled up, resembling the physical state of serpents Woodruff had seen in a previous dream. Both Akeman's family and the missionaries felt his sudden death was a manifestation of divine judgment. Woodruff subsequently preached Akeman's funeral sermon. Following this event, Woodruff and his companions remained in the area for approximately two weeks to continue their ministry, during which time they baptized Mr. Hubbel and his wife.
In Their Own Words
“I had been warned three times by the Lord to go to Mr. Akeman and bear testimony unto him of the truth of Mormonism and the wickedness of his course in opposing it. I went to his house and bore my testimony to him, but he was filled with wrath against me. I left his house and went to the house of Brother Hubbel. Mr. Akeman followed me in a rage, apparently with some evil intent. When I had got a few rods from his door, he was nearly treading on my heels, and fell dead at my feet, as though he had been struck with lightning; he swelled and immediately turned black. This created a great wailing and mourning among his family. I dreamed the night before that we were required to walk in a straight, narrow path, and while following the path it led to the door of a house, which was placed in a high, rocky bluff. As we approached the door, a large serpent, some twelve or fifteen feet long, came out of the house and stood in the path, with his head raised, and his mouth open, ready to swallow us up. I felt that I had power over him, and I took him by the throat and choked him until he died. I then threw him over the bluff. The next morning I went to Mr. Akeman's house, and he was the man who opposed me, and when he fell dead at my feet, he turned black and swelled up, just as the serpent did in my dream. His family, as well as ourselves, felt it was the judgment of God upon him. I preached his funeral sermon.”
— Wilford Woodruff, Leaves from My Journal
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 28 September 1905 (Vol. 67, No. 39). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1905-09-28_67_39 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Additional sources (periodical research): The Wilford Woodruff Papers, Autobiography 1882 Leaves from My Journal, p. 27. https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/documents/8b2aa80a-b208-418b-81eb-43a596287c6f/page/0f35d859-ebc2-44f4-9dcd-0d729733a8db; The Wilford Woodruff Papers, Alexander Aikman Biographical Subject Record. https://wilfordwoodruffpapers.org/subjects/alexander-aikman Full first-person account: Leaves from My Journal, Chapter IV, pp. 26-27 (1882 edition) https://www.gutenberg.org/files/46028/46028-h/46028-h.htm
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