Joseph Hovey's Son Joseph Healed by Anointing After Cholera-Like Attack — Doctors Had No Hope

In the summer of 1846, camped at Mount Taber in Iowa during the exodus from Nauvoo, Joseph Hovey's son Joseph was struck with a violent illness resembling cholera. The situation seemed fatal.

Hovey recorded:

'My son, Joseph, was attacked with a disease like cholera. We did not think he would live from one minute to the next. I gave him medicine but it had no effect. I called in a brother and we anointed him from head to foot and in about an hour he began to vomit. He vomited about a chamber full and then called for a drink of water. Shortly, he was quite bright and then called for something to eat. He was much better in a few days quite unexpected to the neighbors.'

'I believe the anointing was the thing that made the medicine operate. I and my wife did truly rejoice that our son was saved from the grasp of the destroyer. After a few days our son was playing about to the utter astonishment of all the neighbors.'

Fuller account of this event (in the witness’s own words):

We stopped at the Jack Oak Grove for two days after which I started to overtake Brother Joseph Young as he desired me to journey with him in the wilderness. We arrived at his camp on Mount Taber, about two miles from Jack Oak Grove. We stopped here about three weeks. In the meantime I was called on to attend to the sick. My son, Joseph, was attacked with a disease like cholera. We did not think he would live from one minute to the next. I gave him medicine but it had no effect. I called in a brother and we anointed him from head to foot and in about an hour he began to vomit. He vomited about a chamber full and then called for a drink of water. Shortly, he was quite bright and then called for something to eat. He was much better in a few days quite unexpected to the neighbors. I believe the anointing was the thing that made the medicine operate. I and my wife did truly rejoice that our son was saved from the grasp of the destroyer. After a few days our son was playing about to the utter astonishment of all the neighbors.