Joseph Smith Poisoned at Greenville and Miraculously Healed

In May 1832, while returning to Ohio from a trip to Missouri to visit the Saints, Joseph Smith and Bishop Newel K. Whitney were traveling by stagecoach near Greenville, Indiana, when the horses became frightened. In the ensuing accident, Whitney’s foot caught in the wheel, causing his leg and foot to be broken in several places. The pair was forced to stop in Greenville for four weeks to allow Whitney to recover, during which time Joseph Smith stayed at Mr. Porter’s public house. During this period, Joseph often visited a nearby grove to meditate and pray, writing to his wife, Emma, of his efforts to overcome the adversary and his desire to do God's will. During his stay, Joseph was poisoned in some manner; one night he began vomiting so violently that the muscular contortions caused his jaw to dislocate. He successfully replaced the jaw himself, then walked to Whitney’s room. Whitney laid his hands on him and administered a priesthood blessing, resulting in an instant healing, though the effects of the poison were so potent that much of his hair loosened from his head. After four weeks, having prayed for guidance, Joseph told Whitney he felt it was time to depart. He predicted they would take a wagon to the river, find a ferry waiting, and secure a horse to reach a boat by 10 o'clock for a prosperous journey home, all of which occurred exactly as he had foreseen.