Mary Fielding Smith Witnesses a Pentecostal Outpouring of Tongues, Prophecies, and a Divine Light in Kirtland (1837)
Published September 28, 2026 at 5:20 AM
During the troubled summer of 1837 in Kirtland — amid bank failures and apostasy — Mary Fielding Smith, wife of Hyrum Smith, recorded in a July 8, 1837 letter to her sister Mercy a remarkable outpouring at the Saints' Thursday meeting in the House of the Lord. The hearts of the people were melted and the spirit and power of God rested down upon them in a remarkable manner: many spoke in tongues while others prophesied and interpreted. Sisters, conversing in tongues with countenances beaming with joy, clasped each other's hands and kissed affectionately, describing the love and felicities of the celestial world, and there were few dry faces in the house. She reported prophecies delivered in tongues and interpreted so great she could not begin to describe them, and Hyrum Smith's prediction that from that hour the Lord would begin to bless His people — which she believed was verily fulfilled. She and many others believed angels were present with them, and a bright light shone across the house and rested upon some of the congregation. She testified that what she felt that day outweighed all the affliction and distress of mind she had suffered since coming to Kirtland.
In Their Own Words
“Our Thursday meeting was again better than any former one. The hearts of the people were melted and the spirit and power of God rested down upon us in a remarkable manner. Many spoke in tongues and others prophesied and interpreted. It has been said by many who have lived in Kirtland a great while that such a time of love and refreshing has never been known. Some of the sisters while engaged in conversing in tongues, their countenances beaming with joy, clasped each others hands and kissed in the most affectionate manner. They were describing in this way the love and felicities of the celestial world. Although the house of the Lord was more than half filled during this time there were few dry faces. The brethren as well as the sisters were all melted down and we wept and praised God together. Some of the prophecies delivered in tongues and interpreted were so great that I cannot begin to describe them, but I do assure you Brother Hyrum Smith's prediction that from that hour the Lord would begin to bless his people has been verily fulfilled. I believe as do many others that angels were present with us. A bright light shone across the house and rested upon some of the congregation. What I felt that day seemed to outweigh all the affliction and distress of mind I have suffered since I came here.”
— Mary Fielding, Letter to Mercy Fielding Thompson, Kirtland, July 8, 1837
Sources & References
Mary Fielding, letters to Mercy Fielding Thompson, in Kenneth W. and Audrey M. Godfrey, Jill Mulvay Derr, Women's Voices (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982), pp. 60-68; full text: http://earlymormonism.com/mary-fielding-1801-1852/ Full first-person account: Kenneth W. and Audrey M. Godfrey, Jill Mulvay Derr, Women's Voices (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1982), pp. 60-68 https://josephsmithsermons.org/Early-Saints/MFielding.html
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