William C. Staines Witnesses Deliverance from Possession of a Devil

William C. Staines documented a remarkable deliverance from demonic possession that he witnessed in England before emigrating to Nauvoo. As he recorded: 'Just before leaving England I visited some friends in Sheffield, and met with Brother R. Rushton, who was on a mission from Nauvoo. He had been asked to visit a brother in the Church who was possessed of a devil... When we entered the room where he was sitting, he looked around and saw Brother Rushton whom he had met before, and with a coarse voice said: "So you have come again in the name of Jesus have you?... I know you came from Nauvoo where you are building a temple to get your endowments and more power. Well, get your power, and the more power you get the more power we'll get." Just as soon as he was through speaking, Brother Rushton laid hands on him and rebuked the evil spirits that had possession of him, when the brother called out in a loud voice: "How did you know there was more than one?"' The priesthood power of the Lord, exercised through Brother Rushton, delivered the afflicted brother from multiple evil spirits that had possessed him.

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

Just before leaving England I visited some friends in Sheffield, and met with Brother R. Rushton, who was on a mission from Nauvoo. He had been asked to visit a brother in the Church who was possessed of a devil. This was the first case of the kind I had heard of being in the Church, and I felt a desire to go with him. When we entered the room where he was sitting, he looked around and saw Brother Rushton whom he had met before, and with a coarse voice said: "So you have come again in the name of Jesus have you?" Brother Rushton said, "Yes." The man then said: "I know you came from Nauvoo where you are building a temple to get your endowments and more power. Well, get your power; and the more power you get the more power we'll get." Just as soon as he was through speaking Brother Rushton laid hands on him and rebuked the evil spirits that had possession of him, when the brother called out in a loud voice: "How did you know there was more than one?" Brother Rushton remarked calmly: "You said we." The evil spirits were rebuked and left the man, and he was restored to his right mind, and praised God for his deliverance.