William C. Staines's Spiritual Gift of Prophecy
Published October 5, 2026 at 1:58 AM
Contributed by
Millennial Star Research
William C. Staines, who joined the Church in 1841 after hearing George J. Adams preach, sought the gifts of the Spirit—specifically tongues, interpretation, healing, and prophecy—which were promised to him at his confirmation. Seeking these blessings, he engaged in a fast that lasted two days and three nights. On the third morning, while alone and pruning raspberry canes in a garden, Staines experienced a profound sense of happiness as the spirit of prophecy rested upon him. He prophesied concerning the Church in that location as well as the future troubles the Saints in Zion would face from mobs. Immediately after this experience, he was troubled by a spirit of deception that suggested he should have waited until he was with the Saints to prophecy, rather than speaking to raspberry canes. This caused him to doubt his standing in the Church, leading him to retreat to his tool house to pray for the spirit of doubt to be rebuked. A few days later, while attending a tea engagement, he took the opportunity to speak privately with Apostle Lorenzo Snow. Staines asked if a person could truly possess the spirit of prophecy while alone in a field, to which Snow replied by referencing the Apostle John on the Isle of Patmos. Upon hearing Staines's experience, Snow told him that as a proof the manifestation was from the Lord, he would find himself in a meeting where the same spirit would come upon him, prompting him to repeat the exact words he had spoken in the garden. This fulfillment occurred two Sundays later in a meeting. Staines records that this confirmation permanently solidified his faith in the Latter-day work.
In Their Own Words
“I heard several of the Saints speak in tongues and prophesy. Soon after this I joined the Church and when confirmed, was promised the gifts and blessings of tongues, interpretation, healing and prophecy. These I asked for, thinking I could not be a Latter-day Saint without these gifts. I continued to pray without receiving them, when I concluded I would fast as well as pray. I commenced that evening and continued two days and three nights. The third morning while I was pruning raspberry canes and alone in the garden, I commenced to experience a very happy feeling, and the spirit of prophecy rested upon me. I prophesied about the Church in that place, and also of the troubles that the Saints in Zion would encounter by mobs and so forth. No sooner had this spirit left me than I was visited by a very different one, informing me that I had been deceived and had not joined the true church, saying, if I had I should not have been led to speak and prophesy to a lot of raspberry canes, but should have waited until I had met with the Saints, that all might be edified. This caused me to doubt my standing in the Church, and I went into my tool house and prayed that the spirit of doubt might be rebuked. A few days after this I was at a tea party, where I had the opportunity of speaking to Elder Lorenzo Snow. I asked him if a person could have the spirit of prophecy when alone in a field. He replied by asking me if the Apostle John did not have the spirit of prophecy when he was alone on the Isle of Patmos. I then told him what I had experienced. He said as a proof of its being from the Lord, some time when in meeting the same spirit would come upon me, and I would repeat the very words I had spoken in the garden. This I did two Sundays after. This was a testimony to me that I never forgot, and it settled my mind forever in regard to the truth of the Latter-day work.”
— William C. Staines, Reminiscences of William C. Staines
Sources & References
The Latter-day Saints' Millennial Star (Manchester, later Liverpool, England, May 1840–1970), 2 May 1871 (Vol. 33, No. 18). https://archive.org/details/per_utah-and-the-mormons_the-latter-day-saints-millennial-star_1871-05-02_33_18 (account extracted verbatim from the issue's Internet Archive OCR text; research confidence: high) Additional sources (periodical research): Reminiscences of William C. Staines, The Contributor, Vol. 12 (1890–1891), pp. 121–123. https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/history/william-c-staines/ Full first-person account: The Contributor, Vol. 12 (1890–1891), pp. 122–123 https://doctrineandcovenantscentral.org/history/william-c-staines/
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