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Raw Information about the history of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
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Praying over Corn Full Source External Link Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette, Dec 6, 1869, Page 1 Pennsylvania Newspaper Account Independent Republican Dec 6, 1869    Smith early put on the airs of prophet, and was in the habit of "blessing" his neighbor's crops for a small consideration. On one occasion, a neighbor had a piece of corn, planted rather late, and on a moist piece of ground, and, feeling a little doubtful about its ripening, got Smith to bless it. It happened that that was the only piece of corn killed by the frost in the neighborhood. When the prophet's attention was called to the matter, he got out of the difficulty by saying that he made a mistake and put a curse on the corn instead of a blessing. Rather an unneighborly act, and paid for, too! (Note:  This is a reprint in the Pittsburgh Weekly Gazette. No images of the original article in the Independent Republican appear to be available online. This same text was subsequently duplicated in Emily C. Blackman's 1873 History of Susquehanna County on page 580, which can also be read here.) Full Source External Link Joseph Smith the Prophet His Family and His Friends, pg 81 Statement by Hiel and Joseph Lewis Hiel and Joseph Lewis 23 Apr, 1879    We will add one more sample of his prophetic power and practice, while translating his book. One of the neighbors whom Smith was owing, had a piece of corn on a rather wet and backward piece of ground; and as Smith was owing him, he wanted Smith to help hoe corn. Smith came on but to get clear of the work, and the debt, said: "If I kneel down and pray in your corn, it will grow just as well as if hoed." So he prayed in the corn, and insured its maturity without cultivation, and that the frost would not hurt it. But the corn was a failure in growth, and was killed by the frost. This sample of prophetic power was related to us by those present, and no one questioned its truth. No Preview Available External Link Amboy Journal, May 21, 1879, Vol 24, No 8 Rebuttal by Edwin Cadwell Elder Edwin Cadwell 21 May, 1879    My neighbor Morse says he is the very man about which the foolish yarn is told. He says Smith did not pray for his corn, nor offer to do so, but that Smith, with J. Whitmer, came to him in his corn, (which was late, but rank and fine) and requested him to go to a Justice, two miles away, and become his surety on an execution. Mr. Morse objected that he was hoeing his corn and was anxious to force it forward and avoid loss by early frosts. Mr. Smith replied that he and Whitmer would hoe while Morse was away. To this he consented. And he says nothing was said by anyone present about praying for the corn. We forbear comments. (Note:  No images of this source are available online. Please contact me if you have any information.) No Preview Available External Link Amboy Journal, June 11, 1879, Vol 24, No 11 Joseph Lewis Second Account Joseph Lewis 11 Jun, 1879    On Sunday, the 18th day of May, 1879, I spoke to Mr. Morse while on the side-walk in front of the M. E. church in Amboy, Ill. on the subject of what we had written on Mormonism, which appeared in the JOURNAL of April 30th. He said it would have been better if we had written it as it was. He said Smith was not owing him, and he didn't come to hoe. "Well," said I, "did Smith pray in your corn and insure it?" He said Smith did that. The corn was good but late, and the frost killed it. Put this with the statement of A. G. Skinner to Hiel Lewis. STATEMENT OF A. G. SKINNER, MAY 24, '79.    Mr. Michael S. Morse told me while we were both living in Penn., that Joseph Smith and another man came to him while he was hoeing his corn, and they requested him, Morse, to go to Lanesborough and be security for Smith. Morse said he must hoe his corn, but after some urging consented to do so, on their offering to hoe for him while he was gone. On his return, he found that they had not hoed, and Smith gave as a reason that he had prayed in the corn, and that it would grow just as well as if hoed, and that he would warrant it against the frost.    Skinner, if necessary, will swear to his statement. (Note:  No images of this source are available online. Please contact me if you have any information.) External Link Broome Republican, July 28, 1880, vol 73, No 6 Account in the Broome Republican 28 Jul, 1880   One night when a heavy frost was expected, Joe Smith volunteered to go into the cornfield of Michael Morse, his brother-in-law, and pray the frost away. The cornfield was on the hill south of the Susquehanna depot, and fairly exposed to north and west atmospheric influences. Joe went and prayed, but he was not equal to the emergency. The frost came and destroyed the corn. He couldn't warm up equal to the occasion. ...Mrs. McKune told the story of the miracle in the corn field;

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