During a testimony meeting in Wales in 1848, at the house of Sarah Williams:
At one time an East
Indian called at the house as a testimony meeting was about to begin. She spoke
inquiringly to Captain Dan Jones, who presided about the strange caller, and was
told to invite him in. During the meeting, the spiritual gifts were exercised
and one man, by the gift of tongues, spoke in the native language of the East
Indian, telling him he ought to be baptized. The stranger asked to have the ordinance
performed at once, but was persuaded to wait till the close of the meeting,
when it was attended to. (Andrew Jenson, Latter-day Saint Biographical
Encyclopedia: A Compilation of Biographical Sketches of Prominent Men and
Women in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, volume 2 [Salt
Lake City: The Deseret News, 1914], 535)
There were others
also who received the gifts of the Gospel in Michigan. I will mention Brother
Elijah Fordham, as his case was one of a peculiar nature. I remember at one of
our meetings, and it was a testimony meeting, Brother Fordham was speaking in tongues
when two Frenchmen were coming up the turnpike road which passed close by the
schoolhouse. By some means, perhaps by hearing their own language spoken, they
were attracted to the window, where they asked a boy who was outside if he knew
what that man said. Of course the boy did not know any more than did the
speaker, for Brother Fordham did not understand any more about French than he
did about Greek, for it was a spiritual gift he was then exercising. The
Frenchmen testified that Brother Fordham was preaching the Gospel to them.
(Edward Stevenson, "Incidents
of my Early Days in the Church," The Latter-day Saints Millennial
Star, vol. 57, no. 47 [November 21, 1895]:750)
