Athalia Howard

b. in CT. md. Sullivan Co., NY JOSHUA GRANT. Mother of 12 children. living near Erie, PA when AML and ORSON HYDE healed her & taught the family the Gospel, 1833. Kirtland. Far West, Alton, Knox, IL (ca. 60 mi. NE of Nauvoo). Did not come west. Only 3 of her children did. The others remained in the midwest²

This is an account from her daughter, Theda Grant:

In the winter of 1833, when I was twelve years of age, two Mormon missionaries came to my father’s farm near Erie, Pennsylvania. They were Amasa Lyman and Orson Hyde. My father was deeply interested in this new religion and invited these missionaries to hold cottage meetings in our home. My mother lay sick with rheumatism and could hardly stand to have any one touch her.

I remember how tall Elder Lyman looked as he stood by the side of Mother’s bed telling us of the gifts and blessings of the restored Gospel and that these blessings follow the believer, in this day, as they did in the days of the Savior. My mother asked why she could not be blessed as she had perfect faith that God could heal her. The elders placed their hands on her head and prayed for her recovery. Later that evening my mother got up, dressed herself, went out of doors and climbed the stairs, which were on the outside of the house and, with my help, prepared a bed in which the elders slept that night.

Sources

1 Mormons in Erie County: The Erie Co. Mission. Thread on Ancestry.com Message Boards. https://www.ancestry.com/boards/localities.northam.usa.states.pennsylvania.counties.erie/482

2 Index to Sources for Encyclopedia of Early Mormon Names. Page 191; Author: Church of Jesus Christ; Title: Ensign, year, vol., page. 1979 7:48 https://www.ancestry.com/search/collections/4165/records/13008?gsfn=athalia&gsln=howard&ml_rpos=1