“The Morley family would invite strangers from abroad & citizens of the immediate vicinity to stay with them all night & every one that stayed, however strong their opposition before, were baptized the next morning. Having studied in my boyhood the black art, ledgerdemain, and juggling I had my suspicions aroused and I confess I acted the hypocrite so as to deceive them and obtained an invitation to stay all night, [but] circumstances prevented. And again I was invited the next night, and again circumstances were unpropitious both times on their part. …The third night a good brother was so distressed … that I was going to join [the Mormons], and so worked upon my sympathies that to relieve him I told him what I was doing and he, to relieve others, told them and it got to [the] ears [of the Mormons], and I got no further invitation.
As soon as I found my secret was out I made a public statement of my design, … the object I had in view, … my suspicions, … how angels could be manufactured and strange wonders made to appear in the night. … from that time forth invitations to stay over night ceased to be given and no more converts were made in that way.
They partook of the Lord’s supper at night with darkened windows and excluded from the room all but their own till they got through, and then opened the doors and called the outsiders in to witness a scene far exceeding the wildest scene ever exhibited among the Methodists.
They had some wild and strange scenes at their ordinary meetings but none to compare with this.
Myself and a young companion were the first to remain; he had fallen asleep and could not be wakened, and I was deaf and dumb. … after considerable deliberation they finally concluded to proceed with the administration without carrying us out.
My companion soon waked and we witnessed the administration, and became fully satisfied that the wine was medicated. … I tried to steal the bottle with the balance of wine left, and came near doing it. … when I told my suspicions and how near I came to getting the wine those performances ceased, and soon after they got a revelation from Joseph that all those things were from the Devil.