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You Will Soon Find A Companion: The Testimony of Howard Coray

It was June 1840, Nauvoo, Illinois. Joseph Smith Jr. and his clerk Howard Coray were standing across the street from Joseph’s homestead and looking at his horses. They turned around and started back toward the house when Joseph said, “Brother Coray, I wish you were a little larger, I would like to have some fun with you.”

Howard replied, “Perhaps you can as it is,” not realizing what I was saying, Joseph a man of over 200 pounds weight, while I scarcely 130 pounds, made it not a little ridiculous for me to think of engaging with him in anything like a scuffle.”

As soon as he said that Joseph started to wrestle. They grappled. He locked Howard’s leg. He threw him and broke Howard’s leg just above the ankle. Joseph felt terrible and carried Howard into the house and pulled off his boot. It was definitely broken. Joseph set the leg and splinted it. And all that day Joseph attended to his wounded clerk.

The next day Joseph came to visit, and Howard made the following bold request.

“Brother Joseph, when Jacob wrestled with the angel and was lamed by him, the angel blessed him; now I think I am also entitled to a blessing.”

Joseph replied,

“I am not the patriarch, but my father is, and when you get up and around, I’ll have him bless you.”

What followed next is remarkable. Howard said,

“He said no more for a minute or so, meanwhile looking very earnestly at me, then said, ‘Brother Coray, you will soon find a companion, one that will be suited to your condition and whom you will be satisfied with. She will cling to you, like to cords of death, and you will have a good many children.'”

That stuck with Howard. Nine days after the leg was broken Howard was up and walking and in two weeks was nearly recovered. So, he walked to Church. It was about a mile. Howard said,

“While at meeting, the blessing of the Prophet came into my mind, viz: “that I should soon find a companion, etc. etc.” So I thought I would take a square look at the congregation, and see who there was, that possibly the fair one promised me might be present. After looking and gazing awhile at the audience, my eyes settled upon a young lady sitting in a one-horse buggy. She was an entire stranger to me and a resident of some other place. I concluded to approach near enough to her to scan her features well and thus be able to decide in my own mind whether her looks would satisfy my taste. She had dark brown eyes, very bright and penetrating, at least they penetrated me, and I said to myself, she will do. The fact is, I was decidedly struck. After the dismissal of the meeting, instead of going for my dinner, I remained on the ground and presently commenced promenading about to see what I could see. I had not gone far before I came square in front of the lovely miss, walking arm in arm with a Mrs. Harris, with whom I was well acquainted. They stopped and Mrs. Harris said, “Brother Coray, I have the honor of introducing you to Miss Martha Knowlton, from Bear Creek. I, of course, bowed as politely as I knew how and she curtsied, and we then fell into somewhat familiar conversation. I discovered at once that she was ready, off hand, and inclined to be witty; also, that her mind took a wider range than was common for young ladies of her age. This interview, though short, was indeed very enjoyable, and closed with the hope that she might be the one whom the Lord had picked for me; and thus it proved to be. I shall not go into all the details of our courtship; suffice it to say, every move I made, seemed to count one in the right direction. I let Brother Joseph into the secret and showed him a letter that I had written, designed for her. He seemed to take uncommon interest in the matter and took pains to see her and talk with her about me, telling her that I was just the one for her. A few letters passed between us; I visited her at her home, proposed, was accepted, and on the 6th day of February 1841, we were married at her father’s house.”

And then Howard added this powerful postscript to the story.

“I will say in this connection that what the Prophet said in regard to the companion which I should soon find has been fully verified. A more intelligent, self-sacrificing, and devoted wife and mother, few men have been blessed with. She became the mother of twelve children, seven sons and five daughters, and lived to see them all grown up to man and womanhood, educated, intelligent, virtuous and religious. In this great work, she acted well her part. In February 1840, she embraced the Gospel and soon became well acquainted with the Prophet; and as such, greatly venerated him. I have frequently heard her say that he himself (Meaning Joseph the Prophet) was the greatest miracle to her she had ever seen; and that she valued her acquaintance with him above almost everything else.”

Source: Autobiography of Howard Coray https://www.familysearch.org/tree/person/memories/KWJC-GHH