REFUSED FOOD AND SHELTER. In some instances the Lord preserved us, as it were by miracle, from the mob. We dared not go to houses and get food, so we picked and ate raw corn, and slept on the ground, and did any way we could until we got out of the County. We dared not preach while in that County, and we did but little preaching in the State of Missouri. The first time I attempted to preach was on Sunday, in a tavern, in ...

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. We were soon surrounded by Osage Indians, and kindly received by Mr. Jereu and his wife, who was an Indian. She gave us an excellent supper and a good bed, which we were thankful for after the fatigue of the day. As I laid my head on my pillow I felt to thank God, from the bottom of my heart, for the exchange of the barbarous treatment of a civilized Presbyterian priest, for the humane, kind and generous treatment ...

CONFRONTED BY A BEAR. Cease your exertions to destroy this people, or God will bring you to judgment and destroy your nation, and cast you into outer darkness, where there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth [Matthew 22:13]; for the Lord God has spoken it. I must pause; I almost forgot I was writing a narrative. We started about sunrise and crossed a thirty mile prairie, apparently as level as a house floor, without shrub or water. We arrived at timber about ...

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. feet, and ran around the room as though he was frightened; but he was quieted when we informed him we were friends. The cause of his fright was, he had shot a panther a few nights before, and he thought its mate had jumped upon him. He asked us what we wanted; we told him we wished to stop with him all night, and would like something to eat. He informed us we might lay on the floor as he did, but that he had not a ...

JOURNEY TO AKEMAN'S. CHAPTER V. OUR ANXIETY TO MEET A SAINT—JOURNEY TO AKEMAN'S— A DREAM—FIND MR. AKEMAN A RANK APOSTATE—HE RAISES A MOB—THREATENED WITH TAR, FEATHERS, ETC.—I WARN MR. AKEMAN TO REPENT—HE FALLS DEAD AT MY FEET—I PREACH HIS FUNERAL SERMON. IN the early days of the Church, it was a great treat to an Elder in his travels through the country to find a "Mor- mon;" it was so with us. We were hardly in Arkansas when we heard of a family named ...

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. the room was filled with large serpents, and I shuddered at the sight. My companion said he would not go into the room for fear of the serpents. I told him I should try to go through the room though they killed me, for the Lord had commanded it. As I stepped into the room the serpents coiled themselves up, and raised their heads some two feet from the floor, to spring at me. There was one much larger than the rest in the center ...

MR. AKEMAN DROPS DEAD. each time he railed against me, and the last time he ordered me out of his house. When I went out he followed me and was very angry. When he came up to me, about eight rods from the house, he fell dead at my feet, turned black and swelled up, as I saw the serpents do in my dream. His family, as well as ourselves, felt it was the judgment of God upon him. I preached his funeral sermon. Many of the mob died ...

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. We traveled about fifty miles that day, and at night stopped at an old tavern, in a village called Cadron, which was deserted because it was believed to be haunted by evil spirits. We made a fire in the tavern, roasted a piece of our pork, ate our supper, said our prayers, went into a chamber, lay down on the bare floor, and were soon asleep. I dreamed I was at my father's house in a good feather bed, and I ...

COMPELLED TO PREACH. I did not blame him, as all the preachers he had ever been acquainted with rode on fine horses or in fine carriages, clothed in broadcloth, and had large salaries, and would see this whole world sink to perdition before they would wade through one hundred and seventy miles of mud to save the people. The landlord wanted a little fun, so he said he would keep me if I would preach. He wanted to see if I could preach. I must confess that by this time I became a little ...

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. would give to me. I arose and spoke one hour and a half and it was one of the best sermons of my life. The lives of the congregation were opened to the vision of my mind, and I told them of their wicked deeds and the reward they would obtain. The men who surrounded me dropped their heads. Three minutes after I closed I was the only person in the room. Soon I was shown to a bed, and in a room adjoining a large one in which were assembled many of ...

ADVENTURE IN BLOODY RIVER. I told him we did not really consider them essential to salva- tion. He said he did, and therefore should not join our Church. On the 4th of April, 1835, I had the happy privilege of meeting Elder Warren Parrish at the house of Brother Frys. He had been preaching in that part of Tennessee, in company with David W. Patten, and had baptized a number and organ- ized several small branches. Brother Patten had ...

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. On the following day I preached at the house of Benjamin L. Clapp and baptized seven Campbellites and one Baptist. On the 16th of November I preached at Brother Camp's and baptized three. On the day following, it being Sunday, I preached again at Brother Clapp's, and baptized five. At the close of the meeting I mounted my horse to ride to Clark's River, in company with Seth Utley, four other brethren and two ...

SUMMARY OF MY LABORS DURING THE YEAR. This brings the year 1835 to a close—the first year of my mission—during which time I had traveled three thousand two hundred and forty-eight miles, held one hundred and seventy meetings, baptized forty-three persons—three of whom were Campbellite preachers—assisted Elder Parrish to baptize twenty more, confirmed thirty-five, organized three branches, ordained two Teachers and one Deacon, procured thirty sub- scribers for the Messenger and Advocate, one hundred and seventy-three singers to the petition to the governor of

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. After conference I took Brothers Smoot and Clapp with me to preach. The former traveled with me constantly till the 21st of April, when we had the privilege of meeting with Elder David W. Patten, who had come direct from Kirtland, and who had been ordained one of the Twelve Apostles. It was a happy meeting. He gave us an account of the endowments at Kirtland, the glorious blessings received, the ministration of angels, the organization ...

ELDER PATTEN'S SPEECH. brethren were condemned; but were finally released by paying the expense of the mob court. There was one peculiar circumstance connected with this trial by a mob court, which was armed to the teeth. When the trial was through with, the people were not willing to permit more than one to speak. Warren Parish had said but few words, and they were not willing to let David Patten speak. But he, feeling the injustice of the court, and being filled with the power ...

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. I was invited to hold a meeting at a Baptist meeting house on the 27th of June. On my arrival I met a large congrega- tion; but, on commencing meeting, Parson Browning ordered the meeting to be closed. I told the people I had come ten miles to preach the gospel to them, and was willing to stand in a cart, on a pile of wood, on a fence, or any other place they would appoint, to have that privilege. One man said he owned the fence ...

I RECEIVE MY ENDOWMENTS—ATTEND SCHOOL. President of the Twelve Apostles, presided. All the branches in Tennessee and Kentucky were represented. Brothers Randolph Alexander, Benjamin L. Clapp and Johnson F. Lane were ordained Elders and Lindsay Bradey was ordained to the lesser Priesthood. I assisted President Marsh to obtain fifteen hundred dollars from the Southern brethren, to enter land in Missouri for the Church. The brethren made me a ...

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. under the hands of Father Joseph Smith, the Patriarch, two days later. I felt impressed by the Spirit of God to take a mission to the Fox Islands, situated east of the Maine shore, a country I knew nothing about. I made my feelings known to the Apostles, and they advised me to go. Feeling that it was my duty to go upon this mission, I did not tarry at home one year after having married ...

SICK HEALED BY THE LAYING ON OF HANDS. upon her head and commanded the devil, in the name of Jesus Christ, to depart out of her. It was immediately done, and the woman arose with great joy, and gave thanks and praise unto God; for, according to her faith, she was made whole from that hour. A child, also, that was sick, was healed by the laying on of hands, according to the word of God. We walked thirty miles to visit another branch of the ...

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL. After holding several meetings in the town of Colebrook, and visiting my half sister, Eunice Woodruff, who was teach- ing school there, I proceeded to Avon, the place of my birth. There I visited many of my former neighbors and relatives, and the grave of my mother, Bulah Woodruff, who died June 11th, 1808, when twenty-six years of age. The following verse was upon her tombstone: “A pleasing form, a generous heart, A good companion, just ...