Autobiography 1857 Draft 1
together which commenced on the th day I began to walk about in
20 days from the time I was hurt and in 30 days from the time I was
hurt I again commenced hard labour. And It has always
appeared miraculous to me that with all the injuries and broken bones
that I have had, I have not a lame limb about me but have
been enabled ever since to endure the hardest manual labor,
exposure, hardships and injuries have even walked 40, 50 & on one occasion
60 miles in a day. However if I over labor or take a severe cold I
feel it more sensibly in my breast and left side than I did
before my last injury. Thus I have occupied considerable space in
referring to those peculiar circumstances which here attending me ^thus far^ during life
and to sum the matter up it stands about thus. I have broaken
both legs (one twice in two) both arms, both ancles, my breast bone,
3 ribs, have been drowned, froze, & scalded. have been in two
water wheels under a full head of water, bitten by a mad dog
and passed through a score of other hair breadth escapes. Yet the
mercies of God have been over me, and my life has thus far
been preseved upon the Earth for which blessing I feel to render
the gratitude of my heart with thanksgiving to my Heavenly
Father praying that the remainder of my days, may be spent
in his service & the building up of his Kingdom
(Page 9th * History) Having embraced the fullness of the Everlasting Gospel of
Jesus Christ and seeing in it great beauty, power, glory & salvation
I had a great ^great^ desire to teach it to my ^the gospel fellow men, and this
desire increased upon me and rested with great wait upon my
mind but ^which^ I did not reveal this to any man ^person^. But one Sunday
evening I retired into the woods alone by myself and called upon
the Lord in earnest prayer to open my way to go and preach
the gospel of Salvation to the children of men ^inhabitants of the Earth^. The Spirit of the
Lord rested upon me & bore witness unto me that my prayer was
heard & should be answered upon my head. I arose from my
knees happy & walked some forty rods through a thick wood into
an open road, as I entered the road there stood before me
Judge Elias Higby an High Priest with whom I had been
