subjects, although I never made an ^outward^ profession until 1830; I did
not then join any church, for the reason that I could not find
any denomination whose doctrines, faith or practice, agreed with
the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or the ordinances and gifts which the
Apostles taught. Although the ministers of the day taught that
the faith, gifts, graces, miracles ^& ordinances,^ which the ancient saints enjoyed
were done away and no longer needed, I did not believe a word of
it, to be true, only as they were done away through the unbelief of
the children of men; I believed the same gifts, graces, miracles and
power would be manifest in one age of the world as in another,
when God had a church upon the earth, & I believed ^that^ the church
of God would be ^re-^established upon the earth, in my and that
I should live to see it. Thies^e^ principles was^ere^ rivetted upon my
mind from two causes; first, from the perusal of the old and
new Testament, with fervent prayer that the Lord would show me
what was right and wrong, and lead me in the path of salva-
tion, without any regard to the opinions of man, and the
whisperings of the spirit of the Lord for the space of three years
taught me in accordance with the written word of God that
He was about to set up His church and kingdom upon the
earth in the last days. / and secondly, I was taught thies^e^
principle ^things^ from my youth by Robert Mason, an aged man,
who lived in Simsbury, Conn.; who was frequently called the old
prophet Mason,: he taught me many things which are now
coming to pass. / he

He did not believe that any person man upon the
face of the earth had authority to administer in the ordinances
of the Gospel, but believed it was our privilege through faith, prayer
and fasting to heal the sick, and cast out Devils by the laying on
of hands, which was the case under his administration as many
could testify.

I was looking for the coming forth of the truth when I
heard of what was called Mormonism. In 1832 I was
inspired to go to Rhode Island, an my brother, Asahel, was
also directed by the spirit of God to go to the same place

subjects, although I never made a profession until 1830; I did not then join any church, for the reason that I could not find any denomination whose doctrines, faith or practice, agreed with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, or the ordinances and gifts which the Apostles taught. Although the ministers of the day taught that the faith, gifts, graces, miracles & ordinances, which the ancient saints enjoyed were done away and no longer needed, I did not believe it to be true, only as they were done away through the unbelief of the children of men; I believed the same gifts, graces, miracles and power would be manifest in one age of the world as in another, when God had a church upon the earth, & that the church of God would be re-established upon the earth, and that I should live to see it. These principles were rivetted upon my mind from the perusal of the old and new Testament, with fervent prayer that the Lord would show me what was right and wrong, and lead me in the path of salvation, without any regard to the opinions of man, and the whisperings of the spirit of the Lord for the space of three years taught me that He was about to set up His church and kingdom upon the earth in the last days. / I was taught these things from my youth by Robert Mason, an aged man, who lived in Simsbury, Conn.; who was frequently called the old prophet Mason,: he taught me many things which are now coming to pass.

He did not believe that any man had authority to administer in the ordinances of the Gospel, but believed it was our privilege through faith, prayer and fasting to heal the sick, and cast out Devils by the laying on of hands, which was the case under his administration as many could testify.

. In 1832 I was inspired to go to Rhode Island, my brother, Asahel, was also directed by the spirit of God to go to the same place