HISTORY
OF
WILFORD WOODRUFF.
(FROM HIS OWN PEN.)
-[CONTINUED.]-
—We cut down a large cotton wood
tree, and in two days dug out a canoe four feet
wide and twelve long, put on a pair of oars
and then rowed down the Arkansas river, 125
miles to Little Rock, begging our food by the
way, a meal at a time, as we had opportunity.
After visiting Little Rock we traveled down
the river ten miles, and tied up our canoe on
the east bank and stopped with [I.I.|Mr. Jones]]. I
preached next day at his house. On the
we left our canoe with Mr. Jones and walked
back up the river ten miles, opposite Little
Rock, and took the old military road, and
started to wade the Mississippi swamp, which
was mostly covered with water from Little
Rock, Arkansas, to Memphis, Tennessee, a
distance of about 175 miles. We waded through
mud and water knee deep, day after day, and
in some instances forty miles per day, before
we could get a stopping place.
On the , while in the swamps, I had an
attack of the rheumatism and could not travel
fast. My companion, br. Brown, had got in a
hurry, and wished to return to his family in Kirtland, and as I could not travel as fast as
he wished, we parted. He left me sitting on a
log in the mud and water; I was lame and un-
able to walk, without food, and twelve miles
from the nearest house on the road; he went
out of sight in great haste. I then knelt down
in the water and prayed to the Lord to heal
me. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon me,
and I was healed; the pain left me; I arose and
went my way. Whenever I met with one or
more families, I preached and bore testimony
to them.
I crossed the Mississippi river in the even-
ing of the , and staid at a pub-
lic house kept by Mr. Josiah Jackson. I was
suspected of being an impostor. Mr. Jackson
believed I was one of Murrill's clan, who were
then murdering and stealing negroes, and to
test me, he gathered together a large house
full of the most wicked and corrupt people in
the city, and set me to preaching, to see
whether I could preach or not.
I do not think that Mr. Jackson or the same
company of men and women will ever meet
together again for the same purpose, for they
would not like again to have their sins and
abominations revealed to each other as point-
edly as I told them that night, through the in-
spiration of the Holy Ghost; they were glad
to get rid of me upon almost any terms.
—I met with Elder Warren Parrish
in Benton county. He and David W. Patten
had labored together through the winter in Tennessee, and baptized twenty persons. El-
der Patten had returned to Kirtland. I joined
Elder Parrish and we labored together over
three months, traveling and preaching daily,
baptizing such as would receive our testimony,
extending our labors in Tennessee and Ken-
tucky.
—We received a letter from Oliver
Cowdery, requesting Elder Parrish to come to Kirtland, and for me to remain and take
charge of the southern churches, and the Lord
would bless me in so doing.
—Warren Parrish ordained me an
Elder. We baptized some forty persons while
laboring together.
—Elder Parrish left. I traveled
alone through the year, and extended my labors
both in Kentucky and Tennessee. I baptized
forty-three persons during this season, thirty-
one after br. Parrish left.
—While traveling in the night with
br. Benjamin L. Clapp and others, a tremend-
ous storm of wind and rain overtook us. We
came to a creek which had swollen to such an
extent by the rain that we could not cross
without swimming our horses; several of the
company were females. We undertook to head
the stream, to ford it, but in the attempt, in
the midst of the darkness and the raging of
the wind and rain, we were lost in the thick
woods, amidst the rain, wind, creeks and fal-
len tree tops; we crossed streams nearly twen-
ty times. I was reminded of Paul's perils by
water; but the Lord was merciful unto us in
the midst of our troubles, [Acts 27] for while we were
groping in the dark, running the risk of killing
both ourselves and animals by riding off pre-
cipitous bluffs, a bright light suddenly shone
round about us, and revealed our perilous situ-
ation as were upon the edge of a deep gulf.
The light continued with us until we found a
house and learned the right road; then the
light disappeared, and we were enabled to
reach the house of br. Henry Thomas at nine
o'clock, all safe, having rode twenty miles,
five hours in the storm, and we felt to thank
the Lord for our preservation.
During the winter and spring I continued to
labor mostly alone, through Kentucky and Tennessee, opening new places, preaching
daily, baptizing, confirming and organizing
new branches.
Brs. Smoot and Clapp both entered into the
labors of the ministry. Elder Smoot frequent-
ly accompanied me on my mission. Elder D.
W. Patten returned to Tennessee in April, and
joined us in our labors, accompanied by his wife. It was a happy meeting. He related
to me the blessings he had received in Kirtland
during the endowments. We traveled and la-
bored together; persecution raged against us.
Elder Patten bore a strong and forcible testi-
mony of the work of God, and when we were
opposed by mobs he would rebuke them in
great plainness; we were threatened, but not
injured. The sick were healed under our ad-
ministrations.
We labored over a circuit of several hundred
miles; br. Smoot labored with us, and br. Clapp
frequently. We traveled two by two, and all
met together to hold conferences.
[Joseph Smith Papers Document] —A States warrant was issued
against D. W. Patten, Warren Parrish and
Wilford Woodruff, sworn out by Matthew
Williams, a Methodist priest, and served by
the sheriff, Robert C Petty. Elders Patten
and Parrish were taken by an armed mob of
about fifty, under pretence of law, led by the
sheriff, a colonel, first and second major, with
other officers, and a Methodist priest with a
gun upon his shoulder. I was in another coun-
ty and therefore not taken. We were accused
of prophesying falsely, by saying that four
persons who were baptized should receive the
Holy Ghost in twenty-four hours, and that
Christ should come the second time before this
generation passed away. The whole concern
was a mob mock trial, contrary to law, justice,
judgment or truth.
On the , I went to a Baptist meeting
house, on Thompson's creek, to preach; the
house was crowded. As I rose to speak, a
Baptist priest, Mr. Browning, arrived at the
door on horseback, and stepped in greatly agi-
tated, and told the deacon to forbid my preach-
ing in the house; at the same time commenced
a tirade of abuse against the Mormons, telling
several lies, which I corrected before the peo-
ple, which increased his rage. As I was for-
bidden to preach in the house, and had been
invited, and traveled many miles to fulfil my
appointment, I told the people I would like to
preach and was willing to stand on a wood
pile, a fence, a cart, or any place they would
appoint. A man rose and said he owned the
land in front of the meeting house, and I might
[Column 3]
stand and preach on that, and welcome. All
the congregation, with the exception of the
minister and one deacon, arose and left the
house, walked across the street and formed
seats of a worm fence, and gave good attention
while I preached for an hour and a half on the
principles of the gospel.
When I closed, Mr. Randolph Alexander,
who had never heard a Mormon Elder speak
before, said, the people of the present day
made him think of a pen of hogs; the keeper
would make a trough, and pour into it hot or
cold water, dish water or anything else, and
they would drink it; but let a stranger come
along and pour over a basket of corn on the
back side of the pen, and the hogs would be
frightened and run and snort all over the pen.
He said it was so with the people; the priests
would feed them with any kind of doctrine,
no matter how false, the people will swallow
it down, but let a stranger come and preach
the gospel of Jesus Christ, which will save
the people, as Mr. Woodruff has done, and the
people are afraid of him.
Mr. Alexander invited me home, bought a
Book of Mormon, and was soon baptized, and
several others followed his example.
—I wrote a letter to Oliver Cowdery,
and sent him a list of subscribers for the Mes-
senger and Advocate, and a detail of my mission
in the South.
——I rode in company with A. O. Smoot
to a ferry on the Tennessee River. The fer-
ryman was absent. We were offered the use
of the boat, and ferried ourselves; but not
being much used to the business, and losing
one oar in the river, and having to row with a
broken oar, we landed a great distance below
the usual place with a high circulation of
blood and blistered hands; but our horses leapt
the bank, and we went on our way to the Sandy, which we swam, and spent the night at Thomas Frazer's.
——We preached at Mr. David Crider's,
also on Sunday, the , where we were
threatened by a mob. I baptized Mr. Crider
amid the scoffs of the rabble, who went in the
night and poisoned both of our horses; the one
which I rode, belonging to bro. Samuel West,
died in two days afterwards; brother Smoot's
recovered; the swine that eat of the horse
flesh also died.
—I met with D. W. Patten and
wife; he and bro. Parrish had been driven out
of Benton into Henry Co., and Elder Parrish
had left for Kirtland.
—We held a conference at Damon's
Creek, Callaway Co., Kentucky; several
branches were represented, containing 119
members; Johnson F. Lane, Benj. L. Clapp
and Randolph Alexander were ordained elders,
and Lindsey Bradey a priest by D. W. Patten,
who baptized five at the close of the confer-
ence.
I was released from my labors in the South,
and counselled to go to Kirtland and receive
my endowments, as was also A. O. Smoot.
—Elders Marsh and D. W. Patten
and wife, and E. H. Groves, started for Far
West. I organized the first company of Saints,
who emigrated from the Southern States, which
numbered twenty-two souls. I appointed El-
der Boydston president of the company, and
counselled them to be united, and to remember
their prayers night and day before the Lord.
——The camp started. I spent a few
days visiting the branches; baptized and con-
firmed eight, and obtained thirty subscribers
for the Messenger and Advocate.
—In company with A. O. Smoot and
Jesse Turpin, I started for Kirtland; this was
the first time I had ever traveled on a steam-
boat. We left the steamer at Louisville on
the , and spent nineteen days visiting El-
der Smoot's relations and preaching among the
people; we visited the Big Bone Lick. We ar-
rived in Cincinnati , where we saw
thirteen persons dead and wounded taken from
the steamer Flora, which had burst her pipes
[Column 4]
while running a race; arrived in Kirtland on
the , and had the happy privilege of meet-
ing the Prophet Joseph, and many elders, with
whom I was acquainted in the camp of Zion.
, I heard Joseph preach in the Temple.
In the afternoon I was called to speak and
read the 56th chap. of Isaiah, and made some
remarks, and gave an account of my mission
in the South; Elder Smoot also addressed the
Saints.
I was counselled by the Presidency to at-
tend the school in the Temple, taught by Prof. Haws. I studied the Latin language and Eng-
lish Grammar, and boarded with bro. Ira
Bond.
I attended meetings with the Seventies and
other quorums during the winter of 1836-7, and
received much valuable instruction.
—I was present at the organ-
ization of the third quorum of Seventies; there
were twenty-seven ordained.
——At early candle light, a cloud began
to arise in the north east and reached to the
north west, having the appearance of fire, and
it soon spread over the whole horizon. The
reflection of the clouds upon the earth, which
was covered with snow, had a blood red ap-
pearance. It commenced at about 6 o'clock,
and lasted till past 10 p.m.
——Prests. Joseph Smith and O. Cow-
dery addressed the Saints in the Temple. Jo-
seph blessed the people in the name of the
Lord, and said, if we would be faithful, we
should arise above our embarrassments and be
delivered from the hands of our enemies.
——I wrote an article on faith, which
was published in the Messenger and Advocate.
—I attended meeting at the Temple.
Prest. Joseph Smith had been absent on busi-
ness for the church, but not half as long as Moses was in the mount away from Israel;
yet many of the people in Kirtland, if they
did not make a calf to worship as did the
Israelites, turned their hearts away from the
Lord and from his servant Joseph[Exodus 32:1-8], and had
engaged in speculation and given away to
false spirits, until they were darkened in their
minds; and many were opposed to Joseph
Smith, and some wished to appoint David
Whitmer to lead the church in his stead. In
the midst of this cloud of dark spirits, Joseph
returned to Kirtland, and this morning arose
in the stand. He appeared much depressed;
but soon the Spirit of God rested upon him,
and he addressed the assembly in great plain-
ness for about three hours, and put his enemies
to silence. When he arose he said, "I am still
the President, Prophet, Seer, Revelator and
Leader of the church of Jesus Christ. God,
and not man, has appointed and placed me
in this position, and no man or set of men
have power to remove me or appoint another
in my stead, and those who undertake this, if
they do not speedily repent, will burn their
fingers and go to hell.["] He reproved the people
sharply for their sins, darkness and unbelief;
the power of God rested upon him, and bore
testimony that his sayings were true.
, was spent in the Temple by the
Saints in Kirtland in fasting and prayer. Pat-
riarch Joseph Smith, sen., presided. The
Spirit of the Lord was poured out upon the
people; a contribution was taken up for the
poor.
—I received my washings and an-
ointings in the house of the Lord. I spent the
whole night in the Temple, with others of the
Seventies, in prayer and fasting, the Spirit of
the Lord rested upon us. After twenty-four
hours I partook of food.
——The Presidency of the Church, the
Twelve Apostles, and other quorums, met in
solemn assembly, and sealed upon our heads,
our washings, anointings and blessings with a
loud shout of hosannah to God and the Lamb;
the Spirit of the Lord rested upon us. After
spending three hours in the upper room, the
quorums repaired to the lower court; the vails
were lowered, and the ordinance of washing
of feet was administered. Elder H. C. Kim-
—I left my wife and friends in Kirtland, and walked to Fairport with bro. Hale;
we were joined by Milton Holmes, and took
the steamer Sandusky and arrived in Buffalo
, and Syracuse on the ; walked 36
miles to Richland, Oswego Co., N. Y., and
called upon my two brothers, Azmon and
Thompson, whom I had not seen for several
years. We visited the churches as far as
Sackett's Harbor, called upon Archibald Patten, and delivered to him some letters from
Warren Parrish, in which were enclosed many
one hundred dollar bills, which he had taken
from the Kirtland Bank.
We crossed Lake Ontario, visited Upper
Canada, and attended a conference, ,
with Elders John E. Page and James Blakesly,
in the township of Bastard, Leeds Co. There
were eight branches represented, containing
300 members, 13 elders, 5 priests, 8 teachers
and 6 deacons. Elder Wm. Draper and myself ordained 7 elders, 9 priests, 11 teachers
and 5 deacons: five were baptized by Elder
Page at the close of the conference.
A woman was possessed of the devil and
greatly afflicted, much of the time was dumb;
four of us laid hands upon her, and cast the
devil out in the name of Jesus Christ, and she
was made whole, and gave thanks unto God,
and went on her way rejoicing.
We visited several other branches and
preached the word of God, and several of the
sick were healed.
We walked from Albany to Farmington,
Conn.; attended a conference of the Saints in
Canaan; arrived at my father's house July
6th. This was the first time I had seen my
father or relatives in Conn., since I joined the
church; they received me kindly. On the 10th,
I preached in the City Hall in Colinsville, and
a mob gathered and attempted to break up the
meeting, with fife and drum, hollowing and
yelling; they were urged on by a Presbyterian
priest. At the close of the meeting the priest
came to me with his rabble, and asked many
questions; he said I had no right to my opinion,
and no man had a right to preach the gospel
unless he had a collegiate education. I told
him I would admit that point when he would
tell me at what college Jesus Christ and his
apostles obtained their education: the priest
and rabble then left.
——I preached in a schoolhouse in West
Avon to an attentive congregation; after meeting I baptized my uncle, Ozem Woodruff, his
wife and son, John, in fulfillment of a dream
which I had at ten years of age.
I visited most of my relatives in Conn., and
preached the gospel to them.
——I preached at Adna Hart's in Avon,
where I was met by my step-mother and sister, also by my wife, who had travelled alone
from Kirtland, and was on her way to visit
her father in Maine.
——Elder Hale went to New Rowley,
Mass., to visit his friends. I had been solicited to preach to the citizens of Farmington
by many prominent men, but every room which
was offered me, including the town hall, was
closed against me by the Rev. Noah Porter,
pastor of the Presbyterian church, until the
Methodist church was offered me, which he
had not influence to close. Two hours after I
gave out the appointment, the house was filled,
and I preached to a very attentive congregation, including my father and his household,
for an hour and a half, upon the first principles of the gospel; I gave liberty to the assembly to ask any questions, or find any fault with
what I had said, but I met with no opposition.
Column 2
——I left my father's house, and, with
my wife, rode by stage to Hartford.
——Not having money to pay the fare
for us both, I paid her fare in the stage to New
Rowley, Mass., and I walked through a hot
sultry day fifteen hours, averaging three and
a half miles per hour, making 52 miles.
——I walked 48 miles.
——I walked 36 miles, and arrived at
Elder Nathaniel Holmes', in New Rowley, at
2 o'clock, p.m., making 136 miles in a little
over two days and a half. I met with my
wife and Elder Milton Holmes, at his father's
house: I spent several days in preaching to the
Saints in that region.
—We left New Rowley, and was
joined by Elder Hale, who accompanied us to
Saco, Maine.
——I accompanied my wife to her father's,
in Scarborough, Maine. We were kindly received: it was the first time I had seen any of
her relations. We found mother Carter very
sick. I spent several days visiting the Saints
in that region.
——I accompanied Ezra and Fabien
Carter, my brothers-in-law, on a fishing excursion; we caught with hooks 250 cod fish, haddock, and hake, and saw four whales; it being
the first time I had ever seen that class of fish
that swallowed Jonah.
——With Elder Hale, I started to fill my
mission on Fox Islands; we walked to Portland, and spent the night at Mr. Samuel
Hale's.
——We took the steamer Bangor 85
miles to Owl's Head, where we arrived at sunset, without means to prosecute our journey
further. We retired to a high hill, and bowed
before the Lord, and prayed that he would
open our way; the Spirit of the Lord rested
upon us, and testified unto us that our prayers
would be answered. As we arose from our
knees, a sloop came into the harbor; we went
to the captain, and enquired where he was
going; he replied, through the channel of
Vinal Haven; he took us on board and landed
us on North Fox Islands, at 2 a.m. on the
20th. We wandered in the dark about an
hour, rambling over rocks and bushes, found the
house of Mr. Nathaniel Dyer, and were entertained. It being Sunday morning, Mr. Benj.
Kent piloted us to the Baptist meeting-house,
occupied by Elder Gideon J. Newton, pastor
of the only religious denomination upon the
island. At the door, I sent for the deacon,
and told him I wished him to inform the minister that we were servants of God, and wished to deliver a message to that people. The
minister sent word for us to come into the pulpit; accordingly, with valize in hand, we walked up into the pulpit, and took a seat on each
side of him. When he closed his discourse,
he asked me what hour we would like to
speak; I told him at five; he gave out our appointment, and invited us to his house. I
asked him how many school houses were on
the island; he said four, and gave me their
names. I asked him if they were free for any
one to preach in; he answered in the affirmative. I took out my Bible, Book of Mormon,
and Doctrine and Covenants, and laid them all
upon his stand; he promised to read them.
The hour of meeting arrived, and I preached
to a full house upon the first principles of the
gospel, and bore testimony that the Lord had
raised up a prophet, and had commenced to
establish his church and kingdom again upon
the earth, in fulfillment of his word, as spoken
through the ancient prophets and apostles.
This was the first discourse ever delivered by
any Latter-day Saint upon this chain of islands; Elder Hale bore testimony. I gave out
appointments for preaching in the four school
houses. The people came out en masse to investigate the principles which we taught. In
fourteen days we preached nineteen discourses.
Capt. Justice Ames and wife were baptized
by Elder Hale. Elder Newton, the Baptist
minister, with his family, attended twelve of
our meetings, read the books, and was convinced by the Spirit of the Lord that our doctrine was true, and he had a hard struggle in
Column 3
his mind to know which to do, receive it or reject it; he finally resolved to reject it, and
commenced preaching against us. He sent for
Mr. Douglass, Methodist minister, on the
South Island, to come and help him; he had
been long at variance with Mr. Douglass, but
they became very friendly and united in a war
against us. We continued preaching daily
until we baptized most of the members of Mr.
Newton's church, and those who owned the
meeting house.
I followed Mr. Douglas to his own island,
and commenced preaching to his church, and
baptized a good share of his members, among
whom were several sea captains. Ministers
from the main land were sent for, who came
over and tried to put a stop to the work by
preaching and lying about us; but the work
continued to roll on. They wished me to work
a miracle to convince them that my doctrine
was true. I told them they had rejected the
truth, and they would see signs, but not unto
salvation.
Vinal Haven, which includes both north and
south Fox Island, is in lat. 44°, long. 69° 10'.
The inhabitants are generally healthy and industrious, and hospitable to strangers. The people obtain most of their wealth by fishing, and
fit out annually over one hundred licensed vessels, beside many smaller crafts. The north
island is nine miles long and two wide; population 800, and contains a post office, a store, a
grist mill, four school houses, and a Baptist
church. The land is rocky and rough, yet
there are farms which produce good wheat,
barley, oats, potatoes and grass; the principal
timber is fir, spruce, hemlock and birch. The
rasp and gooseberry grow in great abundance.
Sheep are the principal stock.
South Fox island is about ten miles long and
five wide, and is a mass of rocks, principally
granite, formed into shelves, hills, hollows,
and cut up into nooks, points and ravines by
coves and harbors; population, 1000. There
are some small patches under cultivation, at
the expense of great labor and toil. Many
resident fishermen fish at Newfoundland, and
bring them home, and dry them upon flakes;
they annually supply the market with a great
amount of cod fish, mackerel and boxed herring. The latter island contains two stores,
three tide saw mills, six school houses, a small
branch of the Methodist church and a priest.
The timber is pine, fir, spruce, hemlock and
birch, also gooseberries, raspberries, whortleberries and upland cranberries; bushes and
timber grow out of the crevices of the rocks.
There is a great amount and variety of fish
in the waters around these islands, viz.: whale,
black fish, shark, ground shark, pilot fish,
horse mackerel, sturgeon, salmon, halibut,
cod, pollock, tom cod, hake, haddock, mackerel, shad, bass, alewives, herring, pohagen,
dolphin, whiting, frost fish, flounders, smelt,
skate, shrimp, shad, cusk, bluebacks, scollop,
dogfish, muttonfish, lumpfish, squid, five fingers, monkfish, nursefish, sunfish, swordfish,
thrasher, cat, scuppog, twotog, eyefish, cunner,
ling eels, lobsters, clams, mussels, winkles,
porpoises, seals, &c. &c.
—The harbor was filled with a
school of mackerel, which were caught in
great numbers by the people standing upon the
wharf.
While standing upon the farm of Eleazar
Carver on the north island I counted fifty five
islands, many of which were inhabited.
—I left the island with Elder Hale;
Capt. Ames took us to Thomastown in a sloop.
——We attended a Baptist convention,
and preached to a large congregation in the
evening in Pierce's hall; the people listened
attentively.
——We walked thirty six miles to Portland.
——Walked ten miles to father Carter's
in Scarborough, where I found my wife and
friends well.
——I parted with Elder Hale, who returned to Kirtland. I continued preaching
through various towns on the main land until
Column 4
, when I again returned to Fox Islands,
accompanied by my wife.
——I visited the Isle of Holt, twelve
miles east, and preached to an attentive congregation, leaving them the Book of Mormon,
which they promised to read. I returned on
the .
I continued my labors during the winter of
1837-8, and nearly every person had attended
my meetings, and taken sides for or against.
Our enemies made attempts to break up our
meetings.
—A company of sailors belonging to the United States revenue cutter,
brought on shore a swivel and joined the mob,
parading near the house where I was preaching, and discharged it several times, accompanied with small arms, with the intention of
breaking up the meeting. Some of the mob
gathered around to see what effect this would
have. I warned them in the name of the Lord,
and proclaimed the judgments of God that
awaited the wicked, and shook my garments
in the presence of the people, and told them I
was clear of their blood; but they only heard
my voice intermingled with the roar of cannon
and musketry. Before I closed speaking, the
sailors went back on board the revenue cutter.
At the close of the meeting I baptized two,
also one next day, and while baptizing, the
mob again commenced firing guns. The Baptists and Methodists got up the mob. Mr.
Douglas, the Methodist priest, when argument
failed him, applied to all the magistrates for
warrants against me; they refused to grant
them as he had no cause of complaint.
—I crossed in the mail boat to
Hampden and ordained James Townsend; we
walked together through deep snows, and
visited and preached in the towns of Searsmont, Belfast, Northport, Frankfort, Hampden, and twice in the city hall in Bangor, to
large assemblies, and returned to Fox Islands
viaCasteem and the Isle of Holt. Arrived in
Vinal Haven . Elder Townsend returned home.
—I accompanied br. Stirrat, at
low tide, on to a bar some forty rods from
shore, to dig some clams. We were soon joined by Mrs. Woodruff and sister Stone, who
had a curiosity to see how clams were dug.
The ground for about twelve rods nearer shore
was several feet lower than the point we were
on, but we were so busily engaged we did not
observe the flowing tide until we were surrounded by water, and having no boat, our only
alternative was to wade ashore and carry the
women, which we safely accomplished amid
the reflection that tide nor time waited for no
man.
—Mr. Kent, the postmaster, showed
me a letter containing two sheets of foolscap
signed by Warren Parrish and several of the
Twelve, who had apostatized and been cut off
from the church. The communication was
full of slander and falsehoods against Joseph
Smith and all that stood by him. It was sent
with the intention of breaking up the work
upon these islands.
——I was visited by Elders Townsend
and Milton Holmes, who attended conferences
with me upon both islands, and bore their testimony to the people, but the spirit of opposition increased to a great height. I was
warned by the Spirit of the Lord to leave for a
season and take a western mission. After
visiting the Saints from house to house, and
praying with and encouraging them, I left on
the and went to the main land with Elders
Townsend and Holmes. Mrs. Woodruff returned to her father's. We walked to Scarborough. I left , and walked to Bradford, where I left Elder Holmes, and proceeded to Boston.
—I gave out an appointment to preach
at sister Vose's room, and I went to Cambridgeport to visit Elder A. P. Rockwood, who had
been imprisoned in jail on pretence of debt,
but in reality out of religious persecution.
The jailor locked me in until ten p.m.; but
while it disappointed a congregation of people,
it gave me a happy visit with Elder Rockwood,
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