of despair, believing that he had committed the unpardonable
sin.
However, I told him what the unpardonable sin was, and
that he had not committed it; but that it was a trick of the devil to make him think so, in order to torment him. He then
acknowledged that he went down to the wharf a few evenings
before, with the intention of drowning himself, but when he
looked into the cold, dark water he desisted and returned
home, and had said nothing previous to anyone about it.
I taught him the principles of the gospel, which proved a
comfort to him.
We spent the following day in visiting the people of Belfast,
and in the evening preached in a brick school-house, provided
by Mr. Teppley, and many wished to hear more from us.
We next visited Northport and Frankfort, holding meetings
at both places, and on the , we entered Bangor, which at that time had a population of ten thousand.
This was my birthday, I being thirty-one years of age.
I visited some of the leading men of Bangor, and they
granted me the use of the City Hall, where I preached to
good audiences for two successive evenings. This was the first
time a Latter-day Saint Elder had preached in that town.
Many were anxious to learn more about our principles, but
our visits through all the towns from Thompaston to Bangor
were necessarily brief, owing to our appointments upon the
islands. It was like casting our bread upon the waters and
trusting in God for the result.
On the we sailed from Penobscot for the Isle
of Holt, where I held a meeting on the following evening.
The next day I took passage on the mail boat for the North
Island, where I again had the privilege of meeting with the
Saints for prayer and praise before the Lord.
On my arrival I received a package of letters from friends
abroad. One was from Kirtland, and gave an account of the apostasy and tribulations which the Saints were passing
through. Joseph the Prophet and others, with their families,
had gone to Far West, and the Saints were following them.
Brother Townsend returned home, and I was again left
alone in the ministry.
LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL.
of despair, believing that he had committed the unpardonable
sin.
However, I told him what the unpardonable sin was, and
that he had not committed it; but that it was a trick of the
devil to make him think so, in order to torment him. He then
acknowledged that he went down to the wharf a few evenings
before, with the intention of drowning himself, but when he
looked into the cold, dark water he desisted and returned
home, and had said nothing previous to anyone about it.
I taught him the principles of the gospel, which proved a
comfort to him.
We spent the following day in visiting the people of Belfast,
and in the evening preached in a brick school-house, provided
by Mr. Teppley, and many wished to hear more from us.
We next visited Northport and Frankfort, holding meetings
at both places, and on the , we entered
Bangor, which at that time had a population of ten thousand.
This was my birthday, I being thirty-one years of age.
I visited some of the leading men of Bangor, and they
granted me the use of the City Hall, where I preached to
good audiences for two successive evenings. This was the first
time a Latter-day Saint Elder had preached in that town.
Many were anxious to learn more about our principles, but
our visits through all the towns from Thompaston to Bangor
were necessarily brief, owing to our appointments upon the
islands. It was like casting our bread upon the waters and
trusting in God for the result.
On the we sailed from Penobscot for the Isle
of Holt, where I held a meeting on the following evening.
The next day I took passage on the mail boat for the North
Island, where I again had the privilege of meeting with the
Saints for prayer and praise before the Lord.
On my arrival I received a package of letters from friends
abroad. One was from Kirtland, and gave an account of the
apostasy and tribulations which the Saints were passing
through. Joseph the Prophet and others, with their families,
had gone to Far West, and the Saints were following them.
Brother Townsend returned home, and I was again left
alone in the ministry.
