On my arrival at my father's home I had the happy privilege
of once more taking my parents and sister by the hand, also
my uncle, Ozem Woodruff, who was among the number I
had baptized the year before.
After spending an hour in conversation, we sat down around
our father's table and supped together and were refreshed.
Then we bowed upon our knees together in the family circle
and offered up the gratitude of our hearts to God for preserv-
ing our lives and reuniting us.
I spent the next eighteen days in Farmington and Avon,
visiting my father's household, my uncles, aunts, cousins,
neighbors and friends, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ
unto them and striving to bring them into the kingdom of God.
On the , one of the most interesting
events transpired of my whole life in the ministry.
When Father Joseph Smith gave me my patriarchal bles-
sing, among the many wonderful things of my life, he prom-
ised me that I should bring my father's household into the
kingdom of God, and I felt that if I ever obtained the bles-
sing, the time had come for me to perform it.
By the help of God, I preached the gospel faithfully to my
father's household and to all that were with him, as well as to
my other relatives, and I had appointed a meeting on Sunday,
the 1st of July at my father's home.
My father was believing my testimony, as were all in his
household, but upon this occasion the devil was determined
to hinder the fulfillment of the promise of the patriarch
unto me.
It seemed as though Lucifer, the son of the morning, had
gathered together the hosts of hell and exerted his powers
upon us all. Distress overwhelmed the whole household, and
all were tempted to reject the work. And it seemed as
though the same power would devour me. I had to take to
my bed for an hour before the time of meeting. I there
prayed unto the Lord with my whole soul for deliverance, for
I knew the power of the devil was exercised to hinder me
from accomplishing what God had promised me.
On my arrival at my father's home I had the happy privilege
of once more taking my parents and sister by the hand, also
my uncle, Ozem Woodruff, who was among the number I
had baptized the year before.
After spending an hour in conversation, we sat down around
our father's table and supped together and were refreshed.
Then we bowed upon our knees together in the family circle
and offered up the gratitude of our hearts to God for preserving our lives and reuniting us.
I spent the next eighteen days in Farmington and Avon,
visiting my father's household, my uncles, aunts, cousins,
neighbors and friends, preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ
unto them and striving to bring them into the kingdom of God.
On the , one of the most interesting
events transpired of my whole life in the ministry.
When Father Joseph Smith gave me my patriarchal blessing, among the many wonderful things of my life, he promised me that I should bring my father's household into the
kingdom of God, and I felt that if I ever obtained the blessing, the time had come for me to perform it.
By the help of God, I preached the gospel faithfully to my
father's household and to all that were with him, as well as to
my other relatives, and I had appointed a meeting on Sunday,
the 1st of July at my father's home.
My father was believing my testimony, as were all in his
household, but upon this occasion the devil was determined
to hinder the fulfillment of the promise of the patriarch
unto me.
It seemed as though Lucifer, the son of the morning, had
gathered together the hosts of hell and exerted his powers
upon us all. Distress overwhelmed the whole household, and
all were tempted to reject the work. And it seemed as
though the same power would devour me. I had to take to
my bed for an hour before the time of meeting. I there
prayed unto the Lord with my whole soul for deliverance, for
I knew the power of the devil was exercised to hinder me
from accomplishing what God had promised me.
