LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL.

CHAPTR I.
STRICTNESS OF THE “BLUE LAWS" OF CONNECTICUT—THE
OLD PROPHET, MASON—HIS VISION—HIS PROPHECY—
HEAR THE GOSPEL, AND EMBRACE IT—VISIT KIRTLAND
AND SEE JOSEPH SMITH—A WORK FOR THE OLD
PROPHET.

FOR the benefit of the young Latter-day Saints, for whom
the Faith-Promoting Series is especially designed, I will
relate some incidents from my experience. I will commence
by giving a short account of some events of my childhood
and youth.

I spent the first years of my life under the influence of what
history has called the "Blue Laws" of Connecticut.

No man, boy, or child of any age was permitted to play, or
do any work from sunset Saturday night, until Sunday night.
After sunset on Sunday evening, men might work, and boys
might jump, shout, and play as much as they pleased.

Our parents were very strict with us on Saturday night,
and all day Sunday we had to sit very still and say over the
Presbyterian catechism and some passages in the Bible.

The people of Connecticut in those days thought it wicked
to believe in any religion, or belong to any church, except the
Presbyterian. They did not believe in having any prophets,
apostles, or revelations, as they had in the days of Jesus, and
as we now have in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints.

There was an aged man in Connecticut, however, by the
name of Robert Mason, who did not believe like the rest of
the people. He believed it was necessary to have prophets

LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL.

CHAPTR I. STRICTNESS OF THE “BLUE LAWS" OF CONNECTICUT—THE OLD PROPHET, MASON—HIS VISION—HIS PROPHECY— HEAR THE GOSPEL, AND EMBRACE IT—VISIT KIRTLAND AND SEE JOSEPH SMITH—A WORK FOR THE OLD PROPHET.

FOR the benefit of the young Latter-day Saints, for whom the Faith-Promoting Series is especially designed, I will relate some incidents from my experience. I will commence by giving a short account of some events of my childhood and youth.

I spent the first years of my life under the influence of what history has called the "Blue Laws" of Connecticut.

No man, boy, or child of any age was permitted to play, or do any work from sunset Saturday night, until Sunday night. After sunset on Sunday evening, men might work, and boys might jump, shout, and play as much as they pleased.

Our parents were very strict with us on Saturday night, and all day Sunday we had to sit very still and say over the Presbyterian catechism and some passages in the Bible.

The people of Connecticut in those days thought it wicked to believe in any religion, or belong to any church, except the Presbyterian. They did not believe in having any prophets, apostles, or revelations, as they had in the days of Jesus, and as we now have in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

There was an aged man in Connecticut, however, by the name of Robert Mason, who did not believe like the rest of the people. He believed it was necessary to have prophets