I was invited to hold a meeting at a Baptist meeting house
on the . On my arrival I met a large congrega-
tion; but, on commencing meeting, Parson Browning ordered
the meeting to be closed. I told the people I had come ten
miles to preach the gospel to them, and was willing to stand
in a cart, on a pile of wood, on a fence, or any other place
they would appoint, to have that privilege.
One man said he owned the fence and land in front of the
meeting-house, and we might use both, for he did not believe
"Mormonism" would hurt either.
So the congregation crossed the road, took down the fence
and made seats of it, and I preached to them one hour and a
half. At the close Mr. Randolph Alexander bore testimony
to the truth of what had been said. He invited me home
with him, bought a Book of Mormon, and was baptized, and
I organized a branch in that place.
On the , Brother A. O. Smoot and I arrived at
a ferry on the Tennessee river, and, as the ferryman was not
at home, the woman kindly gave us permission to use the
ferryboat. We led our horses on board, and took the oars to
cross the river. Brother Smoot had never used an oar, and I
had not for some years, so we made awkward work of it.
Soon he broke one oar, and I let another fall overboard, which
left us only one broken oar to get to shore with. We narrowly
escaped running into a steamboat. We struck shore half a
mile below the landing place, tied up the boat, jumped on
the bank with our horses, and went on our way with blistered
hands, thankful to get off so well.
On Sunday, the , A. O. Smoot and I preached
at Mr. David Crider's, Weakly County, Tennessee. After
the meeting Mr. Crider was baptized. A mob gathered and
threatened us, and poisoned our horses so that the one I rode,
belonging to Samuel West, died a few days after. This horse
had carried me thousands of miles while preaching the gospel.
I continued to travel with Brothers Smoot, Patten and Parrish in Tennessee and Kentucky, and we baptized all who
would receive our testimony.
I was invited to hold a meeting at a Baptist meeting house
on the . On my arrival I met a large congregation; but, on commencing meeting, Parson Browning ordered
the meeting to be closed. I told the people I had come ten
miles to preach the gospel to them, and was willing to stand
in a cart, on a pile of wood, on a fence, or any other place
they would appoint, to have that privilege.
One man said he owned the fence and land in front of the
meeting-house, and we might use both, for he did not believe
"Mormonism" would hurt either.
So the congregation crossed the road, took down the fence
and made seats of it, and I preached to them one hour and a
half. At the close Mr. Randolph Alexander bore testimony
to the truth of what had been said. He invited me home
with him, bought a Book of Mormon, and was baptized, and
I organized a branch in that place.
On the , Brother A. O. Smoot and I arrived at
a ferry on the Tennessee river, and, as the ferryman was not
at home, the woman kindly gave us permission to use the
ferryboat. We led our horses on board, and took the oars to
cross the river. Brother Smoot had never used an oar, and I
had not for some years, so we made awkward work of it.
Soon he broke one oar, and I let another fall overboard, which
left us only one broken oar to get to shore with. We narrowly
escaped running into a steamboat. We struck shore half a
mile below the landing place, tied up the boat, jumped on
the bank with our horses, and went on our way with blistered
hands, thankful to get off so well.
On Sunday, the , A. O. Smoot and I preached
at Mr. David Crider's, Weakly County, Tennessee. After
the meeting Mr. Crider was baptized. A mob gathered and
threatened us, and poisoned our horses so that the one I rode,
belonging to Samuel West, died a few days after. This horse
had carried me thousands of miles while preaching the gospel.
I continued to travel with Brothers Smoot, Patten and
Parrish in Tennessee and Kentucky, and we baptized all who
would receive our testimony.
