We retired to a grove and knelt down
and prayed together, and had a good
time, and, after commending each other
to God, we parted, he to return to Kirt-
land and I to Fox Islands.
I spent fourteen days visiting the
Saints and friends, and holding meetings
among them, and on the I took leave of Father Carter and
and family, and in company with my
wife rode to Portland, and spent the
night with my brother-in-law, Ezra
Carter.
A severe storm arose, so we could not
go to sea until , when we
took steamer to Owl's Head, carriage to Thomaston and sloop to Fox Islands.
My second visit to these islands was
made under very different circumstances
to the first. On my first visit I was an
entire stranger to the people, and they
were strangers to the gospel, but upon
my second I met many Saints who had
received the gospel, and who hailed me,
and my companion also, with glad
hearts.
On Sunday, the , I
met with a large assembly of Saints and
friends, and again commenced baptizing
such as would receive my testimony.
After visiting the North Island and
holding meetings with the Saints there,
and baptizing two after meeting, I em-
barked on board a sloop, with Captain Coombs, for another island called the Isle of Holt. We arrived at noon, and
I preached to the people at night in their
school house, and had an attentive
audience. I spent the night with John
Turner, Esq., who purchased a copy of
the Book of Mormon.
On the following day we returned to
Fox Islands, and as St. Paul once had to
row hard to make the land in a storm,
we had to row hard to make it in a
calm.
After preaching on the North Island
again and baptizing two persons at the
close of the meeting, I returned again to
the mainland in company with Mrs. Woodruff and others, where I spent fif-
teen days, during which time I visited
among the people, held twelve meetings
and baptized several persons.
On the I returned
again to the North Island, where I held
several meetings, and then crossed over
to the South Island.
On the I spent an
hour with Mr. Isaac Crockett in clearing
away large blocks of ice from the water
in a cove, in order to baptize him, which
I did when the tide came in. I also
baptized two more in the same place on
the , and again two others on the
.
On the I held a meeting at a
school house, when William Douglass,
the Methodist minister, came and wanted
me to work a miracle, that he might be-
lieve, and otherwise railed against me.
I told him what class of men asked
for signs, and that he was a wicked and
adulterous man, and predicted that the
curse of God would rest upon him, and
that his wickedness would be made mani-
fest in the eyes of the people. (While
visiting these Islands several years after-
wards I learned that the prediction had
really been fulfilled, and that he was
serving out a fourteen years' term of
imprisonment for a beastly crime).
Mrs. Woodruff crossed the thorough-
fare in a boat and walked ten miles, the
length of the island, to meet me, on the
last day of the year. I held a meeting
the same day in the school house, and at
the close of the meeting baptized two
persons in the sea, at full tide, before a
large assembly.
, found me standing
upon one of the islands of the sea, a
minister of the gospel of life and salva-
tion unto the people, laboring alone,
though blessed with the society of Mrs.
Woodruff, my companion. I had been
declaring the word of the Lord through
the islands many days, the Spirit of God
was working among the people, preju-
dice was giving way, and the power of
God was manifest by signs following
those who believed.
I spent this New Year's Day visiting
the Saints and their neighbors, and met a
congregation at Captain Charles Brown's,
where I spoke to them for awhile, and at
the close of my remarks led three per-
sons down into the sea and baptized
them. Two of these were sea captains,
namely, Charles Brown, and Jesse
Coombs, and the third was the wife of
Captain Coombs. After confirming them
we spent the evening in preaching, sing-
ing and praying.
I held meetings almost daily with the
Saints up to the , when I crossed to
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF WILFORD WOODRUFF.
Column 1
We retired to a grove and knelt down
and prayed together, and had a good
time, and, after commending each other
to God, we parted, he to return to Kirtland and I to Fox Islands.
I spent fourteen days visiting the
Saints and friends, and holding meetings
among them, and on the I took leave of Father Carter and
and family, and in company with my
wife rode to Portland, and spent the
night with my brother-in-law, Ezra
Carter.
A severe storm arose, so we could not
go to sea until , when we
took steamer to Owl's Head, carriage to
Thomaston and sloop to Fox Islands.
My second visit to these islands was
made under very different circumstances
to the first. On my first visit I was an
entire stranger to the people, and they
were strangers to the gospel, but upon
my second I met many Saints who had
received the gospel, and who hailed me,
and my companion also, with glad
hearts.
On Sunday, the , I
met with a large assembly of Saints and
friends, and again commenced baptizing
such as would receive my testimony.
After visiting the North Island and
holding meetings with the Saints there,
and baptizing two after meeting, I embarked on board a sloop, with Captain
Coombs, for another island called the
Isle of Holt. We arrived at noon, and
I preached to the people at night in their
school house, and had an attentive
audience. I spent the night with John
Turner, Esq., who purchased a copy of
the Book of Mormon.
On the following day we returned to
Fox Islands, and as St. Paul once had to
row hard to make the land in a storm,
we had to row hard to make it in a
calm.
After preaching on the North Island
again and baptizing two persons at the
close of the meeting, I returned again to
the mainland in company with Mrs.
Woodruff and others, where I spent fifteen days, during which time I visited
among the people, held twelve meetings
and baptized several persons.
On the I returned
again to the North Island, where I held
several meetings, and then crossed over
to the South Island.
Column 2
On the I spent an
hour with Mr. Isaac Crockett in clearing
away large blocks of ice from the water
in a cove, in order to baptize him, which
I did when the tide came in. I also
baptized two more in the same place on
the , and again two others on the
.
On the I held a meeting at a
school house, when William Douglass,
the Methodist minister, came and wanted
me to work a miracle, that he might believe, and otherwise railed against me.
I told him what class of men asked
for signs, and that he was a wicked and
adulterous man, and predicted that the
curse of God would rest upon him, and
that his wickedness would be made manifest in the eyes of the people. (While
visiting these Islands several years afterwards I learned that the prediction had
really been fulfilled, and that he was
serving out a fourteen years' term of
imprisonment for a beastly crime).
Mrs. Woodruff crossed the thoroughfare in a boat and walked ten miles, the
length of the island, to meet me, on the
last day of the year. I held a meeting
the same day in the school house, and at
the close of the meeting baptized two
persons in the sea, at full tide, before a
large assembly.
, found me standing
upon one of the islands of the sea, a
minister of the gospel of life and salvation unto the people, laboring alone,
though blessed with the society of Mrs.
Woodruff, my companion. I had been
declaring the word of the Lord through
the islands many days, the Spirit of God
was working among the people, prejudice was giving way, and the power of
God was manifest by signs following
those who believed.
I spent this New Year's Day visiting
the Saints and their neighbors, and met a
congregation at Captain Charles Brown's,
where I spoke to them for awhile, and at
the close of my remarks led three persons down into the sea and baptized
them. Two of these were sea captains,
namely, Charles Brown, and Jesse
Coombs, and the third was the wife of
Captain Coombs. After confirming them
we spent the evening in preaching, singing and praying.
I held meetings almost daily with the
Saints up to the , when I crossed to
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