were licensed according to the law of the
land for preaching in.
This body of United Brethren were
searching for light and truth, but had
gone as far as they could, and were con-
tinually calling upon the Lord to open
the way before them, and send them
light and knowledge that they might
know the true way to be saved.
When I heard these things I could
clearly see why the Lord had command-
ed me, while in the town of Hanley, to
leave that place of labor and go to the
south, for in Herefordshire there was a
great harvest-field for gathering many
Saints into the kingdom of God.
I retired to my bed with joy after
offering my prayers and thanksgiving to
God, and slept sweetly until the rising
of the sun.
I arose on the morning of the ,
took breakfast, and told Mr. Benbow I
would like to commence my Master's
business, by preaching the gospel to the
people.
He had a large hall in his mansion
which was licensed for preaching, and he
sent word through the neighborhood
that an American missionary would
preach at his house that evening.
As the time drew nigh many of the
neighbors came in, and I preached my
first gospel sermon in the house. I also
preached on the following evening at the
same place, and baptized six persons,
including Mr. John Benbow and his wife,
and four preachers of the United Brethren.
I spent most of the following day in
clearing out a pool of water, and
preparing it for baptizing in, as I saw
many to be baptized there. I afterwards
baptized six hundred in that pool of
water.
On Sunday, the , I preached at Frome's Hill in the morning, at Stand-
ley Hill in the afternoon, and at John
Benbow's, Hill Farm, in the evening.
The parish church that stood in the
neighborhood of Brother Benbow's, pre-
sided over by the rector of the parish,
was attended during the day by only fif-
teen persons, while I had a large congre-
gation, estimated to number a thousand,
attend my meeting through the day and
evening.
When I arose in the evening to speak
at Brother Benbow's house, a man en-
tered the door and informed me that he
was a constable, and had been sent by
the rector of the parish with a warrant
to arrest me.
I asked him "For what crime?"
He said, "For preaching to the peo-
ple."
I told him that I, as well as the rec-
tor, had a license for preaching the gos-
pel to the people, and that if he would
take a chair I would wait upon him after
meeting.
He took my chair and sat beside me.
I preached the first principles of the
everlasting gospel for an hour and a
quarter. The power of God rested upon
me, the Spirit filled the house, and the
people were convinced.
At the close of the meeting I opened
a door for baptism, and seven offered
themselves. Among the number were
four preachers and the constable.
The latter arose and said, "Mr. Wood-
ruff, I would like to be baptized."
I told him I would like to baptize
him. I went down to the pool and bap-
tized the seven. We then met together
and I confirmed thirteen, and broke
bread unto the Saints and we all rejoiced
together.
The constable went to the rector and
told him if he wanted Mr. Woodruff
taken up for preaching the gospel, he
must go himself and serve the writ, for
he had heard him preach the only true
gospel sermon he had ever listened to in
his life.
The rector did not know what to make
of it, so he sent two clerks of the Church
of England as spies, to attend our meet-
ing, and find out what we did preach.
But they were both pricked in their
hearts and received the word of the
Lord gladly, and were baptized and con-
firmed members of the Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The rector became alarmed and did
not dare to send anybody else.
The ministers and rectors of the South
of England called a convention and
sent a petition to the Archbishop of Canterbury, to request parliament to
pass a law prohibiting the Mormons
from preaching in the British dominion.
In this petition the rector stated that
one "Mormon" missionary had baptized
fifteen hundred persons, mostly members
of the English church, during the last
seven months.
AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF WILFORD WOODRUFF.
Column 1
were licensed according to the law of the
land for preaching in.
This body of United Brethren were
searching for light and truth, but had
gone as far as they could, and were continually calling upon the Lord to open
the way before them, and send them
light and knowledge that they might
know the true way to be saved.
When I heard these things I could
clearly see why the Lord had commanded me, while in the town of Hanley, to
leave that place of labor and go to the
south, for in Herefordshire there was a
great harvest-field for gathering many
Saints into the kingdom of God.
I retired to my bed with joy after
offering my prayers and thanksgiving to
God, and slept sweetly until the rising
of the sun.
I arose on the morning of the ,
took breakfast, and told Mr. Benbow I
would like to commence my Master's
business, by preaching the gospel to the
people.
He had a large hall in his mansion
which was licensed for preaching, and he
sent word through the neighborhood
that an American missionary would
preach at his house that evening.
As the time drew nigh many of the
neighbors came in, and I preached my
first gospel sermon in the house. I also
preached on the following evening at the
same place, and baptized six persons,
including Mr. John Benbow and his wife,
and four preachers of the United Brethren.
I spent most of the following day in
clearing out a pool of water, and
preparing it for baptizing in, as I saw
many to be baptized there. I afterwards
baptized six hundred in that pool of
water.
On Sunday, the , I preached at
Frome's Hill in the morning, at Standley Hill in the afternoon, and at John
Benbow's, Hill Farm, in the evening.
The parish church that stood in the
neighborhood of Brother Benbow's, presided over by the rector of the parish,
was attended during the day by only fifteen persons, while I had a large congregation, estimated to number a thousand,
attend my meeting through the day and
evening.
When I arose in the evening to speak
at Brother Benbow's house, a man entered the door and informed me that he
Column 2
was a constable, and had been sent by
the rector of the parish with a warrant
to arrest me.
I asked him "For what crime?"
He said, "For preaching to the people."
I told him that I, as well as the rector, had a license for preaching the gospel to the people, and that if he would
take a chair I would wait upon him after
meeting.
He took my chair and sat beside me.
I preached the first principles of the
everlasting gospel for an hour and a
quarter. The power of God rested upon
me, the Spirit filled the house, and the
people were convinced.
At the close of the meeting I opened
a door for baptism, and seven offered
themselves. Among the number were
four preachers and the constable.
The latter arose and said, "Mr. Woodruff, I would like to be baptized."
I told him I would like to baptize
him. I went down to the pool and baptized the seven. We then met together
and I confirmed thirteen, and broke
bread unto the Saints and we all rejoiced
together.
The constable went to the rector and
told him if he wanted Mr. Woodruff
taken up for preaching the gospel, he
must go himself and serve the writ, for
he had heard him preach the only true
gospel sermon he had ever listened to in
his life.
The rector did not know what to make
of it, so he sent two clerks of the Church
of England as spies, to attend our meeting, and find out what we did preach.
The rector became alarmed and did
not dare to send anybody else.
The ministers and rectors of the South
of England called a convention and
sent a petition to the Archbishop of
Canterbury, to request parliament to
pass a law prohibiting the Mormons
from preaching in the British dominion.
In this petition the rector stated that
one "Mormon" missionary had baptized
fifteen hundred persons, mostly members
of the English church, during the last
seven months.