Nov. 15—While traveling in the night with br. Benjamin L. Clapp and others, a tremend- ous storm of wind and rain overtook us. We came to a creek which had swollen to such an extent by the rain that we could not cross without swimming our horses; several of the company were females. We undertook to head [Column 2] the stream, to ford it, but in the attempt, in the midst of the darkness and the raging of the wind and rain, we were lost in the thick woods, amidst the rain, wind, creeks and fal- len tree tops; we crossed streams nearly twen- ty times. I was reminded of Paul's perils by water; but the Lord was merciful unto us in the midst of our troubles, for while we were groping in the dark, running the risk of killing both ourselves and animals by riding off pre- cipitous bluffs, a bright light suddenly shone round about us, and revealed our perilous situ- ation as were upon the edge of a deep gulf. The light continued with us until we found a house and learned the right road; then the light disappeared, and we were enabled to reach the house of br. Henry Thomas at nine o'clock, all safe, having rode twenty miles, five hours in the storm, and we felt to thank the Lord for our preservation.

We baptized over eighteen hundred, including all of the United Brethren save one. We bap- tized over two hundred preachers of various denominations in that part of the vineyard. A synod of church ministers became so alarm- ed for their flocks in that part of the vineyard, they petitioned Parliament to adopt measures to stop our preaching. They received for an answer, that if they were as well acquainted with the Bible as their hunting grounds, and were as much interested in the welfare of the souls of men, as the chasing of the stags and foxes, they would not lose so many of their congregations.

When we have the principles of the gospel revealed to us through the mouth of the Savior, or by inspired prophets or apostles, we have no need to ask the Lord to reveal that unto us again. While the priesthood is restored to the earth, and the revelations of God are revealed to us through the mouths of prophets and apostles concerning the fullness of the gospel —doctrine, ordinances and principles, we should study them, and treasure up knowledge by faith. We should study out of the best books, and the Holy Ghost will bring to our remem- brance those things which we stand in need of, in the self-same hour that we are called to teach the people.

The teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith to President John Taylor and the rest of us was to obtain the Holy Spirit, get acquainted with it and its operations, and listen to the whisperings of that Spirit and obey its voice, and it soon will become a principle of revelation unto us. We have found this true in our experience, and in order to prove whether a revelation is from God or not we follow out the principles revealed to us, and if we find that which was manifested to us prove true, we know it is from God; for truth is one of His attributes, and the Holy Ghost deceiveth no man. When a man becomes acquainted with the whisper- ings of the Holy Ghost, which is revelation, he should be very careful to obey it, for his life may depend upon it. Revelation is one of the gifts of the Holy Ghost

In 1848, after my return to Winter Quarters from our pioneer journey, I was appointed by the Presidency of the Church to take my family and go to Boston, to gather up the remnant of the Latter-day Saints and lead them to the valleys of the mountains. While on my way east I put my carriage into the yard of one of the brethren in Indiana, and Brother Orson Hyde set his wagon by the side of mine, and not more than two feet from it. Dominicus Carter, of Provo, and my wife and four children were with me. My wife, one child and I went to bed in the carriage, the rest sleeping in the house. I had been in bed but a short time when a voice said to me: “Get up, and move your carriage." It was not thunder, lightning or an earthquake, but the still, small voice of the Spirit of God the Holy Ghost. I told my wife I must get up and move my carriage. She asked: "What for?" I told her I did not know, only the Spirit told me to do it. I got up and moved my carriage several rods, and set it by the side of the house. As I was returning to bed the same Spirit said to me, ''Go and move your mules away from that oak tree,” which was about one hundred yards north of our carriage. I moved them to a young hickory grove and tied them up. I then went to bed. In thirty minutes a whirlwind caught the tree to which my mules had been fastened, broke it off near the ground, and carried it one hundred yards, sweeping away two fences in its course, and laid it prostrate through that yard where my carriage stood, and the top limbs hit my carriage as it was. In the morning I measured the trunk of the tree which fell where my carriage had stood, and I found it to be five feet in circumference. It came within a foot of Brother Hyde's wagon, but did not touch it. Thus, by obeying the revelation of the Spirit of God to me I saved my life and the lives of my wife and child, as well as my animals. In the morning I went on my way rejoicing.

While returning to Utah in 1850 with a large company of Saints from Boston and the east, on my arrival at Pittsburg I engaged a passage for myself and company on a steamer to St. Louis. But no sooner had I engaged the passage than the Spirit said to me, "Go not on board of that steamer, neither you nor your company.'' I obeyed the revelation to me, and I did not go on board, but took another steamer. The first steamer started at dark, with two hundred passen- gers on board. When five miles down the Ohio river it took fire, burned the tiller ropes so that the vessel could not reach shore, and the lives of nearly all on board were lost either by fire or water. We arrived in safety at our destination, by obeying the revelation of the Spirit of God to us.

As I have received the good and the evil, the fruits of obedience and disobedience, I think I am justified in exhorting all my young friends to always obey the whisperings of the Spirit of God, and they will always be safe. The Spirit of God will rule over and guide all men who will permit it and seek for it, and this is especially necessary for young Elders who are laboring in the vineyard of the Lord. For the Lord knows where the righteous, honest and meek of the earth are, and will lead the Elders to them

Thou shalt have the spirit of God to instruct thee in thy mission and lead thee into all truth thou shalt be filled with the spirit of God. Thine eyes shall be opened to look within the veil and behold the things of eternity. ^Yea the Lord of glory shall appear unto thee thou shalt put thy hands upon his feet and feel his wounds with thy hands that thou mayest be a special witness of his name^

As I was forming this determination in my own mind a personage appeared unto me which I considered was the prince of darkess darkness or the Devil, he made war with me and attempted to take my life he laid hold of me like a strong armed man, I felt like the wait of a heavy man lying upon my body and he caught me by the throat with a strong grip and choaked me nearly to death I struggled with him as one man would struggled with another I, felt as though this destroyer would overcom me & that I must die as I saw no way that I could escape his grasp, at that instant the thought came to me why do you not pray, & call upon the Lord for help, I then asked the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ to deliver me from the power of the Devil & preserve my life instantly three personages came throught the door dressed in white with considerable light surrounding them they came up to the bed side while I was lying in the grasp of the Enemy & they laid their hands upon my head & in the twinkling of an eye I was liberated & the spirit of God vibrated my whole body from the crown of my head to the souls of my feet and I was instantly covered all over in a high state of persperation water stood upon ^me^ in drops. As soon as I could speak I spoke to Brother G. A. Smith & I found that he had been labering under the same

When the Twelve or any other witnesses stand before the congregations of the earth & they preach in the power & demonstration of the spirit of God & the people are asstonis[h]ed & confounded at the doctrin & say that that man has preached a powerful discourse a great sermon then let that man or those men take care that they do not ass cribe the glory unto themselves but be ca- reful that they are humble & ascribe the praise & glory to God & the Lamb for it is by the power of the Holy Priesthood & Holy Ghost they have power thus to speak: what art thou O man but dust & pain wholm dost thou receive thy power & blessings but from God Then O ye Twelve notice this [FIGURE] key & be wise for Christ sake & your own so[u]ls sake