Читать книгу Wilford Woodruff, Fourth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints - Wilford Woodruff - Страница 13

"We continued to baptize the people on North Island until we baptized every person who owned an interest in the Baptist meeting-house. I then followed Mr. Douglas home to South Island, and preached the gospel to the members of his church, and baptized nearly all of them.

"The excitement became great on both islands, and on Sunday, the 17th of September, I met a large assembly from both islands, and took up the same subject that Mr. Douglass had dwelt upon in his remarks against the Book of Mormon and our principles. I spoke two and a half hours, and answered every objection against the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, or our principles. I had good attention, and the people seemed satisfied. At the close of the meeting Elder Hale administered the ordinance of baptism.

"Mr. Newton, in order to save his cause, went to the mainland, brought over several ministers, and held a protracted meeting. They hoped by this to stop the work of God, but all to no avail; for all the people would attend our meetings and receive the word of God, and we continued to baptize. We visited the homes of most of the inhabitants.

"Upon one occasion, while standing upon Mr. Carver's farm, on the east end of North Island, we counted fifty-five islands in that region, most of which were not inhabited. We also saw twenty ships under sail at the same time. We did not lack for food while upon the island, for if we did not wish to trouble our friends for a dinner, we had only to borrow a spade or a hoe and a kettle, and go to the beach and dig a peck of clams. These, when boiled, make a delicious meal, of which we often availed ourselves.

"One day Elder Hale and I ascended to the top of a high granite rock on South Island for prayer and supplication. We sat down under the shade of a pine tree which grew out of a fissure in the rocks, and Elder Hale read the sixteenth chapter of Jeremiah, where mention is made of the hunters and fishers that God would send in the last days to gather Israel. We were, indeed, upon an island of the sea, standing upon a rock where we could survey the gallant ships, and also the islands which were as full of rocks, ledges, and caves as any part of the earth. And what had brought us here? To search out the blood of Ephraim, the honest and meek of the earth, and gather them from these islands, rocks, holes, and caves of the earth unto Zion. We prayed, and rejoiced together. The spirit of God rested upon us. We spoke of Christ and the ancient prophets and apostles in Jerusalem; of Nephi, Alma, Mormon, Moroni, in America; of Joseph, Hyrum, Oliver, and the apostles in our own day; and we rejoiced that we were upon the islands of the sea searching out the blood of Israel. While filled with these meditations and with the spirit of God, we fell upon our knees and gave thanks to the God of heaven, and felt to pray for all Israel. After spending most of the day in praise and thanksgiving, we descended to the settlement and held a meeting with the people.

"On the 6th of September we called upon Captain Benjamin Coombs, and visited his flakes, where he had one thousand quintals of codfish drying for the market. They had been caught mostly in the neighborhood of Newfoundland. While we were passing Carvey's Wharf, our attention was called to a large school of mackerel playing by the side of the warf. Several men were pitching them out with hooks. We also caught what we wanted and went on our way.

"We continued to labor, to preach, and to baptize. We organized a branch of the Church upon each island. Finally, on the 2nd of October, we parted with the Saints on North Island to return to Scarboro for a short time. We walked from Thomaston to Bath, a distance of forty-six miles in one day, and at the latter place attended a Baptist convention. I also preached there in the evening to a large congregation, and the people gave good attention and wished to learn more about our doctrines. On the following day we walked thirty-six miles to Portland, and the next day to Scarboro. There I again met my wife and her father's family.

"The time had come for me to give the parting hand to Brother Jonathan H. Hale. During the season we traveled over two thousand miles together, united in heart and spirit. He felt it his duty to return to his family in Kirtland, but duty called me to return to my field of labor upon the islands. On the 9th of October I accompanied Brother Hale one mile on his journey. We retired to a grove and knelt down and prayed together, and had a good time; after commending each other to God, we parted, he to return to Kirtland, and I to the Fox Islands.

"I spent fourteen days visiting the Saints and friends, and holding meetings among them. On the 28th of October I took leave of Father Carter and family, and, in company with my wife, rode to Portland, to the home of my brother-in-law, Ezra Carter. A severe storm arose, so we could not go to sea until November 1st, when we took steamer to Owl's Head, carriage to Thomaston, and sloop to Fox Islands."