LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL
THIRD BOOK OF THE
FAITH-PROMOTING SERIES
By President W. Woodruff
_DESIGNED FOR THE INSTRUCTION AND ENCOURAGEMENT OF YOUNG LATTER-DAY
SAINTS_
SECOND EDITION.
JUVENILE INSTRUCTOR OFFICE,
Salt Lake City, Utah.
1882.
PREFACE
About nine months have elapsed since the first edition of this work
was published, and now the whole number issued--over 4,000 copies--are
exhausted, and there is a demand for more.
We, therefore, have much pleasure in offering the Second Edition of
LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL for public consideration, and trust that the
young people who pursue it will be inspired to emulate in their lives
the faith, perseverance and integrity that so distinguish its author.
Brother Woodruff is a remarkable man. Few men now living, who have
followed the quiet and peaceful pursuits of life, have had such an
interesting and eventful experience as he has. Few, if any in this
age, have spent a more active and useful life. Certainly no man living
has been more particular about recording with his own hand, in a daily
journal, during half a century, the events of his own career and the
things that have come under his observation. His elaborate journal has
always been one of the principal sources from which the Church history
has been compiled.
Possessed of wonderful energy and determination, and mighty faith,
Brother Woodruff has labored long and with great success in the Church.
He has ever had a definite object in view--to know the will of the
Almighty and to do it. No amount of self-denial has been too great for
him to cheerfully endure for the advancement of the cause of God. No
labor required of the Saints has been considered by him too onerous to
engage in with his own hands.
Satan, knowing the power for good that Brother Woodruff would be, if
permitted to live, has often sought to effect his destruction.
The adventures, accidents and hair-breath escapes that he has met with,
are scarcely equalled by the record that the former apostle, Paul, has
left us of his life.
The power of God has been manifested in a most remarkable manner in
preserving Brother Woodruff's life. Considering the number of bones
he has had broken, and the other bodily injuries he has received, it
is certainly wonderful that now, at the age of seventy-five years, he
is such a sound, well-preserved man. God grant that his health and
usefulness may continue for many years to come.
Of course, this volume contains but a small portion of the interesting
experience of Brother Woodruff's life, but very many profitable lessons
may be learned from it, and we trust at some future time to be favored
with other sketches from his pen.
THE PUBLISHER
CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
Strictness of the "Blue Laws" of Connecticut--The Old Prophet
Mason--His Vision--His Prophecy--Hear the Gospel, and Embrace it--Visit
Kirtland, and see Joseph Smith--A Work for the Old Prophet.
CHAPTER II.
Preparing to go up to Zion--First Meeting with President Young-Camp of
Zion Starts--Numbers Magnified in the Eyes of Beholders--Remarkable
Deliverance-Selfishness, and its Reward.
CHAPTER III.
Advised to Remain in Missouri--A Desire to Preach--Pray to the Lord for
a Mission--Prayer Answered--Sent on a Mission to Arkansas--Dangerous
Journey through Jackson County--Living on Raw Corn, and Sleeping on the
Ground--My First Sermon--Refused Food and Shelter by a Presbyterian
Preacher--Wander through Swamps--Entertained by Indians.
CHAPTER IV.
A Journey of Sixty Miles without Food--Confronted by a Bear--Pass by
Unharmed--Surrounded by Wolves--Lost in Darkness--Reach a Cabin--Its
Inmates--No Supper--Sleep on the Floor--The Hardest Day's Work of my
Life--Twelve Miles more without Breakfast--Breakfast and Abuse Together.
CHAPTER V.
Our Anxiety to Meet a Saint--Journey to Akeman's--A Dream--Find Mr.
Akeman a Rank Apostate--He Raises a Mob--Threatened with Tar, Feathers,
etc.--I Warn Mr. Akeman to Repent--He Falls Down Dead at my Feet--I
Preach his Funeral Sermon.
CHAPTER VI.
Make a Canoe--Voyage down the Arkansas River--Sleep in a Deserted
Tavern--One Hundred and Seventy Miles through Swamps--Forty Miles a
Day in Mud Knee-deep--A Sudden Lameness--Left alone in an Alligator
Swamp--Healed, in Answer to Prayer--Arrival an Memphis--An Odd-looking
Preacher--Compelled to Preach--Powerful Aid from the Spirit--Not what
the Audience Expected.
CHAPTER VII.
Curious Worship--Meet Elder Parrish--Labor Together in
Tenessee--Adventure in Bloody River--A Night of Peril--Providential
Light--Menaced by a Mob--Good Advice of a Baptist Preacher--Summary of
my Labors during the Year.
CHAPTER VIII.
Studying Grammar--Meet Elder Patten--Glorious News--Labor with A. O.
Smoot--Turned out of a Meeting House by a Baptist Preacher--Preach in
the Open Air--Good Result--Adventure on the Tennesse River--A Novel
Charge to Arrest and Condemn Men upon--Mob Poison Our Horses.
CHAPTER IX.
Attending School--Marriage--Impressed to take a Mission to Fox
Islands--Advised to go--Journey to Canada--Cases of Healing--Journey
to Connecticut--My Birthplace--My Mother's Grave--Baptize some
Relatives--Joined by my Wife--Journey on Foot to Maine--Arrival at Fox
Island.
CHAPTER X.
Description of Vinal Haven--Population and Pursuit of the People--Great
Variety of Fish--The Introduction of the Gospel.
CHAPTER XI.
Mr. Newton, the Baptist Preacher, Wrestling with out Testimony--Rejects
it, and Begins to Oppose--Sends for a Methodist Minister to Help
Him--Mr. Douglass' Speech--Our Great Success on the North Island--Go
to the South Island, and baptise Mr. Douglass' Flock--Great Number of
Islands--Boiled Clams--Day of Prayer--Codfish Flakes.
CHAPTER XII.
Return to Mainland--Parting with Brother Hale--My Second Visit to
the Islands--Visit to the Isle of Holt--A Sign Demanded by Mr.
Douglass--A Prediction about him--It's Subsequent Fulfillment--Spirit
of Opposition--Firing of Cannons and Guns to Disturb my Meeting.
CHAPTER XIII.
Meeting with James Townsend--Decide to go to Bangor--Long Journey
through Deep Snow--Curious Phenomenon--Refused Lodging at Eight
Houses--Entertained by Mr. Teppley--Curious Coincidence--Mr Teppley's
Despondence--Arrival at Bangor--Return to the Islands--Adventure with
the Tide.
CHAPTER XIV.
Counseled to Gather with the Saints--Remarkable Manifestation--Case of
Healing--Efforts of Apostates--Visit from Elders--A Conference--Closing
my Labors on the Islands for a Season.
CHAPTER XV.
Return to Scarboro--Journey South--Visit to A. P. Rockwood in
Prison--Incidents of Prison Life--Journey to Connecticut--Baptize my
Father's Household.
CHAPTER XVI.
Taking Leave of my Old Home--Return to Maine--Birth of my
First Child--Appointment to the Apostleship and to a Foreign
Mission--Preparations for the Journey to Zion.
CHAPTER XVII.
Start upon out Journey. A Hazardous Undertaking--Sickness--Severe
Weather--My wife and Child Stricken--A Trying Experience--My Wife
Continues to Fail--Her Spirit Leaves her Body--Restored by the Power of
God--Her Spirit's Experience while Separated from the Body--Death of my
Brother--Arrival at Rochester--Removal to Quincy.
CHAPTER XVIII.
A Peculiar Revelation--Determination of Enemies to Prevent its
Fulfillment--Start to Far West to Fulfill Revelation--Our Arrival
There--Hold a Council--Fulfill the Revelation--Corner Stone of the
Temple Laid--Ordained to the Apostleship--Leave Far West--Meet the
Prophet Joseph--Conference Held--Settle Our Families in Nauvoo.
CHAPTER XIX.
A Day of God's Power with the Prophet Joseph Smith--A Great Number of
Sick Persons Healed--The Mob becomes Alarmed--They try to Interfere
with the Healing of the Sick--The Mob Sent Out of the House--Twin
Children Healed.
CHAPTER XX.
Preparing for our Journey and Mission--The Blessing of the Prophet
Joseph upon our Heads, and his Promises unto us--The Power of the Devil
manifested to Hinder us in the Performance of our Journey.
CHAPTER XXI.
Leaving my Family--Start Upon my Mission--Our Condition--Elder Taylor
the only One not Sick--Reproof from the Prophet--Incidents upon the
Journey--Elder Taylor Stricken--I Leave him Sick.
CHAPTER XXII.
Continue my Journey--Leave Elder Taylor in Germantown--Arrival in
Cleveland--Take Steamer from There to Buffalo--Delayed by a Storm--Go
to Farmington, my Father's Home--Death of my Grandmother--My Uncle
Dies--I Preach his Funeral Sermon--Arrive in New York--Sail for
Liverpool--Encounter Storms and Rough Weather--Arrive in Liverpool.
CHAPTER XXIII.
Our visit to Preston--Our First Council in England, in 1840--We Take
Different Fields of Labor--A Women Possessed of the Devil--Attempt to
Cast it Out and Fail--Turn Out the Unbelievers, and then Succeed--The
Evil Spirit Enters her Child--Commence Baptizing--The Lord Makes Known
His Will to me.
CHAPTER XXIV.
My Journey to Herefordshire--Interview with John Benbow--The Word of
the Lord Fulfilled to me--The Greatest Gathering into the Church Known
among the Gentiles since its organisation in this Dispensation--A
Constable Sent to Arrest me--I Convert and Baptize Him--Two Clerks Sent
as Detectives to Hear me Preach, and both Embrace the Truth--Rectors
Petition to have out Preaching Prohibited--The Archbishop's Reply--Book
of Mormon and Hymn Book Printed--Case of healing.
CHAPTER XXV.
Closing Testimony--Good and Evil Spirits.
CHAPTER XXVI.
How to Obtain Revelation from God--Joseph Smith's Course--Saved
from Death by a falling Tree, by Obeying the Voice of the Spirit--A
Company of Saints Saved from a Steam-boat Disaster by the Spirit's
Warning--Plot to Waylay Elder C. C. Rich and Party Foiled by the same
Power.
CHAPTER XXVII.
Result of not Obeying the Voice of the Spirit--Lost in a
Snowstorm--Saved, in answer to Prayer--Revelation to Missionaries
Necessary--Revelation in the St. George Temple.
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Patriarchal Blessings and their Fulfillment--Predictions in my own
Blessing--Gold-dust from California--Taught by an Angel--Struggle with
Evil Spirits--Administered to by Angels--What Angels are sent to the
Earth for.
LEAVES FROM MY JOURNAL
CHAPTER I.
STRICTNESS OF THE "BLUE LAWS" OF CONNECTICUT--THE OLD PROPHET,
MASON--HIS VISION--HIS PROPHECY--HEAR THE GOSPEL, AND EMBRACE IT--VISIT
KIRTLAND AND SEE JOSEPH SMITH--A WORK FOR THE OLD PROPHET.
For the benefit of the young Latter-day Saints, for whom the
Faith-Promoting Series is especially designed, I will relate some
incidents from my experience. I will commence by giving a short account
of some events of my childhood and youth.
I spent the first years of my life under the influence of what history
has called the "Blue Laws" of Connecticut.
No man, boy, or child of any age was permitted to play, or do any work
from sunset Saturday night, until Sunday night. After sunset on Sunday
evening, men might work, and boys might jump, shout, and play as much
as they pleased.
Our parents were very strict with us on Saturday night, and all day
Sunday we had to sit very still and say over the Presbyterian catechism
and some passages in the Bible.
The people of Connecticut in those days thought it wicked to believe
in any religion, or belong to any church, except the Presbyterian.
They did not believe in having any prophets, apostles, or revelations,
as they had in the days of Jesus, and as we now have in the Church of
Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
There was an aged man in Connecticut, however, by the name of Robert
Mason, who did not believe like the rest of the people. He believed
it was necessary to have prophets, apostles, dreams, visions and
revelations in the church of Christ, the same as they had who lived in
ancient days; and he believed the Lord would raise up a people and a
church, in the last days, with prophets, apostles and all the gifts,
powers and blessings, which it ever contained in any age of the world.
The people called this man, the old prophet Mason.
He frequently came to my father's house when I was a boy, and taught me
and my brothers those principles; and I believed him.
This prophet prayed a great deal, and he had dreams and visions, and
the Lord showed him many things, by visions, which were to come to pass
in the last days.
I will here relate one vision, which he related to me. The last time I
ever saw him, he said: "I was laboring in my field at mid-day when I
was enwrapped in a vision. I was placed in the midst of a vast forest
of fruit trees: I was very hungry, and walked a long way through the
orchard, searching for fruit to eat; but I could not find any in the
whole orchard, and I wept because I could find no fruit. While I stood
gazing at the orchard, and wondering why there was no fruit, the trees
began to fall to the ground upon every side of me, until there was not
one tree standing in the whole orchard; and while I was marveling at
the scene, I saw young sprouts start up from the roots of the trees
which had fallen, and they opened into young, thrifty trees before
my eyes. They budded, blossomed, and bore fruit until the trees were
loaded with the finest fruit I ever beheld, and I rejoiced to see so
much fine fruit. I stepped up to a tree and picked my hands full of
fruit, and marveled at its beauty, and as I was about to taste of it
the vision closed, and I found myself in the field in the same place I
was at the commencement of the vision.
"I then knelt upon the ground, and prayed unto the Lord, and asked Him,
in the name of Jesus Christ, to show me the meaning of the vision.
The Lord said unto me: 'This is the interpretation of the vision: the
great trees of the forest represented the generation of men in which
you live. There is no church of Christ, or kingdom of God upon the
earth in your generation. There is no fruit of the church of Christ
upon the earth. There is no man ordained of God to administer in any of
the ordinances of the gospel of salvation upon the earth in this day
and generation. But, in the next generation, I the Lord will set up my
kingdom and my church upon the earth, and the fruits of the kingdom
and church of Christ, such as have followed the prophets, apostles
and saints in every dispensation, shall again be found in all their
fullness upon the earth. You will live to see the day, and handle the
fruit; but will never partake of it in the flesh.'"
When the old prophet had finished relating the vision and
interpretation, he said to me, calling me by my christian name: "I
shall never partake of this fruit in the flesh; but you will, and you
will become a conspicuous actor in that kingdom." He then turned and
left me. These were the last words he ever spoke to me upon the earth.
This was a very striking circumstance, as I had spent many hours and
days, during twenty years, with this old Father Mason, and he had never
named this vision to me before. But at the beginning of this last
conversation, he told me that he felt impelled by the Spirit of the
Lord to relate it to me.
He had the vision about the year 1800, and he related it to me in
1830--the same spring that the Church was organized.
This vision, with his other teachings to me, made a great impression
upon my mind, and I prayed a great deal to the Lord to lead me by His
Spirit, and prepare me for His church when it did come.
In 1832, I left Connecticut, and traveled with my eldest brother to
Oswego County, New York; and in the winter of 1833, I saw, for the
first time in my life, an Elder of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints. He preached in a school-house near where I lived. I
attended the meeting, and the Spirit of the Lord bore record to me that
what I heard was true. I invited the Elder to my house, and next day I,
with my eldest brother, went down into the water and was baptized. We
were the first two baptized in Oswego County, New York.
When I was baptized I thought of what the old prophet had said to me.
In the spring of 1834, I went to Kirtland, saw the Prophet Joseph
Smith, and went with him, and with more than two hundred others in
Zion's Camp, up to Missouri. When I arrived, at my journey's end, I
took the first opportunity and wrote a long letter to Father Mason, and
told him I had found the church of Christ that he had told me about.
I told him about its organization and the coming forth of the Book of
Mormon; that the Church had Prophets, Apostles, and all the gifts and
blessings in it, and that the true fruit of the kingdom and church of
Christ were manifest among the Saints as the Lord had shown him in the
vision. He received my letter and read it over many times, and handled
it as he had handled the fruit in the vision; but he was very aged,
and soon died. He did not live to see any Elder to administer the
ordinances of the gospel unto him.
The first opportunity I had, after the doctrine of baptism for the dead
was revealed, I went forth and was baptized for him. He was a good man
and a true prophet, for his prophecies have been fulfilled.