“June 1, 1842 under the counsel and direction of Prest. Heber C. Kimball, I started on a mission to the Eastern States, the land of my nativity, without purse or scrip. About thirty miles east of Nauvoo, I appointed a meeting for the first time and preached as well as I could the first principles of the Gospel. The next meeting I held was in Chambersburgh near the Illinois river. I obtained the school house and gave notice to the people that I would preach there in the afternoon. The house was filled and many stood outside at the windows, and I preached one hour and a half and felt as though my feet were about six inches from the floor for when I stepped I could not feel it; many said at the close of the meeting that they had never heard such a discourse in their lives and I really began to think I was a preacher. The people requested me to tarry with them longer—but as my appointment was East I thought it necessary to continue my journey. Accordingly, the next day, I started for the town of Milton and obtained the use of the school house and appointed a meeting, had a small congregation and made an attempt to preach, but not having my trust in the Lord as much as I should, it proved the dryest discourse I ever heard, and had there been a back door I think I should have been missing, but just as I was closing bro. Harlow Redfield came into the meeting and I called on him to speak, which he did, and being quite a preacher the meeting passed off very well so that the congregation was satisfied.”

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