| 205 region. Our exercises were unusually solemn and interesting. I felt truly that God had a people, even in this place. So deep were my convictions of this fact, that contrary to my instructions I continued my labors, and after a few weeks I had the pleasure of inducting seven into the kingdom of God. From this time the way seemed to open before me. Calls for preaching came in from various places, which I gladly responded to as far as it was in my power, and with the help of H. P. Brown, who came to my assistance sometime in the winter following, we succeeded in building up a church of twenty-three or twenty-four members, which we called the Yellowstone branch. A few months afterwards, I moved my family into this section, and continued my labors with the church, teaching them the principles of the gospel as revealed from heaven to us through Joseph the Seer.
"During this time several strange things came to my knowledge that fully satisfied me that unless good and evil, bitter and sweet could proceed from the same fountain, neither J. J. Strang, B. Young, William Smith, nor any that had claimed to be prophets, since Joseph's death, were the servants of God. The inquiry arose in my mind, 'What shall we do? Here are a few honest saints who have obeyed the gospel, and are looking to me for instruction. What can I say? What can I teach them?' Thus I meditated for months. God, and God only, knows what the anguish of my mind was. I resolved that I would preach the word; and, thank God, preaching brought me out right.
"It was after preaching on Sunday evening, in the fall of 1851, while sitting in my chair at Bro. Wildermuth's house, my mind was drawn to Isaiah 2:2, 3. At that moment the great work of the last days, as it is spoken of by the prophet in that chapter, seemed to pass before me in all its majesty and glory. It appeared that I could see all nations in motion, coming to the mountain of the Lord's house in the top of the mountains. At this time Strang's Beaver Island operation appeared before me. It looked mean and contemptible beyond description. A voice-the Spirit of God-the Holy Ghost, then said to me, 'Can this (alluding to
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