| 695 opportunities, or suffer myself to partake of the spirit of the world.
When fully awakened to my condition, I discovered what I had lost, and that I would have to work hard and long to regain it.
In the summer of 1869, while at work in the field, I was strongly impressed by the Holy Spirit to go and see the president of the branch, and if possible, get him to appoint a meeting in order to see what could be done to revive the branch. It was a success. I went at exactly the right time. The branch was soon in running order again, though some of us had to bear the grave charge of having a wicked ambition to lead, before this desirable condition was reached. However, the old brother who made this charge (against my brother and me, in particular), lived to see and acknowledge his wrong; and his confidence in us, from that time to the day of his death, was unwavering. In the fall of 1869 I was strongly impressed to take all I had saved from my earnings since I reached my majority and go to school at Ft. Madison (Iowa) Academy.
I had no definite object in this, except to acquire more education; but go to school I must, or sin against my own conscience. My age was twenty-four, but my education was very limited indeed.
I attended school about thirteen months, in 1869 and 1870.
On January 26, 1870, I was ordained to the office of priest, by Bro. Henry F. Pitt. I held this office but for a little while. It was revealed to me, as I thought, that I was about to be called to the eldership; but although I was very intimate with my brother, before referred to, I did not even tell him anything about it. I reasoned like this: "If the Lord has revealed this, he will take care of it without any effort on my part, except prayer and right living; and if he is not the author of this revelation, I do not want to be ordained as a result of it."
It was brought about in a couple of months or so, in a way that was satisfactory to all concerned, so far as I know, and on the 4th day of September, 1870, at a district conference,
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