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Show 16 CALLED ON A MISSION. The following winter I chopped wood on an island in the Mississippi river, twenty miles above Nauvoo. The Prophet Joseph had told the people that the time had come which was spoken of by the prophet Malachi, when the hearts of the fathers must turn to the children, and the hearts ot the children to the fathers ; the Saints must seek for the spirit of this great latter- day work, and that they must pray for it until they received it. I had made a practice for several days, of retiring to a pri-vate place early each morning, to pray for this Spirit and blessing, when an influence came over me that made manifest to me my nothingness before the Lord. This so affected me for a time, that I was almost led to wish that I had never been born. When thus humbled, it was shown to me how a man could obtain salvation, and what he might attain to. With this I felt satisfied. What was then shown me has been of great worth to me since. I then comprehended that the most implicit obedience to the will of God was necessary in order to attain to eternal life. In February, 1844, Joseph Smith, the Prophet, published an address to the people of the United States, on the Powers and Policy of the General Government, and offered himself as a candidate for the office of President of the United States. The same year, at the April Conference, Elders were called and sent forth, two by two, into each State of the Union, with the " Address to the People of the United States," in pam-phlet form, for distribution, and to preach the gospel. I was sent with Brother John Myers, to the State of Maryland. We took passage on the steamer Osprey, in company with seven of the quorum of the Twelve Apostles, and of seventy-one of the Seventies. My companion and I went to Pitts-burg, Penn., and from there we traveled on foot with our valises, without purse or scrip, through the State of Pennsyl-vania. We were often hungry and weary, and, in some- instances, were accused of being beggars and deceivers. This, coupled with my natural independence of character, seemed humilia ting, and made our travels anything but agreeable. |