Here I baptized my first fruits of the gospel, and accomplished a good work. In a few weeks Bro. Pratt sent me to travel with Bro. Jacob Gates, who was really like a father to me. When with him, we would take tracts with us and go from house to house, and shop to shop in Leicester and, in distributing them, try to get a chance to talk with the people.

One day we had been working very hard in the rain and mud, but with little success. As we were on our way home, at dusk, we passed the shop of an herbalist, and I told Bro. Gates I would like to go into this one place before going home. I bought something for a penny and, at the same time, commenced talking "Mormonism" to a stranger. This man's name is now very familiar to the Latter-day Saints, it being none other than George Goddard. Previous to my visit, he had never heard of our religion, but, as he was an honest and brave man, it was not long before he and his family were baptized and, in a little time, gathered to Zion.

During that day I had asked the Lord many times to give me one soul as a comfort and testimony. I went into Bro. Goddard's shop by as direct inspiration as any man ever did anything by its dictation.

I traveled a few weeks with Elder Gates, when I received an appointment to take the presidency of the Norwich Conference.

I wrote to Apostle F. D. Richards, who then presided over the mission, asking him to give me a little more time to get accustomed to preaching and to read up my Bible. I soon received the following answer:

"The presidency of the British Mission wishes to know if Elder C. V. Spencer intends to stand up to the rack in this country."

When I read it I immediately wrote in reply:

"I shall start to Norwich by the next train, and don't care a groat whether there is any hay in the rack or not."

A sister was then washing my clothes, and I had quite a time to induce her to let me have them then; but, at last, she wrung them out as dry as she could and stuffed them into my carpet-bag. Only a few minutes elapsed before I was on the way to Norwich.

I do not think any man ever entered upon the discharge of his duties as president with more distrust than I did; and I wish to record here that the great good afterwards accomplished was God's work, for He worked through me. I only knew enough to speak and act as directed by the Holy Spirit. The conference was represented to me as having refused to sustain, for its president, the man suggested by the presidency at Liverpool, and was otherwise in a somewhat peculiar condition. Under these circumstances I was set to work; how weak I felt, I cannot express in words. For months afterwards people would say to me, when meeting was over, "I heard your knees knock together when you first began to speak."

At the second meeting I held, a man jumped up and said, "We know you be of the devil!" I understood in a moment that the battle for my victory in that region had to be fought right then. I turned and silenced him immediately. When I ceased speaking, the people were as meek as children. I never had any more trouble in that branch, and the work revived in the whole conference. The outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the power and manifestations of God were, I think, as noticeable to the presidency at Liverpool as they were to me.

During the entire mission I was greatly blessed with dreams and manifestations from the Lord. On the day the revelation on plural, or celestial, marriage was first made public in "Freemason's Hall," London, one of our most noted and eloquent preachers was called upon to speak. His effort was a dry and barren failure, patent to everybody present. There were over two hundred prominent Elders sitting on the stand.

Jacob Gates, the president of the meeting, arose and, looking around at the Elders, beckoned to me in a quick way, and said, "Come here and talk." I think every one, now living, who was present at that meeting, if asked the question, would say I was literally clothed upon with the Holy Ghost. I prophesied freely and without fear, and have lived to see those prophecies fulfilled to the very letter.

At one time it was manifested to me to go to a town thirty-six miles distant, and open up the gospel. I sent word to a branch president that I would stop at his house on a certain day when on my way to that town. I notified several Elders to meet me at his house. We met and held a council. I had nothing but opposition, the president saying, "Bro. Spencer, if you go to that place, I clear myself of the consequences; your blood be upon your own head."

I replied, "If my blood be shed, it will be upon the heads of those who shed it, and those who ought to have, but have not got, faith to sustain me." I then asked if any one of the Elders would volunteer to go with me. After considerable hesitating, the youngest Elder in the conference promised to meet me there.

That day I walked twenty-five miles and stopped at a roadside inn at dark, with but one shilling in my pocket. I asked for some supper. The lady of the house said she could give me some "Welsh rabbit." Being fond of rabbit I thought I would now have a treat; but, instead of what I expected, she brought in some toasted cheese and bread. I was so disappointed at this that I crept into bed without supper. She, however, took my last shilling.

The next morning I walked to the next town, twelve miles distant, and, on nearing it, saw a lone building on the common. I hunted up the owner and got permission to speak in it. I then went from house to house, notifying the people of the meeting. About this time the young Elder came, according to promise. As we went through the streets a crowd of rude boys and girls followed us, jeering and throwing dry manure, pieces of coal, etc., at us.

About noon we came to four cross roads in the town, one of which led to the Elder's home. Stopping here, he said, "Brother Spencer, I cannot stand this," and tried to persuade me to give up the labor; but failing to move me he walked away. About dusk I found myself near a cottage on the outskirts of the town. I went in and notified a woman (the only occupant) that in a few minutes I would lecture—and also invited her to attend. I started towards the place of meeting but had got only a few steps when I felt a hand on my shoulder; turning my head, I saw the woman I had just left; she asked me if I had eaten supper, and when I told her I had not eaten or drank that day, she invited me back and placed before me, I think, every good thing she had in the house. I then started to fill my appointment.

The building was full and many were on the outside. My first reception was a peat sod on the side of the head, which knocked me down. I soon rallied, picked the dirt out of my ear, prayed, stretched both hands out before my face as if to make a dive, and made a rush for the crowd, exclaiming, as I came up, "Gentlemen, make room, I'm the man who lectures here to-night." I succeeded in getting into the building after promising the Lord I would say just what He gave me. I knew it was no use to try to sing or pray. The first thought that came to me on arising was the scripture which says, "God hath made of one blood all nations of men that dwell on the earth," etc. I quoted it and was barren of thought for some two minutes, when my spirit in an instant read the people.

I claimed brotherhood by the authority of God's word, alluded to the persecutions of the Methodists in their early days, and asked who would think that the Methodists in so short a time would be found persecuting other religious bodies. I called their attention to my condition, thousands of miles away from home, etc. In a few moments several handkerchiefs were out, wiping tearful eyes. I had a glorious meeting, and at the close was assailed by a minister, but the crowd hoisted him out of the building and hooted him home.

Three gentlemen took me to the best inn of the town and told the landlord to treat me with the