I was born in the spring of 1848 near Jackson, Mich. My parents were members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. In the spring of 1852 my father, and an uncle by the name of Nichols, left home for California. Not long after their departure my aunt became interested in the truth, and began the observance of the Sabbath. My mother, who was a Methodist, did not take kindly to such a change.
I frequently listened to their conversation, which made quite an impression on my mind, although I was only a little over four years of age. From my earliest recollections my mother had taught me to pray, and I had the greatest reverence for the Bible as the word of God. As I listened to my aunt when she read the Bible and explained about the Sabbath, it worried me much, and frequently I would leave my play, go behind the curtains, kneel by a trunk, and ask the Lord to help my mother to see the truth. I always closed the prayer by saying, “O Lord, them commandments.” This made such an impression on my mother that she went to my aunt and said, “I cannot stand this any longer; and if you have any light for me, I want it.” My aunt continued to read the Bible to mother, and soon she accepted the message, and was baptized by Elder H. S. Case, who afterward severed his connection with us, and started the paper called the Messenger of Truth. Soon after mother had accepted of the light, Elder Joseph B. Frisbie came to our place and held meetings in our schoolhouse, and a small company of believers was raised up. Among the number was one of our neighbors by the name of Chas. Glover. In the summer of 1853 Elder James White and his wife, and Elders J. N. Loughborough and M. E. Cornell came to our place and held meetings in Brother Glover's new barn.
After this our leading ministers frequently visited our little company, and always received a hearty welcome. In those days we had as much respect for a minister of our faith as we could have had for an angel, if one had visited us.
It was about this time that Spiritualism was making quite a stir in our community, and my mother and aunt visited a medium, and asked to have the spirit of a sister of theirs who had died several years before, called up. As the medium went into a trance, she said, “My dear sister, you are an unbeliever now, but you must not be.” My aunt said, “This is the voice of my sister, but is the devil.” Then the medium clinched her fist and, grating her teeth, said, “None devil, none devil.” That convinced my mother and aunt that Spiritualism is the work of Satan.
About 1853 my father returned from California, and soon began keeping the Sabbath. About this time our little band divided, a number uniting with the Messenger party. My father, not being very well established in the truth, went with them. The Messenger party soon began to quarrel among themselves, and father, becoming disgusted, gave up all profession of religion. Thus he lived for years. We soon after left Jackson County, and for some years did not meet any of our people.
During these trying times mother continued faithful to her convictions of truth, and brought up her children to reverence the message. There were a few times during these years that work was very pressing, and my brother and I worked on the Sabbath. In the spring of 1860 my parents moved to Battle Creek, Mich. This was my first experience in a Sabbath-school. My first teacher was Brother William Hall, long since dead, and the next was Brother Robert Sawyer, who has also been dead some years. At that time we did not have the Sabbath-school helps we now have, and the first lessons given by Brother Hall were from First Peter, second chapter. The thoughts presented from that chapter have stayed with me to this day, and frequently when reading a text from it, my mind goes back to the days long past. We did not always have preaching in Battle Creek in those days, and our social meetings were usually conducted by Brethren U. Smith and G. W. Amadon, who were at that time young men.
SMYRNA, SHOWING PORT AND MT. PAGUS.
THE TRUTH HAS FOUND ITS WAY TO THIS HISTORIC CITY, AND SEVERAL OF ITS PEOPLE ARE NOW REJOICING IN
THE LIGHT OF THE THIRD ANGEL’S MESSAGE.
About forty years ago I heard my mother and aunt talking about the near coming of the Lord, and mother said, “It may possibly be five years;” but my aunt replied, “How can you put it off so long?”
From my earliest recollection my mother always had family prayers, and during the time that father did not make any profession, he seldom remained during prayers. In our family devotions, mother would pray for my older brother and then for me. I shall never forget one night when father remained during prayers, and that, after we had all taken part and were about to rise, for the first time I listened to my father's voice in prayer. Those who have never passed through similar experiences cannot appreciate the feelings of our household. My dear mother wept for joy, and as soon as brother and I were in bed, we agreed that we would be very careful not to do anything to irritate father, who was now going to live a Christian life. It was indeed a happy time in our home.
Soon after this, our dear Brother White had one of his dreams of fishing, in which he seemed to be very successful, but nearly all were small fish; that dream was fulfilled soon after, for he held a series of meetings in the church on Van Buren Street, and over a dozen young people gave themselves to the Lord,—myself and brother among the number. Of that number some are awaiting the first resurrection, others are preaching the gospel, and working in various lines of the message.
About twenty-five years ago I attended a camp-meeting near Battle Creek, and at that meeting Elder J. B. Frisbie, who had been for some years under discouragement, took his stand once more with the remnant people. It was at this meeting that a delegate from the Seventh-day Baptists arose in the large congregation and said: “You take a sponge that looks dry, but if you squeeze it real hard, you will find that you can wring water from it; and if you squeeze me hard enough, you will find that there is much of the Advent doctrine in me.” That was a meeting long remembered by our older brethren and sisters.
Nearly twenty years ago I attended a camp-meeting at Battle Creek, and my brethren of the Michigan Conference gave me a license to preach the message. Since then I have preached in Michigan, Colorado, Arizona, and Utah, and in all these places I have some dear children in the faith, as the result of my labors.
My parents and my aunt have long been sleeping, and many of the old and faithful workers are waiting the trump of God. Many changes have taken place, and are taking place, but the Third Angel's Message is going to accomplish its work. May those of us who have been long in the way keep pace with the work, and be ready when the Lord comes for His people.
Brethren, the Lord is soon coming; and while some of us have grown gray in this message, yet let us not forsake our post of duty, but let us do all we can to hasten the coming of that grand day. Let us endeavor to acquaint the young with God's dealings with this people in the early days of the message. This people will accomplish the work that was begun so long ago. Let us use all our energies in holding up the hands of those whom God has so signally honored in the past.
