About this time Joseph Smith sent Elder Solomon Humphry to take a short mission to the Southwest and preach the gospel. Accordingly, on the third day of January, 1833, we started on our mission and traveled to the town of Chatham, Medina County, Ohio, to my brother, Iram Packard’s, tarried with him one day, but could raise no excitement in his mind to investigate the work of the Lord. Next day we started for home again and on the 22nd day reached home having traveled 163 miles, held seven meetings, conversing with several persons which paved the way for several to come into the Church, among whom was Truman Shurtliff, a cousin to my wife. During this short mission I was greatly blessed with the Spirit of the Lord and could stand up boldly in our meetings and bear testimony to the truth of the Book of Mormon. From this time to the 22 day of April, I remained at home preaching occasionally in the vicinity when I started with Elder William Pratt on a mission to the East, he being sent by Joseph Smith to take me and go East. Accordingly, on Monday, April 22, 1833 I started without purse or script to proclaim salvation, or the gospel, to my fellowmen. As I was a priest, and Elder Pratt as elder, I held myself subject to him; we traveled all the week and did not try to hold any meetings; on Saturday night arrived at Westfield, Chetauckway County, New York, where there was a branch of the Church. Sunday, the 28th, attended meeting and met Elder John Goold, William Cahoon, and Amasa Lyman; had a powerful meeting; the Spirit of the Lord rested down upon us and the people, and there were fifteen that came forward and were baptized by Elder Goold and confirmed to the Church under our hands. Here I also met Elder Gladen Bishop for the first time, who I immediately perceived was not in possession of a spirit congenial with the Spirit of God.

     The elders present perceived that Brother Pratt and I should do but little good traveling in the manner we had done, called a council to decide what should be done with us. The Spirit of the Lord was poured out upon the council and revealed that which I knew no other man knew but myself; whereby I became reconciled to my fate, which was that William Pratt should return to Kirtland and that I should be ordained an elder and take Brother Childs, as priest, who lived in Sharidon, 30 miles east, and go to the East. Accordingly, I was ordained an elder under the hands of Elder John Goold, May 6, 1833, and took Brother Childs for a companion and traveled with him as are east as the town of Hector near the Susquehannah River to the house of John Young, brother to Brigham Young. This brings me to June 17, having traveled with Brother Childs one month and ten days, having held 20 meetings, and prayed with and laid hands on two sick persons who by the power of God were instantly healed, but refusing to obey the Gospel they were again afflicted, and I left them in the hands of God. Brother Childs thought is was not his duty to travel any further east as his family needed his assistance; accordingly, he stopped at J. Young’s and went to work. As I was young in the ministry, I had desired a good smart elder to go with me to the East, but now I was left alone; but what was lacking in a smart companion, the Lord made up by pouring out His Spirit upon me, whereby I was able to confound any that came before me to oppose Mormonism or the Gospel.

     From this place I traveled on alone and arrived at my brother-in-law’s, James Bisbees (who married my sister Molly), who lived in McDonough, Chenango County, New York, where I commenced preaching on the 23rd of June, held 18 meetings, baptized 16 persons into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and laid hands on a sister who was in great pain from a broken bone; by the blessing of God the pain immediately left her, and I will here state a few days previous to this, after preaching near the head of the Seneca Lake, a woman invited me into her house. She had a child who was very deaf, and as he passed by me while I was standing in the yard, I laid my hands upon his head and asked the Lord to heal him, which was done, for which I thank the Lord.

     July 15th I left McDonough and went to Plainfield, Hampshire County, Massachusetts, preached several times in different places in the place of my nativity, but none seemed disposed to obey the Gospel. I commenced my return to the west and reached McDonough again on the 26th day of August, preached and left McDonough for the west September 2, and reached my home in Parkman on the 25th and found my family all well, for which I feel to thank the Lord, for the blessing upon me and my family, having traveled 1,782 miles on foot, held 72 meetings, baptized 18 persons, organized one branch of the Church, ordained one elder and one deacon. From this time to the 25th of May, 1835, my labors were principally on my farm and presiding over the branch of the Church in Parkman and traveling and preaching in neighboring towns, during which time I built me a good frame house, traveled 220 miles, held 26 meetings and five persons added to the Church.

     On the 25th of May, 1835, I went to Kirtland and on the 27th, under the approbation of Joseph Smith and the authorities of the Church, started to the east again on a mission preaching the Gospel during which mission, through the blessings of God, I succeeded in establishing a small branch of the Church in the town of Cummington, Hampshire County, State of Massachusetts, and ordained two teachers and returned on the 14th of September to Parkman; found my family all well, have traveled 1,740 miles and preached 42 sermons. Immediately after my return, I obtained a chance to sell my farm, for the after I embraced the Gospel, and gladly disposed of it, for the sum of $2,200, it being the first offer and all I asked. I immediately moved to the town of Kirtland and commenced laboring on the House of the Lord, having turned in a span of colts for the building of the same, and at the dedication of the house, I donated $400 to discharge the debts which had been contracted to build the house; in the meantime, on the 13th day of January, 1836, at a council over which Joseph Smith, the Prophet, presided, I was ordained a high priest and a member of the High Council in Kirtland and continued in that office as long as I lived in that place.

     Late in the fall of 1838, I left Kirtland for Missouri, but in consequence of poverty, I was obliged to winter at Wellsville on the Ohio River. I will here state that while in Kirtland, Ohio, in endeavoring to build of the Kingdom of God and spread the Gospel, I became so reduced in poverty that I had to live sometime principally on potatoes and salt, yet I enjoyed myself well because of the Spirit of the Lord that poured out upon me; and made several short missions preaching the Gospel in the county, and the counties round about, having traveled 252 miles and baptized nine into the Church.

     Early in the spring of 1839, I left Wellsville and met the Church at Quinsey [Quincy], Illinois, at the time it was driven from the State of Missouri. From Quinsey I soon after moved to Hancock County and in May, 1840, I moved to Nauvoo, having been appointed counselor on the 7th of April previous, to Don Carlos Smith, President of the High Priest Quorum, and remained his counselor during this lifetime. At his death George Miller was appointed to preside over the quorum, and on the 14th of October, 1841, I was appointed to be his counselor and remained in that office until the Church left Nauvoo for Salt Lake Valley. On the first day of July, 1841, I was again called upon to take another tour preaching, and on the 6th day of that month I started in company with Hyram Hoty; my route was through Chicago to the east, through the northern part of the State of New York into Vermont and Massachusetts, and returned through the cities of New York, Pennsylvania, Pittsburg, Cincinnati, and St. Louis to Nauvoo where I arrived on the 16th day of December following, during which time I settled difficulties in several branches of the Church; about a dozen persons were baptized, and I traveled 3,431 miles; from the above date to the 29th of August, 1842, I labored to support my family and in assisting to build the Temple, when I was called upon by the Twelve Apostles to take another mission to the East. I got ready and started on the 19th day of September in company with Truman Shurtliff, Titus Billings, and Brother Allen. I was taken sick near the Wabash River in Vermilion County, Illinois, where I tarried until again alone, my companions having gone on at the commencing of my sickness. During my stay in this vicinity, I held 15 meetings, baptized one, and left a good impression on others. During that mission I preached in various places until I reached the city of Lancaster in the southern part of Ohio where I got an appointment in the City Hall and preached in a full congregation, after which a gentleman came to me and asked me if I would hold a debate with a Camelite [Campbellite?] preacher who lived in that place, stating that he whipped out all the preachers that came in his way. I told him I would, upon parliamentary rules, and speak one-half hour apiece alternately. The gentleman went immediately and saw the preacher and brought back word that he would meet me on those conditions and that I might choose my own subjects for debate; accordingly, I chose the three following questions, viz.: (1) Is the Gospel preached by this generation except by the latter-day Saints? (2) Is there such a work as the Book of Mormon foretold in the scriptures, to come forth in the last days? (3) Are the Latter-day Saints the false prophets and false teachers described in the scriptures, or the other sects of the day?

     The time was set, the people assembled and chose their judges, and I opened the debate by preaching the Gospel. The debate lasted but two hours and a half; when the judges decided in my favor; but as there were several sectarian priests present that did not like to have it go abroad that their brother was so badly whipped, wished the question to be decided by the congregation. I arose and told them I was perfectly willing, when the judges called a vote whether the congregation sustained their decision, when an almost unanimous voice rang through the hall, yes! A contrary voice was called when two or three trembling voices said, no, then the congregation burst into a laugh. I arose and told them that the two last questions were not fully debated and that I was ready to meet them or any man they could bring to discuss them; but they all declined any further debate. I preached several times in the place and wrote a piece for publication, which was published in a paper printed in that place.

     From this place I went east to Teanesville and from thence north to my Brother Iram Packard’s in Medina County. Traveled in that region and preached until the middle of June A.D., 1843. While in this place, I got a pamphlet printed which I called the “Religious Detector.” Baptized several into the Church; ordained three elders and one priest, when I continued my journey eastward through the states of New York, Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and back through Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, to Pittsburg, down the Ohio River and up the Mississippi to Nauvoo on the 26th of May, A.D. 1844, having traveled the distance of 6,158 miles, most of it on foot, preached 217 times, baptized 16 persons into the Church, and ordained three elders and one priest.

     In about one month after my return to Nauvoo, Joseph and Hyrum Smith were murdered in Carthage jail, soon after which the Church was reorganized with eleven seventies, and some of the High Priests had districts appointed them to preside over throughout the United States of America; and I was appointed to preside over the counties of Perry, Morgan, Washington, Muskingdon, Guernsey, Munroe, Bellmont, Harrison, Holms, Coshooton, and Tusiarawas, in the state of Ohio.

     In January, A.D., 1845, I was again called upon to take a mission in the State of Michigan as an agent for the Church to collect funds for the building of the temple. I started on this mission on the 27th day of January, 1845, and after traveling 1,161 miles and holding 22 meetings, baptizing one, and collected about $225 in property, which was delivered to the Tithing Office in Nauvoo. This is the last time I have been called upon to travel up to this time for the purpose of spreading the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the building up of the Kingdom of God in these last days upon the earth, having traveled in all about 15,000 miles, preached 408 times, and baptized 53 into the Church. These journeys were mostly performed on foot with a valise on my back and always started on the aforementioned missions without a single cent in my pockets, according to the revelations of God, and if any of the elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in traveling to preach the Gospel have gone hungry, so have I; if any have traveled with sore feet, so have I; if any have been seized and put out of doors when speaking to people so have I; if any have, through the hard-heartedness of the people, been obliged to lie out of doors in the night, so have I, which was the means of my sickness spoken of in this history, and which broke my constitution and have never got over it and probably never shall.

     In the fall of 1845, I was again taken sick with chills and fever, and was unable to do a day’s work for eight months. During this time in the winter of ’45 and ’46, notwithstanding my sickness, I went into the Temple in Nauvoo and received my endowments by washing and anointing and was sealed to my wife, Sophia, for time and all eternity.

     At the time Brigham Young and a part of the Church left Nauvoo for the West, and I was sick and had no means to move with, yet I sent three of my oldest sons to help them along, two of whom returned to help me. The oldest, Henry, went on to California, being one of the Mormon Battalion. I will here state that while living in Ohio, my wife Sophia bore to me seven children--six were born in Parkman and one in Kirtland, in the following order: Noah III, my oldest son, was born April 24 A.D., 1821; Orren was born December 25th, 1822; Henry was born May 6, A.D., 1825; Sophia Adelia was born October 1, 1828; Milan was born October 7, A.D., 1830, Nephi was born July 1, 1832, Olive Amelia was born February 5, 1837, being five sons and two daughters.

     In the spring of 1846 after my oldest son had returned from assisting the brethren; I had succeeded in making a raise of $15 in money with which I moved up the river to the state of Wisconsin to try my luck in the lead mines; soon after arriving in the town of Hazelgreen, Orren, my second son, returned from assisting the brethren to Winter Quarters, and I had recovered my health that I began to labor moderately. Before leaving Nauvoo, Noah had married Ester Phippen, and my oldest daughter had married William Wallace Manary. They were there with me in the mines, where we labored for about four years, when on the 22nd of April, A.D., 1850, we started for Salt Lake Valley, except William and his family. But for the want of sufficient teams, was obliged to leave Noah and his family near Council Bluffs, where they all are at this time, A. D., 1859.

     I arrived with the rest of my family in Salt Lake Valley on the 18th of September, and met my son, Henry, returned from California. I immediately took a job digging a millrace on the Jordan, and pitched my tent there until the 10th of January. Then went to Salt Lake City, stayed there about 15 days, and then started for Utah County and on the 5th day of February, arrived at Springville and pitched my tent there, and after living in my wagons and tents about a year and eight months, got a house built and moved into it.

     When I arrived in Springville, Aaron Johnson appeared to act as President although the branch of the Church in this place had not been organized; yet I was well satisfied with things as they were then going on and expected that when the Springville branch of the Church was organized, that Aaron Johnson would be appointed President and consequently had made up my mind to vote for and sustain him as such. But in the month of March, 1851, Brigham Young came to this place and organized the branch by nominating Asahel Perry to be our President, myself to be his first counselor, and Stephen C. Perry his second counselor. Aaron Johnson was nominated to be our Bishop, and William Miller first and Myron N. Crandall his second counselors; we were all unanimously voted in and were ordained to these several offices and accepted of the same forthwith entered upon our several duties.

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