One night, while at the village of Rochester, I dreamed that I, in company with another person, was walking out, and saw a very extensive field of wheat, more so than the eye could reach. Such a sight I never before witnessed. The wheat appeared to be perfectly ripe, and ready for harvest. I was very much rejoiced at the glorious sight which presented itself; but judge of my surprise, when, on taking some of the ears and rubbing them in my hands, I found nothing but smut. I marveled exceedingly, and felt very sorrowful, and exclaimed, "What will the people do for grain; here is a great appearance of plenty, but there is no sound wheat!"
While contemplating the subject, I looked in another direction, and saw a small field in the form of the letter L, which had the appearance of something growing in it. I immediately directed my steps to it, and found that it had been sown with wheat, some of which had grown about six inches high, other parts of the field not quite so high, and some had only just sprouted. This gave me great encouragement to expect that at the harvest there would be some good grain. While thus engaged, a large bull, very fierce and angry, leaped over the fence, ran through the field, and stamped down a large quantity of that which had just sprouted, and after doing considerable injury he leaped over the fence and ran away.
I felt very much grieved, that so much wheat should be destroyed, when there was such a prospect of scarcity. When I awoke next morning, the interpretation was given me. The large field with the great appearance of grain, so beautiful to look upon, represented the nation in which I then resided, which had a very pleasing appearance and a great show of religion, and made great pretensions to piety and godliness, but denied the power thereof. It was destitute of the principles of truth, and consequently of the gifts of the spirit.
The small field I saw clearly represented the region of country where I was laboring, and where the word of truth had taken root, and was growing in the hearts of those who had the gospel, some places having grown a little more than others. The village I was in, was that part of the field where the bull did so much injury, for during my short visit there, most of the inhabitants were believing, but as soon as I departed, a clergyman belonging to the church of England, came out and violently attacked the truth, and made considerable noise, crying, "false prophet! delusion!" and after trampling on truth, and doing all the mischief he could, before I returned, he took shelter in his pulpit. However, he did not destroy all the seed, for after my return I was instrumental in building up a church in that place.
CHAPTER VIII.
EXTRAORDINARY SUCCESS—VERY COLD WEATHER—SCENES OF SUFFERING—OUR EXCESSIVE LABORS—A GENERAL CONFERENCE—FAREWELL MEETING—AFFECTION MANIFESTED FOR US—ELDER RUSSELL'S LABORS—ELDER GOODSON A BARRIER.
It being known that we had but a short time to remain in that country, great numbers flocked to hear us preach, and many were baptized. Some days we went from house to house, conversing with the people on the things of the kingdom, and by such a course were instrumental in convincing many of the truth. I have known as many as twenty persons baptized in one day who have been convinced on such occasions. They were like Lydia of old, "who gladly received the word." I have had to go into the water to administer the ordinance of baptism six or seven times in a day, and frequently after having come out of the water and changed my clothes, I have had to return again before I reached my home; this, too, when the weather was extremely cold, the ice being from twelve to fourteen inches thick, which continued so about twelve weeks, during which time I think there were but ten days, in which we were not in the water. "The harvest was indeed plenteous but the laborers were few." This was very extraordinary weather for that country; as I was informed that some winters they had scarcely any frost or snow, and the oldest inhabitants told me that they never experienced such a winter before. In consequence of the inclemency of the weather, several manufacturing establishments were shut up, children were thrown out of employment, whose sufferings during that time were severe, and I was credibly informed, and verily believe, that numbers perished from starvation. Such sufferings I never witnessed in my life before, and the scenes which I daily beheld while in that country almost chilled the blood in my veins. The streets were crowded with men, women and children, who solicited alms from the passengers as they walked along. Numbers of those poor wretches were without shoes or stockings, and had scarcely any covering to screen them from the inclemency of the weather.
Oh! when will distress and poverty and pain cease, and peace and plenty abound? When the Lord Jesus shall descend in the clouds of heaven—when the rod of the oppressor shall be broken. "Hasten the time, O Lord!" was frequently the language of my heart, when I contemplated the scenes of wretchedness and woe, which I daily witnessed, and my prayer to my Heavenly Father was, that if I had to witness a succession of such scenes of wretchedness and woe, that He would harden my heart, for those things were too much for me to bear. This is no exaggerated account; I have used no coloring here. They are facts which will meet the Elders of Israel when they shall go forth into that land, and then I can assure them they will not be surprised at my feelings.
But to return. During this time not only were great numbers initiated into the kingdom of heaven, but those who were sick were healed, and those who were diseased flocked to us daily; and truly their faith was great, such as I hardly ever witnessed before, consequently many were healed of their infirmities and sickness. We were continually employed, and scarcely gave sleep to our eyes, and some nights we would hardly close them. The task was almost more than we could endure, but realizing the circumstances of this people, their love of the truth, their humility and unfeigned charity, we were constrained to use all diligence and make good use of every moment of time, for truly our bowels yearned over them.