At the close of my remarks Elder Hale bore testimony.
I gave liberty for any one to speak that might wish to. As no one responded, I announced that we would hold meetings the next four evenings in the school-houses, beginning at No. 1.
CHAPTER XI.
MR. NEWTON, THE BAPTIST PREACHER, WRESTLING WITH OUR TESTIMONY—REJECTS IT, AND BEGINS TO OPPOSE—SENDS TO A METHODIST MINISTER TO HELP HIM—MR. DOUGLASS' SPEECH—OUR GREAT SUCCESS ON THE NORTH ISLAND—GO TO THE SOUTH ISLAND AND BAPTIZE MR DOUGLASS' FLOCK—GREAT NUMBER OF ISLANDS—BOILED CLAMS—DAY OF PRAYER—CODFISH FLAKES.
During the first thirteen days of our sojourn upon the island we preached seventeen discourses, being invited by the people to tarry with them. I left a copy of the Doctrine and Covenants with Mr. Newton for his perusal.
He read it, and the Spirit of God bore testimony to him of its truth. He pondered over it for days, and he walked his room until midnight trying to decide whether to receive or reject it.
He and his family attended about a dozen of my first meetings, and then he made up his mind, contrary to the dictation of the Spirit of God to him, to reject the testimony, and come out against me. However, we commenced baptizing his flock.
The first two we baptized were a sea captain, by the name of Justin Eames, and his wife. Brother Jonathan H. Hale went down into the sea and baptized them on the 3rd of September, and these were the first baptisms performed by proper authority upon any of the islands of the sea (to my knowledge) in this dispensation.
Before we left Kirtland some of the leading apostates there had tried to discourage Brother Hale about going upon his mission, telling him he would never baptize any one, and he had better remain at home. When Captain Eames offered himself for baptism, I told Brother Hale to go and baptize him, and prove those men false prophets, and he did so.