"I was twenty-three years of age; and in reflecting upon the past, I became sincerely convinced that there was no real peace of mind or true happiness except in the service of God and in doing those things which would meet His approval. As far as my imagination would enable me, I brought before my mind all the honor, glory, and happiness of the whole world. I thought of the gold and the wealth of the rich, of the glory, grandeur, and power of kings, presidents, princes, and rulers. I thought of the military renown of Alexander, Napoleon, and other great generals. I cast my mind over the innumerable paths through which the giddy world travels in search of pleasure and happiness. In summing up the whole matter in the vision of my mind, I had to exclaim with Solomon: 'All is vanity of vanities sayeth the preacher.'
"I could see that within a few years all would end alike in the grave. I was convinced that no man could enjoy true happiness and obtain that which would feed the immortal soul, except God was his friend and Jesus Christ his advocate. I was convinced that man became their friend by doing the will of the Father, and by keeping His commandments. I made a firm resolution that from then I would seek the Lord to know His will, to keep His commandments, and to follow the dictates of His Holy Spirit. Upon this ground I was determined to stand and to spend my future life in the maintenance of these convictions." It will be here easily seen that determination which led him through all the subsequent years of his life to do whatever he did for the glory of God.
In May, 1830, he was employed to run a flour mill for Mr. Samuel Collins of Collinsville, Connecticut. At first he went to board with about thirty young men. These being of a worldly turn of mind, he did not enjoy their influence and therefore took up his residence in the family of Mr. Dudley D. Sackett.
About this time, under the influence of a religious revival, his brother Asahel made profession of religion and seemed very devoted. Wilford became specially anxious to know the will of the Lord. "I prayed night and day, and the Lord blest me with much of His spirit. These began to be the happiest days of my life. I felt that the sun, moon, and stars; the mountains, hills, and valleys; and that all creation were united in the praise of the Lord."
"My work in the mill was very light and I passed much of my time in reading, in meditation, and in prayer. I read the Bible and it was like a new book to me. I received much light in perusing its sacred pages. If I was cast down, tried, or tempted, I found in it relief in connection with the Spirit of God. The religious reformation continued in Farmington and a number of my relatives were actively engaged in the service of the Lord according to the best light they had. Among them were my Uncle Ozem Woodruff and his wife Hannah. They were good people and I was much attached to them, having lived with them a good deal in my early life. I enjoyed their society very much.
"A short distance from the mill was a beautiful island upon the top of which was a level field covered with flowers. The island was surrounded by a rapid current of water dashing over the rocks. The banks of the current were thickly studded by tall, waving pines. I chose this pleasant retreat on the top of the island as my place of prayer and supplication. I retired to it many times, both by day and by night and offered up my soul in prayer to the Lord. I never shall forget the happy hours I spent alone in mediation and prayer upon that solitary island. When sitting there alone, there would come to my mind the words of Robert Pollock:
'In the wide desert where the view was large,
Pleasant were many scenes, but most to me
The solitude of vast extent untouched by hand
Whose nature sowed herself and reaped her crop;
Whose garments were the clouds; whose minstrels, brooks;
Whose lamps, the moon and stars; whose organ choir,
The voice of many waters; whose banquets,
The falling leaves; whose heroes, storms; whose warriors,
Mighty winds; whose lovers, flowers;
Whose orators, the thunderbolt of God;
Whose palaces, the everlasting hills;
Whose ceilings, Heaven's unfathomable blue;
And from whose rocky turrets battled high
Prospects immense spread out on all sides in air,
Lost now between the welkin and the main,
Now walked with hills that slept above the storm.'
"The Lord blest me with joy and happiness such as I had never before enjoyed, doubtless because I was living up to the best light I had. I had no apostle or prophet to teach me the right way; so I had to do the best I could. In my zeal to promote good, I got up prayer meetings in our village and prayed for light and knowledge. It was my desire to receive the ordinances of the gospel, as I could plainly see by reading the Bible that baptism by immersion was a sacred ordinance. In my eagerness, yet being ignorant of the holy priesthood and of the true authority to officiate in the ordinances of eternal life, I requested the Baptist minister to baptize me. At first he refused because I told him I would not join his church as it did not harmonize with the apostolic church which our Savior established. Finally after several conversations, he baptized me on the 5th of May, 1831. He also baptized my brother Asahel. This was the first and only gospel ordinance I sought for until I joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
Wilford continued with Mr. Collins for less than a year, but left him with the best feelings. The latter told Wilford that he would always be welcome at his home, and that as an honorable young man, worthy of trust, he would cheerfully give him any recommendations he desired.
Wilford held himself aloof from membership in any of the churches. He visited their meetings and conversed with their ministers. He wanted to know why there were no more apostles and prophets. He was told that they were done away with, because they were no longer needed. Such a statement only intensified his disbelief in sectarian churches.