"No sooner had the meeting closed than multitudes of the Saints crowded around me, and hands were presented on every side, to bid me farewell. Many called for me to bless them before I departed; others cried out, 'Lay hands upon me and heal me before you go.' One came with, 'Brother Woodruff. I am turned out of doors for my religion; what shall I do?' Another with, 'I am ready to go to Zion, but my wife won't go with me; shall I leave her, to gather with the Saints?' A wife in turn says, 'My husband beat me and turned me out of doors because I was baptized. I have money enough to carry me and the children to Zion; will you let me go without him?' 'Brother Woodruff, my mother is over eighty years of age and has willed me sixty pounds at her death, but will not emigrate with me; must I stay for her to die, or leave her now to go with the Saints?' One said, 'I have sold my little place and shall have thirty pounds tomorrow, but must go out into the street. I have not enough to carry my family to America; can you help me to a few pounds, or tell me what to do?' An elder cried out, 'How much longer must I preach in England before you will let me go to America?' From others of the Saints came such as this: 'Brother Woodruff, will you come and preach in Cheltenham?' 'My head is in great pain, will you heal me?' 'I want you to consecrate this bottle of oil before you go.' 'Will you write to me?' 'I have been waiting a long time to get a chance to speak to you; good-bye, remember me to Mrs. Woodruff, good-bye; God bless you!' Thus for more than an hour after the close of the meeting I was hailed with the affectionate outbursts and adieus, and a host of perplexities, of these Saints, who crowded around me as children around their father.
"Many of the Saints parted from me in tears, and many followed me to Turkey Hill, where I spent the night and they filled the house until a late hour, begging counsel and instruction of me. One of these was a Baptist minister who had just been baptized into the Church. On the morrow, in company with Elder Needham, I walked to Keysend Street, where I preached to a crowded congregation of Saints, and thence continued to Colwall. There I met with a large congregation of Saints, and preached to them upon the gathering.
"Next day, with Elder Levi Richards, I walked over to Malvern Hill and called upon Elder Samuel Jones; thence through Great Malvern to Crowcat; I held a meeting at Brother George Brooks's, and had an interesting time with a large number of Saints whom I had baptized about a year before. I went to Dunsclose the day after, visiting many of the Saints by the way, laying hands upon the sick, and blessing and counseling others of the flock. All were happy to see me; for I had baptized most of them when I first opened that field of labor. Next day we traveled to Frome's Hill, and visited the Saints by the way.
"At Frome's Hill I met with the Saints on Sunday morning, and had a crowded house; in the afternoon we held a meeting at Standley Hill, where I communed with the Church. At the close of the meeting I had a busy time shaking hands with the Saints, and parting from them. Many of them wished me to bless them, and others to heal them. I spent the night with Brother Levi Richards, at Elder Edward Ockey's, and on the morrow we held the Frome's Hill conference at Standley Hill. There were present one of the traveling high council, two high priests, twenty elders, thirty priests, nine teachers, and two deacons. After calling the meeting to order, I moved that Elder Levi Richards preside over the conference, and he was sustained by the meeting. I was chosen clerk. After singing and prayer, the president called upon the officers for the representation of the various branches, which was given as follows: branches, 33; members, 957; elders, 24; priests, 68; teachers, 27; deacons, 8. Robert Gunnery, Edward Phillips, and John Spires were ordained to the office of elder under the hands of Elders Richards, Kington, and myself; Thomas Bishop, to the office of priest; and Wm. Rowley, to the office of deacon. In the afternoon, after speeches from Elders Richards and Kington, I delievered my farewell address, and pronounced the benediction on the conference.
"After the meeting was dismissed, I was almost three hours shaking hands with the Saints, healing the sick, and giving counsel to the multitude which surrounded me, many of whom were in tears when we parted. Nearly fifty came to ask me to take them to Zion, when I had not means to take myself. However, I gave Sister Foxal five pounds to help her and her husband and children to the land of America. She had made every exertion for six months, to save money to gather with the Saints, and had raised thirty pounds. The five pounds I gave to her was a donation from Elder Edward Ockey, who was parting with his substance to help the poor of the Church to gather.
"After bidding the multitude of Saints farewell, I went to Elder Ockey's to spend the night, accompanied by Elders Richards, Kington, and Ray. We had been in the house but a short time when three of Edward Ockey's brothers came in for the purpose of having a contest, because their brother and sister had embraced the gospel and were about to gather with the Saints. They manifested much wrath against me, and, after conversing with me about three hours, they left the house and we were once more in peace. After conversing together until the third watch of the night, we retired to rest, closing one of the busiest days of my life.
"I arose in the morning, refreshed by sleep, and after conversing several hours with Elders Richards, Kington, Ray, Ockey, and others, I was under the necessity of parting with the Saints in this region. In bidding them farewell, we found in the memories of our associations many ties which bound us together. Among the faithful ones were the Ockeys. Brother Edward Ockey and his sister Ann were of a good and wealthy family. They had many trials to pass through to do the will of God and to gather with the Saints, for their brothers were set against them exceedingly. Brother Edward maintained his integrity like a man of God and was making every preparation to gather with the Saints, but his sister Ann had fears that her brothers would hinder her gathering.
"Having bidden farewell to the Saints of Standley Hill, I walked to Frome's Hill and conversed with the Elders until two o'clock, when I took the parting hand of Elders Richards, Kington, Ray, and others, and, with my carpet bag with about twenty pounds weight in it, walked fifteen miles to Worcester, in four hours. When I arrived there I was so very lame and weary with my heavy load and fast walking that I could scarcely walk at all. I then took rail and arrived in Birmingham at 10 o'clock at night, but was exceedingly lame and weary. I spent the night with Elder James Riley, 24 Park Street.
"I had now fairly ended my Herefordshire mission, and bidden a last farewell to that field of labor where the Lord had blessed me beyond all my expectations. I now left three conferences in the region which I opened one year before, on the 5th of the same month that I left this vineyard, now planted all over with churches, numbering fifteen hundred Saints. The minutes which I have recorded will show at a glance the rise and progress of the churches in Herefordshire, and the regions around.
"On Sunday, the 28th of March, the Staffordshire Conference met, and there were present of the Twelve, George A. Smith and Wilford Woodruff, with 1 high priest, 13 elders, 28 priests, 10 teachers, and 8 deacons. The conference was held in the Magistrate's Assembly Room. At the close of the conference it was voted that 'this conference grant Elders Woodruff and George A. Smith a letter of recommendation manifesting that the Church in this region accept of their labors and consider that they have filled their mission with honor and dignity.'