Day in the Life

Dec 29, 1833

Journal Entry

December 29, 1833 ~ Sunday
ning in this state of mind for near
ly the term of four years I herd a
report circulated on the 29th day of
Dec 1833 that there was to be a
meeting held in the neighbourhood
by a Mormon priest. This meeting
was to be held in the town of Richland
Oswego County New York I had
moved two years previous to this from
Connecticut to this place with my
older Brother Azmon Woodruff

We had purchased a farm together
and been living on it nearly
two years. We both were anxious
to attend the meeting. Accordingly we
we went and found a full cong
regation of people. The person that
was to preach was Zerah Pulsipher
an elder in the Church of Christ or
of the latter day saints. He commence[d]
the meeting with some introductory rem
arks and then prayed I felt the spirit of
God
to bear witness that he was the servant
of God
. He then commenced preaching
and that to us with authority, and when
he had finished his discourse I truly felt
that it was the first gospel sermon
that I had ever herd I thought it was
what I had long been looking for I
could not feel it my duty to leave the
house without bearing witness to the truth
before the people. I opened my eyes to see
my ears to hear my heart to understand [Matthew 13:15]
& my doors to entertain him who had
administered unto us Brother Pulsipher

People

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Woodruff, Azmon, b. 1802
29 Nov 1802 - 14 Jan 1889
362 mentions
Family
Pulsipher, Zerah
24 Jun 1788 - 1 Jan 1872

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We both were anxious to attend the meeting. Accordingly we we went and found a full cong regation of people. The person that was to preach was Zerah Pulsipher an elder in the Church of Christ or of the latter day saints. He commence[d] the meeting with some introductory rem arks and then prayed I felt the spirit of God to bear witness that he was the servant of God. He then commenced preaching and that to us with authority, and when he had finished his discourse I truly felt that it was the first gospel sermon that I had ever herd I thought it was what I had long been looking for I could not feel it my duty to leave the house without bearing witness to the truth before the people. I opened my eyes to see my ears to hear my heart to understand & my doors to entertain him who had administered unto us
~ Wilford Woodruff

Related Documents

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Autobiography 1892 Deseret News Notes

Cheeny]] preach, . o , I was baptized by Zerah Pulsipher into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints.

Autobiography 1883 Tullidge's Quarterly Magazine

remained until , when I heard Elders Zerah Pulsipher and Elijah Cheeny preach. My brother Az- mon and I believed their testimony, en- tertained the elders, and offered ourselves for baptism the first sermon we heard. We read the Book of Mormon, and I re- ceived a testimony that it was true. We soon learned what the Lord wanted of us in Rhode Island, for at the time we were warned to go there, two of the elders were preaching there, and had we gone, we should have embraced the work at that time.

Autobiography Volume 1 circa 1842-1865

On the Elder Zerah Pulsipher & Brother Cheny called at my House & wished to hold a meeting in the neighborhood I and Brother Azmon were absent from Home My Brothers wife informed them that we would light wish to hear them Accordingly they gave out an appointment for preaching in the school house that evening when I arived home my sister in law informed me that there would be a mormon meeting in the school House that evening. I immediately turned out my horses & without waiting to eat my supper started for the school House I prayed all the way in my heart that the Lord would open my understa- nding & give me his spirit and if they were men of God & had the truth I prayed that I might receive it I arived at the school House in this frame of mind without any prejudice in my heart and when I arived the House was crouded full I went alone my Brother Azmon had gone before me I crouded my way through the Assembly and got upon one of the writing desks whare I could see Brother Pulsipher opened the meeting by Prayer He knelt down and asked the Lord in the name of Jesus Christ for what He wanted his manner of praying struck me vary forcibly & I felt the spirit of God bear testimony that He was a servant of God He arose & sung then He preached to the People about one hour & a half & the spirit of God rested upon him He bore a strong testimony of the truth of the gospel which he preached & of the truth of the Book of Mormon which he said was Delivered to Joseph Smith by an Angel out of Heaven. [Joseph Smith-History 1:59] the spirit of the Lord bore a strong testimony to me that what he said was true. I believed it when he closed He was followed by Brother Cheney who bore testimony that what had been said was true Brother Pulsipher then gave liberty to any one in the congregation to make any remarks either for or against what had been said. And almost instantly I found myself upon my feet without any intention upon my part of speaking but when I founed myself upon my feet I felt urged by the spirit to bear testimony to the truth of what I had heard so I exhorted my neighbors & friends to be careful what they done as touching those moen not to oppose them for they were the servants of God & had preached the pure gospel of Jesus Christ unto us this night & I warn you in the name of the Lord not to oppose them but to search the scriptures diligently to see if those things are so. when I closed my Brother Azmon arose & also bore testimony to the truth of the work & he was followed by several others at the close of the meeting I went to the Brethren and asked them to go home with me they did & we had a good deal of conversation with them. I took the Book of Mormon & went to reading it & the spirit of God bore testimony to me that the Book was true I believed it we sat up till a late hour. I felt to open my Eyes to see, my Ears to hear, & my heart to understand, & my Doors to entertain the servants of God.

Autobiography 1857 Draft 1

N. York, and there remained until the before I heard a gospel sermon by a latter day saint. I then soon learned what the Lord wanted of us in Rhode Island for at the time we were commanded ^warned^ of the Lord to go there, two of the Elders of the Latter day Saints were preaching there & had we gone we certainly should have embraced the work at that time, but as it was we had to wait for the next call On the 29th day of Dec 1833, Elder Zera Pulsipher & Elijah Cheeny called at my house & gave out an appointment for preaching in the school house in that neighborhood that sa[m]e evening I attended as did my brother Azmon Woodruff We both believed, invited the Elders to our home & offered ourselves for baptism the first sermon we heard. We read the Book of Mormon

Autobiography 1865 Millennial Star

until , when I heard El- ders Zerah Pulsipher and Elijah Cheeny preach. My brother Azmon and I believed their testimony, enter- tained the Elders, and offered our- selves for baptism the first sermon we heard. We read the Book of Mor- mon, and I received a testimony that it was true. We soon learned what the Lord wanted of us in Rhode Island, for at the time we were warned to go there, two of the Elders were preaching there, and had we gone, we should have em- braced the Work at that time.

Autobiography 1858 Deseret News

York, and there remained until , when I heard Elders Zerah Pulsipher and Elijah Cheeny preach. My brother Azmon and I believed their testimony, entertained the elders and offered ourselves for baptism the first sermon we heard. We read the Book of Mormon, and I received a testimony that it was true. We soon learned what the Lord wanted of us in Rhode Island, for at the time we were warned to go there, two of the elders were preaching there, and had we gone, we should have embraced the work at that time.

Autobiography 1857 Draft 2

the 29th day of , before ^when^ I heard Elder Zerah Pulsiper and Elijah Cheeny preach. My brother Azmon and I believed their testimony, and invited ^entertained^ the Elders home and offered our- selves for baptism the first sermon we heard. We read the book of Mormon and I received a testimony that it was true. I learned that Elders Sam. H. Smith and Orson Hyde were had preached in Rhode island in 1832, which accounted for the reason We soon learned what the Lord wanted of us in Rhode Island, for at the time we were warned of the Lord to go there, two of the Elders of the Latter day Saints were preaching there, and had we gone, we certainly should have embraced the work at that time, but as it was we had to wait for the next call.

Events

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Dec 29, 1833