Letter from Wilford Woodruff and Jonathan H. Hale, 18 September 1837

come on the Lords business, we believ ed him faithful that had promised, and  we felt willing to trust in his name,  we soon came to a house, where we  were received and we retired to rest.  We arose in the morning made ourselves  known as servants of the Lord, we in quired if there was any religion or  priests on the Island; we were inform ed that there was a Baptist priest, a  small church and a meeting house at  the center of the Island. The town of  Vinalhaven includes both North and  South Fox Islands: Pop. 1800. The  inhabitants are generally wealthy, in telligent, industrious, generous and  hospitable to strangers. North Island  is 9 miles long, and 2 wide, pop. 800.  South Island is 10 miles long, and 5  wide, pop. 1000 &c. As it was Sab bath morning there was to be preach ing in the meeting house, we conclu ded to attend considering it a proper  place to introduce the gospel. When  we arived at the place, meeting had  commenced, the deacon came to the  door and we informed him that we  were servants of the Lord, that we had  a message for the people and wished  to be heard, the deacon informed the  priest that we were preachers of the  gospel. He invited us into the stand  and gave out an appointment for us at  5 o’clock P. M. After the priest had  closed his discourse he invited us to his  house during the intermission. We  presented him the book of Mormon,  he appeared friendly and said he should  like to read it. We met according to  appointment and preached to them the  first principles of the gospel. We then  gave out appointments for the four fol lowing evenings to be held at the sev eral school houses on the Island. The  people came out in great numbers and  heard with attention and manifested  much anxiety, and in fourteen days  we held nineteen meetings. The Bap tist priest became alarmed seeing that  his craft was in danger; and fearing  that if he held his peace all Fox Islands  would believe on our words, accor dingly he strove to use his influence  against us, but without effect as you  may judge on learning the fact that on  Sunday the 27th while we met with a  congregation, he had not so much as  one to meet with him at his usual place  of worship, for the excitement was so  great that the members of his church  and deacon, were attending our meet ings and inviting us to visit them, and  inquiring into these things. The Lord  clothed us with his Spirit and we were  enabled to stand up and boldly declare  those things that are commanded us.— And the sound thereof soon reached  the neighboring Islands and some of the  inhabitants soon hoisted their sails to  convey them over the waters to hear  the tidings for themselves. On Sun day the 3rd of Sept. we preached to a  large congregation assembled together  from these Islands, at the close of our  meeting we opened a door for baptism

An ordinance in which an individual is immersed in water for the remission of sins. The Book of Mormon explained that those with necessary authority were to baptize individuals who had repented of their sins. Baptized individuals also received the gift of...

View Glossary

,  and a respectable sea captain and his  wife offered themselves as candidates,  we then assembled where there was  much water and after offering up our  prayers unto God, we then lead them  down into the sea and baptized them  and we returned rejoicing. On Mon day following we visited the South Is land to set before them the truths of the  everlasting gospel. We held five  meetings, the people came out by hun dreds, to hear and filled the school houses to overflowing.