Elder William Gibson's Spiritual Guidance in Glasgow

“On one occasion Brother Andrew Sproul and I were attending a conference in the city of Glasgow. The president asked Brother Sproul and I to go on the stand and address the meeting. I did not feel like talking and told the president so; but I obeyed when called upon. My mind was so dark that I could not speak more than five minutes. I told the congregation I had nothing more to say, and sat down. Brother Sproul then arose, and delivered a very fine discourse, speaking with great ease. At the next conference in Glasgow I was again called upon to speak. Remembering my former experience, I asked Brother Sproul to speak first, which he did for about five minutes, when he sat down and called upon me. I began with fear and trembling, but I soon got the Spirit of the Lord and I never spoke with more ease and pleasure. At another time the Saints in a place called Dalry, having taken a new hall in which to meet, asked me if I would come and open it forthem. I accepted the invitation, and on the appointed Sunday morning I went with the Saints to the place of meeting. There were no strangers present when I arrived, so we waited a short time before beginning the meeting. Presently, a party of fifteen or twenty entered. When I arose, I took out my Bible to speak from it, but it seemed as dark as midnight to me. I then began to talk on the necessity of God giving revelation to His creatures on the things which their unaided reason could not reach, as man’s mind, when it received one truth, still grasped at another beyond, there being no limit to its aspirations. In this way, the unaided reason was left behind, and without revelation, the intelligence of man would be at a standstill. I felt great liberty in reasoning in this way, but I did not feel like speaking from the Bible. After meeting I asked one of the brethren who the strangers were, and I was informed that they were a party of infidels. I then knew why I had been led to speak as I had. — Millennial Star 66:42”