George C. Smith's Fulfillment of Patriarchal Blessing and Missionary Success

“On one occasion I was traveling in the country with a missionary companion. We had been out for nearly a week, traveling along country roads and climbing hills to farmhouses, where we would leave Gospel tracts. One day about noon we entered a small village, the residents of which derived their support from a lumber business which was conducted there. All the people seemed to be in subjection to the superintendent of the lumber company. We paid a visit first to that gentleman, but he, knowing that we were "Mormon" missionaries, refused to accept the tracts. Not only that, but he was determined that we should not distribute a tract in the village... In the meantime we retired to the woods, where we sent up fervent prayers to the Lord to bless us and to preserve us from molestation. We sang hymns of praise to Him, and returned to the village with feelings of joy... We were at the hall before the time for commencing meeting, and welcomed the people as they came in. The chapel was packed. The superintendent and his anti-"Mormon" assistants were present, and seemed to be prepared for war. We sang songs of praise to God, invoked His divine blessing upon our meeting, and then, with the power of the Holy Spirit, we proclaimed the principles of eternal life and bore testimony to the restoration of the everlasting Gospel to the Prophet Joseph Smith. To our great astonishment neither the superintendent nor any other man raised any objection to the doctrines we had set forth... We distributed tracts to every person present and sold books to every family in the village... We told the people that we did not have a place to stay over night, and asked if anyone would be kind enough to entertain us. As I was about to sell our last song book, a woman called out, "Do not sell that book; I want it, but I have not the money with me to pay for it. But if you will come to my home you will be welcome to my hospitality." We accepted the lady's kind invitation. — Millennial Star 69:22”