I GO TO SWITZERLAND—GOD'S POWER MANIFESTED IN MY BEHALF—A PROPHECY FULFILLED—CONDITION OF THE SWISS MISSION—WHERE ELDERS WERE EXPELLED EVIL SPIRITS TAKE POSSESSION—KARL G. MAESER WRITES ME A LETTER—I RETURN IT, THINKING IT A RUSE TO ENTRAP ME—I RECEIVE IT AGAIN—BROTHER MAESER'S FAITH AND BAPTISM—ELDERS PARTAKE OF POISONED FOOD—ARE RESTORED TO HEATH—MY MISSION ENDS.

In the fall 1854, I was sent to Switzerland, to take charge of the Swiss and Italian missions; the French and German missions were subsequently added.

Here was fulfilled a prediction spoken in tongues by a Sister More, in the tenth Ward, of Salt Lake City, the year before I was called on my European mission. I was at the time going on crutches, with a broken leg, and having but little hope of ever being able to walk. The leg was badly fractured, and by getting out of place and having to be reset caused the bones to be very slow in knitting together. It was about seven months before I could bear any weight upon my broken limb. While in this condition, I went on my crutches to a little prayer meeting in a private house, there being no public meeting house then built in the ward.

In going to the meeting, my worst fears of always being a cripple had loomed up before me like a great mountain, and, like Jonah, I felt that "it was better for me to die than to live." This was a weakness in me, of course, but so it was.

After the meeting was opened, Sister More arose and began to speak in tongues. She addressed her remarks to me, and I understood her as well as though she had spoken the English language. She said: "Your leg will be healed, and you will go on a foreign mission and preach the gospel in foreign lands. No harm shall befall you, and you shall return in safety, having great joy in your labors."

This was the substance of the prophecy. It was so different from my own belief and the fears of many others that I was tempted not to give the interpretation, lest it should fail to come to pass. The Spirit, however, impressed me and I arose, leaning upon my crutches, and gave the interpretation.

Not long afterwards I was told in a dream what to do to strengthen my fractured limb, and it began to receive strength immediately, and in the short space of about one week I dispensed with my crutches and walked with a cane.

Although Switzerland was a republic, the people were not prepared for a free government. After a few months, most of the American and English Elders were banished, and the work devolved mainly on the native Elders, and even they were sometimes cast into prison.

On one occasion, a zealous youth, whom I had directed to be ordained a Priest, took some tracts printed in the German language to distribute among the people. He left one with an invalid woman who had been several years confined to the house. She believed, and asked to be administered to that she might be healed, in order that she could be baptized. I sent an Elder to learn whether she wanted a sign or whether she was sincere. If found sincere and humble, he was to administer to her by anointing her with oil and laying his hands upon her. He found that she believed with all her heart. He attended to the ordinance and went a distance of about four miles to stay over night. The next morning she walked all that way to be baptized.

Among the remarkable incidents in the Swiss mission is the fact that after the Elders were driven out for preaching the doctrine of direct revelation, strange noises were heard in people's houses, especially in the city of Zurich, from which place all foreign Elders had been banished. The noises consisted of rapping upon cupboards, tables, dishes and other like things. The Saints were not troubled with them, but they became so frequent that they created great excitement among the outside people.

Elder John Bar wrote to me to know what it meant, and asking if it was of the Lord, and, if so, why did it not visit the Saints?

I answered that the people had rejected revelation from the Lord, and banished the Elders who taught inspiration. That it was known in America as spirit-rapping, and that it would probably take definite shape soon. Soon after circles were formed around tables, and the rapping in other places ceased.

I believe this was the first introduction of Spiritualism into the cantons, and, so far as known, in Europe, and was similar to the first in the United States made known to "the Fox girls" of New York. Thus, my young readers will perceive that these false spirits and other delusions follow the rejection of the gospel.

About this time, I received a letter, inquiring about the Saints and their doctrines, from Karl G. Maeser, a professor of theology in Dresden, in Saxony. In consideration of the excitement and desire on the part of many of the police authorities to trap the Elders; Elder Chislett and myself looked upon it as a snare to entrap us. I returned the letter without answer. No sooner had I dropped it into the letter box than a strong feeling came over me that the man might be an honest enquirer after truth. On telling this to Elder Chislett, he said if such be the case the door would be closed.

I answered, "No, that letter will return."

He said, "No; you may get another, but the same letter will never come back."

I repeated, "If he is an honest enquirer after truth that letter will return, and I will accept it as an evidence of sincerity."

Elder Chislett said, "If it does return I will set you down as a prophet."

On receipt of his returned letter, Professor Maeser forwarded it to Elder John Van Cott, at Copenhagen. As Elder Van Cott knew I was presiding over the German mission, he mailed the letter to me, explaining that he had directed the professor to me, as he was doing nothing in the German language, and he believed him to be an honest inquirer after truth. I answered Professor Maeser's letter, and he wanted to know more. I sent him German publications: he believed them all and said during an approaching vacation he would come to Geneva, a distance of about six hundred miles, and be baptized.

Thinking this might be an opening to establish the gospel in the heart of Germany, where it had not been preached for about eighteen hundred years, I wrote and told the professor that if there was free toleration of religion perhaps I might send an Elder to preach the gospel to others as well as to instruct him further in its principles. He wrote, in answer, that no religion, except the Lutheran, was allowed to be taught, and that was the national religion.

He thought, however, that as all persons who took up their abode in the kingdom had to make known their business, an Elder might go under the guise of a teacher of the English language. On my informing him that I apprehended such a policy might draw a class around him who would be liable to betray him to prison and banishment, and as I had an Elder under my charge who had some knowledge of the German language, I asked him whether it would not be better that his object be known to be to complete his education in the same. Simple as this suggestion was, it struck him with great force. Knowing that I was unacquainted with their laws and customs and that he had been taught them from childhood, in fact, was a leading teacher among his fellows, he referred to this fact and said he could see the wisdom of the Lord in it, and it was another evidence to him that the Latter-day Saints were His people, and he would be exceedingly glad if I could send an Elder to baptize him.

An important duty now devolved upon me which was to inform the learned professor that our Elders, like the ancient disciples, traveled and preached the gospel "without purse or scrip," and, if an Elder was sent, he would have to sustain him free of charge. Most men of his type would have spurned such a proposition. Not so with this humble servant of the Lord. In his reply he said: "If you send an Elder, my house shall be his house, my table shall be his table, all I have shall be his as well as mine."

Apostle Franklin D. Richards, president of the European mission, who had recently arrived in Geneva from Liverpool, on hearing this letter read, immediately decided to send Elder William Budge, who was then in England, having been banished from Zurich, a prominent Swiss canton.

On Elder Budge's arrival, he was reported as a gentleman from England, having come to complete his education in the German language, which was, of course, one part of his mission. He was instructed to confine his labors principally to the professor and his family, and to baptize none until he had further instructions.

President Richards now decided to visit Italy, where there were a few Saints in the Waldensian valleys under the presidency of Elder Samuel Francis. These Saints were very poor, and the most of them lived very hard. Some of them having to subsist five months in the year on roasted chestnuts, and, perhaps, a little sheep's or goat's milk, without any other food, having to winter in stables in order to receive warmth from the animals in the absence of fuel. Brother Richards was accompanied by Elders Wm. H. Kimball, John L. Smith, John Chislett, and myself.

About the time of our arrival one of the native brethren had by mistake eaten poison mushrooms, taking them for the variety often used as food in that country. He reeled as he walked to a chair, or stool, to receive the ordinance of laying on of hands. President Richards rebuked the poison, and he recovered. Shortly afterwards an outsider collected some of the same variety, which were cooked, and the man with his wife and children, died through eating them.

Shortly after our return from Italy, President Richards and Elder Kimball repaired to Dresden, the capital of Saxony, where they were heartily greeted by Elder Budge and Professor Karl G. Maeser. They remained a few days, during which time President Richards baptized the professor and eight others, and organized a branch of the Church, with Brother Maeser as presiding Elder. When the authorities learned to their satisfaction that he had joined the Church of the Saints they not only dropped him from his position, but banished him from the kingdom. Of his standing and usefulness among the Saints but little need be said. His charge of the Brigham Young Academy at Provo, and the blessings accruing to the youth of Zion, are too well known and appreciated to require any eulogy from me. Suffice it to say, that I had felt that I was doing but little good beyond filling a plain duty in responding to the call to go on a mission from England to Switzerland.

I refer to this incident to encourage the young Elders who read this little book to not feel discouraged because they do not baptize as many as some others. I hope they will not feel that they are not being useful on that account. I baptized none personally while on that mission of about three and a half years, and yet, although I suffered much affliction and persecution, I look back upon it as one of the happiest times of my life.