talk to me again. He showed me that he wanted me to pray still more. As I
began again to pour out my heart to him, he seemed just to pour the glory
into my soul and to press it down until he saw, I suppose, that I was ready
to hear his plan for me--a plan that I had not yet contemplated. When he
said to me therefore, "Go preach my gospel," I was astonished beyond
measure. Oh, it was all so new! I made excuses; but again he gave Scripture
to offset every excuse--and all so comforting and strengthening--that I
submitted to his will. I went to bed almost overwhelmed by the glory of
God.

Next day I thought that as I had been blessed in learning God's will
concerning me, others would be rejoiced too, to hear me relate my
experience. But when I began to tell publicly how God had talked to my
soul, to my surprise, it stirred up a spirit of jealousy in some and before
night the devil tried to carry out his design to defeat the Lord's plan in
regard to me. The devil began by starting a wicked falsehood against me and
thus, almost crushing the life out of me. I did not understand the devil's
cunning way and did not know how to lean on God, it was a dark hour for me.
I remembered how the enemies of Moses tried to slay him when he was a
child, and how the Jews tried to destroy our Savior when he was a little
babe. God proved himself and protected me; he lifted me above all my
persecutions and made me more than a conqueror. I had learned the useful
lesson to let the Lord be my defense and not to try to defend myself.

On my return home, when I told my class-leader how God had revealed his
will to me concerning my future, he said, "You are a pretty looking thing
to be called to preach." I thought so too; but to excuse myself, for I
hardly knew what to say, I replied, "I do not believe that every one called
to preach will have to stand in the pulpit: a person may preach by his life
and conduct." Mother was the only other person to whom I told the story of