Elder Taylor received the truth from Parley P. Pratt who had been sent to Toronto, Canada. Previous to starting upon this mission, Heber C. Kimball, filled with the spirit of prophecy, came to Brother Pratt's house one night, woke him up, and made a prediction concerning the success that would attend him. He also promised that if he obeyed, his wife would be healed and bear a son. Brother Pratt did obey, and this was all fulfilled. Elder Taylor had been a Methodist minister, but refused to stop preaching what he believed to be true, and was reduced to the position of a member. After a thorough investigation of the Gospel he was baptized and never once wavered in his faith. John Taylor was born November 1, 1808, in Milinthorpe, England. He received a good education and when only seventeen years old he became a preacher. He came to America when he was about twenty-four, and settled in Canada, where he heard and accepted the Gospel. Lorenzo Snow was born April 3, 1814, in Mantua, Portage county, Ohio. He was on his way to Oberlin college when he was first impressed with the Gospel. He happened to meet David W. Patten, and in talking with him grew much interested in religious ideas. After Elder Snow had finished his work at college, on the advice of his sister, Eliza R. Snow, who had already joined the Church, he came to Kirtland to study Hebrew. Soon after this he became convinced of the truth of the Gospel, and joined the Church. He was baptized by Apostle John F. Boynton, in June, 1836, and not long after was ordained an Elder and began his life work in the ministry of our Savior. Dr. Willard Richards, who became an Apostle and also second counselor to Brigham Young, was baptized on the last day of the year 1836. Heber C. Kimball and others spent the afternoon in chopping a large hole in the ice, and Brigham Young performed the ceremony. Brother Richards first heard of the Gospel when he happened to pick up and open carelessly a Book of Mormon. Before he read half a page he declared, "God or the devil had a hand in that book, for man never wrote it." He read it twice in about ten days and then, after selling his medicine and settling his accounts, traveled seven hundred miles to Kirtland to study the Gospel more closely. He soon came to the knowledge of the truth and asked for baptism though in the dead of winter. And thus the fruitful boughs were being found and they soon brought forth blossoms that ripened into richest harvest. CHAPTER XXV. 1836-37. THE SPIRIT OF SPECULATION--KIRTLAND SAFETY SOCIETY BEGINS AND FAILS--MANY APOSTATIZE--THE ENGLISH MISSION OPENED--SATAN STRIKES HEBER C. KIMBALL, BUT FAILS TO STOP THE WORK.