It was while staying with Mr. Cowles in the spring of 1832 that he saw for the first time an account of the "Mormons." These were described in a newspaper article as a new sect claiming to have new revelations and to be built upon the foundation of prophets and apostles the same as the ancient Saints. The editor of the newspaper ridiculed the Mormons, but Wilford was favorably impressed. From that time on he desired to see these new people; for if they enjoyed the gifts which were bestowed upon the ancient Saints, they were the very people for whom he was seeking. Soon after this he made a settlement with Mr. Cowles and arranged his affairs with a view of moving to western New York. Of the circumstances leading up to this change in his life, he writes: "The spirit that was upon me day and night said, 'Go to Rhode Island.' My mind was greatly exercised over the matter for I could not comprehend what it meant. I went to live with my brother Azmon until our departure for New York. After saluting him, I said: 'I wonder what the Lord wants of me in Rhode Island! The spirit of the Lord has rested upon me for two weeks and said, "Go to Rhode Island."' In about an hour after this my brother Asahel arrived on a visit. After shaking hands with him, almost the first words he spoke were: 'I wonder what the Lord wants of me in Rhode Island! The spirit of the Lord has been upon me for two or three weeks and has told me to go to Rhode Island.' This caused us to marvel exceedingly. We had not seen each other for several months. My brother Azmon thought that as we were ready to go to New York, we better not go to Rhode Island. To this we consented with great reluctance. I felt sure it was our duty to go there, although at that time it was a mystery." Later on when the gospel came to them in New York, Wilford learned that if they had gone to Rhode Island they would have met Elders Orson Hyde and Samuel H. Smith and would have thus received the gospel at an earlier date than they did by at least one year. Had they gone to Rhode Island and received the gospel there, they would have undoubtedly gone direct to Kirtland, Ohio. As it was, they stopped in New York where they purchased a farm.