The condition of affairs in Kirtland during the winter of 1836-7 was not at all to the liking of Elder Woodruff. To his mind there was no place in the Church for contentions, misgivings, and opposition. The work was of God--that was enough. There were the properly appointed authorities. Upon them the responsibilities of the kingdom had been placed. He was not therefore concerned about what others thought was a lack of wisdom in them. He was not avaricious; and financial reverses, to his mind, could never thwart the purposes of God; and he was not troubled about how much of this world's goods came to his possession. A glorious message had been given to the earth, and he wanted every one to know its value to the human family and to understand the blessings of salvation to those who yielded obedience. Wilford Woodruff always felt out of place in the midst of contention. He shunned it, and never cared for the association of those who were given to fault-finding, criticisms, and personal griefs. He never saw the necessity for them. It was never hard for him to agree with his brethren. He was never unreasonable in his demands, never had private ends to foster, and never hesitated when there was something important to be done. He was loyal to the Prophet, true to his brethren; and as he was now a seventy, he wanted to magnify his office by service in the missionary field. He felt impressed that he wanted to take a mission to Fox Islands, off the coast of Maine, although he was not at all familiar with the locality nor with the conditions there. To his impressions of the spirit of God, he found a hearty response in the minds of the apostles. "Feeling," he said, "that it was my duty to start at once upon {71} this mission, I did not tarry at home one year after having taken a wife as the law of Moses allowed. On the contrary, I started just one month and one day after that important event. I left my wife with a Sister Hale with whom she expected to stay for a season. I left Kirtland in good spirits, in company with Elder Jonathan Hale, and walked twelve miles to Fairport, where we were joined by Elder Milton Holmes. There we went aboard the steamer Sandusky, made our way to Buffalo, and proceeded thence to Syracuse by way of the Erie Canal. We then walked to Richland, Oswego County, New York, where I met my two brothers whom I had not seen for several years." The elder of these brothers had become, through trial and temptation, indifferent to the Church. This was a source of deep sorrow to Wilford, who warned him against opposing the truth, and faithfully instructed him in his duty to the gospel which he had embraced.