Elder James Leech, who lives in Salt Lake City, relates the following incident in his experience on first meeting with the Prophet Joseph:
“I was born on the 2nd of May, 1815, at Pilling Lane, Lancashire, England. About the year 1827, my parents, with their family, moved to Preston. In the year 1835 I remember waking in the night and hearing my mother, who was a very religious and good woman, relating a dream or vision she had just had to my father. In this dream it had been shown to her that the gospel was going to come to the earth again as it was in the days of our Savior.
“In 1837 the gospel of Jesus Christ, as it was taught anciently, came to old England, and was first heralded in Preston by President Heber C. Kimball, Brothers Joseph Fielding, Orson Hyde and Willard Richards. My mother’s dream was fulfilled to her satisfaction, and she was one of the first to embrace the gospel. My three sisters joined soon after, but my father did not do so for some time.
“In the year 1841 Henry Nightingale, my sister’s husband, began to prepare to gather with the Saints in Nauvoo, Illinois. My sister asked me if I would like to go with them. I said I would, but did not think I was worthy to be baptized, as I was up to the time of my hearing the gospel what people called an infidel. As my parents were willing, I came to America with them. We sailed in the early part of May, 1841.
“After arriving in Nauvoo we were five or six weeks looking for employment, but failed to get any. One morning I said to my brother-in-law, ‘ Let us go and see the Prophet. I feel that he will give us something to do.’ He considered a short time, then consented to go. On arriving at his house we inquired for the Prophet. We were told he was over the road. So we went over, and found him in a little store selling a lady some goods. This was the first time I had had an opportunity to be near him and get a good look at him. I felt there was a superior spirit in him. He was different to anyone I had ever met before; and I said in my heart, he is truly a Prophet of the most high God.
“As I was not a member of the Church I wanted Henry to ask him for work, but he did not do so, so I had to. I said, ‘Mr. Smith, if you please, have you any employment you could give us both, so we can get some provisions? ‘
“He viewed us with a cheerful countenance, and with such a feeling of kindness said, ‘Well, boys, what can you do?’
“We told him what our employment was before we left our native land.
“Said he, ‘Can you make a ditch? ‘
“I replied we would do the best we could at it.
“‘That’s right, boys,’ and picking up a tape line he said, ‘Come along with me.’
“He took us a few rods from the store, gave me the ring to hold, and stretched all the tape from the reel and marked a line for us to work by.
‘”Now, boys,’ said he, ‘can you make a ditch three feet wide and two and a half feet deep along this line? ‘
“We said we would do our best, and he left us. We went to work, and when it was finished I went and told him it was done.
“He came and looked at it and said, ‘Boys, if I had done it myself it could not have been done better. Now come with me.’
“He led the way back to his store, and told us to pick the best ham or piece of pork for ourselves. Being rather bashful, I said we would rather he would give us some. So he picked two of the largest and best pieces of meat and a sack of flour for each of us, and asked us if that would do. We told him we would be willing to do more work for it, but he said, ‘If you are satisfied, boys, I am.’
“We thanked him kindly, and went on our way home rejoicing in the kind-heartedness of the Prophet of our God.
“In November of the same year I was baptized into the Church, and from that time until the martyrdom of our Prophet, I often had the privilege of seeing his noble face lit up by the Spirit and power of God, as he taught the Saints the principles of eternal life.”
Elder James Leech, Juvenile Instructor, 1892 March 1, #5, p. 152-153.