“My parents taught me that it was my duty to attend religious services at least once a week.  This I did, and professed to be a Christian until I was a young woman.  I knew that I loved the Lord and wanted to do right, but found that I could not always do right in my own strength.  I was daily doing things that displeased the Lord.  I became so troubled about my condition that one day I went to the minister, and, telling him how I felt, requested him to pray for me and to help me to get a real Bible experience.  In answer to my request, he only smiled and said, ’You are too particular.  You might as well try to split a hair as to try to live a holy life in this world.’

“As I returned home that day, I was very sad indeed.  Oh, how much I longed to be like Jesus, whom God had given me as an example!  I knew the Bible taught that if we expect to enter heaven we must live a pure and holy life.  I was determined to do this—­but how was I to do it?  To whom could I go for help?  Most of the church-members were so worldly-minded they thought of little else than a good time, and the few spiritual ones were afraid to tell how they felt, for fear of their minister’s displeasure.

“At last I decided to seek from God and his Word what my soul was longing for.  As I sought, I began to see I had been deceived.  I found that as God looked upon mankind, he could see only two classes of people—­the righteous and sinners; and I saw that I was a sinner.

“By reading the twelfth chapter of First Corinthians, I learned that Christ’s body is the church; that to become a member of the church my name must be written in heaven; that every Christian in the world is my brother or sister in Christ; the Lamb’s book of life is the only class-book in which our names need to be recorded; and that our names are removed only because of our turning again to sin.  To me these thoughts were both new and marvelous.  I saw that every saved person in the different denominations is a Christian and a member of God’s true church, but I knew that such persons were unable to worship God aright for fear of displeasing their ministers or of breaking some of the church-rules.  And when I read in 2 Cor. 6:14 that we are not to be unequally yoked together with unbelievers, I felt that I must come out and stand alone.  This I promised God to do at any cost, and asked him to give me a Bible experience.  He answered my prayer; and I was so happy that I walked the floor for a long time, clapping my hands and praising God.

“Because of the course I had taken many misunderstood me and thought I was partially insane.  Even your dear papa thinks so still, but I dare not grieve God by going back.