(Excerpts from William Odell Tolman: Patriarch, Genealogist, Teacher compiled by Loraine Tolman Pace, First Edition, 2009, pages 29-35).
Monday, 3 Dec 1928: After class I got five hundred tracts from Brother Johnston and we stamped two hundred each and went out and did my first tracting. It was surely hard to get started but after that it wasn’t bad, although I didn’t have very much to say even when they did come to the door. Then if anything would make you feel like stopping it was when they push the door shut in your face. That is when it brings the tears to your eyes. If they could only understand. We held a cottage meeting last night at Sharples, one of the saints in Addlington. I bore my testimony for the first time here.
Sunday, 9 Dec 1928: Gee wiz! But it was sure cold there in Blackburn this morning…I came on to Wigan and started for the lodge but met Brother Williams who was my companion for today. He took charge of meetings. I gave my first sermon tonight which was on my trip from home. To my surprise I talked for 20 minutes. I thank the Lord for that.
Sunday, 23 Dec 1928: I read over my sermon for today a few times…This is only the second time that I have had a chance to speak before a congregation. It was on faith. I stood up better than twenty minutes.
Sunday, 30 Dec 1928: Quite a few interesting events happened today. It was my first meeting held or the first one in which I took charge. And to my great surprise I talked for 25 minutes. After I got started it seemed like all fear left me and I was really at ease…I feel that it is the hand of God that has placed us here in this lodge and I am sure we will be happy. I thank Him.
Sunday, 20 Jan 1929: This evening we enjoyed a very spiritual meeting. Brother Harris through some cause became faint and had to sit down. Only 20 minutes had been occupied by him and I bear witness that it was only with the help of God that I was able to talk 45 minutes…
Sunday, 17 Feb 1929: Well it seems as though the day started out wrong. First we were late in opening the rooms and starting the fire. Then we didn’t have any bread for sacrament. Finally, we got through Sunday School alright. This evening in sacrament meeting after making announcements, Brother Johnston called on me to speak, and I gave the worst talk and felt worse than I ever have so far. The only reason for this is because of my neglect in being humble and relying on the spirit to direct me.
(Note: Shirlene recalls him saying in later years that he’d gone to great efforts to prepare his talk on the Holy Ghost, even using different colors of ink or pencils to highlight various parts of his message. Several times as he spoke at mission farewells for family and seminary students he quoted from the D. & C. 42:14 “And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach.” Then he told this story of the talk where he was left to himself and fumbled through the message. The talks that he had given up to this point had been so successful that he hadn’t bothered to rely on the Lord on this occasion and had failed miserably in the process.)
Saturday, 23 Feb 1929: We have decided to go into Burnley today…After arriving there, we went up to the lodge and district office. They had made arrangements to go to Nelson and hold a street meeting. When we arrived at our destination there were two more fellows shouting. After they finished, we began-eight of us. This was my first street meeting. I was called on to talk and I held them down for 20 minutes. It is sure great.
After I was in Wigan for sixty days, we received a letter from the new mission president, A. William Lund [Assistant Church Historian and son of Anthon H. Lund, former counselor in the First Presidency and Church Historian], who asked us to start holding street meetings in Wigan. We were not very anxious nor thrilled about the possibility of this experience. The people were so bitter that very few would even listen to us for a few moments as we tracted from door to door. Elder Johnston and I went to the police department and there presented our request to the chief of police or chief Bobbie, but he turned us down very emphatically with the statement, “Of course, you cannot hold street meetings in Wigan. Do you want to cause a riot? Don’t you boys value your lives? These people might even kill you.” Even though we were anxious to do the Lord’s work, deep in our hearts we were quite pleased with the answer and sent a letter to the mission president that we could not hold street meetings and the reason why. Within a week we received another letter from him in which he said to try it again. We did with the same emphatic results. After the mission president received our second letter, he wrote us again and said to try once more. As we approached the chief of police, he looked at us in amazement and said, “You boys are determined aren’t you? If you don’t value your lives, I don’t know why I should be concerned about you. I will give you permission to hold a street meeting on market place Sunday night if you will promise me that you will close by midnight.” We planned to start our meeting at 8:00 and certainly had no intention of continuing for four hours. When we met in sacrament meeting with the twenty-four members of the branch, we announced that we would like them to accompany us to the market place and help sing an opening song for the street meeting. With the exception of one young man about fifteen, they all refused to accompany us. The saints felt it was a foolish and dangerous experiment. As we made our way down the street to the center of town, Elder Johnston began to whisper to me. I said, “What’s the matter?” He replied, “I’m losing my voice.” I am convinced that he was no more frightened than me. By the time we reached the market place he had lost his voice and it was up to me, the junior companion, to give the sermon. I was really frightened, but I remembered the statement of Apostle John A. Widstoe before we left Liverpool for our assignments. “If you elders will study and pray and always be humble, you will never have to worry about what you should say under certain conditions.” I prayed in my heart that God would bless me, and he did. The young man and I sang and Elder Johnston whispered the opening prayer. I spoke for forty-five minutes and then answered questions for three hours on gospel subjects about which I knew practically nothing. This has always been a great testimony to me.”
Sunday, 5 May 1929: Big Day! We studied Hosea in Sunday School class this morning. I have read it several times and still can’t get to the bottom of it. We had a wonderful meeting this evening. It was testimony meeting and all of the members bore strong testimonies. I tell you it makes me feel good to hear them. We had decided to hold a street meeting tonight. So we went shaking and aching down to the market. Finally we got the courage and all alone Sin and I stood forth in the power of God. We had a real meeting. I talked first and tried to call the people together. I talked for about 35 or 40 minutes. Then Brother Johnston talked, after which I answered questions. The meeting lasted for 3 hours. The Lord was with us. This was our first street meeting alone and the first in that I took the questions. I had arguments from Catholics, atheists and monks.
Monday, 1 Jul 1929: It has been one continual rush since we came here to Birkenhead. But the busier we are, the time goes faster and happier. Then we have no time to frame evil thoughts in our minds if we keep busy in the work of God. We have been tracting Eastham, Mersey, Ellesmere, and Witby.
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Countess Street, Saltcoats, Scotland. We held street meeting near this town hall and meetings in the building on Sundays