The Autobiography of Ruth Tagg Caley

last speaker said I talked too long and didn’t give him time. Well anyway about six others saidI’d make a good missionary because I was humble.It was God’s work and I put my heart and soul into it. I studied and prayed for two hoursevery morning and my Bible and Book of Mormon opened up the pages for the answers. Ilearned 52 scriptures by heart and loved my work. By the time I got used to what I had to do, Iwas made senior companion and one place we went was to a home where the lady was Spanishand she had lost twin babies. The L. D. S. people, her neighbors, were so good to her and helpedher in every way they could. But her husband was against the missionaries and our religion. Wegot in there one night when he wasn’t home and we gave her a lesson. She enjoyed it. I alwaysprayed before going into any home. She wanted us to come again and we made an appointment.But when we got there a small girl answered the door and told us her father had taken her motherfor a car ride so she could not hear our lessons.Later two men were sent to that home and we had another district. She answered the doorand they told her who they were and she looked at them and said she wanted Mrs. Caley and heryoung companion instead of the men. We couldn’t get a chance to go again out there to herhome. We were assigned to get six converts before our time was up. I only was able to get fivewhen my time was up and I felt bad and felt I was a failure.After I left and was released the phone rang and my last companion called to tell me I gotcredit for the sixth one. I said impossible, how come. She said a young boy in his late teens livesthree houses from you. I said I have never given that young man a single lesson. She said he wasgoing with a girl over on the east side of town and her father was high up in our church. One daythe young man, Dennis, was curious and said, “Well how do you go about converting anyone?”And the girl’s father gave Dennis all the lessons. But they couldn’t give that ward or stake thecredit so they said they had to give credit where the boy lived and to the one nearest his home.I never converted anyone. The Lord did. He softened their hearts. Most of those thatjoined were young people in their teens. We found the black people were very religious andalways were proud to talk about the Lord and their blessings from Him. Now where I live thereis a black mans church down the road from my home about six or seven blocks. Of course, wenever converted any blacks. They cannot hold the priesthood and we didn’t contact too many inour work.I did come up against two or three families, white folks, who were hungry and I tookthem food. Esther helped me and we took boxes to those that needed it. Five children in onefamily. Those five children belonged to a first husband and the second husband would not feedthem. I reported it to the bishop of the ward she lived in. The mother was not an active L. D. S.and the bishop didn’t agree to help her as she had not paid in any dues. So I don’t know how shecame out.Across the street from me kitty corner, I tended children for a crummy outfit. The manand wife had three children and she worked. He was one of those kind who stole everything heRuth Tagg Caley pg 52