| 483 was called to the apostleship, in July, 1838, the Devil seemed to take a great dislike to him, and strove to stir up the minds of many against him. Elder Richards was afflicted with sickness and several times was brought to the borders of the grave, and many were tempted to believe that he was under transgression or he would not be thus afflicted. Some were tried and tempted because Elder Richards took to himself a wife; they thought he should have given himself wholly to the ministry and followed Paul's advice to the letter. Some were tried because his wife wore a veil, and others because she carried a muff to keep herself warm when she walked out in cold weather; and even the president of the church there thought 'she had better done without it;' she had nothing ever purchased by the church, and to gratify their feelings wore the poorest clothes she had, and they were too good, so hard was it to buffet the storm of feeling that arose from such foolish causes. Sister Richards was very sick for some time, and some were dissatisfied because he did not neglect her entirely and go out preaching; and others, that she did not go to meeting when she was not able to go so far.
"From such little things arose a spirit of jealousy, tattling, evil speaking, surmising, covetousness, and rebellion, until the church but too generally harbored more or less of those unpleasant feelings; and this evening Elder Halsal came out openly in council against Elder Richards and preferred some heavy charges, none of which he was able to substantiate. Most of the elders in Preston were against Elder Richards for a season, except James Whitehead, who proved himself true in the hour of trial.
"Sunday, 10th. When Elder Richards made proclamation from the pulpit that if anyone had aught [ought] against him or his wife Jennetta, he wished they would come to him and state their grievances, and if he had erred in anything he would acknowledge his fault, one only of the brethren came to him, and that to acknowledge his own fault to Elder Richards in harboring unpleasant feelings without a cause. Elder Richards' wife 1 bore all these trials and persecutions with
1 This should probably read Elder Richards and his wife.
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