More John Leland

Captain Abner Lee, who lived near Lyme, Massachusetts, would have meetings in his house. He would bring in seats and a moveable pulpit. On one occasion he had Elder John Leland preach in his house, Captain Lee “said to Mr. Leland, ‘I do not know as you can put up with our wooden pulpit.’ He made no reply, but began his meeting. After preaching a while, he had occasion to notice the preaching the people had in old times; and noticed the difference between that and the popular doctrines of the day in which he lived. ‘In the days of the apostles, said he, they had wooden pulpits and golden preaching but now they have golden pulpits and wooden preaching. Give me a wooden pulpit and golden preaching, rather than golden pulpits and wooden preaching!”

From The Life, Conversion, Preaching, Travels, and Sufferings of Elias Smith, p. 227