The Writings of the late Elder John Leland...

Yesterday in our Sunday School class, we were discussing the gift of the Holy Ghost.  Our teacher talked about a couple he knew who were previously members of another Christian denomination and then had joined our church.  They remarked that they knew what the influence of the Holy Ghost felt like, but that, where they previously had to work extremely hard to maintain that presence in their lives, it was now easier to keep the Spirit with them, and they felt it so much more powerfully. 

It made me think of one of our ancestors, John Leland, who was a Baptist preacher.  He was definitely someone who sought after personal revelation, and tried to live his life in such a way that he could qualify for it at all times.  He was the maternal grandfather of Sally Barker (wife of James Dunn).  I came across his autobiography on Google books, which, although long (over 700 pages), is definitely worth reading.  Here is the link. 

For additional reading on this inspiring forebear, check out the Wikipedia entry about him.  It provides links to his involvement with the Cheshire Mammoth Cheese, and his role as a defender of religious freedom.