It was late in 1933 - the very depth of the great depression. Ed Smith was a well-driller by profession, but nobody seemed able to afford to have wells drilled. Ed and his wife, Emma, attended services I was then holding in a one room country schoolhouse twelve miles west of Eugene, Oregon. Ed made no profession of Christianity until later. But he attended services, and went up and down the countryside discussing Bible doctrines with his professing Christian neighbors. "You've got to pay tithes and obey God," he insisted. "The Bible says so. It's PLAIN!" One of his neighbors became irritated. "Look here, Ed," the neighbor exploded, "why do you come around here trying to talk me into these things, when you don't obey the Bible and pay tithes yourself?" "Because," came Ed's quick and ready answer, "I don't profess to be a Christian, and you do. Besides," he added, "I can't afford to tithe, anyway."
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