Show 1 i p 1 FROM VARIOUS MISSIONARY FIELDS I < ll a EIDER IN III111nNUII AbS jll They Sen Well llerissl Oh t I PP I 355 sh j 1 The following is from a letter written I J Ii at Birmingham Ala by two missionaries I Ilfl mission-aries to K iler E lu I S Kimball president j presi-dent of the Southern Staten two loot I j 4 de1eofl take leasur in submitting a few hi I items of our experience in the niagic 1 city Birmingham A a Elder Maths I son president of this confeience and 1 Suitor Nets P Nelson I president I ol 1 Ihc I 11 Middle Tennese conference rent one I j week here in visiting public nun editors d I 1 and mlnlslt rs InqUlrinK tar place to II 1 preach They received cordial treat menu and although public LulJragi I were not at their dbposal they received hearty assent and approval from Mayor Evans who gave them permission to canvass the city and use the street corners ri ciftten tlefr tl g nets at will The court house I Is in con stint use and although Sheriff OBntn I was very friendly we could not get It The news man interviewed u explaining I t explain-ing throuRh his paper that we were not teach ng polygamy and also that t we desired de-sired to establish ourselves here and not take our converts to Utah It did usa great deal of good f We attribute our success not to the eflorls ol one or two but to the united iT faith and prayers ol our brethren We f fasted two dabs and prayed usa conference Ii confer-ence months before this place I was opened The brethren who cam here 1r I first exercised the same privilege of a i two days fast whtn they dedicated it and after Elder Nelson I was called away efk 3 i I Elder Mathesoa mined us 1 Three yeais ago Eldeis F M lid nip and Alexander l Campbell l cams hereto 1 here-to canvass hn city They stayed at the hotel but paid for It now we stay at the hotels gratis Trey were put In prison witli negroes and hid to pay about twentylive dollars to get out lor carryIng carry-ing a Gospel tract ton citizens door we are invited Into the parlors to explitn our teaeling to sing preach and PY and then they usneeded money b J del henf t fore leaving i God Is sollening I the heads of the people You may be assured we would not i dare tube in this large city and break the purse and scrip commandment We made no preparation for money yet we have not wanted fcr anvtt ing laundry lies collars hats hive all been 1 provided as we needed them It gives I us pleasure taco up to ew hotel proprietors pro-prietors i and tell them that wears servants ser-vants ol the Lord traveling without money We are seldom turned away t ea r I All nlte time our bretnren mete here they stayed ala f J hotel see and since we have been here we have stayed sixteen e six-teen days in twentjihree al hotels or public boarding house They usually say Come again wh < n you need a place to stay or as Mr Geldets the lb I restaurant man said We dont take thanks just come any time you get I hungry At the Florence hotel ue have a room which Is ours as long as we ii t I want it We could telate many Instances I In-stances but to say much In little ue are cared for in Birmingham a strictly I modern city ot Cocco people An engagement en-gagement tar dinner is flt walling us 5e we must hasten t to meet It Elder Matheson opened m this place by preaching on our ml son here as a theme Th Twentieth Street and Second I Sec-ond avenue was lull ol people to listen i I 4 and he spoke well To gather a crowd I t I we began to sing and pray It doesnt take tone We always try to explain the Gospel l and have pent most ot our effort on the principles of faith and repentance i re-pentance because our crowd was changeable and unstable We usually expiate our mod of traveling with relation re-lation fa money and when we are In eeedf l money we never alt to get It More than fifty persons have given us money And even the darkey says j Thais Goipel help dens men along 1 Well dinner is over now and we are safely lodged for the nigtt We dined with Mrs Baldwin and son and tonight thn1 we are ri the residence of Dr Charles Whclan an eminent physician proprietor proprie-tor of the large opera house and hotel and a ptomlneni citizen lie kindly invited In-vited us to supper and after spending a r teasant supperj he simply said Now twill 1 show lou to your roDra before ne had hinted our desires The Elders m Iyncuburg were met by alriend when they were in need ol a place to stay ours is a hold awaIting ui We donl know how to express our gratitude We only wish that we as well as all our Elders could trust the I Lord more perfectly We hope lor a branch ol the Church 4 in Birmingham We would not have so r many reecled testImonies to icport but I there are a great many Jews here and they reject us because it Is Chilsiianity I nhl ter t l We average a conversation once in three How joyfully ue anticipate our conference in Auguit To lay that we were sorry that wo did not meet IOU here as you wired u > en loute to Florida Flori-da does nut express our feeling l CHAKLKS I HAIGIIT i GcoucuT WKIDE r Coulft I U ksuIssaa T C FLAT Oklahoma May ajth 1897 To Hie Cditort Our conference was held nt T C Mat t lg Cb district tu the use t the I building being will ngly given to us We held a serits t of puolic meeting which was greatly I appreciated by thoe so forlunale as to be present The varIous principles of I I the Gospel were taught by tne Elders aflei which by request iMeit Albert C Dallcy and M 0 Shinny spoke on the origin ol the American Indians miI the coming forth ot the boots of Mormon mon Judging by the remarks of the Ofe listeners this was undoubtedly the leid tIng t-ing feature ot interest and certainly will I leave a deep impression on the minds of those present Previous lo separating we were all invited I t in-vited to the larlois If Mr j John GIZ I mon here the Saints and may Inends had gathered Then w o spent a pleasant I evening having an excellent piojram consisting of song recital en instrumental instru-mental selections etc We also partook of n bountilul repast prepared by our lauhful friends Mr neil Mrs John Goz I mm Then bidding our many kind hiends a lond gcodbje we nailed I lhanklog our luavenly Father for Him Hi-m ny biesmcs kC We are pieced I to say that everything is In honorable and I piopercui condi lion and havIng demonstrated the fact lo our own satisfaction that the Lord will not slight the bids rs who are laith lul we separated going to our sped counties to labor filled with a utter minatlon to go onwad and spread the precious truth to all who will receive It I As the idea prevails q me generally I It among the people at home that the Inn I s In-n I err lory nms on Is the most dc urible or hralthlul place ll I uhich to abcr etc I fuel it my duty to say a few I Aordsinbhal f ol the different parts I Uve been In at vanois times In Kansa a md Oklahcmi on the North Here wave w-ave a country that is practically fr e Tom the malarial germs that are so com mon in Southern countries Here we i labor in the warmer months of the year then as the weather becomes colder we travel south thin escaping the dangers of being ofllclcJ wltti I the chills and fever bo to ilios who may be called to labor in the Indian Territory mIssion I say dont feel that you are going Into a sickly country and Ihat you will have a hard time of it generally because the pop as n general rule are kind and Hospitable and the Elders who use wisdom wis-dom aid < bey counsel will not have to combat alls sickness but rain to forth Into new fields and do i good work The people are bejinni g to realize the fact tnat we are working for them add not for the pleasure of the world The names and addresses ol the RIo ders RI-o in the Oklahoma conference labart7in ence are a f illows John I Eardley and Franklin Raleigh Lexington Cleveland county Charles Holmes and 1 Jom J Galla cher Marshall Logan cuunty Wells J tItus ard John M Kearns El Reno Canadian county George V Morris Ir and Charles Rcbiiou Hennessey Kingfisher county BD Ntbekcr and Thomas GNaylor Choctaw city Oklahoma county 11 J D NEUBKER Secretary sovrn aluaaaMa Rpr of lll5xaey Itaeclrez III nftbllft And VInll GROVE HiLt Clark County Aa May I7ih 1897 To the KdllOfI Leaving my home in Tairview San pete county January rjih 18961 Ian Jed in ChaltaiojEa Ten i on the ant I rJnti IJoftrb was assigned to my field of labor and started tar ihc city of Mobile Ala landIng land-Ing their in good time and meeting Elder El-der lImber Ricks of Idaho We began our labors to complete a canvasi of Mobile I county finishing thai county we shorted to Washington I county We also I al-so finished that and then started for Choctow county labored there until July > nd and receiving notice t of certain 1 cer-tain mailers which needed my presence In Salt Lake Hi once ImmedIately took my leave arriving In good him Finding Find-ing upon my arrival it would take sonic time Defore matters would be such that I could return lo my labors I fell vary sony r However 1 fell all would be mane smooth in a little while and final lay the time did arr ve su I could start back landed in M bile January list 1897 Etder E E Nuby to be my cum panicn and to meet me in Mobile Arriving Ar-riving In that city ard not finding bm I went out to heather Rufus Geells and there I met him Alter etrlng the city we went 10 the cily officers and made everything satisfactory with Ihe mayor Our labors brought osogreal deal of satisfaction in the way GoJ I rated up friends We tried to get a place to hold meetings meet-ings In but tailed In every Instance We finally los all hopes of gelling church houses so we began to preach on the streets and wherever we could find any who woud listen to us We met many hospitable ptope We received re-ceived no Ice from Eloer Thomas our cinlerence president that if a proper i etJ tint place could be found in Mobile i to bold conference in it would be held there We imncdlately entered into a two days last and prayer feeling that if conference con-ference could be held In Mobile it would crumble the walls ol prejudice to he ground but we cculd not get a place We held a great many meetings on the public square and nol meeting with the success we thought we ought to do we legan to try to hold meetings at prhate icjldenccs and succeeded We preached wherever we could get anyone t > listen to us Agreeable to the request of our presl dear Elder D H mamas we closed Ilie couity and clIp April I 37th 1897 Oa our way we met Elders Pratt and Patters Traveling with them up through Clark county we met Elders Reed an 1 Cook and went up to Brothers Hicks and Johnsons and wete well received E L TERRY LITER HIIUI ENULUro uppr UII WO UIn t1l STROUD Gloucestershire England May itth 1897 To the Edilor As Ills sometime now since I read a letter from any one In this part of bonny England in your valuable columns and feeling that a letter respecting mission any wcrk here would be read with In ereit by your many readers I take pleasure I hi relating some experiences we have had I while in the Cheltenham conference of the British mission which ncludes all of Ihe southwest part sri England Since I commenced my labors here last November the conlerence has had a change ol president Elder W C llurgon was released and Elder Rague Barber called to be his successor Judging from the number of people both SlOt and stranger who attend our meetings I should say the Stroud dislricl looks quite as promising as any in the conlerence At every meeting we have held some strangers have bee present and although our meetings are ally cottage meeting there are several interested Investigators at them who show by their regular attendance that they are truly sincere in their desire to find the truth There Is no doubt bu that a flourishing branch will be the reo suit of the labors ot the Elders In i blioud if they continue to exert every effort In the future as they have In the past to bring this about II we can hal get a glimpe of a persons per-sons daily life we will know almos without fail how they will receive oar UeIf ir mtsiage those whom Clre world de si lie because of their lowly station are those who receive us and our teaching who are fortunate enough lo posses w Ih Ihe greater kindness Much of our trading It done in the lIeruoon sasseare not fortunate enough to get talk with the men of Ihe homes When we consider thai the Gospel has been preached for over lilty years in England tint ills no new thing 1 a lo the people nl In fact that there are but very few in this whole country who have not heard ol Ihe Mormons and Ihei duclrmes it is I a mailer ol re gent that Pauls words are so strikingly verifud for wherevtr yo gii you can hear the work vpok en evil of and ills an isolalled case abram any me will even veniure to say There must be some good in then hay eser this s only anotner teslimany tot us ot its duimti and one object of our mllsion here is to remove II possible the prtjudicc that Is the result of so mucii m srrprcsenlalion In I openin up new dislnclslt is ofie Ihc case that people rtfme to take them the-m lers in even II they offer to ray for lodgllgs In advance Tits haonenei when two of our biters fust opened the Stowon IheWo d d strlc abu two months ago Another difficulty Is In scaring s-caring halls to hold meetings in Th people will not rent them to us even II i double the amount of rent charged is tillered My companion Elder Tliomai I Eiclai d frum Plain city Weber counly Utah and misell endeavored a few weeks ago to get the use of Ihe Baptistery Bap-tistery in the Baptist church of this place I We had two applicants for baptism and desired to do the work for them but the venerable minister formed us that the I commitice would undoubtedly decline to gram us Ihe privilege of using it as they were afraid the world woud construe such an action ol theirs Into a sanction ol Ion principles ue taught We next 1113etlfI j lte 1113e the public baths but found they had become the property ol the Stroud breweries and were beta used for a ginger b er faciory Disappointed i aKan wu concluded to wait a Ittle I longer when we would perform the ordinance or-dinance in one 01 the neightorlng i streams 05 the weather thin was not I avara vie outdoor baptizing Ikt thee things are null ng compare com-pare 1 to lie cxasptrumir inlifTVrcnce ol he people The spirit tf Indifference Is the most discouraging th og I have met wl i h yet They have lowed themselves them-selves i to bo dragged into a religious mdbonb bondage liiat would be unbearable to anyone abs tiad the cuorge I > lhhnk I hoe themselves but to them fte is unap parenl and It sc mi It will take a tile time to convince them of this fact Here in Mroud the Elders take up their lodgings in a regular boardinghouse boarding-house The balms are none too wealthy and are not able tu furnUh accommodation accommoda-tion i lam hold nc meetings therefore we are obliged to use uur dining i and sitting room at the boarding house to meet in on Sunday evenings The room is usually comfortably filled and some limes crowded Part of cur time is occupied oc-cupied in visiting the Saints exhorting them 10 be hal h ul to lb covenants they have made In dliclnrglog this duty the riders in their dmrict have circuit ul over seventyrise miles to travel each onlb which is all d jne on loot The Elders travel more and see more during tbe tvo years Ihey are here than them the-m jonty ol the residents do in I their trvtXn broel el whole I lives An itKlance was brought lo our nylon not hag since of an old lady who had die I at the ae of ninety four Jens who had never been outside of Ihe village where she was born Asa As-a contrast have traveled 1003 miles over England in six m < nth and that Is It very common record compared with some oi Ihe Elders here More missionaries are needed Even in this country where the Gospel has been preached so long there are many owns whiro a missionarys voice has not been heard for many years Ilois ever our only conctrn shuld be that we do our part and He whose power is I ehmd this great work will provide a means by which every obstacle maybe urmoumed EDWARD E PIKE Ib o nrUft OMAHA Nebraska May iGlh 1897 Talks Editor I left my home in Chesterfield Ban nock County Idaho November 29tb 896 and took train at Bancroft Idaho toe Salt Lake Cily r and on the evening I IIf December 3rd I bid that beautiful cty adieu in company with five other Elders who had been also appointed to labor in the Northern States mission I We enjoyed the journey from Salt Lake City to Denver where we spent three hours In visiting the cityaud again took our journey eastward for Kansas Clip Iissourl fnetv arrived there in safety f on the evening of December Jlh and were met at the depot by Elders Badger and Butt On Ihe following morning we all look a trio to Independence Uckson County Missouri where we visited the temple lot which was dedicated by the I Prophet Joseph Smhh for the ereciion 01 a Tmple to the Most High God We afterwards made our way to Brother Features an old member cf the Church where we bed meeting there bein Itileen Elders some Suloss and anew a-new investigators present The Spirit of God was poured out upon us in aound once and alter listening to a discourse on Ihe 1 Gospel delivered by Elder Kelsch we bid fe Saints goodbye and made our way back to Kantas city We were hen assigned to our fields of labor I being appointed to labor with Elder J A Ii awson I Omaha Nebraska where I have been laboring every since We labored diligently during the winter made many friends led two honest souls into the waters of baptism and also had the privilege ol seeing two others baptized baptiz-ed on the 4th of April conference was held on the vd and 4th of April at hrce we yaeoab of a spiritual I feast and the principles ot the Gospel were laid before the people thai gathered I to bear us Our Priesthood meeting was held on April sth and w received d some I abirir valuable instructions I from re worlby president At this meeting I was appointed ap-pointed to continue my labors In this city in company with Elder R C Yeates We are still laboring among the people here taking to them the glad tidings of great joy Many 01 them receive re-ceive us with outstretched arms and listen with great Interest to the message we bear but darkness has covered the earth and gross darkness the minds of the people for so many years that It seems very hard for them to understand the Gospel r In I ar fulness Wun when the Lord sees fit he will open their eyes and they will be partakers of the divine Ilutl1 The Elders 01 this conference are en loving good health and the blessings nf the Lord are atlending them in their fields of labor Following are their addresses ad-dresses P J Williams R E Yeates 1439 North 19 Street Omaha Nebraska Lee b Robinson and S C Jones Tekamah Butt county Nebraska J W Jones and L b Mecham Hast ing Adams counly Nebraska inf A Fawson and W H Garner Beatrice Gate county Nebraska Your brother PETER rj JWILLIAMS J President Nebraska Conference 55 saeshrn CIIfal SAN Luis Ublspo California I May 31St 1897 To the Editor It is now fourteen months since I lei my home Meadow Utah in obdlence to Ihe call made of me to assist In spreading the Gospel truths In the stale of California One year of my time was pent In the cities ol San Francisco and San Jrsr j Wide there I was b essej with the privilege ol teeing a goodly number of honest souls gain entrance Into the fold of Chilst by their obedience to the divine principles of the Gospel while many more were gaining light Our couP ereneecaavne d Aprifiith In San Francisco For several I days sfter cotference we were busily engalled In visiting Irlends Bight seem g plcnlcm etc The last mentioned look place In Ih Golden Gale parktbe place and Joyous time lemponl feasting engaged in by a happy and ol slxlylw Caiiornia Mormon i as we sat upon the gra < s under the evergreens that IburU in tbU l land of flowers while pirtaking of tt the opltallly I I of ew San Francisco SaintS The day following conlerence our resident Elder E H Nye gave us our appointments lunar fields I of labor I Broth rW A Bringhursi l Irom Toquerville Utah and I were to come to Sail Luis Obispo county our appointed field It h l bout two hundred and filly miles down he coast south from San Francisco We anded In San Louis Obispa cily April 9th We dedicated trie county lo the Lord aj our field of labor and earnestly rayed that His Spirit would guide us in our feeble attempt to spread the precious Gospel message This we could not do without money and that was bey md our reach as we were trav sling without purse or scrip Being de ermined to deliver our message we held meetings on the street In that respect oar auccess was not flattering as he place Is poorly lighted as well as ue fng small having a population of about hrre thousand Since then we have completed a tour of the county calling at sixteen small ftieand villages We held meetings In fourleen ol them the other two re fos d us a place which to speak The number In attendance at our meetings was not large the smallest thirly Ihe largest one hundred 131 fifty We r made many friends cblribuled some Iwo hun drod tracts and loaned a cumber ol hooks Munyoltne people were very urious as we w ere the 1 firsl Mormons ver In this dltnct anil therefore this fitel they ever saw As a rule they are very tl indifferent as regards religion I and especially when coming from a Mormon I The population is greatly mixed principally Mexicans Spanish and Sbs San Luis Ohlpj county is the banner dairying county in California Tnereist fnal much grain raistd in the eastern part but little fruit Some of the farms and Inches contain as high as fifty thousand acres The climate is lovely especially ear the coast being kept cool by the ocean breeze The people dress about he same the year round and always have blankets en the beds Overcoats and cloaks are worn morning and even ng Should any ol the readers oln this rtlcle have friends or relatives I in this county we would be mucn pleased to call onthemsnould wiget their address W A BRISOHURST aOllfinmw lrssslaisa lour 1001 Vmbn ud ft 0 COLUMBUS Indiana May nth 1 t9p To the Editor The Southern Indiana conference onvened May Sth and 9th at lumbuIndiana Eider r1 Kelsch resident of the Northern Stales Mission and the Elders who are laboring In Southern Indiana were present Meeting was called to order at 10 a m by E D Sorenson president ol the cool enenre Elders P Sorenson and F W Jones spoke on the subjects of genera I and individual salvation At a p m Elders James W Vickers fx and William t Tolley spoke on faith and works repentance was spoken on by Elder J P Sorenson Meeting was again held at 7 30 p m Tne subject ol baptism ucus explained by Elder A S Kienke Elder Mark Vaddoups occupied the remainder of the lime Sunday morning Elders William Jenkins Jen-kins A M Archibald A P Eliason liV sl Humphreys A L Hale and tartm Brotherson all lore faithful testimonies testi-monies of the truth ol the Gospel also Elder James l Terrell presiding Elder of he Monroe county branch bore a trong testimony of rItTh fsls At i p m Elder Thomas S Cook spoke on the Holy Ghost and Elder oseph E Carson from the Northern Indiana conterence addressed the people on the subject of the kingdom of God At 7 30 p m Elder E D Sorenson addressed the meeting upon the restora lion ol the Gospel and Elder I L A Celsch spoke on the principles of the Gospel generally Monday morning the Elders met In Priesthood meeting and reported their labors als received d some valuable Instructions in-structions from our mission President Elder L A Kelsch The Elders were assigned to their fields of aborts fol lows E D Sorenson Columbus Barthoo mew county Indiana A S Kienke Salem Washington county F W Jones Greenwood Johnson county Thomas S Cook Clay City Clay county WMiam F Tolley and Marlin Brother son Greencale Mark Waddoups and A P Eliason I Osgood Ripley county James W Vickers and A L Hale SulphurCraw ford county liVil ham Jenkins and W C Hum phreys Gent Monroe county Elder J P Sorenson was honorably released from the Southern Indiana conference con-ference and assigned to labor in Michi gan Elder A SL Archibald was honorably released to return home Elders E D Sorenson and A S Kicnku will labor together until new companions are sent also Elders Cook rf ones The time we spent together was short but pleasant and It was with eyes bedimmed bedim-med with In arson d with us asking Gods peace and blessings upon each other that we parted for another six months our souls filled wills the spirit ol God and a determination to bear the glad tidings to Ihe honest in heart Although we have accomplished a great deal m the past by the help of uod we will accomplish more in the future Our last nintbs report show 1372 family visits 65 revisit 1819 tracts distributed la books sold 42 meetings held 4 children blessed 7 baptisms and 410 Gospel ca avemsa lions baE borne soint the Elders have traveled entirely en-tirely without purse or scrip the pat seven months and those who nave done so have accomplished the mos because they have nut their trust in God fully E D SORENSON President A S KISNKE Clerk |