Show from the he weiters Standard 3 the work in upper california SALMON fells FILLS feb 1856 1836 DEAR drar BR DR CANNON this morning ir br david M stuart and myself arrived at this place and were cordially welcomed by the generous and hospitable proprietor of the american hotel br thos orr and his agreeable and warm hearted family wheat kindness we are enabled to appreciate as none can but those who like ourselves have no abiding place or home and have been traveling for weeks and months amono among among strangers with out nurse purse purse or scrip and with a arcely scarcely a single friend to whose hospitality we could feel we were truly welcome here we found a pleas ant retreat ironi front the toils trials and anxieties inseparably connected with the life of an itinerant mormon elder and for the first time had the pleasure of perusing the first number of the tile western standard the issue of which we have nailed with sa sn much anxiety we hail with delight the rearing of this new standard of the great greit king on the pacific coast around which may rally all the faithful soldiers of the cross the tile armies ar inies of the god of israel and may it continue to wave triumphantly until truth is s victorious and its enemies confounded and abashed are put to silence and exposed to the just scorn of all honest hearted lovers of truth I 1 berha perhaps ps a brief account of if our travels may not be bri entirely uninteresting to some of your readers and I 1 suba in the following to be disposed of as your wisdom shall direct since we left sacra sacramento lento the 27 th of last november we e have visited upwards of forty town including the county seats of amado amador eldorado and placer counties at which places through through urh the courtesy of some of the officials we obtained the use odthe of the court houses W we e have hive had but little difficulty in obtaining places to preach in as we speak in court houses theatres theartres The atres temperance hald halb churches ball booms rooms and bar rooms we find the people generally very willing to hear bear us u which after they do once they frequently invite us to stay and speak to them again agam and we have preached as often as five times in one the miners miners are generally sp speaking aking g an in in tuil independent and generous hearted set of men who are accustomed to think as well is as act for themselves but who care very little about any refigio religious ui faith they however listen to us with atten atter alteration fion and respect with bat oey few fey exceptions and we draw larger audiences than do the ministers of any other church toe most of them know but very little about the tru trues principles of mormonism asin and are surprised when they hear us teach the principles of the gospel of christ many blany of them will examine our books to see if we have not a new and different Bib leand when they can find no other oilier objection they will say that we do not really believe belleve the principles we teach leach here and that we only advance them as a bait to induce them to swallow the ridiculous and blasphemous features of mormonism sai sni we vre have of course not been without trials and some opposition but hitherto personal vo v 0 jence hhas ins been withheld and we have found all alii the promises of god verified for ve we have not gone hungry nor have we e been once without lodging although our way has sometimes appeared very vety dark but we A e hive great reason tobe to be grateful to our heavenly father for softening the he hearts of the eople to provide for our wants and the darkest hour has always been just be fore day tott we hive no wish however to leave a false di 0 n the minds of any with begird to this state stale nor that elders should imigine that their presence pc sence will be hailed with delight and add enthusiasm and that they will have nothing to ao 10 lo but ride from town to town finding houses thrown open to receive receive them and ch churches inches ready for them to pr preach ach in it is undoubtedly in inmany many pany respects a d country in which to fill a assion m assion and requires elders possessed of a great deal jeal of wisdom prudence and charity we find a great number of persons belonging to 9 a certain class for whom it is difficulty to find rind an appropriate name the ther f are those who lare hare boer been mormons cormons Mor Alor mons who will till to tou u acknowledge principles he to 1 re e tri atut are arc afraid to own or perhaps it would woula hs bt nearer the truth to bay say they are afraid to by tip to their religion I 1 for if P litter day dav saint lives up to his lieges gieges I 1 do not believe he will ever be afraid or ashamed of his religion for my pirt it is mv elory my only fear is lest it should not be lenly bently known and I 1 wih wi h all my friends and arau acquaintances to know that I 1 am at home or abroad in pr vate vale arld and in public in poverty or in wealth a mormon thre th re are also numbers of them scattered t liroi ih the mines who are too fearful even to in make themselves known to us and strangers ball to ourselves and the truth wil will receive u us 3 into their houses houes and associate with us while those who wiio ought to be brothers and friends orie frie ata nta aia are ashamed to own ua us what must be the feelings of such sunshine saints in tho iho day vahen hen christ shall say ye eye were bere ashamed of or me and my cause before men nary naty mw I 1 am ashamed of you before my father and iiii 1116 t n holy hoit angels I 1 but 1 I do not SP se s e what they gain by pursuing such fuch a course for 1 have yet to see one of this class ali who has acquired wealth or even a comfortable comfor for table lible home while those who openly avow and act up to their principles are universally ted led and generally have been prospered in their bu business siness there are arc however some honorable excel eions some who are not ashamed asli amed odthe nf the nam name e and who receive us with that hat cordial greeting that h a re friendly grasp which none but the gener ous soul PO possessing essing a portion of the spirit of truth can give we h ha a VP ve also met with much kindness from some mem members bers of if other churches and from many of those who adhere to no particular religion and we pray god our heavenly father to bless all those who show any favor tt 0 o his ilia cause or his ilia servants and to return their kindness kind nes into their own bosoms a hundred fold we have not yet baptized iny any nor organized any branches but we hae hate the satisfaction afi knowing that we are doing some good ani an ani I 1 that god rod is 13 blessing our humble eft elT efforts orta urta to build up his ilia kingdom several have confused conf confes eged ed to us that they believed our message and that they intended to hold fast to the truth but it quires rp a creat degree ogree of moral courage to come out openly and boldly now and go down to the waters of baptism I 1 send you the following fact not because it is anything wonderful but simply as an evidence that god is in some degree blessing our labors lal ial Irs I 1 0 on tile the of january we were called upon by brother and sister goodwin good vin residing at coloma 0 o to administer to their little giri eirl about f nive five ive lve years old who was very sick we went up to the house and found fl the mother weeping holding binm the child in her lap and fearful it was wag about to die elders D ba harris and myself laid hands li andson on her lier and in tile the name ofee i sus sui su christ chris rebuked the disease the child im mediately arose from her mothers lap lascom com fenced to play and soon asked for something to eat cat nor ha has she site been sick since A general spirit of gathering seems to prevail and we had many who regret that they ever left the valley vailey and most of them intend to return either to san iuar lUar nardino or salt lake lale as soon as possible you speak in your first number of I 1 organizing orga organizing 9 the tile scat scattering terino terina members into branches this is a very difficult 1 t matter and in most cases almost imp for the he few who alio would unite and form a branch are separated so widely from each other and by such a country that it world woold be almot almost impossible for them to meet together under there ei circumstances cum stances we con eluded the tile best counsel we could give them was to gather to 0 o the body of the church aa as fast as practicable which duty we urge upon upun them whenever we find them there are many honest hearted men and inquiring minds in this state slate and we believe there is isa a good work work vork to be done here yet if the tiie right lidit 7 kind of men are sent gent out we have taken considerable rouble trouble to ascertain all the information we could respecting the tile best manner of r spreading grea prea ding the gospel in this stated state and we believe the only way vay in which the work can be established liere here is by dividing the state into circuits somewhat anter afler the plan adopted by the methodists and havin men full of the spirit of truth and an ardent desire for the salvation of or their fellow men stationed at these various points to work dvork and support and preach at stated times on Sabbat Sab baths ls and in tile the evenings it would certainly be a self denying and ar duom undertaking but I 1 believe trl those ose who would engage in the work in the spirit of meekness and tove love with a determination not to be discouraged and a firm reliance on the overruling providence heavenly finally reap the reward of their labors and return bringing their sheaves with them I 1 think it would not bf be a very difficult matter for ever energetic getic getie faithful men to find employment which would enable them to support themselves alth aith although ough nugh it might be of an humble nature notwithstanding the flattering flittering flitt ring ering and a add X rd reports of neL neg newspapers papers aa the mineah mines are Kc fri coming oming poorer and poorer every day and thousands of the miners in various portions of the state slate can scarcely make a living there are many men who will never be able to return to their home and ne meet with hundreds lun of men who at home homo were useful members to society who have given up the hpe hope of ever being able to return and have yielded to the ilia recklessness mess of or ruin and def des I 1 and we honestly believe that in hye five years there will be mone more destitution and poverty in the mines ihan than 1 in any other martof the union but some men will not believe our testimony nothing but actual knowledge will satisfy them let such come and learn hy illy experience we shall feel it a privilege to do all ali in our power to assist you in your endeavors to advance in tile the interests of truth and be assured you vou von will receive our hearty operation cooperation co in your efforts to sustain your present position by obtaining you bouas as many subscribers subscriber sas as we can though but one cannon may yon prove an effiec effective tive invincible and p powerful I 1 battery which the enemies odthe of the kingdom shall find it impossible lo 10 silence or captivate and may god bless you and yours in all your eferts to advance his ilia kingdom supply all your wants and endow yon richly with the spirit of wisdom so that you may be able to confound and silence all t the adversaries ortruth of truth I 1 feour your humble horrible brother in the new and everlasting covenant I 1 WM WAT 11 SHEARMAN |