Show ACCOUNT OP OF HIS MISSION by bishop andrew Andrei rC cunningham nowery bowery noite Boire ry sunday merma derma aug 16 reported REPORTED TED BY J T V LONG brethren and S asters Ss I 1 arise before you this morning for the tile purpose of ex expressing n my feel ings in and relating some things that have transpired us w while blie hiie bile I 1 have been absent from you nearly two years ago I 1 left this city on a mission to the state sate of texas when I 1 arrived at st louis I 1 was appointed by elders taylor tay lay lor and snow to assist in that seasons emigration accord according in to appointment I 1 returned to western iowa to seek out some camping grounds and to aid in fo forming aming some n new ew settlements in nebraska territory after traveling the fore part of the winter arranging for camp grounds rounds and making ferry arrangements range ments I 1 took f the liberty to visit among the old mormons cormons Mor mons who live in western iowa I 1 found that it was not a very pleasant business for there were almost all kinds of spirits amongst them but the true spirit of the gospel they contended that the people in these valleys had so far deviated from ancient mormonism that they did not feel like emigrating to this country there are hundreds in iowa anxiously walting wailing till the church goes back to jackson county when that time comes they design TO jump on board zions ship they think it is the next thing to treason to call upon them to come to utah when br mcgaw and myself arrived in iowa city we found the saints in in a curious condition the branch was divided there were two presidents holding separate meetings br mcgaw arrived there a little litile before I 1 did and disorganized the branch and they are not yet reorganized and I 1 pray that hat they never may be until they comply with the requirements of the law of god we preached to them and showed them the necessity of becoming united and of gathering to utah but it is hard bard to teach those old thang hangers on ariy arly anything thing about mormonism 2 for they think they chev know everything in this however they are grandly mistaken for almost the least child in the mountains could teach them th the a plin caples of eternal life early in the spring of 1856 1 I began at florence to prepare for our emigration this part of my mission was vas very agreeable but the winter previous was vas to me most weal I 1 some and tedious I 1 found no con COD congenial genial acquaintance except br mcgaw although there were many many with whom I 1 had been associated before I 1 carge carve came to the valley they had so far departed from the true spirit of the gospel that I 1 had bad no pleasure in their society after the emigration was over br snow concluded to stay with us a short time and we organized gani zed a branch of the he church and I 1 commenced comme me cd e re I 1 baptizing tile the saints who were scattered round there and we were the means of cheering up those who took our counsel we baptised baptized sed about 75 persons in tile the branch of the church at florence and I 1 have great pleasure in in saying that a great portion of them are good people they are trying to keep heep the commandments mand ments of the lord 1 but they are generally poor kave the majority of them hein t being persons who have not gathered in im consequence of not having means last fall at the october conference in st louis br william lewis a welsh brother was appointed to take a mission among that portion of th the F em emigration migration that was scattered about in in illinois to find cut how many there were in that region of coli coti country and to teach them the principles of the gospel although the weather was very cold he traveled through the state of iowa on foot and arrived at florence on the of december beir ber the saints who had stopped at newton fort desmoine Des nes Desm olno ciro and several other places felt glad glai that the servants of the lord had sent forth a messenger to seek zeek after their welfare when the press of business was over last lost season I 1 went into nebraska with a company of seven men to seek a place for making a settlement we left florence on the of nov and pursued our course into the region of the loup fork and then hen stuck down our stakes i I 1 returned to florence and shortly afterwards went on a visit among the saints in the nei nel neighborhood abor of st louis on my mv way I 1 visited many old mormons cormons Mor mons 1 but found fery iery very few that had any di disposition hepa aitio n to come to the mountains many of them t feel fee quite above those saints that pres young led to utah they do not associate with thosa that left illinois neither do they associate with those who are favorable to emigration to this count country ry many who express great anxiety to gather i with the saints are good mechanics men who can earn from three to five dollars per day and they say they have been trying to gather to AO the mountains ever since pres young and the authorities ties first came here but they have not been able to accumulate the means I 1 told them I 1 did not believe a word of it and said 1 I a man who has labor and cannot mke nuke an outfit out fit in 10 or 12 years in in the western country is not fit for the mountains I 1 returned to florence the ike last lost day of march and went immediately to work to make maize arrangements to go to the loup fork to make maks a farm on the of april I 1 got started with about 17 men 4 wagons some plows and seeds and made our way to beaver river on the loup fork on our arrival we laid off a town site and called it GENOA on may 19 a company compan y from st louis arrived at genoa the brethren felt well and ani enjoyed e ajoy ed the spirit of the lord and I 1 will say to their credit that hat I 1 never met with a better band of brethren than I 1 found in that camp as also all those who are now located at genoa after fter after we had made the location last fall I 1 made arrangements with br robert robe rt shackelton to build a saw mill which would be in operation a few days after I 1 leac we found the saints in florence very anxious to emigrate to the mountains it is not veny very desirable for a man to take a mission to the united states at present at least I 1 have found it so I 1 could have bare enjoyed myself much better at homme horns I 1 have been bien gone nearly lv two va years I 1 have not preached d much in afi that time but I 1 have been engaged working with my hands bands handling freight assisting the emigration ion lon and making the settlement called genoa oli all which suited my natural feelings much better than preaching I 1 felt to rejoice exceedingly when br taylor and br snow told me roe that raould come home it did not take ion lon long iong for me to get ready I 1 call can assure you nezer neither did it take me a great while t to get ready wh when en I 1 was called to go on my mission sion slon I 1 feel that the blessings of the he lord have been lieen with me during my absence from you and I 1 have accomplished all things that I 1 set tn my hands bands to do according to the grace and strength given me of god I 1 rejoice in the privilege of returning and of beino being being once more in the society of the saints mathe may the lord god bless us strengthen us and enable us to ryll roll roll roli forth his purposes upon the earth is ig my prayer in in the name of christ our redeemer amen |