Show AV COVINGTON fountain co indiana jan 1883 editor deseret news in this thia state there are six Elde eide rii rip good faithful energetic men doing all they can for the spread of truth as revealed in this dispensation in some parts of the state it is very difficult to get places to hold meetings and some bome of the elders have not fared very well I 1 having to slee alee sleeping pin school bouges houses and sometimes in the wood but that is the exception and not the rule for in most cases we have met with friends and have been treated with kindness some times we have had to call on a number of people before being admitted to stay atay over night but in every instance we could see fee the provid providence ence of god in it for we have been able by that means to bear our testimony to the more hon hod st fht hearted people who more ofte u than not invite us to call agun arain and thus we are led to the I 1 ones onest oneat t in heart in answer to prayer we ve are in correspondence correspond ence with dome tome to whom we havo borne our testimony in the above manner who are ser sen seriously lowly investigating the truth and have invited us to stay awhile with them when we go that way again but while there are a few who are enquiring after truth the masses of the people are very indifferent to religious matters money Is the god they worship and they are devoted worshipers to their idol many have a form of godliness but most emphatically deny the power as the apostle said they would do they pay their preachers to expound the scriptures for them while they themselves seldom read that good booke book and are therefore unacquainted witti with the teachings of the patriarch prophets and apostles of old but accept for doctrine the precepts of men and it surely is the blind leading the blind but notwithstanding the many difficult circumstances under we labor the work is progressing favorably we baptized four ja in the week preceding christmas and there are a few others redy as soon as the weather permits it being exceedingly cec cee cold here just now there lre tre ire manji many also who are seriously in the gospel plan pian and it bids fair for a good work to be ac the coming spring and hurn turn fc ummer mer last june we held a conference in hovington and president Preal dent W M palmer being with up was intro deuced by one of the elders to the rev burch a methodism methodise Meth odise preacher of some note at that time and for bome some time after against our people elder palmer kingly invited him to our meeting and askea asked him somme borne few questions which he declined to answer and got very angry an gry and rather abusive afterpe after he had gone elder palmer remarked in the pre presence mence rence of friend oliver shelby sheiby myself and many others watch that men from this time he will commence to go down and it will wiil not be long before he will not have adv any place to preach in it has veritably veri verl ably come to jam law adf fyr fan at the methodist Meth odlat conference lut iut fall they did no noi not give him any appointment I 1 and appointed another minister in his place then he turned bis his attention to stumping for the republican party part yand and ana on baat last november after making a speech got down from the platform and ofle offe ed his hand to a former convert of his who turned his back upon him and sald said a sid said I 1 dont want to shake hands with a traitor friend sheiby shelby hearing the prediction watched very tery closely for its fulfillment which ahk h AT to ort org T R t fv f u 14 V TV V tv T ro even his hia name Is ia mentioned nowa now a days dass by his friends the saints in this state are all feeling well and more determined to live their religion than ever I 1 expect most all the saints will gather to zion in the fall they have started in good earnest to prepare and if nothing happens to prevent them there will be about twenty saints leave this thia state the revelation given through our beloved president has given the saints much loy joy and Is a source of much consolation to us all eleven adults and eight children went from here to utahan utah on october last and judging from letters received here by their friends they are all well satisfied satia Eatla fled fied and are all doing well the weather nas has been extremely cold here and it has haa been almost impo impossible sibie sible to hold many meetings but the elders are in diff merent lerent parts of the state doing all they can cin c in praying gods goda cho choicest leest blessings to rest upon zion and all her inhabitants I 1 remain your brother in the gospel of peace S B R marrs MARKS washington washington co boj utah feb loth 1883 editor deveret deseret wems mems last sunday bunday we were favour favoured ed with the genial presence of apostle erastus frastus snow who delivered a very instructive and pathetic discourse which wab was listened to with marked attention atthe at the funeral of sister a faithful honest latter day saint of the washington ward the number of deaths in washington this WID win winter ter exceeds that of any previous year to the beyt beat of my recollect loir since my residence here from the year 1861 seven of our number have fallen victims to death so far this winter many others have been brought very low but are now the sickness has been principally lung fever the proportion of deaths as it regards sex has been bix six females and one male some of our moat faithful and exemplary members are in clu deded in the number of deaths who are gone to swell tho thu ranks of the faithful t the h e 0 ther other 13 side ide of the vall vail it Is due our bishop to say eay that he has been assiduous in hia attention atte ution to the sick by day and by night and all feel to accord to him geat credit la in this respect the weather has been very changeable this winter sometimes quite quitu warm at others piercing cold we have a good day school in session under the direction and able management of annie mcguire we have also a primary school conducted by sister slater Wf wilkins lkins and still another conducted by miss stephens presbyterian with an attendance of four foun scholars we have quite a number of veteran brethren in this ward who lived in the days of the prophet joseph smith and were personally acquainted with him we have a number of poor in this ward a good many widows and fatherless children which adds to the labor and care of our bishop we have a great grest many vacant houses in our little city many leaving and no new now comers to take their places hence a good portion of our city la Is being farmed under the present circumstances raising small email grain wheat and barley timeshare Time sare dull at silver reef reefy at present in former days the reef beef has been quite an opening for the dig dip disposal dosal or of surplus products last sunday week we were favored with a visit from preat mcallis ter Bishop F farnsworth moroni snow and J E pace we were much edineu and interested interest ed in their remarks respectfully R F GOOLD |