Show correspondence missionary NEWS 7 nor ROH den nen malsk odesse ODENSE denmark april 1 1884 editor deseret news wems having been called by bythe the servants of god to perform a mission to this land I 1 left my home in mt nit pleasant august and after a prosperous tr trip IP i across land and sea I 1 arrived in com puny with 17 other missionaries in copenhagen on the lith of september I 1 was then assi assigned ned my heid field of labor upon the island of fyhn where I 1 have labored as a tr traveling avelin elder ever sin since ce I 1 have enjoyed my ministry very much it often seems uphill business to teach the peo people pie ale here he gospel as it is revealed in this last dispensa dispensation tio n as they adhere strenuously to their old dogmas and do not care to investigate for themselves we find a few honest souls who are willing to cast tradition to one side and thi think for themselves we meet considerable opposition lon ion both through the press and the pulpit aoth are willing to spread falsehoods about us as a bonim community unity thereby trying to prevent us gaining influence amons among amon the people and in some cases they have been successful while in others it has only caused the honest in heart to investigate both sides meles during the time I 1 have labored in this branch 27 have been added to the church through baptism this is of course but a small number con considering 1 the many people who live here betit but nut it is as the servants of god told us before we left that we could not expect a very avery large harvest there are four utah elders in this branch we have a good many meetings among strangers in the country many duany of which have been well weli attended sometimes times we have had both priest and school teacher to debate with but I 1 can say to the honor of the lord lordi thae they have never been able to overcome us in argument in this town we have aall laii a ll 11 rented where we held meetings twice a week and a good many have had bad the privilege of hearing heaning our moony diony we vve have bad a little disturbance i but the police have acted like gentlemen eu so it has bas not amounted to much great changes havo hase taken place in this country countey durk during the 40 23 years I 1 have been heen ten teu away itom itam gram rom it railroads ap ar crossing and re crossing the island in every direction which of course makes travel easy provided a person has got the wherewith to pay ray passage this winter has been unusually mild scarcely any frost or snow but a great deal ot or rain has fallen during the season H foulser roul PouL sey sen missionary MATTERS mattens portsmouth and southa southampton lavton branches no 4 henrt henry roal road buckland portsmouth england aprill april s rth isi ISSI editor deseret news perhaps a few tew lines from me would not be uninteresting to some of the readers of the NEWS res respecting acting the southampton and port Tort portsmouth portsmouth branches as there are many saints in utah who have emigrated from this district I 1 believe it is about 35 years since the gospel was first introduced in these parts and I 1 believe the first one who embraced the gospel in southampton has never gathered with the saints and still holds a position in the church for some length of time the branches have been pretty well reduced for no sooner did people embrace the first principles of of the gospel than the spirit of another portion of the gospel rested on them that of gathering and inconsequence in consequence the assemblies sem blies of the saints have been small and it has been a hard struggle for them to bear the necessary exp eap expenses ses of keeping up a branch paying hall rents etc A although though the gospel has be been enwell well weli ventilate venti latcu d by many able fishers in days gone by when their congregations we were re large large and there was an earnest man mau manifestation fe to investigate the principles of truth and to embrace them the patient hunters are out and are not discouraged but are gathering them up one of a city and two of a family very many of the english people cling tenaciously to the established church and it is observable that they are drifting back to catholicism to the most abominable idolatry where they had been so many hundreds of years and from which they had so miraculously escaped A few days since it was remarked by a lady to a class of young ladies that it was as well to tobe be allor a mormon as a methodist there was nor noi none ie right but the church of england surely if the english people are re a acquainted c quain quai anted ted with avith english history they must know that henry VIII was wavering in his faith during his entire reign that his subjects were unable to keep up with him in his religious views ch changing changie angin g as he was from catholicism to protestantism and finally after a series of years of strife contention and bloodshed an act ol of parliament was passe passed d and the english church established since which time it has been upheld and sustained by the strong arm of the lile law in the late luther commemoration great praise and honor were bestowed on him as the founder of the protestant religion honor to whom honor is due mar alar tin luther never claimed to having received a visitation from an angel the tho restoring the gospel to the earth then it stands to reason that the established church is a man made system hence the confusion that abounds it required no acts of parliament to establish the kingdom of god in ancient times and instead of bishops and clergy there were apostles and prophets and holy men of god spoke as th they were moved upon by the azy holy ghost their first sound was not as that of today to day are you saved on the contrary repent anabe and be baptised baptized sed for the remission of sins was the first sound heard today the faith of the religious sects is fastened upon a few isol isolated rated passages of scripture made to a people who had complied compiled with the first principles of the gospel not to a people who had wandered in darkness ani an 1 I superstition for 1700 years the DESERET NEWS is not only only a welcome visitor to the traveling elders and saints but others also for the public mind has been literally stuffed with so BO many diabolical lie lle lies lles S bandlion and nonsense and when people stop and peruse the other side of the question it rel rei relieve leve their minds to an extent from the prejudice they had so long harbored I 1 also with others believe that the sending of the deseret NEWS abroad is abing much good Iti it is silke ilke like pouring during oil on the troubled waters 1 I eave have proved this I 1 the system of tr acting has been continued ili in this district tor lor some leng ieng length th of f time with apparently no beneficial results we have the satisfaction of knowing that many have been prese arese present n t edwith ed with thet thoi I 1 gospel and in due time other othar hunters may ae 6 more successful the meetings are attended more or less by strangers some baptisms have been attended to others in progress and with the help of the lord we hope that at no distant day many more will viii be added to the church elder denney Is with me and we feel well and humble in the discharge of our duties and many times can call see the hand of the lord wrought in our behalf and the experience gained la is not to be purchased with money one thing more 1 I 0 hl it mention that is the neglect ut of mj ilia who ho emigrate to write to thela their inen i here as they promised to du io mu luis luls and years pass by and aa a 3 they not cot r hear from them they settle down with the idea that they are walled in and that letters aro avo ar opened and con contents ats examined before bermed to pass of an ane effort f on the part of saints to write and tell the truth arnth would in time break down the barrier Respect respectfully full fuli join L HISSION alm AIM TION BAPTISMS ETC I 1 west tenn tennessee essee conr conf conference elonce NEW elua eili perry toung county tenn ap april 1884 editor deseret nees nas I 1 was first ass assigned neato to the hickman county field where I 1 labored for about three months from there I 1 went to attend conference in wayne county on the I 1 and of may alay 1884 1 I was trenwith then with elder miner wilcox of paris idaho assigned to this field which consists of a part of wayne perry and decatur counties since then we have baptized fourteen members blessed two children and emigrated upwards of forty saints from this field elder wilcox belne belue released on account of poor health started home on the of march on the aoth elder lyman A shepherd of beaver arrived here to nill nili the vacancy I 1 will here say that I 1 have met with many kind friends that I 1 will nover never forget et and while many have been kind and hospitable I 1 have met with some persecution it at our conference on beech creek we were threatened by a mob dub bub still we held our meetings in peace notices were posted that all the elders must leave that field within thirty days or they would be whipped we being left here had hll bli of the persecution se to meet and were notified to leave there immediately or we would leave with sore backs we did not choose to leave and the forego foregoing ingis is the result of our labors there are arc many instances I 1 in might lit mention that tha would be of interest iut gut but one which has lias just occurred I 1 will relate there was a man attended one of our meetings on the fourth of last november meeting was at 11 and we were to have a baptizing baptising bap at 2 p in on the same day this man had been with chills and fever for tor two months and having never heard a aio nio Alo mormon elder eider preach before or witnessed the ordinance of baptism he desired to attend but as it was time for his chill to come on and it was about two miles to the place where we were going to attend to the ordinance chevas he was afraid he could not go I 1 toiv told told him that if he be would go he would have no chill that day he went and has not had a chill since according to his own statement since then he has attended sever several alof of our meetings and about a month ago he and another man applied for baptism on the following sunday we went to attend to the ordinance but they did not put in an appearance pe arance as per agreement and I 1 have not seen either of them since till last sunday on thursday the 10 dinst elder shepherd and I 1 returned and gave out an appointment to preach at ap 3 p in at the residence of bro henson just before the appointed time arrived rivea ar these two men and some others camet ca methe hc two boing being beor boor beor under the influence of liau liquor or the they y began making a noise rollin tolling barrels around and halloing hallowing hal hai loing and ind they said they had come prepared and would take takei the lives of brother henson elder shepherd I 1 erd and myself before the sun went down they th 07 also talked very abusively and insultingly to sister ilenson henson and her daught daughters ers erb finally they went off and several respectable persons came to hear us preach those two then returned one of them having a large black snake alive in his pocket which he put around his neck put ut his finger in its mouth and scared seared some of ee the ladies with we began our meeting at the appointed time and they began throwing th rowill rocks rock 8 at llie ilic the house halloing hallowing hal loing OZ etc elder shepherd arose to address the meeting and they still kept up their noise outside they were requested i to keep still but they only made the more noise breaking up hoes and other property outside they came in twice and helped themselves to water from the stand talking aloud and the last time they took the tile pitcher out with them they kept up the disturbance till we closed the meeting they then went off and thus ended tile the disgraceful occurrence I 1 now wish to relate another circumstance a case of healing the sick by obedience to tile the laws of god sister catherine wife of samuel inman had been prostrate for about eight months she desired estred cl to be baptized ba sized and had faith that she would te be healed accordingly on the of january she was taken to the water not neing being able tov tom to walk alk aik and I 1 baptized her the next day elder miles niles and 1 I anointed and administered to lier her and she has never felt a pain since I 1 saw her a few days ago and she then said she had not felt a as well swell for five tise years as she did at that time the work of the lord is progressing in it I 1 this field quite favorably tile the saints are all feeling well weli in the cause of hand cery everything thing looks prosperous awill I 1 will now close praying for the of zion yours in the gospel covenant joan JOHN A HAWKS I 1 are not unknown to the fair sex did you ever see a youn youns lady putting PU atin on a tight ight t pair of kids 1 ladr wh while I 1 c the last bell is toula for church 1 on in inglot midi L r 1 I 1 |