| Show IN GEORGIA success of the be nilo narle prejudice abaunz AUGUSTA I 1 georgia geor wa march 18 1888 suitor deseret news mews the NEWS is a welcome visitor to elders in the missionary field and it 11 accounts of missionary experience are as in much uch enjoyed by the saints at home borne as by those engaged in the vineyard I 1 may venture a few lines with the assurance that they will not fail to interest a few THE GEORGIA at present consists of four fields in ach which are located eleven traveling elders most of whom have been in the mission one year and more since our annual conference last oc tob erwe have been enlar enlarging our oar borders enlarging fing and opening new fiends ds in counties where elders have never been be lore fore and generally speaking have met with kind and hospitable treatment for which the southern people are proverbially renow renowned Led and tongue and pen alike prove inadequate to express the gratitude one feels toward those who receive a messenger who comes to them bearing the glad tidings of great joy and proclaims toe the restoration ox ot the a apostolic po church of christ with all its it s former perfection grandeur and glory considering the multitudinous number of books and tracts lectures and comments by harpies parsons and editors that are in circulation professing to expose mormonism Mormon iain and that are read and listened to by the credulous we cannot wonder that people should form an unfavorable opinion of the mormon morman people and their doctrines but bat we do wonder at their being so far lost in the mazes of prejudice bigotry and superstition as to prejudge a matter when they have heard only the side that is represented by the enemies of a religious virtuous and happy people but bat when we get the privilege of speaking and making our own defense it daw dawns IS upon the minds of many that th they ey have long been deceived and that mormonism so called is not what they had bad been led to believe it to be JR n many instances the people are warned by their religious leaders to avaid id us as impostors and wolves in cheeps Ps lofs e clothing when at the same tame e thoy they know nothing of us qs or pur doctrines save what they have learned r from hiir enemies but one remarkable feature connected with their 9 procedure roce dupe is that although they claim to have the truth brath and denounce us as false teachers impostors etc they are not willing to meet us on the public platform and expose our supposed impo imposition aitio and folly but avoid all contact with ith art truth h the hireling fleeth because he be careth not for the sheep MUCH mcca 9 being awakened and people who aye been drifting along w with ith the pop ilar current are beginning to think for eMs elyes a and d some le v trio have inar prayed ligat tp IQ dawn ave ve broken bj tue me bancas 1 af their iron creeds re es bea nave lter the shades that pay ataye e kept t en la in darkness and are willing 0 to say 4 let ilot there be light though g 1 it P poe 0 le from utah a place e upon pon not more favorably lavori lb X than was afresh a af erot reth of Cial Q alalee flee roin shone uch such aple or in wis wisdom din 0 an and truth 1800 years ago the majority of the people of this country are religiously inclined Ined ned our labors in this field which embraces the counties of richmond and columbia have been rewarded with some success during the past three months and we have had bad the privilege of leading twenty one honest souls into the vaters of bap baptisti soi for the remission of sins and ana prospects are at still I 1 encouraging many have been aroused from their heir night of slumber and gre are becoming late interested rested in their sou salvation and at no distant day we expect pt hect that more of ahe sheep will heed aul the voice of the true shepherd and become follow fellow citi citizens ens with the taints saints aad of the household of d I 1 while while such success attends our la Is barsth bors th powers of darkness are moved from euph thunder lightning and smoke are emitted through through mein the instrumentality of toe makers of lea es those who dare act upon their honest convictions and aad embrace an unpopular faith are first pitied then despised espire and their character ani 0 tives though never impugned before are now assailed and ridiculed ano ana everywhere spoken against bt blit with the courage of true soldiers who are armed with the sword of the spirit which is the word ot god they pursue the even tenor of their ways and speak truth with such undeviating exactness that the adversaries are not able to gainsay or resist it is a known truth that opposition CREATES UNION and as a sample of what is always met by the elders I 1 only need to mention that since bince our presence and success have been wafted wafred on tie the breeze there his has beenk wonderful wondern al display of charity and pro brotherly herly love among the otherwise wise contending factions of the various v rjohn churches ch archea and at a the present resent ta tamea 4 powerful revival revival of religion Is enjoyed in this city augusta agusta A bearing the name united services which are to continue day and at ht during the present mouth month and a rich r th c harvest of souls sinners saved by irace grace to la expected the violent opposition that was once so ao rito rife in the saki thern mission teems seems to 0 have abated somewhat some and the better sense of the people is displayed though as before stated an indifferent superstition hedges up our oar way to a very great extent au an occasional complaint is heard beard sim am ng as the saints because they never hear bear from the elder who brought them the gospel and have returned home mach good could be accomplished and needed encouragement given alven by their writing an occasional letter and sen dinic papers we who tarry feel constrained by the spirit to to say to the elders write and forget not your first love that god may speed his work and that the honest may ere long obtain the knowledge of the lord is tae desire of your brother in the gospel A R SMITH |
