Show IN pennsylvania imagine yourself transported from L 1 OU r editorial room in your own dutiful city ot salt lake to a snug the valley nestling cosily among hills near the southern boundary of ff buo jr 1 where the penn conference took place on ale and of this ath it is known as buck val 1 and is in the county of fulton hills surround it and down the lue valley meander tiny streams abd lu on the slopes of the hills timber of various kinds is found the people mainly subsist by farming and seem to be in comfortable circumstances cum stances their hospitality to our elders has been worthy of all praise here in this pleasant retreat with the weather all that could be desired assembled the elders laboring in this conference to give reports of their missionary labors and experiences perien ces and bear testimony to the people gathered to hear us of the restoration of the gospel preparatory to the coming of the son of god to establishes establish his Hs kingdom on the earth a rth and inaugurate a reign of peace and righteousness the audiences during most of the time thronged thron ged the hall so kindly placed at our disposal by the people of this place we here I 1 insert n sert for the benefit of interested parties the names dames of the elders attending conference brother harris assistant president of the northern states mission heber bennion president of conference and the following as traveling elders A H wooley theo W P fulmer leroy holt mark bigler W B R stevens hyrum bown sylvanus hulet john joseph bartholomew thomas H G parks J D leigh and 8 H M stewart elder edward W hunter laboring at present in canada was unable to attend our meetings were all that could be desired the people paid strict aUen attention quention tion the spirit of god was abundantly poured out on the elders and on the hearers gmt freedom of speech was enjoyed with the result that the honest in heart are like the people of berea searching the scriptures to see whether the things spoken of are true or not the hos hospitality vitality of the people of buck valley alley was unbounded although efforts were made by some christiab Chist iaB folks to turn them against us but their efforts were in val vain As usual some few were found who bitterly opposed us and the emissaries emis saMes of satan were busily employed in circulating lies about the elders and saints with this result that the people could judge between truth and falsehood and were enabled to see how lying stories cut out of whole cloth were manufactured against us to show the efforts made by some to hinder the spread of truth I 1 win will relate one or two circumstances circumstance that transpired hearing of the time set for conference a sect known as christians started meetings upon the evening preceding conference evidently with the purpose of drawing the people away from us but to no purpose as the people came and thronged thron ged our meetings and their efforts to hinder resulted only in good another circumstance transpired which caused a ripple of excitement for a short time at the close of our first days meetings lin in the night for they loved darkness their deeds being evil came some persons who are at present unknown and tore down two doors of the hall where we held conference and carried away and broke up the steps leading into the place at this point of their proceedings they desisted resisted des isted from further mischief if they had any thoughts of this stopping our meetings they must have been sadly disappointed as they continued as previously announced the indignation of the people was aroused at this wanton and malicious act so that I 1 do not think any will be found to acknowledge having had any hand in the depredation at the council of the priesthood elder leigh owing to ill health was honorably released to return home elder parks was also released to return having filled his mission to the acceptance of his brethren we much regret his departure as far as his labors in the field are concerned but hope he may prove as useful at home as he has been here april four missionaries from home arrived bringing in their company sister bennion and child the names of the elders tre are 1 I K wright orrin randall bandall W B grahame and I 1 W A hunter you may be sure that baby ot of brother Benn ions received an ovation tion from elders long absent from loved ones and had to endure the infliction of being kissed by us all which it bore with exemplary grace some of u us i s no doubt felt a little just a little bit of home sickness creeping over us as we took it in our arms after the arrival of the elders we soon completed the pairing of them to their different fields of labor with the following result elders stewart and bandall Rail dall bartholomew and west in buck valley and surrounding country fullmer and holt to wetzel county stevens and brown to potter county elders bigler and grahame hulet and I 1 W D hunter to west virginia A H woolley to long island and elders ed W hunter and I 1 K wright to labor in canada elder returns to michigan and elder bennion has been released as president of theaon ference and will travel accompanied by his wife amongst the saints and friends returning to kansas to close a useful mission begun there near nearly two years ago elder samuel 7 H M stewart has been appointed to succeed him as president of the pennsylvania conference As pleasing a conference as could be wished is closed the time has come to bid each other adieu the farewell hymn is jiing sung the parting grasp r is 9 given iven and two by two the elders rs wend their ways to labor in the th e vineyard sorrowing at parting from each other but looking hopefully forward to the time when they shall part no more invoking the blessing of god on those who have ministered so ungrudgingly and abundantly to our wants while here and trusting they may come to a knowledge of the truth is the unceasing prayer of those who partook of their h osip tall i ty in which we have no doubt all saints at home and abroad will join by a hearty amen A H WOOLLEY clerk of conference BUCK VALLEY fulton county penn april 1889 |