| Show ELDERS IN WEST VIR virginia GIrdA nicholas county ty west virginia may 3 1893 for some time peat we have been to ID nicholas and webster counties promulgating gospel truths and as aa in all other places we find but lew few who will take pain sto investigate vesti gate our wes lessage sage with few ex we w obtain the use of the school houses but churches are almost invariably denied wa ua we are sometimes accused of not preaching our doc doctrine when they hear bear us ua teach faith in jesus jeaba christ repentance rom from sid ain for the remission of sins aim and laying qu on of f hands handa for the gift of the holy ghost because use I 1 suppose people see it is in accordance with holy writ and they had concluded that our doctrine was antagonistic to the bible while they see ee these are the fundamental principles ples of the doctrine of christ 12 they are of the opinion that they can leave off one or two of them and still enter at the strait gate As a rule we are treated well we are taken in but on account of prejudice we are sometimes refused admittance it is wonderful to the human eye how after entering a neighborhood and giving out an an appointment the evil one will do ti his 19 work an example that came under my own observation will illustrate we entered a certain village obtained the unanimous consent of the five trustees for the use of the church gave out an appointment for religious services and returned to headquarters very much slated elated by cur success we thought the evil one would not do much until we had held one meeting at least but this was the human conception of it we returned at the appointed time to fulfil fulfill our appointment but imagine our surprise when we found the church looked locked against us the people were terribly agitated some said wr we believed in cne others in something else and in this way they made us out unfit to use the church or any thing else in fact although the building was waa locked providence had ruled that the people should have the privilege of bearing the gospel there wag waa a school house near bychich by which was opened to our use and we went in and had a very good meeting all paying strict attention by request we gave out an appointment for the he corresponding sunday of the next month before leaving we visited several families all of whom said the doctrine waa scriptural we also called on a local preacher who had not attended our meeting and conversed with him a large portion ol of the day HO he read one of our tracts said as is far as he could see the doctrine harmonized with the bible expressed his delight in our having met gave as a hearty invitation to call on him again offered an excuse for not dot attending our services and an apology for his bis probable nonattendance non attendance at our next he had bad an appointment for the same hour he appeared very honest in what he said fair in his bis views and sincere in his bis convictions on our return to fulfil fulfill the appointment we called at the preachers preacher place first no one was at nome buton our turning around we saw some boys coming we conversed convened with them a few minutes when the preachers wife came home bonie and said what are you follows fellows doing here bore we told her we had bad returned to hold bold service according to our word and in response to an invitation from her husband and had bad called here with the expectation of finding him at home she told Us ua her husband had said he be keep us if we returned that we bad put the whole neighborhood in an uproar etc we told her if they want to entertain us we would go elsewhere and withdrew we were taken in by one who had read the book of mormon some and on the following morning sunday a bundle of withes was found at the door bearing a notice of which the following is i a copy we an organized band of white caps do yo mormons cormons by these bundle of you back baa better git out from here and not come back or these withe will be wore out on you go at once remember P S bivour no bar boring bering s bivour was the man with whom we stopped we considered there were too loo many good citizens in the neigh boyhood to allow anything of the kind threatened and so hold held our meeting undisturbed many who had heard us and had become acquainted with us were our friende 1 but the reproach it brought upon them hem t from the others othera was more than some of them could wll well bear those who love the praise of men more than the praise of god seldom provide for our want we left the village peaceably and have not had bad occasion to return since we weibel feel well in our labor and to say eay with paul we are not achamee of the gospel of christ 21 we strive to live as peter said having a good conscience that whereas they speak evil of you as of evil doers they may maj be ashamed that falsely accuse your good conversation in christ yet if any man suffer as a christian let him not be asb ashamed amed but let jet him glorify god on their behalf yours in the cause of truth D A |
