| Show LETTER FROM AUSTRALIA the following letter from sunny australia is aa addressed dressed to the president and members of the aoth quorum of seventies is kindly furnished the NEWS for publication it is with feelings of great respect that I 1 enjoy the privilege of giving you a short account of our missionary work in this beautiful country and my travels since I 1 left our dear mountain home the brightest spot on the face of this fair earth on the of august 1893 in ID company with elders johnson and brimley I 1 left salt lake city arriving in san ban francisco safely we spent soot three days in taking in the sights and scones scenes of that great and beautiful city oo on the irth we boarded the old Mon owai here we e met three more elders we passed through golden gate about 5 and mounted the waves of the great pacific and took a farewell look of our dear america i the land of the free and the brave the weather soon became foggy and we did not see me the sun for about three days everything was pleasant the officers were gentlemen the crew polite the caf lively the water smooth and the ship perfect we had concerts and con tests teats tor for prizes primes and the elders were in the front for both i we arrived in honolulu august lo re loam a am m we met brother fishr fisher ofu afu ot utah tah anda and num number berj of our native brethren and sisters all were glad to see glee us and made us welcome they took us to see their nice little meeting house and the sights of their flowery city this can wiell well be called the garden of the pacifica for it is i a paradise on the water we left two ot of pur our brethren h here breand and set sail pail at two p in the voyage con cole tinned to be very smooth and pleasant wo we arrived in apia abia september first at ten a achere am m here we meta met a num number berol ot our brethren who were performing miss missions ionson on these islands they looked fine and a credit to our people we took on large quantities ot of tropical fruit saw the wrecks of the old war vessels lentone left one of our brethren here and set sail again at two p m all went well and we arrived in auckland september seventh at nine a m we stayed here a few hours and then I 1 bid brother johnson and young good we bye and turned my face toward aus aralia the last one left of our company I 1 arrived in sidney september zith nth at nine a m a stranger in a strange land I 1 left sydney september irth at six p m on the S S barcoo for brisbane I 1 labored with elder burton here hereabout about three months and was called back to sydney to meet a company of elders s from this company elders ellis P pond and mrs pond went to tasmania elder bodily went to brisbane and eldar G W lewis and I 1 set sail for melbourne arriving here on OH christmas eve in in a rovil pouring rain rain prom from herece here we sailed to portland traveled tra viled back in the country about ane one hundred miles visited what few saints there are here who are very anxious to get to utah nm from hire here we went back to melbourne and commenced our labors by holding meetings in sister browns browa house in foots cray and tract ing south melbourne the people took our tracts and were in a good many instances glad to see us and they said they thought we were right we have good prospects for doing some baptizing but our labors were soon curtailed lor for the want of more tracts president gardner requested me to come back to sydney and meet a company of elders and help them continue their journey I 1 had always had a great desire to open up the gospel in sydney knowing that my father and mother received the light of truth and went down into the waters of baptism there and through this baptism stands that great organ in the west end of our beautiful tabernacle chiming out anthems of praise to our father in heaven and filling the hearts of thousands of faithful latter day saints with joy and gratitude for the goodness of f god toward them and it will forever stand a golden monument to the honor of josepa josepn H ridges in my travels through australia I 1 find the people anxious to receive the truth but they have been priest ridden so long and so well schooled in trash like works that it takes time and labor to show them who has the truth and what it is isi there are thousands of people here t that hat never heard the name latter day saints nor knew that they taught the gospel of jeans e 8 u christ ichrist in its power and purity as it was taught by our lord and savior there are hundreds of cities in hi australia that never heard the voice nor saw the footprint foot print orist of a man holding the holy priesthood so you see what there is to do and I 1 think there are bright days in ia the near future for this fair land there are four millions of people here and eight elders to preach the gospel to them I 1 hope the dimeis time is close at hand when apis this will be a mission to itself including n tasmania with one of our leao lead ing bre brethren tAren as president and two hun dred ed missionaries at his command it is a splendid country for young men with mith their wives for in many instances they could preach the gospel better bettea than we can it is a good climate tor komeh they all say they have haive much better health here th than an in the old country the rent of good houses is very low provisions are v very cheap a i two ery pound loaf of bread 2 ad good steak zd pound pine apples ad each bananas ad dozen grapes ip id pound oranges id a dozen sugar is it cwt cat and the best of bf clothing tor for men and women for half the price they are in salt lake city these are retail prices the schools here are crowded with beautiful children which speaks volumn for the people this country is full of good men and women and eager to receive the truth but their minds are so bitterly poisoned and full of prejudice through that it will take the spirit and powes ot of god to convince them that the gospel is is i restored to the earth through the prophet joseph smith this power rests with the priesthood of god and where ever they go it is felt and I 1 am sure with their united efforts they can burst the bands of religious tyranny and bring down down the light of the new and everlasting covenant of the gos gospel e I 1 4 of f jesus chr christ tt upon this fair lant land therefore said he uitto them the harvest truly is ireae great but tha laborers are ae lew few pray ye therefore the lord of the harvest that he would send forth laborers into his harvest this country has the greatest religious freedom life and pro property are protect edwith a rigid law we and find some people here that have beard the gospel in the old country and have read the book of mormon we lound found one man that had a book of mormon first edition with joseph smiths hand writing in it we could not buy it of him we alro find some whose parents belonged to the church it if may be interesting to our brethren who have labored in australia and borne the heat and burden oi of the day and have many times been dis heartened and discouraged because they could see no results from their efforts to know that their labors have been like bread cast upon the waters seen and taken up after many days and that ten persons have accepted the truth and been led down into tho the waters of baptism in brisbane we have a splendid time tr trading acting the people in most instances are glad to read our church works little do we know when we are tr trading acting from house to house and with reluctance and fear walk through these beautiful parks filled with every flower that th grows under neath the dunand would put your golden gate park in the shade and with hesitating hand touch the electric bell on od the door of a fine man mansion whom we are going to meet for we are often asked to call on them again and teach them the gospel yesterday aday sunday we dined with captain gipps nominee for parliament and were invited to come to his house whenever we wished we blessed and named a fine baby and have two more to bless find and prospects for baptisms are very favorable the pria principal cibat way we can call preach the gospel to this people and remove the prejudice from their hearts is to live among and associate with them and show them that we are in every way their peers so you see an elder with his family would have a splendid appon eunity in this way the elders eiders should load themselves down with church works and tracts and dont bring cloth cioth ing to this thi s country such as spencers letters orson pratts works Roberts 8 last edition of the gospel voice of warning the little latter day saints etc the city of the saints is the aest book the elders has to introduce himself with but it should be enlarged more history of the church more views more photos of the priesthood good bye brethren god bless you ally all your brother in the gospel of peace A J RIDGES |
