Show THE NEW ZEALAND MISSION opposition TO THE WORK IN THAT FAR off LAND INTEGRITY OF TUB THE THE SPIRIT OF GATHERING through the kindness of apostle E F D richards Eich ards we are permitted to make the following interesting extracts from fro ill a letter recently received by him from his sou son E r F Richarda who to is laboring s as a missionary among amona the mabries in new zealand you speak of the persecutions the saints are passing through at home and so many of the brethren suffering lines fines and imprisonment just they are striving to serve the lord it seems hard but still I 1 believe the lord I 1 suffers e rs tit for our own on good and I 1 also think that those who are ard lying in dungeons are adding stars to their crown of glory it has beening been my lot 81 since nce out here to be arraigned before a large assembly of bitter enemies I 1 was aca accompanied compa nied by about sixty of thie the saints and after we had listened for several hours to all manner of tongued abuse without halt a chance to answer back the names ot of the saints were called oft off one at a time and they made to choose between mormonism with threats of imprisonment and leathand deat hand the Church of england how gratifying it was to me to near hear all of the little flock except about three choose the former almost without hesitation when I 1 saw those poor half civilized natives so determined with the limited experience they had in the gospel I 1 felt that though my life was also threatened I 1 would be willing to stay with them even unto death if it were necessary essaiy I 1 got off easier than ihan some of them did for no one laid hands ou on me ine but one of our young brethren received a few blows from his father and ayoung sister received a whipping from her hubaud huband auti because they would not consent to leave the church well after seeing such integrity in a few poor natives it seems harg hard to hear that we have men among us at home who after going through the house of the lord and receiving higher blessings blessing s have hav e not stamina enough in them t to 0 fa face ce 9 a zane a yet thank the lord they are comparatively few my health has been good of late and I 1 have enjoyed my labors labor svery very much having had the privilege of assisting in adding thirty souls since I 1 last wrote to you the work is also progressing nicely in other parts of the island Our annual conference will come off the fore part of march next I 1 we are having the drnest season thus far ever known in new zealand the grass is most all burnt up and many springs have gone dry so that stock are suffering considerably in these p parts a arts there will also be a very avery light harvest this year A great amount of damage has been done in diff different event parts of the by fires that have g got 0 t started and become uncontrollable on account of everything dry the spirit of the gather gathering ilig is in ing considerably upon some of the wf ny fifee tives more especially among the leading chiefs chiefs they are beginning to get hold of such passages as isaiah 2 25 2 5 and prying into the meaning of them dying A goo good many of them are also making inquiry as to what can be done for their ancestors that have never heard the true gospel ond and the feeling that seems to be fast growing on them will I 1 think cause a company of them to emigrate soon |