| Show SONE NONE OF THE WORK IN III VAIN A common observation of elders in the missionary field DrO preaching toe the gospel goepel is ie i the he general indifference presented by so BO many professing christians to the necessity of conford conforming aing to those rules which the lard hab indicated as leading lo in the road to salvation there appears to be a popular impression ioa that were mere mental assent to the leading idea of christianity without active application of all its principles in detail to human conduct condu otille is all that is 18 required to secure salvation in the hereafter hence bence oftentimes individual dt vidual elders of the church of jesus christ of latter day salata saints who proclaim the real and applied christianity note events of a discouraging cou raging nature in ia the comparatively ively few that listen to their testimony and give heed to the gopel go pel pei ines sage in the aggregate however the ibe results of gospel teachings in the various nations 1 is of a most eneo encourage urae ing character oter nd evince a remarkable progress towards to ward a the great cot summation of the lord lorda a purposes in enese times referred to in prophecy as the latter days when the hil fullness mildoss DOSS of the gentiles shall be ushered in and the tl nedom of christ be established on earth arth those aggregate results as aa noted doted in a general church capacity are them solve aives conclusive proof of the fac teat none of a faithful elder aldere work is lo in vain vaid no m maur matr how bow slight alight big action god the little AN a messenger ot ol 71 things which he be per performs forma in this capacity although to his hia immediate knowledge they bear no DO fruits in time often acome mos potent lor for duine duina good an AH nit n t a le falls to the ground unobserved toy b the great creator so go not one act ot of fita servanda ser vanta in spreading the gospel news in ia unavailing in his providence as a means of HIS hia purposes poses incidents illustrating this art ar odis covered to be ID numerable innumerable when inquiry i is instituted A remark on gospel frutie a testimony borne under apparently forbid forbidding dim circumstances or ev n trae dropping of a gospel tract by a humble eder E dar on his bis rounds 7 to warn the people often ha bai been productive of the most gratifying results reul tB like the scriptural bress brea cast ant upon the w water ater it has baa returned in blessings after many day As aa as ai Instance of this ibis kind illustrating the cheat principle that G d does doea in vain tain not even through the bumb leri of his hie elders who may appear to be by discouraging conil along the following is reproduced from 4 letter recently written by elder A si lund president preal dent of the european Euro pest anis nl aion siou at the t me of writing brother rother 33 lund had just juat concluded a visit to the netherlands mission mio alon presided over by elder A W judd tu the follow lair is an extract from elder luodo ve letter in theL the evening elder pieper who labors labo re in belgium arrived this young anan speaks tour lour languages fluently ula enables him to labor in all parts ot of as several languages are spoken there re he gave an inheres interesting ting account of a visit which he had lately made to charleroi charleroy Char leroi a belgian city some limo lime 4 D a gentleman living there while on a to 10 london england met one of our elders who gave ve him the little pamphlet written by rider elder james H andersen derson the athe latter day saints he took it with him home and out of curiosity oat down and read it through tigh what he abad gave a now new direction to bi bis tb thoughts though belonging to a family well w U known in the history of prance france and living in a catholic country he is a zeal n protestant the little book made a deep impression on him A stream of light on the prineo principles lea of the gospel aa oded bis big mind re he became anxious to 40 see aee a mormon rider elder but could not aearl the address of one he therefore directed a letter to president woodruff asking lor for more information and express ang a desire to isee bee some of the elders uhe leter le ter was sent rent to the liverpool office and then forwarded to elder judd with the suggestion that elder eider pieper V ilav a visit to io the writer when brother pieper arrived at char leroi he was met by a gen leman who was very anxious to be informed con berng the he filth of the latter day Saint Band he listened eagerly to brother explanations plan adious ot the gospel he introduced elder pieper to io his acquaint anew ancee as his friend a mormon mi slon sion ary and also informed them that he was investigating the doctrines of the latter day saints among others lie he introduced reduced in him to the pastor of the protestant extant church there when the lat 0 ter heard the name mormon it almost froze the benignant emile upon his lace face and he immediately excused himself saying he had not time to ower into conversation verea tion with them before elder pieper left Char charleroy charleroi leroi the gentleman whom he was visiting requested to be baptized brother pieper adgit advised ed himko him 40 take more time and to stady our works thoroughly at the same time telling him that thai the price of receiving the gospel would be the i ame iame now as in the days of the savior it might cost coat him the loss lose of his big friends and even draw upon him much persecution elder pieper saw that he be had a large circle of acquaintances who esteem him highly he has since then received a leiter from him requesting elder pieper to meet him at ai brussels for the purpose of baptizing him he state t that thai be has received a testimony of the truth of this work I 1 enjoyed reading his letter every line seemed to breathe the thankful thankfulness Dess he felt to god for having shown him axe the saving light of the oos pet pel I 1 have dwelt somewhat lengthily on this tor for the purpose rf cf encouraging our eiders in their work of distributing tracts they see only small results froni from this labor but they do not know what the bract may do aich which they leave among the people the elder in london who handed banded the gentleman referred to this tract in not able to single out the particular CUlar ao ac from so many similar one and yet on that occasion he became the instrument in the hand ot of god to bring a soul to the he knowledge of the tr truth uth while the elder may not know wha hits hia worn has done or is is doing a strict record is kep and the feith faithful ful worker will not lose his reward |
