| Show IN THE NORTHERN STATES wednesday we had the pleasure of elder joshua S dark clark of thoele tooele county who has been president of the northern states mission for some time and is now released from his bis labors in that section of the country he arrived in this city tuesday on his way hither the train he was on was delayed nine hours in in kansas at junction in that state the trouble was caused by a big washout during the rainstorm there on sunday the rain came down in a perfect cloudburst J and a swale across the country about quarter of a mile wide had with an hour ten feet of water in it then washing away about a hundred yards of railway track the flood subsided almost as rapidly as it arose and the pas cal came me along to a NEWS representative senti senta tive elder clark said owing to the protracted illness of my wife I 1 have been released from the presidency of the northern states mission and on od retiring from the responsible position I 1 feel impressed to say a little concerning my labors and those of the elders over over whom I 1 was called to preside early in the month of january 1805 I 1 was called to preside over the mission elder D F stout whom I 1 succeeded had been compelled to retire on account of sickness he had outlined a work that I 1 have no doubt would have resu resulted cited in great good to the mission it he had been permitted to carry it out I 1 took up the work where he left it oft off and by the help of the lord and the valuable assistance of the elders our numbers increased from thirty six to ninety four which is a strong evidence that the spirit of the lord is working with the people in some of the old fields elds where the gospel has been preached at intervals for the last forty years and it was thought that they were ready to close up today sorn some e of these fields are the best in the mission the seeds ortruth of truth that were sown many years ago have bein been lying in dry and parched soil waiting for a repetition of the gospel shower to moisten the soil and the noble spas of god are today enjoying the great privilege ot of reaping the harvest in other places where no nuggets of truth ever have been strewn the humble servants of god are gathering sheaves and the great cloud of pre prejudice judice that has enveloped the minds of the people is being scattered by the brilliant rays of the gospel even the most prejudiced are led to exclaim after hearing the elders explain them so simply Is that mormonism you mormons cormons preach bible doctrine we never hear that kind of doctrine from our ministers they tell us that the bible is not to be understood but you mormons cormons ma make yit it so plain that anybody can un understand derstad it such expressions are common and while the crop of souls that is being gathered in our mission is nothing near as great as we would like yet we feel that great good is being done much good seed is being sown 1 and avast amount of prejudice is being removed and our true position is being better understood As a rule the elders are treated with the greatest respect and many letters of inquiry come in asking about the doctrines of the latter day ay saints and asking that elders in may a y be sent verila verily the harvest is great but the laborers are few A marked change has come over the people in the last eighteen months in many malay instances the interest that is mani tested to hear the elders expound the principles of the gospel is very gratifying indeed another grand feature of the work is that the spirit of persecution that prevailed to a great extent a few years ago in in many parts of the earth shows itself but little today were it it not for the soap bubble doctrines that the people have been aradi tiona ted in for centuries by the learned divines of christendom many more than do now would embrace the gospel I 1 feel to say that the time is near at hand when the proud and haughty will be humbled for the judgements judge ments of god have commenced the time is near when the frothy doctrines of men and the man made systems systems of religions will be scattered by the shafts of truth like mists before the morning sun the apostle paul could not have painted a truer picture of the condition of the people of today had bad he been living at this time than he did in his second epistle to timothy third chapter paul drew a true picture of the last days also in the fourth chapter and third verse while traveling in the east recently I 1 was told that the inhabitants of a small town thought that they would like to have a ct certain ertain eloquent divine come and preach them a sermon he was asked to do so and replied that he would come if they would insure him the they y tried to raise the amount but could not and the result was that they were deprived the privilege of hearing the learned learn ed doctor this is not the only case but will serve to show how that many preach for hire and divine for money 1 I have enjoyed my labors extremely well and consider that I 1 have been highly favored of the lord to be permitted to labor in such a worthy cause and to have the honor of presiding over such a band of loyal servants of the lord in taking leave of them I 1 do so al with regret mylove my love for them and the work in which we sire are engaged cannot be expressed in words and whatever good has or may mav result from my labors while presiding over them I 1 give the lord the seand the elders eiders my most heartfelt thanks I 1 know that I 1 have had their faith and prayers and my associations with them have ripened into an affection that I 1 hope will not only last throughout time but in eternity the presidents of the conferences have worked with a zeal that is praiseworthy in the highest degree elder samuel G spencer has been appointed appointed to preside over the mission an and with his knowledge of the gospel and experience in the missionary work I 1 am satisfied that the northern states mission will continue to prosper |
