Show IN THE LONE STAR STATE LOCKHART texas july 15 tb 1896 in compliance with the request for deiders occasionally to send some of their missionary experience we submit IR the following the latter part of april and the first of may elder D C hess and your humble servant we were re visiting saints and friends in fannin and hunt counties who seemingly could not do enough for t 1 W us as we were unable to travel much because of illness after receiving in increased 4 faith and renewed energies with encouragement from saints and frien friends Js we went to greenville to take train for hopkins county to work the aty ot of sulphur springs but received word not to come until a week later to employ amplo text ourselves until the appointed time next morning we started for the county line eleven miles away where we had bad bien been granted the privilege of holding meeting we had gone only about seven miles when my companion was taken with a severe headache we sought a shady spot under a giant oak tree upon a car green grass we lay our aching heads beads trying to protect ourselves from the suffocating heat hea and waiting til the h e eting of day should hide hia burning rays behind the western horizon vv ve e appealed 1 p healed to the lord to give us health and strength and his holy spirit to guard and protect us through the night aben then taking up our line ol of march we arrived ata at a friends friend who greeted us with a kindly welcome after partaking of their hospitality and h having abing a conversa con lofa sidn on the gospel we retired to rest iest 1 we left our host next morning with an invitation to call again our destination iwas was soon reacted re and we were in forming the people we would hold a series of six meetings on entering the house use of one D D herless Hor less we intro r deuced ourselves and were invited to stay until after dinner it then being early in ti the e forenoon the heat having such an effect on my partner he stayed with our friend while I 1 finished canvassing the neighborhood we had a nice crowd out to hear us with the exception of some few who wanted to make us a present of a mess of eggs and run us out I 1 i meeting was soon opened and all fear vanished counting that god was able to protect us while ner performing forming our labors just as we were interested in in explaining the principles of the gospel three or four shots were fired from the outside but the spirit ot of god wafted wafred a peaceful influence over the audience and order reigned supreme although satan was raging he had not power to disturb our meeting we returned home with mr corless Ho riess where we stayed most of the time while in the vicinity our meetings were well attended and went off in peace though threaten ings came daily sunday we had bad two me meetings eLings appointed one at 4 and the other at 8 p m friends called callea in to talk with us in the morning but shortly 1 I was confined to my bed with chills and fever time came to fill our oui appointment I 1 I in bed with a raging fever and my companion a new inexperienced elder the responsibility was too great for him what could we do nol to be there would disappoint the people some ot of whom had conie come seven or eight miles we asked our heavenly father to give us strength to perform our duties that we might rid our skirts of this blood ol of this generation our prayers were answered and rising from my bed we went and preached t to an audience ot of interested listeners we ve asked if there was anything to interfere with our meeting that night and no opposition was raised so we appointed another meeting after partaking of the necessaries of life with alfriend hard by we returned finding the people gathering As we apar the house bouse a large crowd was standing in front of the door and the house was partly filled the stand was occupied by three or four men on seeing abs tbs my companion asked who ho the bald headed gentleman was sitting up there we were informed he was parson day a methodist preacher we thought he had come out but to hear us before we left he had been stirring the people up against us on entering we were followed by the crowd taking seats by the reverend gentleman we bade him good evening but received no reply benow suspected something and being desirous to have it come to a point we took look our our books tut out si showing we meant business the parson urged one of his subjects who arose and said 11 brothers and sisters we as a church have the first right to this house and we are going to have prayer meeting here bere tonight and if these mormons cormons want kanmo to preach they will have to 10 wait till we get through 11 elder hess arose and said we big beg your pardon we did not know we were intruding as we asked it if there was anything g to interfere with our meeting tonight and the trustees gave us the right to use the house but if you have a standing appointment as you claim we do not wish to interfere for we did not come out here to tear down systems and doctrines of ieli religions gions we dont do business in that way at this point our friend corless arose from the audience and in iii the presence of the preacher said brothers and sisters most of these people have come out to hear these mormon elders now if this schoolhouse is turned into a methodist church to prevent these men from preaching I 1 have got a house and my doors are always open to those who preach the gospel ot of christ and with a wave of his hand he said I 1 all you who want to hear them preach follow 21 me the crowd was soon found seated on charies cha beds spring seats and boards under the roof ot of our friends dwelling the prayer meeting dwindled to seven or eight while our room was filled to overflowing and aad many were compelled to stay stav out and listen through the windows and doors an hour and a quarter soon passed away and we parted with friendly hand shaking and success and good luck to us from our fri friends enas thus it seems when we we are nearing the point of defeat we are reaching the place of triumph next morning our friends bade us good bye with tears in their eyes and we gave a promise to correspond with them in the future we had not gone far when we retired to the woods for i prayer satan once more rallied his forces to defeat us and as we commenced to dedicate the people to the I 1 lord having done all that we could for them the powers of darkness seized me and my speech was shut oft off my breath being nearly stop stopped peo I 1 tried to look at my companion out could sed see but a pillar of darkness blacker than anything I 1 had bad ever before experienced I 1 was then hurled helpless to the ground my companion compani orf rebuked the power of bf the destroyer and I 1 arose feeling as well as ever we then went on our way wax rejoicing M 0 MINER |