Show TRAVELING IN IOWA OSKALOOSA mahaska co iowa february 2 1897 having read reports from many el dogs io in the missionary field I 1 thought that a 41 few lines from one of the number la in this part of the work might be accey table X J left my home in Or derville kane county utah february aoth 1895 having been called to preach the gospel and minister administer in the ordinances thereof alter visiting relatives and friends in northern utah I 1 left salt lake city march jtb 1895 and in company with nine other elders we arrived at council bluffs iowa march ath where we met cither ather elders who had assembled there AW for conference after enjoying one of the best spiritual feasts that I 1 ever witnessed I 1 was appointed to klabc r in burt county nebraska in connection with elder it L mcmullin of heber city utah we labored there six months traveling without money and before leaving that country we had bad the privilege of leading two honest souls through the door ot of baptism to the true fold after our tail fall conference which was held abeld in november ol of the same year at council bluffs iowa I 1 was appointed to the same field of labor with brother G A whitlock of mayfield utah as my companion after humbling ourselves before the lord in fasting mind and prayer he opened the way for us to get a place where we could leave our I 1 luggage and a place to stay then we alt started arted a house to house canvass canvas sp giving tracts through both town and country holding meetings and making friends the lord so opened the way that we had a splendid place to stop at mr john robinsons whose wife belonged to our church and did all that she could to make us comfortable too much cannot be said of the saints in burt county among whom are sister edgington and her husband james edgington although mr edgington does not belong to the church he does all that he can tor for the elders both in giving shelter and getting places for meetings we labored until march 1896 when we went to independence missouri to conference while there we ve visited the temple tempe block from there I 1 was appointed toja to bloch labor in tama county iowa in connect connection with ith my first companion elder mcmullin we labored together until he went east to visit relatives and brother isaac coon of Riter Utah came as my next companion while at towne city our conference president otto johnson visited us and held some meetings after which brother daniel J mcrae of granger utah and myself were appointed to travel together which we did until our november conference which met at hampton franklin county iowa where we met and enjoyed ourselves as only true servants of oi the lord can all left with a determination to do our duty and to keep the requirements made ot of him by traveling without purse or scrip elder james D coon jr of riter utah and myself were appointed to labor together at Knoxville Marion county iowa where we arrived late on the evening of the irth of november having only ten cents we went to a hotel told the proprietor our business and bow we were traveling and he gave us a good bed and breakfast after getting a place to leave our valises we saw the mayor of the city told him what we w were ere intending to do and he gave us permission to give tracts and hold meetings after invoking the blessings of the lord on those with him we were to labor and dedicating our field and ourselves into his hand we went to calling upon the people not forgetting to tell them how we were traveling and staying with all who would give us lodging I 1 can say that we were treated well by both rich and poor although we did not get to hold any meetings yet we feel eel that we did a good work there and hope that the fruits of our labors may be gathered when they ripen from knoxville we visited and held meetings in other small towns in the country among which was pella a holland dutch town and although we were not treated very well by the ministers yet we made many friends and disposed of a good many voice of warnings althou although b one oi of the papers stated that we would would not be over laden with this worlds good yet the people received us well and we had enough money given us so that it almost for our tracts and our fare to where we wf were re appointed to labor by our conference president when we first arrived here we went to the birdsell hotel the finest in the city of about inhabitants and as we always did called upon the news papers and the mayor although our tracts had to be inspected before we went to work but they will stand that we are doing all that we can to get the gospel before the people we find that this is the only get it to them we have been here over two weeks and have been truly blessed with shelter food and friends we have indeed found out that the lord will fulfill all of his promises if we will only exercise faith in him we try to explain the first principle of q the gospel to the people and keep out of mysteries that they or we do not understand and in doing so we find that we are able to cope with all ail who try to re lute our teachings our faith is strengthened every day by the blessings showered upon us and which sometimes makes us weep for joy JAMRs IAMBS D COON MYRON A HOLGATE |