| Show DOWN IN mississippi SHIRRY SHIREY new newton ton county mississippi january ath 1897 I 1 left my home in deseret millard county utah june 1895 and have labored since in various parts of the state W N eyre my companion arrived in newton mississippi on october irth 1896 As we were urged by elder F T pomeroy our president to hold as many meetings as possible among the people we started out resolved in our minds to let none of the grass of idleness grow under our feet while the lord gave us strength to work at first our efforts brought us but two meetings per week the three then five and six we are still striving to climb the ladder of progress many of our meetings are held in school houses and some in private dwellings where we happen to be stopping many are the invitations we receive to return and hold meetings where we have been entertained this country was considered the bitterest we have opened inthe in the state but by determined effort blessed by the spirit of the lord we have succeeded n allaying much of the prejudice last saturday we entered the small city of hickory containing a population of about we first asked consent of the mayor to canvass the town it was r reely ee ay div given e n we W e then called on the leadin leading me men making friends of the them M a and nd I 1 holding boldin g as many gospel conversations as we could we met with no OPP opposition position ion As there was no objection on the part 61 oi A our christian friends we secured their church and had not the rain and wind interfered we would have held a rousing meeting we called at the best hotel in town told the proprietor our mission and what our mode oi 0 travel was without purse or scrip he kindly invited us us in and made us very welcome we called on the shoemaker for repairs this was furnished free voluntarily the next day sunday was so stor stormy in we could hold no meetings but conmy monday opened up bright and lovely our appointment for monday night was cincu though few our hearers were interested te rested we distributed among them the voice of warning and tracts the people in the south are most hospitable and kind it is a pleasure to work among them the lord is opening up tip the wayen abling us to preach the gospel without purse parse or scrip we feel much better and are meeting with much greater success since we have striven to carry out the spirit of instructions on this point we are prepared to testify that in the south elders can travel and preach the gospel depending upon the lord lor for all things as the apostles ot of old did we wish the young elders at home could appreciate their positions and prepare for missions such as this for we know it is a school of development ot of experience and spiritual learning and ot of incalculable value to us as latter day saints W G PALMIER PALMER W N EYRIE |
