| Show NEWS FROM AFAR from afar gracious lord thou gather thy flock from the shores of the ocean Ho how woften often the saints hearts bave been cheered by the singing of this beautiful anthem in our tabernacle by Z oud ond sweet song songe eten how low few there are however who fully comprehend the significance of the words or realize how fully they apply to the work of the lord in the latter days daye while contemplation this subject we take a retrospective view of the past our thoughts wander back again we re cross the broad pacific and visit the tropical of queensland where tor for many y years ears a tow lew of our elders have been laboring ing the truths of the everlasting gordel goepel we remember standing upon the shores of the ocean our faces turned eastward and watching the first fruits ot of the queensland mission plunged beneath the me surging waves immersed for the remission of their sins sine by an authorized servant of god subsequently on a bright sabbath morning abona 5 ov elock a little company wend their way to the brisbane river and from its placid waters come forth another band oi of t regenerated souls thus adding to the told fold of christ we can almost bear the songs ot of rejoicing yet though eighteen months nave passed away since then it kiy be interesting to note how bow this phorious pl Rl orious work was accomplished years of earnest lator lavor bad baa neen spent tracts had been distributed houses were visited etc but a most important factor was our own sunday school the little ones were gathered in and sabbath after sabbath Sabba tb leagons were t aught by the elders and who shall say that these dear children did not carry the simple message and the spirit of the gospel to their homed W nen toe the writer first visited the sunday school in queensland about thirty ticho lars were in attendance all non mormons cormons Mor mons since october Oo toDer 1894 the work has baa progressed progreso ed rapidly the above thoughts were suggested by interesting letters just juet received from frem elders eldera daniel M livingston lvingston Ij ana william F armstrong both of this city anuw laboring in that conference coo ference the abe lormor Is a son of mr air charles charlee ono one of our officers latter to Is son of our esteemed ex mayor hon francis armstrong A few items from their letters w will III bonab e the readers of the NEWS to understand how the L lord rd in ia blowing blessing these faith faithful tul young meo men elder livingston waltee Ic although not feeling well of late I 1 nave have had bad much cause to rejoice on january we had bad the privilege of administering the sacred rite ol of baptism unto fourteen good honest leaned souls we baptized them in ID the brisbane river near the cemetery where we also aleo baptized a company whan you were here bete the sacred ordinance was like previous ones once with a rich outpour outpouring lug of the of ao goy we blessed five children at our confirmation meeting in the eveni evening ag thus adding nineteen souls as a corn com men cement for the new year certainly god to is with us and crowning our labors with success paul may sowa sow apollon way may water but god the increase 9 all our new members seem to lave bave entered into the work in the right spirit I 1 wish you could have attended our testimony meeting this month it II would haye haya done the heart of any latter day saint good gooce to have listened to the new saints as well as the abe old ones idear dear powerful testimonies monlee to the truthfulness of the gospel dospel message the attendance at our meetings has wonderfully increased the large jarge hall is pretty well filled every sunday night and there is a lively interest being taken in the message we bear our sunday school has increased creased lo so that our room will not hold bold it we have now seventy four scholars enrolled and have been compelled to secure a larger room for our classes and for sacrament meetings vil elder armstrong writes after referring to the recent baptisms etc igwe I we are all so happy but this is not all we have five more applications for baptism next saturday 8 13 there if are re a few naoye mote here who are not afraid to live godly in christ jesus Jesu seven even it if they do have to suffer buffer persecution this is indeed a time of rejoicing we have sown the seed aged we have seen it take root and now we are reaping the harvest god is truly blessing our labor labom elder argyle and I 1 are now located at west end a suburb of brisbane about three milel mile from the Coor paroo branch and we are opening up a now new field it seems as an though there are people in the locality waiting for the gospel and the circumstances cum stances connected with our locating there to is another strong testimony that thai god to la with us and overruling everything for the best the people are very kind and hospitable al thong almost strangers nearly every oay some kind friend will bring us a nicely cooked dinner I 1 am enjoying my labors and my greatest de sire is like paul paula a Epho vl vi 19 20 land and for me that utterance musy may be given unto me that I 1 may open my mouth boldly to make known the mystery of the gospel for which I 1 am an ambassador amba esador in bonds that therein I 1 way may speak boldly as I 1 ought to speak PP P P these are encouraging words from the antipodes surely the lord has commenced ifa a marvellous marcellous marv ellous work amongst the people 11 how few of ziona elders today are bussed with huab experiences experienc ep so as those referred to above in these days of gleaning low few can say may with elder armstrong bews we have sown bown the seed we have seen it take root and now we are reaping tho the harvest may god continue to blew bless the boys boye the mail that brought this good news also conveyed the sad ad intelligence of a tearful fearful calastro cat catastrophe astro P be seea been from the summit of one of the bills la in the vicinity the beautiful brisbane river appears like a winding tb thread re a d of silver the sunlight glancing from its placid surface and many pleasure boats and terry ferry steamers are continually flitting in all directions the great city is divided into north bria bane and south brisbane by this national dividing line recent storms storme alarmed the inhabitants and instead of a placid stream a surging eur gioe roaring and death dealing flood rubbed through the city low lying districts were submerged debris from the upper country was carried along and lodged against the pillars of the bridge uniting the two sections of the city endangered the massive structure all traffic was suspended eus across the bridge and passengers crossed the boiling torrent in ferry about 5 pm february the pearl pear a ferry steamer started with a load ot of passengers from the north side eide and in midstream suddenly capsized plunging its hapless passengers into ibe treacherous surging stream about 40 souls are supposed to be lost elder W F armstr ng crossed the stream in the ill fated vessel teasel about an hour before the dreadful calamity oc occurred currea on january and february esth two memorable events were witnessed from the banks of brisbane river on the former occasion a number of faithful believers passed from death unto lafe came forth from the stream unto Iloe newness of life in christ jesus jap born of the water and of the spirit on the lost last occa occasion gion the hapless victims were plunged beneath the waters vaters and hurled burled suddenly into eternity etero ity a bereaved and sorrowing community mourning over their sad fate australia to is indeed suffering from froin many drought intense heat floods and earthquakes are prevalent la 16 the land bod grant that the hearts of the people may be softened that they may receive the testimonies of the he ambassadors of christ I 1 phenix SALT LAKE CITY march 24 1896 |
