Show MIDDLE TENNESSEE conference county cheap hill may 2nd and 1896 the reports of the elders in different parts of the world which are to be read in your columns have somewhat stimulated me to drop you a few lines from here I 1 think we have here some of the best of Tennes sees people they have shown us great courtesy and opened their church or school houses in nearly every neighborhood we have visited since since our arrival here last september thereby showing that they were willing to h ar and as many are not church members and most ot of the people are pretty free thinkers the result is there are many sincerely inquiring after the truth we now have books with them that they may acquaint themselves with the message we have to bear to this generation on the aoth of january we had bad the happy privilege of being visited by our worthy president 0 M sau deison during his stay which was a very pleasant one we held nine meetings at four different places two at three oi of the places and three at the other one good crowds attended when the weather was favorable enough to permit but on account of rain some were not so well attended after spending till the ath of february with us elder left for houston county where he anticipated meeting with some of the other elders in their fields of labor since my arrival in this state I 1 can see that the long held prejudices are passing away like the dew before the summer sun and the deep rooted sensational and erroneous stories stones which have been long harped upon are now kept more quiet they have learned that in spite of all these things zion still is prospering we frequently tell them that star in the flag will eer long show herself among the brightest in our union of states let her arise and shine until her glory fills the earth and lit hir r people become known in all the world for their industry honesty and fidelity we now can labor among the people with more pleasure and better results in getting the gospel belore before them than we could two years ago there seems to be a greater desire to understand us and our teachings and our manner of living all this we take advantage of and at ai every opportunity bring people into conversation and bring brn g before their mind the fact that the gospel 0 e has made us what we are today they have been taught so long that any of the creeds or denominations nominations cit will bring the promised salvation salv ution that many never think it worth while to investigate to see what they are teaching but only join the one nearest by and most convenient to them we are trying to impress upon their minds that the truth only will make men free and that the gospel only will bring us a salvation in the kingdom of god yet we find those who think that sincerity in the wrong will be right with god we must give the people great credit for being hospitable and charitable and being in most sections willing now to hear the other side of a strange story they can see that to judge a people by the say so of their enemies is manifestly unjust yet a few are still willing to do so my companion oley C oleson arria ed here the of january he is getting along nicely the mild winter has agreed wi biti us your valuable paper is a welcome visitor which after reading we hanato hand to friends who ho peruse its columns with pleasure JONATHAN H HALE HALB |