| Show hospitable TREATMENT STAN STANFORD FORD linc lincoln oln co kentucky november Nove moer 3rd ard 1896 having now tr traveled and labored in the blue grass state for twenty months as an ambassador for christ I 1 take pleasure in submitting some ot of my feelings and experiences to the readers of the news trusting they may to some extent comfort the hearts of wives and mothers who have husbands and sons traveling in the sunny south during my labors I 1 have traveled through portions of central and western kentucky but I 1 have labored principally in four counties notwithstanding there is still some prejudice towards the elders and the cause they represent I 1 will venture the assertion that the people of the blue grass state are second to none in kind hospitality I 1 have found many warm friends who would have shared it necessary the last crust they had with a mormon elder who can but say in his heart god bless th enit hundreds of them are good honest hearted people and will in cimeno doubt be brought into the fold ot of christ owing to the slanderous reports and falsehoods that have been carried and scattered broadcast broad cast by satan great mountains of prejudice have arisen before the eyes of the people and blinded them against the truth until it seems almost impossible to touch them but as the marble slab is chiseled and smoothed by the steady and constant stroke 61 the masons hammer while he occasionally applies water ta soften the stone and wash away the debris so the mountains of prejudice are being steadily removed by the constant application ot of the chisel of truth in the hands of the elders and the applying of the spirit of god to soften the hearts of the people end and wash away the debris of sin from their hearts under the wise direction of our president at chattanooga and his assistant conference president the elders elden are systematically preaching the gospel it is not wise for those at home to trouble and worry about sons brothers or hus bus bands on missions tor for if they are per forming their duties the lord is wilb them and will care for and protect them on missions the same as he would in the fields and shops of zion through the great changes that have been wrought among the inhabitants of the earth the power of god and the great success and kind treatment we elders receive we sometimes get to glorying in our own ability then he lord sometimes causes us to go a little hung hungry to humbled us and to teach us obedience but oh how willing again he is to bless us when we turn to and put our trust in himl him at our conference held in ohio county last june elder L B pace and myself were appointed to labor in nelson county where we labored until our president elder S A smith visited us about the first oi of september during his visit we held a series of meetings and had an enjoyable time together we were kindly treated by bk all and at the close of our meeting the people flocked around us by dozens and as they bid us good bye the tears in their eyes plainly told that we had gained their confidence while the future remains to demonstrate whether they accept and obe obey the truth or not at the departure of our president elder thomas martin and I 1 were left together and were to meet two new elders on the of september As appointed we met elders charles A cobbley of pleasant grove utah and william hansen of logan utah who were overjoyed to meet and see us after a few hours we spent together elders martin and hansen took leave of us and started for spencer county while myself and elder cobbley remained and finished the canvassing of nelson county we finished our labors in nelson and started for lincoln county on the irth of october we arrived at stanford the county seat of lincoln county on the and visited all the county officials ep explaining laining to them our object and mission among them we were treated by all with courtesy and on visiting the editor ol of the paper he gave us a genial welcome and friendly send oft off in his paper while holding meetings in the court house we were entertained by the leading citizens of the town among whom is dr obannon the leading physician of the county and a staunch member of the methodist church it is a little more than two weeks since we arrived in the cou county rity and since our arrival we have been treated kindly by all for which we feel to thank our heavenly father and with his blessings we feel to say in our hearts that we will continue to per perform forin our duty in spreading the gospel truths I 1 will say to all young men in zion prepare yourselves to work in the masters vineyard for the harvest truly is great but the laborers few DAVID J BLAKE |
