| Show 1 t beaching kE PREACHING ACHING IN MISSOURI ALLOW SPRINGS howell co mo march irth 1897 is wath i th great interest that we read many interesting letters from the aio narles in the various parts of the ald d as they are published in your it they are indeed a source of I 1 food to us and thinking that ars might like 11 to hear heal from us we I 1 this communication t t our last conference which was J at unionville Uni onville putnam county nober and I 1 was assigned abor r with elder alexander watson nevada vernon county we ar 1 there december ath and labored asther er tor for a month and a half when he of january we received a arom elder eider burton the secretary he e mission stating that elders S S ot of paris idaho and jesse Morten sOD of sanford colorado id arrive there that day 1 was died to labor with the latter laiter at willow ga and the former was to take my g at ai nevada enclosed also was ter r from elder eider J J cirius of chi 6 directing us to one andrew christen U of willow springs who was impressed with the mormons cormons Mor mons drably bly met the elders soon after elder Bf ceiser t T of salt lake ci y came with to blaer watson att on a visit ite spent several days together and ari to get the court house and two irenes S to 10 hold bold meetings in but with S success we all went to the photo ph gallery and had our pictures taken ther andy and on the brother jr tenson noon and I 1 laft nevada for scott action where we purchased half tare lare ets over the memphis road for sow springs SprioS 8 arriving there at 1010 ve we 0 did not know where to go as we but had asked the ue e strangers we M ihrl to open up the way for us and we d that he e would do so there e were not uneasy about where V would would stop we had made up ou to go to the best hotel and antio ahoe ourselves and make our wants alwn but we did not have to do that n as we got off the train a man auke up u p and invited us to go with him t to in hotel we went on a few steps nt W he followed us up insisting on us aldir with him we asked where his was and after learning that he aft w the proprietor we introduced our ves to him and told him that we were tf on the ancient apostolic plan aft W were depending on the charity of t the ha people for our entertainment while 11 38 II their midst adding that we would be pleased to go with him he then dropped his head bead and began making accuses he tried to send us to a ja josephite hite who also keeps a hotel near OR out we we e explained x I 1 bained that we did not alb affiliate liate with them tem so hg he finally said AH right come on and if we have room we will keep yuu you 01 he took us and gave us a good room next morning after eating breakfast with mr roberts the hotel keeper we wem to the posu effice and made inquiries about mr christensen Chrisi ensen V W e were informed that he lived in the country but could not find out in what direction about ten we went to the josephites to make inquiries of him 9 we met mr lay the proprietor ja ia the office and he received us very kindly supposing that we belonged to their church and introduced us as a couple of brethren to his bis wife and her mother who also received us kindly we gave them some of our tracts and explained the difference between us we expected to see a change come over them when they found out that we were from utah icah but we did not notice such they treated us as brethren we ate dinner and supper with them and they furnished us a nice bed ana and breakfast we had some very interesting conversation with them gave them a voice of warning and left them several other books to read among which was the succession life ot of joseph joseph smith outlines of ecclesiastical history doctrine and covenants etc on january aist we found out from a butcher the direction to andrew ahls hensens ten sens and started out to find him we took the road running west until we came to the apine pine grove schoolhouse and then followed the right hand road north we stopped several times and made inquiries traveled over hills through the woods crossed indian creek and after traveling about two miles out of our way came to his place about seven miles northwest ot of willow springs he received us kindl kindly yand and made us welcome to stop with him as long as we wished he had a family ot of eight children six boys and two girls his wile wife was a stout healthy woman she was somewhat prejudiced at first having heard so much evil spoken against the mormons cormons Mor mons but she proved to be a good steady woman their children were all healthy except their eldest son who had bad recently returned from kansas sick there was plenty ot of good clear water here among the hills which we appreciated after leaving nevada where the water is very poor we saw the trustees and obtained their consent to hold bold one meeting in the schoolhouse which we did and although it was snowing there were eight or ten came out to hear us we spoke upon the subjects of apostasy and restoration to we held four other meetings at mr Christen sens house and spoke upon the subjects of the atonement faith repentance baptism holy ghost and divine authority mr said that that was the first time that he had bad heard a true gospel sermon another man who had attended our meet ings said that he was surprised at us he had expected to hear us run other denominations down but he said you dont do that we told him that that was not our object we did not wish to tear any mans religion down but we would build our own up and people could then either accept or reject it as they pleased alter after spending two weeks in the theroun coun try we returned to the city to canvass there here we visited the mayor and gained his bis good will and consent to canvass the town we went to mr lays and got our dinner and there met mrs tucker also a member oi of the reorganization who invited us to take dinner with her the following day we started out to find a place to hold meeting but were unable to find such a place that we made several inquiries lor for accommodations to stay over night and were refused seven times but finally came to a poor man who professed no religion he excused himself at first stating that he was too poorly situated to keep us but after considerable explanation he took us in and made us welcome welcome to the best he bad we told him ot of the testimony of the prophet joseph S nith and the beok of mormon and gave him a voice of warning he took great interest and replied that perhaps this is just what will suit me 29 lie he had an organ and brother played and sang some songs and in the morn mom ing he got his violin and we bad an aa enjoyable time ever since this when we would go in town he would come to us and ask us to go home with him and when he would get in conversation with his stepfather he would take up our ur side of the question on february irth we went to mrs tuckers as per invitation we found her to 10 be a very interesting and fair minded woman after dinner we talked with her until before we scarcely realized it it was supper time after supper we got out our nymn limn books and sang a few songs I 1 after breakfast the next morning and after afat r reading some saints heralds Her alas we started out again to find a place to hold meeting we saw the trustees of the grand army hall and engaged that place for four nights we then saw mr tucker and asked the privilege of stop ping with him while we were boidin holding meetings which was willingly granted granted to us we distributed tracts during the day and held meeting in the evening alter we got through tr trading acting the town we went to mis lay and tha thanked tilted her for her kindness to us and then to mrs mn tucker she told us we were welcome and asked us to call again when we came to town she said that mat as long as she was there we would always have some one to cook for us and as long as they had bad anything to eat we were welcome to part of it we next went out to mr christen sen s where we were warmly received by the whole family we held several meetings and conversations it is difficult for mrs christensen to read en english so we would read a great deal jo her from our books she always manifested a deep interest although it was hard bard for her to understand some things and when we left on march ath S th to go to town to make a few visits vi its she asked us to come back and baptize them on sunday march ath we arrived at mrs tuckers Tucker Js in time for dinner after this was over with she told us that she had had bad a dream while we were away and after she got the dishes washed she would relate it to us lor for she desired to know what we thought of it we went to the postoffice post office and mailed our letters while she washed her dishes and after we got back she related her dieal to us it was as follows as near as I 1 remember it sue she dreamed that she was standing ding on the edge of a pond ot of water and on the opposite side were two men one of them holding an iron rod in his hand she said her 11 little t ta e girt girl was out in the water a little ways when a large serpent started across the pond toward her girl when she jumped to catan her but instead she caught the serpent around the neck with both hands it was a very large serpent but s e held it fast and prevented it from biting her or poisoning her with its fangs then she said the men frota front the opposite sid sida of the pond came over and asked her to let them take the serpent and kill it for her she was very glad to get rid of it and the one with the iron rod took the the reptile just below her hands bands and killed it with the iron irom rod fod which he be had in his hand that was the end of that part of it but after ward she dreamed that she was going down to where there was water with a pan in each hand and while trying to get same water ater she stepped into the pool which proved to be quite deep coming up around her neck she paddled her wa way v around for some time trying to get out when she came to a few rushes and sue she awoke in this condition the dream impressed her very aluch and while thinking of it these words came to her when through the deep waters I 1 call thee to go the me rivers of sorrow shall not thee 0 efflow she stated that she thought that the last part of it meant that she was going to have some trouble I 1 hesitated to tell her what I 1 thought the interpretation of the lore fore part of 01 it was because I 1 had such great respect tor for her she had bad been so kind to us and had bad treated us as good as our own another could therefore I 1 hesitated lest I 1 should offend her but I 1 was strongly impressed Mpr essed that it was my duty to do so and my companion felt the same way she had said that she believed the iron sod a od denoted authority I 1 told her that I 1 could tell her the interpretation but I 1 was afraid it would offend her on being assured that it would not I 1 told her that the serpent represented the beor anizel church which she now had a hold of tut but through her honest and true disposition she hid had prevented it from poisoning her mind yet now I 1 says if we can kill that serpent for you let us do it instead of offending her it bad the opposite effect it undoubtedly was the same interpretation that she had for it for tears rose in her eyes she said that dream was given in answer to prayer ever since she had bad seen us she had prayed sprayed to know whether the church in utah had bad authority or not she had told mrs lay before she had seen us after she heard that we had been there that she wanted to see us the next time we came in because said she 1 I know that the lord or the devil one or the other has sent them something had told her before she heard of us that two utah elders were in town and when her husband spoke to her of us she ahe replied that she knew it I 1 then followed a conversation on the succession of the presidency ot of the church which was interrupted by her sister coming in from the country and also by a mr savage and his wife jo sep bites who were on their way to burnum eight miles south of here to attend their conference before we left the next morning we told mrs tucker that we were going to hold meeting at Christen sens the following day at two and while we were visiting another family in the town she went out in the country with her sister mrs phillips after getting dinner at mrs lay lays Is and convertini conver conversing sini with grandma mcgowen mrs lays mother and getting our maii mail we ve started out in the country we reached indian creek about our sat down and waited a few minutes when brother christensen came ath with his team to take us across the reek when we got to the house I 1 took out our paper the ibe DESERET NEWS and began to read the account of the reception ste eption of president woodruff in salt jake city on his goth birthday I 1 had read part of president woodruffs ts remarks when I 1 felt impressed to read aloud I 1 looked up and asked them if they would like to hear it mrs christensen was sewing on the machine but sh she e q quit ui to hear me read the spirit of god 0 d w was a poured out upon us and after I 1 got a little farther than where I 1 had read to before my heart was so filled with joy and thanksgiving that I 1 could hardly finish reading we feel to join the S saints i ints in praying to god to continue to bless president woodruff our dearly beloved prophet and friend with the blessings of heaven and earth and that his life may be prolonged to lead us on in the glorious cause of truth march ath was a very pleasant day we all fasted and held meeting in the forenoon and instructed those who were going to be baptized on some ot of the duties of latter day saints the spirit of god was manifest mani test to all present we then prepared ourselves and started for indian creek to perform ane sacred ordinance di nance there was quite a crowd who had come out to witness the ceremony some were on one side of the creek and some on the other we did not attempt to hold meeting but notified them of tae meeting in the afternoon alter noon we sang the song jer jesus us mighty king of zion 1 I bruther brother offered up a few words in prayer to god dedicating the place to him for the purpose for which we had come there and then I 1 went dawn awn in the water and administered the holy ordinance to brother andrew christensen his wife margrethe and their two sons david and lans we then went back to the house and there met mr phillips his bis wife and mrs tucker after confirming those who had been baptized members of the church we commenced our meeting I 1 spoke upon the subjects of apostasy and restoration the spirit of god was present and we had a time of rejoicing long to be remembered we sang and brother dismissed us mr Phi phillips dips who has been considered as skeptical was favorably lavor ably impressed with our meeting he said afterward erward att that if we could convince him that joseph smith was a true prophet he would accept it he said it would be no trouble to find out where the right successors were if said he joseph smith was a true prophet and the church setup set up through him is a fulfill ment of the prophecy of daniel dan ii 44 then the true church must oe be in in utan march gab we went to town again to make a few visits in the evening we called at lays and grandma mcgowen invited us upstairs where she told us of an unusual circumstance that occurred at their conference at burnum one mr had been ordained a seventy and directly afterward he was overcome by some unseen power and anc thrown unconscious to the floor and anc had been sick since this had caused a great deal ot of excitement among them and Grand grandma maP was greatly concerned over his welfare although in my opinion this was a plain rebuke from god they of course looked upon it as an evil spirit and attempted to rebuke it to no purpose mrs lay came |
