Show A GOOD EMPORIUM cameron county pa april 6 h 1897 at home the impression has generally prevailed that a missionary to the northa north ers states mission has a hard time vi of it especially so when the mission is to the pennsylvania conference how the saints got this idea we cannot tell unless it is because so many of our people have been gathered from this state and they have come to the conclusion that this part of the country has b been een well threshed over it h N true a grat many of our best saints came from this state and that fifty or sixty years ago a grent great work was done here but at atie abe present time we find that a new generation has grown up who have never heard the gospel some of them are prejudiced against our people namely because of the so called histories novels and other evil and false books which have been circulated to injure our people but il a great many of the new generation know little or nothing about our doctrine or people and so we find this state almost virgin soil in which to plant the seeds of the everlasting gospel in accordance with the instructions given us by our late president elder samul samuel G spencer also adso our p present resent president elder eider lewis A 05 beisch and our conference president resident elder der camelino richardson we have been con confiding finin 05 our preaching to the first principles leg of the gospel although to the elders these principles seem so easy to comprehend yet to the people they are apparently parent ly hard to be understood and we find that the first principles of the gospel are strong enough tool food fir the people generally once in a while awhile we find some honest hearted person who is able to comprehend some of the more ad danced principles principle s but in most cases a solid foundation of first principles must be laid so we have found it to our advantage to p each from five th ten sermons on each subject whenever we have the opportunity to speak to the people up to the present time we have had no difficulty in securing places in which to preach or people to attend our meetings although we have held some seventy five meetings in this small county we have not bet bean n over one ha ba f bof of the county yet at no time lime have we been disturbed at any of our meetings or have been treated mated in anyway but with the greatest respect we have kind friends on every hand who are ready and willing to minister to our wants too much praise cannot be given to the people ot this state for their kindness and hospitality some people who at first were prejudiced against us and hesitated to receive us u are now our best friends here let me state that the singing of our hymns has attracted the attention of many people who otherwise would not listen to us the pc people ople are great lovers of singing and will go miles to attend our meetings some of them drawn by the hymns we sing we have copied many of our best hymns for p people ople who wished to learn them in some localities where we hod ho d meetings we have good assistance with our singing jt top appears that the elder who can prepare himself at home to be able to read music and sing the same properly has a double advantage inn insina aking king friends and thus being able to spread the gospel our advice to all our young men at home who have oot not yet fulfilled missions and are connected with no ward choir is to learn to sing at the barlit earliest st possible moment and when they pet get out ino inlo the missionary field they will be able to appreciate preci ate this advice if it is not possible ta learn leam the mus c then do the next best learn the tunes to as HE any gcoy hymns as possible among the elders it is a well know n fact that the elder who ho can sing well has more success in making friends than one who cannot sting sing or one who has the voice but has not improved the op port unites that are amply provided for idl all our young men at home but to our young men we would say do not be dis cou raged if you think yo you u cannot sing because when you get gent in the miss conary field it if there is any sing in you it will soon be developed we have enjoyed the very best of health chiw while Ja laboring bering in this couil county ty one great blessing we have and enjoy here bere is the splendid spring water that flows from the mountains in abundance to observe the word of wisdom and travel without purse or scrip are the rules rates in the conference and to these facts may be ascribed some of the great success that is attending the labors of the elders on sunday the aith of march we had the privilege of leading down into the i waters of baptism sister laura debee reed the first person to embrace the gospel in this country thesis this is the first baptism that has ever taken place in the county as far as we have been able to learn another application for baptism tas has been made but the person has been prevented by sickness there are also many others who are earnestly investigating the gospel and so we are lucking looking for a great harvest to be gathered here in the near future again let us en courage the men who are being called to fulfill missions not to falter or dread the task especially if the call is to the northern states mission for if we do our duty no matter where we are god can open up the way before us and kind friends will be raised up to take us in and provide for our wants these things we can testify to when we entered this state we did so with fear and trembling having heard so many times of the the hardness of the hearts of the people and their selfishness and lack of hospitality so in entering our field of labor with fasting and prayer we caled upon the lord to open up the way before us to prepare the hearts of the prope to the gospel to raise up friends to us that our temporal wants may be supplied up and in every way ad vance th the work we are engaged in and 0 how wonderful and complete has he answered our humble prayers i instead of finding the people selfish in hospit able and hard hearted we found them well educated kind considerate hospitable and charitas chari tabe tab e in our travels we find man many of the people who are from the old pennsylvania enn sylvania dutch stock and they are almost always kind hearted people the winter just past has been a very mild one for this country the snowfall would be about the same as at salt lake city in any ordinary winter the thermometer however has registered as low as eighteen degrees below zero which is cons con conserved dered sered mild weather fur this country axe last two weeks in march was typical utah spring weather the the grass is is growing the trees are beginning to bud and all indications point to an early spring it is quite a sight here now to see the maple trees running sap to make maple sugar the people generally call the trees sugar trees at the present time we have but ten elders in this conference but could use fifty very easily and still have plenty to do the ministers in iia this part of the country do considerable talking against us but iv in a very quiet behind our back way w whenever chenever we meet any of them they will shake hands and appear very sociable but they generelly advise their people to keep away from our meetings and not to entertain us but all this so acir has mode us more and better friends in some localities we find many of the people who are in open rebellion to such interference by the clergy with their personal liberties and who declare they will attend any meeting they choose and entertain whoever they like so the good work goes on and through it all our faith is strengthened and our testimonies proved the NEWS comes to our address regularly it is a welcome visitor and is read with much interest after reading it we send the paper to saints or friends who are very anxious to read it JOSHUA SELLEY secretary pennsylvania conference JOHN R CRAWFORD |