Show conference IN AUSTRALIA AUCKLAND new zealand march esth 1897 permit me through the columns ot of your valuable paper to report the north ern annual conference of of the australasian mission which was held at rak waikato Wai kato february ath ath and ath the following elders from zion were present ezra F richards president of the mission charles H enables En Ern abley bley T J obrien james C allen alien D H pacts ard 1 K nelson hial B hales joseph markham mark ham parley A waters moroni morad lazenby john H ellis william S dimond W C castleton milo B andrus W W mcdonald george burnham A E asper F W kirkham enoch I 1 L reese Rees joseph S price almon T butterfield fil id george S coleman and horace H ol 01 ng worth As early as the 2nd and saints and elders began to gather but awas on the after noon of the jtb that the great majority made their appearance is is situated on the banks of the waikato river and the opposite side from the railroad line consequent y all who came by rail were taken across in in the native canoes with the beginning of conference there were fully native saints in attendance the first meeting was held in the school house which had been pre pared for our use but it was soon ap parent that we were too much crowded there sere and an adjournment was taken to fee e 4 cnare a large booth over TOO feet it in length made from branches ot trees in which the greater part of our meetings were held at each meeting a spirit of peace pre availed and in fact throughout our entire von conference forence whether in meeting or dur 1 naff intermission the same spirit was nt several of the elders present fe we were re heard beard to remark that it was one of N the most peaceful and instructive con 4 I frences they had ever attended through the excellent counsels given aad encouraging remarks made by the elders and others who were called to address the congregation the saints were vere built up in their faith and enabled to return to their homes with more determination and stronger desires to live their rel religion gion than ever before our elders meeting held on the ath was vints one ever to be remembered by those in attendance elder richards our president Wres resident ident called the assembly to order bt ALI a m and it was p in when the closing prayer was offered each bider spoke in turn relating his expert desm fice testifying of the goodness of god auto him while in the performance of ads duty and asking for the faith and of his fellow laborers at times the re spirit of god was so abundantly manifest that not a dry eye could be found in the toom room I 1 elder richards spoke to us at length explaining our duties more fully and hewing the responsibility devolving the inhabitants of upon us of warning bese islands of the judgments soon to fee be poured out upon the nations of the earth and of calling all to repentance many important questions were asked all of which were fully and ably answered by our worthy president each outgoing train on the ath conveyed saints to their respective homes tuesday jes day february ath found the elders taking their oe cie for their fields of labor each with a determination to perform his duty to the best of his ability as god should give him strength our annual conference convenes in in district at the south end orthis island on april ath and con daues three days for which the bent ent and mission clerk are now en aute route oute WALLACE C CASTLETON |