Show A FOLLOWING THE BELIEVERS I 1 thought I 1 would write a short account of my conversion to the e everlasting erv gospel goepel I 1 was born to in OV avenon county tennessee march wk jam my parents were bemb members ot wa cumberland Presby presbyterian teri chur church iset aa being a bible reader I 1 early became dissatisfied with their faith and teachings the only other denominations near my home were the Campbel Campbelll lites tea and missionary baptists baptiste and not being able to accept the teachings of the former on account of their denying the direct operation of the holy spirit I 1 finally united with the latter missionary baptists baptiste t in the fall of 1896 elders C A en and levi lev cyphus of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints preached in my neighborhood I 1 attended their meeting and invited them home with me the next day we had a lively discussion but the elders overthrew my arguments and confounded me which resulted in my investigating vesti gating the gospel I 1 read the voice of warning and book of mormon and was soon convinced that for seven ven years I 1 had been preaching without authority from god and further that these despised and persecuted mormons cormons Mor mons alone in the world were invested with divine authority the elders called on me regularly regular 11 and held meetings at my home finally I 1 came to the conclusion that the gospel was true and if I 1 rejected the light god had given me I 1 would be damned so the loth of june 1897 was the day set for my wife and I 1 to be baptized she had been confined to her bed five weeks but had faith that she would be made whole when the morning came the evil power had such a strong hold upon me that I 1 weakened and our baptism was put oft off until t the he following sunday that day having havin arrived my faith had become stronger my mv wife was taken from her bed and we were baptized she never sick bed again and walked from the gate to the house As a member of the baptist church I 1 was always in good standing with my brethren and great was their dismay over my being led astray as the termed it by the mormons cormons Mor mons they attempted to reclaim me and when they quoted scripture to condemn me I 1 used their own weapons to accomplish h their defeat whereupon upon they became angry and called me an infidel As it was in olden days the way of life Is still thorny and the saints have to endure the hatred of the world of which I 1 have received my portion but I 1 thank my heavenly father that I 1 have been counted worthy to suffer for christs slake sake and that I 1 was able to receive the light of god when it came unto me your brother in the gospel LEE C PHILLIPS |