Show MORMON IN FLORIDA marion county pla fla may 20 1898 late one afternoon a few months ago two travelers approached a residence in this county and saying that they were minister of the gospel and were traveling without scrip or purse asked for entertainment for the night they were willingly received and without knowing or caring to what church they belonged their host asked them if they would preach that night they gladly contented consented to do so and although there were present only a few they succeeded in awakening the interest of those few these two men were elders james H allen alien and albert jeffries of utah when it was found out that there were really beally two mor mons in our gur midst the whole community was thrown into a state of great excitement of course the majority of thet people p le were very prejudiced and the elders were at once condemned as tramps and impostors some who cared but very little for public opinion went to hear them preach again and again until at last a spirit of investigation seemed to take possession of all asid and they wished to prove for themselves deives if the gospel the elders proclaimed was of god or man ill venture to assert that the bible was studied more carefully by our people during that time than it had ever been before indeed some of us did not know but that our bible instead of our disciplines declared that the god worshiped la Is an immaterial being a spirit without body or parts finally the ministers of the different churches awoke to a realization bojt the fact that some silly illiterate souls were in danger of being converted and something must be done so one of them a christian decided to meet the elders in debate As the churches and all public buildings were closed against them elders allen alien jefferies Jef teries feiles tanner and stevenson were holding a meeting at a private house when this MIS minister walked into their midst armed with his bible and pre prepared to bring back to the right way those whom the elders were leading astray antray but he had reckoned without wi phout his host tor for he had to meet four men who were sure aure they did have the ifie everlasting gospel and th the e a spirit 13 amt was with them to prove that they tey were striving to do good instead of harm to the people and moreover vor I 1 defy any preacher in this county to meet elder L A stevenson in III SAY argument on the bible and come out dut victorious wr stevenson not only almap W i 0 1 it t what to say by but he can alo ay faster than any man I 1 ever saw since that time none of the preachers have dared to meet a mormon elder because he knows too much about the bible besides the ones I 1 have mentioned elder john Z brown and president frank H cutler have preached several times to our people and all have done much good and made true and sincere friends they are steadily gaining ground and I 1 hope the time will not be long ere the true gospel will lighten every portion of our loved sunny southland heavens richest blessing rest upon the elders and nd crown with abundant success their great mission RONA |