Show I 1 TENNESSEE conference smyrna tenn dec 27 1897 ere the year 1897 closes bading adding another period to past hist history oryo we deem it proper to inform the readers of the news of the progress of tho the work of the lord in this part of the vineyard A valiant band of workers forty two in number are now marching to their fields of labor from the conference recently held i our conference convened at duck river hickman co tenn on dec deb and we were bc accorded corded the use of a large christian church in which we held our meetings due to the inclemency of the weather not very large crowds were in attendance but we who did attend enjoyed a spiritual feast elders F M lyman and M P F cowley of the council of apostles and E S kimball were with us and did most of the speaking however during the services saturday each elder was requested to bear testimony the principal topics spoken upon by the apostles and elder kimball were divine authority acceptance of all truth and the elders as an wit nesses for god of the truthfulness of the gospel in our priesthood meeting of monday the dinst we were advis advised eil to be very careful among the people endeavoring to make friends of all but to do it in a righteous way also to tb not prepare sermons from which to speak as do the ministers of the world but to depend wholly upon the spirit of the lord to lead us to preach on subjects that will be proper to be uttered at the proper place and time the people of duck river did all in their power to make us comfortable and feel at home for such kind neim we are truly grateful and we invoke the blessings of heaven upon them because of their acts of hospitality the energetic efforts of the elders through the mercies of our father I 1 have bave kindled a spirit of investigation among the people of middle tennessee until in the majority of the counties the cry to Is now being heard send us u some ome of your preachers more brave soldiers of the cross are needed here to do the work that must be done though the majority of the state included in this conference has been canvassed it has been thought best to send a pair of elders into each county beginning at the mountains and moving westward as fast as the counties can be properly worked elders are to visit all the families in their respective counties as though no canvassing had ever been done also hold as many meetings and dispose of as many books as possible during the past few months a number of sunday schools have been organized in various localities and more will shortly be organized elder J L bench who has charge of the sunday school chool work is a very efficient worker and much good is being accomplished through his earnest efforts it to is amusing and yet how ridiculous to notice the aptitude of men of biased minds to invent all manner of falsehoods formerly the main cry against mormons cormons was that the elders were in the world to get women now when polygamy is neither advocated practiced nor tolerated in utah the cry has nearly sunk into oblivion recently one of the leading papers of the state gave an account of two mormon ladies arriving at chattanooga with a company of elders the cry was formerly heard watch your girls or the ahe mormons cormons will get them now some of the men referred to are saying that utah has a surplus of old maids which may be true and they are now being sent into the world to decoy the young men into their traps and carry them away hence the people are being cautioned to guard against the intrusion of mormon old maids but no deceptive means are sufficient to submerge the gospel for as the poet sayer ayar truth is mighty and will prevail and though crushed to earth will rise again the lord is with his elders and strenuous efforts are being put forth to hoist the yoke of tradition and aad error with which the people are encumbered ten meetings are being held and twelve books sold where a year ago but one meeting was held and one book disposed of wishing the news and its readers reade IL happy new year I 1 am yours in tp the cause of truth JAMES LARSEN secretary of middle Tel tennessee conference |