| Show FROM ILLINOIS perry co august A 28 perhaps a short abort sketch of say any trav travels b may be interesting Interest inK to you and give aj all al little idea ot of my missionary life when bon I 1 left home and friends in zion to make my home among strangers I 1 had bad but little loea joea of misi onery work the lord has baa blooded we me and raised rained up friends to uie in the time of need I 1 was first appointed to labor at taswell Tas wel crawford Craw tord county indiana where I 1 remained for ton tea months distributing tracts and holding meet ings wherever we had bad opportunity we hold held from sixteen to twenty meetings a month made lots loia of good friends end allayed considerable prejudice during daring my coy labors labor at taswell kaewell we had the privilege of baptizing baptising bap eight elgba honest souls soula into the church Cn we mec me with considerable opposition among the preachers but the L lord ora was wag with no u we ba baj J the truth to give to the people arid and evil had bad to give way one big preacher on one occasion advised his congregation to have nothing to do with them mormons cormons for said eaid tie be it if you enter eater into so an argument with them they hey will beat you we went to out our conference and had a grand time thirty nine elders met at marion you can imagine what band shaking we had ohl ob such much a spirit of lavo I 1 never before witnessed now comes the oard nard part of our labors labor to separate parate ee again anil and RO go to our now new field fjelde at this time I 1 was appointed to libor at pinckneyville perry ferry cion ty III id io in con confection section aitu brother bi Buchau list ao we entered out our now new held field by tasting and prayer pray errand jand we asked god to raise up friends friend to us and he has hae answered our prayers at first it looked very dirk here as there were lots logo of prejudice against us but we put our trust lu in god and went on doing our duty the best beat we could distribute distri but ing tracts and holding meetings where ever we could finally we found some saints in this county that had not seen an elder tor for eight beare we were very glad to see eee them and they were to nee us we held heid some meetings with them and gave them spiritual lood food we then maue made our headquarters headquarter a with them and held bold meeting every sunday out our meetings are welt well at tended generally we have succeeded in getting some to investigate the gospel and last week we had the honor of baptizing four more honest souls into the church of curial one of them named chris jaa after he be was baptized baptised bap timid sed and condrin td a member or of vas the church ia said to me brother empey I 1 have faith that hat it if you will lay jay hands bands on me my eyes will be better brother had very had bad eyes almost so bad baa as to lose loae his sight I 1 t called on my companion to anoint his eyes eye with oil and then we laid our hands baud on his bis bead and asked aaker god to restore his big slight we all alia re ra baked the pain As boon an we took out our hands oil kofl his head bead be basald said toe the pain all let left him and that bat he could see aee better betten the next sunday bunday brother a and sister came cam twelve atko milto to our meeting 8 me aalde to cured your eyet he bore a testimony to them and said bluj A jar rv aate h ad aurl cae he daml 96 baha know bow ki f ia j thankful enough I 1 relate this to show i you wat that there is great joy in mission ary life as a well as an some experience that is bitter I 1 tool feel well in the gospel goepel and determined ter tet mined to press prees on and do my duty the beat beal I 1 can in my weak way lot liet me exhort you toe tudy the gospel and become familiar with its principles and especially espe with the history of the apostasy from the primitive church as there are thou thousands mands who say they believe our doctrines till til we come to lo smith and so it la 18 necessary to show that the gospel bad been taken from the earth and restored as john the revelator Bev elator foresaw may god bless his people everywhere is the desire of your co laborer JOSEPH EMPEY |
