| Show LABORS IN THE SOUTH A Mission arys arYls experience iu in the southern states nortonsville NORT ONSVILLE UE green county va may 22 1867 1887 editor deseret news in company with nine othet elders 1 I lett left my home in salt aalt lake city on od oct 14 1885 and after a pleasant journey of if lour four days arrived safely at chiatta where I 1 was assigned with elders win wood jr ard and charles fi howe to labor in the virginia con 19 terence rence i first erst seven months ider john T hales la in my present field of labor and during that time we endeavored in our weak and humble bumble way to present to the people the saving principles of our holy lell gion and although the USUAL METHODS were resorted to for the purpose of retarding us in the discharge of our felt to move steadily forward trusting in the lord and through his blessings were instrumental in baptizing eight persons but it is it a recognized fact that slander misrepresentation indifference and prejudice are very prevalent pw valent in this j section wherever the principles of the gospel ire are being advocated therefore the above simple act was no sooner accomplished than it came ciame to be looked upon by the enemies ol of truth as a great cause for f or alarm and they feeling con vinced that the mormons cormons Mor mons were gaining too strong a foothold inthis locality were determined to do aid ahll in their power to prevent such a con I 1 summation by band banding I 1 nag toa toa geether ther to effect an expel 4 sion which evil purpose they finally accomplished just one year a aae i today to day and although prest T 38 harper and I 1 returned again four days day 4 later and retained our position hem heade under very trying circumstances ce I 1 tar nearly one mouth it again became be mi I 1 for those evil besig designing III baji I 1 sons to make another VIOLENT EFFORT toas thet they abou thought lit exterminate ll wor monism so on the of lastee last june A a mob numbering about 35 to the residence of mr W 1 I knight and demanded that elder harper should give gi v e himself up but they were wera eer rep pulsed u 1 ed by mr knight wao ioa them to cross his bis fence after wee hours consultation during which time consider considerable aule threatening was indulged in a compromise was effected by elder harper agreeing to accompany the party to stanards standards Stan ards ville the county seat to see if I 1 ustice justice could be obtained this was accordi niely aa ly done and attorney john T bray was corn belled to decide that tile the elders had rights right here and were entitled to protection tec tion but this decision was not satisfactory to t the mot mob who were very angry aad made violent threatt threats to the effect that they would have their lun fan on the way back I 1 ampi am pleased eased to record however that elder with friends by taking another road reached the saints in safety not being able to make any progress in the work owing awine to the excitement 4 existing aad the general unsettled gon con of affairs it was deemed prudent to vacate the field tor for a time and having been joined by Eld elder erMilo milo A hendricks as a traveling com companion paniota we started out in search of a new field of labor and in leaving our kind friends faithful saints asci ancl encouraging prospects we felt to go cheerfully having no bitter feelings towards those who bad caused our departure but felt rather to manifest a spirit of forgiveness and charity and even now we feel to pray fore for them thein and all other posers op of the taeg great latter day work that they may take a course that will gain them the j approval and blessings of the at AL mighty after traveling through the courties counties j of madison page anet and warren i i WITHOUT the peo pie generally being willing to j entertain us but indifferent to our message we entered shenandoah doaa county and found some kind hospitable people located in a long loag narrow valley in ia the mountains the place being known as powells port fort we remained there two weeks held five ave meetings and made a few friends but bat owing to circumstances and the opposition we had bad to W I 1 encounter we felt aielt impressed to move on feeling that the time for a permanent permanent opening there had bad not yet arrived during our sojourn there we spent a night NI lit with an old did gentleman named VM wm boyer and had an animated conversation with him on religious principles he claimed to be the founder of the church of god in jesus jesua christ commonly called Boyo Boyom ultes tes and builds his faith and that of the church upon a certain requirement which he claimed necessary to the correct administration of the ordinance of baptism and which lie he asserted the denominations of the day belaev believing ng in immersion fail to observe ol merve lie he said the correct form is to baptize in the name of jesus christ and not in the name of the father son and holy ghost Gli ost 11 we asked him what the saviors commission had reference to Te recorded corded in matthew 28 19 he answered that it referred baptism of tile the holy ghost we then asked him if he had bad received any revelation authorizing him to organize the church he replied 1 I felt impressed by the spi spirit rit to do so feeding feeing the importance ile he attached to the principle of baptism we asked him by whom bap iced he replied that chii t it was performed perform eel by a Cam preacher pi eacher having heard that he had a few followers la the neighborhood we returned to ask him if he had baptized them ile he replied in the negative but stated that his bon benjamin hatt had officiated he be being at that time tibiae the principle elder an and finally we asked him if he had personally baptized his son in order that the authority which he claimed to possess might be conferred successively and ant I 1 iu in or order der but his reply was to the effect that he be had not done so his son BOO also adso having been baptized by another cam preacher conversation was sufficient to convince us as that this church with a high sounding sou name was something of a phenomenon and may be taken as a 9 specimen ot many man made systems existing throughout the land M and by reason of whom the way of truth shall hall be evil spoken of they haying having a form of godliness but denying tho the power thereof after a journey of four days we crossed the state line imao i WEST VIRGINIA I 1 and met elders harper nelson and camp in arant rant county the last two brethren having labored there for sometime some time previous had made a great ar eat number of friends I 1 then labored for some time in pendleton county with elder nelson until I 1 we were culled called too to amherst county virginia to attend general conference which ws wis held there last september after confer ence I 1 was appointed to labor ina in amii herst nelson and rockbridge co counties 1 and during the months of september and october two persons were bap sized elder harper now being I 1 desirous of visiting greehaw Gree ae I 1 county the field having bem i vacated over three months ind and elder eldea i wood having been transferred to toabe attoa british mission I 1 was joined lv elder S H roundy of Ka narra utah and we continued our ur labors in than I 1 section until february of the present year when I 1 was vas again appointed to labor in this neld field i i during elder harp harpers ers visit here he I 1 ALLAYED MUCK MUCH PREJUDICE baptized three persons and being released to return home left the field in a favorable condition after my arrival here I 1 labored alone a month when I 1 was by elder james A head of preston Pl eston idaho asa as a companion since then we have labored among the people to bring them to a knowledge of the truth and through throng h the blessings of the lord during the past and present month were the humble instruments in organizing a branch of the church and a sunday school and in baptizing four persons and blessing three children we realize that we have no reason to feel discouraged a 11 ed at our prospects for the future M we can humbly acknowledge the hand of ef the lord in thus overruling all for our good and give unto him toe the honor and glory tor what little good we may be able to accomplish our little branch presided over by I 1 brother andrew J morris now numbers 21 members and our mee meetings tin gs generally are well attended your brother in the gospel JOSIAH BURROWS |
