Show IN mississippi TI the usual varied experience ot of our elders LAWRENCE NEWTON nedion COUNTY miss june 1637 editor deseret news on OB the of october 1865 I 1 left my mountain home 8 company with several other elders to T 0 fill a mission to the southern states so far I 1 have enjoyed nv my labors very well and have made a num number tier of very good f friends and as a rule have been treated very verv courteously that the southern people are poor is true but when once the their r friendship friends bip is gained they will divide divide the last crust of bread with one in need and their hospitality hospit allt is proverbial the southerners are what tho the world would call A RELIGIOUS PEOPLE and amoor thena them it is considered very unpopular not to be connected with sowe some of the general religious societies socie tiei their favorite ideas as to what it takes tabes to make a true christian though are very inconsistent A member of their churches can commit all manner of abomination he be can have children of all shades and colors running about in rais rags whom he will not own he can cheat his fellow man rob the widow and wrong the fatherless and in fact be a man ot of the world for all this he will be looked up to and his fellowship will not be questioned but he not dance neither play pl ay tile the fiddle and must refrain from I 1 ra in giving a cup of cold water to a mormon missionary if lichas he has the audacity to break this latter injunction his ais ecclesiastical head is gin fin danger dang e r A As these facts are met with in the experience of the Elders in com batting error one feels to pity the people as well as to look with disgust upon their actions surely modern christianity has made the doctrines of christ of none effect by its traditions here as elsewhere I 1 find the bame apparent appos opposition to the me gospel trosper as has been experienced by the elders in other localities and the same blessings attend and the condemnation follows those who receive or reject its message some months aro myself and elder george W leals of Ari arizona zoDa had the privilege of holding meeting in a L i chool house and of addressing a large and attentive congregation we spoke mainly on the apostasy and restoration of athe gospel we showed them in our humble bumble way from the bible that the apostasy had been predicted by christ and his apostles and the condition of the world tor for generations past proved that it had occurred WB then testified of its restoration by an angel immediately in front of us sat A METHODIST PREACHER by the name of lack a very appropriate name by the way by his looks one could readily see that he did not agree with our remarks after we dismissed he requested the audience to be seated and then in an excited manner charged us with quoting very good scripture but said it was doctrines of devils he said we had opened the box but had not gone down to where ine poison was etc after abusing us for some time he admonished his bearers to beware of us he informed us that we were breaking the laws of the land doubtless thinking it was blasphemy to quote very good scripture and said he was a civil officer and liaa had the authority to lo aud and would arrest us if we did not leave the neighborhood we invited him to listen to us but he refused and left in a fit of auger anger the apostle paul says the fruits ot of the good spirit are love joy peace long suffering gentleness goodness etc judging our accuser by the standard the apostle gave he be was lacking the requisite qualifications of a true christian if he as well as his co ministers are convinced that we are sinners why not come with love and the law and the testimony aud and demonstrate to us that we are wrong gods servants in times past NEVER threatened to all ail sinners for not believing their teachings this wrangle of the preacher did good it made us moro more friends than ever we did not leave the neighborhood until we had taught our friends the gospel tor for several weeks they finally concluded that it was unpopular to investigate the teachings of the savior after they bad rejected our message we feeling that we had faithfully done our duty apts quietly left their neighborhood one of the promises of the gospel is that those who are sick and have faith shall recover by the laying on of hands haada of the servants of god in testimony of this tact fact I 1 will mention a case or two A lady dy by the name of sally mcdaniel had been afflicted for the past seven years she came over to lawrence to be under the doctors care while here she met with three of the elders and stated that her parents had advised advised tier her to come over for treatment but that she had no faith tn in a physician and Xe requested quested us to administer to her from that day about four months ago she has had the BEST OF HEALTH she had bad so improved that when I 1 met her a month menth after I 1 could scarcely recognize her OR oa another occasion an old lady who believed called in one of the elders and through the prayer of faith was healed both of ladies have since joined the church and rejoice to know that the lord still blesses those who put their trust in him therease there Ther eare are other ether cases that mw be mentioned I 1 but perhaps this will be sufficient on account of some few of the honest in heart in this neighborhood d bein being baptized mormonism seems to b be the leading leadin g topic of the hour it is discussed I 1 JB a t the he press in the pulp pul pitin ti a the farmers club and in the various gatherings that are wont to meet at this season of the year and through all I 1 trust the ignorant will learn something about th this is peculiar doctrine considerable talk has been indulged in of late and aad various schemes have been considered considered in order to get rid of the mormons cormons Mor mons A noted preacher of the baptist persuasion jigs has been indulging in foul allega eions against joseph smith and tile the aarmon NOrt A ormon non doctrine in general so ie of which have been published in the newton dispatch a local sheet published iu in this county the editor published one article in reply from our eide but refuses refuges to favor u auy any more while he continues to publish aft that may be written against us but the truth will prevail and as the poet sas s abrine is he armed that has his quarrel j just net and he is mocked though locked up in steel whose e conscience on science with injustice is corrupted while some have been circulating I 1 a pettino petition to get up a mob to run us out and scaring gold old men and aad children into signing it others have been meeting in a church to decide which would be itie better belter policy to mob us or starve us out by having nothing to do with us they fenall finally y concluded that the latter policy would be the safer and have therefore agreed to let us severely alone as well as those who would befriend us our friends say if their neighbors can stand it they can as they seldom come anyway except to beg or to borrow HENRY E PARRY |