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Show MISSIONARY LETTER The following excerpta are from a letter from Mrs. Annie M. Allen who, with her husband left last fall on a mission mis-sion to the western states. Mrs. Allen is laboring in Pueblo, Colorado, at present and the letter was written to the sisters of the Emery Stake Relief Society; Dear Sisters: Thinking perhaps a few words from one of your members, who is absent, might be welcome I will send them. I can just imagine what a good" time you are having at conference but 1 wonder if all are there, to enjoy it, who ought to be. It seems so strange, that we do not appreciate the blessings that we enjoy every day when we have no opposition. I really believe that persecution per-secution is not nearly so apt to cause us to become neglectful and perhaps finally leave the faith, as peace and plenty. Oh, how I love Utah and her people and especially the dear brothers and sisters of our stake! I never dreamed there could be such a difference so close to home. The people here are very indifferent. It seems that if they would wake up e nough to oppose us it would be better than the cold indifference and scorn with which we are treated. Of course the ministers take special care to warn their flock to have nothing to do with us, but they will not let the Elders explain ex-plain the Gospel to them so they do not know what they are warning against. There had not been a lady missionary here for some years until I came and 1 hardly got here before the ministers warned their people in church and also their aid societies, to be sure not to let me come into their homes and especially not to let me talk to their daughters for I had been sent out to help the Elders get young girls for the stockade at Salt Lake City. They said th? Elders had not been very successful lately, because i the people of Pueblo were too smart for them, and so it was deemed wise to send a lady. j One of the members of our church, who has been a member for twenty three years, and has several daughters is being warned almost daily of what will happen to them. Often at street meetings and other places I see the peiple look at me and hear them say, "Poor thing doesn't she look bad? You know she keeps all the j Elders." When I first came the child-' rn who were playing in the dooryards would see me passing and they would ' run to the door calling. "Here sr e comes mamma, that Mormon," and then the j family would gather at the window to see me as I passed by; but they have seen me so often now that I am not 80 much of a curiousity. Last winter President and Sister Goddard of Salt Lake City visited our Sunday school and meetings and took all the missionaries out to dinner and gave us such kind words of encouragement encourage-ment that I love them an1 will never forget their kindness to i You have no idea what a difference there is in people who have visited Salt Lake City. The Bureau of Information is certainly doing much good. Well I suppose my letter is getting too long but I cannot close without warning the mothers about letting their daughters daught-ers marry strangers and go away from home and church. Oh, if you could see the misery that comes of such unions you would be more energetic in keeping your daughters at home. Da not let them leave their homes to earn a few dollars and then live a life of misery or perhaps one of shame. I see so much of it that aometimes I go to my room weary in body and soul that I feel like saying "How long, O Lord, must thy people be warned? Well we are trying to live bo that our light may shine that the people may see it. We are making many friends people peo-ple prefer renting their rooms to Elders because they are clean, quiet, and gentlemanly; gent-lemanly; but they say, "Of course, the very best are chosen and educated to go on missions but the people as a whole and their leaders are a low, ignorant, and degraded people" and they will tell us they k now all about them for they have read the magazine articles and many other exaggerated stories, and so they know all they want to and do not care to hear any thing about the other side. Oh, how I love the Gospel! It never seemed half so good to me before and I never realized what it has done and is doing for us. If I can only speak some word or do some kind act that will cause some one to investigate our Gospel or that will strengthen someone's testimony testi-mony I shall indeed feel that I have been blessed of the Lord. I am so thankful that I have been privileged to come into the world to crv repentance unto the people and to teach them the true plan of salvation, and I sometimes think that the greatest good we do is to ourselves. We are kept very busy; we meet in class evwry morning at eight o'clock, where we study and discuss the principles of the Gospel and prov them from the Bible. We also study the revelations contained in the Doctrine and Covenants, until half past nine or ten o clock. When we feel that it is almost impossible to get any one to listen to us or heed the warning we are giving, we sing that beautiful hymn written by our beloved president, Emmeline B. Wells, "Our Mountain Home so Dear" and I think it means just a little more to us than it did when we were at home. Then after class we either go tracting or we study till noon, then take dinner and go out till six or seven o'clock in the evening and then have ball, street or cottage meeting at 7:30 and thus we work day after day except Saturday. On Saturday Satur-day we remain at home to clean our rooms, clean and press our cloths, wash and iron, and if we can manage to get through in time, we sometimes go out to on'- of the parks for a few hours, so you see we have no time to waste. Dear sisters, I hope you all appreciate appre-ciate and avail yourselves of the many blessings that are placed before you every day and that your sons and daughters will bless you for the efforts you have put forth to bring them to Zion where they can be raised, as it were, under the sound of the Prophet's j voice and where morality prevails. I , Perhaps you do not think much of these ; things, but you would if you saw con-j con-j ditions as they are here, even so close to home, and heard doctors declare that ' they would not think of letting a young ! man marry one of their daughters, j without first examining him to Bee if he l was free from disease; and yet we let ' those very men come into our homes ' and lead our fair daughters astray who have been raised in virtue and purity, : and who on account of their innocence i d" not think of others being evil. Mothers, be more confidential with your daughters and throw your protecting arms about them; teach them the things they ought to know and do not let them hear it from others. Take your pleasures plea-sures with them and do not exclude them from your society and especially teach them what a beautiful thing it is to be a mother and to welcome each little guest as ic comes, as a blessing sent direct from God. Here the people have either no children at all or not more than one or two and so pay their attention to a dog or cat pet ?nd fondle them, bathe and comb them, take them for walks and drives until it is perfectly disgusting, and then they will say, "Come to mamma, darling." They have said so much about the purity and sacredness of the American home and have fought polygamy and the principles of the Gospel until they j have brought the condemnations of God j upon themselves, and through their j immorality they have brought sickness I and disease among them, until the ' doctors say if it continues on, the peo- pie of America will be a nation of ! consumptives. Praying the Lord to ever bless and prosper you in your good work I remain your sister, Annie M. Allen , Box 242, Pueblo, Color ado. |