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Show FROM THE MISSION FIELD Elder Bair Sends Interesting Letter. IS ZEALOUS IN THE CAUSE MAKING MANY FRIEND8 AND THE CAU8C 18 GROWING AND' PEOPLE INTERESTED. 32 North Mnln Streot. Auburn, Maine. Tho Lognu Hopubllcan. Logan, Utah Boar Sirs: Thinking that perhaps you would llko to hoar from onu of tho missionaries mission-aries In tho field, and thnt also, your readers would bo Interested In a fow lines from tho samo sourco, I will take this opportunity of penning a few thoughts. After nearly four months In tho mission field, I havo como to realize that a great work is beforo tho Elders, and beforo tho Church. Thoro are hundreds of thou-Bands thou-Bands who havo novor heard tho message. mes-sage. Yes, millions havo yet to bo warned, and an tho timo la drawing short extra dlllgonce Is necessary on tho part of those who aro carrying tho moosngo nnd upon thoso who hnvo the work In charge. Strenuous efforts nro being made to keep up tho quota of missionaries in tho Hold, and If possible, to In-crease In-crease It. The peoplo of tho church aro mnklug great sacrifices to help the work along, nnd nraong others tho pooplo of Cache Valley nro doing tholr sharo to holp sprond tho gospel message abroad nnd that Is n prettty good Indication of their sincerity and deslro for good. Perhaps -you vould llko to hear n little in regard to the work hero. You aro probably awnro thnt wo nro bolng mado tho target for a battery of mud-Bllngors, mud-Bllngors, or writers for so-called popular popu-lar magazines. It seems thnt all hell has combined at onco In o grentoffort to stir up tho old days of persecution again for us as a people, Tho heads of tho church aro bolng made tho special targets, nnd are having hurled at them nn amount of venom nnd bitterness, bit-terness, tho llko of w;hlch I havo novcr witnessed In any of tho magazines boforo. At tho samo tlmo, In England tho government has boon induced by BC-callod ministers of tho gospel, "and so-called follow ors of tho Lord Josus Christ, to ordor an Investigation of what has beon glibly called, tho "Mormon Question." In Gormnny tho American oldors are fnrhlililnn n do work and so forth. Pulpit and press nro against us, and all manner of lies nro being told nnd printed Wo elders hnvo to meet tho most ridiculous ridicu-lous statements nnd quostlons. Wo hnvo Insults hurled at us, and nro sometimes practically ordered away, But tho work Is going on Just tho same, wo are getting out literature, nto meeting tho peoplo nnd talking I with thorn, our friends nro romalnlng loyal and wo aro a squiring othors. Whllo It Is tmo thnt a great manyl pooplo beHovo tho Blush and nro prejudiced against us, yet many nro bo fair minded, nnd tho articles aro bo ridiculously overdrawn, that wo aro getting tho benefit of tho doubL As for myself I havo felt no serious consequences .as yet. True, a fow days ago a Methodist mlnlstor started start-ed In on mo pretty rough, but with tho holp of tho Lord I was ablo to meet him on his own ground, nnd as nlways Is tho caso tho truth camo off victorious. Of courso tho mlnlstor will toll his flock that wo aro wholly bad, and n largo number will bellevo him, but wo will meet somo who will listen to us nnd wo will got tho opportunity of presenting, our sldo of tho caso. Somo peoplo say, "Why don't you defend yourBolvos In tho papers." In tho first place, whoro Is tho mnga-zino mnga-zino that would glvo U3 spaco In which to, print a dofonso? In tho noxt placo, "Mormonlsm" has nothing to defend or npollglso for. It Is nil open nnd nbovo board. If tho tlmo comes when tho oldors will havo to apollglso for tho doctrines and nets of tho "Mormon" church, then I want nothing moro to do with It, Tho gospel gos-pel of Jcbus Christ has nothing to Continued on Pttjrg J. i FROM THE J MISSION FIELD 1 Continued from Vm I npollgiso for, or to defend. Truo a man may bo called upon to defend tho faith, but tho principals and doc-trlnos doc-trlnos of truo Christianity aro truths, and the truth stands for Itself. Again true It may bo that tho actions of somo men In tho church may not bo abovo reproach, and If I mako any apology It will bo for tho mnn and not of tho principals of tho faith, for again I say. truth stands for Itself. Therein Ilea tho strength of Mormon-Ism. Mormon-Ism. This very strength alarms so many peoplo Owing to tho general niiostacy, tho world Is divided Into different factions. Thcso factions nro all following creeds that aro conflicting conflict-ing and at variauce. Tho conflicting Ideas and doctrines aro n result of tho tares mixed with n few truths thoy possess Tho weakness brought by this division Is shown In tho waning power of tho churchc3, and tho increase in-crease of infidelity nnd doubt nnd skepticism, nnd consequently tho Increase In-crease in lawlessness nnd wickedness. Many of tho churches nro scolng this aud there Is a tendency of drawing draw-ing nearer cliurch federation! nro bolng orgnnlzed and ministers nro patting each other on tho back. This is quite n concession on tho part of each when wo remember that it has only been a fow BUort years slnco tho churches wero nt mora or less enmity. Thcso federations, howovcr seom to bo moro In tho naturo of alliances, al-liances, rather than n drawing together togeth-er in views and in ohcdlonco to tho preceptB of tho gospel. Tho old divisions di-visions on doctrinal points Isthcro still, nnd tho object of tho federation seems to bo principally for tho purpose pur-pose of prolonging tho llfo of tho pro-testnnt pro-testnnt churches and as a protection against tho encroaches of tho Catholic Cath-olic church rom a "Mormon" point of vlow I cannot see wherein two errors, or n combination of orrors will become a truth. What tho christian world needs is not only n unity of numbers but nlso a unifying of tho faith. Ono Lord, ono faith, ono baptism. Is just as potent today as when tho words wero spoken. Contradictions and a hundred different Interpretations of tho gospel will not contribute much to tho sum total of human salvation. It Is tho unity nnd strength of tho Church of Jesus Christ of Lattorday Saints that Is causing tho Jealousy and tho onslaughts towards us. Tho steady, solid growth Of tho church Is alnrpilpg (lie followers after creeds and dogmas. Thoy see therein thQ strength and power which thoy cannot can-not attain themselves and Satan has aut it Into tholr hearts to tight what thoy would know to bo tho truth would they but Investigate. Thoy hug to themselves tho bugaboo of polygamy and stylo us as tho "menaco to tho American home." Tho latter to mo In vlow of my observations during my travels, is a huge Joko and If the present pres-ent conditions contlnuo ono will havo to go to Zlon to find any sanctity In tho homes. Tho truth Is, tho work of tho Lord Is progressing. It Is bo-coming bo-coming a power In tho earth. Tho stone that Daniel saw, cut out of tho mountain without hands Is rolling forth. It Is beginning to pinch tho toes of tho great Imago, and tho puro gospel of Christ Is dcstlnod to crush out tho tmputltled that havo crept Into tho Christian faith The old established es-tablished order of things will naturally natural-ly dlo hard, but tho decree has gono forth that "every Knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Is tho Christ," nnd ns this Implies an obedlonco to the plan as laid down bj our Lord and master, nnd not according ac-cording to tho Ideas and whims of man, so also does It impty tho triumph tri-umph of tho Kingdom Wo ciders havo a supremo faith In tho truthfulness of our cnuso. This Implicit faith is tiding us over tho ohstoclcB that bessct our path and although al-though our progress Is slow, yet truth will ultimately prevail. The work In tho mission field Is gaining ground. Tho spirit of projudlco Is fast disappearing disap-pearing nnd tolernnco Is taking Its placo. Within my memory tho ciders havo been hounded and mobbed and somo hnvo lain down their lives. Today To-day tho elders walk tho utreeta of tho city and travorso tho country thorough thor-ough fares in comparative safty. In somo places yet tho privllago of free speech Is denied, but homes aro 'being 'be-ing opened and friends ecqulrcd And though somo of them caro but little for tho gospel, yet a spirit of friendship friend-ship Is bolng manifested townrd tho benrers of tho gospel messago, and tho spirit of antagonism Is bolng broken down, which of courso prepares pre-pares tho way for tho dellvernnco of that message. It speaks well for tho peoplo of tho Btato of Maine to say that out of an avcrago of sixteen elders traveling without purso or scrip last summer, hut ono of tbem slept out and that for but ono night. It must bo remembered too, that Mnlno wns tho hot-bed of tho opposition opposi-tion of Senator Smoot. In tho town of UUcn, N. Y. whero tho elders were forblddon to hold street meetings and n great deal of antagonism was manifested, ono of tho lending papers recently enmo out with nn nrtlclo very complimentary to Brlgham Young nnd tho Mormona as originate of" Irrigation and dovel-opers dovel-opers of tho Great American Desert The nntagonlsm of tho pulpit Is losing los-ing power nnd n spirit of fairness and a dcslro to gUe credit whore It Is duo Ib taking a hold on tho minds of tho peoplo. Tho Lord la opening tho way for tho speedy consummation of his work, and that Is tho most Important thing. Tho success of tho work Is tho desired ond. Tho success of tho restored gospel of Jesus Christ is of moro Importnnco thnn tho plaudits of tho people, thoijgh tho ono may bo ono of tho means toward tho end. Tho speedy dellveraucp pf the message of truth and righteousness Is tho thing to desire nnd whother this wll by enhanced by persecution or by poaco, Wo caro not. Wo havo accepted tho obligations ob-ligations nnd It Is our deslro to moot tbem manfully. It Is a source of pleasure to myself that tho Lord In His mercy has seen fit to placo mo In possession of a knowlcdgo tho gospel. That my mind has been nblo to grasp tho great truthB pertaining to It. I havo learned to consider tho gospel, In othor words tho work of tho Lord, ns tbo groat plan of tbo ages. I can sco tbo conoc-tlon conoc-tlon of tho creation, and llfo nnd death with that great plan. My mlnd( Is beginning to comprehend tbo utt'' foolishness of tho quarrel beU.n science and religion, a quarrel that has caused much bitterness In tho world This grand old world of ours nnd the wholo solar system, nnd tho laws which control tho samo and which scientists aro trying to Interpret, Inter-pret, aro ns much a part of tho groat plan as Is tho work we term tho gospel of Christ. Tho ono contributes to onr oxlstcnco, nnd tho othor, by our obo-dlenco, obo-dlenco, paves tho way for noblor action ac-tion and higher attainments. Tho world lias accuscdus of matorallsni. That our "materalistle views" tend to lend peoplo away from spirituality. Thoy accuso us of this becauso wo bcllevo In a glcrlfiod, porsonnl supremo su-premo being. Rccause, In othor words we bclloo that Ood, Heaven and tbo glories thereof mean literally and actually a something moro tnnglblo than a fairy myth. In my missionary labors I havo been unablo to find any ono that could oxplaln a separation of tho material and tho spiritual. A bclloor in tho word of God, as tho scriptures are termed, Is cortainly a believer In tho resurrection, and that thtro will surely bo a union of tho' spiritual and tho inatorlal. If tho spiritual powor of God's Influonco was removed from this old material globo of ours, It and wo would soon pnBs way. Aa tho Bpirlt and tho body constitute tho soul of man so does tho spiritual and tho material onter into tho llfo of tho wholo universe of which wo nro a part. Neither Is complete com-plete without tho othor. So my bnitherH nnd sisters let us go ou worshipping in what our eno-mles eno-mles aro ploased to term tho materialistic materi-alistic way, for tho broad of llfo Is worth moro than airy nothings and Imaginative dreams. Let us thank J God that ho In his wisdom has soon jH fit to placo us In tho way of light and IH truth. That ho has scon fit to placo IH us In a condition whoro wo can. have H a knowlcdgo of tho truo nnd Urine H God, who lives and moves and has a jH being, whoso arm is not shortened, H but Is showing tho dlvlno attribute H of JubUco, lovo and mercy. Christ jH says, "And this Is etornal llfo that thoy H might know thee, tho only truo God IH nnd Jesus Christ whom thou has sont. jH (John 17.3.) Then let ua go oa worshipping In spirit and truth and H let tho world call us materialists or H whatever thoy ploaso. To us our re- IH llglon Is tho securing of a knowledge jH of God tho fnthor, tho foundation stono of tho wholo structuro of tho plan of salvation and without which it Is lm- possible to get vory far. Thus start- H Ing with tho truth wo nro ablo to go along and acquire other truths nnd i bring oursolyes Into, a rondlttpn. for H llfo H I do not want to tiro you with too long a letter, and will closo bearing H my testimony to tho fact that I know H tho gospel of Josus Christ to bo tbo, H power of God unto salvation, and that , H Joseph Smith was a prophet of God H raUod up In theoo tho last days to ush- 1 H cr In tho dispensation of tho fullnoas H of times. A lody said to mo recently, H "I havo attended numorous churches, havo bolongod to a number, yet I have H novor been satisfied that any ono of j H them was the right and truo church , H of Christ. Do you feol aa if you wore . ; H right?" I Bald "Yes madam, I can H truthfully say that I know tho work I am engnged In Is tho work of God, and I bear testimony to thnt effect.' 1 H Sho nskod mo how I know it. I relied I by research nnd study, nnd n compart- son of tho scriptures, by reason and H by faith, nud lastly, and this wns the ! fl most Important means, by tho tostt- H mony of tho spirit. This last U 1 M tho most convincing proof ono can H havo . All tho others arc tho result H of tho workings of tho mind nnd nro H moro or loss hedged about by proju H tllco and training, but when tho spirit 1 H of truth, tho Comrortor, testifies to M tho soul of tho believer nil doubt van- H ishes. This communion of tho spirit , H I3 tho koystono that wedges and H strengthens tho arch of reason and H Investigation. H "If any shall do Ills will, ho shall , H know of tho doctrine" That is U10 K secret of It, as wo who havo accepted ! H know well, and this Is tho burden of j jBc our messngo to tho world. It Is, tho IB messago of Mormonlsm. A messago 1 ! thnt thousands aro yearning for, but ' yjK' reject on account of tho name. But ItVj as Shoakospearo sa)s In "ltomeo and HV Juliet, a roso by nny other namo would HB smell Just ua sweet." So tho sweeet lUB savor of tbo gospel, though they call KK "Mormonlsm" has not lost nny of Its Vw qualities, and will yet savo a repent- Jlffl? ant raco. ' 1J59R May tho blessings of God attend you ifjplfl all Is tho piayor nnd deslro of, I'sMlI Your brother and co-worker, i'ihH ELDER EltVIN DAIR. ''HV |