Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1891-09-15


the situation u the past with the
present, especially as an opportunity
was given, by appointment Of
Apostle Brigham young, to visit
the field during the recent solourn
in England. Among the paria
where conferences were attended were
birmingham, Newcastle district,
Manchester district and London. The
numbers Of the Church had greatly
dwjndlei, the old members having
emiRfated and there being compara'
lively few additions. Open air preach-
ing was not conducted N any extent,
The people either assumed threaten.
ing attitude or were coldly Indifferent
TO the message Of the G0sUel. Except
on some special occasion, such a. con-
ference, people gave no he.d TO invita-
tons 10 attend meetings held IN halls.
When they did drop In they generally
never returned, the exceptions TO this
rule being few. In consequence the
Elders were mostly driven TO the
only recourse lelt-deiivering tracts
from DOR 10 door. They would deliver
n great many hundreds without having
an opportunity 0f converting Win the
people, many Of whom treated them
insolently and slammed the doors Ia
their faces. Yet the brethren Kept
bravely on, doing what they conceived
10 be their duty. In observing This
condition II bae been n question a. TO
whether the nation is not now ia the
position OF having rejected the Gospel,
On an average u Il believed that "
takes several Elders one year 70 make
one convert, not few u the baptisms
reported being those Of children
vino have Just reached the
years Of accountability or u people
who have been formerly connected
with the Church. Unfortunately no
detailed record has In the past been
kept ~ tho labor Of Elders formerly
In the field aud their succcsson 30
over the same ground, In many In
stances with barren result. II appear
like plowing, narrowing and planting
farm for long period, with little or
no crop NJ return for the labor ex'
uended. The President Of the Mis-,
sion, Apostle brigham Young, remarked
TO the speaker that he could keep up
tho work N the brethren ~ home 20
desired, hut n they wished him TO go
over the Held ard close u up he hc'
lltvci he could do Il In about one year,
a good work u being done IN rectiiy.
ing the Church records IN Great Bfit'
ain. This was made necessary by the
fact that the names OF many people
had been reported who had been dead
for year., while others hal lclt the
Church or could not he found anywhere
after dlligcnt search by the
Elders. Some ~ the brethren,
seeing that additions 10 the Church
were 20 scarce now compared
with those made In former Year,, were
asking Themselves the question ~ 10
Whether the fault lay In them. Elder
Nlcholsun stated, however, that, ~ a
whole, tho missionaries now In sthe
field were a mobile body " men. They
were whole. souled In the work, opofat
ed intelligontly aud were exceedingly
industrious. They are proving the
world. There IL n revelation, however,
which says that when those sent out
with tho divine message 20 10 man
with Il and he reject them, they nrc
not 10 20 again 10 that man, and that
the same process Of warning, prov.
log, and, when rejected, rutrrhllng
applies also 10 villages and clties.
when this II done they are 10 lay the
matter before tho Lord In the way
prescribed aud leave the subject IA His
hands.
Elder Nicholson made some
remarks about the great nd.
vsncement made by the mother
country In the matter Of intellectual
development. while there was n deca.
dcDce Of human sympathy and u
morality. lie bore testimony 10 the
truth Of tho Gospel aud expressed him-
self TO tho effect that his appreciation
Of the home and associations Of the
Saints had been Increased by his visit
abroad.
The choir sang the anthem
"1athcfcd SAINTS"
Benedlction by Patriarch John