Wheeling register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1878-1935, 1893-03-13
IMMERSED IN THE OHIO.
FOUR MEMBERS OF THE CONGREGATION OF
LATTER DAY SAINTS BAPTISED
Yesterday, in the Presence of Large Crowd
Quarterly Conference of This District
Held Saturday = Elder
Mcdowell Talks

with the thermometer registering IS
degrees, four members of the congrega-
ton of Latter Day Saints, in upper
Benwood, we're immersed in the Ohio
river, above Forty-eight street, about
two o'clock yesterday afternoon.
A crowd OF curious people stood upon
the banks and watched the ceremony.
Elder L. w. Powell, the missionary in
charge of the Benwood church, Off
ciated. The members of the congrega-
ton who were baptized were Albert Nc
MILAN. John Mcmillan, Miss Mary
Smith. and Mrs. Myrtle Fryman,
of Glencoe, Ohio, whose father
is an Elder in the church. All, in
Gliding the Elder, wore ordinary street
clothes. They were taken in one at a
time until the water reached their
waists, when Elder Powell pushed their
heads under the surface. The cere
mony was very trying, especially to the
Elder, who was in the water for some
time. When all had been baptized they
were taken to their homes and dry
clothing substituted for their wet gar
ments. The ceremony of confirmation
was afterward administered in the
church by Elders w. H. Kelly, of Kirt-
land, O., c. II. Humes, Of Pittsburg,
and L. w. Powell, OF Kirkland.
The quarterly conference OF the
Pittsburg and Kirkland district, en-
bracing western Pennsylvania, north
eastern Ohio, and the Pan Handle
counties of this State, was held at the
Benwood Church on Saturday. There
we're seven Elders present at the busl-
ness session. Yesterday special SER
vices were held, and delegation OF
thirty or thirty-hEe people from Pitts
burg, and fifteen from New Philadel-
phia, o., were present.
Elder Kelly occupied the pulpit at
the morning services. In the after
noon, a testimony meeting was held,
which was in charge OF Elders Critey, OF
Pittsburg, and w. n. Garrett, oil Mead
Vile, Pa. In the evening Elder j.. h.
Nc Dowell, of Council Bluffs, Ia, gem
eral missionary Of the church, preached
the sermon. All of the services were
well attended.
The Wheeling City Branch of the Lat
ter Day Saints was organized some years
ago, and now has a membership of 1O2.
Elder Mcdowell, who is on his way
home from the East, is one of the ablest
elders in the churcG. A REGISTER res
porter had pleasant talk with him last
night. 1.-THE Church of Jesus Christ OF
Latter Day Saints" he said, now has
a membership in the United States OF
5000 souls. 1t was organized in 1890
by Joseph Smith, in New York State,
and the present head of the church is
the Oldest son of the founder, Joseph
Smith, Jr., of Lamont, Decatur county,
la. We have no utilization with the
Utah Mormons. Theirs is an apostate
church. We believe in conforming
to the civil laws of the land,
and have no sympathy With
the doctrines of the Utah branch. We
do not believe in plural marriage, polyg-
amy, or the law of tithing, nor do we
believe in blood attonement, which Is
doctrine os the Utah church. 1t is an
undeniable fact that the Utah Mormons
in the early days offered up human sac.
rifice. Ours is legal continuation OF
the church established by Joseph Smith,
while Brigham Young was the original
leader of the Utah Mormons."
The Pittsburg and New Philadelphia
people left for their homes last night.