Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-01-30
ARKANSAS rRAvELLERs.
uow Mormon dictionaries la that
Role are Progressing.

Role are Progressing.
PIGoorr, Arkansas, January 18th, 1897.
To the Editor.
Our Arkansas conference closed last
night. It was held in Headley school
house in Clay county. We had a series
of splendid meetings. Our principal
priesthood meeting was held in the
woods, where we sat ON the logs around
a huge bonfire. With exception OF
short intervals, our meeting was almost
continuous from ten O'Clock a. IN, until
hve p. m, during which time each of the
sixteen Elders present bore their testi-
monies. The spirit was poured out so
powerfully upon us, that many were
melted to tears and those experienced,
spoke by the power OF the Lord as If
they had been in the field for months.
Following this we had a series OF
Priesthood meetings together using the
noon hour between public gathering, in
which we were spiritually fed. Most OF
the time in these meetings was occupied
by our president, Elder Andrew Kim
ball, while each Of US had sufficient op.
portunity oil speaking as we were led.
Our public meetings, commencing
Friday night and ending Sunday night,
dred persons on an average
Saturday night, BY way oil change, the
Elders gave the people free concert.
During our public meetings our young
Elders were brought to the front and
handled the first principles OF the Cos
pei IN their order.
Elder James L. Nelson presides over
this conference and has laboung under
his direction, eleven missionaries, Joseph
A Wright, Thomas II. Argyle, George
T., Brim, Thomas Gleason, Joseph H.
Peterson, James p. Anderson, Joseph J.
Larkin, Friedrich Cleverly, Frank J.
Copenng, David Nelson aud George N.
Atkinson Besides those, and in com.
pany with President KimDall, we had
visit from Secretary John M Knight,
who was Instrumental in the hands oil the
Lord, with his CO laborers, in opening
up this field, from which he was called
| to st. John, Kansas; to operate as sec.
rotary aud assistant president OF the
Indian Territory mission, To make it
still more interesting. Elder Lorin c.
Woolley, en- route to his old field. the
| Cherokee nation, for short mission,
added his testimony and gave us many
| valuable items OF experience.
Our St. John Sunday school superin.
tendent and tenor singer. Elder Kirk
man, with his guitar, came along 10 aid
in making it still more interesting, so
| that our musical department was one OF
no small interest TO the people.
This is the second conference held in
i this locality, with increasing interest 1t
| will be remembered that iu this partIcu.
lar neighborhood, seven years ago, Ell
| ders Holt and Sheppard OF the Southern
.tfl,s,
| Tennessee, were mobbed, but the fruits
of their labors are apparent today; in
| the many warm-hearted friends to our
Elders. Some of those the two Elders
met during their short visit here
Following each meeting kind friends
waited for us. Notwithstanding the fact
that the people generally are poor, they
share their scanty lot and give us the
best they have, Special preparation
was made OF course for our pleasure;
and the Mormon Elders coming in from
their various rounds know how to ap.
preciate these good things.
| With the exception OF few unruly
| boys, who no doubt would make it UNI
pleasant tor us, if not kept in restraint
by better element, the behavior of the
| people towards us. is worthy of special
| commentator, Our Elders, in coming
in from their various fields, report that
they travelled without purse or scrip, and
have received the best Of treatment.
Elders Brim and Copening particularly
reported that they had put up at the
best hotels in the cities and ate their
Christmas dinner at railroad eating
house, getting at the latter turkey, fresh
oysters and variety OF fresh fruits, etc.
While it seemed hardship to start with,
some months ago, conditions have
changed SO that our Elders very much
prefer the new method; and indeed 1t
would need new dispensation of in.
s,ructions to get them to go back to tTav-
cling as formerly, with money with which
to pay their way. The work is being
done Systematically. The state is divid.
ed into districts. Our Elders are unen.
numbered with trunks, valises or extras
| While the work is yet new in this
state, under the present system oil the
rough canvassing and with the good lot
OF Elders, our president, Elder Kimball
has no fear as TO the result in good
work to be accomplished during the
coming year. FRANK l.. CoPENING,
| .Irareas