Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1898-01-08
.,.osrtyrrse IN SWITZERLAND
r,nerlenec of an Elder Among the ,rrn'"'
ips.'s,,inr people of That Republic


5ad the "News" for publications.
IS noiN ,,rother: often since on q
pe" here in Switzerland I have
.songbt of you and your family ana
''a,,r great kindness and help TO me
~, was In sal, Lake city about 10
-. for n mission to Europe shouiu
- ,yr,tten YOU much sooner but l
sreot deal of correspondence
nA So and can hardly find time for
,a,ter.writing in connection WIN my
,n,es here. In a few days more IL
Mi have been year since l left sait
- CITY. so my time is beginning 10
IN now When | reached here last
,,,uary after pleasant voyage
s,as nlaced to work in Biel in the Jura
n,arerce of west Switzerland. Here
started to learn to speak German us
mat is the prevailing language. a
a,,,b later. lust as ] was beginning
"a sneak with some ease, was moved
% Chaux-de- Fouds in French Switzer-
,,rd as II was thought / would soon
,aorr French. too, as ! had learned the
TOO languages in the Il. Y. College ut
1oqan. / was put to live with a
French family, and two months later
ennke French with considerable ease.
s,rce then have labored mainly with
tho French, though l often have TO
sneak German, too, and when the ar
rongemcnt of these Swiss conferences
wos changed recently l was included
in what is called the French conference,
which includes all the speaking
rort Of Switzerland and some little
NJ France. However, we are practice
ollv unable to do anything in France
vet as their laws are unfavorable to
us. For four months past / have
labored alone in Neuchatel. where l was
sent August LIST to open up missionary
work. 1t has been many years since
missionaries resided in this little city
before / came and at first / was almost
nm entire stranger, as there were only
three members here. and they were
about asleep as TO the Gospel.
Soon after coming here l started
tracing from house to house, preach
ing this Gospel of the Kingdom wher-
ever any one would listen to me. AT
first it was very difficult task for me.
MS was all alone here and felt some
tlmidity But ! put my trust in GOD
and tried to do my duty as l under
stood it, and gradually became
holder and holder in the work, until l
began TO like II. The people here live
in large tenement houses, usually two
families on a iioor. | always go TO the
top Of the building and tract from
door to door as go down the stairs
BY this means If / get chased any
where Il is all on my way. l ring the
door-bell and when 1t is answered an
nounce my message and give tract
to the person answering, requesting he
or she to read II and tell them / Will
call again ard II they will receive me
and listen to me ! explain further ON
this Gospel that has been again re-
stored to, earth and give them another
tract. Thus | visit time after time
until they will admit me no longer and
then go again sometimes even when
forbidden. i have thus found some
earnest Investigators after truth and
have made number OF friends. How
ever. while many listen and tell me II
Is true and say they know it is of God.
they do not seem TO want to go to the
trouble Of changing from their present
condition. They seem to think they
are doing well enough II they live NOR
ally and do not bother their heads
much whether or not they have the
true religion among them. 1t Is often
discouraging to me. but, MANY are
called, but few are chosen"
MY experiences are quite varied at
times. There are many kinds of peo-
pie In the world with many peculiar
ways OF treating person, and all this
tends to make tracing sufficiently in
teresting to keep 1t from getting monot-
ohous sometimes | am very well
received and other times have the door
slammed at me. In most cases how
ever, people will listen to me at the
door. Nearly two months ago an ar
tcle about me appeared in little pa
per called the Ane. The paper has
pretty wide circulation but is not much
tnought OF, az II annoys everybody.
In this article, headed Mormon Propa-
ganda they gave "A pretty tough ac-
count OF me and my methods OF prose-
iytlng here in Neuchatel. II finished
Dy fervent appeal to all fathers to
thfoW MN down stairs, squarely, II
ever ne attempts to enter your house"
however, no one has attempted that
YET 1t described me as IA being all
dressed In black resembling raven
of sinister augury." a dirty Mormon"
an illuminated sensual" ETC., and stat
ca mat | was here to lead astray the
wives ana daughters of Neuchatel
aoh mink they did me any particular
harlIl ana II furnished some amuse-
ment for me and my friends here.
MY district to labor In also embraces
considerable of the surrounding coun-
Wy Where we have some few Saints. |
make trips around the district month
as near as possible, visiting Saints
ahu investigators. once month !
nolu meeting at Lamboing, little vii
lase ABOUT l5 miles from here, whore
we we nave two or three families of Saints.
iLheie Is lots Of walking to do in labor
,hg IN the country districts. Some
nnss nave to walk twenty to twen-
W,nVe miles n day, several days In
iuee,esslon. and sometimes I get rather
.u".ly ny u alone. ! hold meeting ,src
AZ Seuchatel once or twice q month but
no strangers come.
~, we are hve Elders In this conference
nov with Brother George l.. Graohl
niishain city as our conference
n,vsdent. We are Obliged to work
SSa"sle-handed thus as we are so few
TO-, nulloefs' We see each other Mt
n.sefvals' as this Is hut n small country
NJ W. we citles are not very far apart.
" need lots Of missionaries here hut
Is hard to find any one Who hSs
hhsuuled The French language. / have
lan, n sIeally blessed of the Lord In my
ana saase ana now speak French |
nuehiIy and with good accent II
ma pehutlfnl little land and reminds
hn,.s lhlnSll g. my own mountain
hs nle N the blessed land OF Zion,
son neeh much pleased on nv mis-, |
fron, MN MN good health and protection
truth 10Y anu my testimony of the
anal, " TINS work has been abund
sn 'y Strengthened. rejoice tba, I
e, n mus privileged to take part in tbia
mv latter-day work ard / ever nrav
NJ ntaNehlg Father Ia keen mo h,,,n