Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1901-12-21

VNv AuNfInt ~ NliA w NAAf'f'1
" about myself, | cannot refuse
to comply with yourwsh, since
II Is the universal season for crafty
ing all reasonable desires and 1t AZ
fords me much pleasure to give Christ
mas greetings to you and your wide
circle OF readers, many of whom are
doubtless young people with their ca
reers yet before them, who may posi-
bly, be benefited by this simple nara
! tive.
AS you are aware, am not a native
of this land Of liberty though ] have
always been a lover Of freedom and an
ardent admirer Of American instltu-
lions. For the sake of these, and above
all for the Gospel Of Jesus Christ-'the
perfect law Of liberty'--I left my ma
tive land, many years ago, and came TO
this country. All that / am | owe to
"Mormonsm." The blessings of the
Lord have followed me all the days of
my life. and to Him | give the glory
for what may have been accomplished
through my humble endeavors Under
Him, | may say, my success has been
due to a determination, formed early In
life, to do my duty faithfully and con"
solentously In whatever position l
might be placed, have always believed
that a thing worth doing at all Is worth
doing well, and | have done the best |
could 60 reduce that principle to prac-
tice. AS a youth my education was
limited, and | was forced by circum-
stances TO depend upon my own eXer-
tions, but found that an honest desire
to labor and a perseyering effort to OBJ
tain employment would not 80 long UNI
requited, and kept steadily at work at
any and every honorable task tina
came my way
A native Of Biddenden, Kent, Eng
land. where | was born December If,
1921. I was baptized (spriukled) as an
infant into the Church Of England, Of
which my father and mother We're both
UltluUtIgt ~ INV tN' VI ANAl A'NAA NetF
confirmed member of that church by
the Archbishop OF Canterbury | was
nearly twenty seven when | first heard
of the Latter-day Saints and their re-
liglon, and became a convert TO what
tho world terms "Mormonlsm." BY
that time ] was husband and father;
/ had been an employe for several years
at a West End shoe store in London,
4. a. iginnaa IN
Liverpool where | had charge OF a sim
liar establishment for gentleman
named Colinson,
The occasion OF my conversion 70 the
new faith was somewhat peculiar. one
day In July, 1913, while in the store, !
CHANGED to stoop and pick from the
floor q small bit Of paper, fragment
OF a torn-up letter on which were the
words "Latter-day Saints | inquired
OF one of the clerks what IL meant, as
had never seen or heard the name be-
fore. He replied that there was re-
ligOus sect in America whose mem
beers called themselves Latter-day
Saints. though they were commonly
known as "Mormons;' that they had
a prophet named Joseph Smith, and
that some of them held regular meet
ings in the Music Han, Bold street,
Liverpool.
was so impressed with what heard,
and so anxious to learn more concern
ing these people, that / went TO their
meeting, creeping up back stairs and |
peeplng through the banisters to get a
glimpse OF the inside where a congre- |
cation was addressed by a speaker |
whom / afterwards learned to be Elder |
Orson Spencer Of Salt Lake City, He |
was speaking on the first principles OF |
the Gospel-faith, repentance, baptism |
by immersion and the laying on OF |
hands for the gift OF the Holy Ghost. |
| thought he must know that ! was
there, for every word fitted mycaseand |
seemed meant especially for me- / In
the principles taught, be-
came convinced of their truth, and was
baptized September 20 lS4S
My wife. Ellen Walters Winder also |
Joined the Church, and we were con-
nected with the Liverpool branch until
February, 1853 when we set sail for
America, taking with us three children,
and leaving one behind In It's grave.