The Montgomery advertiser. [volume] (Montgomery, Ala.) 1885-1982, 1902-06-06
NEWS OF CENTRAL CITY.
CONVENTION OF MoRNoN ED
ERs IN sEssIoN.
Advertiser Bureau,

Advertiser Bureau,
Selma, June s.
The convention Of Mormon Elders Is
being held in the Dragons Armory, they
having rented that hall for the purpose of
holding their meetings. Preaching was
held there this afternoon at $50 and
again tonight at q o'clock. There are be-
tween twenty and twenty-five elders pres
ent. Elder J. r. Brown OF Idaho. Is the
President of the conference Under him
are two councillors, II. 8. Morrison OF
Idaho and c. z. Rench Of Utah. all three
Of whom are In attendance on the church.
Besides these the following elders are
present: r. r. Dalton, Ogden. Utah;
w. E. Bird, Murray. Utah; j. A. Tibbetts,
Tropic, Utah: w. D. Wright, Charleston.
Utah. J. J. File. Ray, Utah; p. B. Dunn
ley. Franklin, Idaho; F. II. Edmunds.
Kaysville, Utah; L. M Hess, Farming
ton. Utah: jenkins Jones. Malad. Idaho;
Bryan Spencer. Murray, Utah: ]. B. Udy.
Franklin. Utah; w. H. Orton, Parawan,
Utah; F. II. Blanmires. Kaysville. Utah;
w. c. Crump. Mousley, Utah; j. H.
Brockbank, Murray, Utah; J. Z. Brown,
Parker, Iado.
Besides these. Elder Ben c. Rich. Pres
ident Of the Southern States Mission,
Is present. Some of these elders came
three hundred miles. many Of them walk
| ing most Of the distance.
All are young men, most of them being
under thirty. Many of them show on
their faces the hardships through which
they have passed. some of them being
srnburned as II they had been chopping
cotton or hoeing corn for livelihood.
| All Of them wear lons-tailed, ministerial
| looking coats. and every one OF them
| seems to be impressed with the dignity
| of his calling. These men are called to
this work from all classes and avocations
They have no preparation for the work
of preaching but 60 out in the highways
and byways and work for the church of
the Latter Day Saints. Most of them
look like ordinary farmers, mechanics
and clerks. They all attempt to dress
neatly, but as they are cent out without
purse and script, as were the disciples
| of old many of them make a poor show
| but they do not seem to be the least
| abashed by the legs of their trousers be-
| Ing torn and frazzled and the lapeis OF
| their coats wrinkled from long usage. In
| spite of the semi- genteel appearance they
present they all appear to- be In good
health and spirits and while care and
| hardship Is written on the brow of many
| of them, they all appear happy and bent
upon carrying out the work that Is before
them.
| One of the elders told your representa-
| tive a rather amusing story about how
! two Of them were run out OF Clarke
| County a few days ago. They had been
holding meetings there at certain place.
the name having escaped the memory for
tine present. and had made deep impress
| sion ON the community. Four had been
converted to Mormonism and they had
all gathered to see them baptised. In the
| midst of the services fifteen or twenty
determined men rode up and Informed
them that the services had to stop: that
they did not believe In Mormonism and
were determined that the doctrine should
not get a. Soothoid in that community;
that no violence would be done them. but
that they must leave, and leave right
then. The leader then directed the two
elders to get in a wagon and the heads
Of the horses were turned toward the
nearest railroad station. some four or
Ave miles away. The horses were put In
| swift trot and the mob. or rather as
semblage of citizens, who had come to
| make them leave, fell in behind, and
| putting their horses in a trot kept up
with the wagon. When they arrived at
| the depot the leader went to the ticket
Office and purchased two tickets to Selma
and handed them to the elders. and with
| the tickets was twenty-five cents each
| to pay for bed for the night when they
| got there The elders seem to feel highly
| compimenfed' at the manner In which
| they were forced to leave Clarke. and in
stead of having any resentment in their
/ hearts spoke most kindly and courteously
of the gentlemanly lot of Clarke County
citizens who escorted them to the train,
and were especially grateful for the rail-
\ road passes home and for the money with
which to procure lodging for the night.
The elder who told the story was certain
ly an amiable.; philosophical fellow, and
while he was relating the incident several
other elders were listening to him, and
they did not seem to lie at all surprised
| at the experience.
| They informed your representative that
] they were nearly always treated in a
| courteous manner and IL had been nearly
| two years now since any personal vio-
lence had been offered them anywhere in
| the South. These elders are required to
spend three years in the missionary field.
They work for the Mormon Church with
out any compensation whatever. After
| the three years expire, they return to
| their homes and resume their regular
| avocations. They say that there are no
| paid ministers or preachers in their
churches. In the city of Salt Lake. with
Its great Mormon Temple and, thirty six
churches in that city Of 50, 900 population,
they have no regular minister. They
have a man who presides over the congre-
cation. He takes his seat and calls on
some man in the congregation to address
the assemblage. The man thus called on
goes forward and addresses the assem-
bled congregation. He does not know
that he is going to be called on to speak
until the man who pres!des calls out his
name. TEey say that there Is more plety
among the Mormons than there Is among
| the other denominations, and that there
are a great many good speakers, for the
custom of sending out missionaries de-
veiops the faculty Of speech making and
all of them become accustomed to public
| speaking.
Most of their meetings in this city will
be open to the public but there will be
| priesthood meeting. which will be intend
ed only for the members OF the Mormon
| Church.
Your representative CLEANED good deal
| of information from these elders as to
| their work in Alabama. and the public
will be surprised at the extent of their
operations Besides the elders. there
were several hay delegates present. They
claim to have a church organization of
about thirty-hve at Autaugaville. In Au-
tauga County, some twenty-five miles
east of Selma. They say that they have
a membership in Alabama of 1.4OO with
churches and missions all over the State.
They have churches and missions al Ath-
ems, Limestone County: Greenbrier Cove,
Madison County; Gadsden. Etowah Coun-
ty: SulIigeEt, Lamar County: Mt. Willing,