Many unexpected things happen at meetings held by the Elders in the
mission field. A few years ago an Elder in Sweden was holding a
meeting. A local preacher attended it, and the people present expected
the preacher would be able to refute the doctrines advanced by the
"Mormon" missionary; but they were disappointed and no doubt greatly
surprised. When the Elder finished speaking the minister knelt down
in the meeting and thanked the Lord that he had found the truth.
Three weeks afterwards he joined the Church. A similar incident is
related by Bishop Lars Neilson, of Leamington, Millard County, Utah.
In the year 1851 a young man invited him to attend a meeting to be
held by Latter-day Saint missionaries in the village where he was then
residing. He promised to attend, adding a threat that he would tell
those men that in the last days false prophets are to come and deceive
the people. He went to the meeting and found the house filled, but he
made his way to the front, where he would be in readiness to denounce
the preachers at the proper time. The missionaries presented the Gospel
in such a humble and clear manner that Mr. Neilson became convinced
that it was true. It was the Bible doctrine, and he dared not deny it
nor scoff at it. From that time his friendship was won. He entertained
the Elders at his home, defended them before the people, and eventually
he joined the Church.
Two missionaries in the Southern States, who had been sent to open a
new field of labor, commenced by holding a public meeting in a hall
which they had secured. A prominent citizen of the town, who was well
posted on the scriptures, attended this meeting, and to learn if the
speakers taught Bible doctrine he secured a front seat where he might
hear distinctly. He was well pleased with what he heard, and at the
close of the meeting he approached the Elders and told them that as
long as they preached the kind of doctrine set forth that evening they
were welcome to his hospitality. He thereupon invited them to his
hotel, to make their home there as long as they desired.
Inexperienced missionaries are usually assigned to labor for a
time with those who have had more experience. Sometimes, however,
an Elder who has newly arrived in the field is, through force of
circumstances, left to himself for a time. It is then he feels more
than ever the necessity of relying upon the Lord. Some four years
ago an experienced missionary in Great Britain was holding open-air
meetings. His companion had newly arrived from Zion, and had had little
or no practice at public speaking. At the close of one meeting he gave
an appointment for a subsequent meeting, and invited the people to
attend at the designated place on the street. Circumstances prevented
the senior Elder from filling the appointment, so he sent the new
missionary to apologize for his absence. The young man went, and
finding a gathering of people at the place selected for the meeting, he
was impressed to preach himself, trusting in the Lord to assist him.
The Lord did assist him, and he preached to the people with a freedom
beyond his expectation. It was a valuable experience for him, and from
that time he continued to labor most energetically and earnestly during
the remainder of his mission.
Two other young missionaries upon another occasion were left to hold
a meeting without experienced help. Before the time of meeting they
learned that certain parties intended to be present to oppose and if
possible confound them. But undaunted, the Elders fasted and prayed,
and when the time came, went and held their meeting, and bore their
testimonies in humility to the assembled people. Their opposers were
there. The young men knew them, having heard them interrupt some of
their more experienced fellow-missionaries upon former occasions. But
this time they had no opposition to offer. Instead, they listened
attentively to the Elders' remarks, and then bore testimony that
they, the Elders, had the Spirit of the Lord with them, and that its
influence was felt in the meeting.
Apostle Anthon H. Lund in a letter to the Millennial Star, dated at
Nuremberg, Germany, May 19, 1894, tells about meeting with the Saints
in Zurich, when he was introduced to a Brother and Sister Hoffman who
had recently joined the Church. Brother Lund says about this family:
"I was very much interested in hearing them tell what led to their
conversion. They had rented rooms in the same house where the Saints
of Zurich hold their meetings; but as they were Catholics they were
forbidden by their priests to attend the meetings of the Saints. Their
room adjoining the room where the Saints met, the lady could often
hear Brother Duback's sermons. She became much interested and told her
husband that 'Mormonism' was not what it had been represented, but
that it was founded on the scriptures. They sent for Brother Duback,
and he explained the principles of the Gospel to them, furnished them
with books to read, and told them to pray earnestly to God to show them
whether these principles were true or not. They did this one Sunday
evening after having attended their first meeting with the Saints. In
the night Brother Hoffman heard a noise as of a rushing wind, and a
voice called his name distinctly three times and said: 'This shall be
a testimony to you that what you have heard this day is truth.' The
manifestation made a powerful impression on his mind. He awoke his
wife and told her what he had heard. The same night she had a glorious
vision. The room was filled with light and a heavenly personage
appeared to her, pointing to her husband. She understood this to mean
that she should follow him and that what he had told her was truth.
They rejoiced greatly in the goodness of God, and requested Elder
Duback to baptize them. They told me that they had never felt such joy
and happiness as the obedience to the principles of the Gospel had
given them."
Quite frequently attempts are made by unprincipled individuals to
interfere with the labors of our missionaries in spreading the
Gospel. Often men will deliver lectures against the Elders, circulate
falsehoods about the Saints, or interrupt their meetings. Generally
such attempts to hinder the missionary work result in good. What their
enemies do to injure them is in most cases a help to the cause.
Some Elders laboring in the Scandinavian mission several years ago
were opposed by two local ministers in the neighborhood where they
were located. One minister delivered a lecture against the Saints and
he was joined by the other in his attacks upon the Elders. The latter
requested the privilege of defending their cause at the lecture,
but were refused. They, however, managed to secure the same hall as
was used by these ministers, and announced that they would hold a
meeting there the next night. The lecture of their opponent aroused
considerable interest in the subject of Mormonism, and on the following
evening the hall was filled to overflowing, notwithstanding the
assertion made by one of the ministers that the people would not turn
out to listen to them. Had the ministers remained quiet it would have
been difficult for the Elders to awaken such interest in the religion
of the Latter-day Saints. Missionaries in nearly all parts of the
world have had similar experiences to this one just mentioned.
Another
occurrence which took place in the Scandinavian Mission will further
illustrate how the Lord overrules for good the attempts made to annoy
or vex His servants. Some men who were employed on a canal informed
two Elders who were laboring in the neighborhood that there was a
man working on the same canal who desired to see them, and who would
open his house for holding meetings. One of the missionaries went in
search of the man spoken of, but he soon learned that there was no one
laboring on the canal answering to the name which had been given; and
he discovered that the men who gave the information had been playing
a practical joke. The Elder, however, made the best of the situation.
Instead of turning away disappointed, after having waded through
considerable mud and slush in search of the mythical person he had been
told about, he spoke to each of the workmen, and presented them with a
Gospel tract. In doing so he found a man who offered to open his house
for a meeting that same evening. The offer was accepted and all the
workmen were invited to attend. They had a good attendance, and soon
afterwards the man in whose house the meeting was held and his wife
were baptized, and others became interested in the Gospel.