RLDS Church History Context

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Source: Church History Vol. 4 Chapter 33 Page: 585 (~1888)

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585 I never had such an experience before, nor ever heard of any one else having the same. In the opening prayer of the meeting, which was for sacrament, prayer, and testimony and ordinadinations [ordinations], I was led to pray that the angel of the Lord might assist in the ordinations. I had never had such a thought before, but I now remember that I felt the same influence in ordaining Bro. John C. Foss to the same office.

Elder Burton says of this experience:

On Sunday, January 1, at three in the afternoon, after opening the meeting by singing, and prayer by Bro. T. W. Smith, in which he asked God to bless him in the ordinations to be performed, and to assist him by permitting a heavenly messenger to lay on hands with him, while he should ordain me to the office of seventy; and while his hands were upon my forehead and the back part of my head, I felt a slight pressure upon the top and right side of my head, as though four hands were upon my head. As soon as the ordination was over, I felt clearly and distinctly a circle of fire around my head about where the rim of my hat came, which feeling remained clearly through the remainder of the day, and gradually lessening, yet was distinctly noticeable the next day and whenever I would speak of it; and with it a calm, happy feeling, which I think is testimony, to me that Bro. T. W. Smith is accepted by God in his office and work, and that God desires me to be faithful and true to his covenant so that I may wear the crown of life with the redeemed.

About the first of January there was a discussion at Malad, Idaho, between Elder R. M. Elvin and the Reverend M. T. Lamb, who recently published a book called the "Golden Bible," the purposes of which was to refute the claims of the Book of Mormon. A correspondent of the Salt Lake. Herald from Malad says in regard to this:

Malad is wild with the lecture fever. People of all denominations flock from their homes and trudge through blinding snow-storms to listen to the Reverends Lamb and Elvin from night to night. The large and spacious court-room proves to be entirely too small to accommodate those desiring admission, and it is safe to say that if the court-room was as large again it would be packed from night to night.

Under date of January 4, Elder Joseph Dewsnup, President of the Manchester District, wrote from Manchester, England, in which he gave the following wholesome rebuke to those who write for church publications reflecting upon earthly governments:

I may here mention a matter that I believe to be important to the work in this country. I allude to the occasional appearance of letters in your pages from brethren on this side of the water, and others who pay us a

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