| 189 Conference.
Venice, Butler county, Ohio, }
January 18th, 1843 }
Conference convened agreeable to previous appointment at the school-house, and proceeded to appoint brother Geo. Mory president, and Willard Snow clerk. Opened by singing and prayer by the president.
Elder Lamoreaux represented the Newtrenton branch, as numbering 25 in good standing. Invitations for preaching on all sides, as well as at Lawrenceburg Miami town, and the prospect flattering in other places.
Brother Mory represented the present prospect as good in the region where he had been laboring for a few weeks in opening a field of labor in the regions north.
Elder Mattindale represented the branch at Washington, Wayne county, called the Greenfork branch, in good standing, consisting of 15 members-doors open for preaching in the north.
Elder Pettegrew gave an account of his and W. Snow's labors, which had been principally confined to Fayette county, when the Alquina branch was organized, as also Franklin county, in the region of the Newtrenton branch, and Derbon county, among his old neighbors and friends. In all these places there were doors open for preaching.
Elder Lumoreaux [Lamoreaux] then requested a letter of recommendation from the conference to the church at Nauvoo, as he was under the necessity of returning home. Voted that as he is in good standing and fellowship, that his request be granted.
Voted also that we suggest the propriety of sending three or four efficient elders to this region to take the place of those who are under necessity of returning home in the spring.
Moved that we adjourn this conference to Newtrenton, until the first day of April next.
Geo. Mory, Pres't.
Willard Snow, Clerk.
(From the Millennial Star.)
The Influence of the Principles of Truth.
In the third number of the second volume of the Star, we find the following extract taken from the Baptist Register (an American paper) in reference to the influence of the principles taught by the Church of Christ in the last days:-"We have looked upon it as a mere delusion, containing the seeds of its own disrolution [dissolution] . But there is order in this fanaticism, there is system in this imposture, and it carries with it an invisible spirit by which the learned and the unlearned are strangely overcome."-We also extract from Mr. Alexander Campbell's recommendation of "Mormonism Unveiled," published by E. D. Howe, the following:-"The water of Lethe, in their fabled powers of stupefaction, were not half so efficient as the infatuations of Mormonism, for once the delusion is tasted, there is little or no hope,"
We like the opposers of the principles of truth to make such acknowledgments, illustrating the sentiment conveyed by Tertullian of old, when he said, "who ever looked well into our holy religion that did not embrace it?" So will it be, for who can approach the contemplation of the principles of eternal truth, calmly and rationally, without being interested? who can investigate the scheme of salvation-the manifestion [manifestation] of the benevolence of Deity, without being entranced with divine goodness?
What, then, are the principles which are so influential, even according to the testimony of our enemies? We go forth amongst the multitude, who instead of being one "harmonious whole" through the influence of religion, are torn asunder and distracted by the multitude of conflicting opinions that obtain amongst them. We bear testimony that angels have again ministered unto the sons of men, that the curtain which hides from our view the eternal world has been withdrawn, and that mortals have held converse with the resurrected dead, in order to learn the will of God, and to enable them to become instruments in his hands for the accomplishment of his great purposes in terminating the present condition of men, and bringing to pass the millennial reign of his glorified and exalted Son.
And through what instrumentality do we profess that this great work has begun? We answer through the coming forth of a record of a branch of the house of Israel, of the seed of Joseph, upon the western continent, in answer to the prayer of faith in the righteous dead, and in fulfilment [fulfillment] of the prophecies of the ancient fathers, in reference to the house of Joseph being the instrument in the hands of God, in bringing to pass his great purposes, and pushing the nations together from the ends of the earth.
The Book comes forth through the instrumentality of one ordained to stand as a prophet unto the people of the Lord, and inspired to translate its contents and usher them forth to the world. But what is its reception? It is handled and glanced at by the learned and the wise of this generation, for a glance is generally sufficient to satisfy such with regard to its contents, and is cast aside and condemned as a puerile and absurd production-as bearing the stamp of imposture, because it violates the grammatical rules of the English language, and is not sent forth garnished and adorned with learned tropes
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