| 195 our voices in the case of truth, to those who were willing to hear. But few came out at first, being cautioned by their priests, to beware of us, as we were impostors, &c. But we confined ourselves to a small section of country of about thirty miles, travelling [traveling] back and forth, improving every opportunity where we thought we could bring the engines of truth to bear, until mountains of prejudice began to fall, and the people began to come out and investigate the subject for themselves, and we had as many calls for preaching as we could attend to. A few presented themselves for baptism, others acknowledged we preached the truth, and if we would work a miracle they would believe it was of God. We baptised [baptized] fourteen, organized a branch and ordained two elders, and left the work in a very prosperous condition, and returned home the 20th day of February.
Yours in the bonds of the new and everlasting covenant. Rufus Fisher.
Thos. R. King.
To the Editors of the Times and Seasons.
City of Nauvoo. May 19th, 1843.
Dear Sir:-With feelings of high consideration and due respect, do I this evening take my pen in hand to address a letter to you, containing a short sketch of my travels in one year past. One year since, I visited a settlement of Norwegians, in La Salle county, Illinois; where, after laboring some time among them I succeeded in baptising [baptizing] five, and ordained one elder, when I left them for about one month; and then returned and organized the branch, and called it the La Salle branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; and ordained Brother Goodman Hougus, Elder, a man of a strong mind, and well skilled in the scriptures; he can preach in Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, having an understanding of their languages. From thence I returned to Nauvoo, where I found the whole country deluged with falsehood, from the pen of J. C. Bennet [Bennett], and I immediately returned to La Salle, but the people there, looked upon him as a wicked designing man; his lies continued but a short time, when eternal disgrace fell upon his own head. I soon returned to Nauvoo, and in a few days I was appointed by the special conference, in August, to travel through Illinois, to correct the misstatements of Bennett, in which journey I travelled [traveled] through eighteen different counties. I was generally successful in convincing the people that Bennett maliciously slandered the innocent. I baptized six in Perry count, Illinois; and returned home in December. In January I left again, and went into St. Clair county, where I was joined by a worthy brother, by the name of Henry B. Jacobs, who baptized twelve, and I baptized a German after he left. I preached in Chester, Sparta and Bellville [Belleville]; from thence, I returned home, and again visited Ottowa La Salle county; spent two weeks, and baptized seven. I found the church there, in good spirits, and in the enjoyment of the spiritual gifts. The La Salle branch now numbers fifty-eight, in good standing. Elder Oley Hayer, was chosen to preside over them, who is well worthy the office. Elder Goodman Hougus, and Brother J. R. Anderson, visited the Norwegian settlement, in Lee county, Iowa, in January last; spent three weeks; baptized ten, ordained one priest, and left them and went home to La Salle county. From thence Brothers Hougus and Hayer visited a large body from Norway, in Wisconsin territory, and have laid the foundation of a great work, to all appearance. There is now fifty-seven members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints from Norway, and the time is not far distant, when the saying of Micah, 4:ii, will be fulfilled.
In haste I subscribe myself your fellow laborer, in the new and everlasting covenant. Geo. P. Dykes.
To the Editor of the Times and Seasons.
Dear Sir:-As time softly passes along, without respect to place or person, depriving the monarch of his diadem, and liberating the slave from his chains; events occur which bring to our mind joys departed, but the remembrance is still dear, and thus we have pleasure in the thought of past joys. It is now three years since I requested the ordinance of baptism at your hands, in a far distant land, the land of my early days, the land that I was then calculating to live and die in, for I had then no idea of crossing the Atlantic, and from that time I consider a new era was formed in my life; for previous to that, it seems as though I had no knowledge of any thing, but just as though it had been a dream, and every thing unnatural. Not that there were no men of parts, but a sort of lunacy seemed to be engendered with the brain. Though perhaps the vapor might be thicker in the atmosphere I was breathing, than that of many of my neighbors, being a member of the Methodist society from my early youth, but it seems to me that it was a sort of Egyptian darkness that could be felt. After being baptised [baptized] it appeared as though the thick fog had passed away, and I could use my reason and I did so, and declare that some of my old friends appeared-not like trees walking, but-like sleep-walkers, and it would try the patience of a saint to have any thing to say to them. I would not attempt to describe the malady, for
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