| 300 adjourned till the last Friday Saturday and Sunday in October; to be held in the vicinity of Franklin, Oakland county, Michigan, ten miles south of Pontiac.
M. SERRINE, Prest.
CRANDLE DUNN, Clerk.
I thought that I would fill out this sheet with a short sketch of my travels and labor in this state since last December. I left La Harp, Hancock county, in November, and arrived in this state on the first of December where I commenced preaching. I had calls from all parts of the country; the people seem to have a spirit to investigate the doctrine more than ever.-I visited many parts of the state during the winter; some cried delusion while others said it was the truth if the Bible was true. I was then sent for to come to Lapere [Lapeer] county, and when I arrived there a great excitement prevailed amongst the priests and people saying, 'these that have turned the world up side down are come hither also.' Finally they struck upon a plan, as they supposed, to put a stop to the delusion, as they called it; and that was to get Elder Knight, a preacher of the Christian church, to meet me in a discussion, and show the people the falsity of the doctrine. They then asked me if I would set forth the doctrine of the Latter Day Saints, and let Elder Knight show the people wherein we were wrong. I told them that I would; we accordingly met on the 18th day of January to discuss the subject. A moderator was chosen, and thirty minutes was the time for each to speak. As it fell upon me to speak first, I proceeded to set forth our doctrine just as we believe it according to the scriptures, and in the first place I set forth the kingdom of God as disclosed by Paul in the 12th chapter of Corinthians, and also in the 4th of the Ephesians.
He then attempted to show the people that those officers gifts and blessings were only given for the establishing of the church, and then were to cease; whereupon I demanded Scriptural evidence to prove his assertions. He said that the kingdom was established and therefore they were no longer needed. I then stated that Paul said in the 4th chapter of Ephesians, that they were given for the 'perfecting of the saints, and to keep them from being carried away by every wind of doctrine, by the seigh [sleight?] of men, and cunning craftiness whereby they lie in wait to deceive.' But we continued the discussion for about three hours, and the truth came off triumphant. The moderator decided that if the Bible is to be believed the doctrine must be true, for that we preached the very principles taught by Jesus Christ and his apostles. The debate made a very favorable impression on the minds of many. The next week I baptized ten, most of whom were members of the different churches; and thus instead of stopping the cause they added to its number, and I hope of 'such as will be saved' in the day of the 'coming of the Son of God.'
I have held two more debates since, one on the 4th of July, with a Campbelite [Campbellite] in Lapeer, and the other on the 22d of July, in the village of Franklin, with a Universalian minister, by the name of Curtis, and the result has been the same in each of them. The decision went against them. I have baptized since last January between fifty and sixty, and have organized two more branches, one in Livingston county, town of Briton, consisting of twenty members, known by the name of Pleasant Valley branch; and another branch in the vicinity of Franklin, Oakland county; called the Franklin branch, consisting of sixteen members. Thus the cause of God is onward in this state, and all the powers of wicked men and hireling priests combined, cannot stop the cause of Israel's God, for it is onward and will continue to roll until the 'kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ.'
I remain as ever, your brother in the bonds of the new and everlasting covenant.
M. SERRINE.
GENERAL CONFERENCE MINUTES.
At a general Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, agreeable to adjournment from January Conference, held at the house of sister Monroe, in the city of Utica, New Work, on Saturday the 29th day of July, 1843, commencing at 11 o'clock. A. M.
Elder John J. Green was unanimously called to the chair, and elder E. P. Maginn was chosen secretary.
The meeting opened with singing and prayer by elder Green.
The president then in a very brief and appropriate manner, set forth the object of the conference, and of the great importance of conferences in general, being for the purpose of transacting business pertaining to the kingdom of God, and of assisting in rolling it forth in the earth-made a strong appeal to the saints to assist in its accomplishment will all their powers, both mental and physical; also the necessity of building the Temple and Nauvoo House.
It was motioned and seconded that the secretary read the minutes of the last conference held in Utica. After the reading of the minutes by the secretary, it was
Resolved that the elders be called upon to present their credentials to this conference.
The secretary then arose and read an especial
(page 300) |
