| 200 Feeling confident that we had the truth, and that God required me to defend it, when a better instrument was not to be had, I left the many excuses that I might have made, for others to use, and went to work. Bro. Eli T. Dobson promises to write you a report of the debate; therefore, it is only necessary for me to say that the truth triumphed gloriously, and the manifest weakness of those who essay the task of disproving the Book of Mormon, or any part of God's truth, was made apparent to many.
We affirmed both propositions, and the people voted that we sustained them.-The Saints' Herald, vol. 24, p. 348.
About the same time a discussion was in progress at Glenwood, Iowa, between Elder William H. Kelley and Professor W. F. Jamieson, a spiritualist. Of this debate Elder E. L. Kelley wrote, October 22:
The discussion is progressing pleasantly, and but for the continued heavy rains would have been favorable in all respects. These have greatly diminished the audiences from the first. Two questions have thus far been disposed of, and if the opinion of the people is a true criterion, the bold advocate of spiritualism has failed so far. Indeed, the spiritualists themselves whom I have talked with admit that Jamieson completely failed on the first proposition-to wit: "The Bible and reason teach and indorse [endorse] modern spiritualism." Truly it was a failure on the part of the professor. . . .
The second question: "Is there any God," is a more difficult question to meet and the discussion of it here highly entertaining to the audience. The spiritualists are divided as to whom the victory belongs on this; but I have not heard of any one of the persons favoring neither side, but that claims that the positions taken by the affirmative were unmoved; not even in a single instance was this not the case. Brn. M. H. Forscutt, James Caffall, Henry Garner, S. S. Wilcox, Stephen Wilcox, Frank Redfield, and J. Leadingham were in attendance the first week.-The Saints' Herald, vol. 24, p. 348.
The following from Elder Z. H. Gurley gives his reason for not prosecuting his mission to Utah:
Having noticed the depleted condition of the finances as shown by the Bishop's last report, and having been informed by him recently that he had "more promises than he could fill," (unless he drew upon his individual purse), I have concluded to make no effort to reach Utah this winter.-The Saints' Herald, vol. 24, p. 346.
The following item was published in the Herald for November 15, 1877:
The brethren to whom the semiannual conference directed the Presidency to write, respecting the Danish Mission, have replied to the letters
(page 200) |
