Be Not Discouraged

BE NOT DISCOURAGED. BY PRESIDENT W. AV. CLUFF, OF THE SUMMIT STAKE OF ZION.

When young Elders are sent on missions and meet with opposition, prejudice and indifference, so general in the world, they often feel more or less discouraged. They often travel days and weeks without apparently having made a single convert; are refused a night's lodging, or even a meal of victuals, and are possibly reviled and threatened with violence. Under these circumstances, they are sometimes inclined to feel that their labors are in vain. They should remember, however, that Christ met with simi- and discouragements, yet he said to his disciples: lar difficulties "I say unto you, that likewise joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repenteth, more than over ninety and nine just persons, which need no repentance. Likewise I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth"; and his apostle, James, admonishes the Saints: "Let him know, that he which converteth the sinner from the error of his way from death, and shall hide a multitude of sins." shall save a soul The labors of an elder who diligently bears a faithful testimony, warning the people to repent, will in time yield fruit. "Cast thy bread upon the waters: for thou shalt find it after many days." I call to mind an instance which proves the truth of the above saying, and which came under my own observation while laboring in the Scandinavian Mission, thirty-eight years ago. A young elder, weary and foot-sore, called at the humble cottage of a lowly peasant and asked for a drink of water. He met with a kind, hospitable reception from the honest man and his wife; the elder preached the Gospel, and bore his testimony to the unassuming occupants of that simple cottage; and, taking his

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departure, left some tracts, which he told them would more fully and clearly explain the principles of the doctrine of Christ. Months after this, another elder by chance called at the same peasant's home. On learning that the stranger was an elder of The Church, the man said: "I have been praying to the Lord that he might send one of his inspired servants to our humble home, as myself and wife believe in the truth of the Gospel as set forth in some pamphlets left with us some months ago by a 'Mormon' missionary, and we wish to be baptized and become members of The Church." And so this second elder had the pleasure of baptizing that man and his wife, both of whom proved faithful to the covenants which they then made. Thus the "bread cast upon the waters" by that foot-sore and half discouraged, humble servant of the Lord, who first bore his testimony to those honest people, was found by his successor, and the first elder really filled an important mission, even though he himself never baptized a single person. That he did a noble work, the following results will prove. This family consisting of father, mother and several sons and daughters, all gathered to Zion, and have proved faithful Latter-day Saints. The father and mother enjoyed the privilege of officiating in the house of the Lord for their progenitors and relatives for several generations back; thus conferring the blessings of the Gospel upon hundreds of the children of men. At a ripe old age, this worthy father and mother died in full faith and in the hope of a glorious resurrection, surrounded by their sons and daughters and numerous grandchildren and friends, loved and respected by all. Three of their sons and several of their grandsons have filled

honorable missions to the nations of the earth, and were the means of bringing many to a knowledge of the Gospel. Thus we see that the seed sowed by that servant of the Lord who first visited and bore testimony to that family, thirty-eight years ago in far off Denmark, has born fruit an hundred, yea, possibly a thousand fold, in the redemption and salvation of the children of our Heavenly Father. Another very remarkable case showing the mighty and farreaching results of the labors of the elders in preaching the Gospel of repentance to the nations of the earth, is the following:

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President George Q. Cannon, when on his first mission to the Sandwich Islands, in 1850-4, baptized as one of the first fruits of his labors on these islands, an intelligent and highly educated native Hawaiian, who was a descendant of one of the old prominent ,

chiefs families of that race of people. This prominent Hawaiian was among the few of his people ordained to the oflSce of elder, and he labored efficiently as a missionary, baptizing hundreds of his countrymen. He was the first of his race who came to Zion. He was here at the dedication of the Logan temple. In that holy place, Napela, this descendant of the Hawaiian chiefs, was baptized for many of his progenitors in direct line of father and son. He thus carried back the blessings of the Gospel to his kindred and people to near the time when they separated from their Nephite forefathers on the continent of South America, when they built ships and sought to sail up the north-west coast, to seek a home in the north country, and by the trade winds were drifted to and landed on those beautiful islands in the great Pacific Ocean. Now, with the knowledge the Latter-day Saints have of the redemption and salvation for the living and the dead, it will easily be seen, in this case, that the baptizing of Napela, by President George Q. Cannon, resulted in far-reaching benefits to a large number of Hawaiian families who will secure redemption through this act and the labors of Napela. The number thus benefited is almost beyond calculation, yet all a direct result of the conversion and baptism of Napela by President Cannon. With this understanding of the effect and vast results from the preaching of the Gospel by our elders, what should discourage them or lead any to feel that the time and labor they spend on missions is so much of their lives spent for naught? The grand and glorious results accruing should convince our young elders that their labors are full of encouragement. They have no cause ever to be discouraged.