--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 4 number: 8 published: 1901-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Letters from Missionaries," *Improvement Era* 4, no. 8 (June 1901): 583–589.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0408unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0408unse start_page: 583 end_page: 589 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1901-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0408unse publication_year: 1901 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1901, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Letters from Missionaries LETTERS FROM MISSIONARffiS, A Dfeam Explained. Elder James W. Lesueur, writes to the Era explaining how the way was opened to him to promulgate the gospel while on his mission in England: Having been transferred from Yorkshire to the isles of the English Channel, in May, 1899, 1 labored alone about two months, and during that time, as well as before and after that, my way was opened by the Lord so that I could act as his instrument in getting the gospel before a number of souls. One instance, I will relate: Having finished tracting St. Sampson's Parish (Guernsey Isle), I was intending to visit some investigators there on the 10th of January, 1900. While on the road, I was impressed to go into a certain house just passed. Not knowing why, I kept going on. Again the impression came, this time with double force. Turning about I walked back, knocked on the door and was invited inside. Sitting down, I conversed on general topics with an intelligent woman. Suddenly a thought came forcibly to her mind, and she exclaimed: "What an odd dream I had the other day! It might !" have been a vision, for I am quite sure I was awake Then she related the following: "I thought I saw myself out in the sea in an oarless, rudderless boat. The waves were dashing against the little boat, nearly capsizing it at every splash. I was in such horror. Sometimes there seemed stones before me, but reaching for them, I found they were merely feathers and straw. After being tossed about nearly to desperation, there appeared be- fore me a fine, large steamer, laden with happy and contented 584 IMPROVEMENT ERA. people. Those on board were beckoning me to them. But, no; I drifted away, and finally the ship of rescue disappeared from view. "Three times I beheld this dream or vision, and at the close of each, my mother's face came before me for several moments; each time, she had an anxious look. What it all meant, I do not know, but it has worried me ever since." This was, in substance, the account she gave of her dream or vision. Like a flash, the interpretation thereof was given me, whicb, as far as I remember, was as follows: You have acknowledged to me you did not know which was the right faith; you disbelieve in christening, yet belong to a sect that teaches it as essential to salvation; you say you go to a chapel of another creed, and at the same time agree with me that their claims of "instant salvation" and "belief-alone" doctrines,are wrong. Still you attend another faith, yet doubt its authority. To be plain: what could be a better illustration of your condition than that of the rudderless, oarless boat, tossed about upon the waves of life's rough sea? Are you not "tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men and cunning crafti- ness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive"? Paul says, that is the way with all not having "apostles and prophets" as their instruct- ors and leaders (Eph. 4.) Are you not drifting about in the shal- low boat of doubt and confusion, nearly despairing,^ reaching for the sure rocks of salvation, and catching only straws in the shape of flimsy romantic tales "with a hidden meaning," that does not satisfy the cravings of your soul for heavenly light? Madam, you tell me how hard it is to know which is the truth, and that you are about to despair in your search for it. Yet in your life, the good old gospel ship has appeared before you to rescue you from your dangerous condition three times. First, in your youth in Abingdon when, you say, many joined the "Mormon" faith among your friends. Still you drifted upon the stormy sea of life. The elders and saints left your old home, most of them emigrating to America, and then the vessel disappeared for a time. The second time it came before you was seven or eight years ago when Elder Sears and his companions preached in the streets and halls of Abingdon, England. You acknowledge that every thing LETTERS FROM MISSIONARIES. 585 he taught seemed according to the Bible. Yet you drifted, and in time the elders again left Abingdon. Now again, having moved to Guernsey, the sea of life is more turbulent than ever. While you are being tossed about, the Lord again causes the gospel ship to come before you, and with cheer- fulness, we beckon you to enter the same and the voyage of life will be completed in a safe vessel, so you can land in due time at the port of heaven where there is no more death, sorrow, crying or pain, for the former things have passed away. Your own mother, beyond the veil, is anxious for you to go on •board the gospel ship by entering the Church of Christ.The ques- tion now is: "Will you drift again?" She acknowledged the interpretation to be correct. I begged her and her husband to give prayerful consideration to the warning, for by living up to what it teaches, it would mean their salvation. This not only opened up the way at their home, where we had a standing invitation, and where there was a whole family interested in the truth, but from them it went to others, and thus the Lord opened the way. Do not he Neutral nor Lukewafm. Elder J. M. Lauritzen, writing to some friends in Utah, from his mission-field in Christiansand, Norway, gives some advice that may prove of general value; it is presented to the readers of the Era through the courtesy of Mrs. Annie G. Lauritzen: I trust that a brighter day is dawning for us all. One reason why we are so happy here in the mission-field is because we hold ourselves free from evil associates and companions. That is one reason, and another is that, being free from these evil influences, we enjoy a greater flow of the Holy Spirit which prompts us to do our duty, and, in doing so, we find great joy. You know the Sav- ior said, "If you were of the world, the world would love you, but because you are not of the world, the world hates you." These words, every faithful missionary can testify are true. The world does not love us, and hence, we find no companions here among our fellow-men who are of the world, and it is herein that we are greatly blessed; for, being alone, we become humble and draw near unto the Lord. He sends us the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, 586 IMPROVEMENT ERA. which is the best companion a person can have on this mortal journey. We can enjoy the same blessings at home, if we will pursue the same course. The trouble with us sometimes is that we try to serve God and mammon both at the same time. We go to meeting to be on good terms with the church people, and then we go and drink a glass of beer and smoke a cigar with our outside friends in order to be considered a jolly good fellow among them. Now let us sit down and seriously consider the results of taking such a course, and what do we find? Why we find that neither the Lord nor the devil has any confidence in us. We are neutrals a straddle of the fence; cowards who dare not take a stand with either one side or the other. Read Revelation 3: 15-16. The Lord is talking to a branch of The Church, and he says: "I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot. I would that thou wert cold or hot. So then, because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth." What is true of a branch of The Church is true of an individual, because a branch is composed of individuals. The Lord has no use for a person who is lukewarm. Such a one he will spue out of his mouth. This is a true principle, and we can see it in operation round about us every day. The man who has the moral courage to do either one thing or the other is admired even by his enemies. We believe that before we came here upon the earth, we all had an existence in the spirit world. That our Father in heaven prepared and created this earth as a place where each of us could come and pass through an experience that would result in honor and glory, on one hand, or in condemna- tion, on the other, according to our works. come in In order to contact with the grosser elements, we had to The fall was fall. brought about through the sinning of our first parents. A law having been broken, eternal justice required that an atonement be made. This required the voluntary sacrifice of an innocent being. Two candidates presented themselves, Christ and Lucifer, and each presented his plan. One was good and the other was bad; and right here, in the spirit world, we were placed in the same posi- tion as we are here on earth — we were given the privilege of choosing which master we would serve. LETTERS FROM MISSIONARIES. 587 A person who cannot be a master must be a servant, and no person can be a master who has not a mind of his own. We are placed in the same position here as we were in the spirit world. The same forces of good and evil are here, and we are required to choose. Life consists of two roads with a fence between. We are at liberty to choose which road we will follow, and which master we will serve. But there are those who do not choose, but who take a seat on the fence and cast their smiles upon those going by, both on the right hand and on the left. Don't you get on that fence, my friends; there are too many there now. They foolishly imagine that they are occupying a good position, and of- ten they speak lightly of those struggling about them, but some day they will come to their senses, and find that those who have been struggling have advanced, and are now out of their reach, and sight, as well, while they themselves are still sitting on the fence. A gentleman one day said to me: "Mr. Lauritzen, don't you ever get discouraged?" "No; not as long as I do my duty." I replied, "Why," said he, "if I had to meet the opposition that you do, I should certainly be discouraged." But this is where the gentleman was mistaken. The man who knows he is right, never gets discouraged. Therefore the first consideration is, "Be sure you're right, then go ahead." Opposition is the natural food for ambition. We must taste the bitter to appreciate the sweet. The man who has never been hungry does not know the value of food. Neither does the man who has never met opposition know the meaning of success. In the economy of the Creator, there is no middle road to anything. As I said before, there is simply a fence there, and if you want to take it easy, you can get on that fence, but remember it is a fix- ture, and a stationary thing, and by resting on it you never get any farther. A person on this fence is neither plus nor minus, he is simply cipher. Every intelligent young person has an ambi- tion to accomplish something in life, and to do so, a firm stand must be taken. Never mind what people say; never mind opposi- sion, but "Be sure you're right, then go ahead." This is the key to success in all things, whether in heaven or 588 IMPROVEMENT ERA. on earth— in this life or in the next. If you know you are right, but don't go ahead, your knowledge will never benefit you, and if you go ahead without first knowing you're right, the whole will be simply guess work. The two must go together. This is what the Bible calls faith and works. It is the underlying principle of the plan of salvation, in temporal as well as spiritual things. ] Remarkable Case of Healingf. Elder Ephrain H. Nye, president of the California mission, writes to the Era, from San Francisco, under date of March 25, as follows: On February 13, 1901, Mr. Shaw, of this city, a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was stricken with a paralytic stroke which affected his whole right ride, so that he was unable to move hand or foot, on that side, nor was there any sense of feeling left in any part thereof. The family physician, a man of twenty-two years' practice, was called in, and, after carefully examining the patient, said it was a severe stroke, and it would be at least three months before he could walk. But the afflicted man told the doctor that he was a "Mormon," and that he would send for the elders of The Church who would administer to him by the "laying on of hands," and that before tomorrow's sun should set, he would be a well man. After chatting over the mat- ter awhile, the doctor expressed a desire to be present when the ordinance was performed. To this. Brother Shaw readily con- sented. The day following, Brother Shaw sent to 939 Golden Gate Avenue, this city, for the elders.Two of them, George W. Squires and A. W. Hale, went, and on reaching the house of the afflicted man found him as reported. The doctor was sent for, and he again examined his patient, in the presence of the elders, and again said that the whole right aide was paralyzed, and that it would take at least three months for the best medical skill to cure him. The elders, having prepared themselves by fasting and prayer, now proceeded to attend to the sacred ordinance. At the request of the sufferer. Elder Squires anointed the afflicted part of the sick man's body with oil, and Elder Hale pronounced and sealed LETTERS FROM MISSIONARIES. 589 the blessing upon him. While the elders' hands were yet upon the patient's head, the power of God was manifested in such great abundance that it fairly made the elders tremble. The life-giving influence of the Holy Spirit swept over the afilicted man, and by the grace of God, he was instantly healed. The first evidence of restoration to the stricken side was the raising of his right hand to his head; he then stretched it out to shake hands with the doctor who was very much astonished at what he had witnessed. Brother Shaw then sat up, dressed him- self, walked down stairs and ate a good, hearty dinner. He has been well, and has attended to his work ever since. The doctor came to our meeting the following Sunday night, and freely ex- pressed wonder and, astonishment to a number of the Saints at the close of the meeting. ^ This is the second time that Brother Shaw has been healed in like manner. Once, about two years ago, when he was stricken in the same way and was healed instantly, by the laying on of the hands of two of the elders of this Church. If any desire to verify the foregoing statement, they may write to Brother T. W. Shaw, 3648, 16th St., San Francisco, Cali- fornia. His wife and her three grown children, all members of the Methodist church, will testify to the truth of the foregoing state- ment. They all rejoice in the knowledge of the fact that they are the recipients of one of the greatest gifts and blessings of the gospel, and of the power of God manifested through the laying on of „the hands of the elders of The Church.