Latter Day Saints' Messenger and Advocate/Volume 3/Number 2/To friends in the east

TO FRIENDS IN THE EAST.

Dear brethren, according to your solicitations I now drop a few lines to you in the name of the Lord for your information as also for my satisfaction. After leaving Kirtland, May 29, 1835, according to previous arrangements I united with elder Lorenzo Barns at New Portage, and proceeded eastward through the State of Pennsylvania to Susquehannah Co. and from thence to Elmira, N. Y. and after setting forth in simplicity the fulness of the everlasting gospel, I had the pleasure of baptizing four persons, three of them were relatives; and you must think I had a time of great joy in the Lord, notwithstanding the multitude of lies, and slanderous reports which were circulated concerning me, and the people to whom I belong in the best of blessing with persecutions. After leaving elder Barns, the next place of particular labor, was Mc'Donough, where there is a small church of the saints: here one went forth in the waters of baptism for a remission of sins according to the gospel. Many were attentive to the word, declaring it to be the gospel according to the Bible, but, as I was in great haste, I left them and pursued my journey into Canaan, Ct. where I found a small branch of the church, determined to press forward unto the coming of the Lord. After paying them a short visit, I went into New Haven Co. where I labored for some time; and notwithstanding very many not only acknowledged the things declared, to be true, but bore witness of it. I may say there were hundreds who bore testimony to these things, but did not obey them as only three went forward in baptism. After this I visited the church at Killingsworth, and so passed on to Hadam, where I labored a few weeks, and being assisted by elders H. Redfield, and Wm. Spencer, I established a church of saints containing a dozen members, who were determined not only to keep the word of wisdom, securing to themselves health and strength; yea, even great treasures of knowledge, but were determined to keep the commandments, that thereby they might have an inheritance in the celestial kingdom of God; I would not say that satan came in human shape, but human beings came in devil's shapes, (if our traditions be correct) for they were blacked, and transformed; and of all the yells of savages in war, I think that these could not be outdone. Besides disturbing the peaceable inhabitants, they threw large stones at persons who had never offended them only by obeying the gospel, they knocked others down, and broke in windows and the like.—In fact, for me to describe the scene would be impossible; but the elders who have seen the like, need no description. From this scene, I traveled through the States of Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, Pennsylvania and Ohio, preaching by the way, and arrived at Kirtland Oct. 31, 1836, where I found, instead of the few friends, thinly scattered around the bare frame of the Lord's house, multitudes of brethren, laboring through the week, and when the sabbath arrives, assemble to hear the doctrine of heaven distil from the lips of the Lord's servants, while they stand in the consecrated pulpits of the temple of the Lord, a monument for this generation to gaze at, while they marvel and wonder and perish, because they will not believe though it be declared unto them not only by ancient prophets and apostles, but by living witnesses, and a wonderful cloud of them to, who set forth the gospel as plain as plain can be, so plain that even they themselves acknowledge that they cannot deny it. For want of time I at this time make an end, but when I get more leisure, I shall, by the permission of the Lord, write you again.

As ever, your brother and friend in the new covenant to Israel.

DANIEL STEPHENS.