EXTRACTS FROM ELDER DAN JONES'S LETTERS TO ORSON SPENCER.
Extracts from letters to Orson Spencer, dated Nov. 3, 1847, at Merthyr Tydfil. (Vol 9: 363,364)
Merthyr, November 3rd, 1847.
Dear President Spencer,--I know you have the interest of the work at heart, and be cheerful, for I assure you that these lectures make more Saints, in despite of themselves than many of our elders could do. We increase the more opposed. All the religious editors publish "that Mormonism had a home stroke in Dowlais,"--that they are all going to wreck,--that two of their principal leaders left them after those lectures, and others with them, &c. Whereas the reverse is actually the case. Not one has been cut off there since, and, furthermore, we have better hearing than ever; and hardly a week has passed since without baptizing more or less. Thus they prove who are the children of the father of lies, by doing his works. In this branch it is going on gloriously; we hold church meetings twice a week only ten, and even more some weeks that are past. In another branch fourteen were baptized in a week, another five, and others less; but from all parts of the Principality, I hear of baptisms almost daily. And what is better still, the Saints are universally growing in wisdom and holiness, union and love, and my soul delights in them. I thank my heavenly Father, and Joseph Smith the more, for such a message to bring to gladden the hearts of my kindred and set them free; the more I hear of the clanking of their bursting fetters, and the more I hear of their joy and gratitude. Oh! how I long for the happy day when I shall see
them all in Zion. Have you any idea when it will be turn?
I deliver a course of lecture here on week days--replying and defending--on the Book of Mormon, and every Sunday on the Millennium; and the audiences continue to increase until our hall is thronged, and much of the prejudice destroyed.
I do appreciate the resulting consequences of the prayer of the righteous much, and pray them continued in my behalf. While on this topic, and in proof of it, I will mention one circumstance which occurred near here last week. One sister, being newly baptized, was very cruelly treated by her husband, such as being shut out of doors at night, &c. She asked the advice of another sister how to proceed in such an emergency, to which she replied, that they would both covenant to pray all day that the Lord would incline his heart to the truth, and the consequence was, that the first words that her husband told her, when he returned from work in the evening, was to hurry off to get an elder to baptize him as quick as possible, which was no sooner said than done! You may imagine her joy when she saw her husband in the Saints' meeting that night, "clothed and in his right mind," and rejoicing in the Holy Ghost. Who will say that the God of the Saints does not hear and notice their cries? Surely none but aliens and strangers to the family! Another instance to prove that the prayers of the above branch were heard is the fact that the person alluded to was but one of fourteen that were baptized there last week, besides the many more who are at the door there and elsewhere. Success to it is my prayer, Amen.--My wife joins in love to you and Sister Spencer, &c.
My lectures of last week (replying to that Dowlais lecturer, before alluded to) were well attended. Yes: the place was crowded to excess, neither did any one show any sign of disapprobation, but of universal applause, and cries of shame on my opponent. Much good is done, and the prejudice disappears like the fog of the morning before the sun.--Sunday evening lecture, No. 7, on the Preparatory Work of the Millennium, has set these regions on fire, as it were, and wondering "where so much light can spring from all at once," for many of them never came to seek it until our persecutors arrested their attention to it of late. Last evening, I baptized a gentleman who is now, and has been a Baptist minister for the last eighteen years: he preached to his flock last Sunday, and has an appointment for the successive Sunday. He came four miles purposely to be baptized, though he had never heard a sermon, only reading my publications; especially my last reply (of which I sent you a copy--a pamphlet of forty pages,) finished him entirely, and he came in as good a spirit as any one that I ever saw, and has just returned on his way rejoicing. He is a wealthy man of great influence, and, as he said, he feared that he was not a servant of God, because he heard every person universally praising him, whereas the scripture says,"Wo unto you when all men shall speak well of you."
Besides him, two other Baptist ministers of notoriety were baptized last week, and several deacons in various places, while at the same time some ministers are driving nearly all their flocks to the Saints by persecuting them; thus, between them all, we have a tremendous shaking among the dry bones (as sectarians would say) all through this graveyard! The general impression, especially among the Baptists, is, that this last hero has done more harm to their cause by his persecutions than any ten men had ever done before; and my reply is acknowledged to be his "home-stroke." He returned home after the last tug, nor have I heard even a bark from him since. I hope he will hide his head in his kennel until he's wanted to watch our houses at night: this, I think, he will be willing to do without being chained!
But, dear brother, time presses me; I forward you L2 more, and you will please forward me by next parcel, (should this come in time), in addition to my former order, 12 Doctrine and Covenants, and 20 Voice of Warning.
Yours, in the everlasting covenant,
D. JONES.
[Elder D. Jones sends for no less than twenty-four hundred of Spencer's Letters, for distribution, to begin with, and for other publications in fair proportion!--Ed.]
