Letter to Orson Pratt, dated Jan. 29, 1849, at Llanelly. (Vol 11:92)
Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, Jan. 29, 1849.
Dear Brother Pratt,--I had waited for your letter at Merthyr until Saturday morning, but as it had not then arrived, and as we had a new Chapel to open here on Sunday, I set off here and only arrived in the middle of the afternoon meeting.
This is a very commodious and well built Chapel, situated in the centre of the town, and will accommodate above a thousand persons with seats.
Yesterday, during each meeting, it was crowded to overflowing, notwithstanding public notices had been published in every other chapel here, prohibiting any of their members attending, upon the penalty of being "turned out of their synagogues;" how much like the ancient Pharisees are their children! Doubtless they were much mortififed at their discomfiture, and chagrined when some of them had to pass our chapel and saw it crowded inside with attentive hearers, and the streets outside and round the lower windows thronged with people. I feel persuaded that much good has been done; so far the ramparts of sectarianism are scaled, and some of their chief coronets were yesterday publicly baptised; many others promise to desert their "black flag" to-day by being baptised. Our public meetings continue through to-day also. Cheering news salute my ears daily of the progress of the Gospel in Wales. In this town over two hundred have been baptised in the last two years, more than a dozen in the last few days past, and the place all in an uproar now.
The persecutions about Merthyr increase and wax hotter as the time grows nigh for the Saints to emigrate, but I am not alarmed for my life, because I believe that my existence will be prolonged to torment the emissaries of hell much more than ever yet. With love to sister Pratt and family, and your dear self,
I remain your brother, &c.
D. JONES.
