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"Lorenzo Snow was a great early missionary. He had been a member of the Church for less than a year when he set out on his first mission in 1837. He tells about his first experiences preaching the gospel in the following words:" 'I . . . traveled about thirty miles, and just as the sun was setting I made my first call for a night's lodging, as a "Mormon" Elder, and was refused; then another, and so on, until the eighth call, when I was admitted to a night's lodging—going to bed supperless, and leaving in the morning, minus a breakfast." 'The first meeting I held was in the neighborhood of my uncle, by the name of Goddard, near the county seat of Medina County, Ohio. The people were notified and a respectable congregation assembled. It was a sore trial to face that audience in the capacity of a preacher, but I believed and felt an assurance that a Spirit of inspiration would prompt and give me utterance . . . [it did, for he] baptized and confirmed into the Church my uncle, aunt and several of my cousins' (quoted in Eliza R. Snow Smith, Biography and Family Record of Lorenzo Snow, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1884, p. 16)."Brothers and sisters, we need to learn that early members of the Church succeeded in the face of all opposition because they had the unwavering faith to open their mouths and declare the truth and because they took with them the mighty sword of the Lord's Spirit (see D&C 27:16–18). They remembered their baptismal covenant 'to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places . . . even until death' (Mosiah 18:9)." M. Russell Ballard, "Anchored by Faith and Commitment," Ensign, July 1995, 16 Topics: Faith, Missionary Work
Publ.Date : Fri, 26 Nov 2010 00:00:00 MST
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