Sacramento and Lodi, Cal.
By B. A. Stephens
FEBRUARY 1–3, I met with the church in Sacramento, and preached four times. There was a good attendance and a good interest in all the meetings. At a business meeting first-day afternoon all expressed a desire to move in harmony with the body, and it was determined to adopt the question book for the Bible class, to take a club of the SIGNS, and to make a forward move in the missionary work. They have a good field and if judicious labor is put forth, and if they will improve their privileges of grace, they will certainly rejoice in seeing numbers added to the church of such as shall be saved. Sunday evening over forty were present to listen to a sermon upon the question of “eternal punishment.” I am now laboring in Lodi, San Joaquin county. This town is situated on the C. P. R. R. fourteen miles north of Stockton, and has about five hundred inhabitants. I came here Feb. 4, and obtained the public school-house in which to preach. After giving two sermons the trustees closed it against me on account of the opposition manifested. A merchant gave me the free use of an old dwelling-house, which, with some volunteer help, was fitted up quite comfortably for meetings. I have spoken seven times to interested audiences. The average attendance has thus far been seventy. I find a comfortable home here with Brother D. S. Dye and family, who embraced present truth under the tent labors in Sacramento last summer.