Iowa Church Meetings at Lisbon and Mt. Pleasant
By George I. Butler
My first meeting after my last report was at Lisbon. The going was such that we had a comparatively small attendance. Our meetings were interesting, and the Lord gave freedom in speaking. The main object of my appointing meeting there at this time was to settle, if possible, a trial of long standing before I left this field of labor. It had been working for a long time against the union and peace of the church, so there was but little real love in the church. It should have been attended to long before. I have found that such things, left a long time untouched, work most effectually against the good of the church, and, where suitable help can be obtained, I think it far better that they be attended to seasonably. The longer they stand, the more difficult they become. In this case, it was found that little things, which were unworthy of more than a passing thought, had been sufficient to cause alienation of feeling enough to seriously threaten the very existence of the church. It is a shame that such things must be said. By the death of his father, Bro. Mitchell is once more left free to go out to labor in the cause. We hope he will soon give himself to the work. This is one of the oldest churches in the State. Its membership has become very small, and, if a few more move away, there will no longer be a church left. The following week, held meetings at Mt. Pleasant. The attendance of the church was good, but there were few from abroad. Our meetings were profitable. Monday and Tuesday were devoted to re-organizing the church. This step was necessary, because it was impossible to tell who were members by the former church record, and because of the peculiar condition of things existing in the church. Bro. Canright happened in with us for a day, and his testimony was a help to us. We tried to set the objects to be accomplished by organization before the brethren and sisters clearly, and the necessary steps to it also, that real union might be the result. On Tuesday, the organization was carried forward. Our numbers in figures, on paper, will be much less than before, but our real strength we think will be greater. We shall number twenty-five or thirty when all have joined who live in this vicinity, some of whom could not be present. Bro. Jacob Hare was unanimously elected elder, and Bro. Fowler, clerk and treasurer. If there are others who live at a distance, who have formerly been members of the previous organization, and who desire to be members of this, they will make it known by writing to the elder of the church. We can now report a united church in Mt. Pleasant. Our meetings at Brighton commenced March 29. The community at B. have been considerably excited of late, caused by the labors of Mr. Goodenough, the surviving laborer of the company who went out with Elds. Snook and Brinkerhoff years ago. This company were rather unfortunate in their original leaders. They had three ordained ministers in this State at first. As these all became Universalists, and none were ordained by them to take their places, they have no ordained laborers, so far as I know, left here to carry on their work. But Mr. G. came over from Wisconsin just in time to save their cause from the disgrace of being left with no laborer in the field; and though not ordained to the work, yet he has been making efforts here and there to keep their spirits from entirely dying out. They have others licensed, but, so far as I know, they have improved their time by staying at home. They maintain an organization at Marion, and keep up meetings. I know of no other place, but one, where they keep up Sabbath meetings in this State. There were several others, as Laporte City and Fairfield; but these are dried up. I learned of Mr. Goodenough’s arrival in Brighton soon after it took place, and, had I thought it advisable, could have been there very soon. But as that church had received much labor for the last three years, I thought it would be better to wait awhile and see if they had any real faith in the doctrines in which they had been instructed; and as there was an element hanging on the outskirts of the church with some sympathizers within who had much fault to find with all that was done by the church, I expected Mr. G. would pick these up, and thus cause a separation between us, which I thought would be a benefit to the church. It worked just as I expected, and I am well pleased with the result. And although I expected some honest souls would be befogged for a time, yet I felt satisfied that all such would ultimately see things in their true light, and probably be benefited by the operation. In this I have not been mistaken. Mr. G. came there, and, as usual, went to our Sabbath meetings and expressed his great regard for the commandments, &c. After awhile, of course, Mr. Carver’s book was introduced, the main animus of which is to make it appear that Bro. and sister White are liars and deceivers. This is one of the manifestations of that peculiar love they have for us as a people, to show that those who have labored and suffered most to build up this cause are utterly unworthy of confidence. Then he went on to show that our applications of the three messages and the sanctuary question were all wrong. So the special work in which we have been engaged for the last twenty-five years is all a delusion, and we are deceiving the people; and of course these very men who are engaged in this work of trying to make it appear that we are teaching error, got their knowledge of the Advent doctrine from this, which they now tell us is deception, as most of them were once S. D. Adventists. And yet many of these very ones are willing to remain with us in church fellowship, if we will permit them. They are willing to fellowship us, who, they say, are led by deceivers, and teaching a deception. As near as I could learn from the friends of Mr. G., he teaches that the first message of Rev. 14 commenced at the first advent. So the hour of God’s Judgment commenced then. His second, commenced in 1798, and the genuine third message is now being preached by Mr. Goodenough! How long this will remain their position, or how many of that party hold this view, I know not. It is not safe to count very much on this point, judging by the past. It may seem a little strange, to those who understand their position, that the two-horned beast came upon the stage of action many centuries ago, but that the third message, which is a warning against the work of the two-horned beast, should have been delayed so many centuries, till Mr. G. came upon the stage of action. I understand that Mr. G. organized a church of nine in Brighton. I think a few others may join, but not many. His outside interest is nearly dead. Their efforts there have made many see the importance of our work as never before, and many believe the testimonies stronger than ever. In short, I am very glad that Mr. G. made his visit to Brighton. It accomplished good in some directions which had puzzled me very much to bring about. They can do nothing against the truth, but for the truth. I feel very well satisfied with our meetings at B., and trust those who still cling to the old landmarks will remain firm and be faithful to God, that we may be permitted to meet in the kingdom of God. Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, March 11, 1872.