THE IOWA AND NEBRASKA CAMP-MEETING.
By George I. Butler
This meeting convened at the appointed time, and the people generally reached the ground in good season. I expected it would be much smaller than last year, because times are so much harder and quite a number had told me beforehand they could not go, and because the paper had given no encouragement beforehand that Bro. and Sr. White or other speakers from the General Conference were coming. We were happily disappointed, as this meeting was the largest ever held in the State. Between forty and fifty tents were pitched, and the number of Sabbath-keepers on the ground very nearly filled our large tent, 50x70, full. We had a very dreary, cold spell of weather during our meeting, and many of our meetings were of necessity held in the large tent. But the best of feeling prevailed nevertheless. We looked for laborers from abroad, especially for Bro. and Sr. White, till the very last; but none came. In this State we have not been so short of help for years, as Bro. R. M. Kilgore has gone to Texas, and Bro. Morrison was necessarily detained away. Bro. Farnsworth and myself did most of the preaching. Elders Wing, G. V. Kilgore, and Boyd, each spoke once. Our social meetings were seasons of interest. The Lord made the preaching of Bro. Farnsworth a means of great good to the meeting and specially blessed his labors. This was a happy surprise to most of our people, as Bro. F. had labored in a distant part of the field and few present had ever heard him before. The interest increased from the beginning till the close. On Sunday, which was tolerably fair in the morning, a large crowd were in attendance, not as large as last year, yet the grounds were covered with people. Bro. F. spoke on the Sabbath question, and was listened to with the deepest interest. Scarcely any stragglers were seen walking around. All seemed to give the closest attention. In the afternoon the rain fell upon the tent, so that it was difficult to hold the people, yet it remained closely packed till the close. Monday was a blessed day. We called back the attention of the people from the business and rush of the day before to the importance of the work of seeking God. The Lord came in, the camp was moved. It was not a time of great excitement and noise, but the still small voice seemed to be speaking to hearts. A solemn, melting, tender spirit pervaded the congregation. We gave opportunity for any to come forward to show their desire for God’s blessing. Some one hundred and fifty or two hundred did so. Many of these spoke with the deepest feeling, and for some of these our hearts had been greatly burdened for many months. How our hearts rejoiced to see them break the bands of Satan and reach out and obtain God’s blessing. We can never forget that day. In the afternoon fifty were examined and accepted for baptism, and all but one were buried in the Iowa River. The immense crowd present, pressing down to see the baptism, marred somewhat the pleasure of the occasion. Not one-half, probably, of those present could see the ordinance performed. This was the largest number ever baptized at any camp-meeting in our State. This has been a most precious camp-meeting. Many of our most experienced members thought it was the best ever held in the State. We look for more to be accomplished the coming year than was done during the last. Nine churches were admitted to the Conference. Five tents will be running the present season. Mt. Pleasant, Iowa, June 13, 1877.