CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA, CAMP-MEETING.
By George I. Butler
This camp-meeting was the smallest of the four held in the State this season, no doubt because of its location away from the center of the State, and in that corner of it least populated by our people. It was held here because other sections of the State had camp-meetings in June, and this part of the State had none. This was the time for the annual meeting of the different societies, and hence we had many business matters to attend to which interfered somewhat with the devotional exercises; yet these were very good. The spirit of the meeting was excellent. Union and love generally prevailed, and in several of our meetings the blessing of the Lord came in sweet, melting power, which was truly refreshing to our waiting hearts. In last year's camp-meeting there were elements of discord which threatened serious trouble. This year these did not exist. There has been an improvement in the tone and spirit of the Conference the past year, which I hope will result in much good in the future. The four camp-meetings held in the State this season have enabled a large number of our people to attend. I think nearly twelve hundred availed themselves of these privileges. The temperance work was taken up as usual this season, and a large part of those present who had not signed the pledge before, did so at this meeting, 130 signers being obtained, 85 of whom paid the initiation fee. A State Temperance society was formed, with G. I. Butler for president, and Sr. Sarah Nicola for secretary. Iowa has been well canvassed on this subject at our camp-meetings, though many in the churches are still behind. These we shall try to reach with our local organizations. Sabbath morning we had a most interesting Sabbath-school under the management of Bro. L. T. Nicola. The Sabbath-school work in the State gives promise of much good. Our tract and missionary work is now in a condition to accomplish much, if all can be persuaded to go to work. The State society is nearly out of debt, with subscriptions to the reserve fund of between $1500 and $2000 (unless very recent purchases of books have changed this), and a good stock of books on hand. Our S. B., however, has fallen off considerably this year; still we had enough to settle all claims against the treasury after paying the tithe to the General Conference. There is great need of a general awakening of our people throughout the State to work for the Lord. Our efforts in new fields have not been as successful as in some former years. We regret to say that the health of Eld. Farnsworth was such that he could not labor as hard as usual in our meeting, and it was not thought safe to place the burden of the cause upon him till he could have time to improve. Under the circumstances the brethren thought they could do no better than to make me president of the Iowa Conference and T. and M. Society, though I could give them no assurances of how much I could labor in the State.