WESTERN TOUR by James White

Publishing Committee · Battle Creek, Mich. · Jan 15, 1857

WESTERN TOUR.

By James White

IN our last under this heading, Dec. 15th, we stated that we were at Green Vale, Ills., blocked up by snow drifts, but designed to journey onward to Wawkon, Iowa, as soon as practicable. On our way we had interesting seasons, introducing our views at all the hotels where we stopped, and were invited by the several landlords to give lectures in their villages. As our time would not permit us to then accept of their invitations, we gave them from our scanty assortment of tracts, and passed on, much regretting that we could not furnish each hotel with a good assortment of tracts, for the benefit of travelers, as well as landlords and their families. Much will yet be accomplished in this way.

Our mission to Wawkon was to visit brethren and sisters who have moved from Me., Mass., Vt., and N. Y., about thirty in number. The names of Andrews, Stevens, Butler, Lindsey, Hazeltine, Mead, Orton, Loughborough and Lamson, are familiar to the readers of the REVIEW. These with their families composed the number at Wawkon. We mention their names not only because most of them are well known, but because many of our brethren are anxious to learn their present position. We found them firm on the leading positions taken on the Third Message; but were doing very little to set the truth before others; being almost wholly occupied with the things of this life. And, by the way, this is necessarily the portion of those who move to the West to make farms with little means. They were generally rejecting the testimony to the Laodiceans, which would be calculated to separate them in feeling and interest from the body of the brethren. In this state of things we could not expect to be received by all these friends as affectionately as formerly, yet we were received and cared for with Christian courtesy.

Sabbath, the 27th ult., we spoke to them on the subject of the churches. Brn. Hart and Everts followed with remarks on the subject. Several brethren and sisters received the testimony to the Laodiceans as applying to the remnant. Others wished to hear the strength of argument against the position taken, so on First-day, the other side of the question was presented. This led to a most thorough and critical investigation of the subject, which was conducted in a most christian manner to the profit of all. It is at such times that the pure coin of truth is made to shine out the most precious and bright.

We were sad to find most of those brethren laboring under a mistake, supposing that we rashly moved the REVIEW Office to Battle Creek. On Second-day a meeting was called, when we had the opportunity of reading our past statements in the REVIEW, that in consequence of ill health, we should leave the Office, (which was the property of the church,) and could no longer bear up under the cares and responsible duties of the Office. We read before this meeting our urgent calls on the church to establish the Office on a proper basis. We also proved that we stated before the friends of the cause in Vt., (the same statement we had made before a conference held in Mich.,) that we should leave the Office, and should never move it from Rochester, if the type was sold to pay storage, and that it was a Committee, chosen at a conference in Mich. that moved the Office, and that the things of this local conference were sanctioned by the general conference held at Battle Creek, Nov. 1855. After this privilege of making our defense, the brethren were unanimous in freeing us from blame; that as we had given timely warning to the friends of the cause of our intentions to leave the Office, and had suggested that the Office would be moved from Rochester, it was then the duty of those who were opposed to the Office being moved, to speak, and to act, and as they were then silent on the subject, they should still remain silent. This we could but regard as just, and was all we could ask.

The tender spirit of confession and forgiveness was mutually cherished by all. It was a pleasure to confess past errors. We felt to heartily join in this work, and shared the blessing. And while others confessed and asked forgiveness, we could say from the deepest feelings, that the past was more than healed. God's holy Spirit touched all our hearts. And how strong was the union then felt between hearts broken and subdued by the grace of God.

At an evening meeting, an unusual spirit of prayer was rolled upon several brethren, who prayed most fervently for the Lord to pour out his Spirit, and work in our midst. These cries, indited by the holy Spirit, were answered in a wonderful manner. The Spirit rested upon us, especially upon two of our number who were slain by its power. And these words were spoken with great power, under the influence of the Holy Ghost, "Return unto me, and I will return unto you, saith the Lord, and will heal all your backslidings." Precious words were these, full of hope and consolation to the erring and desponding. Brethren and sisters began heartily to confess the truthfulness of the message we had brought them, and their lack of consecration. And as they talked, and broke away from the spell that bound them, the Spirit of God filled the place. Some who had been almost silent for months, shouted the high praises of God. The words, "Glory," and "Hallelujah," seemed to fall far short of expressing the exceeding joy which filled nearly every heart. Those personally acquainted with Bro. and Sr. Loughborough will be happy to learn that the Spirit of God wonderfully attended Sr. L.'s testimony as she confessed her past lack of consecration, and gave herself anew to the Lord, and could say to her husband, Go forth in the name of the Lord to do his work. The Lord gave her a strong spirit of labor for others. It was remarked that it would not seem so wonderful for God to send angels to address us as some newly consecrated ones talked under the influence of the holy Spirit, for we should expect much of angels; but that so great a change should be wrought so soon was far beyond our expectations. Should we undertake to give a full description of the triumphant meetings at Wawkon, we should fall far short of doing justice to the subject. We close our remarks by adding that these meetings were the most powerful we had witnessed for years, and, in many respects the most wonderful we ever witnessed.

We parted with our dear friends in tears, feeling the sweetest union with them, and grateful to the Lord for his merciful dealings to his erring children. We felt that the increase of light and evidence that we were living in the last of the seven periods of the church of Christ was ten fold, and that we were already

many times paid for facing the prairie winds and storms on our long and tedious journey to Northern Iowa. Bro. Loughborough returned with us to Illinois, and joins Brn. Everts and Hart in their labors in the West. J. W.