MEETINGS IN WESTERN MICH.
By Joseph Bates
Bro. Smith: My last report referred to our labor with the church in Wright, Ottawa Co., Mich. We preached to them five Sabbaths, commencing with the last Sabbath in January. Although a great portion of them live three, five, and some ten, miles from their meeting-house, it was cheering to see how punctual they were to be at their place of worship on the Sabbath morning to hear the preached word, and also the interest they manifested to be established in the present truth, and order of the gospel. They have adopted the plan of systematic benevolence, and besides their evening prayer-meeting in the week, they meet the first day of every month for prayer and conference, and to set things in order in the church, Sabbath-school, &c. The church selected two150of their brethren for deacons, who were ordained for that office at the close of our meetings. At our last meeting we were blessed with the privilege of uniting in the ordinances of the Lord's house. During the week some of the brethren were interested in opening new places to hold meetings in. In three of these places we gave some twenty-five lectures. Some came ten or eleven miles from these places to attend meetings in Wright, and declared their determination to keep the Sabbath of the Lord, and go with them to the kingdom; others admitted the Sabbath question was right, and also the near coming of the Lord. In Lisbon, our last place of labor, several families had become much interested in our series of meetings, but were troubled about getting to meeting on account of the roads' becoming almost impassable for teams. We were disappointed in having to close our meetings at this point of time, but it seemed unavoidable. On our return home we traveled double our distance to reach Monterey by passable roads. Monterey, March 19th, 1860.