Early Scenes in Church History / Eighth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series

by Various

She was rewarded for her faith by being entirely restored to health, and that too, instantaneously, for she walked out of the water and to her home.

This public manifestation of the power of God seemed to be the signal for commencing a perfect storm of opposition against the Saints. Through the influence of sectarian ministers with the proprietors of the iron works a great pressure was brought to bear against the Saints. It was claimed that they were Chartists, that is, members of a political organization which had caused a great deal of trouble throughout the kingdom a short time previously, and other lies equally unreasonable were circulated about them to make them odious and unpopular.

The five Elders who had been doing the preaching and baptizing, and who were dependent upon their labor in the iron works for their living, were informed by their employers that they must renounce the "heresy" which they taught as religion, or lose their positions. They chose the latter.

About two hundred of their converts were also employed in the iron works. They were given one month's time to renounce their religion or likewise lose their situations. All efforts to obtain employment elsewhere without a recommendation from their last employers proved unavailing, on account of the rumors against their characters, and finally, when they were brought to the test, about half of them chose to renounce their religion rather than lose their work. The others were discharged and scattered to different parts in search of employment. Many of them suffered severely for want of the necessaries of life, and were only kept from starving by the collections taken up for their benefit among the more fortunate Saints in other parts of the mission.

Among others who yielded to the pressure which the enemies of the Saints brought to bear against them, was the sister who had been healed on being baptized. Notwithstanding her former zeal and resolution, and the miraculous power of God which she had experienced, she abandoned the faith. She perhaps thought she had no further need of God's mercy, but if so, the sequel proved how sadly she was mistaken, for she was soon prostrated as before and lingered in that condition until she died.

In the summer of 1849 the cholera prevailed throughout Wales to an alarming extent. The mortality was so great in some places that a perfect panic ensued. The Elders, however, continued their labors, undaunted by the disease, administering to the sick day and night, and the faith of the Saints was so great that they almost invariably recovered. A local Elder by the name of Thomas Jones, who was a man of some property, and not obliged to work for his living, spent his whole time while the disease prevailed in visiting among the sick. He carried a bottle of consecrated oil about in his pocket to anoint them with, and administered to all whom he found afflicted, and out of the whole number only one died, and he was the only one who had taken the medicine prescribed by a doctor. The town regulations required the sick to have a doctor, but as a rule his medicine was thrown into the fire instead of being taken by the patients who belonged to the Church.

One of the preachers who had violently opposed the Saints became alarmed at the spread of the epidemic and attempted to flee and escape from it, but it overtook him and after three days of terrible agony he died.

Another preacher by the name of Jenkins, who had been an enemy to the Saints, was stricken with the cholera and sent for Elder Evans to administer to him. That he should do so will be considered all the more remarkable when the history of their early acquaintance is known:

Elder Evans, while laboring in Pembrokeshire, obtained the use of the town hall, in a place called Fishguard, to hold meeting in and lighted it at his own expense. When the meeting had fairly commenced and he was in the act of preaching to a rather large audience, the whole of the lights in the room were extinguished simultaneously, according to a preconcerted plan, and a rush was made by the rabble towards the end of the room where the Elder stood. A tall man, who happened to be standing near Elder Evans, immediately placed his hand on the latter's shoulder, and said, "Young man, come out of here, or you will be hurt!" and leading the way, proceeded with him around one side of the room and out through the door, leaving the crowd rushing and jamming and shrieking to get at the Elder, whom they still supposed to be at the farther end of the hall.

The stranger took Elder Evans to a public house, saying that he would like to have a talk with him, and on arriving there sent for Mr. Jenkins, the Baptist preacher of the place, who had been at the meeting, and probably engaged in urging the rabble on, to come there and have a private discussion. He came, and his principal argument consisted of abuse and the rehearsal of all the absurd stories which he had ever heard about the Saints. Although an educated man he seemed unable to cope with Elder Evans in the discussion of religion from a Bible standpoint.