The Gospel Visitor February 1857 page 43

A Letter From Oregon

Nov. 8 A. D. 1856

Dear brethren and fellow savants in the Lord. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you and your, Amen.

We hereby inform you that we are still on mercy’s side of the grave, enjoying a reasonable share of good health, which gives a relish to the many blessings and comforts which we are daily enjoying at the hands of our kind Father in heaven, to whom we owe all we have and are. The brethren and sisters in our connection here in Oregon are at present generally well with but little exception.

You are aware that the brethren here, in OREGON are from different parts of the states, and it so happens that there is a difference of opinion amongst us. The W***s are from Illinois from father W***s church, what that exception the rest of us agree very well, and can see eye to eye and speak the same thing. The points of difference between the W***s and us are as follows: the deny the Devil, and say all the Devil there is, is the evil disposition in man; and that Christ made his second advent at the destruction of Jerusalem, and they contend for a final restitution of all human family. They say, if a man dies in his sins he will go to a certain place, and there repent and e baptized and be save in the world to come. They contend there will be no great day of judgment; they say the day of judgment is now, and ever has been since the commencement of the Christian era, and will be till the end of it. We believe, that every man has a chance to judge himself according to the Gospel of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and also that there will be a great and final day of judgment, when the whole of human family shall appear before the judgment seat of God.

We had council meeting on the 7^th day of October 1855, to organize our church. They there agreed to drop those points, and hold them at their private opinion, and not speak of them in public. But they still contend for those points, and say it is a part of their faith, and say the gospel cannot be preached unless those points are spoken of, and they contend for it publicly. We had a communion meeting on the 2d day of Nov. 1856, and they were heartily invited to come an partake, if they would drop these points and hold them as private property, till we could write to the old brethren in the States, but they refused and said, they would not, and therefore we could not fellowship them. Notwithstanding those troubles we met and had a very pleasant meeting. Now dear fathers, if we have erred in any of those points, we humbly ask to be corrected. We are well pleased and satisfied with the proceeding of our lst yearly meeting. Since we have organized her in Oregon, we have baptized eleven persons.

Dear brethren, we have one request to make, that is the harvest is great and the laborers are few. We wish you to send us help, and if not, send us instructions, how to proceed. As Daniel Leedys is alone in the ministry, we need more speakers and deacons likewise. It is the unanimous voice of the Church, that you should present this to the next yearly meeting as a Representative from Oregon as we cannot conveniently sent a delegate.

We the undersigned were appointed as a committee to write this to the yearly meeting for instruction;’ if we have digressed the laws of God, we humbly as for forgiveness.

Benjamin Hardman

Harrison Davis

John N Ritter

Solomon Ritter

Committee