1876 S. P. Guhl Letter

Council Bluffs, Iowa, Nov. 1876.

Dear Bro. Stebbins: I have often thought of writing, but I like to write only good tidings, for the gospel of Christ is but good tidings. I have the pleasure to tell you that the Council Bluffs Branch is in a prosperous condition, although it has stood still nearly a year in access of new members; but now we have had baptism administered every week for the last four weeks.

One of the last baptized was my stepfather, old Dr. Charleston Fallows, who has been through the chastening fire since the time the first Joseph preached in the region of Buffalo, N. Y. He has been in Utah, and through the Morrisite school and now he starts as a child in a new school again.

We had a calm and instructive spirit with us, and speaking in tongues and prophecy, in our prayer meeting last night. We were but few, according to the numbers of our great branch, but those few were of one heart and one spirit, and the Comforter made us happy.

My mother, seventy-five years old, asked me in the meeting to baptize her tomorrow night into the Reorganized Church. I baptized her in 1856, at Copenhagen, Denmark. She had struggled hard five years against Mormonism, and to convince me against the gospel of Christ; hut she was overcome by the power of God when she was on her death bed, and she was told to send for me and to be baptized. I then resided and preached one hundred English miles away, but I went to her, and Bro. Peter Olsen and his wife and my wife helped me to carry her, over two English miles, to the water, and over ice that broke every step we took. But I baptized her, and she walked all the way home, perfectly recovered; although, when going to the water, she sometimes thought it would be her grave, yet she felt that she must go. She is in the same notion now, and has been for over a year. And what is the cause? One of the greatest prophets born of woman said that a man can receive nothing, except it be given him from heaven. (John 3: 27). Even Jesus, the Son of God, could not do anything unless it first was given him from heaven.

Since writing the above, I have baptized my mother, and she is all right and feeling good. Bro. Blair was here that night, and has preached for us several times, and all feel good to hear him. God bless him wherever ho goes. In administering the ordinance numbers have been healed immediately, some of whom did not belong to the Church.

There has been a great deal of excitement here over the labor question, and our wages have been reduced on every road to a very low rate, therefore we have organized us into the Working-men's Party of the United States. As I was chosen to be Protocol and Corresponding Secretary, and lately also, manager for the sick and unfortunate, I have had considerable work to do lately, and I have, therefore, not preached much; still, what I have lost in one way I have gained in another. I have gained my Scandinavian countrymen's confidence, which is the foundation of eternal love. I am yours in the gospel of love.