Transcript

1869 Jacob E. Terry’s Mission to the States A Condensed Report of Jacob E. Terry Mission to the States and Canada having Received an appointment at the October Conference to go of 1869 to go East I took the Car at Uinta Oct 25th 69 for Chicago Stoped at Rock Island ? two Days seeking old Friends found None then went to Chicago I went to the young Mens Christian association Office there were 4 or 5 Men and 1 Woman in the office She appeared to be Boss Devil there I asked them if there was any Mormon People Living in the City when the Woman flew at Me Like a Cat at a Dog and her Bristles Stuck up Like a porcupines quill and She Squeiled Out how Many wives have you got how Many wives has Brigham young to you ought to all be Distroyed from the Earth for having More than one wife I Made her no anwer then one of the Men Said he would like to Converse with me I told him if he Could accommodate Me until Morning I would gratify him when they all Said they Could Not keep me over Night So much for Christian association in Chicago I Stoped at the European Hotel that Night I Dreamed I was in a gold Mine which was verry Rich. 2 but on Examination was all Dross Except a Little Rock to hold it together I went to Boon Co Ill and tried to get a place to Preach in but all doors were Locked and the Key Lost or hid up by the influence of the Clergy yet I bore testimony to the truth of the gospel at Every House that I visited which had been a great Many in 10 Months for I have traveled through Illinois Wisconsin Michigan Canada and from Buffalo to Auburn york State passed through Pennsylvania in the Night was at a Number of Large Citys in Ohio also fort Wayne Wabash Penn Indianopilis Greencastle Terre haut in Indiana I have had the Liberty of Preaching Once in Wissconsin once in Ill once in Mich the People profess to know all about the Mormons in Utah that they want to they wont go to hear an Elder Preach if he gets a house to Preach in and in Canada through the influence of Old Edgarton Rierson Methodyst preacher all School Houses in the Dominion are Closed against Preaching in them I was aquainted with him 40 years ago he Preached then More Hell and Damnation than any Man I Ever heard – I have attended Meetings on this Campaign of the Methodyst Prisbyterians Christians Congregationalist and Advents and I Make one Comparison between 3 the Doctrine taught by the Latter Day Saints and the authordox Religionist the Latter is Like a green Squash to Me while the former on the Same Scripture vine is Like a good Ripe Dry Mealy Sweet Squash the first question asked is how Many Wives has Brigham young got nert how Can a Man Make Money in Utah have you any Laws in Utah Either Church Laws or the Law of the Land are Not all things Comon has not Every Man 10 or 15 wives as though Every Sage bush was a Woman and a thousand and one More Questions Such as do you Believe in the Bible or in Such a being as God are Not all the People Slaves to Brigham young Does he not hold all the Property in Utah in his own name all of which Must be answered and if a Man Tells the truth they wont believe him because of the Prejcedice that Exists among them and the News Papers teem with all Maner of fallshood and Mis Representations Concerning the Mormon People I have been sick with Lung fever – Billions fever and the asthma Nearly all time I have been in this Eastern Country J E T