Labors in the Vineyard: Twelfth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-Day Saints.Various
Religion
Labors in the Vineyard: Twelfth Book of the Faith-Promoting Series. Designed for the Instruction and Encouragement of Young Latter-Day Saints.
Various
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints -- Missions
How fresh and invigorating was the air when we stepped out into the
street! The extreme pleasure in some degree compensated me for what I
had endured. I walked alongside of my new conductor until we reached a
prison situated in the upper part of town, where I was received by the
jailor and introduced to four genteel looking young men, who occupied
two rooms in the building. My new friends were quite pleased to see me,
and, bringing up their seats close to mine, inquired in a friendly and
confidential way "what I was in for." I told them it was for preaching,
which caused them to look at each other rather dubiously, as much as
to say, "that story won't do," but I afterwards explained matters more
fully, and I think satisfied them with the facts.
There were two beds in one room and one in the other, all clean and
neat, although made every morning by the prisoners themselves, this
labor being one of the duties of the prisoners. My companions desired
me to occupy the single bed while they occupied the two in the other
room. This was kind and acceptable, and before I lay down I rejoiced
in expressing my great thanks to God, the giver of all good, for His
kindness unto me, and in so ordering, that I had an opportunity of
sleeping in peace. Indeed, although it may seem strange, I was grateful
for the privilege, of resting from the anxiety and suspense to which
I had so long been subjected. It was a kind of relief to be in prison
under the circumstances, especially as I felt that I had done all the
good my opportunities permitted, although there were some serious
doubts in my mind as to when I might obtain my freedom.
It should be remembered that in Switzerland then, and in other European
countries, a man might be imprisoned on suspicion at any time, without
any certainty as to when he might be liberated. I slept well, and
arose early, agreeable with our prison regulations. Our first work was
bed-making, which had to be done well, as it was afterwards inspected.
It was here I took my first lesson in that domestic labor, and as I
appeared awkward in my first movements, one of my companions kindly
offered to assist me. My companions were all respectable-looking and
well-dressed young men, and supported by the canton, as they told me,
for stealing. Three had been hotel waiters. They were cheerful and
entertaining, and, during the time I remained with them, treated me
with the utmost consideration. One of them, a mimic, diverted us daily
with exhibitions of the walk and social manners of men of different
nationalities, which were exceedingly good and helped to pass away the
time, and I, when opportunities offered and sometimes at their own
request, encouraged them to live a better life, and taught them some of
the principles of the gospel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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