| 426 CHAPTER 23.
1866.
IN consequence of so many reports of evil, some true and some false, concerning professed Latter Day Saints, the Reorganization has ever had a difficult task, especially in the early days; but the year 1866 opened with flattering prospects. Though not great in numbers an earnest and zealous ministry was occupying the waste places with a fair measure of success. The Northern States and the Canada were occupied by the ministry, and as the war cloud had disappeared the elders were pushing into the Southern States, where the message was being hailed by many with gladness. The rallying cry had been heeded by hundreds in Utah, California, and Nevada. In England and Wales the warning cry had been heralded, and many received it.
On January 3, 1866, Elder Hugh Lytle wrote from Houston, Texas, that his health had failed him. He states: "I have only baptized one this winter, and forty last fall. . . . I shall start home soon, as I am not able to do the walking necessary for a mission in this country." He returned home soon afterward, leaving Elder Spencer Smith to continue the work alone.
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