Opposition, Expense, and Changing Audiences—I dreamed that several of our brethren were in council, considering plans of labor for this season [1874]. They thought it best not to enter the large cities, but to begin work in small places, remote from the cities; here they would meet less opposition from the clergy, and would avoid great expense. They reasoned that our ministers, being few in number, could not be spared to instruct and care for those who might accept the truth in the cities, and who, because of the greater opposition they would there meet, would need more help than would the churches in small country places. Thus the fruit of giving a course of lectures in the city would, in a great measure, be lost. Again, it was urged that, because of our limited means, and because of the many changes from moving that might be expected from a church in a large city, it would be difficult to build up a church that would be a strength to the cause. My husband was urging the brethren to make broader plans without delay, and put forth, in our large cities, extended and thorough effort, that would better correspond to the character of our message. One worker related incidents of his experience in the cities, showing that the work was nearly a failure, but he testified to better success in the small places. {Ev 41.1}

Modstand, omkostninger og skiftende publikum. - Jeg drømte, at flere af vore brødre holdt rådslagning og drøftede planer for arbejdet i indeværende sæson. De mente ikke, at det var heldigt at tage ind til de store byer, men at man skulle påbegynde virksomheder på mindre steder langt fra byerne. Der ville de møde mindre modstand fra gejstligheden og udgifterne ville ikke blive så store. De mente, at da vi havde så få prædikanter, kunne der ikke undværes nogen af dem til at tage sig af dem, som eventuelt sluttede sig til sandheden i byerne. Disse mennesker ville desuden behøve mere hjælp end menighederne ude på landet, fordi modstanden er større i byerne. Derved ville den frugt, som kunne høstes, hvis der blev holdt en række foredrag i byen, for en stor del gå tabt. Det blev endvidere påstået, at det ville blive vanskeligt at oprette en menighed, som ville styrke sagen, dels fordi vore midler var så begrænsede, dels fordi det må forudses, at medlemmerne i en menighed i en by flytter hyppigere, så at der sker flere forandringer. Min mand opmuntrede brødrene til at lægge mere omfattende planer i vore store byer og at gøre store og grundige anstrengelser, som var i overensstemmelse med budskabets karakter. En arbejder omtalte nogle træk fra sin erfaring i byerne og disse gik ud på, at virksomheden næsten var mislykkedes. Han sagde, at der var bedre fremgang på små steder.