“They Began to Have Success Among the Poor Class of People”

"Typically, when the gospel message goes to a nation or city the first willing to hear and accept it are those of the lower social classes. Humility of circumstances and humility of spirit are often found in company together. Writing to the Corinthian Saints, the Apostle Paul observed: 'Not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called; but God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; and base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: that no flesh should glory in his presence' (1 Corinthians 1:26-29).

"Celsus, the second-century philosopher, is often quoted in descriptions of the infant Christian church. The basic material of his description--the general social level of the converts--is much like Paul's, but the spirit is sharply different. Christians, he held,

"do not even want to give or to receive a reason for what they believe, and use such expressions as 'Do not ask questions; just believe' and 'Thy faith will save thee.'... Their injunctions are like this: 'Let no one educated, no one wise, no one sensible draw near. For anyone stupid, anyone uneducated, anyone who is a child, let him come boldly.' By the fact that they themselves admit that these people are worthy of their God, they show that they want and are able to convince only the foolish, dishonourable, and stupid, and only slaves, women, and little children.... In private houses also we see wool-workers, cobblers, laundry workers, and the most bucolic and illiterate yokels, who would not dare lo say anything at all in front of their elders and more intelligent masters."(Origen, in Contra Celsum 1:9; 3:44.)

"These descriptions given by Paul and Celsus aptly profile the typical Christian convert as seen by believer and unbeliever respectively in the period associated with the New Testament. The most striking thing about such expressions is that they are remarkably similar to the kind of thing we have so often read about the early converts to Mormonism. Nor does the similarity stop there, for it has been echoed by thousands of missionaries who have been the first to open various cities and regions to the teaching of the gospel; in so doing, they have found that the well-to-do, those resting comfortably in their own self-sufficiency, have little or no interest in their message, while those whose conditions are appreciably more humble are often more willing to listen." (McConkie and Millet, Doctrinal Commentary on the Book of Mormon, vol. 3, p. 223)