Elder Findlay's and the Poonah Saints' Preservation Amidst Religious Opposition

Elder Hugh Findlay, laboring in Poona, India, beginning in 1852, faced persistent and intense opposition from the local press, Protestant clergy, and military officials, who were deeply suspicious of his motives. Findlay struggled to gain a foothold, as he was forbidden from entering military cantonments to preach. His persistence eventually led a commander to grant him limited permission to proselyte, reasoning that 'the less these people are opposed the less harm they would do.' By mid-September 1852, Findlay successfully organized a branch of twelve members of mixed European, Eurasian, and native birth. However, by October, his presence within the military cantonment became untenable, and he was forced to relocate. He secured a small, rudimentary shelter—which he described as resembling a 'Bombay go-down'—featuring iron bars on the windows and a door measuring only six feet by six feet at each end. This single structure served as his bedroom, parlor, and sanctuary. Findlay confessed that it required considerable faith to view the edifice as anything other than 'imprisonment added to banishment.' Despite these harsh conditions, he maintained his resolve to 'stoop to conquer,' continuing his missionary work and later pursuing language studies and religious dialogue with Brahmin intellectuals to reach the native population.