--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 9 number: 10 published: 1906-08 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Messages from the Missions," *Improvement Era* 9, no. 10 (August 1906): 815–818.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0910unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera0910unse start_page: 815 end_page: 818 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1906-08) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0910unse publication_year: 1906 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1906, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Messages from the Missions MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS. The 19th day of June was the eighth anniversary of the presidency of Elder Ben E. Rich over the Southern States mission, and in honor of the day his associates, in the mission headquarters at Chattanooga, Tenn., formed themselves into a committee to give him a surprise. They had invited every elder, who had labored in the South during the past eight years, to contribute twenty-five cents towards purchasing an office desk and chair. This scheme was carried out, and the desk and chair were presented to him on the evening of the 19th, responses having come from a large number of elders who had labored and who were laboring in the Southern States. A scrap book, especially made for the expressions and sentiments of the elders, and which contained 200 pages, 10 by 13 inches, was also presented to President Rich, filled with sentiments of appreciation from the elders. During the past eight years nearly 1,600 elders have labored in that mission, and President Rich has enjoyed the confidence, friendship, and love of all these brethren. According to a statement by Elder J. Stokes, Jr., who is now the associate editor of the Elders' Journal, there have been printed, and distributed, the following amounts of literature, during the past eight years: 120,000 copies of Durant, 40,000 Cowley's Talk, 15,000 Orson PratVt Works, 40,000 hymn books,15,000 Voice of Warning, 50,000 miscellaneous books and pamphlets. Then there have been distributed 15,000 copies of the Book of Mormon, and over three million tracts, besides a large number of copies of the Southern Star and Elders' Journal, which latter publication is now nearing its third volume, and has a circnlation of nearly 5,000. During the term, 5,000 people have been baptized, and there is a membership of 10,666 in the Church in that mission. The mission house at Chattanooga was purchased at a cost of $4,500, and several churches have been erected in different parts of the mission, notably one at Jacksonville, Fla., costing $2,500. After all the expenses of the presents to Elder Rich had been defrayed, there was nearly half the money to spare. This was returned by Elder Rich to the committee, who decided to send it to Sister Nina Farr Rich, who has been in the field 816 IMPROVEMENT ERA. with her husband six out of the eight years, and who has exercised such care and attention over the elders that she has won the confidence, respect and love of them all. The blessings of the Lord have been so abundantly poured out upon the elders in the European mission at their special conference gatherings at Rotterdam, London, and Zurich, that an appetite for more of the same class of meetings has been created. President Heber J. Grant has, therefore, called a conference of all the elders for the 22nd of July, at Bradford, where the elders will remain over to celebrate Pioneer day, on the 24th of July. It may also be incidentally mentioned that this will celebrate the fifth anniversary of President Grant's departure from home on a foreign mission. It will be remembered that he left for Japan, with a quartette of pioneer elders for that field of labor on Julv 24, 1901. Elder Alma 0. Taylor is the only elder of that number now left in the Japan mission. In a recently received letter from him, he expresses his happiness in his work. He is not at all anxious to be called home, for he is doing a most excellent work in the translation of the Book of Mormon, which was finished March 21, and he is revising the manuscript before it shall be finally sent to the printer. President Grant says of him: "He is one of the finest young men with whom I have ever been associated.'' Elder Taylor recently visited Sapporo, which he says is a young city, laid out in blocks like Salt Lake City. He found the work of the Lord prosperous. He says of this modern Japanese city, where Elders Stoker, Seeley, and Chadwick are laboring: It is surrounded by mountains, on the tops of which pine trees grow in clusters. The streets are wide. Water runs along some of the streets like it does in our Utah cities and towns. The houses are more foreign in appearance than those in Tokyo. The farmers in this part plow with American plows, harrow with American harrows, drive their horses in American style, and do many things as they do at home. Pole fences are occasionally seen. I felt all the time as though I was in some town like Logan, Manti, or Nephi. It is a quiet, peaceful place. It is the capital city of Hokkaido, and has many educational institutions. The best agricultural college in Japan is located here, and I met one of the professors on my way to Sapporo. He went to the same university in Germany as Dr. John A. Widtsoe, and is well acquainted with his name and work. The elders have met nearly all of the big men, and, of course, are daily associating with the ordinary classes. May, in the British mission, was a record-breaker for the number of baptisms and other missionary works accomplished, as will appear from the following record: RECORD FOR MAY, 1906. INCREASE OVER MAY, 1905. Baptisms 92 Baptisms 50 Tracts 335,640 Tracts 72,661 Books 8,369 Books 2,730 Conversations 21,331 Conversations 5,641 Averages per elder 1,540-38-98 Averages per elder 251-11-21 Strangers'houses visited 64,766 Strangers'houses visited 19,730 It is a source of gratification to the president of the mission, Elder Heber J. Grant, to have the elders doing so well, and is also a source of happiness to them, EDITORS TABLE. 817 for the more elders do for the cause of truth, the greater their joy in tbe work, and the greater their contentment in being separated from their loved ones at home. Concerning the translation of the Book of Mormon, Elder Alma 0. Taylor, who has been engaged in that work for about two years, writes to the Millennial Star: The translation of the Book of Mormon was completed on the 21st of March, but when I read over the first part I almost had to laugh at my poor construction. Two years makes a great difference. I am going to begin the work of revision immediately, and do all that I can, with the help of God, to make the translation clear, simple, and correct, so that it can, as soon as possible, be given to the people for their study and consideration. The revision will then have to be revised, no doubt, and then revised again, perhaps. But of the time and the labor I am not so much concerned as I am of the mistakes, clearness and spirit. My prayer is that God will be with me and open up the way before me that I may enjoy all the wisdom, knowledge and assistance that I need in this great work. On the 25th of June, President Heber J. Grant, of the European mission, started on his way to Copenhagen, on a three weeks' tour, during which he expected to visit Stockholm, Sweden; Christiania, Norway; and Aalborg and Aarhus, in Denmark. President Grant and some of his associates called on King Oscar of Sweden, at Rosendal Castle, Stockholm, on July 4. His majesty received them kindly, and said he believed in perfect liberty in matters of conscience, and that the Latter-day Saints would not be interfered with in their work in that land. President Grant is greatly enjoying his trip through Scandinavia. When one stops to consider, it is really wonderful how the labors of one man may prove efficacious in the spread of the gospel. This is illustrated by the wonderful work Elder Charles W. Penrose is doing in England in preaching the gospel, through his tract Rays of Living Light. The Era is informed that the Church printing office in Liverpool is so crowded in printing these tracts that it has had to order 50,000 copies (two tons) printed at a down-town office in Liverpool, and it is expected that nearly all of these will be disposed of before the first of January, 1907. Over 10,000 bound copies have been sold since the first of the year, and 371,000 single copies! The 50,000 and 10,000 bound Rays would be equivalent to 720,000 single Rays, or a grand total of 1,091,000. This will equal over 4,000,000 pages of Elder Penrose's writings, most of which will be distributed in the British mission during this year. Elder Nephi Anderson, for the past two years associate editor of the Millennial Star, who is accompanying President Heber J. Grant on his Scandinavian tour, writes from Stockholm, July 3, where the conference of the Swedish elders was convened, that on the 2nd of July, a concert was held, at which Miss Arvilla Clark and Messrs. Andelin, Spencer Clawson and others, sang. Elder Anderson had visited Copenhagen and Norrkoping. He will go further to Christiania, Aalborg, etc., and return to Utah in August; his successor, Elder W. A. Morton, will leave Utah early in August to release him. 818 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Elder C. H. Davis of the East Pennsylvania conference, Philadelphia, Pa., writes: The indifference among the people is very great. Some are too busy to listen or read, and others do not wish any more religion; but in our tracting from door to door we meet many honest in heart who are seeking for the truth. Some are very prejudiced and cannot bear the word "Mormon;" only few listen or investigate. There are seven elders in this city. The Saints are few and greatly scattered, but our meetings are enjoyed by all who come. We hold street meetings from three to five nights each week, spending the rest of the week in visiting friends and Saints. We hold class exercises each forenoon at our "quarters," and tract every afternoon except Saturday and Sunday. All the elders are enjoying the work and striving to do their part in warning the people. The Millennial Star, speaking of a baptismal service in the Public Baths, Middlesbrough, May 3, says: A large company of Saints and friends gathered to witness the ceremony. Elder James McFarlane addressed those present upon the principle of baptism, and showed the necessity of our following the footsteps of the Master. President J. Marlow Taylor then led into the water and administered the ordinance to five honest souls. Both Saints and friends joined in saying that they had never attended a meeting where the sweet Spirit which brings joy to the soul was more abundantly felt. The semi-annual statistical report of the Southern States mission, ending June 29, 1906, published in the Elders' Journal of July 15, shows that there are eleven conferences, and that 13,502 families were visited and 48,440 revisited; elders hid been refused entertainment 4,131 times; there had been 158,231 tracts distributed; 5,357 books sold; 321 Books of Mormon sold; 5,661 meetings held; 98,628 Gospel conversations; 319 children blessed; 313 baptisms; eight Sunday Schools organized; and one branch organized. Elder P. S. Williams, clerk of the Mexican mission, writes from Ozumba, May 9, to the Era: "The elders and native Saints of the Chalco district prepared a program suited to the occasion, and on the National day, 5th of May, joined with the people of a native town in celebrating the victory of General Zaragoza against the French. The officials of the town gave the elders charge of the proceedings, and animated patriotism was manifest throughout the day. Good order prevailed. The missionaries were invited to visit the homes of the officers, and on the next day, which was Sunday, two meetings were held in the home of a friend, by invitation. These meetings were well attended."