Messages from the Missions

370 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

history alone, it is patent that there is such a thing as 'the fulness of time.' The Lord God Omnipotent reigneth, and he has his own purposes, which when his clock strikes, come to fulfilment. * * * No man with eyes to see can look upon this marvelously awakened world today especially if he look closely and deeply — without perceiving that all the clamorous voices of the nations may be interpreted as a call for the truth which sets men free. The world's wants are many; its need is

one. In all careful thoughtfulness, it must be declared that the under- lying, abiding, all-embracing need of the world is for the gospel of Jesus Christ, which alone imparts new life, new liberty and new brotherliness.

In the appendix are presented actual working missionary methods. On the whole the viewpoint of the book is strikingly sensible and independent, soundly constructive, free from the namby-pamby so usual in many ministerial works on the subject.

Messages from the Missions.

Elder Alma 0. Taylor, president of the Japan mission, in writing to his father, December 20, 1909, after stating that he had forwarded to each of the high officials of Japan a neatly bound volume of the Book of Mormon, says further: "The mission has certainly grown; we are becom- ing better known; our name is being spoken more and more each day. The plodding work is leaving a trail behind, and the unresponsive soil is little by little changing from barrenness to fertility, and the flower that

grows here and there is an inspiration to the tiller's heart to work on un- til the plains and hills teem with the fruits of faithful husbandry. " He tells of the receipt of a letter from the First Presidency, dated November

23, 1909, which contained his release, also that of Elder Fred Caine, his able assistant in the work of translating the Book of Mormon. On Christmas day they held a very successful Christmas gathering. Brother Caine assumed the role of Santa Claus, he presumed, for the last time in that land. The naming of a president pro tern from among the mission- aries now laboring there being left for President Taylor, he named Elder Elbert D. Thomas on December 25 for this position. He had sent a let- ter to each one of the missionaries — it not being practicable to convene them at any given point, in consequence of the great distances in some instances, coupled with considerable expense — asking them for their ac- ceptance or otherwise. Answers to these agreeing, unanimously to the appointment, came in time to enable him and Elder Caine to leave Japan January 10, 1910, on which date they proposed to start for Korea,

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372 IMPROVEMENT ERA.

thence to China; this journey being taken according to further instruc- tions from the First Presidency, to investigate conditions in these nations and ascertain if they are at all favorable to the introduction of the gos- pel among these peoples. Also upon their return homeward to disembark and visit the Sandwich Islands for a sh^rt time among the Saints there, and also to perform a short missionary labor with the Japanese whom President S. E. Woolley reports are there in considerable numbers. The time of the arrival of Elders Taylor and Caine in Zion is best ex- pressed in Elder Taylor's closing words in his letter: "Do not appropri- ate all your beds at conference time, in April next, as we anticipate through the blessing of the Lord to be home for conference." Elder Taylor left for Japan July 24, 1901, eight and a half years ago; Elder Caine started one year later.

Elder James G. Wood, lately returned from a mission to Virginia, • writes to President Joseph H. Grant, Woods Cross, concerning the labors of Elder Jedediah M. Grant in that country many years ago. In sending th^e letter to the Era, President Heber J. Grant says: "It is remarkable, after father has been dead 53 years, on the first of December, 1909, that the fruits of his work as a missionary should so recently have been gathered." Eider Wood says: "Inasmuch as I have just returned from the land where your dear father labored as a missionary in the cause of truth so many years ago, and still not forgotten by them, I feel confi- dent that a few lines would be of interest to you. In my last letter to you, while at Grundy, Virginia, I mentioned about a man 92 years old who died last May, who bore his testimony to his children, that Elder Jedediah M. Grant preached the true gospel of Christ, and he wished them to obey it. He told them that he was at the meeting at Jefferson- at the courthouse, when they chose Elder Grant a ville, Tazewell county,

blank text to speak from, and how humiliated the minister was when he was asked to pass the hat, and how cheerfully the people put in their change. After writing you, and at our last meeting, held in Virginia by the sanction of President Callis, I baptized this man's son, 62 years old, and his two grandsons and their wives, and another gentleman 70 years old. them are among the leading citizens of the place. All of The

• leading men of Buchanan county are still our best friends, the county clerk is among them. In \isiting him at the county courthouse (which,

by "the way, cost $52,000) he and others stated that it was open for us to hold services in. I made them a present of a picture of my mountain

home, in its true colors, also a large apple from Utah, for which they ~ kirrdiythanked me.'' " "

EDITOR'S TABLE. 373

Under date of January 3, 1910, President German E. Ellsworth, of the Northern States Mission, writes to President Joseph F. Smith: "Dear Brother: We rejoice in the blessings of the Lord we have received dur- ing the past year, and in the goodly condition we find the elders and Saints of this mission in at the close of the year 1909. It has also been

a genuine satisfaction to feel the strong support given the work by our students and the Western Saints living in the mission field. The hearts of the people are more softened than at the beginning of the year. The officials of both state and city grant more liberty, and in many places extend us hearty welcomes. Comparing conditions with those of five or six years ago there is a very marked change in favor of the doctrine and people of the Latter-day Saints. In this connection, we listened only yesterday to a very strong sermon from Dr. Russell of the People's Pulpit of the Brooklyn Tabernacle; his subjects being "The Rich Man in Hell," "Lazarus in Abraham's Bosom," and "The Thief in Paradise.'' The big Auditorium was filled to the last seat, and they listened with marked at- tention for two hours. It bore strong marks of the influence of our teachings and the audience said "Amen," We all wished, however, one of our brethren could have had one hour before the same audience on kindred subjects— the truth would have been less clouded had such been the case. While our yearly reports will follow in a week or so, we say in advance that we are pleased with our tract and book distribution, with the number of meetings held, with our baptisms and with our tithing record. In the matter of tithing we are pleased to report that notwith- standing we have had a goodly number of tithepayers move to the stakes of Zion, our tithing will be better than last year. Our baptisms will be materially increased, but our Book of Mormon distribution by the elders will not be as large, on account of revisiting those places that have already purchased Books of Mormon. The distribution of Books of Mormon through book stores, however, is better than last year. From our mission resources we have been able to take care of the running expenses of the mission as well as keep a stock of books and tracts on hand for our own use, and from which several of the less fortunate missions have drawn on account. We are pleased with the prospect of getting a new book for mission work. The Great Apostasy, which we are privileged to > publish, will fill a long felt want. We have read the proof and the plates are being made. The first twenty thousand will cost us one thousand dollars, subsequent editions will come same as Voice of Warning.