Editor’s Table: Church Statistics

EDITOR'S -TABLE. 657 Church Statistics. At various times during the 80th Annual Conference of the Church, statistics were given which had been gathered by the Presiding Bishopric. These show great progress in the Church. Elder W. W. Riter, a member of the Auditing committee, which reported everything pertaining to the finances in a very satisfactory condition, gave some very interesting figures from which it is learned that the tithing receipts and voluntary donations for 1909 increased materially over the former year. On an average 51 per cent of the tithing received was returned to the local districts to aid in Church enterprises. Some stakes received as high as 80 and 103 per cent in return, but the Salt Lake City stakes received last year only 40 per cent of the amount paid in. No tithing is paid for the support of the heads of the Church, as the income from other funds is sufficient for the verymodest payments made to them. The birthrate among the members of the Church in the stakes of Zion only, for 1909, was 39 per 1,000, as against 32 for the United States. The deathrate among the members of the Church in the stakes of Zion for the same period was 9 per 1,000, as against 17 in the United States. This is a little lower than the lowest deathrate, 10, experienced by life insurance companies, and they only accept physically perfect men as risks. The marriage rate was 16.5 per 1,000. There were 31 widows and widowers for every 1,000 members; and 50 persons unmarried who are over 21 years of age in every 1,000. The missionaries in the field January 1, 1910, was 48 for every 1,000 holding the Melchizedek Priesthood, or a total at that date of 2,065, costing their friends and themselves about $500,000 per annum to maintain. There are 10,688 persons now living who have filled one or more missions. Of temple marriages entered into in 1909 and previous years, there were 46 persons, or 23 couples, divorced in 1909; while among

658 IMPROVEMENT ERA. those not married in the temples there were 83 couples divorced for the same period. During the year there were 2,748 persons married in the various temples of the Church. Of the male members of the Church 41,586 hold the Melchizedek Priesthood, and 33,357, the Aaronic. In the Sunday schools are enrolled 46 per cent of the whole membership of the Church. This includes both old and young, men and women, boys and girls. In the Y. M. M. I. A., 8.8 percent are enrolled; in the Y. L. M. I. A. 9.1; in the Primary, 19; and in the Religion Classes 10 per cent. There are 60 stakes of Zion, 695 bishops' wards, and 21 missions. During 1909, there were 9,143 persons baptized in the stakes, and 5,391 in the missions, a total of 14,534. There are 2,275 children over nine years of age not baptized. In the Latter-day Saints' hospital there were 1,200 operations performed during the year, 600 of them being the means of preserving life. The mortality rate is less than is prevalent through the United States as a whole. Some very interesting conclusions and reflections may be drawn from these facts: The Salt Lake stakes are not enriched from the tithing funds, to the disadvantage of the outlying districts, as is sometimes charged. The birthrate among the Latter-day Saints is considerably higher and the deathrate very much lower — nearly half — than is general in our country. Clean lives and temperate living undoubtedly account for this commendable vitality. We are growing. Approximately twice as many were added to the Church by baptism in the stakes as in the mission fields. For each missionary on an average 2.6 persons were baptized in the missions. There is a factor of safety, in the temple marriages, so great that one is almost justified in declaring temple marriages a cure for the divorce evil. There is opportunity for 81 persons in every 1,000, or about 8 per cent to get married, among widows, widowers and young people over 21 years of age, the latter class being about 5 per

EDITOR'S TABLE. 659 cent. The average size of families is 5.3 among the Latter-day Saints. An immense field is still open for the officers of the Y. M. M. I. A. to enlarge their enrollment. These general figures should be used by stake and organization officers in comparison with their local conditions, and where local affairs are not equal to the Church standard, special efforts should be made to improve. Decoration Day. A day devoted to the past, in which to remember the men and women who gave their best days and most loving service for the generations to come. In a broad sense, it is a day to think about the work of the Pilgrim fathers, the Patriots of '76, and the saviors of the Union. Tell the children how the pilgrims kindled the fires of independence and self-government. Tell them how the patriots, in their unequal struggle with kings, placed justice and freedom at our gates, gave shelter to the hunted, rest and hope for the downtrodden and oppressed, and to the starved laborer bread with his toil. Tell them how the citizen soldiers of 1861 flung by the spade and the ax, and shouldered arms to save the Nation— and in answer to our country's call left the plow to rust in the furrow, or quit the lighter task of pen and rostrum, to rein the charger on the battlefield. It is a day also to tell the little ones, and the youth of the land, of the Declaration of Independence, that "chart and compass of all human rights," which, as the most eloquent of American orators has so well said, "uncrowned kings, and wrested fronrthe hands of tyranny the sceptre of usurped and arbitrary power. It superseded royal grants, and repealed the cruel statutes of a thousand years. It gave the peasant a career, it knighted all the sons of toil, it opened all the paths to fame, and put the star of hope above the cradle of the poor man's babe." In a local sense, Decoration Day should bring to mind not only our immediate dead, and the heroes who established our nation and lived and died for liberty, but should awaken to our ten-

660 IMPROVEMENT ERA. der recollections the valiant band of pioneers and their trusty followers who in the early days pressed onward over the untrodden prairies and explored the lone rivers of the west. In tears and toil they founded cities in the mountain valleys, built homes, and made the thirsty desert to bloom. They offered their sacrifices with cheerful hearts and in unbounded faith. They carved their fortunes from the lonely, stubborn wilds — these heroes of the prairie schooner, these soldiers of the cross, thinkers, builders, pioneers. Thousands about us may rest in unknown graves, but long after this generation is dead, their courageous words shall sound trumpet calls to victory — their heroic deeds be messages of hope and cheer. The land is sacred for their sakes, these brave, true builders of our homes. Remember them today, "Crown in your hearts these dead heroes of ours, And cover them over with beautiful flowers.'' Messages from the Missions. The statistical report of the Netherlands-Belgium mission for 1909, shows that there are 5 conferences in which 80 missionaries are laboring, with a total of souls belonging to the Church of 2,722. There were 242 baptisms for the year; 121,796 tracts distributed; 57,594 books, and 3,441 meetings held. Altogether 100,026 families were visited and 16,426 re-visited. Prospects for 1910 are reported in the Millennial Star to be exceedingly bright. President Charles W. Penrose of the European Mission was notified by caVegram on April 7, that he had been released. Elder Rudger Clawson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles has been appointed by the First Presidency of the Church to succeed him. Elder Penrose left Salt Lake City for Europe October 15, 1906, and has rendered splendid service, and brought the mission up to a high state of efficiency. Elder J. E. Simmons of the Wheeling conference, West Virginia^ writes March 15, that on January 1st of this year church work was opened in Wheeling when there was not a friend to tho cause in the city. At present the elders have many warm friends, and they have been able to plant the good gospel seed with prospects of bounteous harvest. As

EDITOR'S TABLE. 661 to their labors, they have sold 40 Books of Mormon, 369 other books, and have distributed 3,101 tracts, and 224 copies of Liahona. They have visited 3,155 families and re-visited 137; held 25 Book of Mormon lectures, 3 gospel meetings, and 1,584 gospel conversations. They have besides spent some 663 hours in study. ELDERS OF THE WHEELING, WEST VIRGINIA, CONFERENCE. Reading from right to left: Wilford A. Henniger, McGrath, Canada; J. E. Simmons, Chesterfield, Idaho. Front row: V. G. Ashcroft, Teton, Idaho; E. J. Whiting, St. Johns, Arizona. These elders are among two thousand more who devote their time and labor free to the cause of the Lord. Their reward lies in the happiness of service. A conference presidents' conference was held January 28, 1910, in Chicago, to discuss plans for the work of the year and report on the condition of the different fields of labor. At the close of the conference it was the general expression from each one present that much good would come to the work from the exchange of ideas and the instructions given by President German E. Ellsworth. The conference presidents were also pleased to gain a more thorough knowledge of the work done by the mission office, and departed with great appreciation of the magnitude of the work done by the brethren and sisters appointed to this labor. The conference closed with a general good understanding of each other's work.

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