Elders of Pennsylvania and Maryland Conferences
Improvement Era, vol. 13, no. 8, June 1910, pp. 755 to 758
Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
ELDERS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND MARYLAND CONFERENCES. Austin P. Miller, President East Pennsylvania Conference; W. J. Lewis; W. R. Dredge, former President, now released to return home; Jos. A. Wagstaff, Jr., President of the Maryland Conference. Elder Austin P. Miller, writing the Era from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, shows why young men should be interested in Mutual Improvement work, and in the choice of first class companions There are many in the world who live immoral lives, and he cautions the young men of the Church to choose pure companions, and suggests that one of the best places to find them is in the Mutual Improvement associations. In early youth is the time to comply with the splendid law of purity, and the word of wisdom as contained in section 89 of the Doctrine and Covenants. The thing to do is to acquire good habits in youth, when the bad habits easily shrink from before the good. The keynote to purity is to keep busy, for it has well been said that "an idle mind is the devil'g workshop.'' The M. I. A. organizations give one opportunity to keep physically pure, to study good books, gain knowledge, and to prepare for the mental and religious work which must eventually rest upon all the young people of Zion. Elder Miller has been appointed to preside in Philadelphia, after spending ten months ii Massachusetts, in place of Elder W. R. Dredge, released to return home. More workers are needed in that field, and especially young men of learning and character, who can say no when the time comes, and yes, when that is for the best. Thirteen elders are laboring in East Pennsylvania and ten in Maryland,
756 IMPROVEMENT ERA. at present. Elder Miller has charge of the East Pennsylvania Conference at the present time, and Elder Joseph A. Wagstaff, of the Maryland Conference. Several Sunday schools are organized, and two Mutual Improvement associations. Many homes are open for cottage meetings and the elders have more calls than they can reasonably fill. They are meeting with excellent success in tracting and holding open air meetings. Portraits of four elders of the conferences are given herewith. The Rutland Evening News of Rutland, Vermont, contains a favorable editorial notice of a stereopticon lecture on "Mormonism" given under the auspices of the Rutland Teachers' Association, at the High School assembly room, March 18, by Henry White, of New York, to a large audience. Mr. White, it will be remembered, spent some time in Salt Lake City, and became thoroughly familiar with the Latter-day Saints and their institutions. The paper states that he gave a most interesting as well as instructive lecture on "Mormtnism" and on the present day conditions in Salt Lake City, and concludes: "It was evident that he had given the subject thorough and impartial investigation, and the subject matter of his lecture was not only new to his hearers, but of great interest. The pictures thrown on the screen were first-class in every respect, consisting of views of Utah scenery, public buildings in Salt Lake City, and 'Mormon' leaders and their families. Mr. White was introduced by United States Marshal Horace W. Bailey." Elder Christian I. Jensen, of Manassa, Colorado, who registered at the Central* States Mission office, October 23, 1909, and labored in Arkansas, disappeared from Little Rock, January 24, last. All efforts to find him were futile, but recently his body was recovered from the Arkansas river, and many conditions lead to the conclusion that the young missionary was sandbagged, and his body thrown into the river, though the whole matter is shrouded in mystery that may never be solved. Bishop Christen Jensen, father of the young man, made every effort, for six weeks, as soon as the news of the young man's disappearance reached him, with the assistance of President S. 0. Bennion and the elders, and the police, detectives, fishermen, etc., to get trace of the missing man, but with no success until April 17, when a negro boy found the body, in a fair state of preservation, floating in the river, eight miles below Little Rock. The body was recovered and laid to rest on the 23rd of April, in the Manassa cemetery. The speakers at the funeral were President Samuel 0. Bennion, of the Central States mission, Elder Joseph F. Smith, Jr., of the Council of Twelve, and President E. S. Christensen.
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758 IMPR0VEMEN1 ERA. Elder Nephi Pratt, for a number of years president of the Northwestern States Mission, and for several years a clerk in the business department of the Improvement Era, died. April 22, 1910, at the home of his daughter, Mrs. W. C. Morris, in Spokane, Washington. He was a son of Parley P. Pratt, one of the founders of the Church, and was born in Nauvoo, Illinois, sixty-five years ago. With his parents he came to Salt Lake in 1849. He filled a mission to England and Wales some thirty years ago, and during his whole life was an energetic and able missionary, a genial companion, faithful and devoted, with a spiritual nature that was an inspiration to all with whom he came in contact. His body was brought to Salt Lake City for burial, and President Joseph F. Smith and leading Church members spoke at the funeral services. Elder Louis Edgar Miller died in April, while in the mission field in Chicago. Solemn and impressive funeral services were held over his remains at the Riverton ward, Utah, meetinghouse, on the 14th of April. He was an exceptionally faithful missionary, and his home life was model. He was exemplary, industrious, sober, progressive, honest and trustworthy. He was twenty-eight years of age, and unmarried. His parents are Charles E. and Christina Miller. He had two brothers and four sisters. ELDERS OF ELDORADO, ARKANSAS. Top row: H. M. Bishop, Inkom; Riley G. Judd, Burley, Idaho. Bottom row: Jas. W. Brown, (Conference President) American Fork; A. W. Garfield, Garland, Utah.