Messages from the Missions

Messages from the Missions. Elder James R. McLean, writing from Bloomington, Illinois, of the Northern Illinois conference, October 28, states that the elders have followed up the good efforts of the elders who preceded them, and many of the seeds sown, years ago, are bearing fruit. The promises of the Lord are being fulfiled in them. They have a branch of about twenty adult members, all worthy Latter-day Saints. The Sunday schools and meetings are successful, and the interest manifested by both strangers and Saints is gratifying. The The branch is Sunday school is studying the Articles of Faith. than words of the faith and self-supporting, which speaks stronger The names of the elders and lady missionintegrity of the Saints. left to right, are: James R. McLean, Raymond, Alberta. aries, top row, Canada; James Walton, Coalville, Utah; Ward W. Reynolds, MarysWilliams, Pima, Arizona; Wesley vale, Idaho; front row: Mrs. Retta L. E. Smith, Logan, Utah; Miss Daisy Madsen, Brigham, Utah. conference president of the Massachusetts J Heber Whitesides, saying that the work conference, writes from Boston, November 20, regardless of the general indifference is progressing in that district the elders have to contend with. They labor at and the prejudice the country dispresent in the cities, while last summer they visited Massachusetts, where they met fair success, contricts of western sidering the adverse conditions. "Our experiences make us mare enthusiastic in the delivery of the message we have to declare to the circle of friends in the cit> people We are continually adding to our The investigating the gospel.'' many of whom are earnestly Lawrence W. Richards Ogden; George Of the elders are, left to right Glen Bldredg-. U ods E Dibble, Layton; Carl A. Lindquist, Ogden; C,

330 IMPROVEMENT ERA Cross; Leonard R. Bailey, Calders Station; Junius T. Smith, American Fork, Utah; George O. Wall, Raymond, Canada; bottom row: Vivian Snow, Salt Lake City; Alfred G. Rex, Randolph; J. Heber Whitesides, Layton; Francis A. Miller, Spanish Fork; John C. Bailey, Ogden, Utah.

Elder Hans J. Mortinsen, writing from Stavanger,- Norway, October 18, says "Four elders from Utah, and two local elders, are laboring :

in this branch, which is flourishing, having a full organization, in good condition, wth good prospects for the future. The Saints are learning that there is great power in living clean lives, as required of the Latter-day Saints. Considerable anti-"Mormon" agitation has manifested itself during the spring and summer months, and at the present time there are vile and abusive attacks upon us. JansenFuhr presented an illustrated lecture on Utah and her people, in which he made a miserable failure, since his attack was vile and abusive. At the close of second lecture, his Elder Jacobsen and I met him in open discussion, refuted his slanders, and succeeded in turning the tide of public sentiment in our favor, which was proved

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS by the fact that the newspaper articles written afterwards were favorable to us. The latest attack upon us is a poorly devised moving picture drama, entitled, "Victim of the 'Mormons,' a Drama of Love and Sectarian Fanaticism." In this drama the elders are pictured as being white slave handlers. Throughout, it is easy to observe the hypocri >y and lying nature of the whole affair, but for the time being it seems to have its effect upon the people, especially upon those who are prejudiced and less thoughtful. The elders in the picture are, top row: Adolph O. Jacobsen and Adolph C. Vagle, local elders; front: Warren Munk, Hans J. Mortinsen, president Bergen branch; Leonard Larsen and Peter H. Jensen. Elder Rosel H. Hale, writing from Spokane, Washington, November 11, gives an account of the East Washington conference, held in Spokane, October 29 and 30. The elders reported having met "with splendid success during the summer. Comparing the last six months' work with the six months previous, shows an increase as follows: Sale of Books of Mormon, 40 per cent; other books, 115 per cent; families visited, 110 per cent; tracts distributed, 100 per cent. All the other work showed improvement. Four or five street meeting- were held each week during the summer months. Cottage meetings have now begun; and during the noon hour each day, the elders are preaching the gospel to the men in the railroad shops, iron foundries and saw mills. Two lady missionaries have recently been assigned to labor in this conference. Back row, left to right: Nephi Nielson, Victoria Egbert, F. G. Carlile, Wm. J. Lambourn, H. J. Fackrell, Catherine Woodbury, F. F. Brown; middle row: Marion Stringham, Rupert Best. Mission President M. J. Ballard, Conference President Rosel II. Hale, G. C. Wood; front row: P. M. Anderson, A. W. Crosby, Victor Hansen. C. E. Heath. Elder C. A. Carlquist, writing from Stockholm, Sweden, October 28, says that the elders are feeling well, but are daily persecuted by

332 IMPROVEMENT ERA the priests and the press. Notwithstanding cause is steadily progressing this, however, the in Sweden, and they are certain that many will embrace the gospel. The elders preach peace to all the people, and yet the enemies of salvation are busy working against them. Elder Carlquist has made trips through the country fromOstersund, in Norrland, to Malmo, southern Sweden, defending the in Latter-day Saints against the attacks of a Pastor Aslev. During these journeys, Elder Carlquist has held fifty-six lectures defending the Saints, and in these has had occasion to bear testimony to the truth of the gospel to thousands who would otherwise not have gone C. A. CARLQUIST to hear the elders.

The prospects for the present year in the Swiss-German mission, as compared with former years, are very encouraging. The branches all over the Zurich conference are showing steady growth, and marked improvement in the different organizations. Elder Melvin D. Naylor, writing from Zurich, November 20, says that just now they are busy with their Christmas programs, and that in the Zurich branch they had secured a hall to accommodate between 500 and 600 people. The photograph shows the elders laboring in the mission headquarters in Zurich. Back row, left to right: A. W. Shepherd, mission secretary; Logan Morris, Sherwin Maeser, Sidney T. Taylor, Lester Leffler, Sterling Shurtliff, of the mission office. Sitting: Melvin D. Naylor, conference president; Miss Katherine McKay, Thomas E. McKay, mission president; Mrs. Robert A. Stelter, Robert A. Stelter, editor of the

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 333 mission periodical, "Der Stern"; Clifford C. Clive, branch president.

James C. Nelson, writing from Snohomish, Washington, November 1, says that the work of the Lord is progressing in the West Washington conference, and many of the people are being reached by the gospel message. The elders find many who are willing to listen to and consider the gospel.The elders in the picture are:James C. Nelson, Sigurd, Utah; Ray E. Law, Springville, Utah.

Here we have two elders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latterday Saints, whose homes are in Brigham City, Utah. This picture was taken in the "land of the midnight sun." Names of the elders are: Christian M. Jensen, president of the Bergen conference, Norway, and his brother, Jonathan C. Jensen, also in the center two native Laplanders. They are all in the city of Hammerfest, Norway, which is a maritime town in the province of Finmarken, on Whale Island, a treeless, barren part, in latitude 70 degrees 40 minutes north, making it the most northerly town in the world. Being a fish center, it has a lively trade, wtih a population of between two and three thousand. Though in the arctic circle, the winters are comparatively mild, and it is said that the surrounding waters seldom freeze. The picture was taken on the 24th of July, 1911.