--- 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: 15 number: 9 published: 1912-07 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* 15, no. 9 (July 1912): 850–854.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1509unse 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: improvementera1509unse start_page: 850 end_page: 854 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1912-07) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1509unse publication_year: 1912 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 1912, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Messages from the Missions Messages from the Missions Elder W. M. Adamson, Billings, Montana, says: "Notwithstanding the misrepresentation of the Latter-day Saints by magazine writers, and by picture-show films which are being exhibited here at one of the leading picture shows, we are progressing. We find in our every-day tracting that these things raise the curiosity of some of the people and give us a chance to explain the truths on our side which is all that we ask. These articles and films will not hurt us nor the cause which we represent if, as elders, we are only energetic in taking advantage of the interest aroused to turn the tide in our favor. The elders in the photograph are, left to right: Byron Beck, Sanford, Colorado; L. A. Haws, Vernal; Leo Cornish, Cove; W. M. Adamson, Tooele, Utah. Elder David A. Hanks, writing from Montreal, Canada, April 12, states that the elders are enjoying their missionary work and that the Lord is blessing their efforts and making them profitable and interesting. Their progress among the Canadians has been very pleasing. Montreal has a population of about 700,000, of varied nationalities, and particularly are there many French. The elders in the photo, from left to right, standing: William D. Robertson, Park City; David A. Hanks, Salem; front: Malcolm A. Walters, Tooele; and Heber C. Williams, Greenville, Utah. Elder Leonard R. Bailey, writing from Charleston, West Virginia, states that the elders herewith have been working in that country all winter, traveling without money. The weather has been as cold as 20 below zero and the snow knee-deep, but this has not prevented them from laboring diligently in the spread of the gospel to the openhearted Virginians. They testify that success comes by traveling with- EDITORS' TABLE. 851 out the use of money. The elders are, back row: William A. Casper, Menan; Alfred A. Bybee, Lyman; Eddie R. Johnston, Paris; George William Bowers, Dempsey, Idaho; Rea Gardner, Spanish Fork; Ray R. Chugg, Ogden; Mark Cook, Vernal, Utah; middle row: Leonard R. Bailey, Cajders Station; Jeremiah Baker, Mendon; George H. Ransom, Lewiston, Utah; David Cheney, Sunnydyl, Idaho; Charles S. Crow, Salt Lake City, Utah; bottom row: France F. Wetzell, Salt Lake City; Frank L. Winter, Rexburg, Idaho. Elder John J. Whetton, Derby, England, writes: "We are laboring in the Swadlincote branch of the Nottingham conference, among the miners and clay workers. I emigrated from this town, the place of my birth and boyhood, six years ago, following my parents and brothers to Zion. This branch was closed ^ _/ ',-] just shortly after we left, but' was opened by f^ \ | 1 myself and companion on the 1st of January, In* »- ', Ht *~ v U VV 1912. Since coming we have acquired a vis- ^T k >T / iting list of over forty families of friends and I § ■tayfl ^k investigators. We rented a hall and opened I ■ J JP it on March 10 with an attendance of eighty - Ji 3| HI V five, seventy-live of whom were investigators. We have organized an M. I. A. and are enjoying the study of the Book of Mormon. Many expressed themselves pleased with our teachings and came again. We feel that much opposition is being overcome, and that prejudice is falling away in the light of truth and reason. The elders are Thomas Martin and John J. Whetton. 852 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Writing from Sapporo, Japan, April 30, Elder Thomas L. Chipman says: "Just a word from this part of the Lord's vineyard to let your readers know that we also are striving for the establishment of the truth. Our Sunday Schools and meetings have been well attended during the past winter. The audiences at preaching meetings are made up mostly of office men and students. It seems that we have more success among the young generation of men than among the older. The older people have Budhism so stamped upon their minds that it is next to impossible to get them interested in Christianity. We are four elders in this the northern branch of the Japanese mission. As we believe in living with the people as much as possible we are sending a photo taken in native dress. The elders, left to right, standing, are: Thomas L. Chipman, American Fork; William S. Ellis, Pleasant View, Weber County, Utah. Sitting: E. Leroy Anderson, Salem, Idaho; A. B. Hintze, Holliday, Utah. Elder H. B. Haws, writing from Springfield, Missouri, March 20, on the work of the Indiana conference of the Central States Mission, reports that the elders in Springfield are laboring in a very sparsely settled district, and where the farming country is very rocky. "We see prejudice fleeing before reason and the light of investigation, and we have faith that God has not forsaken us altogether among the Ozark hills. The people take good care of us, and we travel without purse or scrip. We feel that we are allaying prejudice and doing much good in introducing the work of the Lord here." Elder J. Arthur Orme, president of the Queensland conference, Australia, writes: "We have an extensive field of labor here as the EDITORS' TABLE. 853 area of Queensland is 429,120,000 acres or 670,500 square miles. It is five and a half times more extensive than Great Britain and Ireland. It is more than three times the size of France and exceeds the area of any country in Europe except Russia. It has a population of 593,234. Although the field is great and the laborers are few, the elders are working hard to get the truth before the people. A great deal of * Jh 1 hi * J li fr f p^*"- M\9 W— ii ■HlMTlW '- "* country work has been done in the last year, and notwithstanding the hot rays of the tropical sun and the opposition, the elders are energetic, and "Conquer we must, for our cause it is just, and this be our motto: 'In God Is Our Trust.'" The elders standing: Fred S. Alvard, Daniel H. Heaton, Paxman Hatch. Sitting: Grant D. Staples, Charles H. Hyde, mission president; J. Arthur Orme, conference president. In front: David Nash and John Smith. Elder Rea Gardner, writing from Cleveland, Ohio, states that he has labored fifteen months in New York and for the past two months he and Elder Casper have labored together in the S. W. Virginia conference, during which time they have held forty-two meetings. They left Kirtland for Salt Lake, April 13, en route direct to Nauvoo and thence expect to travel over the trail of the exodus of the Saints, expecting to depend entirely upon the hospitality of the people. Their aim is to do as much missionary work as possible distributing litera- 854 IMPROVEMENT ERA. ture and holding meetings. The time to be occupied in making the journey is indefinite. Elder E. W. Richardson, writing from Toluca, Mexico, May 3, reports that the Toluca conference of the Mexican mission has enjoyed much success in the past few weeks, and from all appearances will continue to do so unless conditions change very materially. They find some difficulty in traveling owing to the present difficulties in ! the country. There is considerable anti-American feeling, mostly I among the ignorant, I half-civilized people. "The rebels are plentiful in the country round here, but we feel safe, and hope that our friends and relatives are not worrying or concerned for our safety. We have been and are well treated wherever we go. At present we are confined to the mission house at nights, but by means of railroads we visit towns in four directions, twenty miles away, and return at night. The evenings are spent in teaching English free to those who wish to learn. In this way we get opportunities to preach the gospel." Elders, back row: Jos. V. Elton, Garcia; Jos. E. Huish, Morelos; James Whipple, Dublan; Priest Elisee. Jiminez, San Pablo. Front row: Conf. Prest. Edmund W. Richardson, Diaz; Broughton Lunt, Pacheco, all of Mexico. Elder Earl D. Sprague, writing from Roanoke, Virginia, April 4, states that during the last two months the elders laboring in Roanoke of the Virginia conference sold forty Books of Mormon, distributed 2,469 tracts, sold 218 small doctrinal books and held 67 meetings. They had good success in their conversations, especially with professional men and officers of the city. They have obtained a written permit from the mayor to preach on the streets. He adds: "We visited the office of the clerk of courts who told us he had purchased a Book of Mormon and had, after deliberate consideration, decided that it was the work of God, and had used it in aministering the oath in his official capacity. We also visited a local physician of note who told us he had purchased the book thirty-five years ago and had decided it of such moment that he placed it in the Roanoke library. This gentleman is very prominent in the city's medical and social circles."