--- 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: 18 number: 8 published: 1915-06 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* 18, no. 8 (June 1915): 736–741.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1808unse 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: improvementera1808unse start_page: 736 end_page: 741 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1915-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1808unse publication_year: 1915 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 1915, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Messages from the Missions Messages from the Missions Prospects Bright in Peoria Jane Smith, Peoria, Illinois, January 10: "Elders and lady mis- sionaries in the city of Peoria, 111., left to right, back row: G. W. Clements. Clementsville, Idaho; Martha E. Bitter, Collinston, Utah: Jane Smith, Mountain View, Alta, Canada; Mary M. Clark, Montpelier, Idaho: M. H. Hill, Darby, Idaho: front row: A. W. Nelson, Hyrum; J. L. Myers, Murray, Utah; R. D. Clark, conference president, Mont- pelier: A. E. Empey, Idaho Falls, Idaho. "We have a branch here consisting of some thirty-five members, a thoroughly organized Sunday school and Relief Society in good working order. Many people here are searching for the truth, and we have many friends who are studying and investigating the gospel, d that our prospects look very bright. -: As missionaries we appreciate, and highly prize the Era, and look forward each month to its coming. It contains many helpful and instructive articles, and is not only a great help to us but to the Saints and our friends as well." Three to Five Cottage Meetings Weekly Fred S. Lyman, London, England: "Elders laboring in the south half of London: Leo Eager (branch president), Salt Lake City; Fred S. Lyman, Grayson; J. Perry Egan, Salt Lake City; Clyde D. Hemsley, Piano, Idaho. "London is divided in about the center by the River Thames, and the Church has a branch in both north and south London. At this time of international strife, we are trying to advance the cause of truth in this mighty metropolis. Weare only glean- ers following in the wake of the harvester, yet we meet many honest people and make friends that we will never forget. The war is having little effect upon our work among the people. We hold from three to .five well-attended cottage meetings weekly in the homes of the Saints. Investigators attend these meetings and lively discussions ensue. Our Relief Society of this branch has the distinction of being the banner society in attendance of the entire British mission. The members are not only assisting local people, but each week they engage themselves in making clothes for the needy soldiers at the front. Our Sunday School, organized last month, bids fair to become the largest in the conference. We have three classes, and an average attendance of about forty-five members." Alarming the Local Clergy Elder Joseph M. Christensen, Seattle, Washington, March 29: "Under conference president J. M. Christensen, the elders of the Washington conference of the Northwestern stales mission have made good progress. They have Sunday schools in Seattle, Tacoma, Olym- pic and Centralia and regular services are held. The success of the elders is alarming some of the local clergy to warn against the Lat- u t day Saints from their pulpits, hut their crusade is bearing the fruits of investigation. One minister said of us: 'The country is full of their damnable literature.' Many Books of Mormon have been sold in Everett and Biernerton. Cottage meetings have been quite- successful among the navy boys, and the United States battleships of the Pacific are carrying Books of Mormon in their libraries. In the sale of our literature we have made much advancement over former years. Baptisms for last month were seven. Among the things to be mentioned is the successful work of the short term elders whose former experience has added materially to our progress. The recent visit of President Melvin J. Ballard at our branch conference 1 f r " _| * - JI ft 9 . i had a great impetus for our work. Elders of the Seattle Branch: Standing, left to right: Joseph A. Holiday, Spring Lake, Utah; James A. Ransom, Cleaveland; May Preston, Weston, Idaho; Thomas FT. Gleason, Pleasant Grove: Middle row, Robert T. Buttars, Clarkston; L. Peery Higginbotham, Ogden; conference president Joseph M. Christensen, Hinckley, Utah; A. M. Bird, Teton; Mary Bird, Teton, Idaho; Archie C. West, Pleasant Grove; bottom row: A. A. Johnson, Vernal; William R. Glade, Provo; and C. L. White, Salt Lake City, Utah." Free from Persecution Elder Joseph O. Stone, Barnsly, Sheffield conference, England, January 16: "We are practically free from persecution at present, as EDITORS' TABLE 739 the people are so absorbed in the war that the 'Mormon' elders are almost lost sight of. In fact, the greatest obsta- cle that we have to meet is indifference. During the month of last Decem- ber we baptized eleven souls into the Church, making a total of sixteen in this branch who have joined the Church during 1914. We are enjoying our labors, and take this opportunity to extend our best wishes to our co-laborers throughout the Lord's vineyard. Elders, left to right: Rich- ard M. Johnson, Springville, Utah; Lars E. Larson, Burley, Idaho; Milton B. Maughan, Wellsville; Joseph O. Stone, Provo, Utah. Organizations Doing Good Work A. T. Shurtleff, president of the Columbia, South Carolina Branch, reports that the work in that conference is in a flourishing condition. "A three-months' visit in the conference has just been completed and everywhere great interest is manifested in the work the elders are doing. There are two fully organized branches of the conference with Sunday Schools, Mutual Improvement Associations, and Relief So- cieties, doing a good work among Saints and friends." A Good Opportunity for Work Elder Dale S. Young, of the East Texas conference, Central States mission, reports that Texas is an excellent place to do mis- sionary work: "We are not hindered in our labors by cold winters and rough roads. The winters are mild, and the roads are generally in good condition. In the winter our work is mainly confined to the country. We find the people better prepared to receive the gospel than ever before. They have thrown open to us their doors and their churches and school houses to explain the gospel message in which many of them are becoming deeply interested, often anxiously awaiting our return. The elders laboring here are: John L. Gilbert, ' Thomas Rigby, Wm. S. Grover S. Hansen, Jonathan F. Merkley, Blackburn, Leroy E. Clark, George B. Walker, President; David Harris, Ray D. Garner, Dale S. Young, Leonard Abraham, Horace N. Hunsaker, Elmo Howard, Leslie E. Roskelley." Hundreds Listen to the Songs of Zion Elder J. Ernest Adams, Rotterdam, Holland, April 14: "We have a splendid choir of about fifty members, which has many opportunities of singing the songs of Zion and anthems to the Saints and friends in this branch. On Sunday evenings we have an average of about three hundred Saints and friends to sing to. The meetings at Rotterdam have never been so well attended as they are at present, notwithstand- ing the loss of the elders leaving and the very unpleasant conditions the war. has brought about. The work of the Lord is progressing very rapidly here in Holland, and more especially here in Rotterdam. We all hope and pray that Holland may remain free from the war, that the conflict may soon cease, and peace be established throughout the world." 740 LMPRI IVEMENT ERA The Hand of God in Passing Events Elder Clyde F. Hansen, Halifax, England, March 29: "Those of us who arc still in the Leeds conference mission field are greatly en- joying our work. We feel that our efforts are being crowned with success, although more elders are needed. The war is not affecting usvery much here except for the great rise in the cpst of living. In this respect, however, the people in our conference are very fortunate because most all of them are working over time on war munitions and are receiving a good wage. I believe the Saints here appreciate the gospel more now than ever they did before the war, because they ran see very clearly the hand of the Lord in the passing events. I are, however, a great many here who doubt the existence of a God. because of the troublous times now enveloping this country and im- plicating half the population of the world in war. n y 1 -tj^l y: * L . r fink *7 •/Ji. l - 1 ± '" V ? LEEDS CONFERENCE, HALIFAX, ENGLAND _ "Elders left to right, back row: Virgil C. Hall, secretary of Hull conference; \ erner O. Hewlett, Salt Lake City; Earl S. Harper and W. Hazel Hillyard, Smith- field; Robert R. Cordner, Provo Bench; Joseph F. Worthen, Salt Lake City; John H. Tlaslam, Wellsville; second row: E. F. Spencer, Randolph; W. Leslie Cocking, Win. \\ Seare, Gus Dyer, Ralph Bishop. Elmer M. Savage, Salt Lake City: Alonzo H. . Peterson, Brigham City; Cyrene N. Bagley, Holliday, Utah; third row: Pres. Aubrey O. Andelin of the Liverpool conference, Provo; Dr. G. H. Higgins, Bradford, Eng- land; Pres. Leonard B. Nielsen of Leeds conference, Provo: Mission President Hyrum M. Smith, Salt Lake City; J. M. Sjodahl, of Liverpool office, Salt Lake City; Clyde V. Hansen, secretary of Leeds conference, Salt Lake City; Pres. Ray D. Nicholes, of Hull conference; sitting: James H. Yickers, Nephi; S. Evan Francis, Lake Shore; J. LeRoy Wright, Ogden: and Harold T. Pardoe, of Bountiful, Utah." Teaching English and the Gospel Amasa W. Clark, Tokyo, Japan, March 10. 1915: "Japan is a country from whose missionaries the people in Zion hear very little. "The Japan mission is one in which any elder can work just as much as he desires, and he will find that the people among whom he labors, as a rule, are willing to listen to what he has to tell them. EDITORS' TABLE 741 Few tracts are refused. It takes some time before a missionary learns enough Japanese to tell the peo- ple what he desires to tell. The new missionaries are encouraged to begin tracting as soon as possible, learning, at first, sentences with which to tell the people who he is, and what he lias for them. "For the first two years the mis- sionary has quite a struggle with the language, but with a great deal of study, and an effort to use what Japanese he learns, he is finally able to reach such proficiency that he can readily make speeches. "We have many young men who attend our English classes; some in order to learn English, and others who are really desirous of hearing the teachings of the gospel. Among these are many very intelligent young men. "Our meetings here in Tokyo are quite well attended, and among those who come to hear the gospel, are some very earnest investi- gators. We cannot expect to make converts here as quickly as in other missions where the people practically know Christianity, in a modified form. Although we are not converting many, we do not feel in the least discouraged. We have to break through the Buddhist teachings which for centuries have been rooting themselves in the hearts of the Japanese people. The seeds we sow now will bear fruit which will be gathered by elders of the future. ''There is one thing which greatly hinders the work in Japan, and that is the scarcity of missionaries. We have only eleven missionaries to preach the gospel to more than fifty-six millions of people. There are three of us laboring here in Tokyo; the fourth largest city in the world. "We elders in Tokyo are happy in trying to do what little we can to lead the Japanese people nearer to the road of life and salvation. We are united in our work, and feel that with the help of the Lord much good can be accomplished among the Japanese people. "We extend a hearty greeting to all the Saints at home, especially our friends and loved ones, and desire an interest in your faith and prayers in our efforts in promulgating the word of God. The elders are, left to right: J. Vernon Adams, Secretary of the Tokyo Sunday school; Amasa W. Clark, Mission Secretary; and H. Grant Ivins, Mission President." A Catholic Sentiment Elder J. Alma Janson, Leavenworth, Kansas, March 26: "We have had the honor and pleasure of meeting and conversing with many of our Civil war heroes who have related, to our enjoyment, many of their thrilling experiences. One gentleman, eighty-three years of age. who had served in the Civil war, had become closely associated with the Mormon Batallion in their march to Mexico. He had noth- ing but good to say of its members, complimenting them very highly on their splendid discipline. Leavenworth has a population of over nineteen thousand, two-thirds of whom are of Catholic faith, and who seem pleased to distinguish the Latter-clay Saint missionaries as im- postors."