--- 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: 19 number: 1 published: 1915-11 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Do You Believe in Lady Missionaries?," *Improvement Era* 19, no. 1 (November 1915): 48–49.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1901unse 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: improvementera1901unse start_page: 48 end_page: 49 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1915-11) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera1901unse 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. --- # Do You Believe in Lady Missionaries? Do You Believe in Lady Missionaries? Qir'te a division of opinion prevails among the people on this question. Those who have paid attention to the portraits in the "Messages from the Missions," printed monthly in the Era, will have noticed a liberal sprinkling of sisters among the various groups of missionaries. It is evidently true that the employment of sisters in the mission field is becoming more common as the months go by. Why is this the case ? Do you believe in sending out young women to labor in the mission field ? Or should mis- sion work be done solely by the Priesthood? Sister Edna Crowther, who is at present laboring in Phila- delphia, has called the attention of the editors of the Era to the question, and asks permission to give her ideas on why lady missionaries are called. We believe our readers will be interested in her presentation. Without taking a stand either for or against the ide?, at this time, we are pleased to present her views: "I think both the Era and the Liahona have enough mis- sion news from the elders, and that the lady missionaries should have part of the women's magazines, because there should be system and order in all things. As yet I have never heard nor read anything on why the Church has lady missionaries. It is a question which many people are thinking about, some believe in them, some do not. Therefore, light should be given to the body of the Church in general ; so, if I may, I beg to contribute to the Era some ideas on this subject which please print for the cause of truth and the uplift of humanity. My object is to accomplish govxl. "Woman's work, from the beginning of history among civ- ilized people, has always been with the gentle things of life — at the heart, so to speak. She always has and always will have a posi- tion to fill separate and distinct from man. Men cannot do women's work any more than women can do men's work. Every attempt to change places is a flat failure. "One important and growing question of our so-called 'Mor- mon' Church today is 'what can young women do as missionaries?' It is a very broad question with two sides — missionaries at home and missionaries abroad. I will discuss missionaries abroad. "It is the elders' duty to preach the gospel, cry repentance to even- creature, baptize, lay on hands for the gift of the Holy Ghost, bind on earth that which shall be bound in heaven, and to organize. The sisters', or lady missionaries' duty is to enter homes, declare our glorious message of peace and good will and DO YOU BELIEVE IN LADY MISSIONARIES? 49 manifest the fruits of the Spirit which are, as the Apostle Paul said: 'love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith.' We are to visit the sick, comfort the weary, cheer the sad ; and to those who have some truth add more to it. Break down the high wall of prejudice by tact and love. We make our- selves servants to our fellow beings, and in so doing become servants of God. "Every missionary who does his or her full duty realizes that God is love, because all that He has done for us has been for love, and all we ever did or ever will do that could be worth while is through love. Love is the core of life ; everything hinges on love. Every disaster is the result of the lack of love somewhere. It is only by love that we will ever become as God. Love char- acterizes a missionary ; without it, and an eye single to the glory of God, little can be accomplished. "When a lady missionary rings a bell, or knocks at a door, she must do so with a prayer on her lips that the Spirit of God will rest upon both her and the one who opens the door that they may feel as sisters, with a oneness in the cause of truth, for ninety- eight out of one hundred doors are opened by women. We must go with a soul burdened with desire to bless and uplift all whom we meet, and by the love and truth of God make every man and woman who is seeking for truth our brother or sister. If we meet some who are not seeking truth, we may, by the direction of the Holy Spirit, to whom we are all entitled, strike a chord in them that will vibrate in harmony with our plan of a better life. Every good is truth and all truth is of God. "For one I have found many honest souls who are seeking truth, several have told me that I was sent to them in answer to a long, oft-repeated prayer. One instance I will relate. It is of a dear soul who joined the Church in Norway. She afterwards came to America, but her circumstances prevented her having anything to do with our Church or its people for thirty-one years, during which time she held fast to the faith, taught it quietly to her children, constantly praying that the way would be opened up that she could again be united with God's chosen people. Her prayers were answered, and her only son left, has joined the Church with her. She is now one of the happiest women I know. "Ladies are invited into manv homes where men would be refused. They work quietly and joyfully at the heart of things, promote fundamental growth of the fruits of our glorious restored gospel in the homes. They do not. nor can they, take the place of elders, but work in harmony with them, by doing those small things that only women can do. They tear down the barriers of prejudice and stimulate spiritual life and unity wherever they go. Ts this not reason enough why the Church should have lady mis- sionaries?"