Messages from the Missions

Messages from the Missions

Several Cases of Healing

For many years elders and lady missionaries have been working in

the Indianapolis branch of the Northern States mission, but never before

has there been such a bright outlook for success. We have almost a hun-

dred Saints here now, and expect this year to add many more to that

EDITORS' TABLE 545

number. In 1917 we baptized twenty-seven people, and they have been

helping the missionaries in preaching the gospel. Our local Saints are

anxious to go visiting with us, to help sing, pray, and in any other way

aid in this great latter-day work. During the past summer we had many

cases of healing, one woman who had been lame for three years was healed.

She had faith that if she was baptized, the Lord would bless her. She

was carried into the water, but after baptism walked out without the aid

or use of her crutch. A small babv was immediately healed of cholera.

Many instances too numerous to mention show that the Lord is helping

us. We hope some day to have a building here, also a larger and better

branch. Elders and lady missionaries, left to right: O. E. Beckstrand,

Meadow; Gertrude Collett, Roosevelt; President F. A. Rees, Coalville;

Belva Cox, Fairview, and C. E. Schank, Salt Lake City. Absent from pic-

ture, R. L. Blain and Vloe B. Jackson. — Fred A. Rees, conference pres-

ident.

New Branch Organized

A line or two from Cockle Creek, Newcastle branch, in New South

Wales, Australia, may be of interest to the readers of the Era. This is a

coal mining center and seaport town, with a population of about 100,000

people, situated nearly one hundred miles north of Sydney. This has al-

ways been a hard field on account of the indifference of the people to

matters of religion; also a strong center of the "Reorganites," who have

given bitter opposition at times. However, after eight months of deter-

mined effort, we were privileged to organize a branch of the Church

here, several families uniting with the Church by baptism on the first

Sunday of the New Year. We held meeting on the river's bank, after

which the baptisms were performed, Elder James P. Clayton and C. H.

Tingey officiating. Upon our return to the city, fast meeting was held

at the home of Brother Walter J. Bailey and the new members con-

firmed. I have never before witnessed such an outpouring of the Spirit, all

present bearing a faithful testimony of the gospel. Three children were

blessed. Much credit is due Bishop A. D. Miller (now mission pres-

ident) and wife, Sister Mary J. Miller, who labored with me some two

months in opening up this field. Upon Brother Miller's appointment to pre-

side over the Australian mission, Elder C.H.Tingey was appointed from Syd-

ney to this field, and recently Elders W. H. Dittmore and H. E. Miller were

assigned to Newcastle. We have good, faithful workers and the branch

will grow. All meetings are well attended, many earnest investigators

will soon join, and we all feel to rejoice in the blessings and power of

the Lord manifest in this field. I have been appointed to preside oyer

the Queensland conference and leave the work and friends here with

feelings that only those who have labored in the Lord's vineyard can

appreciate. We all enjoy the Era and wish it every success. — James P.

Clayton, Branch President.

Activities in Thames, "New Zealand

Elder J. Mil'an Olsen, Thames, New Zealand, writes: Through the

efforts put forth by the group of children whose picture is given here-

with, under the direction of the eight older people, we have accomplished

a great deal during 1917. In March of that year we staged a concert which

was highly appreciated by the people. Through the concert we bought and

paid for a new church organ, costing us $125, of which the mission con-

tributed $25. In July of the same year, we appeared again with a con-

cert, assisted this time by the Maori saints and friends of Kiri Kiri and

Omahu. This success enabled us to purchase three dozen new chairs, cost-

ing $65; and two new sacrament sets with individual cups. Again in De-

cember, we staged our best concert, rendering a program consisting of

an operetta in three acts, under the direction of Elders Olsen and Dem-

ming, and a dialogue by the Sunday school teachers who are shown in the

group of eight. We were assisted by the elders and Saints of Omahu

and Kiri Kiri, and to whom we gave half of the proceeds for the new

chapel, which is being built in Kiri Kiri, under the direction of Pres-

ident Lambert of this misson and Elder W. M. Moody, presiding elder

of the Hauraki district, among the natives. The mission is flourishing,

and much has been accomplished in building new chapels. The tithing

has been greatly increased and much prejudice has been allayed. The

eight older people who directed the group of young people . are, left

to right: Willie Hoffman, Sophia Hoffman, Ivie Billman, Alma Fisher,

Sidney Ensor. Front: Earl Demming, Idaho Falls; William Payne, branch

president; J. Milton Olsen, Emery, Utah, conference president.

Winter Work in the Northern States Mission

"Winter ordinarily means a slowing up, if not a partial cessation of

missionary work in the north countries. Not so with the Northern States

mission this year. Strange as it may seem the elders of several conferences

have been doing winter country work all during the bitter weather with

splendid results. Churches, school houses and other halls have been thrown

open to them in every quarter, people coming from miles around and wil-

lingly furnished light and fuel, to hear the religion which would cause min-

isters to give up their usual life of ease, and brave chilblains and frozen

ears. The farmers are less busy and have more time to talk than in the

summer time. Summer country work has usually been planned about the

time when farmers were most busy, consequently many people who would

gladly have listened to our message felt that they did not have time to enter-

tain the elders and were, in some cases, offended that men should be thus

spending their time when they needed farm hands so badly. The last two

months of bitter cold weather show 2677 books of Mormon distributed, and

33 baptisms. We say, long live winter country work, may it become a per-

manent institution with us." — Edgar Everton, Secretary.

Cold Water Baptism

One of the most beautiful baptismal services ever witnessed in Mich-

igan was held at the Detroit river on Sunday morning, February 3, this

year. The Saints and friends of Detroit branch assembled in a little navy

cabin on the banks of the river and there, while huddled around a small

stove fire, sang songs of Zion and offered up prayers of rejoicing to the

Almighty. Elder Ellwin Ellsworth and Elder Samuel G. Clawson gave spir-

ited testimonies concerning the necessity of baptism and the divine mis-

548 IMPROVEMENT ERA

sion of the Prophet Joseph Smith. After the speaking was concluded, all

present proceeded to the neighborhood of a hole which had been cut in the

river through twenty inches of ice. Here, with a frosty wind blowing, and

the temperature below zero, Grady Purtee, a recent convert, was bap-

tized. Elder John A. Coyne officiated in the ordinance. The service

was brought to a close in the navy cabin by song and prayer. All pres-

ent felt the Spirit of the Lord in rich abundance and the faith of the two

men participating in the baptism was such that no ill effects followed the

icy immersion. The convert was confirmed in the afternoon testimony

meeting and bore a strong testimony to the truthfulness of the gospel. —

S. G. Clawson.

A Prophetic Blessing

President J. Le Roy Anderson of Rutland, Vermont, writes, March 7:

"At the dismissal of the afternoon session of the semi-annual confer-

ence held in Barre, Vermont, January 16, 1916, Dr. James E. Talmage

pronounced the benediction. During prayer he invoked the blessings of

the Lord upon the elders, Saints, and friends. He predicted that many

of the people of Barre would be led to see the truths of the gospel. He

also said that not only would the people of Barre receive these bless-

ings, but they would extend to the people of the entire state of Ver-

mont. He said that the birth state of the prophet would flourish and

become a shining light among the other states. There were about thirty

people present at this meeting, most all of them being Saints. The recent

semi-annual conference was held again at Barre, February 17, 1918, with

about eighty-six present at the afternoon meeting, and seventy-three at

the evening meeting. Most all of these people were friends and in-

vestigators. The work throughout the entire conference is progressing and

the fulfilment of the prophetic blessing by Dr. Talmage is coming to

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pass. Elders, left to right, standing: Carl A. Steele, Barre, Vermont;

Carl H. Lesueur, Mesa, Ariz.; W. W. Keddington, Salt Lake City; Aura C.

Hatch, Franklin, Ida.; Arthur J. Anderson, Sandy, Utah. Sitting: Albert

M. Gish, American Falls, Ida.; Conference President J. Le Roy Anderson,

Raymond, Canada; Mission President W. P. Monson; Harold S. Walker,

Pleasant Grove, Utah; Ervin T. Hawkins, Logan, Utah; front row, John

G. Linde, Salt Lake City; Loyd F. Kohlar, Byron, Wyoming."