Editors’ Table

EDITORS' TABLE 747

Attitude of the Latter-day Saints Towards the Jews

At one of the late April Conference sessions, President Heber J. Grant made the following statement on this subject: Some of you may be familiar with the agitation that is going on at the present time, in the publications, against the Jewish people. There should be no ill-will, and I am sure there is none, in the heart of any true Latter-day Saint, toward the Jewish people. By the authority of the Holy Priesthood of God, that has again been restored to the earth, and by the ministration, under the direction of the Prophet of God, Apostles of the Lord Jesus Christ have been to the Holy Land and have dedicated that country for the return of the Jews; and we believe that in the due time of the Lord they shall be in the favor of God again. And let no Latter-day Saint be guilty of taking any part in any crusade against these people. I believe in no other part of the world is there as good a feeling in the hearts of mankind towards the Jewish people as among the Latter-day Saints.

Missionary Statistics

At the April General Conference, President Heber J. Grant read the following statement relating to the labors of the missions, which we think will interest, not only the public generally, but the hundreds of missionaries and their friends and the Saints in the mission fields: The mission membership of the Church at the close of 1920 was 99,870. Tithes paid in all missions of the Church, $456,699; an increase of more than a hundred thousand over anv previous year. Value of mission property, $1,467,571. This does not include all of the Hawaiian property. Spent for charity in all the missions, $34,532. Baptisms in all the missions last year, 5,087. This is the highest record in many years. There were 1,727 missionaries in all the missions on January 1, 1921, an increase of 574 over January 1, 1920; while the average expense of the missionaries of the Church was $37 per month in 1920, or $10 per month higher than in 1919, and that is the highest expense per elder in the history of the Church.

The number of baptisms per elder in 1920 was about three. Calls of the missionaries were answered at 2,926,416 homes, and the elders had 2,617,345 gospel conversations. They sold 34,703 copies of the Book of Mormon, and distributed 7,023,378 tracts and held 135,532 meetings.

748 IMPROVEMENT ERA

Messages from the Missions

Great Increase in Sunday School Attendance Writing from the Twin City branch of the Alabama and Georgia conferences, April 1, the elders report that the mission work is growing rapidly there. During the past five months they have baptized twenty-three, with prospects of others to follow. They are meeting with good success by holding meetings with the mill and factory employees, during noon hours. A — recent branch conference was well attended 400 per cent more attending the Sunday school and meetings at present writing, than attended a few

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months ago. Elders, front row, left to right: A. C. Ellett and President William C. Olson of Alabama. Conference President W. R. Holt, C. A. Jorgenson, Georgia. Back row, left to right: Elders Nelson G. Hunt and Grant Smith, Alabama. Elders D. A. Bryce and M. M. Hancock, Georgia.

Forty Baptisms in Nottingham Elder Virgil B. Stallings, President of the Nottingham Conference, England, writes under date of April 19: The past two years have been very busy ones, consolidating and reorganizing the various branches of our conference, disrupted during the war. The sisters in the branches during that period and since have proved of great service in the cause of truth, and have "held the fort" against all difficulties. Everywhere the work is now progressing with trading and open-air meetings. "Books of Mormon" and pamphlets are being sold. Although there appears to be a wave of skepticism passing over these parts of England, the elders are well received. Church works are borrowed and read with eagerness, prejudice is being broken down, and many misconceptions of "Mormonism" are explained. Large numbers of investigators are examining our doctrines and may be seen frequently in the meetings. Forty were baptized during last year.

EDITORS' TABLE 749

Elders, back row, left to right: George W. Thompson, Eastwood; Ar. B. Sims; Bertram J. Combs, Nottingham; John Max Toolson, Smithfield, Utah; Samuel Pears, Hucknall; Wilfred Bradley, Derby; Hy. Hayes, Hucknall; sefiond row: George Gert; Leicester; Joseph Robinson, Nottingham; Frank Orme, Derby; John W. Bradwell, Mansfield; third row: Charles Hy. Last, Lewiston; Harold E. Brough, Randolph; Virgil B. Stallings, Conf. Pres., Eden; Annie E. Noble, Ogden; Abraham Noble, Conf. Clerk, Ogden, all of Utah; front row: Frank Wheatley, Leicester; William H. Mullinger, Eastwood; William Hayes, Hucknall. Street and Hall Meetings Well Attended Elder L. D. Bigler, writing from Quincy, Illinois, reports that their labors in that district are bringing them much joy. The prejudice of the people is gradually being allayed and there is a bright future before the laborers in that city in the cause of the Lord. The street and hall meetings are being well attended and success seems eminent. Elders laboring here are: Delmar Dean, Evanston, Wyoming; Elgin S. Bridges, Montpelier, Idaho; Howard Ferguson, Jerome, Idaho, and Burton Bigler, Gunnison, Utah. Many Healed through the Power of Faith Elder T. O. Gunderson, Richmond, Virginia, writes under date of March 12: "During the past winter, which has been very mild and pleasant, we have met with excellent success in trading and holding cottage meetings. Recently a leading minister of this city said, 'We are looking for a new light from heaven to guide and direct our destinies.' We Latter-day Saint missionaries find joy and satisfaction in presenting a 'new light from heaven.' As a result of our labors many people who heretofore have been prejudiced are receiving the elders. Many remarkable instances of healing through the power of faith have been reported by the elders of the conference." Elders of Richmond, Virginia, Allison Crouch, Morgan; Irl R. Beecroft, Douglas, Arizona; Orson A. Hoggan, Bountiful; J. Earl Lewis, Mammoth; Raymond H. Ward, North Ogden; Conference President, T. 0. Gunderson, Murray, Utah.

750 IMPROVEMENT ERA

Many Church Members in Memphis Elders Levan H. Boyle, Conference President of Atlanta, Georgia, Hyrum S. McCleve and George M. Neilson, shown in front row; and Vernon H. Mendenhall, Earl L. Page and Charles Morrison in back row, write under date of April 24: "We labored in Memphis, Tennessee during January, February, and March, and have had good success, leading many to investi-

gate the gospel. We have many members of the Church here in Memphis, where the Southern States mission was organized in the Middle Tennessee conference, near Williamsport, Tennessee, at Duck River. This conference isbeing conducted under the able leadership of Conference President Levan H. Boyle, and is generally in a thriving condition."

The Arizona Conference On April 15, 16 and 17, 1921, at Tucson and Binghampton, (jointly) five regular, well-attended conference sessions were held, besides a general priesthood meeting a special Relief Society session, a general Relief Society session, (under the direction of Louisa W. Jones, president of the mission Relief Societies), an M. I. A. meeting, and a special elders' meeting. An operetta entitled, "Cherry Blossom" was rendered by the Binghampton M. I. A., Saturday evening, April 16, which received very favorable comment. The Arizona missionaries met in special priesthood meeting with President Joseph W. McMurrin, Friday morning, April 15, 1921, and all bore strong testimonies of the restoration of the gospel. President McMurrin stated that the Friday and Saturday sessions had a larger attendance than at any conference he had so far attended, there being nearly 1,200 people at these sessions. The total number in attendance at all sessions was 1,893. The combined branches of Arizona contributed to the success of the conference, each having representation at the various sessions. President McMurrin repeatedly addressed the congregations, and all who listened to his powerful discourses felt doubly paid. The traveling elders, and branch presidents also gave very vital discourses. An interesting feature

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EDITORS' TABLE 751

of the conference was the singing of the Binghampton choir, under the capable leadership of Elder Orlando F. Peterson, many other musical numbers of merit were given. A missionary male quartet, composed of Elders Orlando F. Peterson, Paul M. Adams, Howard D. Sorensen and E. Odell Peterson, received much favorable comment. Every branch in the Arizona conference was represented by its president and by the Relief Society officers, except the Chino branch, which is nearly 300 miles distant. This is a very credible showing and reflects the deep interest taken here in the work of the Lord. All the missionaries have returned to their former fields of labor with the exceptions of Elders O. F. Peterson who has been transferred to the Los Angeles conference, and Levi Bodily who, with President John McCarrey, is going to open up a new field of labor in Ajo, Arizona. Elder E. Odell Peterson.

Missionaries Laboring in the Arizona Conference Left to right: back row— Levi Bodily, Marion O. Condie, Andrew W. Kasius, Philbert C. Lind, George C. Peterson, E. Odell Peterson, R. Glen Call. Center row: John C. Brown, Paul M. Adams, President Joseph W. McMurrin, California mission; President John McCarrey, Arizona conference; Leo R. Balle, Howard D. Sorenson. Front row: Eral W. Henderson, David W. Hulet (former Arizona missionary, now attending Umversity of Arizona), Merle G. Stockdale, Orlando F. Peterson.

Successful M. I. A. Work Martin D Bushman writing from Miami, Oklahoma, April 15, says: "We are having good success in the work here in Ottowa county, Oklahoma. are being Four Sunday schools, and numerous cottage and open air services work, just newly beheld each week. Especially interesting is the M. I. A. gun in this part, which is proving very successful. Many are taking part

in it both in preliminary exercises and class work. The investigators speak highly of the Era and gladly welcome it each month.

752 IMPROVEMENT ERA

Missionaries left to right: Martin D. Bushman, Snowflake, Arizona; Stanley J. Tingey, Salt Lake City; George D. Marler, Thornton, Idaho and Henry Thompson, Ferron, Utah. Prejudice Abated in Texas Elder C. A. Ferrin, writing from Waco, Texas, April 1, declares that prejudices against the Latter-day Saints are slowly being torn down in that

district. The elders laboring there are: D. A. Kirkham, Lehi, Utah; C. A. Ferrin, Toppenish, Washington; and O. C. Jensen, Cedar City, Utah.

London Missionaries President McKay has been released and arrived in Utah in the early — part of May. He has done a wonderful work having labored in England for a number of years. During the past few months his lecture on "Utah and her People" has been of great value in placing before thousands of people, not ordinarily get-at-able, information concerning the Latter-day Saints, and in allaying prejudice. For a number of years he was President of both the Bristol and Norwich, as well as the London conferences,

EDITORS' TABLE 753

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The above represents President George Albert Smith and London Conference missionaries as follows: (left to right, standing.) Olive Archar, J. W. Ernest Tomlinson, Joseph Coulam, Kenneth Coombs, James K. Western, Edgar Jeffery, Cyril Monk, David D. Terry, William Hunt, George D. Follick, Gertrude, Eleanor. (Sitting) Dorothy Lovelace, James I. May, Clerk Anna 0. McKay, President James Gunn McKay, President George Albert Smith, James Arno Kirkham, Germaine De Passel, Harold H. Bennett, Frank Armstrong.

Elders of the London Conference attending President McKay's Missionary class at "Deseret." Top row, left to right: Earl Nephi Palfreyman, Francis Armstrong Madsen, Frank Armstrong, Thorlief Jacobson, Leo V. Worsley, Chas. W. Speirman, Isaac Peter Thunnell, Adolph Soderberg. Second row: Joseph Coulam, Joshua E. Brown, Melvin T. King, Homer Taylor, Clayton B. Turner, George T. Patrick, Ervin Rawlings, Robert E. Finch, Horace L. Richards; Front row: Thomas Finlayson, Harold Harper Bennett, J. Armo Kirkham, James Gunn McKay, Anna O. McKay, Robert E. Griffiths, John E. Ingles.