The Bureau of Information

The Bureau of Information By Edward H. Anderson The Bureau of Information has achieved remarkable suc- cess This institution was established to provide tourists, and visitors on the Temple Block, enlightenment concerning the Latter-day Saints and their doctrines and practices. It has been so eminently successful in its mission that much inquiry has been made, from time to time, as to how the movement orig- inated. Prior to the establishment of the Bureau of Information, much interest was taken in the entertainment of tourists upon the Temple Block by a number of zealous members of the Church. One of the foremost of these was James Dwyer, the veteran book-seller, well known in all the West. He had pre- pared a small card, later adopted for use by the guides after the organization of the Bureau, containing the articles of faith, on the reverse side of which was a view of the Temple Block, and the imprint, "Should you wish any further information concerning Church doctrines, please writes James Dwyer, North Temple Street, Salt Lake City." But there was need of more extended and greater activity in this line of missionary en- deavor. Hence the new movement whose inception is here related. From the records of the Salt Lake stake of Zion before the division into three stakes the following items are culled by Elder Benjamin Goddard: At a home missionary meeting presided over by President Angus M. Cannon of the Salt Lake stake of Zion, November 30, 1898, Elder Benjamin Goddard, a home missionary, (the first and present director of the Bureau) recommended that some effort be made to place the gospel before the visitors passing through Salt Lake City. No action appears to have been taken at that time. At a home missionary meeting presided over by President Angus M. Cannon, July 30, 1901, Elder Ephraim Jensen, custodian of the Tabernacle, thought it would be a good thing "to have some of the home missionaries or other suitable brethren appointed to preach the gospel to the large number of strangers visiting this city, some of whom seemed anxious to know what we believed in and to become acquainted with us and our institutions. About the last Wednesday of July, at a meeting of the General Board of the Y. M. M. I. A., Elder LeRoi C. Snow referred to certain experiences recently had by him in the vi-

132 IMPROVEMENT ERA cinity of the Eagle Gate, when he personally observed the work of "hack drivers" and the ridiculous information given to visitors. Concerning these Elder Snow writes to the Era: In the latter part of July, 1901, a great many tourists passed through Salt Lake City on their way to attend the convention of the Epworth League in California. I was standing near the Eagle Gate when a party of tourists drove up and stopped within a few steps of where I was standing. The hack-driver then commenced telling his stories. After telling a lot of other falsehoods he continued: "This is the Bee Hive House, where Lorenzo Snow, the president of the Church lives. The building is kept closed from the public. No one is ever permitted to go in there. We do not know what goes on there." I stepped up to the driver, thanked him kindly for repeating in my hearing the stories which had been prepared for the tourists, and then I turned to the strangers, introduced myself, and invited them to go through the Bee Hive House with me and to meet my father, the President of the Church. They appeared very much surprised and undecided just what to do. I assured them that they would come out alive and that no harm would come to them. Here the driver interrupted, saying: "Oh, come on. "We have a lot of places to go, and we must be on our way." This settled the matter with one of the party who replied: "Oh, I don't know, we are paying you for your time, and I presume we can use it as we wish. I, for one, want to accept the invitation." The other members of the party immedi- ately expressed their desire to go also. The driver, who showed very plainly that he was very greatly displeased, was told to remain until the return of the party. I took the good people through the Bee Hive House, introduced my mother to them and answered their many questions which proved to their interest. We then went into the President's office where they met my father and had a short visit with him. I told him of the incident which had just occurred outside, to which one of the gentlemen added : "Yes, I can see that we have been very much mis-informed about the 'Mormons' and I should like to know the truth about you and your city." As we returned to the carriage I again spoke to the driver, saying: "I want to thank you again for letting me know what kind of information you hackmen are giving to the tourists, and I shall not rest until I do all in my power to see that this work is taken out of your hands and that steps are taken to give visitors to Salt Lake reliable and truthful information about our faith, people and Church." The party expressed appreciation for their visit. According to the minutes of the General Board meeting, of the Y. M. M. I. A., held Thursday, August 1, 1901, Elder LeRoi C. Snow related the above experience and proposed that the General Board of the Y. M. M. I. A. do something at once to counteract the work of the hack drivers. The fol- lowing appears in the minutes of the General Board meeting, Thursday, August 1, 1901: Elder LeRoi C. Snow called attention to the fact that when the Epworth Leaguers were passing through this city, we had no persons properly ap- pointed to meet them and furnish them information, and also that every year there were large excursions and gatherings here, and suggested that a committee should be appointed to take such work in hand. On motion

THE BUREAU OF INFORMATION 133 of Elder John Henry Smith, the following committee was appointed to con- sult with the Presidency of the Salt Lake stake upon the matters: LeRoi C. Snow, Rudger Clawson, Henry S. Tanner. President Joseph F. Smith, in the absence of President Lo- renzo Snow, it appears from the record, presided at the meet- ing and appointed the committee. There were present: Pres- ident Joseph F. Smith, Thomas Hull, John Henry Smith, J. Golden Kimball, Douglas M. Todd, Nephi L. Morris, Willard Done, LeRoi C. Snow, Rudger Clawson, Rulon S. Wells, B. S. Hinckley, H. S Tanner, (Assistant Superintendent Heber J. Grant, left the week before, July 24, for Japan). Meetings of the committee were held almost daily for sev- eral days following, suggestions and plans being proposed and discussed, and these were submitted to President Angus M. Can- non of the Salt Lake stake of Zion, who expressed his approval. The report of the special committee was filed with the General Board on Wednesday, August 21, 1901, and an ex- tract from the minutes follows: Elder LeRoi C. Snow of the committee appointed to consider the ques- tion of a local missionary work among strangers and visitors, in Salt Lake City, reported that the committee had held several meetings and had con- sulted with President Angus M. Cannon, who expressed great interest in the work, and the committee recommended: "That a 'Bureau of Information' be established on the Temple Block, to be placed in charge of two competent elders, to be called as regular missionaries, they to be supplied with special and general tracts. "That the necessary expense for starting this work be borne by the General Board. "On motion of Elder Edward H. Anderson, the report was referred to the General Superintendency — Presidents Snow, Smith and Roberts." There were present at this meeting, according to the rec- ord: President Joseph F. Smith, who presided, B. H. Roberts, Thomas Hull, John Henry Smith, M. F. Cowley, J. Golden Kimball, Milton H. Hardy, Rodney C. Badger, George H. Brim- hall, Edward H. Anderson, D. M. Todd, Nephi L. Morris, Wil- lard Done, LeRoi C. Snow, Frank Y. Taylor, Rudger Clawson, Joseph W. McMurrin, Reed Smoot, Bryant S. Hinckley, B. F. Grant, H. S. Tanner. The matter was later considered by the General Superinten- dency and also by the First Presidency, President Lorenzo Snow and Joseph F. Smith being members of both bodies, and be- cause of the missionary work involved, it was decided that the carrying out of the recommendation should be done under the direction of the Seven Presidents of Seventy, to whom the recom- mendation was referred by the First Presidency. The matter rested there for some time; and on October 10, 1901, President Lorenzo Snow died. It was early the next

134 IMPROVEMENT ERA spring when the subject was again revived in the Y. M. M. L. A. General Board meeting, held on February 12, 1902, in which the Secretary was requested to report on the provisions of the committee report given to the Board on August 21, 1901. After the report had been read on motion of Elder B. H. Roberts, the matter was again referred to the First Presidency for their approval with the offer that the General Board Y. M. M. I. A. bear the expenses of this mission. The question was also revived through a letter from Elder Richard W. Young to the First Council of Seventy. From the minutes of the First Council of February 26, 1902, we quote: "A letter was read to the First Council of the Seventy, written by Brother Richard W. Young, regarding the establishment of a Mission Hall and Bureau of Information, on Main and 2nd South Streets. It was decided to refer the letter to the First Presidency with a letter of explanation from the First Council." On March 6, 1902, the First Presidency, at their meeting, considered the subject, and the following is quoted from the record: Letter read from the First Council of Seventy, enclosing a communi- cation from Elder Richard W. Young, setting forth the following: That Salt Lake is one of the chief tourist points of our continent; that many come here with a desire to learn all they can concerning us as a commu- nity, and they make it a point to attend Sabbath meetings in the Tabernacle. And having in view the education of the Seventies in the work pertaining to their special calling, he suggested that a piece of improved property he purchased on Main Street in which to hold nightly meetings under the auspices of the several quorums of Seventy located in this city, in turn; and that the upper rooms of the proposed building be rented to obtain revenue with which to meet interest on long time bonds1 issued for the purpose of raising the purchase price. The communication added that in connection with this scheme a bureau of information might ultimately be found to be expedient. President Smith remarked that he had had some talk with Brother Young on this subject, and had intimated to him that the Church was not in a position to furnish the means for such a purpose; but that if it should be deemed advisable to try the experiment, the Thirteenth or Fourteenth ward meetinghouses might be obtained . After briefly considering the subject, President Smith thought it well to refer the communication back to the First Council of Seventy, to take such action as they themselves may deem desirable; but whatever might be done that it be in harmony with the Stake Presidency. President Smith added that the subject of doing something by way of establishing a bureau of information had been talked about by the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Board for some time past, and it was quite possible that Brother Young had heard of this, and therefore con- nected it with what he had now proposed. On motion of President Winder, this communication was referred back to the Seventies with the request that they look into the matter, and act upon the suggestion themselves as they may deem advisable; also that they consider the matter of organizing a bureau of information for the purpose of imparting correct information to tourists, Motion seconded and carried.

THE BUREAU OF INFORMATION 135 The next action was taken by the Council of Seventy as follows, as appears from the minutes of March 19, 1902: President Seymour B. Young moved that Brothers B. H. Roberts, Rulon S. Wells and Joseph W. McMurrin be appointed as a committee to bring to the attention of the M. I. A. Board the letters from Brother Richard W. Young and the First Presidency regarding the establishment of a City Mission and a Bureau of Information, and to ask for the appointment of a committee from that Board to consider the expenses that would be incurred in the establishment of that mission. Brother Roberts moved that a committee of the First Council of the Seventy be authorized to name one President from each of the quorums in this city and make an appointment to meet with them for consultation on this matter. Carried, March 19, 1902. On the same day, as appears from the record of the Y. M. M. I. A.: Elder B. H. Roberts stated that the First Council of Seventy had appointed a committee to consider the formation of a Bureau of Informa- tion and to take charge of the same, and of a missionary work to be inaugurated in this city. That committee consisted of Elders B. H. Rob- erts, Rulon S. Wells, and Joseph W. McMurrin and Elder Roberts asked that a committee of two be appointed from this Board to confer with them in relation to the matter. The President appointed Rudger Clawson and Matthias F. Cowley said Committee. At the next meeting of the Council of Seventy their record shows that: March 26, 1902, Brother B. H. Roberts reported that on Wednesday, March 19, he attended the M. I. A. Board meeting and presented the matter of the Conference Commit- tee from that General Board to meet with a Committee from the First Council. President Smith appointed Brothers Rudger Clawson and M. F. Cowley to meet with the Committee. On Friday, 21, at 4 p. m. both committees met and discussed the subject of the letters relative to a City Mission in Salt Lake City, and establishment of a Bureau of Information. The Com- mittee tried to ascertain about what the General Board would be willing to do in the way of advancing the necessary means to inaugurate that work, and they also concluded to find out what the expense would be in putting up a booth. Brother Wells was appointed to ask for plans for this booth from architects, in this city, and the brethren felt that the Y. M. M. I. A. Board would be able to meet whatever expense would be necessary to inaugurate that work, but no definite conclusion was reached as to the amount needed. All were unanimous in their ap- proval of a Bureau of Information being established as sug- gested. On Monday evening, March 24, 1902, the Committee from the First Council had met with a Committee from the quorums of Seventy of Salt Lake City and presented the correspondence to the brethren and invited their discussion, etc.

136 IMPROVEMENT ERA Brother Rulon S. Wells later reported that on Friday, March 28, at 4 p. m. he met with the conjoint committee of the First Council and M. I. A. Board and submitted the plan that had been made by Architects Dallas and Hedges, which seemed to please the brethren very much as far as the plans were con- cerned. The Committee met again on the following Monday. At that meeting the plan was approved and the Committee re- solved to recommend to the M. I. A. Board that an appropria- tion of $500 would be suitable to assist in the construction of the building. The Council minutes of April 9, 1902, show that Rulon S. Wells presented the plan for the Bureau of Information Build- ing. On motion of Brother Reynolds the plans were approved by the First Council and presented to the First Presidency. Further, the Council minutes of Wednesday, April 16, 1902, show that Rulon S. Wells called on the First Presidency with THE FIRST BUREAU OF INFORMATION BUILDING

the bureau of information 137 regard to the plans of the Bureau of Information Building, and was authorized to have the architects make out the detail plans for the building. From the minutes of Wednesday, June 11, 1902, it appears that President Seymour B. Young reported that on Wednes- day, June 4, he met President Joseph F. Smith and made some suggestions regarding the Pavilion for the Bureau of Informa- tion. President Smith gave instructions to have the Pavilion built at once. This practically placed the financial responsi- bility on the Church and also ended in greatly modified plans from those first submitted. Accordingly, work was immediately begun on the erection of the first building near the south gates of the Temple Block, near where the new building now stands. The structure was octa- gonal in shape, and about 20 feet across, as illustrated in the accompanying photo. The cost slightly exceeded $500. The First Council of Seventy called the following committee to take charge of the work: Elders Benjamin Goddard, Thomas Hull, Arnold H. Schulthess and Josiah Burrows. The following excerpts from Church publications indicate subsequent activity. Deseret News, July 23, 1902 : The pavilion which has been in course of erection in the Temple block for some time past is now completed, and in a few days will be serving the purpose for which it was erected, namely, as a center from which shall flow official information concerning Utah, Salt Lake, their people and the beliefs and practices of the Latter-day Saints generally. This movement was inaugurated by the First Presidency as a means whereby the work of unauthorized vendors of information, who extorted money from visitors for their self-imposed services, would be checked and brought to an effective end. Improvement Era, September, 1902: Our associations as missionary agencies among unbelievers, was a topic for discussion at the June M. I. A. conference, and the matter had received prior consideration by the members of the General Board. It had long been asked whether anything was being done to enlighten tourists and visitors who frequently come into our cities, villages and towns, and who have never heard anything about the gospel, and only ill reports about the people. It was found that while we were sending hundreds of mis- sionaries far away to teach the truth and to allay prejudice, the strangers within our gates, and even residents who are not members of the Church, were mostly left to draw their information from non- and often anti-"Mor- mon" sources. To remedy this evil, the attention of the General Board was called a year ago to this subject by Elder LeRoi C. Snow, upon whose motion a committee of inquiry was appointed, consisting of Rudger Claw- son, LeRoi C. Snow and H. S. Tanner, and as a result following their labors a Bureau of Information and Church Literature has been established by the First Presidency. A small building of which we give a cut in this number of the Era, was planned and erected at the south entrance of the Temple grounds*, at a cost of about $500. A general committee, consisting of Elders Benjamin

138 IMPROVEMENT ERA i Coddard (chairman), Thomas Hull (secretary), Arnold H. Schulthess, and Josiah Burrows was called to take charge of the Bureau and direct the permanent work of "distributing literature and disseminating informa- tion among tourists and other visitors*' to Salt Lake City. One of these brethren or his representative, has been constantly on the ground since the day the Bureau opened, August 4, 1902 and wiU continue to take charge hereafter. One hundred and five suitable brethren and sisters, many of them members of the M. I. A., have been called to assist under the direction of the person in charge, and during the Elks' convention (held in early August) some forty or fifty of these were constantly on the ground. There is a regular system for work, and meetings of the missionaries for instruc- tions, reports, and interchange of experience and ideas, are held at inter- vals in the L. D. S. University. Certain tracts as well on doctrine as de- scriptive of the Temple Block buildings and other points of interest, are given away; and others, together with books, portraits and views are kept on sale. There are easy chairs, writing tables and other conveniences free in the building. All the workers serve free and tips are absolutely pro- hibited. There is a visitor's register at which over five thousand people had already registered at the close of the fourteenth day. Articles of Faith cards, and small tracts on the doctrines of the Church, had been given to most of these, in addition to the conversations held with the missionaries who answered numberless questions doctrinal and descriptive, bore thou- sands of testimonies and distributed many thousand information leaflets. It is the testimony of the missionaries that they enjoy the work im- mensely, and that great good is resulting from this labor. One illustration: Brother was conducting three young men about the grounds, and came at length to the Temple whose dimensions, cost, and time were dilated upon. "What is it for?" asked one of the young men. This gave a splendid opportunity for explaining briefly the "Mormon" doctrine of salvation for the dead. When Brother finished his remarks, one of the young men replied: "That is a beautiful doctrine, but it is difficult for me to believe!" Another one presented Brother with a five-dollar bill, and bade him accept it. "I cannot do that," said the latter, "but I will tell you what I can do. Where is your home?" "In Pennsylvania." "Well when you return home, or travel anywhere, for that matter and meet one of my brethren of whom many hundreds are in various parts of the world preaching the gospel without pay, treat him kindly, give him something to eat, or a place to sleep; and then, if you have a dollar to spare let him have it." "You bet we will!" came in a chorus from the young men as they shook hands with Brother , thanked him and departed. Experiences and testimonies even exceeding in interest those enjoyed in the foreign mission field have been reported by some of the laborers. We believe that a splendid work has begun, the effects of which will ere long be felt for good, in all parts of the world. Revised Brief History of the Church, by Edward H. Anderson, Pub- lished by the Missions of the Church in the United States, Independence, Jackson Co., Mo., 1920: In the matter of missionary work, one of the first and, perhaps, one of the most successful institutions initiated, under the administration of President Joseph F. Smith was the Bureau of Information and Church Lit- erature. Salt Lake City being a stopping place for thousands of trans-con- tinental tourists from all the nations of the world, the Bureau of Informa- tion has become a daily necessity for the enlightenment and information of the traveling public, relating to the Latter-day Saints and their institu- tions.

THE BUREAU OF INFORMATION 139 No systematized method had been adopted at home, to enlighten these strangers as to the history, institutions, and faith of the Latter-day Saints until this mission on the temple block was begun in July, 1902. The Bureau was at first housed in a very small building, costing about $500, and was opened on August 4, of that year under the charge of Benjamin Goddard, Thomas Hull, Arnold Schulthess, and Josiah Burrows as a direct- ing committee. Benjamin Goddard has remained in charge, through var- ious changes of the committee, up to the present time. Persons are chosen to assist in escorting strangers around the temple block, who work without pay or gifts from the visitors. The tour is of such character that children, as well as young and old Latter-day Saints everyone, would be greatly benefited by the information and inspiring stories of the guides. At the close of the fourteenth day after opening more than five thou- sand people had registered, and at the close of the first year, the number of visitors had swelled to 150,000. The number continued to increase with the years, and during the summer of 1920, the great volume of visitors reached about 400,000. In 1904, the work had grown so rapidly and was so appreciated by travelers, that a new, commodious building of granite foundation and brick walls was erected on the south side of the block and was dedicated on Saturday, March 26. The cost was about $9,000. Later, in 1910, an addi- tion costing about $11,000, was made to the building on the east. Sub- sequently a second story was added, now used as library, reading, and rest room for tourists. Later, in 1918, an addition was erected now housing a museum of pioneer relics, and archaeological and ethnological exhibits. Up to 1914, over 400,000 pamphlets had been printed and distributed, and this number has since reached into the millions. Many Church works have been sold, and untold leaflets of a doctrinal character, magazines and other publications, containing information about the State and the Church, have been distributed. The missionaries, who have freely devoted their time and efforts on the grounds, have accomplished a splendid work, recognized as resulting in benefit and advantage to the Church the world over; and their labors, too have been among a class of people difficult to reach in their homes, or in any other way. The work goes steadily on, and the Bureau has grown to be one of the best missionary institutions in the Church. Alphabetogram s Arbitration Arbitration Besets Challenge, Demands Explanation, Frus- trates Greed, Hinders Injustice, Justifies Keeping Level-Minded, Never Oppresses, Proves Qualifiedly that Right Shall Triumph, Ultimately Verifying Wisdom's 'Xperience. You "Zee." — James D. Todd. Endurance Always Believe, Continue Diligently, Endure Faithfully, Grow Happily, Investigate Judiciously, Know the Law, Mani- fest Natural Obedience, Prepare Quickly, Rebuff the Storms of Temptation, Urge Valiantly With Xacting Yankee Zeal." — James D. Todd