--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Larsen, Gustive O. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 26 number: 5 published: 1923-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Gustive O. Larsen, "The Los Angeles Stake of Zion", *Improvement Era* 26, no. 5 (March 1923): 467–470.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2605unse 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: improvementera2605unse start_page: 467 end_page: 470 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1923-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2605unse publication_year: 1923 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 1923, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The Los Angeles Stake of Zion A snapshot in front of the Chapel on the day of Organization The Los Angeles Stake of Zion By Gustive O. Larsen By act of the presiding authorities of the Church and the Latter-day Saints assembled in conference at Los Angeles, the 88th Stake of Zion came into being on the 21st day of January, 1923. Recent developments leading to this action have been rapid. Since the appointment of President Joseph W. McMurrin to preside over the Cali- fornia mission in 1919 growth in every direction has been almost startling. Conferences grew in four years from three to nine. Branches multiplied in every section of the mission. Mutual Improvement organizations grew from eighteen, in 1919, to twenty-four in 1921, and to twenty-seven in 1922. Sunday schools numbered twenty-six in 1920, forty-three in 1921, and fifty- six in 1922. Relief Societies grew to number forty? in 1922, and Primaries to number fifteen. Exceptional growth in southern California soon brought demands for a stake organization. In Ocean Park, as throughout the mission, the feel- ing prevailed that the Saints should build their own chapels. Today the "Mormon" chapel is a pride in Ocean Park. In view of these conditions the possibility of a stake of Zion on the shores of southern California passed from a dream to a reality. Early last summer it was announced that the Church authorities had fixed upon such action. On December 17, President Grant announced, while visiting with other authorities from Salt Lake City, that the stake would be officially organized on January 21, 1923. The organization itself was an imposing event. In addition to the! pres- 468 IMPROVEMENT ERA J ence of President and Sister Heber J. Grant and daughter Emily, there were present President Charles W. Penrose, Elder George Albert Smith, Bishop Chas. W. Nibley, Pres. J. W. McMurrin, Pres. G. W. McCune. Pres. Frank Y. Taylor and Joseph J. Daynes of the Granite Stake, and Axel A, Madsen and Preston Nibley of the Young Men's General Board. Over three-thousand people attended the services in Los Angeles on Sunday. In the morning a special Priesthood meeting was held, and on the afternoon twelve hnudred people crowded into the chapel. Overflow meetings were held in the amusement hall during both sessions. Music was furnished by the Los Angeles choir of 110 voices under the direction of conductor William Salt assisted by Elder Alex. F. Schreiner and Louise Smith at the organ. President Grant personally conducted all sessions. President Charles W. Penrose gave the opening address. His remarks rang clear and em phatic into the hall. He emphasized the thought that the work to be ac oomplished was to be done in the authority of the Priesthood, and recom mended Section 107 of the Doctrine and Covenants to all men for study The great value that the new stake organization would have was in furnish ing Church work to do for many who had formerly taken no active part "We are laying the foundation for the Kingdom of God broad and deep',' and he urged all men to co-operate. "Let every man learn his duty and do it," was the burden of his message. President Grant then submitted the presiding authorities, the stake of- ficials, and the name of the stake, for the approval of the priesthood as- sembled. It was proposed and unanimously accepted that the new stake should be known as the "Los Angeles stake of Zion." President George William McCune, formerly president of the Eastern States mission, was unanimously sustained president of the stake, with Leo J. Muir first, and Dr. George F. Harding second counselors. President McCune and his count selors are men of experience, and thoroughly equipped to shoulder the burden of presidency. William J. Reeves, former branch president in Los Angeles, was appointed senior high-councilman. Other members of the quorum include, Samuel Dailey, Charles B. Stewart, Arthur F. Reddish, H. C. Healy, Bertram M. Jones, Everard L. McMurrin and Thomas Lloyd. James Thomas was sustained as stake patriarch, Alexander Nibley, su- perintendent of Sunday schools; Vern 0. Knudsen, superintendent Y. M. M. I. A. assisted by J. A. Rasmussen and C. B. Stewart, Jr.; Veda Savage, president of the Y. L. M. I. A.; and Katherine R. Stewart, presi- dent of the stake Relief Societies. The new stake will include Los Angeles county, and embraces the cities of Los Angeles, Ocean Park, Long Beach and San Pedro. It was announced that wards would be organized without delay in Ocean Park, Long Beach, Los Angeles proper, San Pedro, Huntington Park, Boyle Heights, and Hollywood; and Garvanza, Alhambra, Glendale, Belvedere and Inglewood will continue as branches for the present. President Grant called attention to the great change of feeling toward the Latter-day Saints and the breaking down of prejudice. He paid high tribute to the THE LOS ANGELES STAKE OF ZION 469 new stake president and urged loyal support on the part of the people. President McCune urged that the Saints would sustain him and his coun- selors in their efforts to discharge their duties. President Leo J. Muir and President George F. Harding spoke, followed by Elder George Albert Smith, of the council of the Twelve, who reminded the men who hold the Priesthood that the Lord expected them to honor it. "If you dishonor it," he said, "You have refused the blessings of the Lord." In speaking of the observance of the Sabbath day, he said, "Be exemplars in this re- spect. Those who violate it will as surely pay the penalty as such as violate the moral laws." Patriarch James Thomas offered the invocation in the afternoon ses- sion. President Joseph W. McMurrin spoke. The keynote of his talk was, "This is not the work of man, but the work of God." Bishop Nibley explained the Church organization, reminding those present that the pat- tern had been set by the Savior himself. He called attention to the fact that while in men's organizations nominations were made by men, the appointments in the Church of Christ were made by the servants of God, acting as directed by the Spirit of God. President Grant then submitted, for general approval, the names of all who had been proposed to hold Stake offices. President Frank Y. Taylor, of the Granite stake, emphasized the re- sponsibility resting upon the Saints to live the gospel that they might be judged by the world according to their righteous lives. President Charles W. Penrose, in the closing address said, "True religion is that which comes from God to man, ordained and instituted for the salva- tion and exaltation of man. All else will pass away." He urged the gos- pel as a reality. "Every revelation we read about is real." Musical numbers were furnished in the afternoon and evening sessions by Sisters Alice Lamph and Evelyn Buehler Snow, and Elders Everard McMurrin and A. F. Schreiner. A large company assembled in the evening. President William J. Reeves offered the invocation and Elder George Albert Smith gave an address, followed by President George W. McCuue who urged our peo- ple to careful reflection before leaving their homes in tltah and near-by states to come to California. He encouraged rather that the number of our people coming 'into this state be not greater than iitidustrial conditions warranted. "Do not encourage members to come to California if there is nothing for them to do ivhen they come here" he very wisely counseled. In the closing address President Heber J. Grant forcibly brought to public attention the steadfast devotion and increasing testimony of the Latter-day Saints in their struggles to establish the work of the Lord. The fact that in the past ninety years, of the thousands of missionaries who have gone out to preach the gospel, not one has been converted to any other faith, was an evidence of the truth of this work. "Any work built upon a lie cannot endure," he asserted. He pointed out prophecies both recorded in the Book of Mormon and uttered by the Prophet Jo- seph Smith, and found in their fulfilment evidences of their divinity. The 470 IMPROVEMENT ERA benediction was pronounced by Elder Axel A. Mad sen, former conference president in Los Angeles. The organization of the Los Angeles stake of Zion suggests the com- mencement of a new era in the growth of the Church. Already the Saints in San Francisco and Oakland seem stirred, and in the Gridley confer- ence, which includes Sacramento, there has long existed branches that are virtually organized wards. Southern Arizona also gives promise of a stake. And why not? Is not the promise given that the stone cut out of the mountain without hands shall roll forth and fill the whole earth? Los Angeles, Cal. Remarkable Admission of Tobacco Organ By Will H. Brown Would you believe that an organ of tobacco trade would admit that practically every cigarette on the market is injuri- ous? It has really happened. The Cigar and Tobacco World, London, England, speaks thus of a great Russian singer, who was also a great smoker; "It was one of the few joys in which his hard work and the necessary anxieties of a great artist allowed him to indulge. Suddenly he found that even this joy was about to be denied him. The cigarettes were interfering with his throat, and therefore with his voice. He tried every form of ci- garette he could think of — American, Turkish, Egyptian. They all produced the same effect." The World then states that a friend and fellow-countryman succeeded in producing a cigar- ette that the noted singer could smoke without apparent injury. Notice that the singer had tried every form of cigarette he could find — American, Turkish, Egyptian — and they all had the same effect. The many brands are the ones that are being smoked by the billions, by the great mass of smokers — for there is no friend to invent for them a brand that will not injure them. When the average smoker wakes up to find himself injured by smoking, he has but one of two choices — either keep on smok- ing until recovery is impossible, or else by a brave effort break the chains that hold him in miserable slavery. The latter is often so strenuous an undertaking, however, that many fail to stop, so go on and on to their cruel, pitiful fate. The negro slaves of pre-civil war days lived in luxury compared to the nicotine slave of today. Oakland, Cal.