Messages from the Missions

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS Baptisms in South America — More Missionaries Wanted In a letter to the First Presidency, dated December 15, 1925, at Buenos Aires, South America, Elder Melvin J. Ballard of the Council of the Twelve, who, with Elders Rulon S. Wells and Rey L. Pratt, both of the First Council of Seventy, left New York about November 14 to open a new mission in South America, reports their safe arrival at Buenos Aires on Sunday, Decem- ber 6, 1925. He says two members of the Church, Brothers Friedricks and Hoppe, met them at the dock, and had arranged for a cottage meeting that afternoon. He then proceeds: "We had a small group of their friends present. In conversation with them afterwards, we found some of them well informed and earnestly desirous of join- ing the Church. We held another cottage meeting December 10, after which some others applied for baptism. After questioning them, we were convinced that they were worthy, so that on Saturday evening of December 12, I had the pleasure of baptizing in the Rio de La Plata six persons: a brother and sister Kullick and a brother and sister Biebersdorf. and two young girls, one a child of the Kullicks, and the other an adopted child of Brother Fredericks. "These are our first baptisms in South America in this dispensation. We held our first sacrament and confirmation meeting Sunday, December 13, and all bore testimony with the same wonderful spirit the Saints enjoy elsewhere. We have a list of about 60 who are investigating, some German and some Spanish, so that we hope there will be others before long. "Duty is very high on books and tracts. Later we may get some of them, especially the small tracts, published here. "By the time this arrives you may send us missionaries. We think there will be a good opening for two German speaking and two Spanish speaking missionaries. "We are well and enjoying our work; having delightful weather, just like June at home. "We all join in sending love and best wishes." Elder Ballard informs the Presidency that the elders had moved twice, and were comfortably located then at Santa Fe, No. 1301, Department C Buenos Aires, Argentina, South America. Their quarters consist of a small study or reception room, two bed rooms, and a bath room; and the ex- penses, he says, are quite high. Halls are not known there, but they were expecting to rent an upstairs room and seat it as a meeting place. A letter, containing practically the same facts, was received also by the First Council of Seventy from Elder Rulon S. Wells. Fallon Chapel Dedicated The Nevada conference convened at Sparks, Nevada, on December 11- 1 3 ; President Joseph W. McMurrin in attendance, with other mission of- ficers. At the conference, a special feature was the play, "Out of Work," given by the Sparks Relief Society; also an illustrated lecture by Elder Lewis E. Rowe, superintendent of Sunday School and Y. M. M. I. A., on "Utah, the Wonderland of America," which was presented to a packed house on Monday evening, and which was greatly enjoyed by all. At the same hour, some sixty miles away, the Fallon chapel, erected by the Saints of that district, was being dedicated by Pres. Joseph W. McMurrin. Reports in-

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 371 dicate that persistent progress is being made in the work of the Lord in our conference. — Geo. F. Christensen, secretary. Enjoys the "Era" as a Missionary Elder R. Michelsen, Esbjerg, Denmark: "I enjoy the Era very much It is a very welcome guest. I have seldom enjoyed an article more than, 'Caps and Gowns' which appeared recently in the Era, though there have been many close seconds. I met a merchant from South Africa a few days ago and had a long talk with him on our message and sold him a Book of Mormon and gave him a copy of all the tracts I had. I expect to write him later. He had not heard of our people in South Africa at all. Indifference on the part of the people here seems one of the most serious drawbacks." "Fulness of the Gospel" Presented in Berlin A. T. Dalley, secretary of the German-Austrian Mission, reports under date of October 23. the visit of President James E. Talmage with Sister May Booth Talmage and their son, John, of ",the European Mission. Also President Fred Tadje and wife of the German- Austrian Mission and President and Sister Hyde of the Netherlands Mis- sion, to a Berlin Relief Society Conference. The Sunday meeting of the Conference had an at- tendance of 575 in the day time and nearly 700 in the evening. The Re- lief Society had nearly 400 present. Since we have only about 1,000 members for the whole great city of Berlin with a population of between four and five millions, this showing is fairly good. The outstanding feature of the meetings was the splendid edifice where the meetings were held. The picture shows one of the school building in which a large hall is used for the gatherings of the Saints. The City is willing and anxious to rent these buildings for our services. We are al- lowed to use display notices on the building, advertising our services. The German people are very keen in pageant display. The pageant, "The Fulness of the Gospel," was recently presented as taken from the standard works. The costumes were characteristic of the actors in the great restora- tion drama. The conditions in Berlin are very favorable and the people are more and more becoming interested in our message. Baptisms are frequent. One of the School Buildings in Berlin Where Regular L. D. S. Meetings Are Held

372 IMPROVEMENT ERA Top: President Talmage, Wallace Wayman, Sister Tadje, President Tadje, Sister Talmage, President Thomas C. Browning, Berlin Conference. Bottom: A group of youths who presented the pageant "The Fulness of the Gospel," during President Talmage's visit.

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 373 District Conference in Puketapu, N. Z. "Mission President J. Howard Jenkins, and wife, held a district con- ference at Puketapu on October 31 and November 1. The attendance of the Saints and other friends was good. Many faith-promoting instructions were given by the mission president, the elders and the local brethren, one of whom. Brother Hemi Wbautere, had recently returned from Hawaii where he had been doing temple work. President Jenkins pointed out that the Maori people are of the blood of Israel through the loins of Joseph, a chosen people of God; and that the gospel had been restored to them in fulfilment cf prophecies made to the children of Israel through the prophets of old, and called attention to the fact that unless they harkened unto the call of repentance and live the gospels as taught by the servants of God, they would not prosper upon their land nor receive the blessings in store for that people. The Relief Society sisters received many good instructions from Sister Jenkins. The conference ended with a good, lively Mutual program, through which much good, we are sure, has been accomplished. The Saints gathered from all over the conference, and a large tent was provided to serve as sleeping quarters for all present." — Leslie D. Burbidge, president Waikato con- ference, N. Z. ' & CT* ate %5> ^kf - ^v P^^B -B^^H HT ■.*" ^B Bfcifc Back row: Edward L. Hancock, Leslie D. Burbidge, president Waikato; A. Reed Halverson, Hawks Bay conference. Middle row: Joseph L. Pierson, mission secretary; Cora S. Jenkins, president mission Relief Societies; Joseph Howard Jenkins, president mission; Marvin M. Neeley. Front: Arnei J. Taibit, pre- ident Hauraki; R. Wayne Taylor, Waikato; Ralph M. Skinner, Taranaki; John Jenkins, "chief." i Helpful Ability Shown by Short-term Missionaries in Denver The semi-annual conference of Denver, Western States mission, held December 11 to 13, was the success of the season. Much spiritual food was

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MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 375 imparted to the Saints and investigators who assemble on these occasions to hear the restored word of the Lord. The short-term missionaries who were present displayed very helpful ability during our entire conference, taking part in several of the sessions. Forty-two missionaries met with President and Sister John M. Knight, in the capacity of a priesthood meeting, Saturday morning at eight o'clock, continuing until three o'clock in the afternoon. This meeting was one of intense spiritual enjoyment. Strong testimonies were borne concerning the divinity of the latter-day work; in- teresting reports were rendered by those previously engaged in the work of the ministry. Those laboring here have taken on renewed determination to further the work of the Lord. — Ralph F. Giles. Prejudice Broken Down LeRoy E. Peterson, president of the Bristol conference, England, states that they had a most inspiring semi-annual conference in Bristol, South England, on the 29th of November. President James E. Talmage was in attendance. "The spirit of the Lord was with us in rich abundance, and all present left with a greater love for the truth as contained in the restored gos.- pel. Through the help of the Lord we have succeeded to a great extent in breaking down prejudice. Many have opened their minds to a knowledge of the gospel as taught by the Latter-day Saints in the past year, and we trust that the oncoming year will bring greater progress. The Lord is blessing us abundantly, and we are greatly enjoying our missionary labors. We extend our hearty thanks for the Era, because of its splendid articles which are uplifting and full of encouragement to us." *B *B 4? ft ill 9& f ^ f f f 1 m 11 1 Br 'E W-iG^M iff 2» 1 p | ■«l II 0" ^ T it V BRISTOL CONFERENCE Standing, left to right: Brother Robert Hannah, Torquoy, England; Weldon G Green. Salt Lake City; E. Leland Nichols, Pocatello. Idaho; Carl E. Brown. Salt Lake City; Howard Judd, St. George; Lavon E. Pawne, Provo; Lee W. Lund, Manti; John C. Hooper, Hooper, Utah. Sitting: Peter J. Clark, pres- ident Welsh conference, American Fork, Utah; Ianthus L. Richards, outgoing president, Ogden, Utah; Mission President James E. Talmage, Salt Lake City; LeRoy E. Peterson, incoming president, Fairview; Harvey P. Foster, con- ference clerk, Ogden, Utah.

376 IMPROVEMENT ERA Newspapers Correct False Statements George A. Baker, outgoing conference president of the Ulster conference, Ireland, reports that President and Sister James E. Talmage and Elder Junius S. Romney from the mission headquarters were present at their recent con- ference. "On the day following our conference, Dr. Talmage visited the editors of the local newspapers, some of which had published false state- ments about the Church and its people. As a result of these interviews, splendid reports were printed in the next issues of those papers. This action is sure to allay much prejudice. The work of the Lord is progressing favor- ably in Northern Ireland, despite the opposition of many people whose understanding has been blackened by evil slanders. The missionaries here all appreciate the Era and its many splendid articles." Elders laboring in Ulster conference are: back row, left to right — Herman Horlacher, Free State conference; Benjamin R. Birchall, president of the Free State con- ference; John Simpson, Londonderry; Louisa Steele, Free State conference; Christian Steele, Free State conference; Ellis L. Rees, Brigham City; Elizabeth D. Ford, Magna, Utah; William L\ Burt, Cardston, Alberta, conference clerk. Front row — Elizabeth Birchall, Free State conference; George A. Baker, Hunt- ington Park, California, outgoing conference president; James E. Talmage and May Booth Talmage, mission president and wife; Charles J. Ford, Magna, Utah, incoming conference president; and Junius S. Romney, Salt Lake City, Utah, associate editor of the Millennial Star. A Choir Doing Good Work Waldemar L. Jensen, conference president, Copenhagen, Denmark, reports the annual fall conference held in that city October 23 to 28, 1925. Pre- ceding the conference, a very splendid and successful concert was rendered by the choir on October 23, under the direction of Elder Edward H. Sorensen, assisted at the organ by Sister Muriel Hansen, daughter of Mission President John S. Hansen. Approximately 500 well-pleased and appreciative listeners

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 377 filled the hall to capacity. The choir is doing a very good work in the branch. Their singing is bringing many strangers to our meetings, and in that way we are helping to bring the gospel message to the people. We can report that the conference as a whole is successful, and the work progressing nicely considering the few missionaries we have in the field. We appreciate the Era very much, and the articles contained therein are a great help to us in our missionary labors. Top: The Latter-day Saint choir, Copenhagen, Denmark. Bottom: Elders of the Copenhagen conference; left to right, first row: Waldemar L. Jensen, Salt Lake City, conference president; John S. Hansen, mission president; Muriel Hansen, organist; Sister Anna J. Hansen; Orson W. Jensen, Union, president Aarhus conference. Back row: Hans N. Ogaard, Norman Petersen, Brigham City; Egert M. Larsen. Sandy, presiding elder at Bornholm; Edward H. Sorensen, Salt Lake City, choir leader; Walter M. Nielsen, Logan.

378 IMPROVEMENT ERA Work Highly Commended Ellis V. Christcnsen, mission secretary of the Tahitian mission, reports that the elders in that district have been greatly blessed during the last year, and have formed many fast friends, both among the natives and white residents of the islands. "We have opened up some new fields for the furtherance of the Gospel of Christ, and feel that our work will bring good results in the near future. Our work among the natives here is highly commended by some of the most prominent business men of Tahiti, and they do everything they can to help us in our labors with them." ELDERS OF THE TAHITIAN MISSION Left to Right: E. V. Christensen, H. B. Foulger, S. W. Bird Left to Right: J. K. Orton, L. M. Davis, J. M. Peterson Conditions in Nurnberg, Germany Ervin J. Druk, writing from Stuttgart, Germany, reports: "We have nine fully organized branches, comprising over one thousand members, the largest of which branch is Nurnberg, with a total membership of two hundred forty-five. Brother Joseph Geis, laboring there, was recently ban- ished. He refused to acknowledge the illegal measure taken by the police authorities, and was consequently imprisoned for a period of three days. We did what we thought was right at the time, but the incident has taught US, at least, tp be obedient. The officials now allow only one missionary

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 379 in Nurnberg. We contemplate opening new fields in the near future. Our total baptisms for the year 1925 amounted to only forty-five, a slight de- crease oyer that of the previous year. This condition cannot be contributed to negligence of work. After the stabilizing of the mark, however, times began to have a better financial prospect; consequently, it stimulated a tendency for amusements in preference to things religious. In a recent branch and general conference, we had a total of 272 in attendance in Nurnberg, of which 125 were friends; and in Stuttgart, an attendance of 500. Our drawing card for the occasions was the presence of Dr. James E. Talmage and wife, and President Hugh J. Cannon." Front row, left to right: Eugene Anderson, Price, Utah; Harold Merrill. Logan; Conference President Erwin J. Druk, Fred Bischef, Julius C. Billeter, Salt Lake City. Second row: Albert Bowen, Stuart Gallacher, Hyrum Reichman, Salt Lake City; Carl Hein, Vernal; Myron Bangertcr, Bountiful; Kenneth Kingdom, Salt Lake City; Nolan Mitchell, Fillmore; J. A. Rinderknecht, Providence; Joseph Geis, Salt Lake City. Third row: Milford Herzog, Geneva, Idaho; Quentin Cannon, Salt Lake City; Elias Gardner, Price; John Huefner, Salt Lake City; Leonard Chatwin, Santaquin. Four New Branches in Six Months in San Francisco David F. Haymore, president of the San Francisco conference, reports that on November 27-29, the semi-annual gathering was held in San Francisco. Sessions of the auxiliary organization were held on Friday with the missionary priesthood meeting on Saturday. A banquet was served by the San Francisco Relief Society. On Saturday evening, a pageant was pre- sented by the M. I. A., entitled "The Standard Bearers." On Sunday, three general sessions were held which were attended by 1301 people who en- joyed the explanations of the gospel given by President Joseph W. McMurrin and the local missionaries. During the last six months, four new branches have been organized and one Sunday School. Baptisms for the year are 25% higher than for 1924, in spite of the fact that the San Jose conference was organized from San Francisco last spring. Distribution of Books of Mormon in 1924 was 641. The record for the eleven months of this year, 1925, shows a distribution of 1451.