--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 30 number: 6 published: 1927-04 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, “Messages from the Missions,” *Improvement Era* 30, no. 6 (April 1927): 548–551." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3006unse 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: improvementera3006unse start_page: 548 end_page: 551 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1927-04) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3006unse publication_year: 1927 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 1927, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Messages from the Missions MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS "But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit." On August 22, 1926, Elder R. Elgin Gardner was the speaker at an evening street meeting in the city of Durango, Colorado. On the hetero- geneous crowd that had gathered around, his words fell as the seeds of the sower depicted in the Savior's parable. Perhaps he felt, as most mission- aries do. that his message was having little, or no, effect — that the seeds he was sowing were all falling on stony ground. However, among that crowd of listeners was a woman whose heart was receptive to the seeds thus sown — "good ground, and brought forth fruit." So impressed was she with the appearance, demeanor, sincerity and message of the young missionary, that she afterwards expressed her feelings in verse, and sent it, though anony- mously, to the general office of the Western States mission. Her sentiments, which are published herewith, should be an inspiration to the readers of the Era in general, and should lend encouragement, especially, to the missionary who might think his work is in vain. THE MESSAGE I HAD SOUGHT Alone, one Sunday evening. I wandered down the street, No aim nor destination to guide my wand'ring feet; Paused idly on the corner, and joined the scattered throng. Hoping for some amusement to help pass time along. A hush fell for a moment, then on the pavement trod A youth with eyes of a dreamer and mien of Grecian God. The light of his hair gleamed golden, and it seemed a halo shone Around him. and seemed to set him apart from the crowd, alone. His face was pale, and I noticed that a tremor shook his frame, But the light of his eyes never wavered; they burned with a steady flame. He scanned the circle of faces, and then began to speak, And I knew he had brought the message that I had been led to seek. The theme of his wonderful sermon — the thought that he gave most stress — Was, "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God," and also His righteousness; And he renewed the promise, come down the long years through, From the Master's lips — "all else shall be added unto you." He likened the world to a Kingdom, with Christ at the judgment seat; He urged us to repentance, showed paths to our stumbling feet. He told us of Saul's conversion, of John the Baptist's life, Of the message — PEACE — which Jesus brought to a world of toil and strife. His stories were old as the ages, but he made them ever new, And we, who saw and listened, felt that each word was true. He finished speaking, and by the street light took his stand, And his hearers pressed about him, to speak, and shake his hand. "Enjoyed your talk," "How are you?" and "Good night," I heard them say. While I stood there, dumb, for a moment, then silently moved away. I couldn't walk up to him, while the careless crowd looked on, And tell him he'd turned my darkness to a glorious, rosy dawn. To him I was but a stranger; to me he'd become that night A heaven-sent herald of courage, of happiness, truth and light; But I didn't tell him, and in silence I walked through the crowd, My heart filled with awe of his message, my head in humility bowed. MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 549 The youlh has gone; somehow I wish I could let him know His words will be remembered, as on through life I go; That he lives in my heart as a Savior, that I think of him every day, That I wish I could see him, help him, in his work so far away; That each night as I kneel at my bedside, while my eyes with tears grow dim, I ask God to aid and comfort, to bless and care for him. ELDERS OF THE WESTERN STATES MISSION. WYOMING CONFERENCE Front row, left to right: J. Wesley Tribe. Ogden. former conference president; T. N. Baldwin. Monroe; Thomas L. Miller (released), Herriman; President John M. Knight, mission president; Conference President Farril Holman, Fountain Green. Back row: C. P. Clark, Clarkston; V. A. Mahoney, Heber; Thornel Wilson, North Ogden; Norman G. Gilbert, Corinne; Clifton Densley, Riverton; Thornton W. Peter- sen, Hyrum, Utah. Prof. James L. Barker in Germany One of the most successful and best attended conferences ever held in this city occurred on January 29 to 31. A large number of Saints were present, representing the various branches of the Frankfurt conference; and the number of investigators at all meetings was most gratifying. President Hugh J. Cannon of the Swiss-German mission was present. The meetings were conducted, under President Cannon's direction, by President Melvin G. Hart of the Frankfurt conference. Prof. James L. Barker, of Utah, and his family, who are in Europe in the interest of research work, came to Frank- furt to attend the meetings, and their visit resulted in much good, for" Brother Barker gave the missionaries some valuable instructions on the matter of learning the language, and he also addressed the principal meeting of the 550 IMPROVEMENT ERA conference, at which meeting more than five hundred were in attendance, many of them being strangers and investigators. Recently a prominent German paper has been publishing a continued article about the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which article has re-aired some of the time- worn stories currently believed and told by the opponents of the Church. We advertised by handbills and newspapers that Prof. Barker would speak, in answer to this recent publicity, at our main meeting, which he did in a splendid manner, he being master of the German language, as well as a fearless and powerful exponent of the gospel. Many friends present at the meeting expressed their interest and pleasure, and we are assured that much good will result. The whole conference was a source of much satisfaction to all, and the elders and Saints all returned to their fields and branches strengthened in their faith and enthusiasm. The investigators who attended were all very favorably impressed. — George Albert Smith, Jr.. Frankfurt- Am-Main. Germany. HRffi k. " MB '"i ELDERS IN CONFERENCE. GERMANY Front row (sitting), left to right: Glen G. Williams, Los Angeles; C. Whitney Parry, Salt Lake City; "Jim" Barker, Louis M. Gurgencr and Albert R. Bowen, Salt Lake City. Second row: Conference President Melvin G. Hart, Salt Lake City; Margaret Barker. Nancy Barker, Salt Lake City; Mission President Hugh J. Cannon; Prof. James L. Barker, Salt Lake City; Mrs. J. L. Barker; Ralph G. Cutler, president Cologne conference, Logan; Byron Whipple, Cologne conference, Lehi. Third row: Geo. Ashby Smith. Salt Lake City; Julius Miller, Salt Lake City; LaMar Lautensock, Salt Lake City; Francis Seegmiller, Salt Lake City; Konrad Haak, Kiel, Germany; Hamlet C. Pulley, Logan; Eric C. Pollei, Salt Lake City; Elwood I. Barker, Ogden. Fourth row: Carl E. Richins, Henefer; Horace Jones, Henefer; Frank C. Simmons, Pittsburgh. Pa.; George Albert Smith, Jr., Salt Lake City; J. Clifton Rhead. Ogden; Harley Monson, Smithfield; Quayle Cannon, Jr., Bountiful. Fifth row: Hans Kreipl, Salt Lake City; William Snow, Pine Valley, Utah. MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 551 Encouragement in France During November, 1926, the missionaries laboring in Toulon, on the famous Azure Coast of France, received an invitation to speak in a neighbor- ing chapel of the Protestant Church. The chapel is situated at LaGarde, France. Elders Almon Brown and Parker Warner accepted the invitation. The listeners, who numbered more than fifty, were apparently favorably im- pressed, for the elders were asked to return and tell more of "the message" of which they had spoken. Since that time frequent visits have been made in an effort fully to utilize the now unusual opportunity. The invitations speak well for the religious attitude of the people. From them arises, also, a reasonable hope for the establishment of a branch of the Church in the locality. The missionaries of Southern France find pleasure and encouragement in every number of the Improvement Era. — Verle N. Fry, president, Mar- seilles conference. AT TOULON, FRANCE Left to right: The Protestant Pastor; Elders Verl N. Fry. president Marseilles conference; Almon L. Brown; Parker P. Warner. Standing in front is the pastor's Fifty-one Baptized in Wyoming Elder J. Morris Jensen, secretary of the Western States mission re- ports that the missionaries laboring in the Wyoming conference are doing splendid work. They baptized fifty-one souls during the year 1926. "Prospects for 1927 are even brighter for a large harvest." — J. M. Jensen, Secretary Western States mission.