Messages from the Missions

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS United States Seventeen Baptisms in Texas. Elder John C. Sandbcrg reports the South Texas district conference, held May 11, in Houston, Texas. The elders reported greater interest among investigators, and many new districts ,are opened and a larger attendance at the meetings. There were seventeen baptisms during the last three months, and prospects for more in the near future. "We appreciate the Improvement Era. It holds a distinct place in the development of the work." MISSIONARIES. SOUTH TEXAS DISTRICT Front row, left to right: Thelma Redman, local; J. N. Wilson; D. O. Biglow. incoming district president; S. O. Bennion. mission president; J. S. Carr; Helen Murdock, Louisiana district. Back row: Eugenia Vawdrey: M. T. Marsh; J. L. Christensen; J. C. Sandberg, outgoing district president; L. S. Fuller; L. H. Cowley; Norma Smith. New Recreation Hall in San Diego. The conference of the San Diego district was held May 1. Several baptisms were reported, and a number of interested people are seriously investigating the gospel. A new recreation hall has just been built at San Diego, costing $30,000. We are sure it will do the intended good in giving the young people proper entertainment, and besides getting many interested in the work. President Joseph W. McMurrin gave very valuable

916 IMPROVEMENT ERA instructions and complimented the people on their efforts in building the social hall. — James A. Cullimore, president San Diego district. MISSIONARIES OF SAN DIEGO DISTRICT Top row: Mary J. Hanson, Hazel Day; second row: James A. Cullimore, district president; Joseph W. McMurrin, mission president; Arthur G. Willie, former district president; third row: Emery S. Willardson, Leonard L. Taggert; bottom row: Wm. S. Muir, E. M. Mansfield, James L. Danford. In Germany and Switzerland New District Organized. The rapid growth of the Church in the Swiss-German mission has resulted in the recent establishment of a new

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 917 district. The change was made at a conference held in Hamburg on April 10, when the Schleswig-Holstein district was organized from a part of the Hamburg district. There was an average of 440 in attendance at the three Sunday meetings of the conference, many of whom were friends and in- vestigators. There was also an officers and teachers' meeting held Saturday night; and an excellent musical entertainment given on Monday evening. The northern part of Germany is choice and fruitful, as shown by the large number of baptisms performed during the last year. With the advantage of the newly organized district, we look forward to even greater progress in the future. — Hamlet C. Pulley, president Hamburg district, Germany. p T!l ' §> f ' J -. 7 ff ^ if tfv \f0 .'1 $ if % A% •?' '# m ># j\ ELDERS OF HAMBURG AND SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEIN DISTRICTS, GERMANY Top row, left to right: John P. Stringham, J. H. Geiss, Herschal V. Garff, Wm. A. McClellan, Eugene Anderson, Murray Mathis, Gustav C. Liebelt, LaMar D. Loutensock. Third row: David H. Calder, E. Harold Calder, Henry Hollinder- baumer, Z. D. Roundy, Reese E. Hubbard, Norman O. Nielsen, Henry F. Garn, Wm. H. Huskinson, Stuart A. Gallacher, Boyd C. Bott, Edward M. Richins. Second row: Peter Loscher, Johannes Carstens, Randolph Reusser, S. Neve Fox, John R. Stewart, T. Quentin Cannon, Clyde Fisher Squires, Samuel C. Worthington, Earl R. Romney, James C. Ellsworth, Horace A. Jones, Otto Brey. First row, (sitting) : J. Milton Barrett, Francis I. Moore, Hamlet C. Pulley, incoming president Hamburg district; Elias H. Gardner, incoming president Schleswig-Holstein district; Hugh J. Cannon, mission president; Sarah R. Cannon, president of the Relief Societies of the mission; Aaron C. Taylor, released district president; Stewart C. Campbell, president of the Dresden district; Johannes F. Hense, J. J. F. Schmidt. The Hannover district conference was held April 3, 1927. President Hugh J. Cannon and Sister Sarah R. Cannon, with visitors from Hamburg and Frankfurt, were in attendance. At the Sunday school on Sunday morn- ing, the program consisted of a pageant depicting the organization of the Church. Preaching services were held at three and seven o'clock, and a special meeting for the Relief Society and the M. I. A. was held at five.

918 IMPROVEMENT ERA A total of 964 were in attendance at these meetings. On the Friday preceding. President Cannon spoke in Goettingen, at which forty investigators of the gospel were present. He visited Hisdesheim on Saturday, when successful services were attended by ninety, more than fifty of whom were investigators. Two were baptized in the Leine river on Monday. The elders visited the Continental Rubber Company plant, where they were shown the various processes of refining rubber, making bicycle inner tubes and rubber heels. Several thousand people are employed here in making rubber articles. We are making wonderful progress in the Hannover district in spreading the gospel. Work has been started in six new cities in the last year. In each place many souls have been found who believe the message of the restored gospel; in all the branches new souls are continually brought into the fold. — Raymond C. Solomon. Memb&cs from Three Nations Participate in Conference. A recent district conference held in Basel, Switzerland, was unique in that members residing in three different nations were in attendance. The district em- braces a portion of France, Switzerland, and Germany, whence the mem- bers came to enjoy uplifting instruction and counsel from the mission authorities and missionaries present. Special features of the conference were the rendition of Evan Stephens' oratorio, "The Vision," and a Bee-Hive pageant written especially for the occasion. Alsace, a portion of the Basel district, was recently acquired from the French mission by the Swiss-German mission. The transfer was made because of a greater number of the inhabitants speaking German than French. >"■ . 1 " > — ■r^fasL-,.>- Ji* w T5T ■'■JtfS ' V !>-- w t' a v^ .T 'J ' If V.f't f' ELDERS IN BASEL DISTRICT Front row: J. Hamilton Calder, superintendent mission S. S. and M. I. A.; Blaine Bachmann, president Bern district; George H. Mortimer, incoming president Basel district; Henry K. Aebischer; Clinton M. Dinwoodey, mission secretary; Jacob Bleiker; Julius C. Billeter, outgoing president Basel district; Dean W. Tucker; Willard O. Sandberg; Arthur B. Morgenegg. Second row: Rosanna Cannon, mission recorder; Hugh J. Cannon, mission president; Sarah R. Cannon, president of Relief Societies; Constance Q. Cannon, mission bookkeeper: LaGrande C. Frank. Back row: Henry Weidman; Henry T. Wahlquist; Ezra T. Zollinger; Hellmut Plath, associate editor Der Stern; John Huefner; Waldo R. Frandsen; Herschel V. Garff; Walter Trauffer; Louis E. Goff; Albert A. Hoffman; Fredrich W. Sohn;

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 919 Joseph W. Stucki; James R. Chamberlin; Homer W. Zollinger; Lamont E. Tueller; Herschel D. Loosli. In Scandinavia Conference Held at Aarhus, Denmark. On April 1 6 and 17a most excellent , conference was held in the Aarhus district. J. Howard Fjeld- sted, choir leader, gave a concert on the Friday evening preceding conference, at which a short message of "Mormonism" was given to the world by our mission president, Joseph L. Peterson, the hall being crowded to its utmost capacity. At the conference excellent advice and spirited talks were given by the mission president, by P. S. Christiansen, editor of the Scandinavian Star, and a number of elders, who had journeyed overland on foot from their fields of labor to attend the conference. During the eight days of their travel, they distributed more than 6,000 tracts, sold a fair number of Books of Mormon, and held three street meetings, one being attended by about 250 persons. They had many gospel conversa- tions. It is the first time such a journey has been attempted in Denmark. Twenty-six persons have been baptized in this district. The prospects for more baptisms in the near future are good, for all of which we feel highly thankful to the Lord. — Rasmus Michelsen, president Aarhus district • (re- leased.) ELDERS OF AARHUS DISTRICT, DENMARK Front row, left to right: Hans Anderson, incoming president Aarhus district; Rasmus Michelsen, outgoing president Aarhus district; Ida Peterson, president Danish mission Relief Societies; Joseph L. Peterson, mission president; Wilhelmina J. Christiansen, assistant president mission Relief Societies; P. S. Christiansen, editor Scandinavian Star. Second row: Hyrum Domgaard, J. Howard Fjeldsted, Wm. Georgeson, Searen W. Hansen, Philip Jensen, Alfred L. Sorensen, Niels P. Rasmussen. Third row: Clifton E. Henrichsen, Douglas Thomsen, Clarence B. Jacobs, Gunnar M. Nielsen, Richard T. Andersen, L. Aage Kjolby, Karl M. J. Thomsen. Fourth row: Halvor Madsen, Achton C. Jensen. Hugo D. Jorgensen, Chas. A. Larsen, (released), Holger P. Peterson.

920 IMPROVEMENT ERA Four Baptized in Trondhjem. A conference was recently held at Trondhjem, Norway. It was a big success; all the meetings were well attended; four persons were baptized, and the prospects for more baptisms seem bright for the near future. — Harold H. Erikson, district president. ELDERS OF TRONDHJEM DISTRICT, NORWAY Front row, left to right: Harold H. Erikson, district president, Murray, Utah; Martin Christopherson, mission president; Emil John Evensen, presiding elder Nar- vika branch. Back row: Hyrum L. Jensen, Jerome, Idaho; Elias J. Ellefsen, presiding elder Trondhjem branch, Salt Lake City; Haakon Jensen, local elder. Bergen, Norway. In Gavle District. We have just completed one of the most success- ful conferences held here in years. Both Saints and missionaries are pleased with the results. The attendance was good, and the prospects are very encouraging for the future. We extend our greetings to all the missionaries and to Church members throughout the world. — W. F. Peterson, Sweden. Conference in Malmo District, Sweden. April 1 2 found the mission- aries and Saints of this district, and visitors from Stockholm, in semi-annual conference. The meetings were well attended by both Saints and visitors. Reports of the missionaries gave assurance that a good harvest may be ex- pected this Summer. The elders and -Saints were refreshed in spirit by the enjoyable and instructive hours spent together, and returned to their labors with strengthened testimonies to roll on the Lord's work. — Albert M. Larson.

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 921 ELDERS OF THE MALMO DISTRICT. SWEDEN Front row, left to right: C. A. Soderberg, district president of Stockholm. Salt Lake City; Andrew Johnson, mission president, Murray, Utah; John Malmstrom. president Malmo district. Murray, Utah. Back row: Albert M. Larson, Long Beach. California; Milford A. Jenson, Smithfield, Utah; Edwin S. Pearson, Salt Lake City; Earl H. Walgren, Salt Lake City; John Stromberg, Eureka, Utah; Rudolph A. Anderson, Malad, Idaho. Great Britain True to the Faith and Our Calling. The Manchester district con- ference was held on March 20. President and Sister James E. Talmage from mission headquarters were in attendance. The district slogan, "True to the Faith and our Calling," was the theme of a well executed program given by twenty-six members of the Sunday school in the morning meeting. Newspaper reporters attended, and good accounts appeared in four papers. Prior to the general meetings, a meeting was held on Saturday evening of the M. I. A. officers and teachers, under direction of Sister May Booth Talmage. The five organizations in this district are engaged in friendly competition tor a large, beautiful banner, bearing the slogan, "The Glory of God is Intelligence." The reports given revealed the fact that there are 68% of the branches enrolled, that 90% of the officers and teachers and 78% of members were in attendance, that an average of 90% of the officers and teachers have the Hand Book, and 18% of the members also, and that 80% participated in M. I. A. execises, preliminary program and class work. 100% enrollment consists of 50% of the total branch membership. A spirit- ed and refreshing social was given after the meeting. During the six months between the two conferences 28 copies of. the Book of Mormon were dis- tributed by the local priesthood, and 68 copies by the traveling missionaries, besides a large number of other books and pamphlets. Work is progressing here and we rejoice in the goodness of the Lord to us. We endorse all the good wishes and thanks given to the Era by its many satisfied readers, and add our best to them. — Landell S. Merrill, district president Manchester, England.