Messages from the Missions

Messages from the Missions A Constant Missionary Trudging along the highway of north- ern California recently, a missionary, pio- neer, and friend of man, made a final trip of a thousand miles, visiting Saints, friends and investigators, as a fitting cli- max and finish to a successful short-term mission in that locality. This was not his first mission, nor his second, but merely a part of a constant, life-long mis- Andrew L. Rogers, of Snowflake, Arizona, life-long missionary, who was recently released from a short- term mission in California. sionary service in the cause of truth. He was Andrew L. Rogers, of Snowflake, Arizona, but a native son of Salt Lake City, Utah. His missionary work com- menced fifty years ago, when h; was called by President Brigham Young to go into Arizona and help to colonize that part of the country, and he maintains that he has never been released from that mission. Since that time he has also filled a mission in Europe. Of this last missionary trip, Mr. Rogers says: "Before returning to my home I was de- sirous of going to the northern part of the state to visit some old pioneer friends, and I chose the highway. My main object was to meet and converse with people. From Hollywood to San Francisco I rode in several cars, and had as many gospel conversations. I returned by way of Sacramento and through the San Joaquin valley, visiting some of the old gold-fields, which took me back to the old pioneer days during the great gold rush. This trip of a thousand miles, made on the highway, was free from all traveling expenses; and I met many broad-minded people, with whom I left a clearer conception of 'Mormon' doctrine." In speaking of the value of these short- term missionaries and of Mr. Rogers, Elder Dermont E. Ricks, of th; Long Beach district, California mission, writes: "These elderly men have been a source of inspiration to the younger missionaries, and have helped them greatly in teaching the gos- pel. Tbeir advice and counsel are of untold value, and we rejoice in their companionship. We regret to see the release of Brother Andrew L. Rogers, who leaves many friends among the people. Every missionary has in his heart a love for this good brother that can never be forgotten; and we extend to him our best regards, and pray the blessings of the Lord will always accompany him." Meetings in Prussia Elder Kenneth O. Lindquist, district president, Konigsberg district, states that at a recent conference President James E. Talmage of the European mission and President Hyrum W. Valentine of the German-Austrian mission were present. A spiritual feast was enjoyed by more than 1,400 persons who attended the four ses- sions. Meetings were held on Saturday evening, the 1 7th September, Sunday morning and afternoon also, at which lat- ter meeting a number of missionaries gave their testimonies and President Talmage explained baptism in an impressive way

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 69 followed by President Valentine. On Sun- day evening addresses were given by Pres- ident Talmage and President Valentine. The Konigsberg choir, under direction of Elder Louis M. Ballard, composed of 75 voices, supplied the meetings with music. The following Monday morning a splen- did missionary meeting was held where the missionaries were instructed in th.'ir duties. Their work has indeed been gratifying and the fruits of it are truly to be seen. In the Konigsberg district there are 1 7 missionaries laboring. Prior to the first of September, the missionaries spent six weeks in the country, during which time they tracted 2,716 hours, distributing 18,802 tracts, and sold 150 Books of Mormon. Th:y had 1,753 gospel conversations and held a great number of meetings. All are truly grateful for the splendid progress made and for the blessings of the Lord which have attended th.m in their labors here in Prussia. We express our sincere thanks for the Improvement Era. It is an inspiring and educational publication. — Kenneth O. Lindquist, district president. The Work in Liverpool A report of the activities in the Liver- pool district shows that in the six months past the Elders have distributed 70,- 838 tracts, spent 4,225 hours in tracting and engaged in 5,456 conversations on gospel subjects. Sixty-one copies of the Book of Mormon, 3,393 pamphlets, and 32 other books of Church literature have been distributed. Many calls at the homes of investigators have been made and nu- merous cottage and street meetings have been held. Thirteen have been baptized since the first of the year. The North- ern Daily Telegraph of September 5, gave us favorable publicity for our confer- ence. The work is progressing well in the eight branches of the district. Elders, front row, left to right: William F. Forsey. district clerk, Salt Lake City: David M. Kennedy, district president, Rivcrdale, Utah: Seth W. Pixton, secretary of the European mission representing President Talmage, Salt Lake City; Ralph V. Chis- holm, assistant secretary of the European mission. Salt Lake City: Kenneth A. Niclson. president of the Manchester district, Emmett, Idaho. Back row: Edward M. Bunker. Jessco C. Nixon, Salt Lake City; Archie Baird. Mink Creek. Idaho; Zenas \V. Bennett. Syracuse, Utah; Frank L. Koons, Ogden; Douglas H. Petersen. Hyrum, Utah; A. Faron Spackman, Richmond, Utah. — David M. Kennedy, district president, Blackburn, England.

70 IMPROVEMENT ERA President Rudger Clawson Visits the East Michigan Branch Work and humility in teaching the first principles of the gospel has been the theme of the missionaries of the East Michigan district, Northern States mission. With the elders laboring at the different parts, splendid street meetings have been held and success is reported. Many good friends and sincere investigators have come from the successful open air meetings. As many as three meetings have been held in one even- ing in change of street corners. Since March 1, to August 31, there have been distributed 1,593 Books of Mormon, 2,128 other books, 143,878 pamphlets, 109,313 tracts, in the East Michigan dis- trict. Our conference was held on the 14th of September. President Rudger Clawson of the Council of the Twelve was with us and delivered a valuable sermon on law and order in the kingdom of God. This was the largest conference ever h Id in the East Michigan district. We can say. the work of the Lord is growing. * ^^Br fi H^Era Em E^ n yd nva p H - fji If Jg \f »■ Left to right, front row: Leah Nielson, Redmond; Angelina Nelson, Woods Cross Utah; President Rudger Clawson, John H. Taylor, mission President; Ellen Jensen, Burlington. Wyoming; Mary Jones, Huntington, Utah. Back row: Raymond W. Reed, district president, Safford, Arizona; Gail C. Bailey, Escalante; Francis H. Wor- ley, Logan: L. Glendon Myrup, Centerfield; L. Verl Broadbent, Heber City; H. Fenton Moffitt, Orangeville; Kenneth G. Peacock, Orangeville, Utah. — Raymond W. Reed, president. President Talmage in Denmark Elder N. Halvor Madsen, Danish mis- sion, reports great increase in baptisms over last year as a result of the diligent leader- ship of Mission President Joseph L. Peter- son, together with the cooperation of the missionaries and the help of the Lord. "We have had with us Elder James E. Tal- mage, of the Council of the Twelve, and president of the European mission whose influence was felt by all, young and old. Reporters and press photographers were notified of President Talmage's visit with us and received invitations to attend our special conference meetings which resulted

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 71 in many being present; and pictures were taken of our mission chapel and mission- aries. The auxiliary organizations of the Copenhagen branch met on Sunday after- noon. Saints in outlying districts and missionaries from Malmo, Sweden, enjoy- ed a very appetizing dinner in honor of President Talmage. The Copenhagen branch choir rendered many beautiful se- lections during the sessions. A meeting of the missionaries was held in which they bore their testimonies and gave their re- ports, and President Talmage imparted ex- cellent counsel and advice. Many of th.> missionaries had walked from their respec- tive fields of labor to Copenhagen to meet with President Talmage. They distri- buted tracts along their way. had many gospel conversations, and sold some Books of Mormon. President Talmage's special visit to Denmark was to arrange for a site for a new mission home and chapel, of which we are greatly in need. We hope we may have the pleasure of soon seeing a new one erected. Only in a few of our branches are we permitted to hold street meetings. We have encountered some dif- ficulties from several newspapers who op- pose us, but it seems to result to our ad- vantage in that it advertises what we have to impart to the people. We have only 26 missionaries in this mission, hence, are greatly handicapped, but hope th.1 Saints at home will see the great need of sending more missionaries to us." — Elder N. Hal- vor Madsen. Missionaries in the Danish Mission, August. 1927 First row, left to right: Ida S. Petersen, president mission Relief Societies; Joseph L. Petersen, mission president; Dr. James E. Talmage, European mission president; P. S. Christiansen, editor Scandinavian Star; Wilhelmine Christiansen, assistant president mission Relief Societies. Second row; Alfred L. Sorcnsen. Anders P. Andersen. Hans Andersen, president Aarhus district; N. P. Rasmussen. president Aalborg district; N. J. Larsen, president Copenhagen district; George Philip Jensen. Christian Dausel, Hans Ogaard, genealogist. Third row: Peter L. Gregersen, Douglas Thomsen, Gunnar M. Nielsen, Clarence B. Jacobs. Richard T. Andersen, Le Roy Larsen. L. Aage Kjolby, Albert M. Olsen, Searen \V. Hansen. Fourth row: Clifton E. Henrichsen. Holger P. Petersen, Hyrum M. Domgaard, Achton C. Jensen. Karl M. Thomsen, N. Halvor Madsen. Lionel Danielson. president Malmo district; Larson and Wahlgren. The last three named are visiting missionaries from the Swedish mission.

11 IMPROVEMENT ERA Conference at Hilo Elder T. Hazen Exeter, district pres- ident, Hilo district, Hilo, Hawaii, reports the L. D. S. semi-annual conference of that district held August 20 and 21. President William Waddoups and Sister Waddoups were in attendance. Many of the Saints have said that they had never attended a conference where they felt the Spirit of God in such an abundance as at this con- ference. The missionaries of this district look forward to the arrival of the boat that brings the Improvement Era, which n:ver fails to find us away out here in the center of the Pacific where out of seven- teen aviators that have tried to find these Islands, nine have failed. We extend greetings to the readers of the Era in Zion and in the several missions. Front row, left to right: G. Milton Williams, Salt Lake City; Sister William Waddoups, President William Waddoups, Sister T. Hazen Exeter, President T. Hazen Exeter, Hilo district; Lottie Cozier, Hilo. Back row: James McGuire, Honolulu; Charles Broad. Laie. Albert Like, Honolulu; Leslie A. Lind, Midvale; Alvin B. Bonham, Clinton; D. K. Kailimai, local missionary, Robert Plunket, Laie; W. W. Burt, Brigham City, Utah. Activities in Stuttgart A very inspirational convention was held in this district in July. President and Sister Hugh J. Cannon of the Swiss-Ger- man mission were present also several dis- trict presidents and missionaries of the Stuttgart and Munich districts; in all twenty-nine. A big feature and treat of the convention was a speech delivered over radio about Salt Lake City and the "Mor- mons." The missionaries, having heard of this speech, but not knowing whether for the good or bad of our Church, got busy and made special arrangements to have a radio equipment put in our meetinghouse. By this means it was possible for all pres- ent to hear the discourse and an overflow- ing crowd of friends and members were in by a convention of the Relief Society and also Priesthood meeting, and in the City Swimming Hall by a baptismal service at which five were baptized. Sunday School took part on Sunday morning, and the school presented the pageant entitled "A Brighter Day." Three hundred and fifty-eight were present, including many friends. A marked feature of the M. I. A. convention held on the afternoon of the 24th was the showing of the younger gen- eration of the Church. Bee-Hive Girls, Boy Scouts, Mutual members, etc., gave splen-

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 73 attendance. This speech was given by Mr. Bernhardt Kruger, a native, just returned from an extended trip in the United States. A very praiseworthy and favorable dis- course was given of the ideals and the ac- complishments of the pioneers of the Lat- ter-day Saints and of the doctrines, history and teachings of our Church. Excellent descriptions of the Tabernacle and the Temple were given. The missionaries and the saints were indeed grateful for th: gratifying word9 which were spoken in Dur behalf. The radio speech was followed did testimonies of the divinity of the work. The well-attended evening meeting was a spiritual feast in which President Hugh J. Cannon gave an excellent discourse and the Stuttgart choir numbering fifty-five voices enhanced proceedings by splendid work. A total of 1,096 were present at the different meetings1. We value the Improvement Era very highly as one of our best aids and companions in putting the message of the restored gospel before the people. — Carl E. Richins. Names of missionaries, back row: Ernest E. Stucki, Santa Clara. Utah; D. Hcrschel Loosli, Marysville, Idaho: Alma Huber, Midway; E. F. Smith, Pleasant Grove; T. Kenneth Bicsinger, Salt Lake City; Henry P. Fitzer. Salt Lake City: Reed G. Probst, Midway; John R. Schaerrer, Payson; Glenwood Froyd, Cedar City, Utah. Second row: Ezra Zollinger. Logan: Herman Ramseyer, Salt Lake City: Stanley E. Goodwin. Lehi, Utah; Fred C. Horlacher, Ely. Nevada; John H. Bauer, Eureka; Douglas P. Walton. Centerville; Eldred G. Smith. Samuel Keiser, Jr., Salt Lake City. Utah. Third row: George Albert Smith, president of Essen district, Salt Lake City: J. Hamilton, president of mission auxiliary organizations. Vernal; Sister Sarah R. Cannon, president of mission Relief Societies; President Hugh J. Cannon, Salt Lake City; Carl E. Richins, president of Stuttgart district, Henefer: David H. Calder. president of Frankfurt district. Vernal: Leon D. Lindford, president of Cologne district, Logan. Utah. Front row sitting: Robert A. Bowen, president of Hannover district, and Wayne D. Cannon. Salt Lake City, Utah.

74 IMPROVEMENT ERA A Name-Sake of President Brigham Young Baptized at Ninety I at one time heard a man say that he had shaken hands with the first and latest president of the United States. He had been permitted to se: President Coolidge; and, so as to fulfil the above assertion he had his picture snapped while standing by the statue of George Washington with his hand in the President's. Even a more notable incident happened when Brigham Young was entered into the fold of Christ, Sept- tember 6, 1927, by taking the initiatory step — baptism. The above mentioned Brig- ham Young is a resident of Watts, Calif. H: has weathered the storm of life for over ninety years, born May 23, 1837, at Nau- voo, 111. He was privileged to know the Prophet Joseph Smith and was blessed by the second Prophet Brigham Young. He is one in the family of twelve chil- dren who were all members but him; the reason was because of conditions arising making it necessary for him to be reared in a good, yet non-Latter-day Saint home. In 1852, he, with a sturdy band of pio- neers, crossed the plains. He left Utah for Nevada in 1856, but finally settled near Gunnison, Utah. It was later, in 1919, that he became a resident of Cali- fornia. His mother was Temperance Jolly Young, and father, Henry I. Young. He married Mary E. Robinson. Henry I. Young was the doorkeeper of the Kirtland temple, was a close friend of Brigham Young, but they were not related to each other, as far as known, then or now. Missionaries have been visiting Brigham presenting the gospel of Christ to him for some time. Finally he expressed his desire and was baptized September 6, 1927, by Elder Walter B. Mason and confirmed by m > J f 1 l^iL F / f 1 9 | |v ' m ..-AJB *fa£B V "^H K^-H Irsl V ( M^MM iffy"; J B^^psb 1 MglssiB Elder Cley H. Rallison. After coming out of the water and having hands laid upon him for the gift of the Holy Ghost. Brother Young expressed the good feeling that seemed to have encompassed him. — Marval Atwood. A Bible! A Bible! We Have Got a Bible! But who can say there cannot be any more Bible? Will the prayer of Enos be answered? Are the prayers of his fathers being answered? God cannot lie, and he promised that according to their faith their desires would be fulfilled. They desired the preservation of the Nephite Records. They petitioned the Almighty that his word would hiss forth unto their seed, and unto the Gentiles. They sought the Lord's promise that their own inspired writings and teachings would be preserved and speak out of the ground with a familiar voice of testimony. And in what natural way would God ac- complish this? Here is one way it is done. A Book of Mormon drive was carried on in the California mission during Septem- ber. It most fittingly commemorates the sacred beginning of the Book of Mormon's journey from the Hill Cumorah. The Red man's Bible has found the very center of

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 75 many men's souls, and its leavening influ- ence is just beginning. The new San Francisco stake of Zion has demonstrated the genuineness of its leaders and membership by a lively and generous interest in the Book of Mormon drive carried on by the missionaries dur- ing September. In one month 700 copies of the Bible of the Western hemisphere were distributed by twenty-one missionaries in the San Francisco district. Each adult Latter-day Saint was encouraged to place one copy with his neighbor. What a great aid in spreading the gospel of peace this will be! It has given to scores the first thrill of missionary work! The credit for this idea is chiefly due to mission Pres- ident Joseph W. McMurrin, and W. Aird Macdonald, president of the San Francisco stake. The execution of the plan is only the result of the Lord's promises to shed his spirit upon the gentiles until their time shall be fulfilled. It is the prayer of the missionaries that the sacred books will be prayerfully read, and lead many to a fuller knowledge of God's merciful plan. — J. Knight Allen, San Francisco district president. Complimentary President Jos. W. McMurrin of the California mission sends to the Era a letter of Brother Oscar F. Jesperson, president of the Binghamton Branch, Arizona, written to him under date of September 1, 1927, by Albert C. Monro, Capt. 158th Inf., A. N. G., Commanding Co. "H.," Tuc- son, Arizona. Binghamton is a Latter- day Saint community located about three miles from Tucson, Arizona. It ex- presses the personal feeling of Captain El- bert C. Monro of the National Guard of Arizona: "This is to express the personal feelings of the undersigned as to the caliber of the young men of this organization who reside at Binghamton, Arizona, and to testify to the value of these men to this organization and to the National Guard of Arizona. In my opinion these men represent th: very best type of young American man hood. It is a pleasure to deal with this type of men, for there is never any doubt as to their doing the utmost in their pow- er and understanding to carry out any law- ful order given them in line of duty. "For almost four years it has been my pleasure to command this organization and at no time during that period has there been any occasion to feel other than proud of the performance of any of the above mentioned m:n and there have been mem- bers from Binghamton almost since the or- ganization of the company. "I feel that the people of Binghamton are doing a service to their country in allow- ing these young men to participate in the training of the National Guard and can assure them that this service to the State and the United States is appreciated." — El- bert C. Monro, Capt. 158th Inf., Com- manding Co. "H." Blessings We never miss the showers Till the grass is parched and brown; We never miss the green leaves Till the frost has brought them down. We never miss the kindness Which a friend, once dear, had given Till in the night of troubles, Our hearts with fear have striven. So let us, while the sun shines And the friend, still dear, is nigh, Treasure up our many blessings For the dim sweet-bye-and-bye. A. Henderson