Messages from the Missions

Messages from the Missions "Behold, I say unto you that it is my will that you should go forth and not tarry, neither be idle but labor with your might, — lifting up your voices as with the sound of a trump, proclaiming the truth according to the revelations and commandments which I have given you." (Doctrine and Covenants 75:3. 4.) Large Group Leaves Missionary Home The missionaries shown in the picture were in the Missionary Home, Salt Lake City, during January. There were ap- proximately eighty in the group, one of the largest since the Home was opened, three years ago. The training course of two weeks is conducted under the direc- tion of a supervisory committee: Elders David O. McKay, Rulon S. Wells and David A. Smith. Elder LeRoi C. Snow, son of the late President Lorenzo Snow, and his wife, who are standing at the left in the picture, are in direct charge of the Home. German-Austrian Mission Holds Convention and Memorial Exercises A period of real inspiration and pleas- ant experience for the elders of the Ger- man-Austrian mission, was January 14 to 19, the occasion being a missionary con- vention and the celebration of Dr. Karl G. Maeser's 100th birthday anniversary. Mission President Hyrum \V. Valentine presided. Among those in attendance, be- sides 153 missionaries of the German- Austrian mission, were President and Mrs. Hugh J. Cannon of the Swiss-German mission, Hon. A. T. Haeberle, U. S. Con- sul-General, and wife, of Dresden, and members and friends from East Prussia, Stettin. Berlin, Breslau, Vienna, and sev- eral other neighboring towns. Such topics

500 IMPROVEMENT ERA as "System," "Church Publications," "Study," "New Missionaries," etc., were treated by different districts in the con- vention meetings. Monday afternoon a crowd of 980, missionaries, Saints and curious townspeople, assembled in front of the old Maeser home, Zscheilaer Str. 1 0, Meissen. With the friendly consent of the present owner, Mr. Robt. Bernock, the house had been remodeled and dec- orated for the event. 'An important num- ber on the program was an address by Consul-General A. T. Haeberle, of Dres- den. The press was represented and gave very favorable writeups in the local papers, while the Associated Press heralded the event throughout the civilized world. Sister Rose Ellen B. Valentine directed the luncheon on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, at which a total of 155 were served each day, cafeteria style. Friday found all elders returning to their various fields of labor. Left: The Maeser birthplace, Zscheilaer Str., 10, Meissen, Germany. Picture taken during the Memorial Exercises. Right: A part of the crowd in front of the Maeser Home at Memorial Exercises, January 16, 1928. Tour of California Mission Auxiliaries "The auxiliary organizations of the Cal- ifornia mission were recently visited by a party of five missionaries, who made a complete tour of that mission in the interest of their special work. The party first went from Los Angeles to Arizona, where they visited ten branches; then to Long Beach, San Diego and San Ber- nardino districts, after which we spent six weeks in a tour of the branches in northern California and in Nevada. Among the interesting experiences of the trip were invitations to attend weekly luncheons of the Clarkdale and the Pres- cott Kiwanis clubs in Arizona; meet- ing with the Rotary club, in connection with the Mt. Lassen Area Council of Boy Scouts, at Gridley, California; and the opportunity of presenting our program and M. I. A. play, "The Rescue," before

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 501 more than three hundred non-members of the Church at Winnemucca, Nevada, and other cities. Elder Richard R. Lyman, of the Council of the Twelve and Assistant General Superintendent Y. M. M. I. A., saw the presentation of our program in the Adams ward chapel in Los Angeles, and congratulated us warmly. The musical numbers of the program were exceptionally good and were appreciated by every audience. Approximately 5092 miles were covered in the tour. Our auxiliary or- ganizations are functioning in a splendid way, and we feel that they will continue to grow in strength and influence for good." — George H. Marchant, superinten- dent mission Y. M. M. I. A. and Sunday schools. Missionaries Who Made Tour of California Auxiliaries Left to right: George H. Marchant, superintendent Y. M. M. I. A. and Sunday schools, Holliday, Utah; Arlene Ashcroft, president Y. L. M. I. A. and Primaries, Holbrook. Idaho; Trulan O. Eyre. Murray, Utah; Maurine Gamctt, Pleasant Grove, Utah; Alexander O. Cole- man, Rexburg, Idaho. Rochester Holds Conference "The semi-annual conference of Ro- chester district, Eastern States mission, was held in the early part of December. President Henry H. Rolapp, with Mark K. Allen, mission secretary, and Sister Lola R. Bradford, president of the mission Re- lief Societies, were the speakers at well at- tended services in Rochester and Buffalo. Unusually favorable reports were made by the branch presidents and the heads of the auxiliary organizations. Steps were taken to organize a Mutual and Relief Society at Palmyra, N. Y., where the beginnings of what is hoped will develop into a strong

502 IMPROVEMENT ERA organization are manifesting themselves. These plans have developed later into an organization of the Relief Society and Mu- tual combined, which will serve as an adt- quate forerunner of a branch organization, probably next year." — Mark K. Allen, mission secretary. Rochester District Missionaries Front row, left to right: Lola Bradford, mission president Relief Societies: Mark K. Allen, mission secretary; Henry H. Rolapp, president Eastern States mission; Floyd H. Wale, district president; Florence Bushman. Second row: Delles W. Manning, Melvin C. Hamilton, Doris Taylor, Daphne Smith, Lyle Shelton, Lester S. Scoville, Allan H. Stratford. Third row: Eugene Millet, Wilburn C. West, Harold E. Davis. District Presidents' Conference "An occasion of rejoicing, of testimony bearing, of receiving and giving instruc- tions, and of discussing the needs and problems of the British mission, was the recent District Presidents' Conference, at mission headquarters, 295 Edge Lane, Liverpool, Monday, January 16. The convention continued until Thursday at noon, comprising seven meetings in all. The mission, considered as a whole, the district president, the traveling elder, the Church member, the investigator, the priesthood, the auxiliary organizations — all these and many other related and miscellaneous topics were treated, from many different viewpoints, in open dis- cussion. Mission President John A. Widtsoe gave valuable instruction to those in attendance."- — Richard L. Evans, asso- ciate editor Millennial Star.

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 50 5 •f S f t/« Elders Attending District Presidents' Conference Dr. John A. Widtsoe, president European missions; Leah D. Widtsoe, president of Relief Societies of European missions; Seth W. Pixton, secretary and treasurer of European missions; Ralph W. Chisholm, assistant secretary; Richard L. Evans, associate editor Millennial Star, and the following district presidents; Birmingham, Heber J. Matkin; Bristol, Alma C. Tranter; Hull. Richard D. Hooper; Leeds, Elmer O. Zollinger; Liverpool. David M. Kennedy; London. Clinton L. Mills; Manchester, Kenneth A. Nielson; Newcastle. Orson H. Berrett; Norwich, Alexander J. Bryan; Nottingham, Waldo L. Osmond; Scottish, William Cook; Sheffield. Cecil B. Kenner; Ulster, Kendall D. Garff; Welsh, Nathaniel E. Parry. There were present also five traveling elders on special assignment. Sunday School of the Hana Branch, Maui District, Hawaiian Mission

504 IMPROVEMENT ERA Banner Year in Maui, Hawaii From Hana, Maui, Hawaii, Elder J. C. Harrington, president of the Maui district, writes: "The year 1927 was an out- standing one, in many respects, for the Saints and missionaries of the East Maui district. Many baptisms were performed and many children blessed during the year." New Zealand Going Forward "Considerable progress has been made in the Wellington district in the last six months. Two Sunday schools have been organized; two fine concerts have been given to help purchase a lot for the Porirua branch; marked success has been attained in our tracting, and increased interest shown in our regular services. The elders and Saints always appreciate the Era." — John W. Dewey, president Well- ington district, New Zealand mission. Elders of Wellington District, New Zealand Standing, left to right: Shirley F. Jensen, Holliday, Utah; John W. Dewey, district pres- ident. Chapin. Idaho. Sitting: William P. Miller. Syracuse. Utah; J. Howard Jenkins, mission president, Ogden, Utah; Elijah C. Allen, Mesa, Arizona. Lamanite Children Accepting the Gospel white and delightsome people is rapidly coming to pass. During the last month there have been eleven baptized, nine of whom were converts. We feel it a great privilege to help with the work at the Indian school each Sunday." The L. D. S. missionaries are accom- plishing a wonderful work among the La- manite people of Arizona, according to a report from Elder R. H. Stewart, who is laboring in that district. This is a part of the California mission. He says, "The prophecy concerning their becoming a

MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 505 Lamanite children, members of the L. D. S. Church, who are attending the Government school at Phoenix, Arizona, in charge of Bishop and Mrs. Tiffany of the Papago ward. Still Firm in the Faith Walter Pring, of 33 Rathdrum Street, Lisborn, Ireland, a venerable, active Lat- ter-day Saint, who has seen much of life and has done his part in the spreading of the gospel in that part of the vineyard. He was born May 28, 1847, and is now past 80 years of age. At the age of 13 he went to sea on a merchant ship; and before he was 15 he had enlisted in the British Navy, where he served for many years. While in Ireland, in 1887, he met a Lat- ter-day Saint elder from Ogden, Utah, and was baptized on October 4, of that year. Since that time he has been an active member of the Church, and for twenty years he has been engaged in local missionary work, distributing many tracts and other Church literature. He says, "There have been many elders here who will be glad to know that I am still holding to the Iron Rod, and am in the best of health."

Nurch building byEd^orA.Guest ^ God builds no churches! By His plan That labor has been left to man. No spires miraculously rise, No little mission from the skies Falls on a bleak and barren place To be a source of strength and grace. The humblest church demands its price In human toil and sacrifice. Men call the church the House of God, Towards which the toil-stained pilgrims plod In search of strength and rest and hope, As blindly through life's mists they grope, And there God dwells, but it is man Who builds that house and draws its plan; Pays for the mortar and the stone, That none need seek for God alone. There is no church but what pro- claims The gifts of countless generous names. Ages before us spires were raised 'Neath which Almighty God was praised As proof that He was then, as now. Those sacred altars where men bow Their heads in prayer, and sorrow lifts Its heavy weight, are Christian gifts. The humblest spire in mortal ken, Where God abides, was built by men. And if the church is still to grow, Is still the light of hope to throw Across the valleys of despair, Men still must build God's house of prayer. God sends no churches from the skies, Out of our hearts must they arise! By courtesy and special permission of the author. =^>

Detroit Branch to Build $40,000 Chapel The accompanying picture shows a model of the L. D. S. chapel soon to b< erected by the Saints of the Detroit branch of the Church, the first of its kind there, at a cost of approximately $40,000. Though the membership of this branch is yet comparatively small, energy and growth are much in evidence. They sup- port live and active organizations of the M. I. A., Relief Society, Sunday school, Primary, and are using the community centers of the city for their recreational activities. The Relief Society started the Church Building fund, nearly twelve years ago, by its contribution of $60. The eminent poet, Mr. Edgar A. Guest, whose writings have thrilled and inspired the youth and adult throughout the land, recently gave, at the request of the Relief Society, a recital of his poems, for the benefit of the Church Building fund. He asked for no remuneration, though his usual charge for such recitals is $600. Be- sides, he was happy to contribute the poem, "On Church Building," to be published, for the first time, in the Improvement Era. The local papers also, both the Detroit Neivs and the Detroit Free Press, have given our efforts much publicity, and have published several articles in commendation of the accomplishments of the Latter-day Saint people, both locally and abroad. Detroit is not without historic rela- tionship to the rise of the Church, for some of the early leaders, including the Prophet Joseph Smith, manifested con- siderable interest in both the city and its vicinity. Mack Avenue, one of the prin- cipal avenues, was named after Soloman Mack, the Prophet's grandfather; and Parley P. Pratt traveled extensively in Michigan, at one time preaching to an audience of more than two thousand at the Detroit City Hall. Z. N. Skouson, of the branch presidency, is chairman of the Building Committee; and the architect for the chapel is Ernest J. Trysell. It is expected that the build- ing will be ready for dedication in July or August. — Lucy Wright Snow. Model of L. D. S. Chapel to be Erected at Detroit. Michigan