The Northcentral States Mission

The Northcentral States Mission By President John G. Allred I ^11^ HE people in most of the dis- tricts of the Northcentral States mission are becoming more and more susceptible to the teachings of the gospel, as evidenced by our report of baptisms for 1927, which exceeded that of the previous year by forty-three per cent. The mission comprises the cast half of Montana, North and South Dakota, Minnesota, the northwest cor- ner of Wisconsin, Ontario west of the Great lakes, and Manitoba, Saskat- chewan and part of Alberta, Canada. Perhaps our most fruitful field is the state of Minnesota, which is popu- lated, to a great extent, by the Scan- dinavian people. It is here also, in the city of Minneapolis, that the mission headquarters are located. We recently sent out our first missionary to another field, and we expect more to follow in the near future. Since the mission was organized, July 12, 1925, we have built four chapels, purchased one, and are now preparing to erect another, in St. Paul, Minnesota. We have twelve chapels in the mission at the present time, all of which are owned by the Church. Our Saints, generally, are devoted to the work of the Lord and are striving diligently to live the gospel as it has been preached to (hem, and many are laboring as well for the salvation of their dead. Our missionaries are enjoying their labors and the spirit of the Lord, and are putting forth their best efforts to instill the gospel truths into the hearts of the people here. They get much encourage- ment and help from the Improvement Era, and delight in the many splendid articles it contains each month. Last year we celebrated the one hundredth anniversary of the delivery of the Book of Mormon plates to the Prophet Joseph Smith, by featuring the distribution of this sacred record among the people of our territory. Elders Alma

588 IMPROVEMENT ERA N. Redding and Clyde Ritchie won the mission laurels in this ac- tivity, distributing 305 copies in the month of December alone. It is a source of satisfaction and joy to see the growth and development of these young missionaries; — a marvelous work and a wonder. They are called from widely separated settlements, and from diversified vocations — farmers, bankers, clerks, stenographers, high school and college students. They meet here in the mission field on common ground, and their lives are molded to suit the Master's purpose, as clay in the potter's hands. The missionaries who thus allow the Lord to shape their lives can say that they have stretched their hands high into the heavens, and have clasped hands with the Eternal Father, feeling the warmth of his presence, realizing that their mission has been accepted. With this priceless joy and satis- faction, they can return home with a deeper, broader view of life and a well rooted foundation upon which to build in the future. Should the great throng of gospel messengers who have faithfully and honestly completed their missions be asked the question. Was your experience in the mission field worth the sacrifice made and the time and effort expended? the ring of an emphasized affirmative would echo over the four corners of the earth. We appeal to the young people of the Church who anticipate the privilege of going into the world to preach the gospel to seek more earnestly for knowledge and wisdom and a testimony of the work of the Lord. We have passed the time when men and women can effectively preach the gospel without preparation and training. The people of the present day love the truth, but they expect those One of the Latter-day Saint Chapels in the Northcentral States Mission

THE NORTHCENTRAL STATES MISSION 589 who claim to be commissioned of God to have an important message and to be able to deliver it effectively. With the adequate facilities we have at hand — schools, priesthood quorums, Church auxiliaries, abundant literature, etc., — it is a reflection upon any young man or woman who goes into the world unprepared. It should be the in- herent ambition of the youth of the Church to assist personally in the furtherance of the Lord's work, and they should strive earnestly to be ready when the call comes. Many well qualified men and women, young and old, would gladly accept a mission if they were financially able to go. Why could there not be more organized cooperation in the wards and stakes of Zion to eliminate this obstacle of financial lack? A good, healthy Mutual Improvement Association in a ward should be able to support at least one missionary in the field. Would it not thus function more fully? And every ward in every stake of Zion should have a perpetual missionary fund. Men of means, also, who have no available sons or daughters and are unable themselves to fill a mission, should be solicited to assist financially in this important cause. There are many such men in the Church who could well afford to maintain a missionary in the field all the time. Where else could an individual or an organization place their money to do more good or to bring more joy and happiness to all concerned? If there are men and women in this Church who are willing to devote two or more years of their time in proclaiming the gospel, surely they should not be denied the privilege because of lack of means. We urge the young men and women of Israel to get ready for this most important call, that, when it comes, they will be fully prepared to enter upon the duties and responsibilities of the ministry with the faith and fidelity that should characterize the representatives of the Church of Christ. The Northcentral States mission is proud of the results of its labors, and are ever eager to welcome the youth of Zion who are called to this territory to fill the vacancies of previous missionaries, who have come, served well and returned home. Minneapolis, Minnesota. Two Incentives "To have been the kind of a boy my mother thought I was, and to be the kind of a man my bolys think I am, has been, and is, two of the highest incentives in my entire life. On earth, as in heaven, I do not hope to see a more appealing or holier sight than my wife with my child in her arms." — John T. Barrett.