The Western States Mission

The Western States Mission By President John M. Knight r "N many respects, 1927 was the best year in the history of the Western States mission. Greater opportunities to present the gospel message to the people were afforded the missionaries than ever before. An in- creased desire for something real and tangible in the religious world caused many thinking people to turn to a friendly investigation of "Mormon- ism." Invitations to speak before civic organizations and literary clubs were received and accepted. Churches were opened to some of the missionaries, where gospel truths were discussed in an academic and constructive spirit and favorable comment was brought forth from the hearers. In July, an invita- tion was extended to the writer, by the dean of the Iliff School of Theology, to present the "Mormon Question" be- fore a convention of seventy- five Methodist ministers from the Colorado diocese. Thirty minutes were assigned the speaker: ten minutes to discuss early Church history, ten minutes for explanation of fundamental doctrines, and ten min- utes to tell of the aim and purpose of our Church in the world. The speaker was accorded every courtesy and was permitted to speak twenty minutes longer than the time al- lotted. Twenty minutes more were used in asking and answer- ing question. At the close of the service the Moderator said, "I am sorry we do not have at our disposal another hour, that we might hear more about this wonderful religion." An interesting development of missionary work is the organ- ization of Sunday Schools, Mutuals and Primary Associations, in various parts of the mission. The membership of these is largely non- "Mormon." These agencies have been potent factors in allay- ing prejudice and bringing converts into the Church. Through the

560 IMPROVEMENT ERA splendid service of the missionaries and the valuable assistance of the local priesthood and Saints, four hundred fifty-eight baptisms were performed during the year, an average of four and one-half for each missionary in the field. An evidence of the interest in some quarters was seen at the April conference, held at Omaha, when four missionaries laboring in that district reported one hundred six families of investigators in the one city. Since then, forty converts have been baptized, with prospects of many more in the immediate future. I quote from one letter out of many received at the mission office during the past year: Latter-day Saint Chapel in Denver, Colorado, Western States Mission "I am glad to inform you that my wife and I have had the pleasure of forming the acquaintance of two of your fine men on Church duty in this city. Their friendly visits and conversations at our home have brought sunshine to my wife, whose health has been far from good the past eighteen months. Some four or five weeks ago she contracted infection in her right hand, which required a severe lancing as an outlet for the pus which had formed. Shortly after this, the next day, our good friends were at our home and offered a prayer in her behalf. Immediately after, her pain subsided and at this writing her hand is normal. This, Mr. Knight, is my motive in fcvrwarding this communication to you. Wc arc glad to claim the acquaintance of two of God's noblemen. Our home is open to them at any time as well as to any others of your faith."

THE WESTERN STATES MISSION 561 This letter was written by a prominent doctor of Council Bluffs, Iowa. It should be stated that a great deal of the progress made by the mission in 1927 is due to the excellent work of the short-term missionaries. These men and women have been able, through their greater age and experience, to reach people heretofore unapproachable and to arouse interest through their dignity and their closer acquaint- anceship with the history and doctrines of the Church. This is said without disparagement of the splendid work that has been done by the younger laborers. As a stabilizing force in the field, and especially among the better educated and more socially promi- nent people, the labors of the short-term missionaries have been of incalculable value. With the splendid assistance of the General Authorities of the Church, the mission has been able, in 1927, to show appropriate material progress. There was acquired, by purchase, a chapel at Council Bluffs, Iowa, and we now have a fully organized branch in that city, with all the auxiliary organizations functioning as in a regular ward. At Alamosa, Colorado, we built an addition to the chapel, at a cost of seven thousand dollars, furnishing class-room accommodations for all the auxiliary associations. A new chapel and amusement hall has been built at Bluewater, New Mexico. In conclusion, it may be appropriate to offer some helpful sug- gestions to prospective missionaries, which will be applicable to other missions as well. Our workers should be as well informed as possible along the following lines: etiquette and social breeding, courteous manners, table etiquette, dignity of bearing and approach, and graceful and gracious presence, befitting workers for God and humanity; a better use of English in speaking and writing, which can best be cultivated by ^tudy and by imitation of fellow-mission- aries who are better informed on these points. Though these ele- ments cannot take the place of the inspiration of the Lord, they can and will help mightily in making that inspiration more effective, especially among the refined and educated. They should also strive for a better and more direct knowledge of Scripture, especially the Bible and the Book of Mormon. I am glad that in the missionary course newly established in our Sunday Schools and Mutuals, a study of these books has been inaugurated, not only from the viewpoint of obtaining gospel texts, but also from the broad, general view of the origin, history, and construction of the Scriptures. Out of my experience as a mission president, I strongly commend this study to all the men and women in the Church, and especially those who are likely to be called as missionaries. And in making quota-

562 IMPROVEMENT ERA tions from the Scriptures, we should quote from the book itself, not from a commentary. It goes without saying that the ability and capacity of thought- fully, prayerfully, and logically studying and analyzing the prin- ciples of the gospel, and adapting scriptural texts to their proof and establishment, should be zealously cultivated. The use of isolated paragraphs, without connection with their context, should be avoided. And if the mind of the missionary is filled with useful knowledge regarding gospel principles, the Spirit of the Lord will draw on that store of information at the right time and in the right way. If one knows what to say in missionary work, the Lord will tell him how to say it. The Lord is wonderfully opening up the way for the earnest missionary in the Western States mission and elsewhere. The crying need today is for a much larger supply than we now have of in- telligent, faithful, prayerful emissaries who will live close to God, cultivate and retain the influence of the Holy Ghost, live the laws of health, study gospel principles, become better and more cheerful and friendly advocates of "Mormonism," and cultivate the friend- ship and confidence of their newly acquired friends. For such as these, the field of missionary work is vast in extent and opportunity; and the example they set, of clean and wholesome living and faith- fulness to a cause, will make their influence for good incalculable. Denver, Colorado Make Her Dreams Come True A little mother watches you, And prays both night and day That you, her son, may worthy prove. And tread the narrow way. She sees a picture of a man, So fine of form and face, Who plays a part in history. And takes his rightful place. Yes, one who loves his fellow-men, And serves them all he can. Who does his level best, you know. Is, through and through, a man. That picture is of you, her son; In you she lives anew. So be the man you ought to be. And make her dreams come true. Mesa. Arizona IDA R. ALLDREDGE