Passing Events

For a number of years the Era has had a department conducted under the head of "Passing Events." The items appearing therein have been pre- pared by Elder J. M. Sjodahl, who has done this work, as he does all work assigned to him, in a most efficient manner. However, the changes which modern times are introducing into our communities, the wide distribution of newspapers, weekly magazines and the use of the radio, bring into practically every family the current news of the day before our readers can possibly re- ceive it through the Era. It has been decided, therefore, to abandon this department and institute in its place a page to be called Church Events. This will contain informa- tion, in a condensed form, which read- ers of this magazine are not so likely to hear over the radio, nor even to see in the daily papers. The aim will be, of course, to print items which will be of general and not merely local in- terest. But local officers are invited to send in news of important events which occur in their fields, and as far as possible these will be printed. * * * During 1928, the first regular mis- sionaries of our Church began pros- elyting in Alaska, having been sent there by President W. R. Sloan, of the Northwestern States mission. Pres- ident Heber J. Meeks of the Kanab stake, who was serving as a short-term missionary in the northwest, led the expedition, and several baptisms re- sulted from their efforts. * * * On the eve of the new year, the Lincoln ward was organized in the Granite stake. It comprises what was formerly the south part of the Rich- ards, the north part of Forest Dale s and a small part of Sugar House wards. Charles R. Snelgrove, Jr., was made bishop with Fred J. Ball and Huron R. Free as counselors. In the reorganization of Forest Dale, George S. ', Spencer was made bishop, with Eugene M. Cannon and Arthur T. Burton as counselors. A. Frank Barnes, Jr., Daniel H. Vincent and David W. Evans make up the new bishopric of the Richards ward. * * * President James H. Moyle was re- cently appointed as successor to Pres- ident Henry H. Rolapp of the Eastern States mission. He was accompanied to his new field by Elder Richard R. Lyman, of the Council of the Twelve, and assumed the responsibilities of his new calling. In his young manhood President Moyle filled a mission to the Southern States. » * * Effective on January 1, 1929, the Eastcentral States mission is added to our already rather lengthy list. To form this new unit. West Virginia is taken from the Eastern States mission and Virginia, North Carolina, Ten- nessee and Kentucky from the South- ern States mission. President Miles L. Jones is placed at the head of the new field and will have headquarters in Louisville, Kentucky. The transfer of affairs and the installation of Pres- ident Jones was effected by Elder Stephen L. Richards, of the Council of the Twelve. This makes twenty- eight organized missions in the Church, counting the Armenian which has no president at the present time, owing to the sudden death of Pres- ident Joseph Wilford Booth. There are 101 stakes in the Church and 1012 wards and independent branches. This of course does not include branches in the missions.

354 IMPROVEMENT ERA Feb.. 1929 Elder Don Mack Dalton, accom- Kasteler as bishop and Paul I. Paulson panied by his wife and child, left Salt and Verne Mackay as counselors. Lake recently for the South African * * * mission, where he has been called to President A. William Lund, recent- preside. He will relieve President ly appointed to preside over the British Samuel Martin. This will be Pres- mission, has opened headquarters in ident Dalton's third mission. His first the city of Birmingham. Durham was to the Central States and his sec- House, at 295 Edge Lane, Liverpool, ond, a short-term, to the Eastern will still be headquarters of the States. Since 1923, he has served as European mission. This change will counselor to Bishop George A. Soder- relieve President John A. Widtsoe of borg in the Burton ward of the Grant details pertaining to the work in the stake. Since his departure the bish- British Isles, enabling him to devote opric has been reorganized with Alma more time to continental fields. The Personality of God A sectarian minister, walking down a street in London, met a boy re- turning home from Sunday School. Putting his hand on the boy's head, the minister said, "I presume, my boy,you have been to Sunday School?" "Yes, sir." "Do you like to go to Sunday School?" "Yes, sir." "You learn many good things there." "Yes, sir." "You learn about God and his wonderful works." "Yes, sir." "Where is God, my little man?" "He is in heaven, sir." "That is true, God is in heaven; but he is also everywhere; he fills the whole universe." The boy looked up in astonishment and asked: "Is God here?" pointing to the place where they stood. "He is." "Is he behind that stone wall?" "He is." "Could he come through that stone wall?" "He could." "Could he go from here to yonder?" "Yes, he could go from here to yonder." "Then you are mistaken," said the boy, "for if God were everywhere, there would be nowhere for him to go to." — W. A. Morton. It is a plain old book, modest as nature itself, and as simple, too; a book of an unpretending work-day appearance, like the sun that warms or the bread that nourishes us. A book that looks on us as truthfully and benignantly as the old grand- mother who, with tremulous lips and glasses on her nose, reads it every day. And the name of this book is simply — the Bible.— Heme,