--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 32 number: 8 published: 1929-06 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: "Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, “Messages from the Missions,” *Improvement Era* 32, no. 8 (June 1929): 679–685." source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3208unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera3208unse start_page: 679 end_page: 685 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1929-06) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera3208unse publication_year: 1929 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1929, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Messages from the Missions Messages from the Missions A Notable Conference in Hawaii The annual conference of the Hawaiian mission was held at Laie, Oahu, and in the City of Honolulu on April 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7. Mission- aries of the Hawaiian mission have a privilege, we think, not enjoyed by those of any other mission, the priv- ilege of having a temple located within their field. On the evening of the 2nd of April, a missionary meeting was held in this sacred building, when all the missionaries had the privilege of officiating in behalf of the dead. This was an opportunity which the group will never forget. On Wednesday our missionary force all joined in testi- mony meetings held in the assembly room of the temple. The testimonies that were borne and the spirit present in the meetings were memories that will linger with us through life. On Thursday morning, the 4th, we held a business meeting at the Mission Home in Laie. In the afternoon the group returned by automobile to Honolulu, a distance of about thirty- five miles. Saturday morning at 10:00 o'clock the annual conference of the Relief Society organizations of the mission was held under the direction of Pres. Olivia S. Waddoups and her coun- selors, Minerva Fernandez and Ricky McGuire, mission presidency of the Relief Society. Among those who addressed the conference were Sister Jeanette A. Hyde, a member of the General Board of the Relief Society. About four hundred were present at this session and received instructions and inspiration for the work of the coming year. At 1:30 p. m. the Pri- mary Associations of the mission, un- der the direction of Pres. LaVenda Mattice, conducted their session. Ap- proximately four hundred children were present, in addition to 3 goodly number of parents. All the work of this session was conducted by the Pri- mary children. It was very commend- able indeed. At 3:30 p. m. the officers of the auxiliary associations of the mission held their meetings, at which instructions and demonstrations were given. At 7:00 p. m. the annual contest of the Mutual Improvement Associations of the Hawaiian mission was held in the Kalakaua Junior High School auditorium. Before the hour to commence our meeting arrived the house was filled to overflowing, there being slightly more than one thousand people seated in the building. The police department turned away five or six hundred people who could not gain admittance to the building. Our contest consisted of work in part sing- ing, solo work, steel guitar playing, public speaking based on the M. I. A. slogan of this year, and re-told stories taken from the Bible. Representatives from all the districts of the mission competed in the contest and it was the most successful effort jever put forth by the M. I. A. of the mission. The judges, all people of experience and none of them members of the Church, were a unit in saying that the public speaking and story telling was the best they had ever heard. . Sunday morning at 10:00 o'clock, the Sunday School, under the direction of Mission Superintendent George P. Mausman, conducted its conference. The theme of the meeting was the spirit of Elijah and work for the dead. This subject was beautifully presented in pageant, recitation, and music, to the pleasure and edification of the vast congregation which filled our chapel to overflowing. Between the Sunday School and afternoon meeting a well prepared dinner was served to more than fifteen hundred people. At 2:00 680 IMPROVEMENT ERA June. 19 29 p. m. and 7:00 p. m. general sessions of the conference were held. At the afternoon session music was furnished by the Laie choir, and the Kalihi choir sang for us during the evening session. We were wonderfully blessed during these sessions with the spirit of the Lord and the hearts of all present were made to rejoice. Just before the bene- diction at the closing session of con- ference, the choir sang the Hosannah anthem and the congregation joined in "The Spirit of God Like a Fire is Burning." All were filled with thanks- giving to our Heavenly Father for the wonderful blessings that have reached us in this far-away land. — Wm. M. Waddoups, Mission President. MISSIONARIES OF THE HONOLULU DISTRICT Sitting, left to right: Keola Kalimai, J. W. L. McGuire, local missionaries; Olivia S. Waddoups, president mission Relief Societies; Wm. M. Waddoups. mission president; W. E. Gronlund. mission secretary (released) ; L. A. Parcell. mission secretary. Standing, front: R. K. Homer, J. C. Nielsen. Honolulu district president; Miriam Waddoups. Marie A. Daynes, president Honolulu Primaries, (released) ; W. E. Watson, W. L. Davis. A. B. Bate. Second row: D. E. Johnson. T. M. Waddoups, Howard Allred (released) ; Mildred Allred, Mary Waddoups, C. R. Mayberry, E. D. Chamberlain. F. N. Clark. W. A. Beazer (released). Third row: L. E. Clissold (released); Edith Conley, A. L. Conley, Anna Rhees, P. K. Dehlin, F. L. Thomas, J. H. Killpack. Fourth row: Ivin Larkin, A. R. Ivins. manager Laie plantation; Vilate Ivins, T. M. Williams, Virginia Ashton, (released) ; Purcy Burrell. Left to right: R. W. Bradford, S. E. Jacobsen. Orson Kesler, LaVenda Mattice, president mission Primaries (released) ; Harold Cheirrett, J. B. Thorup. E. L. Denison, Lawrence Ward. Fifth row: T. K. Memmott, J. C. Schill, H. L. Hansen, M. R. Roberts, H. W. Belliston. Back row: H. B. Farr, M. T. Stoker (released) ; Joseph Luahiwa, local missionary: E. L. Clissold, president mission M. I. A.; F. J. Smith, former missionary; W. W. Burt (released). June, 19 29 MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 681 Work Progressing in the Antipodes District President E. Ray Parson sends the following report: Annual conference was held in the Tasmanian district. Feb. 24, 1929; Mission President Clarence H. Tingey and his wife were in attendance. They gave excellent instruction and admoni- tion to both elders and Saints. The report of the year's activities, as given by the district president, showed a very gratifying improvement over pre- vious years in almost every department of the work. Thirteen baptisms were performed in 1928, and thirteen have been performed so far this year. This is indeed encouraging when we con- sider the number of elders that have been laboring in the district. We need more missionaries. We can see the hand of the Lord in the softening of the hearts of the people, who are showing more of a disposition to re- ceive the truth. We receive the Era regularly and ap- preciate it very much, because we derive much good from studying its con- tents. We wish it continued success. MISSIONARIES OF THE TASMANIAN DISTRICT. AUSTRALIA Front row. left to right: Clarence H. Tingey, mission president. Salr Lake City; Hazel B. Tingey. president mission Relief Societies; E. Ray Parson, district president, Smithfield, Utah. Back row: Neil L. Davis. Salt Lake City: Alva E. Jensen. Salt Lake City; Paul A. Park, Gunnison. Utah; George E. Rushton, Hunter. Utah; Lawrence P. Bingham. Smithfield, Utah. Gratifying Change of Sentiment The following report comes to us from the Southern States: Under separate cover I am sending you a group picture of the missionaries 682 IMPROVEMENT ERA June, 1929 Missionaries of the Georgia District First row, left to right: Mildred Molen, Vaughn, Montana; Ernest W. Bosgieter, Los Angeles, California, president Georgia district; Chas, A. Callis, president Southern States mission; James A. Ott, Henrieville, Utah, president South Georgia district; Esther Price, Tucson, Arizona. Second row: L. E. Phelps. Mesa, Arizona; Clyde B. Nielson. Mesa. Arizona; K. W. Dyal, San Bernardino, California; Chas. H. Goodson, Pasadena, California: B. B. Woolley, Los Angeles, California; C. H. Esplin. Preston, Idaho; R. E. Mills, Sugar City. Idaho: L. M. Cantrell, Salt Lake City. Third row: Jos. C. Rich. Montpelier. Idaho; Bland Ahlstrom, Sandy, Utah; M. D. Lovell, Oak City, Utah; J. D. Spendlove,, Morgan. Utah: Lionel Anderson, Sandy, Utah. Back row: R. W. Beal. Myton. Utah (released) ; W. L. Duke. Heber, Utah; Wm. Bennett, Evanston, Wyoming: L. H. Peterson, Tremonton, Utah. of the Georgia district, Southern States mission. The first 1929 conference of the Georgia district was held in historic Savannah on the 13th and 14th of April. All who attended counted it one of the best conferences held in Georgia in many years. President Chas. A. Callis delivered thought-provoking, conscience-stirring sermons at the three Sunday sessions. The concluding speakers at the Satur- day sessions were District Presidents James A. Ott of South Georgia; B. Henry Linde of South Carolina; and Ernest W. Bosgieter of the Georgi:. District, who presided at the confer- ence. All of the missionaries ad- dressed the gathering, some speaking at two sessions. Over 175 persons attended, where- as some fifteen years ago, as stated in one of his discourses, President Callis walked the streets of Savannah with- out a single person in this city to call him brother or sister in the Church. A pleasing feature of the meetings was the testimonies and able defense of June, 1929 MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 683 the Gospel made by various local mem- bers. Local elders were present from Augusta, Waycross, Georgia, Tillman, S. C and Jacksonville, Fla. Both Savannah newspapers were generous in their announcements of the conference and in reporting the events thereof. The hall was most attractively decorated and on Sunday a delicious luncheon was served by the sisters of the Savannah Branch Relief Society. Property has been acquired and work will begin at once on the build- ing of a suitable house of worship in Savannah. Sincerely, your brother in the Gospel. Elder E. W. Bosgieter, President, Georgia District. Far North Also Making Progress Oscar E. Johnsen writes: The Malmo district spring confer- ence was held in Malmo on March 10, 11 and 12, 1929. The hall was draped with Amer- ican and Swedish flags and was other- wise beautifully decorated with flow- ers, harmoniously blending color with the spirit of the occasion. The Spirit of the Lord was preva- lent in rich abundance, throughout the entire conference. The many Saints and friends present at these meetings had their testimonies strengthened and obtained a clearer understanding of the Gospel principles through the inspired sermons which were delivered. Reports show that the work is pro- MlSSIONARIES OF THE SWEDISH MISSION Sitting, left to right: Mission President Gideon N. Hulterstrom, Signe L. Hulterstrom, president of the mission Relief Societies; Oscar E. Johnson, district president. Standing: Holger M. Sanders, Baker. Oregon; Arland O. Sorensen. Bear River City, Utah. 684 IMPROVEMENT ERA June. 19 29 gressing within the Malmo district, and it is expected that several persons will be baptized in the near future. The Improvement Era is a welcome aid and companion in our missionary labors, and when, for some reason, there is a delay in receiving it, we feel its loss. 'Mormon" Athletic Activity in Tacoma, Washington During the past winter widespread interest has been manifested for basket- ball in Tacoma, Washington, of the Northwestern States mission. Two amateur leagues have used 880 players who otherwise would not have been given a chance to compete in athletic activity. The Latter-day Saint M Men's team has, we feel, been an im- portant factor in awakening this in- terest. The L. D. S. team played fourteen league games, winning all but two of them. The good sportsman ship displayed by our team was the talk of the city. The referees were almost unanimous in the statement that never had they officiated in basket- ball games where the players were cleaner, or fairer than the Latter-day Saint team. And even some of the ministers of other churches, in speaking to their congregations, cited the "Mor- Tacoma. Washington Branch y. M. M. I. A. Basketball Team Back row. left to right: Dan Nalley, Harold Baldwin. Roy Baldwin, Roy D. Olpin. Front row: Ira C. Jackson, Richard S.. Summerhays, A. W. Johnson. Melvin W. Eliason. June. 1929 MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS 685 mon" boys as a fitting example for their young folks to follow. We are justly proud of the splendid record made this year. Although the pennant went to another team, the results favorable to "Mormonism" from a standpoint of practical religion are outstanding. If "by their fruits ye shall know them" is a fair criterion of judgment, the philosophy of life which produces such clean, sportsman- like young men is worthy of serious consideration. 'Mormonism" Still Carrying On Elder Joseph H. Greenhalgh. clerk of the Nephi South ward, Juab stake, writes as follows: "For almost twen- ty-five years I have been a subscriber to the Era and have always en- joyed reading it. It occurred to me that you might be interested in this account. Recently four young men left our ward for the mission field. They are all great- grandsons of one man who, many years ago, was converted to the Gospel in a foreign land. Today, they are laboring in four different na- tions of the earth. "Joseph Smith Sitting: Franklin Pass Greenhalgh. laboring in the Eastern States mission. Standing, left to right Joseph Read Greenhalgh, laboring in Scotland Lester Howell Belliston, laboring in England standing at back. Harold Wheeler Belliston, la boring in the Hawaiian Islands. predicted that this Gospel would not be taken from the earth nor given to another people. His opponents said that the fourth generation would see the end of 'Mormonism.' Here we have four young men, de- scended from the same great-grand- father, going at the same time from the same ward to preach the same Gospel to four dif- ferent nations. "The great- grand father i s JamesT. Belliston. who came from England in the early fifties and later returned to his native land as a missionary." TITHING In an address on the law of tithing at a Sunday evening service, a home missionary told the congregation about a colored preacher, who, addressing his flock, said, "Brethren and Sisters, in our system of public worship three books are indispensable — the Prayer Book, The Hymn Book and the pocket book. I would like you to bring all three of them with you next Sunday."