The Daily times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1886-1889, 1888-07-01
Iho Mormons pitched their tents where

They had 10 sustain themselves en- route,
To grow their corn and wheat. 10 grind
their meal and -four, 10 provide their
r,eat. TO shear their .locks. spin the yarn
and weave the cloth for raiment. Ihey
had TO deal with savage Indians, and,
while doing all this. they contributed 1Oo
of the flower-of their manhood to help
fight the battles of their country against
the Mexicans. There is not i'll all the
annals of the human race another such
example of a great body of people so
peaccably and successfully performing
such an undertaking. Their religion alone
enabled them to do 1T.
The founding of their communities in
the desert region Of Great Salt Lake, and
the redemption Of those sterile wastes,
would not have been possible but for the
Mormon religion. From 10000 who
gathered in Utah from the banks of the
Mississippi, the Mormon people in the in
termountain region have grown to over
200 600 souls They have colonized sterile
and inhospi;able regions. Ninety per
cent OF he whole number are land owners,
the tile Long vcs.cl ia each individual,
and not III the church or community, as
commonly supposed There is not u set
toment without school house. The
thrift of the people is the remark of every
stranger who visits Mormon community.
The absence of aims houses and of pau
pers. of Ium shops and Of gambling bells,
is always noted and commented upon.
-
Tell me something about you mission
aries"
"1o enable You to understand our mis-
sionary system, said Mr.. Caine, IL must
premise that IN Utah we have ecclesiasti-
cal divisions of the territory into stakes
and wards Each stake has president
and two counselors, a greater or less
number of wards. presided over by a
bishop and two counselors, compose a
stake Al each semi annual conference
of the whole church the presidents of
the stakes present the names of men re
siding within their jurisdiction who are
available as missionaries. from those who
are so circumstanced as 10 be able 10 go
and preach the gospel. They are such as
are considered TO be qualified for the
work, who are willing to 60 and are able
to provide for their families, if married,
or who can be spared by their parents. If
unmarried, or who are without family re
sponsibilities IL is entirely q voluntary
service. Those who are able to do so
must bear their own travelling expenses,
while others have their travelling expenses
paid TO their missionary fields by volun-
taIv contributions from their friends and
neighbors All must support themselves
while Oh missionary duty.
is tithing compulsory
Not az all At one time, when the
church was established in Missouri. there
was law of tithing one tenth of the
increase and income being an obligation
10 contribute 10 the Lord. But tithing Is
now simply a voluntary obligation, and
the conscience Of the contributor is the
only guide to his giving
what is the total membership OF the
Mormon church and where does the great
est success attend the labors Of your mis-
siOnaries:'
The total membership Will probably not
exceed half a million Orr missionaries
of course have met with the greatest sue
cess in the United States. They are still
laboring in almost every state and terri
tory. In England Wales. Scotland. Ire
ldtlu, lftAllilll t0NtAAfis Wi 81 - s'N ~ .'l
land and Germany there is steady
growth of the church. We have missions
ia Australia New Zealand and the Sand
wich Islands The spread of the Gospel
among the Maoris of New Zealand AID
the Sandwich Islanders has been very
marked. and the CORES bonding improve
ment of those people has been acknowl-
edged hy every one familiar with the
work Of our missionaries Our colonies in
Mexico and in British Columbia are flour
i-hiug. The influence of our missionaries
among the Indians on this continent has
always been for good, and the prevention
OF more than one bloody war has been due
TO our people. II is the peculiar mission
of our church To convert the Indians, who
we believe are the defendants Of al an
cient civilized people, who possessed the
true Christian faith on this continent As
recorded in the Book of Mormon.
-
Tell me something OF Mr. Woodruff,
the acting head of the church.
"WIlford Woodruff. as president of the
Twelve Apostles, became the executive
head of the church on the death of Prcsl-
dent John Taylor. He was born March !,
1907. in the town of Avon Hartford
county. Conn, and is in his eighty second
year He comes of good old fashioned Puri-
tan stock, and for more than half II cen
fury has been an active. untiring and
marvclously efficient worker IN the
church He was baptized in 1893 and
soon after became an intimate companion
Of the Prophet Joseph Saith. From that
time he began to journalize events tran
spring within his knowledge recording
them by system OF short hand invented
by himself 4 great part of his life has
been devoted 10 missionary work. ana his
success was remarkable. During seven
months in Herefordshire. Worcestershire
and Worcestershire, England he and his
fellow laborers converted and baptized
more than | 500 persons, including some
200 preachers of various denominations.
He was one Of the pioneer band that led
the exodus from Nauvoo, Ills, to Sail
Lake valley, and has been one of the fore
most men in the founding and building Of
IT.oI biu lifa ba hos mon activa