Evening journal., 1888-06-30

pAiuNoO, ana lhe story OF their pioneer
band crossing the Mississippi river on the
Ice, and Of the main body following in de-
tachments. Within two years more than
10000 people made a journey of nearly
600 miles from Illinois, Iowa and Mis-
souri, to the valley OF the Great Salt Lake.
They had to sustain themselves en- route.
to grow their corn ard wheat. TO grind
their meal and -four, to provide their
meat, to shear their focks. spin the warn
and weave tho cloth for raiment. They
had to deal with savage Indians, and,
while doing all this, they contributed 500
Of the flower Of their manhood to help
fight The battles Of their country against
the Mexicans. There is not in all the
annals OF the human race another such
example of a great body of people so
peaceably and successfully performing
such an undertaking. Their religion alone
enabled them to do it,
"Tho founding Of their communities in
tho 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, tho Mormon people in the in
termountain region have grown to over
200 600 souls. They have colonized sterile
and inhospitable regions Ninety per
cent. Of the whole number are land owners,
the title being vested in each individual,
and not in the church OF community, as
commonly supposed There is not a set
Element without a school house The
thrift Of the people is the remark of every
stranger who visits aMoEnon community.
The absence Of aims houses and of pau
pors, Of rum shops and Of gambling hells,
is always noted and commented upon.
*~#
"Tell me something about you mission
aries2'
"To 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 a president
and two counselors; a greater or less
number of wards, presided over by a
bishop ana two counselors, compose q
stake. At 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 to be able TO go
and preach the gospel. They are such as
are considered to be qualified for the
TO provide for their families. if married
or who can be spared by their parents. if
unmarried, or who are without family re-
sponsibilities. 1t is entirely a 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-
tary contributions from their friends and
neighbons. All must support themselves
while on missionary duty"
'ls tithing compulsory"
mot at 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
to contribute to the Lord. But tithing is
now simply 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-
sionaries2''
The total membership will probably not
exceed half a million Our 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
land, Denmark, Sweden. Norway, Switzer-
land end Germany there is a steady
growth Of the church. We have missions
in Australia, New Zealand and the Sand
wich Islands. The spread Of the Gospel
among the Maoris of New Zealand and
the Sandwich Islanders has been very
marked, and the corresponding improve
ment Of those people has been acknowl-
edged by every one familiar with the
Of aafs
Mexico and in British Columbia are -four
ishing 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 arc the defendants of an 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 Presi-
dent John Taylor. He was born March 1 ,
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 a cen
tury has been an active, untiring and
marvelously efficient worker in the
church. He was baptized in 1888 and
soon after became an intimate companion
of the Prophet Joseph Smith From that
time he began to jOurnalize events tran
spring within his knowledge, recording
them by a system of short hand invented
by himself. A great part Of his life has
been devoted TO missionary work, and his
success was remarkable. During seven
months in Herefordshire, Gloucestershire
and Worcestershire, England, he and his
fellow laborers converted and baptized
more than 800 persons, including some
200 preachers Of various denominations.
He was one Of ths pioneer band that led
the exodus from Nauvoo, his, to Sail
Lake valley, and has been one Of the fore
most men in the founding and building OF
Utah. All his life he has been active.
tireless in church work. and at the sans
time an Industrious, hard working farmez.
Although in ths S2d year Of his life
he possesses = clear and robust intellect
Nwg and displays re.
-SA markable physical
M vigor. He is moi
fN politician in any
tt%E Sssyv%El sense Of the word
II Nl1 His conservatism
II <ssA ~ is marked and n
lf~& ~ keeping with HI,
%s--z=-&t1 simplicity Of his
49, IN nature. He /,
slHgY> Sipd. ID loyinS 3 ! 4 : u ~, 3