Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1895-02-02
INDIAN TERRITORY MISSION
Report Of The Libors Of Tho Elders
During The Year Past
The Rive civilized Tribss aud Some
Of tho VIVA tribes visitrd-Ibs
work In Oklahoma
Editor Desert Nepc

Tho year just past has been 70 tho
Indian Territory mission ono Of the
most prosperous and interesting It
has ever experienced. There have
been y Elders from Zion In the field
during the year, and We now have Il.
There has been an average Of about 10
the entire year. All are now IN good
health and spirits. We also have
local Elders, aud while we have bad
no particular aid from them Ia
he travelling ministry, We have
con greatly aided by the local PtIe't-
mood IN our organizations a. officers
and teachers 10 Sunday school, anu
the valuable temporal assistance they
with their families have rendered IA
by way Of entertaining The servants OF
God. or tho Elders that returned
home during the summer and fell
but two were released on ar-
couut Of sickness. l attribute the
great Improvement IN health the
past year 10 tue experience we have
gained from what utuofs have suffered,
carefully Carrying Uut tho rules VI tbs
mission and observing the laws VI
health by Keeping strictly the Word
Of Wisdom, anu ~ the fact that our
field has been enlarged, naturally over
coming the hHmpured condition OF
iufmuf yoHfs ana giving us a wider
scope for changing about. 10 q de-
monsifaied fact IN our experience that
a change Of air, food aud water 10 the
ucst medicine fOf sick Elder away
from home. This fop0fl covers our
Elders itaversiug the country occupied
by the i've civilized tribes, Chorokeee,
ChocklawH, ChiCAAsawe, Creeks anu
Seminoles. The latter two nations
have only been Visited by way Of OK
ploflng the country and investigating
tins prospects, for prosolyting. We have
also cauvassed that portion Of Ogla.
hOmA most thickly settled, aud paid "a
visit 10 some VI the Wild tribes
In the western part OF tho Indian
county. our rep0tt 10 necessarily IN.
complete, cur report system having
only begun WITH the present year VI
1895.
Dur-g the year 1894 there have
been 80 baptisms, ghicn nd Jed 10 tue
make total Il 1853. Nine have emi-
grated and apostallzsd, leaving
Ia. Separating from this number
thoee who formerly emigfatod to
Zion and fallen away, We slill have
100 members Of the Church somewhere
iu Indian Territory.
! Tue Elders have blessed 81 children,
which, added 90 those VI former years,
give ~ total Of "a. ~ last report We
had Priests aud DtAoon, since which
time n the former anu VI tue latter
have boeu ordained, making tolal, IN
Guiding tbs Elders Alfcauy named, Of
- local members Of the Priesthood.
The Elders have held az meetings
with ala average attendance VI ~;
distributed l,li6 tracts sud cold anu
given away u great many books. We
have organized branches aud Sur
day schools. Tue Eldors erected n
meeting house vi Massey settlement,
Ch9eiaw. Nation, AZ o0st VI i977.O5.
The ground was dedicated during my
visit In that region Ia Jan. 1894.
Elder Isaac A. Jensen had tue labor
directly In charge, assisted by Local
Elder James h. Valley, (who, with
MS family, have sinco enigrated ~
Utah,) anu Travelling Elders Herman
h. Campbell, n. q. Winter ana h. H..
Saunders. Contributions were re-
ceived from some OF the Saints and
some Of the travelling Elders. The
oash expenditures amounted 10 S70.O5
aud tho labor aggregated f2J7. THIS
unique log meeting house anu tne one
erected ut Manatd (asO the work OF
Elucte) have the name, q being the
uttt l0g houses In the lnuiau nations.
Oar sunday schools Ia come, on
with the branches are great hid In
teaching he 5 Nnts the plan VI saliva
ton ana In keeping them ia the fold
until they become grounded In ttt
Gospel. Two Of our Sunday schools
are presided over by travelling Eidefe,
there being no local Priesthood Ia the
locality. Our report shows that los
sunday school sessions have been held
with mn enrolment Of 90 "a H., anJ
an average attendance Of 30; 10 ofiicer,