Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1897-10-27
IN scANprSAvrA.

tion of the Scandinavian countries
and the progress of the work of the
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints there. our special representa-
tive at the exposition and coronation
Jubilee at Stockholm, Sweden, whose
communications have been published
from time to time and who has now
returned, states that his Impression is
that the three northern countries have
progressed remarkably during the last
decenniums both temporarily and spir-
itually. Everywhere evidences of this
fact were visible.
Speaking of Sweden particularly it
was noticeable all along the railroad
lines that stations, formerly consist
ing of n few scattered huts, had grown
into large towns with stores and
business houses. Everywhere farms
were provided with nicely painted
buildings and large barns and gran
aries The population seemed to be
wen off as a general rule, thousands of
the class that formerly hardly ever left
the native god except for short trips as
far as a horse would take them. would
crowd the trains and steamers for the
capital and spend money freely, too,
while there.
Stockholm has about doubled in
size and population the last twenty
five years, and the new additions all
consist of palace-like buildings and
wide, modern streets, parks and large
open squares. This activity in build
ing has of course acted as a stimulant
on trade and business in other direc-
tons, and very little was heard about
hard times. The condition in the
capital is fair indication Of the con-
dition of the country in general, and 1t
is therefore no surprise to hear that
emigration is almost nothing to what
1t used to be, and that more are actual
ly returning than leaving the old coun-
try, as one of the Anchor line officials
expressed himself.
The missionaries laborlng in Scandi-
navia are unanimous in the belief that
u great work is yet to be done there.
The reports given at recent confer
ences indicate that prejudices are fad
ing like the shadows of night before
capable of deep, religious convictions;
many of them get tired of the political
strifes and turn disappointed away
from the uncertain light the various
| denominations offer upon the i'm
| portant questions of life and salvation.
They may as yet be timid as to the
Gospel, because ignorant of its real
value, but as knowledge increases.
through the faithful work of the SER
wants of the Lord, the truth win be
embraced. This conviction is general
among the missionaries in the field, and
it is based upon their experience there.
The Saints in Scandinavia feel that
the kind and gracious reception given
by the king to the representative from
Utah at the coronation jubilee will be
of great benefit to the cause they rep
resent, inasmuch as public opinion in
monarchIcal countries to a very large
extent takes its cue from the throne,
particularly when the monarch is a
| favorite among the people. They look
upon the event as memorable one in
the history of the scandinavian and
the European mission. They noted as
a remarkable coincidence that the day
| of the presentation at court of the
| jubilee gift from Utah was the sew
entieth anniversary of that ever menu
orable day when the original of the
book was delivered to the Prophet
Joseph by the angel; they also noted
the fact that, although the messenger
from Utah was well supplied with let
tiers of Introduction to the
! American minister at Stockholm,
nothing that this official may have
done towards securing an audience
awaited, while the presentation at the
proper place of the letter from the
First Presidency OF the Church at
once had the desired effect. They
could not but feel, whether with or
without sufficient cause, that the in
fuence of that document was greater
than that of our diplomatic represen-
tative in stockholm.
1t may not be necessary to go to dis
tant lands in order to become inn
pressed with the fact that the Church
is performing a great work among the
nations of the earth, but the impress
sion is certainly made deeper by obser-
yations abroad. The truths first pro-
claimed to the world through Joseph
Smith are being adopted gradually by
other denominations, until the honest
In heart among Lutherans, Baptists,
Methodists and others are more or
less Mormons, If signs fail not, time
is approaching when the faithful SER
!
for the salvation of the world. They
viii turn to Zion and Jerusalem for a
reply to the many questions which tho
prevalent religious and social systems
have failed to answer satisfactorily
An ILLUSTRATION FROM CHICAGO
A press dispatch sent from Chicago
yesterday states that 43l Republican
] policemen have been summarily dis