The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-11-06
Apostle John Henry Smith Making
q Tour Of the State.


Butte Miner: Among the visitors i
Montana at present is a distinguished
member of the Mormon church in the
person OF John Henry Smith, one of the
y apostles. Mr.. Smith, who is q vet
eran in the faith and OF patriarchial APP
pearance, is here on q church mission
it being no less than the establishment
of Mormon congregations in this state.
The apostle may or may not have been
in Butte, if he was he kept his mission
quiet, if not he will be here, but he was
run down by a reporter of the Great
Falls Tribune, to whom he made the fol-
lowing statement and explanation:
If the mission of the apostle is sue
cessful in the state it is reasonable to
believe that there will be a congrega-
ton in this city, and that being the
case the story he tells will prove of in
terest.
MIR. Smith told the reporter he went
to Salt Lake in 1S49 from his former
home in Iowa, and at once became one
of the leaders of his people. He has
occupied many prominent positions in
the church, and is now one of the u
apostles of Salt Lake. He has never
been one of the political leaders of the
church, but has confined his efforts to
work in behalf of the church in relig-
ious matters.
He is not in the state for the purpose
Of attempting to proselyte believers in
other faiths, but desires merely to meet
those who were born in Mormon faith.
He states that there are thousands Of
Mormon girls who have scattered
throughout the northwest since mar
riage, and many of them are in Mon
tana. Hundreds of young men of the
church have also left Utah and come to
Montana. The Mormons who have come
to this state are, in the main, those who
have drifted away from Utah since
polygany was suppressed, and hun
dreds of the women were not married
until they reached Montana, while the
men have had only one wife each.
They have found no Mormon organ
Zation in this state, and have either
not attended church or have to some
extent associated with the existing
churches, the Presbyterians and Chris
tan churches attracting a large ma
jority.
| 1t is the purpose of Elder Smith to
meet those who were born in his church
and to gather together all those in
community and perfect organization.
Then" he says, 1--WE will Sreach our
principles and make converts from all
classes. We firmly believe our princi
pies will appeal to all who understand
them, and we will add to our member
SAea17N~S7
! denominations in Montana"
There are now in the state u elders
who are laboring with Apostle Smith,
and they are perfecting organizations in
various towns. They will not find many
| members in northern Montana, but in
the portions of the state which were
early settled there is a host Of Nor
mons.
At Butte there are several hundred;
at Anaconda, 125: at Lima, 100; and a
large number in Madison, Deer Lodge
and Jefferson counties.
! There are about 10 in Fergus county,
and an unknown number in Great
Falls, many of whom are now in other
churches.
The president of the Montana mission
of the church and two travelling mis-
sionaries from Idaho will g5oon be here,
and then the campaign in this vicinity
will be begun.
The Mormons claim that the ques-
! ton Of polygamy is not considered by
| them, nor do the converts of the church
have to embrace the doctrine as q tenet
of the creed. Mr.. Smith says that it
has forever ceased in practice.