Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1902-04-02
MORMON PROsELYTEs.
A Great Many Missionaries Are
Working Hard For Converts In

working Haru FOr COuVeFts IN
Denmark.
The newspapers of Copenhagen say
that the Mormons have energetically
resumed their missionary work in Dem
mark. There are now over hundred
Mormon missionaries in that country,
their work being supervised from their
headquarters at Copenhagen, where
they publish a newspaper organ.
Thousands of tracts and books are be-
ing continually sent out from this
centre to supplement the work Of the
missionaries. The Mormons in the
United States have contributed an i'm
portant sum Of money toward the
building of Mormon church on a
piece of property that has been pur-
chased in Copenhagen.
The Mormons have always regarded
Denmark as an exceptionally good field
for their operations. For some years
after our state department, in the days
Of r. B. Hayes, sent out the famous cir
cular warning foreign countries against
the efforts Of Mormon missionaries, on
the ground that Mormons persistent
ly violated the marriage laws Of this
country, all Mormon missionaries were
excluded from Denmark. In the past
few years, however, 1t being under
stood abroad that the practice Of poly
gamy no longer characterizes the Nor
mon chucrh, the missionaries have been
permitted to renew their labors.
There never was a time when the
Mormon church put forth greater ef-
fort to win converts to its faith than at
present. Bishop Joseph Bunker, one Of
the foremost Mormons in Utah, said in
1890 that at that time the church had
1,623 young men employed in various
parts Of Europe and America in Nor
mon missionary work. He said the
church was engaged in the greatest
Missionary labor ever undertaken by a
religious body. He said that the
church expected in 1901 to have at
least 2,400 Missionaries busy in the field.
President Snow Of the Mormon church
declared In the same year that by 1910
he expected that the church would have
between 5000 and $500 missionaries in
the field.
One of the Mormon newspapers In
Utah reported in December, last year,
that the church had missionaries at
that time in every country Of Europe,
excepting Turkey and Italy, in 40 states
Of this country and even In Australia,
Brazil and South Africa, Canada and
Scandinavia are at present regarded as
the most promising fields for mission
ary activity. There are now over 300
Mormon missionaries at work in Can
ada and there are about 10000 men,
bers Of the church in the provinces Of
Ontario alone.
Every Mormon missionary is expec-
ted to proclaim loudly that today plural
marriages are not sanctioned by the
church. This fact Is undoubtedly help
ing them to gain converts. In the ear
ly days Of their proselytism abroad the
missionaries tried to induce at least all
the younger converts to emigrate to
Utah. They are not now so active in
that direction though they are very
glad to have their church In this coun-
try reinforced by recruits from abroad.
But their main idea now Is to build up
the church in all lands, so that 1t may
take its place as one. Of the great
churches, established widely in all parts
Of the world. They therefore do not
care so much for large immigration to
Utah or the other western states In
which their church Is strongest, for
they wish to have powerful centres of
Mormonism in every state Of the Union
and in all the countries Of the earth.
This is the ambitious scheme to which
their energies are now devoted; and 1t
must be said that they appear to be
meeting with at least as large meas
ure Of success as that achieved by the
missionary societies Of other religious
sects.-Exchange.