Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1903-02-14
THE WORK IN LONDON.
Indifference the Greatest Obstacle
TO the GOspel.

Elder Robert l.. Anderson, writing
from London, Jan. p, says;
was among the $50 Elders and q
lady missionaries that We're called" to
20 forth, etc, last year Great Britain
was my assignment President Lyman
sent me &c the London conference.
where | am now laboring under the
direction Of President Henry H. Blood.
The characteristics Of the various mis-
sionaries Il as varied as the experiences
that we meet, or the people that we
encounter therefore II is all the more
remarkable when we view the absolute
devotion, answering fidelity and uu-
bounded love and harmony, that exist
among the servants OF God, under the
most trying circumstances. Fortunate
indeed are those who have been blessed
with this call" and have been In pos
session Of the true missionary spirit.
II all the Saints were endowed with the
love Of the Gospel as is witnessed and
enjoyed by the faithful little band of
workers now engaged In the service OF
the Master Zion would surely be in
evidence Practically every little ham
let and village In the British Isles has
been visited and traeted more or less by
our missionaries since the Introduction
of the Gospel into England, we are 60
ing over the same ground again, with
our message, fears'I lest some might
be missed, when the weather Will per-
nit Our voices are raised upon the
street corners. in the parks and on
squares We are often jeered and boot.
cd. The newspapers are loud On abuse
and mallgnment Therefore today. the
people termed "Mormons' are well
known through the ent''e fingdom of
Britain. As q rule opposition Is prefer.
able 10 absolute Indifference The old
hue aud cry and the vicious charges
against the Latter-day Saints are not SO
prominent now as In early days. but we
are treated to pronounced contempt and
sheer indifference. True. this unconcern
for religious matters Is being felt
amongst all the churches and chapels
throughout Chrsiendom. and some
alarm Is being expressed concerning
apathy. The press and pulpit have dis.
covered and reviewed with concern tho
prevailing discomfort various are The
reasons assigned, but the chief reasons
ndduced, taking a mass Of published
opinions IN one OF Londons daiies az
my authority are: "The disgust OF the
masses at the amount OF cant displayed
by the clergy the ever present caste
as viewed in the pew system" The Ut
ter absence Of that unity as taught by
Christ all tends to discourage the
thinkers and scholar. hence We find bv
statistics that only one-fourth of The
population Is found at churches ON
Sunday London Is the city OF the
world. No other place approaches N
Elders that have labored In It's pre-
clncts for years have gained but a faint
glimpse OF ITS Vasiness-indeed il Is
difficult 10 say where London begins
and where II ends It's population Is
nearly six millions, and strange TO re-
late, u Is stated that In the outer ring
the population IS steadily Increasing
and that during the last 10 years it has
Increased more than so per cent. NV
personal missionary experience is only
OF short duration, being cut begin
ner" My first labors were confined 10
the northern part OF the city or more
correctly IN Hackney" whore I ala
some house to house tracing. Here lei
me dlgress and say a word IN behalf of
the efforts Of the lady missionaries now
In London. These sisters are truly
brave, faithful energetic workerstract-
Ing In all kinds OF weather. visiting and
holding cottage meetings during the
week nights and on Sundays they are
usually among the speakers az our pub |
lie meetings Their monthly records
show a greater percentage Of Gospel |
than is shown BY The
brethren and their efforts are bearing