The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-04-22

as he did in every other department or the Mormon peoples life. During the height of his power he utilized the mis- sionary system to further the material ends of the church and add to his own aggrandizement, although maintaining his standing in the church, he was called" on a mission to the other end of the world, and he must, perforce, obey. Many whose ascendancy was feared by Brigham Young were in this way disposed of for a considerable time.
 Selections for this work were made at the annual conferences. No intima- ton of the persons to be "set apart" was given until the name was publicly announced.
 Before the building of the Central Pacific railroad the missionaries suffer- led much great hardships than they do in our own day. Grim mountains, path less deserts, had to be crossed to get to the East or to the Pacific Coast. On one occasion several of the young men
 'set apart" for foreign service reached the Missouri river dragging hand carts, in which they had trundled their food and other supplies. More fortunate were those who could travel with OK
 teams or on horseback.
 Joseph Smith, now president of the
 Mormon Church, was sent on his first mission when he was 15 years old. As a nephew of the prophet, he was, it is said, somewhat feared by Brigham as
 possible rival in the position of pro- ,aLa A a4r
 Brigham decreed that this lad of 15 should go on a mission. He was told to depart for the Sandwich Islands and there spread the Gospel among the heather. And he was to go without purse or scrip"
 There was something of the deter imitation Of his father and uncle, the out hesitation he undertook to make
 the journey. He was obliged to cross the Nevada desert and the Sierra Ne vada Mountains in order to reach San Francisco There were no steamers in those days plying between Hawaii and the Pacific Coast, and the boy mission ary had no money with which to pay his fare if there had been steamers. Sc he went into the redwoods and there worked as maker of shingles for sev- eral months until he had sufficient funds to pay for passage on sailing Iship that was due to touch at the then | little known island of the Hawaiian group.
 Young Smith made his headquarters on the island of Moal. He arrived there with a large stock of faith and knowl- edge of the Doctrine and Covenants and absolutely devoid of material treas. But he set to work with will and soon had quite a respectable fol- lowing of natives.
 Since that time the work of the Lat ter-Day Saints in Hawaii has gone steadily forward in spite of opposition, until now it is claimed that per cent. of the native population has been con- verted to the Mormon creed Many
 kanakas have been brought to Utah, and the State now has a considerable colony of these dark-skinned folk from the middle of the Pacific.
 Missionary Work in Europe.
 Russia, Austria and Roumania will not permit the Mormon missionaries to work within their boundaries if theof- ficials are aware of their presence. Nevertheless, in covert ways the mis- sionaries manage to accomplish a little in these countries. While not debarred from Spain and Italy, the Mormons have made little headway with the Latins. one of the most important of the European missions is that of the Netherlands, which includes Belgium and France Probably the majority of converts of late years are obtained in the Scandinavian countries, where the Mormon gospel is readily received by large number of population. Samoa, the Society Islands, Fiji, Turkey, Ja- pan, India and Ireland-all have their Mormon missions. It has been said by a leading church official that the Lat ter-Day Saints have secured some 25, GOO converts in foreign lands during the past few years.
 At the head of the European mission is Heber J. Grant, an apostle, who pos sesses two wives and who recently de- clared to a univesay class that he would have more wives it were not for the law against polygamy. Grant is now in England with one of his wives.
 From the travelling missionary of Mormonism the public hears nothing of the peculiar tenets and practices that have brought the Saints into conflict with average thought in America since Joseph Smith. Of polygamy the mis- sionary says his attention, when he us- ually declares that doctrine is obsolete and it not taught of late years. He breaches very simple form of Christ in fact-claiming for the Latter-Day Saints the same power to receive revelations" to heal with the laying on of hands and to cast out evil spirits that the prophets and seers of Biblical days possessed. For the rest he claims for his religion a high moral standard, sane views of life and living and the second coming of Christ to reign over a temporal kingdom.
 As in the days of the early Christi ians, the Mormon missionaries are but made stronger in their faith and more zealous in their work by anything sa- voring of persecution. Opposition only serves to stimulate them to greater ex- ertions. Frequently returned mis- sionary tells in the tabernacle of stren- uous times incident to his labor in for eign lands or in the eastern or south ern part of the United States But he concludes by announcing that he has made converts and that his faith has been greatly strengthened by his trials And all this has an inspiring