Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1909-02-27
NORTHWESTERN STATES
MISSION PROSPECTS

Portland, Or, Feb 1l.-At the wind
ing up Of the business of the North
western States mission for the year
1905 we find some interesting data,
which indicates the general condition
of the mission. shows its growth ana
development tho spirit by which the
elders are working and gives gem
eII idea of the feelings of the people
of these states towards as and the
mos d-. OF truth which we bear
AT the tId of the year 1907 the total
souls Boo the mission was 1850. while
at the end OF the year just passed they
number 1852 This is q gain of 3O2
souls made up OF people received from
wards in the stakes of Zion and from
other branches and places, and from
those converted and baptized into tho
Church during the year.
The number of our baptisms for the
year 1905 inclusive of children OF saints.
was IS. with au average of 81 elders Iu
the Held. This was the greatest NUM-
Der Of baptlSms which had ever been
performed On any other year since the
opening up of this mission so far as
have been able To- learn; I'm the year
just passed, however, / am happy %
state the number of our baptisms wa
IL with an average Of 30 elders in tho
ministry thus our increase in baptlsms
this year over those OF 1907 IS So The
great majority Of the baptlsms Of the
year just closed are now members con-
verted In the mission field viz. 30 con-
ycrts. and "a children.
New branches have been raised up
in the following places where none eX-
listed before: Weiser Idaho Eugene.
oregon. and Big Timber, Montana,
New conferences have been opened
I'm Bozeman and Great Falls. Mont.
and new missionary districts In Everett
and Tacoma, Washington, and i'm Sa-
lem. oregon.
We have during the year sold: Books
Of Mormon, Az; Doctrine and Coven-
ants %; Cowley's Talks, 1O6l. and
Voice Of Warnings, $50; also other mis-
ccllancous books
We have distributed 65.S64 tracts. held
gospel conversations 90 the number Of
2O,3l2 visited families I'm tracing AZ 603
and revisited families iu tracing, 22,-
l42
I'm the year 1905 we distributed 23.7l3
more tracts. held 1920 more GOSPEL
conversations and visited and revisit
cd while tracing. 38166 more families
than iu the year 1907.
Conditions am over the mission have
been improving gradually the past two
n
coming used % as, and by their very
contact with our elders much preiu-
dice is aIayod. ! may say truly that
On several Of the large cities, and a
number of the country towns and VIII
lagos, where formerly Indifference was
almost universal, the elders now report
q lively interest. and an anxious desire
ON the part OF many people % investl-
gate our doctrine For instance. IN
the city of Portland We baptized 10
during the year. with 40 20 so fami lea
now investigating lu Boise. Idaho.
our number of baptlsms amounted TO
50, and In the Boise and Payctte vale
loy7 13 more were added TO the Church
Tho elders 40 Eugene. Oregon, admin
lstHred the sacred ordinance OF bau-
tIsm 90 nine new members. which go
raised the Iru and stirred up the gafl
of the wicked that they blew up tho
elders headquarters with dynamite.
doing very little damage however. m
order 90 gIyo you fuller knowledge
of the feelings of many towards as 1
Insert extracts from letters received
from elders Iu various parts of the mis-
sion. which were received DUNG tho
latter part Of the year.
Elder N. g.. MOrteuson wrote that
while De- and Elder Cantwell warc out
tracing county towns within 100 mues
~ seattle Washington, they in "a few
days gave away 600 tracts sold 20
books were Wen received and hal
many gospel conversations.
Elder "a. a. Mortenseu again writes
that himself ana companion held
meeting boo r. schoOlh0usa in % country
village called Roosevelt they ulsa
traetol tlc town ana made personal
visits and held conversations with AN
the towns people This was "a new town
and There was mo- church building iu ~
One man offered to donate tha land
ou good corner for "a church
building and three large save
mills Boo tine vicinity pr1nered 10
furnish thc lumber and the gentle
man with whom the elders were stay-
luE offered 200 donate money for tho
erection Uf "a church building and also
promised that he would paint BE- with
che understanding that when the house
should ho finished II should BE- FOR tho
use N an people irrespective pf creed
or Sect Several 0f The leading mon
spoke to the elders bagging them 90 taka
the lead In planning and erecting a
Az that time the elders had many an.
pOIntmcuis. and many country VILLAGES
Dad the same Claip upon them tha
one 400. and 4 advised the elders NOD
40 take b. m hand bat 60 rght ou
with their work
Elder Mll'iam MoncW president cf