Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1911-06-01
MORMONS SPREAD
BELIEFS ABROAD
Missionaries Surprisingly Sue
cessful in Gaining Converts,
Especially in Germany.
ELECTION OF SMO0T HELPED
Mysterious Way Men Are Call
ed as Missionaries--How
They Desert Families to
Preach Gospel.
ELECTION OF SMOOT HELPED

Salt Lake city, MAY 29.-EmGration
and PROSECUTING have gone hand in hand
throughout the 81 years that have elapsed
stree the organization OF the Mormon
Church Officially, this statement OF the
case Is deprecated, but IT is the fact. The
authorities say that the winning OF con-
Nerts IS their only concern, and that emf
grafton is matter for the convert HIM
self
At the same time. they preach literal
belief that Zion will be built upon this
continent" and the records OF the church
IRE alled with appeals TO the faithful to
come to Zion" Until the passage Of the
Edmunds-Tucker act ot 1887 the church
maintained an organization for the bring
ing of emigrants to America, the Perpet-
.al Emigrating Fund society.
England, after Canada, was the first
land in which the restored" gospel was
preached. That is what they still call it.
In 1887 IIeber G. Kimball, Orson hyde
aud Willard Richards, with Joseph Field
ing, Isaac Russell, John Goodson and
John Snider lesser priests, landed at
Liverpool on July 20 Three days later
they preached in Nauxhall chapel. fres-
ton. their gospel for the first time on Eng
lish soil
on June 1e. 1s4o. the steamer North
America carried the first company of
enigrants TO Zion" In the - years
next ensuing l.296 emigrated and at the
end of that year, 1852 the church claimed
7iz branches in Great Britain, with son
rcembcrs. OF these Manchester had 32S
London, 2.46i: Birmingham, lsS Nor
wich 1OG1; Liverpool, 1,O4l; Wales, 1000
ard Scotland, 5000.
This was the heyday of the propaganda
in Great Britain, for soon after 1852 re-
action set in and continued until 1873
when the number of branches had OWN
died to 9S and the membership to 1904
OF these So5 were in Wales and &il in Scot
land.
EFFECT OF SHOOTS ELECTION.
This is period in the history of the
church that is marked by a good deal
of mystery. Little is sard about IT;
The records throw almost no light upon
#. In England, especially, the clouds
did not lift until FIVE years ago. Then
the election of Reed Smoot as n mem
her of the United States Senate gave
p happy basis of action. Since then
tho missionaries of the Mormon
Church have been busy IN England as
never before. Last year saw wonder
fui results. comparatively. for 300
missionaries made 963 converts; the
average throughout the world, and
the church literally works throughout
the world, was one and a half con-
vcrts to each missionary; 2,02S Of them
made 5000 poselytes,
1t Is a rather curious fact that the
membership of the church reached its
lowest point IN Great Britain in 1892
two years after the manifesto against
poly gamy had been issued by Prcsi-
Sent Milford Woodruff. 1t was 2,604
Then, and in 1894 although the mem
sership had increased to 2,s32, the
Number of emigrants fell to 50. the
fmallest since 1870.
Reference has been made to the
helpful influence of the seating OF SEN
ntor Smoot. Statistics for the years
1S9O-19l0. inclusive. reflect very plain
ly the troubles that assailed the
church at home the fight against
brigham II. Roberts in Congress; the
last skirmishes over the granting OF
statehood in 1896; the new crusade
against plural marriages, and the
Srnoot hearings, These statistics are
as follows: