Arizona republican., 1919-09-19


 counselors. A dozen or more wards | corresponding usually to county or ganized into a stake which is presided l over by stake president with two counselors, and by high council which is presided over by 12 high councillors. The bisHop of ward is not only the spiritual leader, but he is also a tenn poral leader and takes a prominent part in the community work of his ward. The stake president is also the temporal as well as spiritual leader of all the people of his stake and is al- ways alive to their best interests.
 No Preachers
 There are no paid preachers in the Mormon church, but every member is supposed to do d part of the religious work. Everyone is supposed to be pre- pared to talk at any time that he is called to stand by the bishop.
 There are organized through the state at the present time four stakes, St. Johns, Snowflake. Maricopa and St. Joseph.
 The St. Johns Stake is located most ly in Apache county, although it ex- tends partly out into the Indian reser- vation, and into New Mexico It is presided over by David K. Udall, with Charles P. Anderson and John Brown as councillors.
 The Snowflake Stake is located in Navajo county and extends from the Indian reservation to the Santa Fe rail- road. It is presided over by Samuel F. Smith with James NJ. Flake and Alof 1 Larson as counselors. There are in these two stakes about 5000 people, in- ] cluding a good many Indians. The St IOSpph Stake takes in aIl of the Gila valley, extending from New Mexico, one settlement over the line. | to and including Globe and Miami. | There are in this stake about 5000 peo- l pie, presided over by Andrew Kinball with John F.s Nash and Charles NJ. ] Layton as counselors.
 Development
 | Each ward has it's own church house and in some of the larger wards there are several buildings for the use of the different auxiliary organizations. It has, however, not always been thus. I might here relate the development of one ward as a type of the progress and development of the different wards.
 In the Thatcher Ward of St. Joseph Stake 35 years ago they held their church services and school in a small flot-topped adobe house, which was later used as chicken coop. Later they built new two -roomed school house, one room of which served their pur- pose as church house until the sum-. mer of 1904, when they completed a new up-to-date church house with a seating capacity of HOO, and a base ment amusement hall
 In the meantime they had erected an- other four-room school building and I TrTiff1 Ir1v, r7f the stake and the church in general had built stake academy. This first acad- emy building was discarded in 1909 and a new and up-to- date cement building was constructed and furnished with the most modern equipment
 In 1916 the public school buildings Were replaced by new and modern U- shaped building with modern furnish ings. Work has also begun on a new gymnasium to be used in connection With the academy. Besides these build lngs there is an office building used by the stake presidency and the Thatcher Ward bishopric, also a meet ing house owned by the Ward Relief society.
 Some of the smaller wards still use the school house as a church house, amusement hall, and general com munity house.
 Maricopa Stake
 The MaricoDa Stake is nestled about Mesa, and one settlement called Pine in Gila county. This stake is presided over by James w. Lesseuer with Orley 5. Stapley and John Cumard as coun- selors. It contains about $500 people Composing eight wards and three branches the Alma ward is presided over by Edgar Hunsakers Chandler ward by Bishop H. F. Peterson; Lehi ward by Bishop Isaac H. Rogers; Mesa First ward by Isaac Dana; Mesa Sec ond ward by Bishop Clarence Dana: Phoenix ward by George F. Price and the Pine ward by Isaac Hunt. Each bishop has two counselors. who act I with him in all business pertaining to the church. All branches are presided over by an elder appointed for that purpose, who also has two counselors
 There have been excellent church buildings built in all the wards ex. cept Lehi in the last six years, with class rooms to take care of the chil- dren, which are graded for Sunday scnool work in about the same way ouI public schools are graded. In ever, ward some provision is made for tn, amusement of the young people.