Hyrum W. Valentine has been appointed to succeed

Hyrum W. Valentine has been appointed to succeed Fred Tadje as president of the German-Austrian mission. ¶

The following new wards have been organized : ¶

Eden ward, Minidoka stake; Emerson ward, Minidoka stake, Hazelton ward, Minidoka stake; Ogden 19th ward, Weber stake; Conda ward, Idaho stake; Wendell ward, Blaine stake; Jewett ward, Young stake; Ely ward, Nevada stake. ¶

NEW STAKES ORGANIZED ¶

Lyman stake, formerly a part of Woodruff stake, President Melvin H. Rollins. ¶

Nevada stake, formerly a part of North Weber stake, Carl K. Conrad, president. ¶

Bishops who have died: William C. Hegstrom of Central ward, Bannock stake, and Bishop John A. Hunt of St. Charles, Bear Lake stake. ¶

At the present time we have 96 stakes of Zion, 915 wards and 74 independent branches, making 989 wards and branches. And we have 27 missions. ¶

ALMA'S CRY FOR REPENTANCE ¶

I will read from the 29th chapter of Alma in the Book of Mormon : ¶

"O that I were an angel, and could have the wish of mine heart, that I might go forth and speak with the trump of God, with a voice to shake the earth, and cry repentance unto every people ! ¶

"Yea, I would declare unto every soul, as with the voice of thunder, repentance and the plan of redemption, that they should repent and come unto our God, that there might not be more sorrow upon all the face of the earth. ¶

"But behold, I am a man, and do sin in my wish; for I ought to be content with the things which the Lord hath allotted unto me. ¶

"I ought not to harrow up in my desires, the firm decree of a just God, for I know that he granteth unto men according to their desire, whether it be unto death or unto life; yea, I know that he allotteth unto men according to their wills, whether they be unto salvation or unto destruction. ¶

"Yea, and I know that good and evil have come before all men; he that knoweth not good from evil is blameless; but he that knoweth good and evil, to him it is given according to his desires, whether he desireth good or evil, life or death, joy or remorse of conscience. ¶

"Now, seeing that I know these things, why should I desire more than to perform the work to which I have been called? ¶

"Why should I desire that I were an angel, that I could speak unto all the ends of the earth? ¶

"For behold, the Lord doth grant unto all nations, of their own nation and tongue, to teach his word, yea, in wisdom, all that he seeth fit that they should have ; therefore we see that the Lord doth counsel in wisdom, according to that which is just and true. ¶

"I know that which the Lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the Lord hath commanded me; yea, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy." ¶

THE JOY OF MISSIONARY WORK ¶

I believe that every Latter-day Saint who has received a testimony of the divinity of the work in which we are engaged has this same feeling that Alma had — a desire that all the world might hear the testimony of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. When men and women receive a testimony of the divine mission of the Prophet Joseph Smith, they are anxious that all the world should have that same knowledge and faith. They are anxious that the gospel should go to every honest soul. And there is no other labor in all the world that brings to a human heart, judging from my own personal experience, more joy, peace and serenity than proclaiming the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. I remember that while I was laboring in Japan, on account of my failure to learn the language, I was not entirely happy in my work there. I remember going out into the woods, kneeling down and praying to God that when my work was finished there I would appreciate it if I were called to the British Isles to succeed Brother Francis M. Lyman. Shortly after uttering that prayer I received a cable: "Come home on the first vessel." When I arrived home President Smith told me that they had decided to send me to Europe to succeed Brother Lyman. He said, "We realize that the two years or more that you have been in Japan have been anything but satisfactory from the standpoint of the joy that comes into the hearts of the missionaries in bringing souls to a knowledge of the truth, and we want you to have at least a year of real, genuine, missionary experience." When I went into his office and bade him goodbye, and said, "I will see you in a year," he said, "We have decided to make it a year and a half." I said, "Multiply it by two and say nothing about it, and it will please me," and that is exactly what he did. I was there a little over three years, and never have I had sweeter joy, more genuine satisfaction in my life than during those three years, when I had no thought except the spreading of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. ¶

THE WORTH OF SOULS ¶

We have recorded in the 18th section of the Doctrine and Covenants the following: ¶