Danish Mission Report

I appreciate, my brethren and sisters, this opportunity of reporting conditions in the far-off land of Denmark. It has been my good fortune, for the past five years, to labor as a missionary in the Danish Mission, and to endeavor to preach the Gospel unto that people. I want to tell you that the condition of the Danish Mission at the present time is very good. ¶

We may not have made very many converts during the past few years, but we have tried to teach the people how to take care of themselves. The call came to us through President John A. Widtsoe, of the General Authorities, at the time that I arrived in the field, to try to install local branch presidencies, to try to give all the responsibility we possibly could to the local brethren and sisters. We have tried to do that and the result has been most wonderful. ¶

The people of the Danish Mission have commenced to feel a greater interest in the Church, they have commenced to feel that they really belong to the Church; they feel that there is something for them to do. Many of the missions had almost got into the same condition as is existing in the other churches — we had ministers to do almost everything for us. But when the local brethren and sisters learned that it was necessary for them to do something for themselves, they really appreciated their membership in the Church. ¶

Through the generosity of the brethren of the General Authorities at home we have been able to erect in the city of Copenhagen one of the finest chapels the Church has anywhere in Europe. It has been a great asset to the Church, inasmuch as we now have a beautiful building in which to meet. ¶

I want to tell you, brethren and sisters, that we have appreciated the missionaries that have come into the mission field from time to time. We have appreciated the brethren who have been sent to us, and we have tried to help them in every possible way. There is no better work, there is no work that will give a person more joy and more satisfaction than that of trying to bring souls unto God. ¶

The missionary life is the life that is giving joy and satisfaction to the membership of the Church. One of the stake presidents whom I met this morning told me that his stake had more missionaries in the field than any other stake in the Church. I told ¶

him I could see that that would be an asset to his stake. When we receive the good reports from the missionaries, when we receive their letters full of the spirit of the Gospel, full of the missionary spirit, we cannot help but try to live better lives. ¶

Although the Danish Mission is perhaps one of the smallest among the European group, we were the first mission in the European group to install complete local boards for the different auxiliary organizations. We are having the same kind of church in Denmark at the present time as we have in the stakes of Zion. Although small in numbers, we try to carry on the same lessons and the same work that we have at home. The Elders who have been sent to us are splendid young men, and I would like to commend the parents who have sent their sons into the field; and I would also like to say to the fathers, that the crying need in the European missions at the present time, and particularly some of the missions where we have been accustomed to having middle-aged men, is that some of the fathers of these boys come into the field and do missionary work. ¶

Sometimes I am afraid we have grown into a condition where we are not depending upon our Heavenly Father as much as we used to do, we have not the faith we formerly had. We fear that he will not help us and bless us in doing missionary service. We would rather send our boys into the mission field. In many places some of the older brethren could do much more good. ¶

We are not complaining; we are grateful, and we are thankful for the young boys, but it would be a great help to the mission presidents to have some brethren a little older who could help steady these boys along. ¶

I want to testify to you of the truthfulness of the Gospel, and I want to tell you that the Lord has been merciful and has blessed us during the past five years in the missionary work in the Danish Mission. We are grateful for the degree of success that we have had, and we are willing to give the honor and the glory unto our Heavenly Father. It has been through his Spirit and through the united efforts of the missionaries who have labored in that field that we have been able to do anything to further this work. ¶

I want to testify to you that I know the Gospel is true; had it not been for that testimony, I do not believe that anything could have persuaded me to go back to my native land and try to induce people to join the Mormon faith. ¶

I am grateful for this testimony. I am grateful more than words can express for my membership in this Church. I am grateful for the association I have had with you, my brethren and sisters. It is a pleasure to come back home and to attend the conference sessions. That is one thing that we very much miss when we are in the mission field. We can read the report of the conference, we can read of the talks that have been given, but it is not like associating with you brethren and sisters. ¶

I ask the Lord to bless the Presidency of this Church and every member of the Church. I want to testify to you that I know ¶

that our leaders are men of God, I know that they are working day and night in order to fulfil and magnify the calling which has been placed upon them. The Lord bless us all, I ask in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶