Canadian Mission Report

One hundred and three years ago a missionary representing the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints found in the city of Toronto, Ontario Province, Canada, and converted and baptized a young lady. Soon after, she moved to the United States and married a man who had lost his wife. She became the mother of children the former wife had left. Later two were born to her. She saw and endured the trials and sufferings through the persecutions of Missouri and Illinois, where her husband was murdered by a mob. She was left alone to provide for and look after six young children. She made her way across the plains to the valleys of the mountains, not complaining, constantly teaching these children the word of the Lord as it had come to her from their father and his associates. She understood and believed the Gospel message, not doubting. ¶

I became acquainted with her only through the story and history of her life as it has come to me through her children. At first I saw in her life, suffering, hardships and trials, but recently I have found more than that. Possibly it is because the Gospel came to her in the city where I now make my home, but more assuredly because of the fact that this woman is my grandmother. ¶

Today her trials and the hardships she endured are dwarfed by her example of faith and integrity. I now see more clearly a spirit which overcame hardships and trials, and built up a resistance which enabled her to carry on and perform the labors which seemed necessary, not alone for her welfare and exaltation, but also to give encouragement and blessings to her offspring. Through my grandmother, I have been blessed and have found encouragement and strength, which has materially helped me in the work I have been called to do. ¶

I rejoice in the opportunity I have of laboring with your sons and your daughters, some of whom come to us full of the spirit which comes from our heavenly Father, eager to go to work and prepare to engage in it. Some are fearful because they have been poorly trained. We must nurse them, and encourage them. They see that they are not prepared for this work and become discouraged. But as they apply themselves to study, and through prayer a new spirit comes to them, we find them gaining confidence in themselves as their knowledge increases, and the beauties of the Gospel message unfold to their understanding. ¶

If you could have seen these young men and women during this winter, the severest winter with two exceptions since 1870, it would have made your hearts rejoice. We have removed from the walks in front of the Mission Home a little more than six feet of snow, and for months we have faced zero weather nearly every morning. Blizzards and snowstorms have been frequent, and yet our reports are almost equal to our summer reports, Some of the missionaries have been ill and have gone to bed for a few days, but there has been no severe sickness. The Lord is good to us and we rejoice in the opportunities afforded us to serve in his great cause. ¶

May I suggest again, my brethren and sisters, as I have done for years past in the general conferences and in the stakes, that you take missionary work seriously. You do a grave injustice to your son or your daughter when you send them into the mission field to labor as missionaries without that preparation which provides for them a foundation upon which they may build and go on with a feeling of security. I hope, as I have hoped for most of my life, that the time will come when we can develop here at home, the spirit which your boys and your girls develop when they are face to face with the problem of teaching the Gospel, which is given to us in its fulness in this the last dispensation — the dispensation of the fulness of times. ¶

During the last year the First Presidency were good enough to provide us with a chapel in Toronto. This year the few times I have been permitted to meet in that chapel on the Sabbath day— several times in a blizzard — I have seen men, women and children who have walked miles in zero weather and in a snow storm to go to Church, and the spiritual food they receive seems to justify and reward them. In the mission field we find faith which would do credit to any ward or stake. We say with the prophet of old : "Behold, my soul abhorreth sin, and my heart delighteth in righteousness; and I will praise the holy name of God." ¶

May he grant unto us that we shall not fail, but continue on under the influence of his Spirit and enjoy the blessings which come to those who serve him in faith, with a full desire to accomplish that which is required at our hands. With this feeling and this hope we are preaching the word of the Lord as it is found in the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon and in the revealed word of the Lord given through modern prophets, the prophets of the latter days, and we are trying to follow these teachings and impart them to the people, many of whom find that they have lived in darkness and they rejoice when they see and comprehend the light. ¶

May the Lord bless us. Remember us in your prayers. I am hoping the time will come when you will all have meeting houses built and paid for, for then perhaps, more money can go into the mission field to help build houses for those who cannot build for themselves and are without suitable homes where they may serve the Lord in general assemblies I hope to see this time come. May God help us to be worthy of such blessings, I pray in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. ¶