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Show !T. iissionoiy Work in outh-Ameri- --- ca iakes-Definite7Goiti ISSIONARYwork roblem.--Working-among-th Argentine,tringuald isbeginningto . roblentsotproportiona too: one take definite steps forward now among these, many problems Is IL.Missions -- - d since missionariee of the-w- ar, Elder - Stephen 1.4 Richards of Pe Council of the Twelve noted upon his return to Salt 'take Cify early this the have-returne- - With Mrs. Richards, the Church leader spent three months tour- log the 'three South American missions. Elder. Richards lathe first General Authority to visit -trAmertcan missions since opened and dedicat- ed by Elder Melvin' J. Ballard in 1921 - PRIOR TO THE WAR nearly -- all of the branches were pre-..- .. sided over and conducted by missionaries,Elder Richards said"During the war, while there iterono missionaries laboring' in countries, the local Saints - their the carried on Church. These Saints continued to be a devoted and faithful people, but because of their lack of experience in being adminis- was lit tle trative -officers there growth in the-- sizeof-th- e brancherkand hardlypo mission- ety"Inworkwaseaccomplished. our tour the South Amer- icon Saints were roost cordial to us in their reception," he said. "It was a delight to meet and travel among them." Elder Richards visited a n d heard ',the reports of the nearly hundred missionaries labor- ing in the three countries. With only two minor exceptions. be found them to be in excellent health. "These missionaries are and devoted ambassa- dors; they are a credit to the Church, their parents, and them- selves," he .noted. "Some of the experience difficulty in themselves to their ing conditions and food. Most of them" maintain their own apaiiir rnents and prepare their-- own food, which helps to make their - adjustment-easie- r." --, PERHAPS THE, MOST appealing element of the gospel to the people of South 'America is the altruistic motives of the rnissionaries, who give their time without recompense and who - asustain their own expenses.-"Th- is Is so contrary to what the South Americans are accustomed to," Elder. Richards said, 'that they never stop marveling at our mis-- , sionaries' unselfish devotion to the interests of others." Generally the press was friendly .and expressed good will toward the Church, the mission- -, aries, and the tour of Elder Richards and his party- - "Occasion, ally, however, we were grossly misrepresented," he said. "One paper printed, among other truths, that I had fifteen wives. MISSIONARY WORK Is dif- ficult to pursue. To reach the wealthy class is no small - - - - masses,-milen- d liens of whom are aware that there is such a book as the Bible.-- We 'noted that the -..n- ot-even, concepts of liberty and democ- racy, as we understand them, are not generally understood..., Onlv- - education of the ..masses can remove these many serious problems. "There is great contrast in South America. The countries suffer greatly because of a 'tom-we- re plete lack of middle class; there just Isn't any. The population is dividedintotwo---groupsr--th- e landed aristocracy, who are fabulously wealthy, and the-gr-eat masses of poor workers who are almost destitute. There appears little hope of Improving the condition of the present generation of the great masses. Right now the poor worker is-- even Worsu off than usuarfor he is caught in a maelstrom of heavy, inflation. -- rug GREAT HOPE of these neaternsmined in its youth, who are their to-be- tter con- - ditions, both economically and 'hey seekeducation we we found them anxious visited, and desirous of learning -t- he English language and customs. "The peoples of - Brazil and Uruguay are generally friendly to the united States," Elder Richards said., "But it is coin---tmoo knowledge that the Argentines lodk with suspicion toward the United Sthtes feeling per- haps that we want -- to provide the leadership for South Amer-faithf- ul Ica, position they covet. "One of the great drawbacks to the development of their countries-is-the- ir completely adequate transportation systems. ,It is almost impossible to get from one place to another. Gas oline is rationed: automobiles are limited, and what few roads there are, are impassable except- in jeeps. To meet-withone branch, it was necessary for us to travel 50 miles in a jeep but never ' again! , , "DI EVERY CITY it is a Zornmon sight to see a queue of people more than a block long on manystreetcorners-- - trying board a worn-o- ut and dilapidated bus or street car. In Brazil practically the only means of transportation is by airplane. "We missed almost completely a winter, the seasons being reversed - ln the southern hemisphere. Everywhere we went we were told that they were having an unusually mild and cool summer., But in Brazil the heat to us was most suffocating end unbearable along with the 100 Elder Richper cent humidity." ards said. Elder and, Mrs. Richards enjoxed unusually good health on thiir journey and reported the I two ocean voyages were ticularly restful. - ers -- par-land- ed I N attempting to prove a set; 'ago while living on Fatuhiva in the Marquesas islands of the entific- theory a young Norwegian ethnologist has greatly South Pacific that the Inhabi- substantiated the Book , the teachings of of Mormon. On his tecent visit to Salt Lake City, Thor Heyerdahl, 32- year-ol- d scientist, related the story of his famed Kon-Ti- kl Pacific Ocean raft expedition the search to discover whether or not ancestors - of -- ancient American Indians could have migrated from South America to South Pacific Islands. Although the story of Hagoth In Alma 63:5--8 of the Book of Mormon has founded the belief that a group of Nephites tray. 'led westward from the Arnett-ca- n Continent to inhabit the Islawis of the Pacific, up to the time of Mr. Heyerdahl's expedition no scientific proof had ever been uncovered to substantiate the belief that the journey Itself could have been made by prehistoric people. INNO WAY CONNECTED with the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints, Ilrlleye- rdahl concluded some ten years I Richards of the Council of the Twelve... and HOPE LIES IN YOUTHElder Stephen Mrs. Richards admire iii beautiful crocodile purse presented to her while they toured the three missions in South America. The hope for the southerni hemisphere coun-- in its youth, Elder Richards commented. of is well for as activities as the Churcl, tries, 9-e- Authorities' Assigne d 'toT. Conferences C:. E N E R A L authorities and -- I members of the Church Gen- era! Welfare Committee assign- ed to attend stake quarterly conferences on Saturday and Sunday, April 24 and 25, have been announced by - president George F. Richards of the Coun- - cdofthe Twe,l North 'Sevier Stake, in Salina, and J. Leonard Love, Church Levi Edgar Welfare. Utah, President ., Young of the First Council ot ,South Summit Stake at Kam--e- s. Seventy. E. ,. Orem Stake at Orem, Utah, Yoimg, assistant to the CounPresident Bruce R. McConkie cil of the Twelve, and T. C. of the First Council of Seventy. StaynAr, , Church Welfare. bintall Stake at Vernal, Utah, Panguiteb-StaketTropic. Utah, Bishop Joseph L. Wirth- - President Milton R. Hunter of the First Council of Seventy. lin of the Presiding Bishopric. and Mark: B. Gartf, Church ' Roosevelt Stake at Roosevelt. Welfare. ' Utah, President Oscar A. Kirk- Wayne Stake at Loa, Utah, ham of the First Council of W. Kimball of Seventy. And Roscoe W. Bard- - Elder Spencer the of Twelve, and ' th Donald D. Davis, Church Wel-farat San San Diego Stake Diego. California, Elder henry D. Moyle of the Council of the , MEEKNESS excludes revenge, : . Twelve. , morbid sensi.. or Sevier - Stake at Richfield, tiveness, but not a maintenance and steady IL quiet Antoine Ivins President Utah, of the First Council of Seventy, of and Paul C. Child, Church EARN to soY,Nq ft. 4 of more use to you tbanto be able to read LoamSpur. South Carolina Stake at lumbia, S. C., Presiding Bishop geon. LeGrand Richards. IP a truth, men are mystically united: a mysterious bond of South Sevier Stake at Monroe, Utah, Elder Mark E. Petersen brotherhood makes all men one. of the Council of the Twelve Carlyle. . at Twenty- - Emigration Stake. first Ward chapel and in the Assembly Hall, Salt Lake, Eder Stephen L Richards of the Council of the Twelve. -- an west Ets,ke,ogden- utah. Bishop Thorpe B. Isaacsorypf the Presiding Bishopric. Garfield Stake, in Escalante, Utah, Elder Joseph F. Merrill of the Council of the Twelve . - , - es- ' , . self-defen- se, Gridley St a k e in Gridley, California, Elder Ezra Taft Ben- son of the Council of the ... ,.. Twelve. Gunnison Stile, in Gunnison, Utah. Elder Marion G. Romney, to the Council of the Twelve. , . Kenai, Stake, at Kanab, Utah, Joseph Fielding' Smith of the Council of the Twelve. Confident that the migration actually took place. and was at the time possible, the young tants of the islands were an- Norwegian scientist established raft expedition. If ciently descended from ancestors his Kon-Ti- ki of South American natives. a journey from South America to the Polynesian islands was This conclusion, Mt Heyerdahl stated, was supported by made in some crude craft then similarities in customs, weapons, it would at least establish the the journey could beliefs, statuary, utensils, and fact that made 1500 years ago, been have the between Polynelanguage sian and South American he said. natives. WITH ASSISTANCE of the Also the presence of sweet Peruvian government, Mr. Hey-potatoes, gourds, and coconutserdahl constructed a large balsa all of which are native of South lOtt raft which was a duplicate Americagrowing wild on the of the type known to have been Islands 'indicated the plants had used by the ancient people of at one time been 'imported from South America. Theetraft meastheir natural environment. ured approximately 40 x15 feet was ALTHOUGH THE THEORY the foundation of which The balsa nine logs. only large some of the shelter for the crew consisted was considered by leading scientists, the greatest of a small 'thatched. hut built obstacle preventing its acceptance was the contention that at ttPon the logs. Even while the raft was being the time of the migration which Mr., Heyerdahl believes constructed scientists contended the light soft balsa logs to 1have been near 500 AD. no craft used by the natives of trould waterlog and sink with- South America was sea worthy in a short time after the raft enough to make an ocean was launched, Mr Ileyerdahl said. They also asserted that voyage. right07-Theophyla- ct, a00000ilmoll ant O , even had such a craft been used in an ocean going trip the occupants of it would have starved from the lack of food . and water. With a, crew of live Scandinavian explorers and technicians Mr. Heyerdahl launched the raft off Galloa, Peru, April 28, 1947. It was Soon caught up by the Humboldt current and trade winds -- which- drove the craft toward the South Pacific. DURING THZ, 101 DAYS afloat at no time was the group in danger of starvation, Mr. Heyerdahl reported. Fish around the raft were always abundant and even though occasional rains had not replenished the water supply, the liquid from the fish would have been aut- fident to sustain life . Greatest hazards of the Jourany the explorer related, was the danger of being swept over-th- at board and devoured by sharks which followed the raft continuously. However, only two storms were, encotilitered durleg the wholi trip both of which the ungainly craft rode out very well. be said. After, over three months at sea the expedition was washed, ta atop the reefs surrounding island of the Tuamoto Archipelago , and shortly- - after 'landed on the beach of the 1 island. , RAD THEIR VCRAFT. been a conventional boat the expedition would have perished on the reefs, the explorer said.ollowever, because the raft was so light and fieuble it was able to withstand the buffetings against the coral which cur., rounds the Pacific "Although the success of the, expedition does not prove that such an expedition was actually taken by prehistoric peoples of South America. it does um. doubtediy show that such a trip was possible and leaves no obiection to the theory that there Is a definite link between the Polynesian people a n d the American Indian," Mr. Meyer- dahl said. Re-ro- -A- pril-17s- 1948 5 - |