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Show Stake Proves A Real Asset To Mission y ' -- Cv., .. .. ' r.pid city, s. d. The Rapid City South Dakota Stake is Just a little over a year old, but it is maturing rapidly and is a great asset to a Mission, the It was created on Dec. 10, 1972, by Elder LeGrand Richards of the Council of the Twelve. Called as the first president of the stake was Pres. Briant LeRoy Davis, with Paul H. Kelly and Charles R. Williamson as counselors. A wclfare project was one of the first activities of he stake, and was one initially conducted by the Rapid City First and Second Wards. s workers in the project The harvested approximately 1.500 pounds of honey from 28 hives at Newcastle, and 27 near Scenic. The harvest was such that a significant portion of the initial investment cost for the equipment and hives has been paid off. An additional 20 hives will be put into operation in southeast Montana this coming spring, and others purchased or constructed to enlarge the stake project. The Montana equipment will be operated from the Belle Fourche Ward under direction of Bishop John E. Mattson, said Pres. Davis. Pres. Davis said a prime concern in the stake is the Lamanite membership. A special committee has been called as advisors on Lamanite affairs. Pres. Louis Rawlings uf Pine Ridge Branch is busily strengthening his memand slowly working bership, priesthood bearer into leadership positions in branch organizations. Rebuilding has been quick as an after-mat- h of the killer flood that hit Rapid Dakota-Manitob- City in June of Branch members pause in front of modern branch chapel New Mission Offers RAPID CITY, S. D. There are almost 490,000 square miles of land with only 7,495 Mormons in the new Dakota-Manitob- Mission. a s laboring in But, the 230 the area are desirous of increasing the membership, with the help of those members living within the boundaries of the mission. Pres. Clarence R. Bishop, who maintains the mission home and headquarters in Rapid City, noted that toal population in the mission is 2,420,515. We have a lot of good people to work on, and our missionaries will do the job, said Pres. Bishop. missi-inarie- 1972. Testimonies of those who were affected, and those who helped and saw the church in action have grown tremendously, said Pres. David. We look forward to the challenges imposed by the desire for progress, and we pray for the strength to meet the test. Indeed, the blessings of slakehood already are apparent, and even more wiil be ours if we are faithful the stake president declared. at Brookings, S.D. The new mission, created in June, consists of parts of the old Northern Indian Mission, the Montana-Wyomin- g and the Manitoba-Minnesot- a Mission, 1973, Mission. two-third- are five independent branches: Bismarck, Pres. Bishop pointed out that in combining parts of these three missions a Misto create the new sion, each of the nine districts within the mission Indian reservations with a total of 18 reservations in the U.S. portion. Dakota-Manitob- Pres. Clarence R. Bishop . . . heads new mission Three of those districts are totally Lamanite districts. Lamanite work, therefore, has become a program of major importance in the mission. Geographically, the mission consists of all of the Manitoba Province and the western end of the Ontario Province in Canada; North and South Dakota, northwestern Minnesota, northern Nebraska and northeastern Wyoming. Distance, in the West North Dakota District is a major consideration in church work. The district takes in the s western of North Dakota, and has an area of 45,000 square miles. There are 800 members in a total population of about 300,000. This is less than seven people per square mile, and one member for every 56 square miles. There Lake Region, Minot, It is not uncommon for distric board members to travel over 300 miles on a Sunday to make their branch visits. Average sacrament meeting attendance for the district has been exceeding 50 Baptism: A Dream That Came True NEW TOWN. N. D. For most of America, Dec. 7 is historically significant. For Lynda Irene Lund it is significant spiritually, as well. On Dec. 7, 1973, Lynda traveled to Minot, N. D., and was baptized the realization of a dream come true. a Lynda's home is in the new Mission, and her story of conversion is an intriguing one. When she was 16 she lived on the fam- fly farm 20CU 1 12 miles out of New Town. A strange thing happened to me one morning. Immediately after waking up, something told me that I should become a .Mormon.r I had never heard cf The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints, and only vaguely about the Mormons. I didnt know what one was, exactly, but I vas determined to find out. I went Dakota-Manitob- 6 -C- HURCH to the library and checked out all the books on different religions, including the Mormons. I didnt do anything about any church for quite awhile. About two years later I was in St. Cloud, Minn., going to beauty college. I still wanted to know more about the Mormons, so I looked up the number of the church in the telephone book and got in touch with Pres. William D. Kukuk of the Princeton. Minn., Branch, she said. In talking with Pres. Kukuk, Lynda was told that a girl in her town needed a ride to the stake conference, and he would be happy to meet her at conference and if she would bring the girl, the girl would show her the way. She met Pres, Kukuk at conference and was invited to dinner at his home. WEKEN6!NGFBRUARY2, 1974 There she was introduced to two missionaries and was given the first of the discussions. Something seemed to take a hand. Everytime she would get set to lake discussions she would become ill, and she had to return to her North Dakota home. Pres. Kukuk sent a note to Lynn R. Applegate, seminary coordinator in the area, and to Pres. Clarence R. Bishop of Mission. the Dakota-Manitob They sent missionaries to New Town. Each time ar. appointment for a discussion was set, Lynda would become ill. But Lynda and the missionaries were determined. and after much fasting and prayer, Lynda accepted baptism. Pres. Kukuk and his family traveled 500 miles to attend the baptism in Minot. New Town and Williston. . . . loves the gospel |