Show INDIAN TERRITORY MISSION letizi I 1 ST JOHN kanaar september 14 1896 1895 abo dedi dedication caVon of the st john meet tog ing houte and the indian Terri toy toly minion conference occurred at st bt john kane september jtb 1896 1895 the indian territory mint mission in Is composed of oklahoma indian territory kansas and arkansas the two latter states were annexed march let oi of this year in the year 1887 rider elder W M palmer president of the northern states mission aion entered kansis kansas and through arduous jab ibbs rs after some som time succeeded in baptizing several of its inhabitants babi tants brother palmer was followed hy by other elders and through their heir efficient work the caupe was sufficiently augmented for the cho establishment of a branch it I 1 the church at st john che elders made their headquarters at the place and at one time eight elders were kindly entertained so prejudiced were the people that for a time cime it was with difficulty that boti bouses es were procured to preach ID but as the elders became better known there was wall an increase of saints and friends those who first joined the church were at one time identified with the Bickerton ites for the benefit of some who may not be acquainted with tue history or of the abe Bicker church a brief ao count of its origin may not be out of place shortly after the martyrdom if f the prophets joseph and hyrum smith sidney rigdon succeeded in persuading away a large number and over them he presided as leader among bis big followers was one W wm m beckerton Beo kerton an englishman by birth he was wag quite a dignified and influential character he became I 1 with Rig donle administration shortly after his connection therewith and left his big church not long after that event he claims to have been baptized by two elders from utah rose boss and murry on 00 investigation no record of any such men could be found with this ibis assumed authority he commenced to preach and baptize and suo SUC ceede COedO i in leading quite 1 a number dumber after him his followers continued to increase in number aud and accepted president brigham young as their prophet oo on the announcement openly of the principle of plural marriage bickerton Bio kerton toge together tb with a majority lot of his fol follower lowerr denounced that action and in their conference er held in the spring of ted the abe mormon falta and announced their dissension aiom that church bickerton Bio kerton at once set act up a church under his name and to preach quite a number of followers as secured his movement however was never in an organized condition to in the year 1857 rider elder samuel wooley was sent from salt lake city and excommunicated all who had bad at any time claimed fellowship or connection with the church kneir claims as members bad never been out under the circumstances the be bove course was deemed necessary returning now to the history of the branch at st John established through abe labors of elder PA P timer rubble and bis successors successor it may be said that it pros pored and grew and other fields where good could be accomplished were opened up in the year 1891 a drouth which proves so disastrous to au an arid and country swept over the land thousands of people left the state and among them all but twenty I 1 ot the saint those of the saints sainte who departed mainly located la in utah though next to adjoining ado inin states the love of so BO many saints wan keenly felt by the remaining few prospects now for further were not encouraging cou raging but under onder the faithful guardianship of presiding elder gen W baker and the untiring efforts of other local and traveling breth brethren reu only a short time elapsed before now new life and acid enthusiasm were imparted and at the commencement of this athla year kansas was wae added to the indian territory mission mie nals sion elder andrew kimball immediately med lately transferred elders coolbear and davis davie irom from the cherokee nation where they bad been laboring to the state slate of K nose with headquarters at the home of 8 W baker under whose perseverance the little flock had been kept together these brethren were soon aided by others lo la tte the vicinity of the eldera head bead terp a request was made to to obtain it if possible a permanent place to meet in apparently the time had arrived for a work to be done greater than had been accomplished in the put part the elders went to work with a vim the citizens on seeing the interest that woo was being taken by them and tho th sal u to took the matter I 1 in n hand band themselves and in a few days daya made the following proposition A building site the most desirable one in im the city on account of its Posit boshion pos hion Jorl would be given freely A building in the neighborhood that bai bad been recently built at an expense of 1800 would be turned over tor for the nominal figure of the news of gf this generous offer was waa communicated to elder andrew kimbull kimball who lost no time la in working fur for its acceptance the matter was wa submitted to the first presidency who investigated and acted favorably on the matter the elders were in d to close up the transaction which they did money was wag rate raland for the payment of the amount agreed upon and the contract was let for the removal of the taie building a half mile distant to the new location with the amount raised the sum aum of 50 donated by the kindly dispo disposed ed citizens together with the labor of the elders saints and friends friend liquidated the indebtedness for this removal tho the incidental ex pences incurred by the rearranging arranging re painting etc amount ing to was paid by the combined contributions by the elders sainta and friend and today through the zealous efforts of elders kimball kimbal D J W coolbear Coel bear joe JOB U C lyon and hebel C anderson Anu erson the latter having worked assiduously for weeks on the building it is completed it is on a command ing location between the M E and baptist churches in the heart of the city its dimensions are feet with an 18 toot foot ceilings cel ling containing a seating capacity of the walla and ceiling are covered with a smooth layer of plaster parts executed by the ln la goul goulious lous hand of eller J C liyon JY 0 of gait bait lake city it is it the 1 largest church in the city A |