| Show A MORMON SUNDAY SCHOOL PICNIC australia june 5 1896 knowing that a few lines occasionally from the elders who are laboring in distant lands are not altogether without interest to your many readers as well as the relatives and friends of th the e missionaries it occurred to us that as we have just celebrated our sunday school picnic a few w lines in relation to the same might not be devoid of interest as showing how bow the dorkof the lord is progressing in the northern part of australia about two years azo aeo a mormon sunday school was started in Coor paroo queensland with john F burton of ogden as superintendent its begin ning was surely humble enough for on the tha first morning there were only a dozen children present all non members oi of the church however its influence spread from child to child and thus f from rom home to home until in spite ot of the opprobrium that usually attaches to the word mormon the attendance has increased so that we have now ninety names enrolled with an average attendance of eighty our sunday school has now become widely known ar all over this section of the country and has been the means of advertising the elders and the work they are seeking to accomplish in a very favorable way while tr trading acting out some distance a short time ago the writer met an intel A y lady who inquired about the mormon sunday scho olas she had heard it spoken of very favorably she said while visiting friends and asked me if we would accept her two boys as pupils when answered affirmatively she said she was so glad as she wanted them to go to some good place where they will learn something and this in spite of f the fact that there are sectarian sunday schools near by the number of children has increased so rapidly during the past few months that it became necessary to seek more commodious quarters in order to successfully cess fully hold three classes each sunday this fact has so incensed our salvation army friends a little further down the street that they have felt that something was due on their part to prevent the tide of favor which at present seems to be flowing our way in open air meetings on the streets as well as in the sanctum of the business meeting mormon influence is constantly deprecated and various measures are taken to combat it the only result we see as yet of their exhaustive thought upon this mat ter is the application of name sheep stealers steamers to the elders Elder sand and an increased attendance at sunday school needless to say we hope and trust that good seeds are being sown in the hearts of the children but we also hope to be able to reach many homes through the influence of the sunday school and present the grand truths of the gospel to parents who though good and honest hearted partake of the common spirit of religious indifference and not knowing much ot of bible truth are inclined to pass it by as one of the many man made systems of the day with which many of them seem disgusted the of may queens birthada birthday is is celebrated in queensland by giving givin the sunday school children an annu annual picnic it is the custom of the place and the children look tor for it many of the sectarian schools meet in the city and march to the public domain where they enjoy themselves others go down the river and some go out in the bush as all australian forests are called after due consideration we decided to take the school out into the bush and a quiet stroll through the woods one day revealed a lovely green lawn situated in a shady hollow being almost surrounded with timbers well pleased with natures contribution in the shape of an extensive grass plot plenty of shade and trees for swings we went up a day or two before and arranged lor for the swings built a huge bowery in in case old sol should forget that winter is near and try to roast us and in sailor phrase made things ship shape generally early on the morning of the alt while the children were re assembling at the school under the direction of brother livingston one of the brethren and the writer went up to tb attend to some preliminaries limin aries and were just about finished about 1030 when the spring wagons made their way down the bush track loaded with seats tarpaulins in case of rain and refreshments etc which had been generously contributed by the parents of the children shortly after the arrival of the wagons the merry laughter of the children was heard beard resounding through the hollow as they made their way down the hillside to the flat which was wa so nicely carpeted with green grass A desire for fun and enjoyment was depicted on every coun cenance as they marched up the hollow to our bowery the parents too partook of the spirit of the children and seemed determined to banish dull care for that day at least the neat appearance of all the children told of the anxious desire of many kind mothers to have their children brought up well As soon as the sward was reached a rush was made for the swings and it was a very short time before they were being tested in such a way that showed us that too much care was not used in putting them up cricket teams were soon play ing further down the green and the much loved foot ball was soon to be seen being kicked and hugged in turns for some time the elders were kept busy swinging children of all ages they were not supposed to tire and if they sought to rest awhile the inevitable please swing me was sure to follow them it was somewhat of a relief when elders C S crow and A P hamilton arrived from ipswich ipswitch twenty six miles inland from brisbane and W F armstrong and R H argyle came over from west end brisbane the people continued to come and when noon came around it found about one hundred children and fifty adults on the grounds including nearly all the saints in in the queensland branch the day was wab all that could be desired the sky was clear and a cool western wind tempered the warmth of the suns rays and made things very pleasant under such conditions it is not to be wondered at that after an hours romping the children began to glance fu autly 1 y at the pile of good things stowed in one corner of the bowery tea was made for those who wanted it and lemonade was provided for those who did not use tea and when all was ready a remarkably obedient lot of children responded to the call for dinner right here I 1 must digress long enough i to say that it was an inspiring sight to me to see one hundred children the majority not members of the church of christ si sitting down with their parents to a picnic got ot up by mormons cormons Mor mons there was not the feast feast feeling noticeable save that of perfect good will every one was free and sociable and all seemed to have but one thought and that to make the day pass pleasantly in fancy I 1 could see the day when the latter day N saints would rise up in the power of righteousness and be known for what wha they are when they would be known frona from the east even to the west as an upright god tearing fearing people and be universally ver sally respected among the nations truth is mighty and must prevail and it seemed to me as every one sat down to dinner that the gathering that day was but a forecast of what will yet be more marked among the honorable people of the earth after dinner games of all kinds were indulged in for some time until the children were assembled to sing some som songs that had been taught them by one of the brethren who by the way is a distinguished musician the calmness and serenity of the day and the seclusion of our bush retreat lent to the childrens voices a very effective sweetness as they sang the songs they had learned to the parents who were seated around listening ito to the innocent voices of childhood alter after the races many of which were of a novel and exciting nature the call came for tea once again 6 capacity was put to the test as the good sisters waited on the army of hungry ones with good things of all kinds tea over everything was packed up and the children assembled in marching order and when the parents had all come near every one united in singing 3 the doxology praise god 1 I etc after which thanks were returned to god for foi all blessings and his watchcase watch care invoked upon the little ones that they might ig lit not wander from the narrow way T three h ree cheers were then given for or the elders also those who had so generously helped to make the occasion such a happy one the procession then started in the direction 0 of two boxes in which were candy and apples a package of candy and an apple being given each one as they passed by on the way home arriving at the mission rooms a pleasant goodnight good night was wished to every one and the crowd vanished slowly leaving most of us thoroughly tired but feeling that a very profitable day had been spent later in the evening some of the brethren and sisters assembled in the mission rooms and spent a pleasant hour or two talking singing and reciting after which we all wished each other pleasant dreams thus ending an vent levent tul ful day which is one oi of the many bright spots of the queensland branch of the church of jesus christ of latter day saints WILLIAM ARMSTRONG |
