Elder Johnson's First Week in the Mission Field

We now return to Grandpa Johnson’s mission adventures. Near the end of September 1926, he finished his mission training in Salt Lake and took the Union Pacific to the mission home in Omaha, Nebraska. Upon arriving, he wasn’t greeted by his mission president or, let alone, any other missionary. In fact, the mission home had changed locations without notice. So he started on a search for the mission home. He writes, “Block by block, I went (my suitcases now weighed 90 lbs each) until by accident or otherwise, I found the place at 3044 Elliot Avenue.”

Here are some more highlights of his first week in the field:

September 28, 1926

[My companion and I] started tracting on the block just west of the mission office. This being my first experience, Elder Oldroyd did all of the talking with the exception of two places. One said she had heard of the Mormons and wanted to hear no more. The other, a young man, took the tract. That night I made my first attempt to teach. I got up, spoke up, and shut up, all while a street car was passing. Here I sold my first Book of Mormon.

September 30 , 1926

… I tracted alone for three hours, having doors slammed in my face and being told to get off the place, for they would have nothing to do with the Mormons….

Upon reading this, I’ve realized that some things about missions (senior companions doing all the talking, slammed doors, etc.) haven’t changed in 80 years.

For the full transcript: Click Here

"Do and hope" in the canon

I (Melissa) came across a scripture today that I think really falls in line with our Matheson creed. Like, pretty sure the Lord gave us our own scripture...

D&C 123:17

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed."

I always loved this verse. Now it has even more meaning- do and hope! Bam.

Blessing and Boxing

We have started the project of transcribing Grandpa Bernard Johnson's mission journal, and so far, we've followed him from the day he got his call to the North Central States on August 18, 1926 until he left the mission home. Here's some of the highlights so far:

·       Sept. 21, 1926

Devotion as usual at 9 am. Arranging for transportation. At 11:30, we met the First Presidency. At 2:30, I was set apart by David O. McKay to labor in the North Central States. He promised me that if I would walk in obedience to the commandments of God, I would go in peace, fulfill a honorable mission, and return in safety to my loved ones at home.

·       Sept. 23, 1926

... 2 pm Class on the Apostasy. 3 pm Singing class under Bro. Stevens. The four o’clock class was put off until 8 so we could all get first hand news of the Dempsey-Tunney fight. 

[***Historical note: this was a boxing match with the defending heavyweight champion Jack Dempsey and his challenger Gene Tunney. So basically they postponed class for four hours to watch the equivalent of today’s Super Bowl!] 

If you want to read the full transcript thus far, here's the link to the Google Doc: Bernard Johnson Mission Journal