Date: June 27, 1931
President Will Dedicate Mormon Chapel Tomorrow
Conference to Be Held Here at Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Kempton and Tremont Streets
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints will be dedicated tomorrow at the Mormon conference to be held in this city at the Kempton and Tremont streets edifice. The conference which is under the direction of Elder Dee C. Bingham, president of the Massachusetts district of the Eastern States Mission, will hold its second session here, opening at 11 a. m. Sunday morning, with a service of music and addresses by Rudger Clawson, president of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and James H. Moyle, president of the Eastern States Mission.
The chapel here was built in the autumn of 1930 and since that time the congregation of 70 or more has been awaiting the dedication. Thomas Houghton is president of the New Bedford branch. The plans of Heber J. Grant, president of the organization, who anticipated coming from Salt Lake City to dedicate the chapel were cancelled by necessity.
President Clawson holds one of the very highest offices in the church. His headquarters is in Salt Lake City, Utah. He is in the East for a short time touring the Eastern States Mission, and New Bedford is very fortunate in having him here. His chief reason for being in New Bedford is to dedicate the new chapel which was recently completed by the local members of the church.
President Clawson was born March 12, 1857 in Salt Lake City, Utah, when that city was a struggling town in the midst of the desert. At this time there was no such thing as the state of Utah. He has been an Apostle since Oct. 10, 1898. He attended commercial college and the University of Utah. As a missionary in Georgia in 1879 he was attacked by a mob, and his companion was killed by the same mob. This because he was a Mormon missionary. Today we welcome him here because we have learned that the Mormon people are indeed a high type of people. He was president of one of the organizations of the church known as Stakes, which comprises some 10 or 12 branches of the church. He was president of the European Mission of the church from 1910 to 1913. He became president of the Council of the Twelve Apostles in 1921, and has held that office since that time.
James H. Moyle, president of the Eastern States Mission is also from Salt Lake City, Utah, but has his headquarters in Brooklyn, N. Y. Mr. Moyle has held important public offices and has been a very noted lawyer. At present he is directing the work of some 150 young men and women who are doing religious missionary work in the states of Pennsylvania, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. These missionaries devote a period of two years to the spreading of the Gospel, and do this without any pay of any sort. As a matter of fact they not only give their time, but pay their own expenses while doing this work. There are about 2000 missionaries of the church throughout the world doing this same work, in the same way. Eight of these missionaries will be present at the conference at New Bedford.
The names of these missionaries are Elder Dee C. Bingham, president of the Massachusetts district, and has charge of the work here, Miss Louise Johnson, Miss LuRae Buckwalter, and Elders Leland Stephens, Frank Leishman, Alton M. Johnson, Burtis Hall, and Evan Call.
At 6:30 this evening there will be a radio program given over the New Bedford station WNBH by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The program consists of several musical numbers, and the sermon, entitled, Man’s Need for God. The address will be given by Elder Dee C. Bingham. Elder Leland Stephens, who has charge of the New Bedford branch of the church will do the announcing of the radio program. These programs are given each week at this same time.
Services are held each Sunday in the New Bedford chapel. Sunday school at 10:30 a. m. and preaching services at 11:45 a. m.
All are welcome at this conference, as well as at the regular Sunday services. An attendance of 150 is expected at this conference.
