Elder Carter Bailey's Mission Blog: letter from President Wall date November 25

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Letter and Picture from President Wall

From President Wall: "We were pleased to meet your son, Elder Carter Everett Bailey, when he arrived at the airport in Baton Rouge. I had the pleasure to interview him, and it was a choice experience to feel his fine spirit and hear his testimony at our orientation meeting for incoming missionaries....We, as a mission, are working with all our "heart, might, mind, and strength" to bring souls to Jesus Christ...We invite you to include the Louisiana Baton Rouge missionaries in your prayers. We pray that you and your loved ones will find great joy as you participate in this missionary experience with us."

Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission

The first branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was organized in New Orleans with 334 members in 1841. The prophet Joseph Smith sent the first missionary to New Orleans in March of that year. After reaching 169 members in 1849, the New Orleans branch disbanded because of the threat of serious disease in the area.

The Southern States Mission, which included Louisiana opened in 1878, but the first missionaries were not sent to the state until nearly 20 years later. Interestingly, one of these first six missionaries was named Elder Carter.

Missionary work spread throughout the state during the early twentieth century and by 1930, there were 1500 members. The first ward was established in Shreveport in 1953 and the first stake in New Orleans in 1955.

In 1975, the Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission was created and by 1980, there were over 12,500 members in the state of Louisiana.

By 1989, Louisiana had 22,000 members in seven stakes. In 1998, the First Presidency announced the building of a temple in Baton Rouge. That temple was dedicated on 16 July, 2000.

The Louisiana Baton Rouge Mission extends from Natchitoches South to the East and West borders through the state including the Gulf of New Orleans. The mission also includes the South West corner of Mississippi including Natchez, Liberty, and Macomb.

THE VISION OF THE SOUTH

"Make no small plans: This is the vision I have fore the South. I believe that one day the South will baptize more people into the church than all other English speaking missions in the world together....We will see the time when we will baptize hundreds, thousands, tens of thousands...In your day you will see a million members of the church in the South. There will be temples plural in the Southern States. What a great call you have to serve with these marvelous people." President Spencer W. Kimball

Elder Carter Bailey's Mission Blog

Tuesday, November 29, 2011

Letter and Picture from President Wall

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