“This Little Paper”: Mission Periodicals at the Church History Library
Mission newsletters are common throughout the world today, but did you know they’ve been around since 1840? Tyson Thorpe gives some history and explains why they make useful research resources.
Mission president Ben E. Rich created a new mission periodical in 1903 to communicate with the missionaries spread throughout the large Southern States Mission, which he oversaw. President Rich hoped that it would keep missionaries informed about mission news and events. He sent out “this little paper, which we have christened the ‘Elders’ Journal;’ trusting that the Elders will derive both pleasure and profit from the perusal of the same, and that it will be a welcome visitor to them as it appears each month hereafter.”1
The Elders’ Journal would eventually combine with the Liahona, published by the Central States Mission, and become Liahona, the Elders’ Journal.2 The scope of this new periodical was broadened to serve all missionaries throughout the United States and Canada. Across the Atlantic, another mission had already been publishing a similar periodical for decades: The Latter-day Saints Millennial Star (often shortened to Millennial Star).
First published in May 1840 in Manchester, England, the Millennial Star was printed by the British Mission, but it served all the missionaries throughout Europe. Like Liahona, the Elders’ Journal, the Millennial Star reported on missionary activities and events. Many other missions also published their own periodicals. Some missions were far enough away from other missions to warrant their own magazine; the Australian Mission, for example, published the Austral Star. Other missions published periodicals in the native languages of the people to whom they ministered (for example, Der Stern was printed for German speakers in Europe). These periodicals documented local and mission news that was more specific than what was printed in Liahona, the Elders’ Journal or the Millennial Star.
At the Church History Library, you can view periodicals from missions throughout the world. We have been working hard to make many of them available online. Here are a few more of our digitized magazines that are not already linked above. They can give you a glimpse of what can be found in our collection:
- Cumorah’s Southern Messenger (South African Mission)
- L’Étoile de la Mission Française (French Mission)
- The Messenger and Te Karere (New Zealand Mission)
- Skandinaviens Stjerne (Scandinavian Mission)
- Te Heheuraa Api (Tahitian Mission)
Some mission periodicals lasted only for the term of a mission president; others lasted for decades. The magazines often contained lectures, poetry, news items, and doctrinal essays. They included information about missionary arrivals, transfers, releases, departures, and appointments. During the 20th century, the periodicals often published photographs of mission conferences and districts. Because of what they include, mission periodicals are an invaluable resource for learning about the details of missionary service and about the atmosphere and culture in which the missionaries served.
[1] “Announcement,” Elders’ Journal, vol. 1, no. 1 (Aug. 1903), 1.
[2] “Editorial: To Agents and Subscribers,” Liahona, the Elders' Journal, vol. 5, no. 1 (June 22, 1907), 6–7. Liahona, the Elders' Journal and its two parent magazines are available online through the Family History Library.