THE LDS CHURSH FIRST PUBLISHED "THE IMPROVEMENT ERA" IN 1897

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was founded in New York in 1830, with Joseph Smith as it's founder and first modern day Prophet and President. It was initially referred to as the "Mormon" Church but of recent years it is called by its official name as so noted in he introduction sentence. Although this author doesn't claim to be a "Jack Mormon", but concur with the thought of not strictly observant. I have been involved with too many "spiritual experiences" to deny the things I witnessed and beheld in such places as sailing across the "Waters of Mormon" or what is now referred to as Lake Atitlan in Central America. Mormons of the 1800's were heavily pursued by other American's that hated them in the East and in Illinois and Missouri, and there were bad Politician's even back then and none were prosecuted, even when they murdered Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum. Brigham Young was second in command of the Church and led them to Utah, which in 1847, was a forgotten land that few people wanted, but today, folks from everywhere are coming and overrunning our water and history, but that just may be another story about what many people in Utah are saying about today's bad Politicians. Any who, that is only foundational information for "the rest of the story"!  The Mormons around the world probably already know that. From what we could find, in 1939, the LDS Church thought their were about 803,000 members, and today their are an estimated 17 million throughout the world. We bring up 1939, as my grandfather-who was a very devout LDS member, paid the required $2.00 payment for a subscription fee for The Improvement Era, but we are unable to find even one, and I think I was the only "gatekeeper" for his records! Now what is the best thing to do? We have copied the receipt and not sure that my crystal ball is up to snuff, but it looks like the Era Director for the Nephi Stake was signed by Mrs. Theo Westring. If that is the case, I will forget the matter, as Theo helped me and his son-Jerry out of a bind. And so that is the end of this history story, and can't ask the church for copies as they quit printing The Improvement Era in1970.