Renamed in 1904 to the Central States Mission (used to be Southwestern States Mission) and headquarters were moved from St. Johns, Kansas to Independence, Missouri. Beginning in 1907, the mission published a periodical called the Liahona. Later that same year the magazine merged with the Southern States Mission magazine to become Liahona, The Elders' Journal.
Mission Founded
Mission Name Change
The Mission's name was changed to the Central States Mission and headquarters were moved from St. Johns, Kansas to Independence, Missouri. The mission included Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, Missouri, and Kansas.
Date Details
Occurred On 1904
World's Fair
St. Louis, Missouri hosted the Louisiana Purchase Exposition, the last large international exposition or world's fair before World War I. Many missionaries in the Central States Mission represented the Church at a variety of meetings and exhibits at the Exposition.
Date Details
Occurred On 1904
David Edward Robertson Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1904 April 1
Ended On 1906 April 3
Samuel Otis Bennion Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1906 October 1
Ended On 1934 January 1
World War I
The war had a dramatic effect on missionary work, not only in Europe but in the United States as well. The number of missionaries called dropped dramatically between 1916 and 1918 as many young men in the U. S. were drafted for military service.
The mission office was located at 302 S. Pleasant St., Independence, Missouri.
Date Details
Started On 1914
Ended On 1918
Elias Smith Woodruff Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1934 January 15
Ended On 1939 July 1
John Fife Bowman Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1939 June 7
Ended Circa 1943
Thomas Cottam Romney Called as President
Date Details
Started On 1943 July 26
Ended On 1946 October 8
![Missionaries of the Central States Mission, circa 1902](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/central states/PH_8742_item_2-Southwestern_States_Mission_photographs.jpeg)
![President Duffin with Missionaries](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/L/arthur-livingston-1881-FS-2.jpg)
![Missionaries in the Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/B/harvey-delbert-bassett-1891-FS.jpg)
![Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/A/floyd-thomas-anderson-1901-FS.jpg)
![Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/F/edgar-osdon-fullmer-1884-FS-2.jpg)
![Central States Mission Headquarters](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/central states/Central States office.jpg)
![Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/C/rolla-john-cummings-1898-FS-2.jpg)
![Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/central states/central-states-mission-1922-CH76409.jpg)
![Publications Staff of "Liahona, The Elders' Journal"](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/central states/Missionary_staff_Liahona_the_Elders_Journal.jpg)
![Missionaries at Mission Headquarters](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/central states/CHL-PH-725it077.jpg)
![Central States Mission Visiting Missionaries and Officials](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/A/christian-nephi-anderson-1865-FS-2.jpg)
![Northwestern States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/northwestern states/rosel-hale-hyde-1889-CH68626-3.jpg)
![Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/C/merlin-walter-cottle-1908-FS-2.jpg)
![Central States Missionaries March 15](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/central states/Melvin-Earl-Phippen-1893-fs-central-states-missionaries-march-1915-1a.jpg)
![Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/B/chester-richard-brough-1898-FS.jpg)
![Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/D/heber-dalley-1871-FS-2.jpg)
![United States Mission Presidents](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/other/United-States-Mission-Presidents-2-ca-1904-PH-2543_f0001_i0001_00001.jpg)
![Central States Mission St John District Missionaries May 23, 1927](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/S/ellis-eugene-shakespear-1901-FS-2.jpg)
![Central States Mission January 1917-September 1919](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/B/samuel-o-bennion-1874-FS-2.jpg)
![Central States Missionaries](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/B/morris-eldon-barnes-1903-FS-2.jpg)
![Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/A/william-bailey-adair-1892-FS-2.jpg)
![Elders of the East Kansas Conference Central States Mission Winter 1909-1910](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/central states/Andrew-Gordon-Kimball-1888-fs-1a.jpg)
![Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/C/CHL PH 7354.jpg)
![Central States Mission 1928-1930](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/G/theron-griffin-1898-FS-1.jpg)
![Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/B/william-baxter-brown-1863-FS-2.jpg)
![Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/B/hugh-barnes-1877-FS-2.jpg)
![Missionaries at Mission Headquarters](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/central states/CHL-PH-725it085.jpg)
![Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/B/samuel-otis-bennion-1874-FS-1.jpg)
![Central States Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/B/manessa-julius-blackburn-1878-FS.jpg)
![Northwestern States Mission Group ca 1919](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/northwestern states/PH 197_f0001_i0002_00001.jpg)
![Central Mission](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/portraits/B/walter-alex-bishop-1889-FS.jpg)
![Central States Mission, November 1912](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/missionaries/central states/central states mission nov 1912- big picture.jpg)
![Dedicatory Services of New Chapel, Independance, Central States Mission, 1914 November 22](https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/church-history-people/bc/Other/john-edwin-soderquist-1894-fs-02.jpg)