Transcript

ITALIAN MISSION (The), during its brief existence as a separate mission, comprised principally the province of Piedmont, in the extreme northwestern part of Italy.

At a conference held in Great Salt Lake City in October, 1849, a number of Elders were called to different nations to open up L. D. S. missionary fields. Among others, Lorenzo Snow, who had recently been ordained one of the Twelve Apostles, was called to go to Italy, and Joseph Toronto, a native of Sicily, was appointed to accompany him. Traveling via New York, Liverpool (Eng.), and Havre, Paris and Marseilles (France), these two Elders arrived at Genoa, Italy, June 25, 1850, accompanied by Elder Thomas B. H. Stenhouse, who had been called by Elder Snow, while passing through England, to join them. Piedmont Valley, at the foot of the Alps, was chosen as the place in which to commence their activities, this locality being occupied by a Protestant community known as the Vaudois or Waldenses. On Sept. 18, 1859, Elder Jabez Woodard, who also had been called by Pres. Snow to labor in the Italian Mission, arrived. The next day (Oct. 19, 1850) these four Elders ascended a high mountain, where they offered prayer and formally dedicated the land of Italy as a missionary field; it was a solemn occasion. They named the mountain "Mount Brigham" and the rock upon which they stood the "Rock of Prophecy." On Oct. 27, 1850, Elder Snow baptized Jean Antoine Box at La Tour, as the first fruits of their labors in Italy. Other baptisms followed and three branches of the Church were subsequently raised up, namely, Angrogne, St. Germain and St. Bartholomew, all in Piedmont. The people there being largely a French-speaking community, Elder Snow wrote a tract for their benefit, called "The Voice of Joseph," which was translated into French and printed in England. Another tract, entitled "The Ancient Gospel Restored," was published in Turin, in the French language. In January, 1852, Elder Snow left Italy for a time, after appointing Jabez Woodard to take charge of the work in Italy, and Elder Stenhouse to open up a missionary field in Switzerland. Soon afterwards Elder Snow published the Book of Mormon in the Italian language, it being printed in England. Two more Elders, Thomas Margetts and George D. Keaton, came to assist Elder Woodard in the Italian Mission and labored with great fidelity. In 1854 Elder Woodard returned to America, and in 1855 Elder Stenhouse, who was presiding over the Swiss Mission, was appointed to take charge also of the work in Italy, the two missions being amalgamated under the name of the Swiss and Italian Mission, and Elders Margetts and Keaton continued their labors in Italy under the direction of Pres. Stenhouse. At that time there were three branches of the Church in Italy with a membership of 64. During the previous three years 50 members of the Church in Italy had emigrated to America. There are still a few scattered members of the Church in Italy.