Comments on: MormonUSA, 1933

By: Maurine

Maurine — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 10:00:36 +0000

Ardis, This was absolutely great! I was born in 1939 and this gives me a feel of what was going on in the church and/or missionary work in the USA at that time. Thanks for a great way of putting ME in context of church activity.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 01:27:48 +0000

Glad you enjoyed it. I got the idea from the USA Today feature where they print a short news item from each state, and wondered if the same thing could be done for church news. It could! although it was a challenge for some places. Once I got started, I was amazed at the variety of activities, like Norbert and Researcher, and, like Tatiana, at the evidence of such longstanding church presence in some corners of the country.

Over the next few weeks I’m going to try a MormonCanada, and a MormonBritain, perhaps even a MormonEurope, and I may try another MormonUSA for a much earlier date to see how that goes.

And, by the way, thanks to Researcher for looking up the GoogleMap shot of the SLO chapel. One of the best traits about the regulars at Keepa is the way you make this truly an interactive site by doing additional research and sharing it here.

By: Ray

Ray — Mon, 18 Aug 2008 00:34:52 +0000

I echo Researcher and J. Stapley. This is phenomenal, Ardis.

By: J. Stapley

J. Stapley — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 20:06:56 +0000

Awesome work, Ardis. Thank you.

By: Tatiana

Tatiana — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 19:03:42 +0000

Wow, this is great! The church has been a presence here in the Southeast for much longer than I realized. And so funny that preachers of other denominations have been preaching on the evils of the Mormons for all that time. =)

By: Researcher

Researcher — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 18:18:20 +0000

And now that I’ve read through the post and not just the comments…simply amazing. My first response, to be honest, was that it is a very long post. But its length is actually one of its strengths. As I read further and further through the diverse accounts of wards and branches and missionary work and funerals, it gave a scope of the breadth and depth and reach of the gospel and some of the simple truths that have driven the growth of the church such as “keep your eyes on the President of this Church and you will never go astray” and the mention of the Saints who “fought a good fight, finished their course and kept the faith.” Thanks, Ardis for some wonderful Sunday inspiration.

By: Researcher

Researcher — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 17:40:00 +0000

Looking on Google, it looks like there is just one ward building in San Luis Obispo. If you click "street view," you can see the building. It looks like classic Spanish Colonial Revival architecture, which was enjoying a great popularity during that decade, so it could be the original building.

By: Norbert

Norbert — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:19:11 +0000

Oh, and if anyone lives near SL Obsispo, CA, is that building still in use? Any pics?

By: Norbert

Norbert — Sun, 17 Aug 2008 16:18:31 +0000

I just skimmed a few, and they are fascinating. One that caught my eye was the basketball team in Maine. I would love to see a paper on the history of the church and basketball, specifically as a missionary tool.