February 20, Thursday, (1896): Settled up with Brother William H.Rich for his labors as counselor to the Stake President of the Stake. February 21, 1896: I visited President R Fry and Counselor Samuel Francis and settled up with them about their salaries from the stake. March 19, Friday, 1897: Got tithing potatoes and helped sack up oats for President R. Fry and Counselor William H. Rich on their services.84 In March, 1900, Bishop Turner was honorably released as stake custodian of tithes at age seventy-two. At the same time, the stake office was discontinued, and the bishops of each ward were given the responsibility for tithing.85 Missionary Work The Saints in Morgan often made personal sacrifices to serve in the mission field. Men were called to serve six month stake missions. These generally lived at home, took care of their homes and families, as well as doing missionary work. In one session of stake conference on Monday morning, 15 November 1897, President Fry read the list of missionaries to travel throughout the stake. They were assigned areas as follows: South Morgan—Orrin H. Randall and James Durrant North Morgan—Anthony Heiner, Sr., and J. W. Stewart Porterville—Hyrum Phillips and L O. Porter Richville—Joseph Waldron and J. H. Dickson Milton—Lyman Mecham and Albert Giles Peterson—Joseph Carrigan and Eli F. Whitear Enterprise—George W. Taggart and R. R. Fry86 Some were called on work missions. In June and July of 1899, several men were asked by the Church to travel to Canada to work on the construction of a canal, James R. Rich, Fred Toomer, Ira Creager, George Hogg, and Joseph Francis went from Morgan, working about four months and returning in October 1899.87 On 6 February 1894, Elder John Hopkin was asked to report in stake conference on his "mission" to the state penitentiary, where he had served a term for unlawful cohabitation.88 Those who made the greatest sacrifices, however, were the families where husbands and fathers were called to leave their homes to serve missions far away for two years or even longer. The "two year" mission was not spelled out as it often is today. In the MillennialStar, June 1899, we read, "The more thoughtful of the brethren will continue to work as if they never expected to return."89 Missionary work then, as now, was extremely important in the Church. From journals and family histories we learn interesting details about LDS missions at the turn of the century. Often there was little time given to a missionary prior to his departure. In the Deseret Newswe read: "A pleasant surprise in Croydon Ward. George Toone was honored. He will leave for a European mission with only 16 days notice."90