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Show religion, as it brings real happiness. The temptations of Satan bring sorrow and disappointment." In a later address he stated, "There is no sting in the death of a righteous soul. Christ took out the bitterness and made it sweet to them."26 An especially notable occasion for the Saints was a visit by Elder Matthew Cowley to the November stake conference. At the first general session, he spoke ofthe humility ofthe Saints in the Pacific Islands and related to the Morgan Saints many manifestations of the power of God among the Islanders.27 On Sunday evening, 28 November 1948, the Porterville chapel was dedicated. The project of remodeling the old Porterville schoolhouse into a church had begun in 1942. It had taken six years to transform it into a ward chapel and amusement hall. As with the North Morgan Chapel, the work was slowed by the War; the Saints, however, were delighted to finally have their chapel completed. At the time ofthe dedication, there were 337 members in the Porterville Ward; Charles Kippen was the bishop. Elder Cowley offered the dedicatory prayer.28 Christmas 1948 In 1948, throughout the Valley, the g Saints celebrated Christmas, and each I ward seemed to have its own special I traditions. At the Croydon Ward party, i Bishop Mark Thackery presented a present to each child and then Santa ' arrived with a sack of candy and an I orange for each ofthe children.29 The Morgan Stake closed out T with a musical held at the stake tabernacle on 30 December. The program featured a new electric organ which had been recently installed. Earlier in the year, the stake presidency had appointed a committee of twenty-five men to help raise money for the organ. The committee had contacted the people of the Valley and within one week had raised more than enough money to buy the organ. The organ was first used at the November stake conference, but at the special program on the 30th, the Saints spent a special evening enjoying it.30 The Year 1949 The new year, 1949, began with a note of sadness for the members ofthe North Morgan Ward and many others, when Bishop Joseph Rees passed away suddenly with a heart attack.31 A few months after Bishop Rees' death, John L Heiner was ordained Bishop ofthe North Morgan Ward.32 The theme for the first quarterly conference in 1949 was "The Importance of Families." Bishop Thorpe B. Isaacson of the presiding bishopric Porterville Church 171 |