LDS Church News Archives, Saturday, December 28, 1996
CHURCH NEWS: DEATHS
Paul S. Rose, 86, first president of the Philippine Mission, which was created in 1967, and president of the Murray Utah Stake for 11 years, died Dec. 13 in Salt Lake City. He served as state Social Services director, superintendent of the Salt Lake County Recreation Department from 1949-1967, and coach of the BYU football team in the 1940s.
News and Events from President Rose's Time
(Many thanks to Galen M. Updike for the following information)
The Philippine Mission was created out of the Southern Far East Mission, in August 1967. Then Elder Hinckley had previously dedicated the land for the preaching of the gospel in 1961. The dedication took place at the American Cemetary in Forbes park.
The first official Philippine Missionaries arrived in November of 1967. They were six elders and two sisters. Seven came from the US and one from Hawaii. The first official Elder to the Philippine Mission, according to the official log was Elder George Thomas Day of Fairview Utah.
In 1967, when those missionaries arrived, there were 65 Elders serving in the PI, from the Southern Far East mission, and there were about 3000 members, one building, two districts and 15 or so branches.
At one meeting in early 1969, after a dismal year in 1968 of only about 900 baptisms, Elder Bruce R. McConkie, thundered from the pulpit, in the name of the Lord, that if we would teach from and about the BofM, a great harvest would occur. In 1969, baptisms double over 1968. The rest is history.