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50 years ago
President David O. McKay began on Dec. 29, 1953, a journey that would take him to four continents over six weeks, according to the Jan. 2, 1954, Church News.
The front page of that issue included a map of the western hemisphere tracing President McKay's route across the United States, to Europe, to Africa, to South America and back to Salt Lake City. Following a train trip to New York City, most of the rest of the trip would be by air, according to the article.
"The president left Salt Lake City last Tuesday morning bound for New York," the article stated. "He is scheduled to fly from there Saturday at 4 p.m., arriving in London Sunday morning. While in England he will confer with officials of the British and the Swiss-Austrian Missions relative to the two temples being projected for England and Switzerland."
The article said that while traveling with his wife, Emma Ray, President McKay would complete a visit to every mission in the Church, including those visited previously during his nearly 50 years as a General Authority.
The article also stated that at the end of his trip he will have: "Been the first General Authority of the Church ever to have visited the century-old South African Mission.
"Been the first President of the Church to visit in South Africa, in the South American Missions and in the newly formed Central American Mission."
He was scheduled to dedicate a meetinghouse in South Africa and anticipated the possibility of visiting ruins of ancient civilizations while in South America.
