JPul Vkw ysuvc
SEE PAGE 2
JANUARY, 1940
VOLUME 43 NUMBER 1 RETURR POSTAGE GUARANTEED SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
M
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aP«:
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Plows and tillage tools of every variety and descrip- tion, for all soil and land conditions, are available in the McCormick-Deering line. They are built in sev- eral sizes to make possible the most advantageous use of the power and speed in each of the new Farmalls,
• Planters and cultivators to meet every need have always been outstanding equip- ment for McCormick-Deering Farmalls. And this is just as true today with the new Farmalls. A great new line of tools has been engineered by Harvester for these new all-purpose tractors.
Cjreat strides in design have been made for 1940 by International Har- vester engineers! The good values of other years have been outdone all along the line. Unless you have seen the new McCormick-Deering Tools, with their new crop- saving, time-saving improvements, you have no idea what really good farm equipment can do for you.
Introduction of the jour neiv Farmalls has brought an en- tirely new line of simplified, improved Farmall machines. Many are designed for use with the wonderful new "Lift -All" hydrau- lic lift. Others are built for manual operation and are priced at new low levels.
Tractor drawbar machines and horse-drawn machines have come in for their full share of improvement. There are out- standing values in store for you in plows, tillage tools, plant- ing equipment, etc.
McCormick-Deering dairy equipment is setting a new pace with a brand-new cream-and-stainless-steel cream separator, a new portable milker, and modern coolers in new sizes.
So it goes! New values—new improvements— new opportu- nities to save by seeing the International Harvester dealer! See his display of 1940 tractors and tools— or phone him and ask him to come out to your place.
Company
International Harvester
(INCORPORATED)
180 North Michigan Avenue
Chicago, Illinois
McCORMICK-DEERING
Farm Operating Equipment
£xpfo/iwo^ Uul cUmv&hASL
By Franklin S. Harris, Jr.
Tn some of the Ural provinces of the *• Soviet Republic, snow is packed into underground chambers during the win- ter months, furnishing the people their only source of water supply during the dry season. The natives at Point Barrow, Alaska, store ice for water to be used during the long Arctic winter. 4
HPhe pressure exerted by the sunlight on the earth when absorbed by the earth is very small, just less than a trillionth of an atmosphere. Yet the fact that the tails of comets always curve away from the sun has been ex- plained by the pressure of the sunlight on the very thinned-out matter in com- ets' tails.
Cpiders and flies serve science by *** making possible better instruments. The so-called cross-hairs used in every telescope, range-finder, or other optical instrument of precision are not hairs but filaments of spiderweb. Spiderweb threads are used because they are fine, stronger than steel wires of the same size, and elastic enough to hold them- selves tight and hence straight. Fine platinum wire is usually too coarse. Radiometers, to measure radiation, are made of a pair of vanes extending from each side of a quartz fiber support. Some of the best radiometers have been made from wings of flies. 4
VI7inners in a modern plastics compe- *^ tition included such varied items as an all-plastic shoe heel that won't split, peel, mar, or crack; molded plastic jewelry; dentures; a garment hanger that keeps clothes from slipping off the sides and contains clips for sleeveless dresses; and a transparent, plastic clari- net. The new Annex of the Library of Congress received a major award
for its many different uses of laminated plastics such as table tops, corridor wall panels, book shelves, and drawer fronts.
4
f"^N Admiral Byrd's former expedition ^■^ to the Antarctic he found that his flashlights wouldn't work at forty de- grees below zero Fahrenheit because the chemical reaction in the batteries was slowed down too much. On the new expedition he is taking sixteen panes of non-frosting window panes called "Therm opane." These three- foot by one-foot-nine-inch panes will be skylights in the prefabricated labora- tories to be established. The new win- dows are made of layers of heat-tem- pered glass with the space in between filled with moisture free air. ( See p. 28 for review of Byrd's book Alone. ) 4
HThe average person grows up with a right arm bigger than his left. Measurements by Professor C. R. Van Dusen further found that the right arm is more likely to be longer, among chil- dren more so than among adults. 4
"TtiMORS are found even in the gnat- sized Drosophila, a fly much studied by geneticists. In certain strains these tumors appear generation after generation in the digestive tract. They are six-linked, appearing only in males, of which they kill half. In another strain the tumors appear in both sexes but do not kill. 4
Tf you can't grow wisdom teeth or a full set of teeth it isn't your fault. Failure to grow a full set of teeth is an hereditary trait and is linked to hair color. Members of a family strain with the same tooth deficiency tend to have the same color of hair.
(Continued on page 3)
TE1EFACT
WING BEATS OF INSECTS
M ))))))))
COMMON HOUSE FLY 160 BEATS PER SECOND
Y)))))))V
190
))))))))))))
240
Science Service-Pictorial Statistics, Inc.TO-U
BUMBLE BEE
Nothing less than Genuine IRON FIREMAN Coal Heat
TOl IYI6 . . . says Carl W, Horchler
His beautiful home (pictured below), shows that Carl W. Horchler knows and appreciates the good things of life. He determined to have the finest, most luxurious automatic heating obtainable. He decided on Iron Fireman, firing an air conditioning furnace. Three years' enjoyment of Iron Fireman heating has confirmed his selection. It gives him abundant heat, with plenty of reserve capacity ; self -regulation ; automatic starting; cleanliness, quietness, convenience; Iron Fireman dependability.
NO COAL HANDLING . . . and So Economical
The Coal Flow Iron Fireman (pictured above), feeds direct from bin to fire — there's no coal handling! All Iron Fireman burners use stoker coal — the most eco- nomical of all automatic fuels. We will make a free heating survey of your home and quote you our easy terms.
Residence of Carl W. Horchler, Lexington Road, near Mansfield, Ohio.
IRON FIREMAN
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Iron Fireman Mfg. Co.. Portland, Oregon; Cleveland; Toronto. Mail to 3261 West 106th Street, Cleveland, Ohio.
□ Please make survey and quote me on Iron Fireman.
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N»me_
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/Hmprouemenriira
"The Glory of God is Intelligence"
JANUARY, 1940
VOLUME 43 NUMBER 1
Heber J. Grant, John A. Widtsoe,
Editors Richard L. Evans,
Managing Editor Marba C. Josephson,
Associate Editor
Georqe Q. Morris, General Mgr. Lucy G. Cannon, Associate Mgr. J. K. Orton, Business Mgr.
"THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH"
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE PRIESTHOOD QUORUMS, MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS, DEPART- MENT OF EDUCATION, MUSIC COMMITTEE, WARD TEACHERS, AND OTHER AGENCIES OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
The First Presidency's Greeting , 9
The Gospel of Work Stephen L Richards 10
The First Day of the Swarm Helen S, Williams 12
Bee-Hive Girls in Action 13
Bee-Hive Jubilee Year— 1915-1940 Ileen Ann Waspe 16
Evidences and Reconciliations: XX — Why Did Joseph Smith,
the Prophet, Need the Help of the Urim and Thummim?
'....„ John A, Widtsoe 33
Bee-Hive — A Worldwide Program 48
Melvin J. Ballard's Story of His
Favorite Hymn 4
Anti-Tobacco-Liquor Campaign:
A Rhodes Scholar and the
Word of Wisdom, James
Nash 5
How I Conquered the Tobac- co Habit, Robert P. Adams.. 6
Is It O. K.? 38
Alcohol and Accidents 38
Word of Wisdom Review 42
The Church Moves On 30
Priesthood: Melchizedek 38
Achievement Standards Set by 250th Quorum of Sev- enty, B. Y. Harbertson 39
Word of Wisdom Review 42
Aaronic i 41
Ward Teaching 43
Genealogy 44
Music: Confidence in Choir Conducting, Frank W. Asper 45 Church Music Steps Up, Tracy Y. Cannon 45
Mutual Messages:
M Men-Gleaner 46
Junior 46
Bee-Hive 46
Latter-day Saint Girls Win- ners, Marian Nicholson 47
Field Photos 47, 50
Hawaii Says Aloha, Roscoe C. Cox and Hilton A. Robertson 51
SpAcitzL J<&atuMJu
Decision! Jack Sears 14
It Happened in Mexico James P. Sharp 22
Personal Progress Through Wise Money Management
Ira J. Markham 24
The Common Source of Religious Truth — Part II — Baptism....
Milton R. Hunter 26
Voices and Virtues Susan Fulton 34
Exploring the Universe, Frank- Homing: Voices and Virtues, lin S. Harris, Jr 1 Susan Fulton 34
Telefacts 1, 3, 4, 5
Bible Goes On Ever More and
More 5
How Useless Truth 7
On the Book Rack 28
The Cook's Corner, Barbara
B. Burnett 37
Index to Advertisers 54
Your Page and Ours 64
Year's End Richard L. Evans 32
Crime Begins — Early! Richard L. Evans 32
A Tribute to Bee-Hive Marba C. Josephson 32
J'LdtiotL, (pvsdJu^, tfAoA&w&tcL (pu%$JbL
Scotch Wooing Janet Silver Blake 17
Hole-in-the-Rock — A True Mormon Story
Sullivan C* Richardson 18
The Blue Pitcher— A Short Short Story Ruth H. Helm 23
Frontispiece: Only the Spirit, Where Has the Dark Gone?
Frances Hall _. 8 Nell Cox 34
Poetry Page 29 Scriptural Crossword Puzzle .... 62
JPul Qov&u
This photo by H. Armstrong Roberts carries with it a dramatic symbolism of the meaning of the New Year — a time of balance and settlement, when the scales are weighed and the debts are paid — even as all will be settled and accounted for on that greater day of judgment to come.
(Do QJiul JOww-
Who won the Nobel prize in physics for 1939? 3
The story the late Melvin J. Ballard told about his favorite hymn? 4
Whether sale of the Bible is increas- ing or declining? 5
How one man conquered the tobac- co habit? 6
In what way the real problem today is not so much with the unem- ployed as with the employed? 10
Why the year 1940 is significant in Bee-Hive work? 12, 16, 48
What qualities made Arthur Bris- bane the foremost editorial writer of his time? 14
What the facts are concerning "Hole-in-the-Rock"? 18
Where an historic trek over an "im- passable" trail has been recently re-enacted? 18
What one old cowboy said about Mormon dugways? 18
How the typical Latter-day Saint family may apportion its income?
.24
Among what peoples and for what purposes baptism has been ob- served through the centuries? 26
Where new stakes have been recently created? . 30
Why Joseph Smith needed the help of the Urim and Thummim? 33
The importance of a pleasant voice, and how to develop one? 34
What new plan with reference to stake quarterly conferences and auxiliary conventions will be fol- lowed during 1940? 38
What has been responsible for im- proved musical performance in the Church? 45
EXECUTIVE AND EDITORIAL OFFICES:
50 North Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah
Copyright 1940, by Mutual Funds. Inc., a Cor- poration of the Young Men's Mutual Improve- ment Association of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All rights reserved. Sub- scription price, $2.00 a year, in advance; 20c single copy.
Entered at the Post Office, Salt Lake City, Utah, as second-class matter. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October, 1917, authorized July 2, 1918.
The Improvement Era is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, but welcomes con- tributions. All manuscripts must be accompanied by sufficient postage for delivery and return.
NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES
Francis M, Mayo, Salt Lake City Edward S. Townsend, San Francisco
MEMBER OF THE AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS
A MAGAZINE FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, JANUARY, 1940
Exploring the Universe
( Continued from page 1 )
HPhe danger of serious lung trouble caused by nose drops made with mineral oils can be avoided if vegetable oils be substituted, according to Dr. Frank J. Novak, Jr. 4
A new type of supplementary auto door lock for the safety of chil- dren prevents the doors from being opened while the engine is running. It operates automatically from the mani- fold vacuum and does not interfere with the regular locks. 4
^hina's Yellow River gets its name ^ from its color, caused by soil eroded from its north China banks. But for two miles, at a point 3,000 miles from its mouth on the Yellow Sea, the water is of the clearest and deepest of blues.
<♦
7V new lettering set makes it possible, ^~ with a simple guide, to produce eight different types of lettering by changing the setting of the tracer and pen arm. Each guide has upper and lower case letters, numerals, and char- acters, complete and in order.
4 ;
1^7[ice have been made resistant to *~ cancer by giving them a complex substance called a chemoantigen, Dr.
TEtfFACT
NEWSPAPERS PRINTED FASTER
WI.M
1929
27,000 USUAL MAXIMUM NUMBER OF
NEWSPAPERS RUN PER HOUR
i ii ■
1 IK
1939
45,000
Science Service-Picforial Statistics, Inc. 10-23
W. R. Franks of Toronto reported to the Third International Cancer Con- gress. Dr. William Cramer of London has immunized mice against skin can- cer.
'"Phe Nobel prize in physics for 1939 has been awarded to Dr. E. O. Lawrence of the University of Cali- fornia for his research on the structure of atoms and the use of radiation in problems affecting biology and medi- cine. He developed the cyclotron, the latest model of which weighs two
hundred tons, to give atomic particles new high speeds. The prize in chemis- j try is divided between Professors A. : Butenandt, of Berlin, Germany, and L. , Ruzicka, of Zurich, Switzerland, for: their work on sex hormones. The ! chemistry prize for last year was given j to Professor R. Kuhn of Berlin for hisj work on carotinoids and vitamins.
JDectin which makes jelly "jell" is the: base in a new type of paste which (Concluded on page 4) ;
JkjgAy!
Enjoy yourself! Be free from worries about the mechanical operation of your car. Let the miles roll by at low cost. Here's the way to do it:
For quick starting in cold weather, use Pep 88 Winter Gasoline. It has the fast action and sure power that en- ables you to take it easyl
For safe protection to your engine, use Vico Motor Oil in the correct winter grade. It has the unexcelled lubricat- ing efficiency that lets your motor take it easy!
For greatest comfort and safety, get Specialized Lubrication service — not just a grease job. Vital parts properly lubricated for easier riding and steer- ing. Take it easyl
Wherever you may be in the intermountain territory, drive in at any of the conveniently located Pep 88 — Vico stations for complete service. Get the Utah Oil habit and take it easy1.
UTAH OIL SERVICE STATIONS
Everywhere in Utah and Idaho
ICO
MOTOR OIL
PEP88
GASOLINE
JAN U ARY SALE
on New
GAS
APPLIANCES
•
BIG REDUCTIONS
Here's your opportunity to save money on new Gas
appliances.
Every appliance in this great sale is absolutely new — never has been used.
Reductions are so attrac- tive that if you've been thinking of getting a new range or refrigerator or water-heater or any other gas appliance this year, it will pay you to buy now!
Come in and see the bar- gains. But don't delay. Quantities are limited. Come early to be sure of getting what you want.
Convenient Terms
MOUNTAIN FUEL SUPPLY COMPANY
Salt Lake — Ogden — Provo Serving 23 Utah Communities
Exploring the Universe MELVIN J. BALLARD'S
{Concluded from page 3) is successful in healing bed sores and
stubborn ulcers.
4
HPhe aboriginal boomerangs used in ■*■ Australia, Central India, Ethiopia, and among the Hopis of Arizona were based upon a principle only recently rediscovered, the principle of the cam- bered airfoil. In the skilfully thrown boomerang we have all the essentials of motion except adjustable controls of the helicopter-airplane.
Iron horseshoes were known by the *• fifth century A. D.: a pair of small horseshoes of the last phase of the culture of the Lake Dwellers of Lake Neuchatel, Switzerland, constitutes the evidence.
HThe world seems to be getting warm- ■*■ er, according to J. B. Kincer of the U. S. Weather Bureau. Since the dawn of the twentieth century there has been a persistent world-wide trend to higher temperatures. Examples arc Portland, Oregon, and Washington, D. C, which have had seventeen, and Capetown, South Africa, which has had nineteen of its last twenty years warmer than normal. Incidentally, the highest temperature ever recorded was in Tripolitania in September, 1922, of 136.4 degrees Fahrenheit.
Tn Africa, there is a vermilion red and *■ black snake whose colored stripes run from the tip of its nose to the end of its tail. In America there is the coral snake, with alternating broad coral and black bands running around it.
STORY OF HIS FAVORITE HYMN
F
' LJibernation in warm-blooded ani- * * mals can be caused artificially by an injection of insulin, or a combina- tion of insulin and magnesium chloride. Dr. P. Suomalainen of Finland can put hedgehogs in a hibernating condition and they stay asleep as long as they are kept in a refrigerator around the freez- ing point, but they awaken when re- moved to a warm room.
rom President Preston Nibley of the Northwestern States Mission we have received the following:
Sister Florence Nielsen, one of our mis- sionaries from Mt. Pleasant, Utah, has in her possession a most interesting letter in the handwriting of Brother Ballard regard- ing his well-known song, "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go."
Sister Nielsen states that in 1933, Brother Ballard visited at her father's home in Mt. Pleasant while he was attending stake conference. Sister Nielsen's father was the stake president. She asked Brother Ballard for a contribution for her "Treas- ures of Truth," and he sat down at a table and wrote this most interesting letter.
Mount Pleasant, Utah May 24, 1933. "Dear Miss Nielsen:
"You no doubt have heard me sing 'I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go.' I have been singing it for 35 years and introduced it into our Church music.
"I found this song under the follow- ing circumstances: I graduated from the B. Y. College in Logan in 1894 and expected to go East to school, but lack of funds made it necessary for me to teach two years; then, as I had saved enough to put me through one year of college, I planned to get married, and we would both go. Just then I received a call from Pres. Woodruff to go on a mission. So all our plans were changed. We took the money for col- lege and spent it on that mission. We got married and Sister Ballard stayed home, taught school to help me fill that mission. Shortly after being in the mission field I found this song, and it seemed like a message from Heaven to me.
"I have found if we do what the Lord wants us to do we will fill our lives in the fullest possible way.
"Your brother, (Signed) MELVIN J. BALLARD,"
TEIEFACT
WHERE THE CONSUMER'S DOLLAR GOES
(U.S.A.)
FOR SERVICES INVOLVED FOR SERVICES INVOLVED IN DISTRIBUTION
IN PRODUCTION
Science Service-Pictorial Statistics, Inc. 10-<
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, JANUARY, 1940
By James Nash
Edward Hart, University of Utah poet-athlete, is a distinct honor to his Alma Mater, Church, and fam- ily. Recently awarded a Rhodes schol- arship to Oxford, England, Ed was elected a member of Phi Beta Kappa, honorary scholastic fraternity, was track and field captain last year, won the Mountain States conference mile run, and distinguished himself in liter- ary circles. He was also an officer of Lambda Delta Sigma of the L. D. S. Institute of Religion at the university.
Ed is the son of Alfred A. and Sarah Patterson Hart of Bloomington, Idaho. Ed's father, a '97 graduate of Utah State College and for fifteen years bishop of the Bloomington Ward, is now a Patri- arch and first counselor in the Bear Lake Stake presidency. An older brother, Eugene, also distinguished himself on the track as captain of the Utah State A. C. track team in 1937 and winner of the National Junior A.A.U. 5000-meter run the year before.
Ed and Gene, as they are better known, are strict observers of the Word of Wisdom and accredit their successful athletic careers chiefly to its observance.
As a climax to four years of intelli- gent living and distinctive attainments, Ed was chosen a member of the Bee- hive Club, which annually honors seven "U" Seniors; won a New York World's Fair medal for one of the ten best collegiate poems submitted; failed to lose a mile race in two years of college competition; and lost finally only to Glenn Cunningham, world mile record holder — by three seconds.
European conditions have caused the Rhodes scholarships to be suspended, but in the meantime Ed is continuing his studies as a fellow in the English department at the University of Utah.
BIBLE GOES ON EVER MORE AND MORE
Nothing can stop the Bible. It is useless to call it the world's best seller, though it is, because that term implies a comparison, and there is nothing else that even remotely com- pares with the Bible in popular circu- lation. The American Bible Society's report tells of 7,000,000 copies distrib- uted by it last year [1938]. When the British Bible Society's report comes along later it will probably tell, as usual, of even more Bibles put out during 1938. . . .
The scriptures outsold Mein Kampf in Germany by 200,000 copies last year. . . . Japan, too, took an unusual num- ber of Bibles last year, ten per cent more than in the year before. There the American, British, and Scottish Bible Societies have joined in forming the Japan Bible Society. The Japanese Christian churches last year celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the first com- plete Bible in their language. China, too, took Bibles at the rate of 20,000 a month. The demand was so great that damaged, worm-eaten, and misbound copies were all taken.
The Society keeps adding to the list of languages in which the Bible is is- sued. A dozen new ones last year brought the total to 1,021 tongues in which all or part of the scriptures may now be read.
There is something tremendously im- pressive in the Society's recital of its output of Bibles. If there is any one thing to which we may ascribe civiliza- tion's gradual growth toward human brotherhood it is the teaching found in this book. This is a time when ideals of humanity have suffered a severe set- back. May there not be significance of a return of the pendulum in the fact that the Bible is now being called for more and more? — Excerpt from the San Francisco Chronicle.
TEiEFACT
U.S. CITIES OVER 100,000 POPULATION
1890 ^^) j|
28 CITIES
i9oo £&h$^kj^ki£
38
1910
1920
1930
50 68
Science Service-Pictorial Statistics, Inc. 10-26
Here's
flavor!
0 Take one can of Pioneer Minced Sea Clams. Heat one pint of milk in stew pan or chafing dish. Add clams, one half tablespoon of butter, salt and pepper. Heat thoroughly and serve hot. (Serves three persons.) Delicious!
For Pioneer Minced Sea Clams, the superior Razor Clams are dug from the hard-packed, sea-washed sands of the North Pacific Ocean just as they reach their prime. They come to you with all their valuable mineral - containing prop- erties.
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unce
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THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, JANUARY, 1940
PRODUCERS SALES AGENTS
CHTTLE - HOGS - SH£EP
UNION STOCK YARDS
Los Anqeles Stockton
So.San Francisco
Mow 9 tfjonqiwuul Jths,
TOBACCO
Can you keep that New Year resolution? If you can, this article may not interest you, for it is written to those who have tried and failed, and to those who do not try because of the fear of failure. We cannot expect others to respect lis more than we respect ourselves, and each time we at- tempt to break a bad habit and fail we drop back into the rut just that much deeper.
I started using tobacco while in my teens and continued for about twelve years, learning to use it in all its forms except snuff. I found it was quite easy to break the habit of smoking by taking up the habit of chewing and vice versa, robbing Peter to pay Paul. Before I be- came too deeply entrenched in the habit I was able to quit for short periods, especially if I was asso- ciating with people who abstained from it also. These experiences led me to believe that I was able to use it or leave it alone according to my "will power."
So it went until about five years ago. At that time I was engaged in highway construction and, being outside long hours, I found myself using about a pack and a half of cigarettes a day. My younger brother had just returned from col- lege and it was brought to my at- tention that he was forming the habit also. In order to shield my brother from them I offered to quit, and the bargain was made. Both of us were to abstain from their use.
The first day I had plenty of confidence, but within a week I had a craving like a thirsty man on a desert. By the second week I shamefully confessed that I wasn't man enough to fulfill my bargain. My cigarette consumption in- creased, so that a year later I was using two packs regularly each day.
About this time Mormon mis- sionaries came to our home and my wife and I became vitally interest- ed in their message. We held cot- tage meetings in our home for sev- eral months and finally became members of the Church. I imme- diately quit cigarettes once and for all. Through study I had found some of the principles by which we yield or resist temptation. By ap- plying these principles and not run-
HABIT
By ROBERT P. ADAMS
ning away from temptation I found that I was free from the tobacco habit. " I carried in my shirt pocket for about two months part of a pack which I had left when I quit, changing it from one shirt to an- other, until the packet and cigar- ettes were actually worn out. Dur- ing the first day I suffered acute physical discomfort, but aside from that I can truthfully say that I have never since had the slightest crav- ing for them regardless of time, place, or company.
Some may think when they read this that I simply did not try hard enough the first time. But that is not true. I tried with all I had, but I was fighting blindly. I was chas- ing a half dozen imaginary foes and the real one was chasing me. If men could only realize that it is given to them as they desire! When they desire to do evil they have already committed evil in their hearts and the sin which they accomplish in the flesh is only the aftermath or outgrowth of the evil which they have already done in the heart. In my first attempt when I saw others partaking of the "lady nicotine" I hungered for the taste of tobacco, and each instance of desire weak- ened my will until it was broken. In the second case I drew a cigarette from the packet and analyzed it in my thoughts. I found nothing but shredded tobacco leaves and white paper, which were no more to be desired than a piece of wood or earth. I put it back in the packet and the packet back in my pocket that I might carry them as souvenirs of my foolishness until they were worn out.
In the hereafter if we are to be- come like Him, and our will through perfect faith shall become an actuality, then how little we have prepared for that goal if we cannot control our desires here for righteousness. And, likewise, if our desires are righteous for the sake of righteousness, how easy to overcome a habit of wrong doing.
HOW USELESS TRUTH
to bsL qudd&xL thsui&bi^
An anonymous letter from an unknown reader in Grand Rapids, Michigan.
Some time ago, it matters not how or when, I came into possession of an edition of The Improvement Eva. In my ceaseless search for truth I long ago formed the habit of examin- ing carefully whatsoever should come into my consciousness by any means, for I early discovered that truth may be found in every- thing. Occasionally, it is to be found in small nuggets, more rarely in a vein of virgin metal. The conviction was borne upon me that here was one of these.
Your group, so well known to yourselves, so little known to many like me who, because of geographical or psychological differences, do not have the op- portunity of making direct con- tact with you, however much we may have heard of the exterior aspects of your belief, has indeed been the recipient of blessed reve- lation.
How useless revelation that is not accepted and acted upon! How useless the truth if one fails to be guided thereby! Many peo- ples expound the truth — alas, few have acted upon it, but those who have may claim as their beloved Master, Him who was the living incarnation of truth upon the earth. He was not inactive; neither are those who call Him, Brother. The acts of the Master were simple, but they were all- sufficing: to help the poor, to heal the sick, to teach the young, to bear love to all, to work in peace, to be humble, to be kind, to seek ever the Voice within. How beautiful indeed Thy dwell- ing place, dear Master, when all of men shall act upon your simple behests!
These things I found in your magazine — the result of your thought and action. These ac- counts, then, are of the thought and action of your people. My heart was gladdened and lifted up because of all of you who serve the One cause.
No, I am not one of you in name, nor organization, but the truest language speaks from soul to soul. There I know all of you and you know me. He is our common Brother — therefore in truth, I am too, Your brother.
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Wasatch. 7560 or
Fill in This
Coupon
Only
the SPIRIT
By FRANCES HALL
I he past is a picket pin around which the mind, X Like a tethered sheep, goes bleating With the rhythm marked by its own hoofs' beating, Hoping some verdant day to find The tether broken, the stake-pin gone, Its ever-circling feet withdrawn From the deepening rut that has confined Its tread — never suspecting, never knowing That there on the hills where the grass is growing, Its sharp relentless hoofs would wear Another space as bleak and bare.
The flesh has continuity:
The wide, red-healing scar
From childhood's tumbling agony
Grows pale as any star,
But stiff old limbs that graveward creep
The same grim, jagged pattern keep
Of that bright wound, a long half-century deep.
Only the spirit rises free in time —
Not as the birds rise when they climb
The morning sky with climbing day,
Learning by heart the lake's cloud-shadowed glow,
The wood's dark line, the river's curving flow.
To mark at dusk their home-returning way;
Not as dew rises toward the sun
To hang in rainbowed mist across the valley's floor,
And then when mid-day's warmth is done
Comes shimmering back to earth once more —
Upward like smoke on a windless night,
Silver as smoke in a midnight sky,
As silently and as unreturning,
The spirit goes in its endless yearning.
Upward and outward, clear and bright,
Once it has found the way to fly.
Unbound by memory's sharp-thonged tether,
Absolved of flesh and mind together,
Freed of meager conceptual guise,
Only the spirit thus may rise.
Photograph by LeGrande Lewis.
Greeting
J>/wjwl J Jul Jifi&L (pJULbJud&jna^
w
E send to the Saints in all the earth our greetings and blessings.
We call upon the peoples of the world to follow the example and the teachings of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
We invoke upon all in war-ridden countries the spirit of love, forbearance, and forgiveness, for the Master speaking on the Mount declared:
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you:
But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
We pray the Lord to heal all those who are stricken with disease and not appointed unto death. May He soften the pain of the wounded and bring to them health and strength.
We ask Him to bless all those who are bereft — the lonely orphan, the sorrowing widow, the heart- wrung mother.
May the hungry be fed; the cold, warmed; and the naked, clothed.
May anger and hate pass from the hearts of men, and peace and love be enthroned instead.
May all men who scheme and plot for unholy dominion and power be speedily brought low in the dust of contrite humility and dire abasement.
May He frustrate the designs of the wicked and bring to naught their plottings.
May the spirit of repentance fill the hearts of all men, for none is free from error.
May He soon bring to an end the war now waging; may that day soon come when men shall have paid the price of their avarice, greed, and am- bition, and the earth cease to moan and suffer for the iniquities of her children.
May His spirit of peace clothe the earth as with a mantle, that war may not longer find an abiding place thereon.
May He bring to pass the time when "righteous- ness shall cover the earth as the waters cover the mighty deep," when "every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ."
May there come to every man that walks the earth the testimony that was Martha's. Said Jesus :
I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:
And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world.
For Jesus said in the Garden:
This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.
+9jM*lJ(D.?ntf<a4f
The First Presidency.
The gospel of
WORK
By STEPHEN L RICHARDS
Of the Council of the Twelve
■\\7e can scarcely count on our size to wield great influence, but we can send out a message of the dignity of honest, loyal, effi- cient service we can extol self-reliance,
industrious manhood and womanhood, family solidarity, and community cooperation in such manner as has not been preached in the world for many a day.
TLot onhf mn&L jou/l wifik&JiA^ bsL loyaL, but ihm^ mu&L bsL ablsL io ajuccsumL
Photo by John P. Mudd for the Midvale Company.
THE following figures are taken from a current magazine: If each of five million (American) wage earning families now under $1250 a year could get $2.00 more a day per family . . . they would spend each year:
$213,000,000 more on fuel and light and
refrigerators, $224,000,000 more on household furniture, $285,000,000 more on motor cars and
other transportation, $208,000,000 more on medical and dental
services, $234,000,000 more on recreation, $73,000,000 more on personal care, $416,000,000 more on clothes, $613,000,000 more on housing, $800,000,000 more on food.
These items would total more than three billion dollars in new sales for the five million families alone, and if all families in the United States could have two dollars a day more than they now have, their purchasing power would be increased by twenty billion dollars a year.
The first question naturally arising from the figures I have quoted is: How can we get two dollars a day more for each family in our country, and particularly for the five million families of the lower incomes? I give you in substance the answer of the author: By more and better work on the part of the employed of our country.
And how will more and better work of the employed add to all in- 10
comes and purchasing? Answer: First, by making it possible to reduce prices so that families even without raising present incomes may buy all that they now buy at lower prices and have sufficient money left over to buy more and other goods; and, secondly, the increased volume of commodities purchased will mean larger production, and larger pro- duction means the employment of more workers.
It is, of course, very trite and commonplace to assert that what the country most needs is more purchas- ing power. Everybody knows that. But it is not so obvious that increased purchasing power is largely the re- sult of lower prices and that, after all, our real problem is not so much with the unemployed as with the employed. This is so because when- ever a man who has a job does his work better and more efficiently he makes it possible to reduce the price of the commodity or the service, thus adding, as I have heretofore pointed out, to the consumer's purchasing ability. There are very respectable authority and abundant statistical data to prove this conclusion.
But do reduced prices always fol- low better work and methods? I am sorry to say that they do not, and it is chiefly because prices do not de- cline that the volume of sales does
not increase, that our prosperity is stifled, that discouraging unemploy- ment persists, that government pur- sues such costly experimental rem- edies, and that our whole system of free enterprise is threatened.
Now I am induced to bring these matters to your attention because I firmly believe there is a very definite relationship between them and the concepts, practices, and teachings of our Church, and because I want our people to know that approved eco- nomic theory makes practical and feasible many aspects of our teach- ings.
We have always dignified work and reproved idleness. Our books, our sermons, our leaders, including particularly President Grant, have glorified industry. The busy hive of the honeybee — Deseret — has been our emblem. Work with faith is a cardinal point of our theological doctrine and our future state — our heaven is envisioned in terms of eternal progression through constant labor.
This fundamental principle of the honor of work is sorely needed in application in the world today. All the fraudulent schemes, the rackets, governmental corruption, and wide- spread public demoralization have their inception and support chiefly in the failure to recognize the dignity
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, JANUARY, 1940
Have we lost the love of labor? Can we restore the thrill of honest toil? Can we find again the surpassing dignity of work well done? Can we find the answer to our perplexities and misunderstand- ings in industrial relationships and personal eguations? We can if we follow those principles which have always shown the way out. Here is a statement from the messages of the October General Conference, that preaches anew the gospel of work.
STEPHEN L RICHARDS
and the happiness that flow from honest toil.
What is honest work? I believe it is rightly interpreted only in terms of service, and the value of true service is measured by someone's gain. Such a concept is not only Christian but it lies at the founda- tion of sound, profitable business. There are innumerable demonstra- tions of this fact. The kind of work that makes a better product for less cost is what our national economy demands. There are at least two indispensable factors in this kind of work and the efficiency it produces : First, integrity, which includes loy- alty; and second, ability. No one can succeed unless he is dependable. If he works for another, he must make his employer's interest his own. If he works for himself, he must be faithful and true to his en- terprise or he will fail. The "watch- the-cloek" variety of service, with no interest in the job but to get the per diem, is as much responsible for the bankruptcies as any other factor I know.
Not only must our workers be loyal but they must also be able to succeed. In the highly competitive markets for goods and services, locally, nationally, and internation- ally, the skills and acumen are usu- ally the deciding features. Ability is generally the product of training and education. The most skillful not only have the best chances themselves, but they also contribute most to the success of the enterprise with which they are associated. It is a notable fact that during the years
of depression, with some exceptions of course, particularly in industrial centers, the really skilled worker has been little in evidence among the un- employed and even when he has been without a job it most commonly has been attributable to arbitrary manipulations of the price structure for services or goods.
On the other hand, our recent history demonstrates that the un- skilled laborer has a hard time of it. His service is the first to be dis- pensed with. He is the least wanted. And, I regret to say it for fear of hurting feelings, he makes the least contribution to economic progress. In saying this I want you to under- stand that I do not limit skilled labor to the professions, the artisans, or any white-collar or other group who may consider it beneath them to do any honest work. I class any man as a skilled worker who has culti- vated the ability to do his assigned job exceptionally well. I know ex- pert grave diggers whose skill com- mands my admiration and esteem.
Tt is my privilege to travel around the country a good deal. I see many farm lands. I often note that on one side of a fence is an area of stunted crop growth, weeds, barren patches, and unproductive desola- tion, while on the other side of the fence with nothing but a dimension line between, with the same poten- tial soil, equal water rights, the same air, the same sun, the same climate, lies a field — a field beautiful be- yond description with the abundant productivity which nature yields to the skilled husbandman. I see fat cattle and lean, good homes and poor ones.
I go into stores — some are attrac- tive, merchandise is so arranged, service so efficient and courteous that goods sell, while in others, on the same block, perhaps, there is evidence of slovenliness, poor buy- ing, lack of the art of proper dis- play, and the proprietor wonders why customers do not come.
There are service stations on every hand. It is not uncommon to see four located on the four corners of a prominent intersection. Sometimes only one out of the four succeeds. Surely location is not the determin- ing factor. Almost countless mil- lions of dollars are now invested in automobiles. These machines cost much to buy and much to maintain. Some last a long time and pay to their owners reasonable returns on the investment in more ways than one. Others are quickly ruined and the depreciation is enormous and shameful.
Now what is the determining fac- tor in these contrasted results and a world of others comparable to them? Why, of course, with relatively few exceptions, it is the personal equa- tion, the skill and the energy of the proprietor or his employees or both.
This doctrine of work lies at the very foundation of the capitalistic system. Many people misunderstand and misinterpret capitalism. They think that because the word "capi- tal" is used to designate the system that its chief purpose is to make wealthy men who are usually called capitalists and whose wealth, it is feared, is too often accumulated at the expense of poorer classes. I ad- mit that there are instances, alto- gether too many, where this comes about. But this is not the true con- cept of capitalism. The capitalistic system in its inner essence is little, if anything, more than a man's free right to work, to choose his work, and enjoy the rewards of his ef- forts. In my estimation, it is a most precious thing and it is indispensable to the liberty and freedom of which America boasts. It is the only tried and tested system of free enterprise in this world, and every other oppos- ing system is built on an abridgment of personal liberty. For one I do not want to lose it.
But we will lose it if we do not understand it and recognize its vir- tues. It is not the capitalistic system itself that makes some men rich and some men poor. The men them- selves do that, again with some ex- ceptions. The system merely offers the opportunities. There are, of course, abuses within it, as there must always be when humanity is involved. It does not guarantee that all men will be rich, and it is worthy of note that all systems which do, usually succeed only in making all poor. To eradicate the abuses with- in the system is almost as difficult ( Continued on page 60) t1
JhL FIRST DAY OF
THE SWARM
By HELEN S. WILLIAMS
First Counselor in the General Presidency of the Y. W. M.I. A.
MARTHA H. TINGEY, PRESIDENT OF THE Y. W. M. I. A. WHEN THE BEE-HIVE PROGRAM WAS INITIATED.
Twenty-five years ago a new class was introduced to the Young Women's Mutual Im- provement Association. With its birth, the dreams, hopes, and desires of women who were praying, work- ing, and programing for the young girlhood of the Church were real- ized. These women had for a num- ber of years felt a real need for a colorful, active, yet spiritual pro- gram for the guidance of the young- est age group of the Mutual Im- provement Association — then the fourteen-year-old girl.
This particular generation prides itself on its intelligent concern for youth. Those interested in girlhood worry because of today's trends. The modern girl with her varied in- terests, her complex responsibilities, and her numerous activities presents quite a different problem from that which has ever come to the leaders of youth before, so they think. Yet in the year of 1912, the General Board of Young Ladies' Mutual Improve- ment Association, as it was then called, were giving deep and serious thought to a program which would meet the complex, serious situation of the girlhood of that day. They were zealous in their desires to bring into being an answer to the situa- tion of that time. In the minutes of that period these words were writ- ten:
One thought that strongly impresses me is that the fourteen-year-old Junior girl of today is a very different problem from the girl of the same age who lived forty, fifty, or even twenty-five years ago. Some will say that the restless, self-assertive, inde- pendent girl of today is certainly not an improvement on the quiet, lady-like, sel-
12
dom-heard-from sister of yesterday. Per- haps not! But to my thinking she fits into her time. We would have her a little less superlative in some ways, perhaps; but, after all, is she not really the outgrowth of the changed conditions that have sur- rounded her? The girl of yesterday kept close to home and mother because she was needed to assist in the spinning, the weav- ing, sewing, butter-making, and scores of other things that our Junior girl of today knows nothing about. Innovations, cheap labor, and the output of factories have re- lieved her of many of these homely tasks. Increased wealth, too, has made it possible for her to grow up without much of the responsibility of home.
In answer to the need which was felt for this self-assertive, vital, in- constant girl of twenty-six years ago, was the birth of the new depart- ment. As those women began to survey the world to see what was being done for girls of similar age elsewhere, they found that the girl programs then in existence were two in number — the Girl Guides of Eng- land and the Campfire Girls of America. These two programs were studied and discussed, and finally after a great deal of consider- ation, it was thought advisable to adopt the Campfire movement wherever it was practical for sum- mer work.
This was only a beginning. As the committee for the youngest girls in the organization worked and prayed, they felt that they wanted to include in their particular program all that was good and that had been proved workable by other girl move- ments, but also they wanted to add a distinct spirituality and an under- standing of all womanhood. This, they realized, must originate within their committee. Finally after long hours of earnest prayer, the program was developed and christened "Bee- Hive."
Tn the June Conference of 1 91 5, the Bee-Hive work was introduced to the Church in this way —
In the Bee-Hive work we hope we have found a partial solution of what to do with the Junior girl. There is work here to fill her hands and her heart as well as her mind. There are seven great fields for her to explore, gathering as the busy bee does the
sweetness from the flower, those things which will perfect and glorify her woman- hood.
These seven fields which every girl should explore, include the field of Religion, Home, Arts and Crafts, Out-of-Doors, Business, Public Ser- vice, and Health. Surely in these seven great fields of life every girl could find wholesome development for her heart, her head, and her hands.
The Spirit of the Hive seemed truly symbolical of the spirit of girl- hood— busy, energetic, full of life and vitality, and willing and wanting to do constructive work, but needing the direction of a Bee-Keeper to oversee and direct. Thus the Bee- Hive work was born as an answer to a need of girlhood to bring beauty and wholesome activity into the life of every girl who reached the age of fourteen.
Since that time, not that the prob- lems of girlhood change so materi- ally, but because conditions do be- come more complex as life goes on, the original Bee-Hive program has been enlarged and enriched. The (Concluded on page 60)
REPLICA OF PROGRAM PRESENTED AT FIRST BEE-HIVE SWARM, SEPTEMBER, 1915.
program
Singing Prayer
Address oi Welcome
Womanho Call
Mrs. May T. Nystrom
Mis. Ruth May Fox
Report-Cells filled by Bee Hive Girls Miss Elen Wallace Singing - • Call of Womanhood
Talk-Spirit of the Hive • Miss Ann M. Cannon
Builders Purpose - Builders in the Hive
Conducted by Mrs. Emily C. Adam.
Address "My Bee Hive Girls" President Martha H. Tingey
Address and Awarding of Medals
President Joseph F. Smith
Singing • - A Song of the Bees
Benediction ■ - Miss Charlotte Stewart
Music Conducted by Miss. Mabel Cooper
BEE-HIVE GIRLS
QtcGdtion.
THE FAITH OF OUR FATHERS OUR GUIDE SHALL BE. (The Field of Religion)
PH
||:i::;i;ll;:';:#;:il!
,.,,
WHEN SKIES ARE BLUE AND DAYS ARE FAIR.
(The Field of Out-of -Doors )
JkldA. Jul whklfL $M6u dwsdofL Mo yi&iwjuA. Womanhood.
The remaining fields are: Arts and Crafts, Business, Health, and Public Service*
HAPPY TO WORK TILL OUR TASK IS DONE. (The Field of Home)
13
Decision!
AufL AUCCGAA$(lL
By JACK SEARS
D
ecision was Mr. Brisbane's outstanding character- istic—clear, VITAL, POSITIVE DECISION
THE AUTHOR'S CONCEPTION OF BRISBANE IN LATER LIFE AS HE DELIVERED RAPID-FIRE EDITORIALS TO HIS DICTAPHONE.
IT WAS in New York City, several years ago, near the close of a bitterly fought campaign. Two days before election, ten-thirty at night, I walked into Arthur Bris- bane's outer office at 238 William Street. The chopped-up corner rooms were crowded with desks, tables, filing-cases, and typewriters.
For nearly two years I had called during the day, when the secretar- ies were working at top speed. Now it was as quiet as a tomb. The door to Mr. Brisbane's small private work- shop adjoining the outer room was wide open. He sat, looking tired. Over his high, protruding forehead spread deep, wave-like furrows. Books and papers were stacked on chairs and tables, like a wagon load of paving stones dumped upon the street. There were books with pa- per markers sticking out from be- tween the leaves, and papers hud- dled together containing rapidly scribbled notations.
Mr. Brisbane was without coat, vest, or tie, his wilted collar wide open and rolled back, his shirt sleeves pushed high upon his arms. He sat near his dictating machine, leaning forward, his arms resting heavily on his legs, and his hands draped limply downward over his knees like those of a tired laboring man. The few long hairs remaining on top of his head hung downward.
As I entered the dimly lighted outer office and beheld him under the blazing light, I stopped sudden- ly. He raised his tired eyes but not his impressive head, nor did he move his body as he inquired in a low, kind voice, "What have you, Mr. Sears?"
"Pardon me, Mr. Brisbane," I 14
Arthur Brisbane valued time — his time — your time!
said. "I won't disturb you tonight; you are so very tired. I'll come to- morrow— have an idea worked up, but—"
"Let me see it — bring it in, please!"
The Brisbane fire was ablaze; the sparkling and discerning eyes were wide open. The limp, tired editor was suddenly alert; he had risen from his chair — was keenly interest- ed. He needed ideas right then- ideas to help win his battle, cartoon ideas in which he gloried, around which he could write human interest, vote-getting headlines and text, so gripping that millions of people would see, read, understand, and believe. His forceful words became great national issues.
BRISBANE AS HE APPEARED ABOUT A QUAR- TER OF A CENTURY BEFORE HIS DEATH, WHICH OCCURRED IN 1936 AT AGE 72. EVEN BACK IN EARLY MIDDLE AGE, HIS SALARY AS AN EDITORIAL WRITER EXCEEDED THAT OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.
Spread before him was the full- page cartoon — a last big shot. My contact with Brisbane had taught me to make an idea shout convincingly. He studied the drawing a second, and it was evident from the play of expression on his face that this man of decision had figured out just how he would use it. "This is fine. Thank you for being interested enough to come so far, so late at night. A good drawing is a good deed!"
That was Arthur Brisbane, fired with the spirit of a great editor; tired, yet forever on the lookout for ideas.
This day, Brisbane had stuck to his job from early morning until late at night — he had sent his office staff home for needed rest, after weeks of strenuous, nerve-wracking work.
Our business over, Brisbane cour- teously bade me goodnight, softly closing the door. As I hesitated in the outside room to glance at a proof sheet — one of Winsor McCay's drawings, to be illuminated edi- torially by Mr. Brisbane — I could hear his clear, decisive voice as he talked into his dictaphone. He was creating an editorial to accompany the picture while the idea was fresh in his mind.
Mr. Brisbane often said, "A good picture is worth more than a million of my words," and he really meant it. When he wrote his edi- torial to accompany a cartoon, he had the ability to point out facts to his readers which the artist had not realized existed in his own creation.
Yet when one tried to get Arthur Brisbane, the world's greatest edi- torial writer, to talk about his achievements, he dismissed the sub- ject with a crisp, "I have never writ- ten anything worth while. I am never satisfied with what I write!"
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, JANUARY, 1940
"Jf Wcuid He a Monument to Time"
"TIME," CAR-
TOON FOR AR- THUR BRISBANE BY JACK SEARS.
But he knew how to appeal to all classes. In a very short time he had increased the New York Journal daily circulation from about forty thousand to a million copies.
I am often asked, "What one thing about Mr. Brisbane impressed you most?" Even the great Elbert Hubbard asked just that. Every- thing impressed me, and each time I saw him, new greatness was evident in this man of action — salesman of thought to the great masses — so able during his journalistic reign to com- mand attention from millions, no matter what he said or did.
'"There were many brilliant, spar- kling sides to Brisbane, champion of advertising and salesmanship. During an association of many years, I analyzed this creative genius — fearless pioneer in his field — who wrote simply about simple things. He impressed me as one who knew and considered his material from
every angle. His ability to get hu- man interest ideas into the minds of others rested in his sincerity; he spoke their language — of those on the other side of the railroad tracks as well as of those who conversed with him across the table.
Decision was Mr. Brisbane's out- standing characteristic - — clear, sharp, positive decision. His tiny office was a place of decision, and action — of Yes! and No! In spite of all interruptions he would con- tinue to give out snappy, crisp, vital decisions. He could work in the midst of great confusion. His phone rang constantly — Mr. Edison, Mr. Henry Ford, his banker; or it might be Mr. Hearst, or artist Nell Brink- ley, or Ella Wheeler Wilcox; a de- cision on a legal problem; or Bris- bane's man Friday had been ar- rested for speeding. Calls kept him wheeling his chair incessantly.
Proofs to correct and telegrams would pour in, but in the midst of it
all I have never seen Mr. Brisbane nervous, never off his balance. No matter how often he might leave one to whom he was talking, when he resumed the conversation or the business in hand, he could begin where he had left off.
On one occasion, typical of others, Mr. Brisbane's secretary stepped into his office, and with great formality, such as a butler might employ, addressed him in a clear, lyrical voice. "It is now ten o'clock. Your schedule for today is complete. At eleven o'clock you are to see your dentist. At twelve-fifteen you lunch with Mr. Hearst at the Ritz. At two you have a conference with Presi- dent Butler of Columbia University, and you promised him you would talk to the students. At four o'clock you have a conference with the Journal department heads. At six-twenty you leave Grand Central Station for Chicago. A Mr. Talent, the writer whom you had me trying to locate for two weeks, is waiting to see you — also the widow, whose husband until recently worked in the composing room,"
"Thanks, which one was first?" "Mr. Talent, and he seems rather impatient."
"Thank Mr. Talent for coming. Tell him I will see him in ten minutes. And show Mrs. J — in at once. She has real troubles — a splendid lady."
Arising to go, I put one question to Mr. Brisbane. "Pardon me if I ask you what you have prepared to tell those university students?"
"I never worry about what I am going to say — I will know what's best to talk about when I face those students."
Brisbane surrounded himself with efficient people who were capable of delivering in a big way. He did not train people he used; he plucked them when he knew them to be cap- able, when they were ready to de- liver. He did not deal in raw ma- terial. He chose his people after they had learned their specialty from contact with others— in the great school of experience. Brisbane picked people up when they could fly, when they were trained carrier pigeons with a swift, vital message of accomplishment — never when they were awkward, wing-flopping squabs, uneasy and uncertain on their props, covered with pin feathers and puny fuzz. These pin feathers no doubt would some day become quills for artists and writers {Continued on page 58) 15
BEE-HIVE JUBILEE YEAR
1915
1940
1940 will be Silver Year for the Bee-Hive Girls' organ- ization. When the bells ring and the whistles blow on the morning of January 1, 1940, they will welcome in a year, twelve months, fifty-two weeks, which are to be filled to the brim with new adventures, new op- portunities, and new dreams and visions, not only for Bee-Hive Girls, but for all who come in contact with the contagious spirit of Jubilee Year. For a quarter of a century, Latter- day Saint girls and their friends have been following the Bee-Hive trail. In exploring the seven Fields along the way, they have mastered in- triguing crafts; they have learned the secrets of health; they have yield- ed to the lure of the out-of-doors; and when the twilight shadows have fallen, they have felt the magic power of the campfire bind friend- ships together. Each of these twen- ty-five birthday years has left its mark upon the trail — pathways to new hilltops have been cleared; vantage points for new horizons have been chiseled out; bothersome curves have been straightened. And so it is with gratitude for the past and with confidence in the future, that we say "Joy's ahead" to all who trek the 1940 Bee-Hive trail. Will you not join us? Only with the in- terest of fathers, the encouragement of mothers, and the support of lead- ers and friends can this year accom- plish its great purposes: enriching the lives of girls, helping them to find joy in service, and keeping them in constant touch with their Father in Heaven.
The Year's Program
A Silver Jubilee is a very im- portant occasion. Remember, it can only come once in a lifetime. Therefore, every day of it is pre- cious; every week must make its contributions; each month must bring the gayest of festivities. In January, at the Announcement Buzz, bugle calls and silver hives will pre- sent the official proclamation open- ing— the 1940 Silver Jubilee Bee- Hive trail. Stake presidents, bish- ops, mothers, fathers, and friends, are bid to join the Ranks in giving a hearty welcome to this momentous year. 16
By ILEEN ANN WASPE
Chairman o/ the Bee-Hive Committee of the 7. W. M. I. A. General Board
M^s
IT
1940
Laughter and fun will be but sym- bols of happy and grateful hearts when in February at the Fun Fest Buzz thousands of girls will play together in a "Frolic of the Nations." Their thoughts will go out to their comrades in other lands, and there will be a prayer that the rapidly changing world of today will be kind to their foreign sisters.
In a chapel setting in March, Bee- Hive Girls, their accomplishments, their program, and their leaders will be honored in the Sunday Evening services. The poet says: "April showers bring forth May flowers." This year, April showers, April sales, April drives, are going to bring forth flowering treasuries, treasuries which will cause the sun to shine on happy summer camps. We hope you will all find an oppor- tunity to help.
May is always the outstanding month in Bee-Hive activity, for it is then that the Day of the Swarm climaxes Bee-Hive week. A May Day breakfast will begin the week of festivities this year, and the Day of the Swarm will bring to a glorious close the winter season's program and herald in the summer months, when the Jubilee Year's program of celebration and commemoration will reach its height.
That Jubilee memories may long endure, a "Memory Marking" theme will challenge girls and leaders, dur- ing the first month of the summer season, to find ways of leaving a permanent tribute to this year of years. The planting of a tree or a
shrub, the naming of a newly dis- covered or beloved spot, the dedi- cation of a camp site or an outdoor fireplace, or a pilgrimage to a new historic site are some of the ways in which in June this challenge will be met.
"Call me early in the morning; call me early, mother, please!" Such will be the admonition of many an eager girl as July days sound the "Off To Camp" call. Pine trees in the mountains, palm trees in the tropics, lake shores and sea beaches throughout the world will play hostess to Bee-Hive Girls. It is hoped that a Silver Jubilee Camp will be raised in every stake and every mission in the Church, and that every girl will spend at least one day and one night enjoying the thrills of outdoor living in that camp.
Lawns and shady nooks will take on festive airs in August when Bee- Hive Girls pause from their own fun to carry children and grown-ups off to fairy land on wings of gay costumes, thrilling stories, and cheery songs.
Double fun, double membership, double everything will be the slogan for September. What a Double Fun Party it will be when the fall season calls twenty thousand girls back to Tuesday evening session. Yes, you will really think you are seeing double, hearing double, and even eating double on the Double Party night.
Jealous? Well, there are likely to be a few who feel that way when in October in an Assembly Program the girls show the M. I. A. what fun it is to be in Bee-Hive.
Special Jubilee Award
/^an you visualize the emblem il- lustrated on this page stamped in shining silver on the beautiful blue of the Bee-Hive band? That is to be the special Jubilee Honor Award! It will be a treasure to every girl who earns the right to wear it. It will truly be a memorable symbol of the joys of the greatest year in Bee-Hive history. Its pres- ence on a girl's Band will say: I have participated rightly in Jubilee year and have shared my joys with others.
(Concluded on page 50)
9t& jcl wsul Lit difficult #&i. cl dtaAAJo. io know fii&t how JthiwfA, AlanxL
SCOTCH WOOING
SHE HEARD HERSELF SAYING ERE LONG: "IAN McLEAN, YOU ARE THE MOST OBSTINATE INDIVIDUAL I EVER MET. NO- BODY COULD PENETRATE THAT THICK SKULL OF YOURS."
it
B
airns and fools/' said Granny, "shouldna see half finished work."
Her knitting needles clicked a soft accompaniment to the kettle singing on the hob.
Margaret hitched her chair a little closer to the fire and put her feet on the shining steel fender.
"Oh, I don't know, Granny," she mused. "It isn't as if I hadn't tried. It's a full year now since I was here on my holidays and we've been writ- ing on and off ever since. He's just a big dour Scot, and he'll not listen to reason."
"Well, maybe his idea o' reason and yours are twa different things," said Granny tolerantly. "But ye don't aye write about releegion, do
"Oh, you know Ian!" Margaret laughed a little. "He'll just mention in passing he's put water in the house, and the bathroom is going to be a fine thing. He did say his moth- er will be glad to see him married so she can move out of the Main's and down to the wee house. Oh, yes — and the American dresser is going
to be a grand thing. What's the American dresser, Granny?"
Granny chuckled and rose to get a new skein of wool. When Mar- garet started winding, she answered, "He saw a picture in a magazine of a cabinet-thing that's awful handy for the kitchen. It has cupboards for dishes and food, and a big table for working on, and doors under- neath. One side has a big flour bin and the other has shelves for pots and lids and what-not. Half the countryside has been in to see him making it."
"It sounds grand," agreed Mar- garet, "and I'm very fond of Ian, Granny, but he hasn't asked me to marry him, and anyway I couldn't marry outside the Church."
"Weel, Lassie, that's an obstacle that micht be overcome, and as for him asking ye to marry him, ye needna expect a formal proposal. Your father aye said the lassies had to do their ain proposing in the North of Scotland, but of course," with tolerant disdain, "he was Eng- lish!"
Margaret finished winding the wool and rose to wander around the kitchen somewhat restlessly. She had arrived from the south that morning for her annual holiday, and already the quiet of the Northern Moons were filling her with the old restless sadness. For a few days it would be like this, and then the abiding peace of the heath and the nearly purple hills would enter her heart. The hurrying city life would be forgotten and this quiet country- side, where her forebears had tilled the rocky soil, cut their fuel from the peat moss, or tended the sheep, would work its old magic.
Granny put aside her knitting and got up.
"I'm going to give ye some cocoa and scones and marmalade and then
By JANET SILVER BLAKE
yell gang oot for a walk. Ye're hop- ping around like a hen on a hot griddle!"
After a hearty lunch, Margaret put on her brown jacket and smart little yellow felt hat.
Her Granny came to the door en- joying the fair picture of her lassie, though her parting words were dry enough.
"Mind, Margaret, if ye meet Ian McLean, don't begin on Joseph Smith richt away! Dinna forget Ian's ancestors were Covenantors who died over some wee argument on authority. Men are scarce enough noo; they maun be handled wi' velvet gloves. Besides — " she hesitated, " — he may be nearer the kirk than ye think." The girl laughed and waved as she took the path across the moor.
"Just the same," she thought, "Granny doesn't realize how pig- headed Ian is. All that literature I sent him and all he can say is it's very interesting — and Joseph Smith reminds him of John Knox in his fearlessness in spreading the Word. Yet — he knows his Bible better than I ever will — am I as intolerant as I think he is? If I didn't care so much — "
JYLeanwhile — a wonder- ful day was all around her! The heather was in bloom, the curlew's cry was music in her ears, and the burn sang by the roadside. It seem- ed as though her feet brought her to the old gray stone farmhouse with- out her being aware of it.
At the Main's there was little of traditional Scots reserve in Elspeth McLean's greeting.
"Come awa' in lassie. Ye're a sicht for sair e'en. My, but ye look bonny!"
Margaret took off her hat and shook her shining brown hair.
"I feel bonny today, Mrs. Mc- Lean," she laughed. "This air is a tonic; how good it is to be back." (Continued on page 56)
17
Sixty years ago this January, a pioneer wagon slid cross-lock- ed into the gaping mouth of a monstrous crack in the two thou- sand-foot west wall of the Colorado River at the base of Fifty-Mile Mountain in Southern Utah. Shouts of bearded men and bonneted wom- en filled the air. Horses snorted and lunged. The screams of steel wagon tires on solid rock or against loose boulders cut the stillness of the great chasm, and the wagon lurched out of sight around a bend in the close- walled crevice far below.
That crack is now known as Hole- in-the-Rock. That wagon was the first man-made contrivance ever to negotiate that perilous descent. And the man who sat in the driver's seat still lives in Blanding, Utah!
THE SURVIVORS OF HOLE-IN-THE-ROCK, WHO
STILL LIVE IN OR NEAR SAN JUAN COUNTY.
Kumen Jones — the man seated — drove the first
wagon down through the crack, January 2, 1SS0.
(See page 56 for other names.)
TWO THOUSAND FEET ABOVE THE COLORADO
From this great height the river below looks almost
narrow enough to step across, while the smooth, sheer
walls marking Cottonwood Canyon fade back into miles
and distance like pigmy mole hills in pock-marked stone.
HOLE-IN-THE-ROCK
By SULLIVAN C RICHARDSON
Of the Detroit News
fia&Mnq. ov&A. JthiL ''impa&AaJbLL ' bwiL Aixi^ jy&Wiiu ja^bi^ mahA. ihiL Aio^ jd£ Milling JthsL Save £luul Ilqslwl swml qtojaJjLtL, sw&TL moiiL iinpDAMJbbL!
In the two or three days follow- hundred-fifty men, women, and chil- ing that eventful morning, eighty- dren walked or rode the terrifying one more wagons banged, careened, distance. And one thousand head and slid down the forty-five degree of horses and cattle crowded, push- slope to the swirling river. Two- ed, and slid between the narrow
Concerning the colored motion pictures and black and white pictures brought back from Hole-in-the-Rock (which may be made avail- able for private showing) the following com- ments have come:
"These are magnificent pictures." — Wesley Winans Stout, Editor The Saturday Evening Post.
"Excellent Pictures." — J. R. Hildebrand, Associate Editor The National Geographic Magaz ine.
"Interesting subject matter and a very beau- tiful photographic job."— Kenneth MacGowan, Associate Producer Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation.
"Amazing story and remarkable motion pic- tures."— W. H. Moore, Sales Director, The Detroit News.
"A good story and wonderful pictures." — Ralph Peters, Rotogravure Editor, The Detroit Ne ivs .
"Have never seen better color in travel pictures. "--George F. Perriot, Director World Adventure Lecture Series, Detroit.
"Unusually fine pictures and color for 16mm film."— J. L. Middlewood, Director Motion Picture Publicity, Ford Motor Co.
"Everybody satisfied here. The fact that the second day's attendance was better than the first is a very encouraging indication from the standpoint of interest." — Ralph Yonker, Advertising Director, The J. L. Hudson Co., Detroit.
DUGWAY IN THE SLICK ROCKS 'Where all the wagons got down — but many in pieces!"
walls to be disgorged into the boil- ing current at the foot of the cliffs. The marks of wheel-hubs still scar the sheer sandstone faces that wall the crack three hundred feet high on both sides. The crevice is still so narrow you can almost touch both sides with outstretched arms. And the achievement itself, of that crossing of the Colorado, has gone down in history as one of the most amazing accomplishments of any pioneer movement in America. Those pioneers were Mormons. They were answering a "Call" from a prophet of God!
Cometime ago, Arnold Whitaker and the writer, both of Detroit, read the story of that trek written by a man who said many kind things about the "Zealots of Zion" who built a makeshift road through Hole-in-the-Rock, and many unkind things about the Mormon leaders who sent their people over the "in- human trail." We wanted to see what that trail was like: not only at the river itself, but across the des- olate sandstone country that stretch- es from Cottonwood Canyon up to Shoot-the-Chute, through the Slick Rocks, across Lake Gulch and the deeo sand of Sand Wash, over Clay Hills Pass, and down to Bluff itself on the San Juan. We hadn't been on a horse in fifteen years, but we were Westerners by birth and we "figured we could take it."
On June 22, last, we were on the way. Zeke Johnson of the Nat- ural Bridges Monument took our lead. Jim Mike, Ute Indian discov- Hl erer of Rainbow Natural Bridge, brought up the rear. Five pack horses, four saddle horses, two movie cameras, three still cameras.
HOLE m-THE-ROCK
19
The horse didn't want to swim. The first try he pulled the boat right back to the bank. Second try, he swam round and round the boat as the river swept them far downstream. He was finally turned loose to keep him from drowning. He (jot back to our side quivering, wiWi exhaustion. The third try was successful with a different horse.
two pack-bags full of film, tripods, and other picture-taking impedi- menta constituted the expeditionary corps. We were pioneers of 1939, for the Hole-in-the-Rock road had been abandoned for wagons since it had first resounded with the creaks of heavy wheels and the plodding of weary oxen six decades ago. For five or six years pioneers followed the Clay Hill road leading to the lake country and only pack outfits have gone over the trail since then. The hot dust of '39 rose in choking clouds from our horses' hoofs as we struck out for the first water hole beyond Clay Hills Pass, thirty miles away.
As we rode along through the scrub cedar and pinon pine footing that great red escarpment that runs all the way from White Canyon down into the Colorado Country near Navajo Mountain, Zeke briefly summarized the story of the original trek:
Brigham Young was a great col- onizer. He had to find room for con- verts who still streamed across the plains to the mountains of Zion. (Zeke had been a missionary for the Church up in New England. His conversation was nicely mixed with cowboy slang, Western idiom, and good English.)
John Taylor followed Brigham Young as president of the Church and adhered to the policy of colon- izing all colonizable places the Saints could reach.
In late 1878, President Taylor sent a scouting party by a sure but scan- tily known route down into Arizona, via Lee's Ferry to Moencopie (In- dian outpost), and back up the other side of the "V" route to the mouth of Montezuma Creek on the San Juan. They had a bad time: deserts, sheer canyons, high rims and plateaus, all the way. Tank water (water which stands, be- tween infrequent rains, in giant pot- holes worn deep in solid rock) was all they could find to drink, and that tasted as if it had run through a sheep corral. Indians were bad. Later parties ran out of provisions and had to grind horse feed in hand mills for bread. "A shorter, easier route must be found," said their re- port.
Bishop Schow, road scout, drop- ped southeast from Escalante along the desert footing Fifty-Mile Moun- tain to the Colorado. He looked down through a deep crevice in the two thousand-foot west wall — Hole- in-the-Rock — to the water far below, up through Cottonwood Canyon on
AT THE TOP OF THE HOLE-IN-THE-ROCK
Steps cut by hand in solid rock gave the horses surer foot wagons started their cross-locked slide toward the river 2 below!
ing as the ,000 feet
ALMOST TOUCHING THE WALLS WITH OUTSTRETCHED ARMS
"Room enough for a wagon — if you greased both sides of the box," pronounced Whitaker.
the other side, onto "Wildhorse Mesa," and decided the Saints could get their wagons down through the Hole with comparative ease, "float" the river, and "be on their way in no time" — in which con- clusions Schow was more optimistic than history justifies.
The wagons gathered at Escalante and started south. They established base camp at Fifty-Mile Spring. Here conflicting reports said no road could ever be built through Hole-in- the-Rock; that wagons could not possibly climb the walls of Cotton- wood Canyon; and that east of that long Mesa, the country was "abso- lutely impassable." But the Saints had accepted a "Call." The wagons pushed on.
Finally at the big crack, men were lowered in half-barrels by ropes into the bottom of the Hole. With hand drills and precious blasting powder they widened the slit enough to let a wagon scrape through. Halfway down, the crevice widened to a huge gash. - Powder was almost gone. Slick rock, shelving away at about eighty degrees, stopped progress. One of the men got an idea. With the hand drills, they bored small holes across the face of the rock, drove tough oak pegs into the holes, laid brush against the pegs, filled loose dirt and rock in behind the brush — and got a roadway.
"But their trouble wasn't over when they crossed the river," Zeke continued, squinting sideways at the sun to see if we were keeping to schedule on the trail. "Cottonwood Canyon was a nightmare. Shoot- the-Chute was worse. And the Slick Rocks, well — -" he hesitated, "you'll see it as we go along."
Disappointment and heartbreak followed the arrival on the San Juan. Every irrigation dam built in the river was washed out almost before it was completed. Starvation forced the men to divide and some of them went northeast into Colorado to work for wages and provisions, while the rest remained behind to care for the women, children, and dying crops. After three years the "Call" of the Church was rescinded and people were free to leave if they chose. Most of them did. Only about fifteen families now live at Bluff, and still no irrigation dam tames the river, but other colonies in the San Juan region did grow from this venture and have produced one of the most colorful chapters in Mor- mon colonization history.
(Continued on page 54)
DOWN THROUGH THE HOLE
This is the way it looked to the pioneers as they bit their lips, shouted "Giddap!" and slid in. Wheels were cross-locked and men held back with ropes and chains tied to the rear ends of the wagons.
21
TEMPLE OF QUETZALCOATL IN TH£ FORE- GROUND; TEMPLE OF THE SUN IN CENTER DISTANCE; TEMPLE OF THE MOON AT THE LEFT. SAN JUAN TEOTIHUACAN.
T HAPPENED N MEXICO
(L talsL that "iiMl' with. thsL (Book. jo£ WiotmmL
Mexico, to readers of the Book of Mormon, should be a land of wonder and inspiration. A study of the legends, traditions, and ruins of that great country will offer much food for thought.
In the year 1 888, there came to the town where the writer lived three preachers, called "Sheep Wagon Methodists" from the fact that they traveled in a sheep wagon. They obtained permission to speak in the ward house and the people turned out almost to the last person to hear what they had to say, for few strangers visited that part of the Territory to preach, except the Home Missionaries.
Two things those men could do. One was sing. The other — preach. After a few songs one of the men arose and preached a very good Christian sermon. After an- other song the second preacher be- gan to speak, by saying he should like to be a Mormon, and no doubt he would be if it were not for one thing, which was the Book of Mor- mon. That kept him from joining because of the crude way that Joseph Smith had written it and the many statements in that book that were not true, which statements he pro- posed to bring out, statements that could not be proved.
The first statement was where the "horse" was mentioned, which ani- mal was unknown upon this conti- nent until the advent of Cortez; another — roads and highways were mentioned. Where were those, or evidence that they had been made? He commented upon the fact that "cement" was mentioned and went on to explain that cement was like rock, and almost as lasting, for few of those present really knew much about cement; iron and steel were used to make machinery and weap- ons of war. Surely some of those machines or weapons were still to be found, if the Book of Mormon were to be accepted. Pearls, jewels, 22
By JAMES P. SHARP
and many objects that were pre- cious, those people were supposed to have. Just answer a few of these questions and he would be willing to accept the book.
The third man arose and said the previous speaker had proved, beyond a reasonable doubt, that the Book of Mormon was not true, and if it were not, then Joseph Smith was not a true prophet of God. Long and loud did he bemoan the fact that the Mormon people had been led blind- ly. He called upon those present to repent and join the church that he represented and thereby place themselves in a position to be saved. They made no converts, but did instill into the mind of one of those listeners a desire to prove or dis- prove some of the statements made at that meeting.
There is no need to make much comment regarding the horse. Scien- tists now generally accept the fact that America is, and was, the home of that animal.
The writer has read of many roads, has seen but one — a cement road 132 feet wide and said to extend for a distance of seven miles. This road appears to have been made with cuts and fills and grading much as we make roads at this time.
I have visited an ancient city, in which the buildings, made of cement, cover an area of three by four miles. One house has partly been dug out. There were four rooms when last it was visited by the writer. The floor is about twelve feet below the present level of the land; the walls about eleven feet high, as an esti- mate. In one of those rooms was a well, said to be forty feet deep, which contained clear, cool water. An- other room had a sort of built-in shower bath, or the guide said it was, for it was a niche in the wall that fit, in a way, the outlines of one's body. Above this was a hole in the wall through which water was supposed
to have been forced. The floors had a slight slope, in each room, to a common point, then a hole in the wall through which the water ran. So far no one seems to know where this drain emptied. The walls were of cement of such fine texture that when the writer was blindfolded and his watch placed upon the wall, and his finger placed upon the crystal, or upon the cement, he could not detect one from the other.
Just what does the Book of Mor- mon say about this subject? Read Helaman 3-7:
And there being but little timber upon the face of the land, nevertheless the peo- ple who went forth became exceeding ex- pert in the working of cement; therefore they did build houses of cement in the which they did dwell.
HThe writer studied the collection of jewels in the National Mu- seum, at Mexico City, that came from Tomb No. 7 at Monte Alban, Oaxa- ca. He visited the tomb, over three hundred miles southeast from Mexico City, and then made a more detailed study of those jewels.
There were pearls in great num- ber, some as large as pigeon eggs; gold bracelets, large and small; a gold belt buckle almost four inches square and two thick; a gold-headed ornament with an imitation feather of gold; necklaces in great number — one was made of gold, pearls, tur- quoise, and concho with thirty-four small gold bells; a vase of crystal that it was said we today with all of our modern methods and machinery could not duplicate. A gold mask about six by four inches, made in honor of the ruler of the night, was a work of art. We wished to know how much those Mexican officials really knew about this group of jewels and precious things, so we asked:
"How old are these jewels taken from Tomb No. 7?"
"Four hundred years."
"Do you mean to say those jewels (Concluded on page 37)
A
slim, darkish little man stood in the small shed behind his antique shop and carefully lifted a blue pitcher from the excelsior in the packing box.
"It is a beauty," he said aloud, and his voice sounded as if he were trying to convince himself that this was so.
He gazed at the wide border of bell-shaped flowers and leaves above the quaint landing scene. Be- low the spout he read the words: "General Lafayette at Castle Gar- den, New York, August, 1824." His fingers slid expertly over the shining glazed surface.
"I'll risk it," he thought, as the knob turned on the shed door.
The door opened slowly and a lean, gray-haired man entered. "Mornin', Mr. Lentz," he said in a shrill voice.
"Good morning, Ned," Lentz' voice was steady. "You'll finish cleaning up the walnut desk this morning. And Ned," he continued after a pause, "what do you think of my new pitcher? Rather fine, isn't it?"
Ned took the blue pitcher and looked at it carefully.
"Looks like you've got the real thing there," his voice cracked in excited admiration, as he handed back the pitcher.
Lentz carried the blue pitcher into the shop. He was well pleased. Ned did not dream that it wasn't original, and he had become a pretty fair judge in the last ten years. Ten years! Well, others do it —
He walked deliberately through the darkened shop and placed the blue pitcher on an old cherry table among some dull pewter and shining lustre pieces. Then he went to the front of the shop and raised the shade over the show window. The morning sun shone brightly on the swinging sign beside the door.
BENJAMIN D. LENTZ
DEALER IN GENUINE ANTIQUES
Lentz stood quite still. The sign lied now. All his treasures were
BLUE PITCHER
A SHORT SHORT STORY
Complete on this page
By RUTH H. HELM
genuine— all but one blue pitcher.
When three weeks ago his friend Tyson, a dealer in Philadelphia, had told him confidentially of this firm which was turning out excellent re- productions of historical china, he had not quite realized what it would mean. Tyson had said he'd be a fool not to take advantage of it. Lentz hesitated, then remembered how his wife kept hoping that one day there would be enough money to visit her invalid sister and give her the help she needed. He ordered the pitcher. It had seemed such an easy thing, then —
He began to pace back and forth through the crowded shop. In the old Dutch and corner cupboards the glass, silver, and copper gleamed, for Lentz loved his pieces and had learned to show them off to the best advantage.
Ioday the Chippendale and Sheraton chairs were covered
with a thin layer of dust which did not become their dignity. The daily polishing and dusting were forgot- ten. The restless pacing back and forth continued.
The shop bell rang discordantly through the silent room.
"Good morning, Madam," Lentz said as casually as possible to the keen-faced, glowing woman who entered. "What can I do for you?"
"I'm interested in historical china," the woman replied, as her eyes swept over the tables and shelves. "I'm completing a set for my daughter's wedding present. Oh, the very thing!" she cried out with delight as she spotted the blue pitcher.
She hastened across the room. Lentz followed her uneasily.
"It just matches my set," the woman was saying. "What a find! And proof condition! I needn't ask if it's genuine. Some friends of mine recommended your shop to me. You can't be too careful nowadays with so many fakes on the market."
Lentz winced. He said nothing.
"I'll take it," the woman contin- ued excitedly. "Alice will be so pleased. How much is it? I for- got to ask."
"Seventy-five dollars," Lentz re- plied in a dead voice.
"I'll take it. Will you wrap it carefully, please! Oh, I'm so de- lighted." She pulled out her check book.
"I — I — oh, yes," he was unable to say more.
He took the pitcher and carried it over to the old pine secretary. "Oh, I can't do it! I must tell her," he thought, but he took the paper and twine from the drawer. He was panicky now. His face and hands were cold and moist. He pulled out his handkerchief and mopped his forehead.
Suddenly, he knew what to do. As he slipped the handkerchief back into his pocket, his elbow struck the pitcher. There was a sharp crash. The blue pitcher lay shattered in a dozen pieces on the floor.
The woman cried out in disap- pointment. Lentz caught his breath a moment, then gave a long sigh of relief.
23
Personal Progress Through Wise Money Management
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IN the average home, personal and household finances repre- sent a large scale business when considered over a period of years. The monthly income might seem relatively small and unimportant, but in the aggregate it represents a large sum of money. The average worker earns a total of from $50,000 to $75,000 during a lifetime. Any business of this size is important. In the case of a family it is of particu- lar importance, as it is directly con- cerned with human relationships and personal progress.
A business of this size and impor- tance needs careful and efficient management to produce results. How to manage this large sum of money to obtain economic security, attain educational and religious ob- jectives, and at the same time meet all current needs and requirements is a problem that confronts every family.
According to a recent survey of four hundred and fifty representa- tive students at one of our colleges, conducted by Caroline M. Hen- dricks, it was found that sixty-seven per cent of the group listed financial difficulties as the most distressing and difficult problem to handle in their respective families. While some indicated the difficulty as lack of sufficient funds to do all the things they wanted to do, many stated there was sufficient income but trouble was caused by the manner of distribu- tion and lack of wise expenditure of the family income.
Desired Objectives
M1
[embers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have high ideals. When the spirit of the Gospel enters the lives of people, they are not satisfied to live an ordinary life. There are so many 24
By IRA J. MARKHAM
Weber College
things that can be done to make life richer and fuller and happier. There are so many things to do and such a short time in which to do them. If it is important for the average indi- vidual to conserve his energy and plan his time and resources to ac- complish desired objectives, it is doubly important for members of this Church, who have so much more to accomplish.
The ideals and faith of a family are registered in the goals that are set. The goal for most Latter-day Saint parents is to have a large fam- ily, to give opportunity for an edu- cation above the high school level to each child, and to give them a good start in life. In most cases there is a desire to send the children on missions. Arrangements also must be made to meet all financial require- ments, including the payment of tithes and offerings.
Planning for the future is a direct responsibility of every Latter-day Saint family. We are particularly admonished at this time to "get out of debt," and a financial plan can be adopted to accomplish this de- sired goal. Some guiding principles are here given to help accomplish these objectives.
Formulating a Financial Policy
Y°U cannot afford just to "muddle through" in attempting to reach your goal. Too many mistakes are likely to be made and mistakes are costly. A worthy objective requires intelligent planning to accomplish it in the shortest possible time. No intelligent builder ever attempts to construct a house without a plan. You also need a financial plan to put your "financial house" in order.
Planning for a mission or a college education should be scheduled years in advance of the actual happening. Working and planning for its ac- complishment is training in charac- ter and spiritual development.
Budgeting and Record-Keeping
A vital step in formulating a fi- nancial policy for the family is a decision to work out a budget to accomplish the goals desired. While record-keeping is highly desirable, it is not enough, for many people keep records, yet still have nothing left at the end of the month to do the things they really want to do. A budget is generally considered as a plan, but its meaning is far more comprehensive. It should be a plan for purposeful and profitable living. It is a means of eliminating waste. It is a method of getting the most out of one's income, whatever its size. It is also a guide to financia1
The question before the board
independence. Above all, it insures keeping one's "financial house" in order when used regularly and con- tinually.
When budgeting is really under- stood, it will not be bothersome or uninteresting. If it is irksome to some adults of today, it is because they were never trained to budget when habit formation was easiest, in childhood. You owe it to your children to train them in a system of this kind, as it is one of the best types of training they can receive.
The Family Council
Tn the making of a family budget, all members of the family are given an opportunity to cooperate and participate. It will require a pe- riod of planning, observation, and experimentation before the system can be made to run smoothly and efficiently. It also requires personal management and self-control of a high order to be able to live up to decisions made. This self-discipline, however, is character-building, and is one of the chief benefits received from adopting and living up to a system of this kind.
It is in a program of this kind that the "family council" idea can be used to greatest advantage. A for-
mal business meeting can be called once each month where financial re- ports are presented and financial policies for the future worked out. All members of the family are to participate and feel a direct respon- sibility in decisions made. Try to be as businesslike in your business dealings with your family as you would be with business associates.
The Financial Plan
[" ife is a series of choices. Deci- sions must be made daily as to which is of greater or lesser value; what is of temporary or permanent value. In the monthly family council or "board of directors' ' meeting, the father and mother have an op- portunity to impress the younger members of the family with the need for making decisions between waste and extravagance in the present, or comforts and freedom from worry in later life.
Avoid being dictatorial. Try to lead the discussion and endeavor to let the children feel that it is their own decision.
The amounts to apportion to each of the following general classifica- tions of expenditures will depend on the goals and standards established. Working out the proper apportion-
ments will require a period of trial and experimentation. Mistakes made during the previous month will be discussed and analyzed at the regu- lar business meetings and an effort made to correct the mistakes the following month.
Apportioning the Income
Tithing
"HPhe soul that gives is the soul that lives." The payment of tithes and offerings is an insurance for you and your family here and hereafter. It is a direct investment in eternal values, and as such, it is the very best investment you can make.
Decide to pay your tithing the first Sunday after pay day or as soon as your income is received. Set it aside until paid in a separate com- partment marked "Tithing." This is the Lord's share and is not to be used for any other purpose.
Your family needs the spiritual and character development that comes from the payment of tithes and offerings. It is a proud moment when the father, as chairman of the board of directors, can stand before his family and say, "It is my recom- mendation that we express our gratitude to the Lord for all His blessings to us by paying an honest tithe."
Necessities and Operating Expenses
The amounts set aside to be spent for necessities and operating ex- penses will vary with the size of the family, location, and standard of living. Excessive amounts spent for rent, automobiles, expensive clothes, and costly foods, over and above the amounts that can be justified by your income and position in life, is money wasted in fleeting values.
The true character of the family will be revealed when the board of directors makes a decision between temporary satisfaction of physical appetites, the gratification of world- ly desires, and the greater blessings that come from spending for more enduring values.
"Keeping up with the Joneses" is hard — is it worth the effort and sac- rifices necessary to accomplish? It is a sacrifice. You are undermining your economic security and jeopard- izing the future of your family for fleeting self-gratification in the pres- ent. Why not be a leader? Why do unwise things just because other people do them? ( Co ntinued on page 52)
25
THE COMMON SOURCE OF
One must look heavenward to find the origin of baptism and also to ascertain the origin of the other principles and ordinances of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For the earliest revelations of the plan of salvation to mortals, one should look to father Adam — the first man of our race. Since the Gospel was instituted by God and not by man, its requirements are just as constant and exacting in their composition and operation as are the laws of health or the laws of nature. If any alteration takes place, it can be made only by the almighty Author of the laws. The Lord has said:
All who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions there- of, as were instituted from before the foun- dation of the world.1
The ancient religious records pos- sessed by our generation are so brief that it is impossible to reconstruct in detail the Gospel as lived in the Adamic and other early dispensa- tions. There is, however, enough in- formation preserved to give conclu- sive evidence that baptism is one of the most vital ordinances of the plan of salvation and that it is pos- itively a requisite — fixed and unal- terable— for those who enter into the kingdom of God.2 "Strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life"3 and "the gate by which ye should enter is repentance, and baptism by water; and then comes a remission of your sins by fire, and by the Holy Ghost."*
By heavenly messengers, Adam was taught the doctrine concerning this ordinance, after which he was caught up by the Spirit of the Lord and immersed in water. Then the Holy Ghost descending upon him caused him to "become quickened in the inner man"; thus through faith, repentance, baptism, and confirma- tion, he received a spiritual rebirth.5 Following this experience, "he heard a voice out of heaven, saying, Thou art baptized with fire, and with the Holy Ghost. This is the record of the Father, and the Son, from hence- forth and forever. . . . Behold, thou
iDoc. and Cov. 132:5; 130:20-21.
2Pearl of Great Price, Moses 6:49-67; John 3:1-8; BooA: of Mormon, 2 Nephi 9:23; 31:4-21; Alma 27:14- 16.
3Matthew 7:14; 3 Nephi 14:13; 27:33.
*Book of Mormon, 2 Nephi 31:4-21.
5John 3:1-8,
26
II. BAPTISM
dn. OJtdmcmxjL o$* Qniiirdwti., O&bihipL, and. ibupmLhcddofL
BY
MILTON R.HUNTER,Ph.D.
Assistant, L. D. S. Institute of Religion, Logan, Utah
art one in me, a son of God; and thus may all become my sons."8
Adam taught the principle of bap- tism to his children and they in turn to their children.7 In this way the knowledge and the practice of this holy ordinance was carried on among the children of men from gen- eration to generation as a "golden thread" to which they must cling in order to bring about their own redemption.
However, through apostasy a number of vital changes were made from time to time in the ordinance of baptism. Pagan groups adopted some of the fundamental ideas con- nected therewith but greatly adul-
DR. MILTON R. HUNTER
terated the complete ordinance from the original revelation as given to Adam and as again revealed to the holy prophets during the various Gospel dispensations. Therefore, one finds in ancient and modern re- ligions numerous ways in which baptism has been interpreted and practiced. Where these variances from the original pattern occur, they are man-made and represent a fall-
6Pearl of Great Price, Moses 6:58-67. Vbid., 5:6-15, 58-59.
ing away from the true Gospel or- dinance.
But there are certain constants in the concept of baptism which have maintained themselves in pagan as well as in Christian creeds. These indicate one central source from which they were derived. The roots of these constants extend to the fol- lowing pregnant statements made by the Lord to Adam:
Inasmuch as ye were born into the world by water, and blood, and the spirit, which I have made, and so became of dust a living soul, even so ye must be born again into the kingdom of heaven, of water, and of the Spirit, and be cleansed by blood, even the blood of mine Only Begotten; that ye might be sanctified from all sin, and enjoy the words of eternal life in this world, and eternal life in the world to come, even immortal glory. For by the water ye keep the commandment; by the Spirit ye are jus- tified, and by the blood ye are sanctified.8
Tt has been the practice in many of the ancient as well as modern religions to baptize converts for the avowed purpose of helping to bring about in the worshippers a regener- ation or rebirth. Three types of bap- tism have been popular — that of wa- ter, of Spirit, and of blood. Although interpreted and expressed in a va- riety of ways by different religions, yet the doctrine on which they are constructed has a kinship to the three points in baptism and atone- ment emphasized in the foregoing revelation to Adam.
Whenever the Gospel of Jesus
Christ has been on the earth, the concept of death to the old life and birth into a new spiritual life ac- companying repentance and baptism has been held as one of the cardinal tenets.9 The Master's statement to Nicodemus — "Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God" — is familiar to everyone. Alma taught the Nephites the same Gospel truth. In his own words:
Ye must repent and be born again: for the Spirit saith, if ye are not born again, ye cannot inherit the kingdom of heaven; therefore, come and be baptized unto re-
Vbid 6:59, 60; 1 John 5:5-8.
sBook of Mormon, Mosiah 27:24-32; Alma 36, 5, 18- 28; Ether 26-18; Pearl of Great Price, Moses 6:49-51, 58.
RELIGIOUS TRUTH
'■:■■■■■"'■ ■ ■■ . . ./:
■:'rf:'-:-^-:^l:!'i:'''"'- ■■-■- ::■:':■:
pentance, that ye may be washed from your
sins.
In Titus it is written, "According to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration." Apostle Paul expressed the Christian doc- trine of rebirth in his letter to the Saints in Rome as follows:
Know ye not that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the like- ness of his resurrection.11
The Gospel has always required of mankind not only to accept the outward act of being baptized, but actually to cast aside all sins of the flesh and be born unto Christ into a new life of the spirit — a life of ab- solute righteousness. The ultimate goal of being reborn and attaining an inheritance in the kingdom of God will be reached by following the solemn injunction of the Master wherein he said, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."
Practically every pagan religion that was a vital rival of early Chris- tianity practiced baptism as one of
10Book of Mormon. Alma 7:14.
"Romans 6:3-11; Galatians 3:24-29; 2:19-21.
its rites of initiation.12 The doctrine behind this ordinance was death to the old life and "regeneration or re- birth" into a new life — a spiritual life.13 It connoted a purging of all past sins of the flesh and a birth into a life of the spirit — a life of immor- tality— just as the Christian doctrine of baptism did. The fundamentals of the concept were inherited from the true plan of salvation.
"There can be no salvation with- out regeneration" was emphatically asserted in the Hermetic pagan lit- erature. Plato remarked that "To die is to be initiated." Many differ- ent religious practices were employ- ed by the ancient pagans to engen- der a rebirth in the worshippers, and a number of their ceremonies sym- bolized death to the old life and a new birth. Every serious-minded neophyte in being baptized into the Mystery religions during early Christian centuries passed through the solemn ceremony believing that thereby he became "twice born" — a "new creature." This concept of rebirth and regeneration was para- mount in paganism as early as the sixth century B. C. and remained so until Christianity absorbed the heathenistic cults during the fourth and fifth centuries A. D. Note the
^Samuel Angus, The Mystery Retigions and Chris- tianity, 81-83.
™Ibid., 95-100; Harold Willoughby, Pagan Re- generation, 45. 101, 131-132, 159-161, 196-224.
s
:■<■■■■■■ :■■■■■■ ■: ■■..■....■■..,;■■ . ... ::■■ ■■ . ■ ■■
BAPTISMAL FONT, SALT LAKE TEMPLE
Photograph Copyright by Heber /. Grant, Trustee-in-Trust. All rights reserved.
definiteness of this concept as ex- pressed in the following Mithraic literature translated from a papyrus scroll preserved in Egypt from the first century A, D.
The opening prayer of the liturgy begins :
"O! First spirit of the spirit that is within me! . . . May it please thee to translate me, who am trammelled by the nature which underlies me, to an immortal genesis . , , that I may be born again in spirit." At other points in the documents are recorded: "Though I was born a mortal from a mortal mother . . . having been sanctified by sa- cred ceremonies I am about to gaze with immortal eyes on the immortal aeon . . . O Lord! Having been born again, I pass away, being exalted the while, as thou hast established the law and ordained the sac- rament."11
Dr. Willoughby thinks that "few if any ancient texts contain a clear- er" statement of the "religious ex- perience of rebirth to immortal life than does this Mithraic liturgy. By itself alone it is startling testimony to the prominence of the idea in gen- tile religious circles. ... It is certain that the devotees of Mithra viewed initiation as a rebirth to immortal- ity."15 It should be kept in mind that rebirth as promised in Mithraism {Continued on page 51 )
^Bibliotheque Nationale. Suppl. Gr. 574. See Dieterich, Eine Mithrastiturgie. cited in Willoughby op. cit.. 163-164.
^Willoughby, Ibid.
27
A WOMAN'S PLACE
(Hortense Odium, Charles Scribner's Sons,
New York, 1939. 286 pages. $2.75.)
Women everywhere will wonder just what a woman's place really is, but this book will be a revelation of the fact that women can make any place their place, if they set their minds to it. Mrs. Odium, born Hortense McQuarrie of St. George, Utah, married in Salt Lake City, and soon thereafter found herself with her family transferred to New York. Their struggles both in Salt Lake City, when they married on fifty dollars a month salary, and in New York, where they moved on a hundred dollars a month, offer encouragement to others who wish to succeed. Her as- cendancy to the presidency of Bonwit Teller, nationally famed ladies' shop, was by chance rather than by design. However, having said that she would do what she could, Mrs. Odium threw herself whole- heartedly into the program of renovation and today Bonwit Teller stands tops in the fashion world.
Many good features are emphasized in her autobiography. The average shopper has no consideration for the problems which confront the sales-person. Mrs. Odium points out both sides of this sometimes con- fusing situation. She also inserts in her book little hints which will help women and girls attain poise through being well- dressed.— M. C. J.
QUEER PERSON
(Ralph Hubbard, Illustrated. Doubleday, Doran and Company, Garden City, 1936. 336 pages. $2.00.)
Queer person was a little Indian boy who was deaf and dumb. His in- ability to speak and hear made him an object of fear among the rest of the Indians, with the single exception of granny, an old crone of the tribe. But miraculously his hearing was restored and with hearing came the ability to learn to talk. The adventures which proved his worth make fine reading for all red-blooded boys. The M. I. A. takes great pleasure in recommending this book to all its Scouts. — M. C. J.
ALONE
(Richard Byrd, Illustrated. G. P. Putnam's
Sons, New York, 1938. 296 pages, $2.50.)
Admiral Byrd was four years deciding whether or not he could write the ex- periences included in this book since they were so extremely introspective. Finally, praise be, his friends and associates pre- vailed on him to include his unique ex- periences in this unforgettable volume. One of the most salient beliefs which came to him was that no matter how desolate he might feel, "The human race is not alone in the universe."
In addition to this faith, which is ex- emplified throughout the book, there are other fine lessons which can be learned. One is that true enjoyment of our life must depend on our point of view and not on material possessions. His ability to find enjoyment through music and reading in solitude has much to commend it to our readers.
The Mutual Improvement Associations are happy to recommend it to all members of the Mutual as well as to the M Men- Gleaners, whose reading course book it is.— M. C. J.
28
THIS IS THE PLACE
(Marguerite Cameron. Caxton Printers,
Caldwell, Idaho, 1939. 338 pages.)
Marguerite Cameron's This is the Place is an exceptionally well written and interesting monograph, designed especially for the youth of elementary school age. The scope of the book covers the period 1847 to 1869, with an introduction of 105 pages narrating briefly the important events of pre-Mormon Utah and of Mormon his- tory before the great migration of 1847. By far the greater emphasis, however, is on the important decade of the '50's. The book, therefore, is in no sense a complete history of Utah.
Since the author has used secondary sources almost exclusively — the monograph is in no sense an original contribution to the field of historical scholarship. Even the list of secondary references consulted, is far too limited to permit of any completely satisfactory analysis of this important period. The study, therefore, is far from being definitive or complete, even for the limited purpose for which the book is in- tended.
The value of This is the Place lies chiefly in its appeal to the younger folk, not as an analytical but as a descriptive summary of many of the fascinating incidents connected with the early history of Utah. Its attrac- tive presentation and interesting style will appeal to many readers, young and old, but to the student of history who expects a more scholarly approach, this monograph will have very little appeal. The book is re- plete with illustrative maps and diagrams, some of which, however, unfortunately are inaccurately drawn. Many carefully select- ed photographs add much to the value of the volume. — Dr. L. H. Creer, Associate Professor of History and Political Science, University of Utah.
WHY BABIES?
(Rachel V. Campbell, Illustrated. Macmil- lan Company, New York, 1939. 163 pages. $2.00.)
7V nyone reading this book will stop what- ** ever he or she is doing right now and decide that he or she needs to add more babies to the world — all of which is good tonic today when the temptation is to have more cars, more furs, more jewels, more of anything except babies.
^C
-rtuA9*
FROM "WHY BABIES," BY RACHEL VI0LETTE CAMP3ELL (MACMILLAN)
Breezily, the author takes the reader through "Babies Versus Baths," "Language and Otherwise," "Education by Babies," "The Other Side of the Picture," "Babies Versus Jobs," "School and Other Impedi- ments," "How to Be a Model Mother," and many, many other experiences, spelled with a capital E. This is a book that no mother or prospective mother should miss — to say nothing of the fathers! — M. C. J.
THE MACMILLAN HANDBOOK OF ENGLISH
(John M. Kierzek. The Macmillan Company, New York, 1939. 419 pages.)
FOR all who would learn to write well this book will be a truly great help. For all who have to speak (and who of our Church does not have this to do?) will find this book especially valuable in its constructive helps for dictionary usage, choosing the right word, good usage, triteness, concrete- ness, clearness, and effectiveness.
This book is complete in its grammatical inclusions and very full in its selection of examples to illustrate the points made. We take great pleasure in recommending to all who would improve their spoken or written English, The Macmillan Handbook.
— M. C. /.
THE HOME BOOK OF MODERN VERSE (Burton E. Stevenson. Henry Holt and Company, New York, 1927. 1057 pages.)
Restoring poetry to its rightful place in the reading world is one of the recog- nitions Mr. Stevenson should receive as a result of this truly monumental work. Part I deals with poems of youth and age; Part II, with poems of love; Part III with poems of nature; Part IV with familiar verse and poems, both humorous and satiric; Part V deals with poems of patriotism, history, and legend; Part VI with poems of senti- ment and reflection. From this mere listing of major divisions — not even mentioning the subdivisions which are included under each main heading — readers can see how invaluable this book of poetry should be in every home.
One of the great accomplishments of this compiler is that he has not limited himself to the older, well-known poems and poets; he has included in this volume many of the newer poets whose names have been made in recent years. — M. C. /.
BAMBI'S CHILDREN
(Felix Salten. Bobbs-Merrill Company,
New York, 1939. 315 pages. $2.50.)
' I *o anyone who has read Bambi and Perri, ■*> this new book by the same author will be a necessary purchase. To those who have not been fortunate enough to know Felix Salten's work, this book should serve as an introduction. No one should miss reading Bambi's Children, whether he be old or young.
Into the forest background, the author has introduced a family, that of Bambi and Faline and their two children, Gurri and Geno. Although the fear of man is still uppermost in the minds of the forest-folk, in this book, man saves Gurri from the fox and takes her to his home to recover. Strangely enough, to the animals, the idea of two men fighting was not to be under- stood.
This is a beautiful book which should be in every library. — M. C. J.
A PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR By Solveig Paulson
OH lord, in this new year, May I be strong and quick to see The graces You have planted deep In all creation, tenderly.
I would be wise to see the things worth
while, And generous with Thy gifts to me, Have ready hands for heavy toil, And bear misfortune buoyantly.
I would have healthy, friendly thoughts, Clean swept, like rocks beside the sea, And wit to find life's crevices Packed full of mirth and jollity.
Oh, Lord, may all the days that come Just find me sweet and pliable and free, Like grass that yields itself to wind Then rises, after, gracefully!
AN EPHEMERAL THING By Daisy Constant Drexel
BUT yesterday I was a living thing; Bedecked with tinsel and with baubles hung, I glowed with lights that shimmered, string on string; From carolers, I heard my praises sung. A shining star, a halo for my hair,
A symbol of the lowly Jesus' birth Shed radiance all about me, standing there: A peace and blessed stillness filled the earth.
Today, I have been stripped and cast aside;
I lie among the shadows in the gloom; I feel the thrust of needles in my side;
The passing of the Yuletide sealed my doom. If I but knew they would my spirit keep Through all the year to come, then I could sleep.
MY PRAYER
To a Nurse
By Dorothy Alexander
I dedicate myself today To those who need my tender care. May strength be given me, I pray, To lift the cross that others bear.
When eyes grow dim, and night appears, My faith in Him will calm their fears;
With smiles I'll dry away their tears; Keep me worthy to serve, today.
My sacred trust I'll keep for aye;
My hands will clean and willing be. When duty calls I will obey —
My pledge is as a prayer to me.
And when with tired feet I come —
For rough are roads that must be trod —
Then may He say, "Thy work's well don**. You have walked hand in hand with God."
A PRAYER FOR THE NEW YEAR By Fannie C. Miles
Help me, O Lord, To begin a New Year each day:
To crowd that day with love and service to my family and friends.
To see in them virtues and not vices.
To add one new grain of knowledge to my storehouse of wisdom.
To spare a few minutes each day to com- mune with Nature and absorb her won- ders and beauties.
To feel life growing more wonderful and full of opportunities for service to mankind.
To have more faith in mankind and its strivings to reach higher levels.
To have a greater love for my country and a stronger desire to support her laws and institutions.
To see each passing year not as a mile-stone on life's downward journey but as a stepping-stone to Life Eternal. Amen.
CLIMBING By Edward R. Tuttle
Hours tear along immune to sleep, Relentless in their timing — Shall I ignore their rapid sweep, Or keep Climbing?
Heights are not scaled by dormant dreams- Fruition weaves its rhyming By ardent pulse in fertile beams, It seems, Climbing.
So, when for me at eventide
The Reaper's taps are chiming,
May those who knew me say with pride,
"He died
Climbing."
MUSIC By Maurine Jacobs
The music came, Issuing from your throat Like liquid sunshine, Wanning my soul, And leaving me With hands outstretched To catch the last, Soft, golden ray.
WAKEFUL WINTER NIGHTS
By Eva Willes Wangsgaard
ON WINDS of wintry dark I hear it yet, A woman's smothered weeping in the night, The muffled sobs of one who can't forget, Who shudders more from loneliness than fright. For when the wilderness was under snow
That even hid the friendly wagon track, How heavily a heart would beat, to know The weight of thoughts forever turning back! And cottonwoods gave poor companionship To one who felt her child was insecure, While ice was all their stiffened limbs could grip And "Patience" was their only signature. On wakeful winter nights, one truth is clear: What courage had the woman pioneer!
LINES TO A SCULPTOR By Linnie Fisher Robinson
T stood before your handiwork today,
*■ The beauty that you've wrought in solid
stone; I sensed its grace and symmetry at once, So gave myself to catch its smallest tone.
And something long lain mute within me
roused — Some smothered dreams, that I thought dead
and gone, Awoke, in a new kinship with your soul, Through miracle of rock turned into song.
VALUES
(To my son's teachers)
By Pauline Soroka Chadwell
/~\h, weigh your values well this year ^-^ And give him what he needs so much — Make Truth and Tolerance so clear That he will never lose their touch.
In these days of a world's dark strife, When few ideals are still left whole,
Put more than words into his life — Remember that he has a soul.
Oh, give his new wings greater span, And clean his heart of fear and hate;
Quicken his sympathy for man —
Until then, "Greek" and "Math" can wait!
■ ♦ ■
A BOOK IS A DOOR By Julia W. Wolfe
Pictures are windows to many lands, *■ But a book is a door that ready stands To him who will open and go outside Where the rivers and plains are free and
wide. Pictures are windows through which we
look, But the door of the world may be a book.
29
RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENCY, BOARD REORGANIZED
Appointed to succeed Louise Y. ^^ Robison as president of the Na- tional Woman's Relief Society is Amy Brown Lyman, wife of Dr. Richard R. Lyman of the Council of the Twelve, and internationally known social wel- fare leader, who has served as first counselor to Sister Robison since 1928.
Counselors named to act in the new presidency are Marcia Knowlton How- ells and Donna Durrant Sorensen, who succeed Sister Lyman and former sec- ond counselor Kate M. Barker. Vera White Pohlman has been appointed general secretary and treasurer, the position formerly held by Julia A. F. Lund.
The entire personnel of the general board have also been released, new members to be appointed by the incom- ing presidency, who take over the di- rection of the organization January 1, 1940.
According to a statement issued by the First Presidency of the Church, who express profound thanks and deepest gratitude for the devotion and service of the retiring officers and members, the change has been made "pursuant to the plan which they in- augurated when they reorganized the Young Women's Mutual Improvement Association — namely, to change with some frequency the general boards of the auxiliary organizations of the Church."
PRIMARY PRESIDENCY, BOARD REORGANIZED
I^Iay Green Hinckley, wife of ■'■'■*■ Bryant S. Hinckley, until recently president of the Northern States Mis- sion, has been appointed general super- intendent of the Primary Association, succeeding Miss May Anderson.
Released with Sister Anderson, who has devoted some fifty years to Pri- mary work, fourteen of them as super- intendent, are the entire general board and her counselors, Isabelle S. Ross and Edith Hunter Lambert, and general secretary Mary R. Jack.
Selection of counselors to form the new presidency and the appointment of a new general board will be made later.
CHURCH CARETAKERS DISCUSS IMPROVEMENTS
A bout two hundred custodians rep- "*"* resenting 134 wards in the Salt Lake and Davis County areas met in Salt Lake November 16, to learn ob- jectives of a grounds beautification program and receive instruction in ways to achieve them. Among the speakers were W. F. Nauman, head gardener at the Salt Lake Temple
30
grounds, Robert H. Marchant, custodi- an of Yalecrest Ward, and W. Trauf- fer, Granite-Highland Stake House cus- todian. Irvin S. Nelson showed color- ed pictures of Church beautification projects already carried out. Bishop M. O. Ashton of the Presiding Bishopric was in charge of the meeting, which was conducted by James M. Kirkham.
CALIFORNIA SEES MORE STAKE CHANGES ■\T7hat was until recently the Holly- vv wood Stake has been divided into two units to be known as the Inglewood Stake and the Los Angeles Stake, and what has been known as the Los Angeles Stake has been re- named the South Los Angeles Stake. Changes were effected November 19, 1939, to provide for increasing Church
membership in Southern California, and in keeping with a policy to fit stake names to geographical location.
Appointed to preside over the new Inglewood Stake are Alfred E. Rohner as president, and E. Garrat Barlow and George C. Sheiss as counselors. Presi- dent Wilford G. Edling and his coun- selors Preston D. Richards and Ray Pettit of the nominally dissolved Holly- wood Stake have been retained to di- rect the new Los Angeles Stake. No changes were effected in leadership of the former Los Angeles Stake, now known as South Los Angeles Stake.
Reorganization was accomplished under the direction of Elder Stephen L Richards of the Council of the Twelve and Elder Rufus K. Hardy of the First Council of Seventy.
MISSIONARIES LEAVING FOR THE FIELD FROM THE SALT LAKE MISSIONARY HOME ARRIVED NOVEMBER 13— DEPARTED NOVEMBER 23, 1939
First row, left to right: Reese B. Mason, Leo P. Seibold, Harold B. Gunnell, Lizzie Sutton, Ardis Jorgensen, Jacqueline Timmerman, Newell B. Stevenson, Conrad Campbell Huntsman, John B. Jones.
Second row: President Don B. Colton, Lloyd M. Smith, Edwin E. Smith, Lowell Stalling?, Doris L. Rose, Phyllis Nelson, Bruce Kelly, Dee W. Lewis, Clyde Norman Fuller, Win. E. Berrett, instructor.
Third row: Rex L. Park, David B. Roberts, Andrew E. Anderson, Grace York, Pauline D. Winkel, Bernice Tidwell, Grant H. Elliott, Gamer D. Wood, Ray 0. Walker.
Fourth row: Warren D. Curtis, F. Ralph Kotter, Royce S. Bringhurst, Melvin Van Orden, Grant S. Sorensen, Rex A. Bunderson, Ervin Clark, Vaughn B. Wonnacott, Rao Sorensen, Donald E. Madson.
Fifth row: Darwin Rawlings, William E. Newman, J. Logan Bee, Sterling B. Rich, Arnold Johnson, Kenneth N. Gardner, Evan Bird, Thurman A. Burch, Reed G. Gillespie.
Sixth row: Bernard Wm. Walker, Arthur D. Slater, Chase Shurtz, R. Garn Cowley, Blair R. Nielsen, Spencer Neff, Owen S. Gardner, R. Otterstrom, Art Spencer.
Seventh row: Ramon S. Wilcox, Lynn W. Caspar, Ralph A. Lemon, George W. Coon, Max Eugene McKinnon, Rulon Fox, William W. Gunnell, Glen Youngberg, Lawrence R. Mortensen, Bruce Tueller.
Eighth row: Heber J. Gilbert, David B. Fretwell, Read Putnam, Emm. Lorin Merkley, Alden R. Ayres, Robert Kirby Bench.
MISSIONARIES LEAVING FOR THE FIELD FROM THE SALT LAKE MISSIONARY HOME ARRIVED NOVEMBER 27— iDEPARTED DECEMBER 7, 1939.
First row, left to right: Gerald Daniels, Othella Adams, June Lucier, Mrs. Don B. Colton, Mabel Foulger, Louise Christensen, Afton Christensen, John W. Allen, Hyrum V. Pope.
Second row: Kenneth H. Nelson, Robert Fisher, Norman T. Johnson, Marvin E. Fredrickson^ President Don B. Colton, Kenneth Morrison, Ether W. Westmoreland, Dean Smith, John V. Wright, Quintin V. Christensen.
Third row: Bob Teichert, Ford Call, George Balmforth, J. Basil Manwaring, Leone Paul, Earl Tew, Eacl Francom, Reed Wasden, Eugene Ericksen.
Fourth row: Leonard Brostrom, Leonard Meyerhoffer, Lyle E. Clement, Alvin LeRoy Tolman, Joseph W. Kay, Melvin N. Carlisle, Berthel Bergeson, Joseph Davies, Jr., Stanford Larson, Grant M. Gerber.
Fifth row: Walter E. Fridal, Jr., J. Rodney Moore, Follet Sanders, Clyde Miller, Paul Black, Alfred ft, Nielsen, Val. E. Rigby, Dick Smith, Harold Vaughn Simper.
Sixth row: Hyrum G. Smith, John D. Petterborg, Etdridge Threet, Lee Bailey, B. Grant Pugh, Rjussefc Schow, Gordon Jenson, Carmi Campbell, Harry T. Lynds.
Seventh row: Jack Price, Ira J. Burton, Dean M. McDonald, Milton C. Abrams, Cecil Gibby, Glenn Short, Wm. E. Berrett, instructor; Wallace F. Toronto, instructor.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, JANUARY, 1940
COTTONWOOD STAKE GETS NEW PRESIDENCY
Cucceeding President Samuel E. *"* Bringhurst, former second counse- lor William S. Erekson was sustained November 12, as president of the Cot- tonwood Stake. New counselors in the presidency are }. Ephraim Wahl- quist and Verl F. McMillan. R. W. Madsen, Jr., was released as first coun- selor in the old presidency.
Reorganization was effected by El- der George Albert Smith of the Coun- cil of the Twelve and Elder Samuel O. Bennion of the First Council of Seventy.
MANTI TEMPLE RENOVATED
An extensive improvement program *"* for the Manti Temple is being carried out, including building renova- tion and landscaping. Plans include the repairing of the west steps and placing of new curbing north of the temple. Two large upper rooms inside will be renovated and carpeted, and smaller rooms painted. The large room used at the time of dedication but never completed will be repaired and used in the future.
MORMON THEOLOGY TAUGHT AT U. S. C.
Professor of Latter-day Saint the- ology at the University of Southern California is Dr. G. Byron Done of Los Angeles, who carries on a work suc- cessfully inaugurated by Dr. John A. Widtsoe of the Council of the Twelve. Dr. Done has been director of the L. D. S. Institute of Religion and of the Des- eret Clubs of Southern California. He was graduated from the University of Utah in 1928, and has studied at Brig- ham Young University, University of Southern California, and University of Chicago. He filled a mission in the Central States.
MARKER COMMEMORATES PIONEER-INDIAN TREATY
7V BRONZE plaque bearing a facsimile "^ of a peace treaty made between Ute Indians and eighteen white fam- ilies, early Mormon pioneers, in the fertile Provo River valley in 1 867, was dedicated in Heber City on November 19. Mounted on native sandstone and petrified wood, the marker was erected under the auspices of Wasatch County Daughters of Utah Pioneers on the grounds of the Wasatch Stake taber- nacle. It was unveiled by Mrs. Jane Hatch Turner, first president of the county D. U. P.
Speaker at the ceremonies was Mrs. Oscar A. Kirkham, granddaughter of Bishop Joseph S. Murdock, leader of the settlers and framer of the treaty. Participating also were Elder Richard R. Lyman of the Council of the Twelve, and two Wasatch County pioneers who witnessed the signing of the pact.
MONUMENT HONORS APOSTLE HYDE
HHo the memory of Apostle Orson Hyde, who proclaimed the restored Gospel in Europe, Asia, and America, and dedicated Palestine for the return of the Jews, a marker of Vermont granite has been erected by the Church at the site of his grave in Spring City, Utah, where he died on November 28, 1878. An inscription on one side of the monument calls him "Defender of truth, preacher of righteousness."
CITY, WARD JOIN TO CREATE PARK
"\17hat was once an unsightly four '^ acres of ground adjoining the re- modeled Lewiston First Ward chapel has recently been converted into a civic beauty spot through the coopera- tion of the city with the Church in a beautification project. Facilities have been provided to make the re-land- scaped area serve as a picnic and recre- ational center.
CACHE, ST. GEORGE, PORTLAND STAKES REORGANIZED
T Tnder the direction of visiting mem- *"'*■ bers of the Council of the Twelve and the First Council of Seventy, re- organization of three stakes was ef- fected at quarterly conferences held Sunday, December 3, 1939.
In the Cache Stake, Alma Sonne, second counselor in the former presi- dency, was named stake president, with William Evans, Jr., and Franklin D. Richards as counselors. Retiring of- ficers are President Joseph E. Cardon and First Counselor Walter M. Ev- erton, both of whom served for the last twenty years.
In the St. George Stake, Harold S. Snow, president of the St. George Temple, was appointed stake presi- dent, succeeding President William O. Bentley. Sustained as counselors were Bishop Vernon Worthen of the St. George West Ward and William H. Prince, who replaced Wilford W. Mc- Arthur and Orval Hafen. George E. Miles is retiring clerk, having served since 1916.
In the Portland Stake, George L. Scott was installed as stake president, with Lewis A. West and Harold O. Candland as counselors. President Scott succeeds President M. L. Bean.
CHURCH RECEIVES NAUVOO COLLECTION
7V valuable collection of furniture ■^ and other relics from the Mansion House, Nauvoo home of the Prophet Joseph Smith, has been presented to the Church by Herbert S. Auerbach, Salt Lake business man and civic leader, who has spent some thirty-five years in gathering the historic items and in estab- lishing their authenticity. Reconstruct- ing many details of the daily life of the
Nauvoo period, and including several pieces made by Brigham Young as cabinet-maker, the collection is being housed temporarily in the Bureau of Information museum on Temple Square.
PAROWAN RESTORES OLD CHURCH HALL
'T'he Parowan Tabernacle, old rock *■■ landmark built in 1867 under the direction of Brigham Young and for many years used as religious and recre- ational center, has been restored, and the public square surrounding it con- verted into a park. The building, for a number of years abandoned in favor of larger and more recent structures, will be used as a relic hall by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. Jan- uary 13, the community's birthday, will see a special celebration in honor of the completed renovation.
November 8, 1939
Upon his return from a visit to the Taylor Stake in Alberta, Canada, Pres- ident Rudger Clawson of the Council of the Twelve, reported the following dedications and appointments:
Dedication of the Raymond Second Ward chapel and the Sterling Ward recreation hall.
Appointment of Olaf Dehlin Erick- son as bishop of the Sterling Ward, succeeding Bishop Arthur Fawns, who has served the past thirty-five years. Counselors to Bishop Erickson are Thomas Tone Ogden and Lyman Clark Harding.
November 12, 1939
President Heber J. Grant dedicated the Riverton Second Ward chapel, built at a cost of $61,000. Franklin E. Seal is bishop, with William Mason and Mahonri Butterfield, counselors.
November 19, 1939
D. Golden Carlston, bishop, with N. Stanley Brady and Silven V. Peterson, counselors, succeeded Bishop Henry W. Jones and Allie L. Carlston and William E. Rigby, counselors, as bish- opric of the Fairview North Ward. Val Dean Stewart was selected ward clerk, replacing Albert Stewart. Bishop Jones served as bishop for eleven years and for nineteen years as a member of the bishopric.
New bishop of the Henefer Ward is Norman T. Richins, succeeding W. Earl Calderwood, recently set apart as first counselor in the Summit Stake pres- idency. Merl Fowler was selected first counselor; Roy Richins, second coun- selor; and John W. Jones, ward clerk.
Succeeding Bishop Robert S. Hillier, who has been appointed second coun- selor in the Summit Stake presidency, Reed E. Brown was named bishop of the Hoytsville Ward, with Kenneth N. Durrant and Ralph Wright as coun- selors. New ward clerk is Roy Judd.
November 24, 1939
The Grantsville Second Ward {Concluded on page 53)
31
fcdit&uaL
y&wiL fcruL
As we close the book of the year that has passed, and open a new ledger for the accounts of another part of life, may it not be forgotten that the creditors of eternity are more inexorable than Scrooge or the proverbial Shylock. The books may be closed, but the accounts must still be paid.
In the eternal journey of a human soul, there is no act of bankruptcy which can quickly free us of the shackles of our debts to life, and the kind of judgments in which the Lord God deals do not become outlawed by a Statute of Limitations.
Man may settle his obligations for a few cents on the dollar here, but the coin of the realm here- after is not subject to discount, and every debt will be paid, both for good and for ill. And with the reality of such facts in mind it is well to open the New Year. — R. L. E.
HPhe Federal Bureau of Investigation third quar- terly bulletin for 1939 on crime in the United States and its possessions, reveals many startling and disturbing facts, one of the most shockingly unpleasant of which is that crime begins early.
During the first nine months of 1939 there were more arrests for age nineteen than for any other single group.
The groups for which the largest number of arrests oc- curred during the first nine months of 1939 are as follows, (in the order named) : Ages nineteen, eighteen, twenty-two, twenty-one, twenty-three!
What it means to the criminologist the unemo- tional record does not say, but what it means to parents in general and to Latter-day Saints in par- ticular, is a question that must be asked and an- swered.
Every home, every father and mother whom the Lord has charged with the responsibility of chil- dren, must face the facts. By every act of our lives, by every influence of our homes, by every prayer of our hearts, by every word we speak, we must draw closer to us our children and all of the young people of our communities, and give them a moral armament that will be proof against every brazen or subtle thrust of evil.
The school can do something, the Church can help — but it is a job that is best done man to man — a father to a son, a mother to a daughter, brother to a brother, or neighbor to a friend. And what happens when someone shirks this solemn and
ceaseless crusade is a story of broken spirits and frustrated lives that cannot begin to be told by the mere tabulations of a bureau report. — R. L. E.
(L JhibidsL io d&suL-dtwsL
'"Pwenty-five years ago, a girl climbed onto a bi- cycle and rode many miles on a dusty road in order to earn a Bee-Hive seal. On another occa- sion, she invited the other members of her swarm to her home, where she made some baking powder biscuits which she served with home-made butter and jelly, that she might obtain another seal. On another day, she mended her own clothes and darned some of her brothers' stockings that she might receive her precious seal.
Twenty-five years ago, she had no idea what the Bee-Hive program was doing for her; she knew merely that she was working and playing hard in almost every field of activity in order that she might complete the Bee-Hive work which had been initi- ated that year. Today as she looks in retrospect on that work, she knows some of the things that were being accomplished. Bee-Hive was helping her hurdle a period of life that might otherwise have ended unhappily. This girl was just as thousands of other girls are, full of life and fairly aching to do things — which she did! When she was not directed, she did things for which she was sorry afterwards, not that she wanted to do the wrong things so much as that she wasn't quite sure what was right and what was wrong. The Bee-Hive class, however, came to fill a real need in her life. She could swim, cycle, dance, cook, and sew — not only because she should, but also because she could win some recognition while doing these things.
One of the most fundamental characteristics of humanity is the need for recognition. This need to feel that one is essential to the progress of the world is inherent in mankind. For this one girl, twenty-five years ago, and for countless thousands of others at that time and during the succeeding years, Bee-Hive work has answered that need.
At times, leading groups of high-strung, head- strong youngsters will become difficult. But if teachers capture the spirit of Bee-Hive work, they will find that from this questioning group of young- sters will come a revival of interest in all things, in a younger point of view which will repay for all the effort necessary in teaching this volatile group of girls. Leaders will also gain satisfaction in knowing that they are helping the girls grow from uncertain girlhood into glorious woman- hood.—M. C. /.
32
Evidences and reconciliations
xx. U)hi^ did QoMph. SmiiPc, Jthn (pADpheL, m&d JthsL hsdpL d^ Mvl IAjuwl and JAummufL?
'"Phe Urim and Thummim are mentioned in the Bible in connection with priestly functions. They were to be used in making the will of the Lord clear and comprehensible to the priest. Aaron was instructed to wear the Urim and Thummim "upon his heart," when he went to secure "judgment" from the Lord, and his successors were instructed to use the Urim and Thummim when they asked "counsel" from the Lord. Even with their use, Saul was unable to secure answer. Clearly, the Urim and Thummim were used in official communication with the Lord. Beyond that, little is known of them. {See Exodus 28:30; Leviticus 8:8; Num- bers 27:21; Deuteronomy 33:8; I Samuel 28:6; and Ezra 2:63; Neh. 7:65.)
In modern times the Urim and Thummim re- appear. The Prophet Joseph Smith records that the angel Moroni said that "there was a book de- posited, written on gold plates . . . also, that there were two stones in silver bows . . . and these stones fastened to a breastplate, constituted what is called the Urim and Thummim . . . deposited with the plates; and the possession and use of these stones were what constituted 'Seers' in ancient or former times, and that God had prepared them for the purpose of translating the book." {History of the Church, Vol. 1, p. 12.)
When the actual work of translation began, the Urim and Thummim were found to be indispens- able. In various places the statement is made that the translation was made "by means of the Urim and Thummim." ( Doctrine and Covenants 10:1.) On one occasion, when the Prophet, through the defection of Martin Harris, lost a portion of the manuscript translation, the Urim and Thummim were taken from him, and the power of translation ceased. Upon the return of the sacred instruments, the work was resumed. (History of the Church, Vol. 1, p. 23.) While the Prophet was undoubt- edly required to place himself in the proper spiritual and mental attitude, before he could use the Urim and Thummim successfully, yet it must also be con- cluded that the stones were essential to the work of translation.
Most of the early revelations to Joseph Smith were obtained by the use of the Urim and Thum- mim. Speaking of those early days the Prophet usually says, "I enquired of the Lord through the Urim and Thummim, and obtained the following." (History of the Church, Vol. I, pp. 33, 36, 45, 49 and 53. ) The "stones in silver bows" seemed there- fore, to have possessed the general power of making spiritual manifestations understandable to Joseph Smith.
The Prophet did not always receive revelations by the aid of the Urim and Thummim. As he grew in spiritual power, he learned to bring his spirit into such harmony with divinity that it became, as it were, a Urim and Thummim to him, and God's will was revealed without the intervention of ex- ternal aids. This method is clearly, though briefly, expressed in one of the early revelations.
Behold, you have not understood; you have supposed that I would give it unto you, when you took no thought save it was to ask me. But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it is right. But if it be not right you shall have no such feelings, but you shall have a stupor of thought that shall cause you to forget the thing which is wrong; therefore, you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given from me. (See Doctrine and Covenants, 9:7-9.)
Similarly, the Book of Mormon sets forth the
conditions which enable a person to receive divine
communications without special outside means.
And when you shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost. And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things. (Moroni 10:4, 5.)
That is, truth may become known, when one places himself in harmony or tune with the require- ments of the subject in hand.
The possession of the Urim and Thummim, with their purpose and use, really becomes a strong evidence of the truth of Joseph Smith's message. It is a commonplace of science that the senses of man are so poor as to make them inadequate to discover more than a small fraction of universal truth. Indeed, with unaided senses, man stands helpless before the many phenomena of nature. It is an equally elementary fact that aids to the senses of man, when found, open up larger and new vistas of knowledge. Every aid to human sense becomes, in fact, a door to a new field of scientific exploration.
The history of science is largely the story of the accumulation of aids to man's senses. By the use of a glass prism, ordinary sunlight is broken into the many prismatic colors; a sensitive thermometer reveals heat rays above the red end of the spectrum; a photographic plate reveals the existence of dif- ferent rays at the violet end of the spectrum; uranium glass changes the invisible rays at the violet end of the spectrum into light rays; a mag- netic needle makes known the presence of a low tension electric current in a wire; the magnetic cur- rents over the earth are indicated by the compass; by X-rays the bones of the body are made visible; a great telescope is now being built which will enable the human eye to see light, of the intensity of a small candle, 40,000 miles away. Such ex- amples might be greatly multiplied.
Joseph Smith was but a humble, inexperienced lad. He was assigned a tremendous task. His need of help such as the Urim and Thummim, until by mighty prayer and effort his body and spirit became spiritually "tuned," seems both logical and scientific.
( Concluded on page 37 )
/">
16
33
Buy. . J
ALL
Foods such as sal- a d s, sandwiches, cold meats, fish, to- matoes — all need Tang, the perfect, year-around dress- ing. Better buy . . . quarts.
Hotcakes. waffles, French toast — need the rich, satisfying flavor of this delicious syrup. Better buy . . . Lum- ber Jack Syrup, prefer- red by men. In tins or convenient jugs.
To give salads a lift — to make them rich, not flat, better buy . . . Nalley's Mayon- naise — the Mayon- naise that makes a meal a masterpiece.
The products of Nalley's are all "better buys" from the standpoint of quality and value for the money. Their superior flavors, upon which their popularity has been won, are not duplicated.
Note: Lumber Jack, with its pleas- ing imitation maple flavor, is a blend of fine sugars. Large quan- tities of U. & I. sugar are used in the making.
NAlLEYi
Manufacturers of Quality Foods
(NALLEVS;
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?{ominq^
VOICES AND VIRTUES
Many a man, from peanut seller to politician, has made his fortune by his speaking voice. The silver-tongued orator, like the golden-throated operatic star, can turn his capital into cash. The men and women who can spell- bind millions by their speech from pulpit, platform, stage, or broad- casting station are rare, and their rewards are commensurate with their talent.
No one can create such a voice; it springs largely from purely physical equipment, though it may be strong- ly fortified by training and intelli-i gence. But everyone can develop a pleasant voice, perhaps even a beautiful one, except in cases of ac- tual physical deformity. It is well worth while. Who wants to whine or bark, snarl or mumble his career away?
There is no simple rule for devel- oping a beautiful voice. But years ago, playing one night with the other shrieking neighbor children under a street lamp, I heard a passing grown- up quote without comment to her noisy niece:
Her voice was ever soft, Gentle, and low, an excellent thing in woman.
It was an accidental lesson in vocal training, but effective. As a motto for developing a conversa- tional voice, King Lear's description of Cordelia is excellent — not only for woman, but for man or child also. Consider how unpleasant are the conversational opposites: stri- dent, harsh, and blatant.
When one has achieved Cordelia's qualities of speech, another is needed to keep a voice delightful. It is
"JhsLdswiL Jiailv not itl
jo/l jcWww $&l IhsL hswUiL tilUL CL aw&qL judiol"
By SUSAN FULTON
Formerly Speech Professor, Parsons College
WHERE HAS THE DARK GONE? By Nell Cox
WHERE has the dark gone? It was here in the night Just before Mother turned on the light. I thought I'd ask Grandma; though she's
blind and can't see, She's the dearest Grandma and tells stories to me.
"Where has the dark gone?" Grandma so
wise Said, "It is hiding right here in my eyes." Now the dark has no terrors; gone are my
fears; Tis the same dark dear Grandma has lived
in for years!
variety. This ideal of a beautiful speaking voice is illustrated by an- other childhood memory, from a story by the author of Anne of Green Gables. Some girls in a little coun- try neighborhood were trying to get names for their missionary society quilt. Five cents put your name on an outside corner, ten cents in the center of a small block, and twenty- five cents in the center of the quilt. Somehow Sara Stanley and her cousins, Felicity and Cecily, failed to collect many names. Cecily, the most timid of all of them, suggested that they go to a crusty old bachelor nearby, and ask him to contribute. The thought almost scared them to death, but they went. He told them he didn't believe in foreign missions, and he didn't want his name on the quilt among a lot of old women's names; but he wouldn't mind giving them something if Sara Stanley, who had quite a local reputation as a story teller, would tell him one. Cheeks flaming with embarrassment, the "story girl" took up the challenge. When she finished, the delighted old curmudgeon gave her a dollar. But he asked her, before she went, to say the multiplication table. She began, "one times one." At first she felt indignant because she thought he was making fun of her.
34
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, JANUARY, 1940
Homing
but by the time she reached "six times six" she had grown tolerant of his foibles; when she reached "nine times nine" she was pitying the trouble and folly in the world. Then she was sad, but soon she began to see a little hope, as if a tragic story had come to a turning point, and amusement bubbled up into her voice until when she reached "twelve times twelve," it sounded as if the multi- plication table was the funniest joke in the world.
The man took a deep breath and said, "Well! The other day I read of a woman, 'Her voice would have made the multiplication table beau- tiful.' I did not believe that was possible. Now I know it is."
"A voice that would make the multiplication table beautiful!" That is what we want. After all, why should it be hard to obtain? Be- ginning with a soft, gentle, low voice, which anyone can have for the trying, unless his vocal organs are deformed or abnormal, we need only build on that for flexibility, va- riety, interestingness.
That leaves two questions: How
to acquire a soft, gentle, low voice
is the first. The second is how to
acquire flexibility, which will make
a voice expressive and consequently
interesting. The advantages of a
beautiful voice are obvious in every
form of social life. As Byron said:
The devil hath not, in all his quiver's choice An arrow for the heart like a sweet voice.
Except occasionally for a profes- sional student of the subject, it is almost useless to try to learn physi- ological facts about voice production in the hope of drawing helpful con- clusions from them. In spite of all the years it has been studied, voice culture is still in the experimental stage. It still seems to be a fact that the best way to train a voice is by imitation — provided one can get a good model. In order to have a pleasant speaking voice, all one needs is determination and common sense.
Tn voice training, one factor makes generalizations almost impossible. That is individual differences. To begin with, there are abnormalities caused by adenoids or tonsils or cleft palate or teeth too far apart. More- over, the organs of speech belonging to one person always differ slightly in structure from those of every other. But even differences due to physical variety are not all that we (Concluded on page 36)
££
What Every Woman Knows
•>!
(jrfhsrfhjZ/L you're an "old hand" at baking, or a newly-wed begin- ner you'll get better baking results with dependable Globe "Al" Flour — -milled to work perfectly with modern fast-creaming shortenings and modern ovens. Try Globe "Al" next time you need flour — your grocer sells itl
Your Folks Will Like These
ENGLISH BUTTER COOKIES
2 cups GLOBE "Al" Flour
1 cup sugar 1 large egg
1/2 teaspoon soda 1 cup butter
Sift flour, measure, add sugar and soda and sift again. Rub in butter thoroughly and moisten with well-beaten egg. Add more flour if necessary, to make a stiff dough. Knead the dough well, shape into rolls, and place in refrigerator to become hard enough to slice -thin. Make a mixture of beaten egg. V4 CUP sugar and fine chopped walnuts. Spread some of this mixture on each cooky and bake in a hot oven (400°) about 8 to 10 minutes.
LISTEN TO "Mary Foster, Th« Edilor't Daughter" KNX-KSFO 5:30 P. M. Every Mondoy Through Fridoy
35
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, JANUARY, 1940
Homing
{Continued from page 35) find in voices. There are others due to emotional life, and sometimes they are the most important of all.
If one has a poor voice, and the defects are due to unchangeable structure of the vocal organs, he must make the best of it. But he should make sure of the cause. A person who has "talked through his nose" — that is, without nasal reson- ance— because of adenoids, and has the adenoids removed, often goes on talking in the same distressing way. Habit has so accustomed him to the sound of his own voice that he does not realize how it might be im- proved. If his attention is called to the trouble, he may learn to speak with good nasal resonance. Most cases of adult lisping, or inability to pronounce other consonants than s, have no organic root but are due to laziness. Most children lisp or transpose consonants when they are learning to talk, but ordinarily these childish habits are overcome as the child masters the language. Some- times these habits persist. The longer they last the harder they are to get rid of, but they can be elimi- nated.
Before one becomes discouraged with his voice, he must be sure of another thing : namely, that his nor- mal, everyday voice, if unpleasant in some way, has not become so by imitation rather than by nature. There are very few voices which cannot be trained to be pleasant. There are all too few which are. It is so easy to be influenced. In grade school it is often possible to tell how pupils will talk by listening to the teacher. For that reason a certain school superintendent will never hire a teacher until he has heard her talk. When we are quite young, learning how to master our voices, it is only natural that we should pattern them after the voices we hear most. A whining or shrill- voiced mother will be annoyed by hearing her children whine or shriek. The apocryphal Indian children reared by the wolves had wolf- sounds for voices, because that was all the speech they knew. The vari- ations in American speech between Boston and the Middle West or the South are not due to inheritance, but to imitation. But any one who has a shrill voice, or a harsh voice, a level voice or a guttural voice, should ex- change it for a pleasanter type imme- diately.
Ideas of beauty in voices differ, 36
but everyone knows and likes a pleasant voice. This is the answer to the first question: "How acquire a soft, gentle, low voice?": Be pleasant. Be calm and kind. Your vocal organs will do the rest by themselves.
[T Tnless its owner is an accom- plished actor, a voice will betray the emotional state of a speaker. A student secretly depressed attended dramatic school one summer. "A pleasant voice, but too sad," the head of the school criticized. Back in col- lege, she studied speech. "You speak well," said the professor, "but why so sad?" In graduate school in an- other state, the head of the speech department made the same com- plaint. Unanimous in their criti- cisms, the teacher never could sug- gest any remedy but cheering up. Eventually it worked.
Voices also give intellectual im- pressions. You can measure the im- portance a speaker attaches to his thought by the time he takes to say it. Once in a while some pompous person trains himself to talk as if he were responsible for the welfare of nations, and takes half an hour to make some trite remark about the weather, but most of us are better judges of what we say, and rattle on at a great rate. For anyone who talks too fast, the advice should not be to slow down, but to think more. No one wants to talk so fast as to appear scatterbrained; neither does anyone wish to be so weighted down by self-importance that he extracts words from his mind as if they were teeth.
Then, how acquire flexibility? This would not be a serious problem if we were not trained from child- hood to conceal our emotions as much as possible. Vocal flexibility comes from changes in tension in the muscles involved, and these changes come from changes in the whole body, which are the expres- sion of an emotional state. Nor- mally, all one needs to do is to think and feel deeply, and the voice will take care of itself. But if you have taught yourself a level voice, in- tended to conceal instead of to re- veal meaning, or have the habit of talking in a monotone, or breathily as if you are frightened, or gutturally as if you are a little angry or gruff, you must first make up your mind to express beautiful thoughts and feel- ings in the most effective way pos- sible, and then go ahead and do it.
There will always be times for every speaker when he wants to ex- press gloom or sorrow or anger or indignation, but his voice will take care of those when they come. No need to practise them! Cultivate in- stead an appreciation of the finer sensibilities, and do not be afraid to show it in your voice.
Flexibility is simply the result of changes in thought and feeling. There are vocal exercises by which it can be increased artificially, but they are not half so valuable as rich experience. The old-fashioned vir- tue of a kindly disposition and an understanding mind will do more to create a pleasant voice than all the exercises in all the speech books yet written.
yyioJuL (popidoUL jtkcut. evsJt!
'Milk White" Eggs are being used at all M. I. A. Cooking Schools
EAT MORE EGGS -THE PERFECT FOOD
UTAH POULTRY PRODUCERS' CO-OP ASSOCIATION
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, JANUARY, 1940
Homing
THE COOK'S CORNER
By Barbara Badger Burnett
Filled Baked Potatoes
Bake medium-sliced potatoes. Cut slice from top, scoop out potato, mash and sea- son with salt, Clover Leaf Butter, and Clover Leaf Milk. Fill potato shells half full of Deviled Crab. Pile potato mixture on top and brown in a hot oven.
Deviled Crab
1 cup Three Diamonds Brand Crabmeat 34 cup mushrooms, chopped fine
2 tablespoons Clover Leaf Butter 2 tablespoons Globe Al Flour
1 cup Clover Leaf Milk
2 Milk White egg yolks salt and pepper
1 teaspoon finely chopped parsley
Make a sauce of the butter, flour, and milk. Add the beaten egg yolks, seasoning, crabmeat, and mushrooms. Cook three minutes and add the parsley. Put in potato shells or ramkins, and bake in a hot oven for ten minutes.
Noodle Delight
1 package Globe Al Noodles 1 pound round steak ground x/2 pound pork steak ground 1 onion chopped
1 can corn
2 cups tomato sauce American cheese
Brown the onion in a frying pan, add meat, and fry until brown. Add corn and tomato sauce and simmer for two minutes. Cook noodles in boiling salted water until tender, drain. Put alternate layers of noodles and meat in a casserole, sprinkle each layer with cheese, saving some for top. Bake in a moderate oven for thirty minutes.
Tomato Jelly Ring
2 cups tomato juice
1 small bay leaf
3 or 4 cloves
2 slices onion salt and pepper
1 teaspoon lemon juice 1 package Royal Lemon Gelatin 1 cup finely cut celery 1 cup shredded cabbage salad dressing
Simmer tomato juice, bay leaf, cloves, and onion for fifteen minutes. Strain, add seasoning and lemon juice. Measure liquid and add enough hot tomato juice to make 1 cup. Pour over gelatin and stir until dissolved. Chill until partially set. Add celery and turn into a 7-inch ring mold. Chill until firm. Turn onto a service plate. Fill the center with shredded cabbage and garnish with lettuce and stuffed olives. Serve with Nalley's Tang Dressing.
Caramello
1 package Carmel Kre-Mel Yi. cup cold Clover Leaf Milk \l/i cups hot Clover Leaf Milk Yt cup brown sugar 1 cup Clover Leaf Whipping Cream.
Dissolve the Kre-Mel in cold milk, add hot milk, and stir until it comes to a boil. Add brown sugar. When cold, add whipped cream and mix well. Pour into glasses and chill. Serve with whipped cream and chopped nuts.
UNUSUAL CANDIES
ASSURE YOUR DINNER OR PARTY
Use Miss Saylor's delicious bars for fa- vors. Their lovely foil wraps will enhance the sheen of your silver and napery.
Fill the buffet compotes with Miss Saylor's Unusual Chocolates and exotic pastels because many guests prefer Miss Saylor's candies for dessert.
For the bridge tables place small dishes of Miss Saylor's foil wrapped candies within easy reach. They're wonderful after a full dinner and to relieve parry strain.
Miss Saylor's Unusual candies, fresh and fragrant, from penny mints to $5.00 boxes
If your favorite stores do not have them writ* . . .
MISS SAYLOR'S CHOCOLATES, INC.
ALAMEDA, CALIFORNIA
Cinnamon Rolls cake Fleischmann's Yeast cup luke warm water cup Clover Leaf Butter cup Utah Beet Sugar teaspoon salt cup hot mashed potatoes cup potato water cup Clover Leaf Milk Milk White Eggs
Globe Al Flour to make a stiff dough Dissolve the yeast in lukewarm water.
Combine the butter, sugar, salt, potatoes, potato water, and milk. When cool, add yeast and beaten eggs. Stir in enough flour to make a stiff dough. Knead thor- oughly. Cover and place in refrigerator until ready to use. Let dough rise for 1 hour before using. Roll % inch thick. Brush with melted butter. Sprinkle with sugar, cinnamon and raisins. Roll up and slice in inch thick slices. Let rise until double in bulk and bake in a moderate oven. Frost while warm.
It Happened In Mexico
(Concluded from page 22)
were placed in that tomb after Cor- tez came?"
"No. Many, many years before."
"Perhaps one thousand years?"
"Possibly."
"For all you know they might have been there two thousand years, or even longer?"
"Yes. No one seems to know nor care. You are the first man that ever doubted the first statement I made. Why do you ask?"
That question will not be an- swered here. However, a study of the Book of Mormon might make the story of these things read like an open book.
Evidences
and Reconciliations
{ Concluded from page 33 ) It should be noted also that the Prophet does not enter into any ar- gument to prove the necessity of the use of the Urim and Thummim. His simple mention of them argues strongly for his veracity. An im- postor would probably have attempt- ed an explanation of the "seer stones."
The Urim and Thummim were aids to Joseph's spiritual senses. How they operated is not known. For that matter, the methods of operation of most of the aids of man's physical senses are not under- stood. Joseph's claim to the need of such aids becomes an evidence for the truth of his life's labor.
— /. A. W.
37
CONDUCTED BY THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE TWELVE
JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH, CHAIRMAN; JOHN A. WIDTSOE, JOSEPH F. MERRILL, AND SYLVESTER Q. CANNON
STAKE CONFERENCE CHANGES
The following letter by President Clawson is self-explanatory: To Presidents of Stakes November 20, 1939
Dear Brethren:
Beginning with the year 1940 the auxiliary conventions will not be held in connection with quarterly conferences. All of the quarterly conferences will major the Priesthood work — two being devoted largely to Melchizedek Priest- hood, one to missionary work, and one to the Aaronic Priesthood. Schedules and programs will hereafter be sent to you.
It has been decided to hold the annual stake conventions of the auxiliary asso- ciations as nearly as may be on union meeting dates in the respective stakes. This action is taken to reduce as much as possible the meetings and travel of the people in the stakes. It will be understood that the auxiliary association holding its annual convention in the stake on union meeting day shall be accorded preference over other organizations on that day so that it may enjoy full attendance of its workers and the attention of stake and ward authorities.
Very sincerely yours, THE COUNCIL OF TWELVE By Rudger Clawson, President _ ■ ♦ .
AN APPEAL FOR REPORTS
HPhe above letter by President Claw- son announcing that every stake quarterly conference during 1940 will be a Priesthood conference emphasizes the importance of promptly making and sending in Quarterly Reports. The data asked for by these reports are greatly desired at President Clawson's office at least two weeks before the date of the conference.
Will all stake Melchizedek Priest- hood committees take notice and plan that these reports shall be sent to this office within ten days of the close of the quarter? Prompt action by quorum and stake officers will give great satisfaction both to themselves and to the General Authorities. "A word to the wise is sufficient." Thanks, brethren.
ANTI-LIQUOR-TOBACCO COLUMN
IS IT O. K.?
«Ts it O. K. . . . ?" "Certainly," was A our reply to the question whether or not it would be O. K. for stake and local campaign committees to initiate things to do in furthering the campaign. "It is not only their privilege but their duty to be active and do anything and everything that will help the work along," we went on to say. Playlets, dramas, songs, pictures, billboards, spe- cial meetings, urge of public officials to enforce anti-narcotic laws relative to minors, early closing of liquor stores, cooperation when requested with schools and civic bodies in anti-nar- cotic and character education, etc., etc., are a few suggestions.
Let committees, quorums, boards, and others interested be on their toes to do what they can to help in the good work. But where you propose important special activities be sure you have the approval of your stake presi- dency before going ahead.
The General Committee will con- tinue sending material and suggestions to the field. Make it a practice to scan this as well as other columns of the Era. 38
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL PICTURE
Tn the month of October the Deseret Sunday School Union Superintend- ency sent to the Sunday School Super- intendent of every stake a record and a film entitled "Out of the Game" and "Dazzy Shows His Album."
This is a contribution to the campaign for the non-use of liquor and tobacco. Instructions accompanied the record. The plan is to show this material in every Sunday School of the stake, us- ing for this purpose the sound and pic- ture projecting machine owned by the stake.
OTHER MATERIAL
A nother very interesting record and film entitled "Five Years of Re- peal," etc., is also being sent out to every stake committee chairman, ac- companied by instructions as to its use. Further, there will be sent to every stake that can use them some slides carrying temperance quotations from authoritative sources. These slides are for use in moving picture shows — in ward recreation halls, commercial show houses, etc. It is proposed that two or more slides shall be projected during the program on the screen for a few seconds between scenes. The use of these slides, where feasible, will un-
doubtedly greatly enhance interest in the campaign. By their use the public will be most widely and easily reached. This will prove to be a popular way of keeping people interested in the cam- paign.
ALCOHOL AND ACCIDENTS <"<"\T7e need no statistics to tell us that *^ drinking drivers and pedestri- ans constitute a serious present-day traffic menace. The fact that drunk- driver arrests reach their peak on Sat- urday indicates that the problem of drinking at the nineteenth hole, or the football game, or the week-end party, remains a grave one; the fact that such arrests climb to their peak between mid- night and two a. m. means that many persons still drink heavily at roadhouses and night clubs and then try to drive home.
"The time will come when driving after drinking will be placed in the same category with carrying concealed weapons, robbery, incendiarism, and other misdemeanors about which there is absolutely no question in the public or official mind. It will come through legislation, improved court procedure, and the development of adequate test methods." — Quoted from a pamphlet entitled Lest We Regret by The Trav- elers Insurance Co.
WHAT IS YOUR QUORUM DOING?
Tn the 1939 budget assignments sug- * gested by the central committee were the following: "Assignments to be given to every stake alike: (a) Re- habilitation of quorum members. In addition to other assignments, it is fur- ther suggested that every quorum in the region undertake to assist at least one unemployed quorum brother ob- tain permanent employment in private industry or to establish him in some form of agricultural pursuit or business that will make him independent." The following reports are typical:
The Elders' Quorum of the Buhl Ward, Twin Falls Stake, reports that through the efforts of the quorum one member has been placed in a perma- nent position.
The quorums in Providence First Ward, Logan Stake, report that three members have been taken off relief, one Adult Aaronic Priesthood member, one High Priest, and one Elder.
( See also report from 250th Quorum of Seventy on opposite page.)
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, JANUARY, 1940
(TOP) MEMBERS OF THE 250TH QUORUM OF SEVENTY
First row, kneeling: Gerald G. Robertson, president; Lyle Palmer, secretary; Owen Gladwell.
Second row: B. Y. Harbertson, senior president; John Van Drimmelen, president; Frederick P, Rice, president; Otha Stephens, William E. Buck, Everett C. Harris, president; Robert Wheeler, Gene L. Stoman, H. Guy Child.
Third row: Orson Thornblad, John Pope, Louis Zaugg, Neil C. Clegg, Hollis V. Allen, Rulon J. Harper.
Fourth row: Charley Manley, Alvin B. Stephens, Joseph W. Carlson, Vasco Lauh, Robert Lasater.
Fifth row: Gabriel C. Dieu, William F. Dame, Clarence R. Saunders, Roy Zaugg, John Robert Buswell, Ferrel Carter.
(BOTTOM) BANQUET HELD BY FIFTH QUORUM OF ELDERS, BURLEY STAKE, ATTENDED
BY EIGHTY PER CENT OF QUORUM MEMBERS AND THEIR WIVES. STAKE PREStDENT
D. R. LANGLOIS SUBMITTED THE PHOTOGRAPH.
ACHIEVEMENT STANDARDS SET BY 250TH QUORUM
OF SEVENTY
By B. Y. HARBERTSON Senior President 250th Quorum of Seventy
(Editor's Note: The accompanying report, in itself a good example of the type desired from quorums of Seventy, was requested of the 250th Quorum of Seventy, made up of members residing in the 14th Ward, Mount Ogden Stake, at the time it was selected to give a demonstration of a weekly activity meeting, council meeting, and monthly quorum meeting at the Priesthood union meeting of the stake held in September. It repre- sents splendid achievement.)
committees. All committees are fully or- ganized and are doing some very good work. We also have a member on the stake Anti-Liquor-Tobacco Committee.
The quorum, through the Personal Wel- fare Committee, has been helping some of the more unfortunate members with work in their homes, and at present is engaged in helping a member build a new home.
Through the Miscellaneous Activity Committee and assisted by the Elders and High Priests, the quorum sponsored a benefit party to raise funds to purchase the land on which to build a new home for a member of our quorum. This committee has also been active in our monthly socials.
The quorum holds regular monthly quo- rum meetings and socials. We feel that a closer social spirit comes from this type of activity. The quorum at present is work- ing on a minstrel show, which they expect to put on the first of December [1939], for the purpose of raising funds to continue with our monthly socials. We are also working on a Seventies' chorus, which has been on a vacation. This chorus did some very commendable work during the last year, going to different wards throughout the county, furnishing the entire program, speakers and music, for sacrament service.
The Class Instruction Committee has con- ducted regular lessons in our weekly and monthly meetings, and has given us some very fine instructions.
The quorum, through the Church Service Committee, has conducted a very successful temple excursion and has been doing some very good work in Ward Teaching.
We have, through the help of the Per- sonal Welfare Committee, completed an index file, and have some valuable informa- tion on each member of the quorum.
The rehabilitation work has been carried out, and some very fine results have been accomplished.
At present, all members of the quorum have employment and seem to be in good health. We feel that the quorum, as a whole, is in a very much more improved condition than it has been, and we are bending every effort possible to see that even more will be accomplished in the future.
The 250th Quorum of Seventy consists of forty-five members. The records show forty-eight enrolled, by which figure we have to abide until the end of the year. We have an average attendance of from forty to sixty-seven per cent at our weekly ac- tivity meetings, and were awarded a prize of $5.00 by the stake for having the best attendance at Priesthood meeting. Out of the forty-five members, we have a standing excuse for seven on account of work.
Of the forty-five members we have thirty- nine who are actively engaged in Church work. At present there are two members on foreign missions, two on home missions, and we also have the wives of two Sev- enties on home missions. The quorum has helped support one missionary the full year to the extent of $10.00 a month, and another missionary part of the year in the same amount. One missionary has recently re- turned home and the other missionary has been home a few months.
The quorum is divided into five com- mittees: namely, the Personal Welfare, Class Instruction, Church Service, Miscel- laneous Activity, and Missionary Fund
Melchizedek Priesthood Outline of Study, February, 1940
Text: Priesthood and Church Government. (See supplementary readings, problems, and projects below.)
LESSON IV
The Nature and Purpose of Priesthood (Read Chapter 2, pp. 32-36.)
I. The Plan of Salvation on earth
a. Operates through free agency and self-effort of man
b. Man delegated by God to carry out provisions of plan
II. Priesthood such delegated authority (See Supplementary Readings 1, 2, 3)
a. Held by intelligences in heaven, by man on earth
b. Instrumentality of divine law
III. Without beginning and without end
a. Priesthood an everlasting principle (See Supplementary Readings 4)
b. Endures term of faithfulness
IV. Priesthood essential for many things a. For carrying out plan of eternal
progression
1. Individual guidance (See Sup- plementary Readings 5)
2. Group guidance
b. For continuous revelation
c. For Church government
d. For ultimate accomplishment of divine purposes
Problems and Projects:
1. Illustrate the principle of delegated au- thority by examples from fields of common experience: business, government, etc.
2. How would you define Priesthood in the light of what you have learned about its source, its delegation, its purposes?
3. Distinguish between the power of the Priesthood and other delegations of power which God may grant to faithful men everywhere (not Priesthood-bearers) for the accomplishment of certain righteous purposes.
(Continued on page 40)
39
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, JANUARY, 1940
(Continued from page 39) 4. What does it mean to you to know that, pending your faithfulness, your Priest- hood is eternal?
LESSON V
The Powers of the Priesthood (Read Chapter 3, pp. 37-43.) I. Priesthood implies power
a. To create worlds
b. To redeem worlds
II. "And these signs shall follow . . .": gifts of the spirit a Priesthood en- dowment
a. Revelation
b. Discernment
c. Healing
d. Translation
e. Power over evil (See Supple- mentary Readings 6)
III. Power to perform ordinances (See Supplementary Readings 7)
IV. "Go ye into all the world": power to preach the word
V. Binding in heaven and on earth
a. Calling of Elijah
b. "Covenants, contracts, bonds, ob- ligations, oaths, vows, perform- ances, connections, associations, expectations"
Problems and Projects:
This lesson could furnish an occasion for brief testimonies from as many members of the class as there is time for, each relat- ing a personally experienced manifestation of some phase of the power of the Priest- hood.
LESSON VI
Priesthood and the Church
(Read Chapter 4, pp. 44-48.)
I. As is the Priesthood, so is the Church
a. Church established by Priesthood
b. Church dependent on Priesthood
c. A "kingdom of priests": no priestly caste (See Supplementary Read- ings 8)
II. Church organized to carry out God's purposes
a. As agency of Priesthood
b. As Kingdom of God on Earth
III. Authority needed
a. Distinguishing characteristics of Church
b. Genuine power in all ages
c. Conviction not enough
IV. "For the perfection of the Saints"
a. Revelation through proper channel to guide Church
b. Concern of Church: that all may understand
V. Government of Kingdom of God
a. Committed to Church
b. Responsibility of Priesthood
Problems and Projects:
1. Explain: the organization of the Church begins with the Priesthood.
2. Can you trace the relationship between Church and Priesthood as it has been un- folded during this last dispensation? What events, what revelations make the relation- ship particularly clear?
3. Criticize or defend the absence of a priestly caste in the Church. Would Church government be more efficient if Priesthood office were limited to a trained few? How is it possible to qualify a body of lay members to act as a "kingdom of priests"?
4. Imagine the Church without the Priest- hood. What role would the Church then play in our lives? How does the picture differ from that of a Priesthood-motivated Church?
40
SUPPLEMENTARY READINGS
For Priesthood and Church Government
1 . The Foundation of Authority. The authority of the Priesthood is often misunderstood. It is frequently the rock upon which spiritual shipwreck is suffered. The power or right to com- mand or act is authority. In the be- ginning, man, conscious and in posses- sion of a will, reached out for truth and gained new knowledge. Gradually, as his intelligence grew, he learned to control natural forces as he met them on his way. Knowledge, properly used, became power; and intelligent knowl- edge is the only true foundation of authority. The more intelligence a man possesses the more authority he may exercise. Hence, "the glory of God is intelligence," and "intelligence is the pathway up to the gods." (Rational Theology, p. 111.)
2. Absolute Authority. Such high authority, based on increasing intelligent knowledge, may be called absolute au- thority. All other forms, and many forms exist, must be derived from ab- solute authority, which is the essence of all authority. Absolute authority which cannot be fully comprehended, does not mean that full knowledge or full power has been gained over any- thing in the universe. The universe will forever reveal its secrets. By ab- solute authority is meant the kind of authority that results directly from an intelligent understanding of the things over which authority is exercised. Au- thority can, therefore, be absolute only so far as knowledge goes, and becomes more absolute as more knowledge is obtained. The laws of God are never arbitrary; they are always founded on truth. ( Rational Theology, p. 111.)
3. Derived Authority. Anyone pos- sessing the absolute authority resting on high intelligence may often find it nec- essary or convenient to ask others to exercise that authority for him. That leads to derived authority. It does not necessarily follow that those who are so asked, understand the full meaning of the authority that they exercise. The workman in a factory carries out the operations as directed by the chief tech- nician, and obtains the desired results, though he does not to the same extent understand the principles involved.
Every person who has risen to the earth-estate possesses a certain degree of absolute authority, for he has knowl- edge of nature which gives him control over many surrounding forces. Every person possesses or should possess cer- tain derived authority, not always wholly understood, which is exercised under the direction of a superior intelli- gence. ( Rational Theology, p. 112.)
4. Joseph Smith, when he translated these records by the aid of the Urim and Thummim, had not yet received any Priesthood, so far as his temporal ex- istence was concerned. He did hold the Priesthood before he came here
upon the earth. You will find this recorded in a sermon delivered by the Prophet Joseph, showing that not only he, but also all of the faithful that have received the Priesthood here in this life, were ordained before the foundation of the world. Consequently, they had the ordination; that ordination was after the order of Him who is from all eter- nity to all eternity, an everlasting Priesthood. {Orson Pratt, Journal of Discourses, 22:28.)
5. The Priesthood conferred on man confers power which every man may exercise with respect to himself and the Lord. By the authority of the Priest- hood he has a right to commune with God in prayer or in other ways, and has, as it were, the right to receive com- munications in return from the in- telligent beings about him, so that his ways may be ways of strength and pleasantness. Man's own work should be inseparably connected with the power of the Priesthood which he has received. (Rational Theology, p. 114.)
6. An individual who holds a share in the Priesthood, and continues faithful to his calling, who delights himself con- tinually in doing the things God requires at his hands, and continues through his life in the performance of every duty, will secure to himself not only the priv- ilege of receiving, but the knowledge how to receive the things of God, that he may know the mind of God con- tinually; and he will be enabled to dis- cern between right and wrong, between the things of God and the things that are not of God. And the Priesthood — the Spirit that is within him, will con- tinue to increase until it becomes like a fountain of living water; until it is like the tree of life; until it is one continued source of intelligence and in- struction to that individual. (Brigham Young Discourses, p. 205. )
7. No wonder Paul had to arise and be baptized and wash away his sins. No wonder the angel told Cornelius that he must send for Peter to learn how to be saved: Peter could baptize, and angels could not, so long as there were legal officers in the flesh holding the keys of the kingdom, or the authority of the Priesthood. (Teachings of Joseph Smith, p. 265. )
8. The Priesthood of the Church are the army of the Lord. The record of their ministrations, throughout a cen- tury, at home and in foreign lands, in teaching the Gospel to the nations, and in providing comforts for their loved ones at home, is one of the most en- thralling and remarkable stories of hu- man devotion to, and sacrifice for, a cause. It is by the possession of an authoritative Priesthood that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints may be distinguished from among the many churches of the day. (Studies in Priesthood, p. 29.)
CONDUCTED UNDER THE SUPERVISION OF THE PRESIDING BISHOPRIC — EDITED BY JOHN D. GILES
STANDARD QUORUM AWARDS TO BE SPECIAL PROJECT OF PRESIDING BISHOPRIC DURING 1940
An effort to more than double the ** Standard Award Quorums throughout the Church during 1940 is to be made by the Presiding Bishopric. The success of this plan for encouraging quorum members to reach high stand- ards in the conduct of quorum work and activities has influenced the de- cision to make this one of the major projects for Aaronic Priesthood during the coming year. On this page are printed the requirements for the Stand- ard Quorum Award, which unquestion- ably are within the reach of every quo- rum in the Church.
Reports from quorums which have received the Standard Award are so encouraging and the results so stimu- lating that an effort is to be made to interest the stake and ward officers in charge of Aaronic Priesthood through- out the Church to undertake the Standard Quorum Award program at the beginning of the year. As the ac- tivities provided for in the Standard Quorum Award include all the major activities of quorum members, the moti- vation of this program will increase activity in every department. Standard Quorums during 1939 show a substan- tial increase over 1938, but in view of the helpfulness and encouragement given to quorum members to reach the standards set by the Presiding Bishopric the benefits of this plan are to be carried to every quorum if possible.
Requests have been made by the Presiding Bishopric that at the end of each year members of the Stake Aaronic Priesthood Committee visit each ward, check the records of each quorum, and then certify the result to the Presiding Bishopric where any quorum has complied with the require- ments of the Standard Quorum Award. The Award, with suitable letters of commendation, will be sent to stake officers for presentation, preferably in the Stake Priesthood meeting or in con- nection with the Stake Conference. The awards are made directly to presidents of quorums and in some stakes all members of quorums are called to the stand when the presentation is made. Requirements for the Standard Quorum Award are printed herewith:
THE STANDARD QUORUM AWARD
A standard quorum is one where the following standards have been met:
1. Set up and follow a yearly quorum meeting program in accordance with the recommendations of the Presiding Bishopric.
2. Set up and follow a yearly program of social and fraternal activities in accord- ance with the recommendations.
3. Have an average attendance record of sixty per cent or more during the year.
4. Have seventy-five per cent or more members fill assignments during the year.
5. Have seventy-five per cent or more members observing the Word of Wisdom as shown by the annual report of the bishop of the ward.
6. Have seventy-five per cent or more of the members who earn money during the year pay tithing, as shown on the annual report of the bishop of the ward.
7. Have fifty per cent or more members participate in two or more quorum service projects.
EMPHASIS PLACED ON FOUR AARONIC PRIESTHOOD PROJECTS FOR 1940
Ctake and Ward Aaronic Priesthood ^ Quorum Supervision, the Aaronic Priesthood Extension Plan, Gathering of Fast Offering by Deacons, and the Adult Aaronic Priesthood Program are to be given special emphasis during 1940 by the Presiding Bishopric. Un- der plans now being developed, re- quests for special attention to these four projects will be carried to every stake in the Church. These four projects, including as they do practically every phase of Aaronic Priesthood activity, are to be given special stress in the hope that a much larger percentage of the Aaronic Priesthood may be reached through this plan. Through special programs in connection with stake con- ferences, the columns of The Improve^ ment Era, and special bulletins, opera- tion of the four plans, where not un- derstood, will be explained, and every possible effort be made to have each of these programs accepted whole- heartedly in every ward and stake in the Church.
With the indication that 1939 reports will show one of the most favorable records in recent years in Aaronic Priesthood activity, it is believed that a still better record can be made in 1940. The special emphasis in each of the programs will be given through activity and the encouragement of every member of the Aaronic Priest- hood to participate to the fullest extent in every program with which he is associated.
TRAINING FOR THE PRIESTHOOD
HThe importance of proper training of A boys before receiving the Priest- hood cannot be overestimated. For some months previous to the time when a person is selected for ordination to an office in the Aaronic Priesthood,
the bishopric and ward supervisor of deacons should have such person in training. The boy should show an ap- preciation for the Gospel. He should manifest faith and have good habits. He should show a willingness to do the things asked of him. The bishopric should assure themselves that he has fulfilled these requirements. No one should be ordained to any office in the Priesthood who does not understand the duties and responsibilities thereof
The Primary Association course for boys from eleven to twelve is designed to assist in this preparation for the Priesthood. Closer cooperation is urged between the supervisor of Dea- cons and the leaders of the Guide class in the Primary Association. While the Primary Associations assist in the preparation of boys for ordination, the responsibility still rests with the bish- opric and supervisors.
When the bishopric is satisfied that the candidate is prepared to receive the Priesthood, his name should be sub- mitted to the congregation of the Saints for approval.
PREPARATION REQUIREMENTS OF THE AARONIC PRIESTHOOD
1. A boy must be twelve years of age or over.
2. He must have been baptized and coa- fiimed c. member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
3. He should know the Articles of Faith and be able to explain each in his own words.
4. He should know the story of Aaron from the Bible, and the story of the restora- tion of the Aaronic Priesthood in these days.
5. He should know what Priesthood means and show respect and reverence for those who hold it
6. He should be able to open or close a meeting with prayer.
7. He should know something about the Word of Wisdom and be living it.
8. He should know the names of the General Authorities of the Church, and the officers of his own stake and ward.
9. He should know something about the law of tithing and be a tithepayer.
DUTIES OF AARONIC PRIESTHOOD
Asa guide to bishoprics and quorum "** supervisors, this list of duties of the three offices of the Aaronic Priesthood is suggested:
WHAT PRIESTS MAY DO:
Administer the Sacrament
Baptize under the direction of the bishopric
Ordain other Priests, Teachers, and Deacons
{Continued on page 42)
41
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, JANUARY, 1940
Aaronic Priesthood
(Continued /rom page 41)
Train Teachers and Deacons in their duties
Officiate in Sacramental meetings
Speak in Church meetings
Act as a ward teacher
Y. M. M. I. A. or Sunday School officer
or teacher A member of a ward choir