The St. George Temple
APRIL 1957
Remarkable new washday product! Discover it now!
WHITE KING
" Blue Jeans Wash
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Only new White King D has it!
Imagine! The same boxful of D washes every washable thing your family uses -
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combines the go-get-'em that gets at dirt with the gentleness finest things must have.
So, next time, reach for D. You'll be glad you did.
Here's exciting proof of gentleness:
This $37.50 cashmere was washed 20 times in D- ( the same washday product that gets your $1.98 jeans so clean and bright). And the sweater's still as blue and lovely as new! The feel ! - as lus- ciously soft as the day it was bought!
Exploring the Universe
e&
by Dr. Franklin S. Harris, Jr.
A sound so loud as to be almost painful may have a million million times the intensity of a sound that can barely be heard.
In the United States there are 37 places called Berlin, 21 Rome, 19 Vienna, and among others there are Moscow and St. Petersburg from Russia; Paris and Vincennes from France; Athens, Sparta, Syracuse, and Ithaca from ancient Greece; and Utica from ancient Carthage.
A few years ago Dr. Robert C. Hockett, Scientific Director of the Sugar Re- search Foundation, gave some figures on the amount of land needed to pro- duce the 3,000 calories a day needed by an average 154-pound man. That amount of energy derived from sugar (taking one-quarter from beets and three-quarters from cane) would re- quire 0.13 acre instead of about 3.5 acres for the United States average. The required acreage necessary for other foods producing the same number of calories is as follows: potatoes, 3 times the average needed for sugar; corn meal, 6; whole wheat flour, 6; refined wheat flour, 8; hogs (pork and lard), 13; whole milk, 19; eggs, 46; chickens, 62; and steers, 113.
The dragonfly nymphs or larvae live under water and breathe by sucking water into a chamber lined with oxygen- extracting gills at the rear of the abdo- men. When the water is expelled by muscular contraction, the nymph is jet propelled forward a considerable dis- tance.
The African Negroes of the Suk tribes have such a complicated coiffure, made by rubbing the hair in animal fat and decorating it with small embedded objects, that it takes a long time to get the hair fixed properly. To keep from spoiling the hairdo while sleeping, a Suk sleeps on a special headrest or wooden cushion, which is also carried when he is traveling.
APRIL 1957
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CHANGES AT THE UN- THE AFRO -ASIAN "BLOC
by Dr. G. Homer Durham
VICE PRESIDENT, UNIVERSITY OF UTAH
Asocial or political organization con- stantly undergoes important changes. The United Nations is no exception. The organization now housed in "the glass palace on the East River" in New York City began its institutional life in 1946. During 1956 two significant in- ternal changes were apparent. These were:
(1) The emergence of the General Assembly as the principal political or- gan of the UN, rather than the Security Council.
(2) The elevation to greater world prominence of the position of Secretary- General.
As stated in a previous column,1 the Secretary-General of the United Na- tions is a position that, in world affairs and world influence today, ranks with the presidency of the United States, the premierships of the Soviet Union, Red China, the United Kingdom, and France. This is largely so because of the tendency of the large General Assembly to supersede the Security Council as the principal political organ.
The rise of the General Assembly, especially in 1956, can be explained by the stalemate in the world military situ- ation occasioned by nuclear weapons; by the wide area of world opinion repre- sented in the Assembly in contrast with the Security Council; but more especial- ly, in the light of these two circum- stances, by the admission of 16 new members to the organization in Decem- ber 1955, followed by four more in December 1956.
An organization which had 60 mem- ber-states until December 1955 now has eighty. The addition of these 20 new seats in the General Assembly, within a 12-month period, has helped work a quiet revolution in the internal struc- ture of the United Nations.
Most of the 20 newly admitted mem- bers are from the African-Asian realm. This has helped produce a significant new element into the "politics" of the UN.
Before 1956, most issues were a seesaw
xSee "Overture To the Second Inaugural," These Times, Era, January 1957.
these wm
affair between the western and eastern "blocs," led respectively by the United States and the Soviet Union. The ele- ment of compromise, so fundamental in the peaceful aspects of the political process, was largely missing. The United States with the so-called "Latin American bloc" of some 21 votes, plus the British-Nato-western group, was confronted by the Soviet 9-vote group, or vice-versa, with no consistent balancing element between. Today, the so-called Afro-Asian "bloc" can muster 27 mem- bers, sometimes 27 votes, which represent one-third of the General Assembly's total. These votes also represent the aspirations of new, self-conscious na- tions. Thus the "politics" of the Gen- eral Assembly have acquired a new, and (in terms of the politics of compromise) hopeful, aspect.
This new element is forcefully dis- played in the formal organization of the UN General Assembly for 1957. The new countries from the Afro-Asian realm are significantly represented in the presi- dency and in three of the seven chair- manships of important committees.
1. The President of the General As- sembly is Prince Wan Waithayakon, Foreign Minister of Thailand.
2. The Ad Hoc or Special Political Committee has for its chairman Selim Sarper of Turkey.
3. The Economic Committee is led by Mohammed Mir Khan of Pakistan.
4. The Administrative Committee is headed by Omar Loutfi of Egypt.
The chairmanship of the most im- portant committee, the Political Com- mittee, is held by a Latin American, Dr. Victor Belaunde of Peru. The So- cial Committee is led by Hermod Lam- ming of Denmark, the Trusteeship by Enrique de Marchena of the Dominican Republic. The Soviet bloc has one chairmanship only, the Legal Commit- tee, chaired by Dr. Karel Petrzelka of Czechoslovakia.
The emergence of the new nations of the "Afro-Asian bloc" indicates another basic shift in the balance of world power. It was underscored and very evident during the debates the writer was privi- leged to witness at the UN earlier this year. It is another evidence why the Eisenhower doctrine aims at cultivating friendship in this important area in these times.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
"The Lord has not left us to wonder;
He has not left us alone in the world to
grope in darkness, but the Church which
He has founded is guided by the Spirit
of Revelation, and the inspiration of the
Lord rests upon those who stand at the
head."
—Joseph Fielding Smith
THREE MORMON CLASSICS
This book brings together three classics: "Leaves from My Journal," by Wilford Woodruff, an account of his missionary experiences in the early days of the Church; "My First Mission," an account of George Q. Cannon's mission to Hawaii in 1850; "Jacob Hamblin," by James A. Little, one of the best accounts we have of missionary work among the Indians of the South- west. Contains many hours of priceless reading pleasure. $3.25
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REVELATION
By Lewis J. Harmer
Here is a remarkable new book which will materially aid each member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . . . for it clearly explains the prin- ciples of revelation and how rev- elation is the very foundation of the Church. Chapter 2 deals spe- cifically with personal revelation and tells who may receive it. This study represents years of research into the many aspects of revela- tion, including personal visitations, translation and visions. $3.25
These three hotels LDS owned and operated. Make them your headquarters when in Phoenix, Arizona.
APRIL 1957
211
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE PRIESTHOOD QUORUMS, MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT
ASSOCIATIONS, WARD TEACHERS, MUSIC COMMITTEE, DEPARTMENT
OF EDUCATION, AND OTHER AGENCIES OF THE
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
VOLUME 60
The Voice of the Church
«w
The Editor's Page
Just a Bit of Heaven on Earth President David O. McKay 221
Church Features
Your Question: The Apostle Paul and Genealogical Research
Joseph Fielding Smith 222
80 Years Service to our Lord Albert L. Zobell, Jr. 224
Testimony Delbert L. Stapley 226
Fishers of Men— MIA Reading Course: Jesus the Christ— X ......Doyle L. Green 236
The Message of the Book of Job Hoyt Palmer 239
How, When, and Why We Tithed (A Reprint) ...'. Joseph E. Robinson 248
The Church Moves On 216 The Presiding Bishopric's Page 274
Melchizedek Priesthood 272
Special Features
The Spoken Word from Temple Square Richard L. Evans 223, 256, 264, 284
In the Heart Lies Spring Elayne T. Anderson 229
The Ross Eagar Story Eileen Gibbons 230
A Challenge to Parents — Neither Children nor Adults Antone K. Romney 233
"Nephites" Found in New Mexico — from a letter by Wilford Woodruff 242
A Lost Generation Christine Wach Capener 247
The Golden Angel 250
Arthur Elijah Morgan— Venerable Man of the Hills Lillian Sorensen 252
Exploring the Universe, Franklin S. Har- ris, Jr. 209
These Times: Changes at the U N — The Afro-Asian "Bloc," G. Homer
Today's Family
Be Shopping Wise when You Buy Eggs, Norma Burnham 276
Durham 210
Modesty Is the Best Policy 214
America's Smoking Habits 218
Your Page and Ours 288
Youth, Ruth I. J. Devereaux 279
Toy R and R Hour, James W. Phillips..280
Stories, Poetry
To Be a King— Part III _ Hugh J. Cannon 234
My Pal Joey Harold Heifer 240
Liz and the Picnic Verne Owen 244
Frontispiece, Comes Spring! Dorothy O.
Rea 219
Poetry Page 220
April Song, Evelyn Tooley Hunt 254
The Awakening, Beulah Huish Sadleir ....287
Copyright 1957 by Mutual Funds, Inc., and published by the Mutual Improvement Associations of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All rights reserved. Subscription price, $2.50 a year, in advance; foreign subscriptions, $3.00 a year, in advance; 25c 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 contributions Manuscripts are paid for on acceptance at the rate of l^c a word and must be accompanied by suffi- cient postage for delivery and return.
Thirty days' notice required for change of address. When ordering a change, please include address slip from a recent issue of the magazine. Address changes cannot be made unless the old address as well as the new one is included.
NUMBER 4
APRIL 1957
THE COVER
The St. George Temple — first of the LDS temples in the West— is eighty years young this month of April. Our full-color cover is from a photograph by Josef Muench. (See also page 224.)
DAVID O. McKAY RICHARD L. EVANS Editors
Doyle L. Green
Managing Editor
Marba C. Joseph son
Associate Managing Editor
Elizabeth J. Moffitt
Production Editor
Albert L. Zobell, Jr.
Research Editor
Eileen Gibbons
Manuscript Editor,
Archibald P. Bennett G. Homer Durham Franklin S. Harris, Jr. Milton R. Hunter Hugh Nibley Lee A. Palmer Claude B. .Petersen Sidney B, Sperry
Contributing Editors
ELBERT R. CURTIS
General Manager
BERTHA S. REEDER
Associate Manager
Verl P. Scott
Business Manager
A. Glen Snarr
Subscription Director
Thayer Evans
Regional Advertising Representative
EDITORIAL AND BUSINESS OFFICES
50 North Main Street
YMMIA Offices, 50 North Main St.
YWMIA Offices, 40 North Main St.
Salt Lake City 16, Utah
National Advertising Representatives
TOWNSEND, MILLSAP & CO,
110 Sutter St.
Sail Francisco, California
TOWNSEND, MILLSAP & CO.
(172 Lafayette Park Place
Los Angeles 57, California
SADLER AND SANGSTON ASSOCIATES
342 Madison Ave.
New York 17, N. Y.
DAVIS & SONS
30 N. LaSalle St.
Chicago, Illinois
Member, Audit Bureau of Circulations
"Seek Ye Out of the Best Books Words of Wisdom"-D & C 88:118
Because of Popular Demand
The LDS BOOKS CLUB Again Features
The Great Mormon Classic
"JESUS THE CHRIST"
by Dr. James E. Talmage
MIA Reading Course Book for two years
A study of the Messiah and his mission according to holy scriptures both ancient and modern, this book has been a best seller since 1915 when it was first published under an assignment from the general authori- ties of the Church. The author was a member of the Council of the Twelve for many years and one of the great writers and scriptural authorities of the Church. A must for your library. $3.00
Your membership in the LDS Books Club will help enable you to increase your knowledge of the gospel, assist you in building your testimony, and give you these additional advantages:
• SAVINGS
of about 20% through a free bonus book plan.
• CAREFUL SELECTION
of ALL books recommended.
• CONVENIENCE
of books delivered to your door.
• METHODICAL
way of adding to your library.
• BEST NEW LDS BOOKS
as they come from the press.
• OLDER LDS CLASSICS
such as Jesus The Christ.
HOW THE CLUB PLAN WORKS
1. You join the club by ordering the book "Jesus The Christ" or one of the four alter- nates described below. You may order two or more of the books if you desire. Fill out the coupon and mail along with your check or money order. Your selection will be mailed to you immediately.
2. Each month after you become a member you will receive in the mail reviews of several books, carefully selected, with one named as the book of the month. If you wish to re- ceive the top book you do nothing — it will be sent to you in the mail, postpaid, along with a statement. If you do not want the book, you return the post card provided for an alternate choice (or none at all).
3. After you have purchased four books, a fifth will be sent you FREE. You select this bonus book from a long list of choice Church books which will be provided.
4. You need order only four books during the year, but you may order one or more each month, if you desire.
ALTERNATE SELECTIONS
Lehi In the Desert by Dr. Hugh Nibley. "Number One" reference text for lessons pre- sented in Melchizedek Priesthood Manual this year. An invaluable aid to the understanding and appreciation of The Book of Mormon.
Teachings of the Doctrine and Covenants by
Dr. William E. Berrett. This book will lead to a clearer comprehension of and a love and appreciation for the restored gospel as re- vealed in modern-day scripture.
Discourse* of the Prophet Joseph Smith, com- piled by Alma P. Burton. Teachings of this great Prophet arranged according to subject matter. Will help all who read it to under- stand better Joseph Smith's teachings and the doctrines and practices of the Church.
Tell Me A Story. Top 50 stories from "The Children's Friend." This volume will not only entertain and delight children, but also will build faith and increase testimonies. Every home with children should have it.
APRIL 1957
NtST
JESUS THE CHRIST
Books Club
FILL OUT AND MAIL THIS COUPON NOW
LDS BOOKS CLUB, 161 East Utopia Avenue, Salt Lake City 15, Utah
Gentlemen:
Please enroll me as a member of the LDS BOOKS CLUB and send me the current selection, Jesus The Christ, or/and the alternate(s) indicated below. I understand that I will receive a free bonus book with each four selections I buy.
NAME
ADDRESS
CITY AND STATE
Amount of Check or Money Order enclosed $
(Utah residents add 2% sales tax.)
□ Please send Jesus the Christ-$3.00
- ALTERNATES - Please Send:
□ Lehi in the Desert $3.00 □ Discourses of the Prophet
_ _ . . »■_»-.. j Joseph Smith $3.00
□ Teachings of the Doctrine and
Covenants $3.00 □ Tell Me A Story $3.00
If you do not wish to mutilate this page, send information required on a separate sheet.
213
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'Across from the Church offices and Lion House"
I No. 30
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est policy
Modesty is the best policy
Modesty, like honesty in the copy- book adage, is the best policy. It is the best policy because it is best for you.
Modesty is a many-sided virtue. It applies to your manner of speech, your manner of dress, your manner of conduct. And thus it reveals the manner of person you are.
Take speech. One who is modest in speech talks with restraint, sticks to the facts, gives to others the right to their own opinions wihout com- promising his own. His opinions are listened to; his advice is often heeded.
Modesty in dress is another virtue. Smartness of style and modesty can go together, and often do. On the other hand, to flaunt one's figure, especially before persons of the op- posite sex, may excite attention but will not inspire admiration. Immod-
esty in dress is more likely to bring a "whistle call" of dubious compli- ment than a sincere proposal of hon- orable friendship.
Modesty of conduct also brings its own reward. In a day when vulgar- ity is sometimes commercialized to the tune of "off beat" dance steps, it may take restraint to be modest on dance floor or in other places, but true modesty will pay off in the last- ing trust and enduring friendships of your companions.
To these rewards of modesty you can add another — your own self- respect — and without self-respect you can never have the true joy of living which a loving Heavenly Father put us here to find and cherish. So — be modest —
BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF
214
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
Ifit COLORADO nQ
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The Vista-Dome Royal Gorge makes a ten-minute stop in America's most famous travel wonder, the Royal Gorge of the
Arkansas River, to permit passengers ample time for enjoyment and photography of this marvel of nature.
The "Scenery Unlimited" provided on Rio Grande's Vista-Dome See-Way through Utah and Colorado is not equaled
anywhere in the world. Make your next trip a pleasure trip ~ • • - ■
. . . travel Rio Grande, The Scenic Line of The World.
• Family Fare Plan • Rail -Auto Plan
• Rail Travel Credit Plan
• Stopover privileges at all points
For information, contact Rio Grande's Travel Center, Ground Floor Corner, Hotel Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah
.-■■■'•■.
The Vista-Dome CALIFORNIA ZEPHYR • Daily San Francisco-Salt Lake City-Denver-Omaha-Chicago via WP-D & R G W-C B & Q (Thru San Francisco-New York Pullman)
The PROSPECTOR • Overnight, every night Salt Lake City-Denver. The Vista-Dome ROYAL GORGE • Daily Salt Lake City-Grand Junction- Glen wood Springs- Salida-Pueblo-ColoradoSprings-Denver. The Vrsfa-Dome COLORADO EAGLE • Dairy St. Louis-Kansas City- Wichita-Pueblo-Colorado Springs-Denver via M P-D & R G W.
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Birthplace of the Vista-Dome
DENVER & RIO GRANDE WESTERN RAILROAD
H. F. ENO, Pass. Traffic Mgr., Rio Grande Bldg., Denver, Cole
APRIL 1957
215
/ ft Y?&±^
. '■/■■J'* Jt
SAFEWAY
Sells a River of
MILK
for Utah Dairymen
One of America's most perplexing
agricultural problems of just a year or
two ago was the tremendous surplus of milk and dairy products.
The problem has largely been solved by strong promotion and merchandising pro- grams. Safeway has played an important role in this development in Utah.
If the Utah-produced milk and milk products sold through Safeway Stores were channeled into one stream, they would make quite a river, because:
All Lucerne Milk requirements for Utah and Wyoming come from the Federated Milk Producers Association of Utah.
All the cream for the manufacture of Party Pride Ice Cream sold through Safe- way Stores in this area comes from the Cache Valley Dairymen's Association at Smithfield, and the Uintah Creamery of Altamont.
Dried milk products used to make Mrs. Wright's and Skylark Bread at the Salt Lake and Denver Fairfax bakeries for Safeway Stores of nine states come from Weber Central Dairy Association of Ogden.
Many other Utah dairy products are sold through Safeway under the brand name of the processor.
Total Utah milk and dairy products purchased by Safeway last year amounted to $5,245,531.
SAFEWAY IS A FRIEND OF THE FAM- ILY .. . AND A FRIEND OF THE DAIRYMAN FARMER
SAFEWAY
The Church moves On
A Day to Day Chronology of Church Events
February 1957
^ The annual "Birthday Penny" appeal of the Primary Children's Hospital began. It ran throughout the month.
fi^ Elder LeGrand Richards of the Council of the Twelve dedicated the Redmond Ward chapel — North Sevier (Utah) Stake recreation hall and youth center.
This was Boy Scout Sunday in many of the wards and branches of the Church. This year's national theme is: "Onward for God and my Country."
n^ The First Presidency announced the appointment of Bishop Walter Trauffer of Lincoln Ward, Granite (Salt Lake City) Stake, as president of the Swiss Temple. He succeeds Presi- dent Samuel E. Bringhurst, who has served since shortly before the temple was dedicated. President Trauffer is a native of Switzerland. His wife and one daughter will accompany him to this new assignment.
The First Presidency announced the appointment of Elder George Franklin Simmons to succeed President Samuel A. Hendricks of the West Central States Mission. President Simmons is the ward teaching supervisor in the North Ogden Second Ward, Ben Lomond (Utah) Stake, and a former bishop of that ward. He has been a member of the Blaine (Idaho) Stake high council, president of the Hazelton Branch, Mini- doka (Idaho) Stake, and a member of the bishopric of the Twin Falls (Idaho) Second Ward. Mrs. Simmons will ac- company him to the new assignment. The missionary couple has four married sons, a married daughter, and a daugh- ter attending law school in San Fran- cisco.
In issuing a statement endorsing the drive by the American Heart Fund, the First Presidency said in part: "We be- lieve this to be a very worthy cause, and one that is deserving of our fullest sup- port, and we urge the members of the Church to contribute liberally. . . ." Earlier in the year the First Presidency had made a similar statement concern- ing the polio drive.
111^ President David O. McKay dedi- cated additions and improvements to the chapel of the Bountiful First and Sixth wards chapel. Every President of the Church, with the exception of the
216
Prophet Joseph Smith, has preached in this ninety-four-year-old building.
Elder Harold B. Lee of the Council of the Twelve dedicated the chapel of the Oak Hills First and Second wards. The building will also be the East Sharon (Utah) Stake center.
Kf Elder Harold B. Lee of the Coun- cil of the Twelve dedicated the chapel of the Garden Heights and Garden Heights South wards, Canyon Rim (Salt Lake City) Stake.
Elder Clifford E. Young, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, dedicated the chapel of the American Fork First and Fifth wards, Alpine (Utah) Stake.
Elder John Longden, Assistant to the Council of the Twelve, dedicated the Twin Falls (Idaho) Stake center. The building is also the home of the Twin Falls Fifth and Sixth wards.
Elder Harvey M. Broadbent, formerly second counselor to President George S. Haslam of the North Davis (Utah) Stake, sustained as first counselor, suc- ceeding Elder Keith S. Smith. Elder Joseph Cook sustained as the new second counselor.
Stake and ward Sunday School super- intendents were asked by the Deseret Sunday School Union general superin- tendency to designate this as family Church attendance day. The request coincides with the annual national ob- servance of "Go to Church Week" (Feb- ruary 11-17) sponsored on a community basis by the Exchange Clubs.
The First Presidency announced the appointment of Elder Richard C. Stratford, first counselor in the presi- dency of the Portland (Oregon) Stake, as president of the Northern States Mis- sion. He succeeds President Isaac A. Smoot in this assignment. As a young man, President Stratford filled a mission in the Swiss-German Mission. He is a former bishop of the Colonial Heights Ward in Portland, and from 1942 to 1954 served as second counselor in the Portland Stake presidency. Mrs. Strat- ford will accompany him on this mis- sion, as will three of their five children. It was announced that the Book of Mormon had now been recorded as a "Talking Book" for the Blind. The making of the fifty records was done according to the exacting specifications furnished by the Library of Congress. Elders Dean Bennett and Allen Jensen of KSL spent the summer of 1954 read- ing the Book of Mormon as tape record-
(Concluded on page 285) THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
Let Fuller solve your paint color prcOaLeins
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"JTiis room needs repainting/7 said Mrs. O'Day* The color's so dreary — / know it's passe.
I want something modern and sure to be smart —
But how can I know — and where do I start?"
DearJVErs. CJDay
Fuller can offer you more paint colors than anyone else! And you can be sure they're smart and modern because Fuller con- stantly weeds out the old and adds the new. Also — you'll find more professional guides on color-combining— at your Fuller Color Planning Center.
3dJemo -to Hvsbands
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NEW!
GOSPEL TRUTH
DISCOURSES AND WRITINGS
of
PRESIDENT GEORGE Q. CANNON
Compiled by Jerreld L. Newquist
Here at long last is the compila- tion for which the members of the Church have been eagerly looking . . . the choicest writings and discourses of one of the greatest gospel authorities of his day, President George Q. Cannon, first counselor to Presi- dents John Taylor, Wilford Wood- ruff and Lorenzo Snow. These writings include important gos- pel truths concerning the pre- existence and mortality, resurrection, The Last Days, the spirit world, future glories, miracles, apostleship, and rev- elation. In this, the first of two volumes, there is a fascinating biographical sketch of President Cannon written by the book's compiler and an interesting fore- word by Edwin Q. Cannon. "Gospel Truth" is a vital volume for every Latter-day Saint to read and enjoy.
BOOKCRAFT
Available at Bookcraft Dealers everywhere.
218
America's Smoking Habits*
■ pproximately 38,000,000 Ameri- /l cans are regular cigaret smokers, ■*■ *• although a million and a half have quit smoking entirely in the last eighteen months, according to esti- mates based on a representative sam- ple of about 40,000 persons surveyed by the U S Bureau of the Census for the National Cancer Institute of the Public Health Service, Department of Health, Education, and Welfare.
The data will be of value to Na- tional Cancer Institute statisticians and physicians who are studying the incidence of cancer in the popula- tion— particularly lung cancer — in re- lationship to smoking habits. A number of laboratory and field studies are being done by the Public Health Service, and by other agencies and institutions with the aid of federal grants or other financial support. These studies are designed to pro- vide more information on the ques- tion of whether or not lung cancer is related to cigaret smoking.
The figures released jointly by the Census Bureau and the National Cancer Institute are preliminary re- sults based on interviews conducted early this year by census takers with both men and women over seventeen years of age in the urban non-in- stitutional population. The survey covered 230 areas consisting of about 450 counties scattered through all regions of the country.
Estimates based on the data thus far give the following information about the smoking habits of Ameri- cans:
The 38,000,000 cigaret smokers in- clude 25,000,000 men and 13,000,000 women.
About 4,000,000 of the men who are cigaret smokers consume less than a pack a day. One-half million smoke more than two packs a day. The majority smoke ten to twenty cigarets a day. Two million others smoke cigarets occasionally.
Two out of every three men twenty- five to sixty-four years old in the total population smoke regularly in one form or another.
Non-farm men are heavier smokers than those who live on farms, and white men smoke more than non- whites. In the South, for example, about one -fourth of the white men (Concluded on page 258)
•Taken from the Texas Health Bulletin.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
Comes Spring!
by Dorothy O. Rea
—Frank J. Miller photo
JL've a new coin for a beggar,
A cookie for a child. I've sun and rain in flower cups
From fields with spring grown wild.
(Jne winter day my tears fell
On brown earth overturned. The child and beggar waited
While black grief seared and burned.
rOMES springtime, and one sacred link Brown earth and stars does join And I, both child and beggar, Have a newly minted coin.
APRIL 1957
219
HERE ON OUR HILL
By Mabel Jones Gabbott
A h, this is heaven . . . you and the warm- ■'■■ ing sun and lilac scent Here on our hill; And soul-deep conversation
to the long hour's fill. But were there neither sun nor lilac,
only you . . . It would be heaven still.
APRIL ENCHANTMENT By Ethel Jacobson
W/hat enchantment rain can weave
With her pallid hands! Down her silver curtain falls — ■ There Spring stands In the narrow city street Where the asphalt gleams, Just as on a mountain height Where Pan dreams. Rain falls sweet to sparrows here Beneath a city hedge, While flowers nod as gratefully From a window ledge. What enchantment rain can weave With her pallid hands! Down her silver curtain falls — There Spring stands.
MOMENT OF RADIANCE By ]ane Merchant
^Fins day in spring I meant to take
A leisured pilgrimage, to make The luminous, ethereal shine Of April hills entirely mine, Having no higher thing to do Than let the living green and blue Completely permeate my heart, Becoming an intrinsic part Of all I am. But there was need Of me indoors. I could not heed The blossoming day; till in one small Moment of radiance I glimpsed all Of blue and green, at daylight's end, That any heart could comprehend.
APRIL HEART By Solveig Paulson Russell
have an April heart,
Blythe and swelling gay; It wants to sing with everything, For April's way Of coaxing silent laughter To every growing thing Has bubbled through my winter heart And now — It's Spring!
SILENCE By Pauline Havard
W/ho can define silence? A song " More lovely than any sound, Like a snowflake falling on new snow, A star to the starry ground.
The beautiful words that are left unsaid When the heart is too full to speak; The breath of the wind through apple- bloom; The sunlight's touch on the cheek
Of a laughing child on an April day; Silence is all these things; And always to the responsive heart, How eloquently it sings!
220
TOPSY-TURVY SPRING By Ila Lewis Funderburgh
Cpring came rushing down the hill,
Scurry, scamper, hurry; She mixed up sunshine, hail, and rain And caused a sudden flurry.
She hung a curve of rainbow up, Skipped off and left it there, Then made the apple tree to bloom, Forgot the peach and pear.
Bright asters of the fall she waked,
But left snowdrops in bed;
The paint she mixed for the robin's breast
Was blue instead of red.
It was a topsy-turvy spring
Below ground and above;
Spring ignored schedules, forgot rules,
The year she fell in love.
UNLABELED DREAM By Alma Robison Higbee
I found the box unlabeled, tucked away Beneath the stairs, and when I looked inside, I found a kite, once blue, now faded gray, Shaped like a bird; it was a small boy's
pride When days were winged and April air was
thinned, And boy and kite went soaring down the wind.
New kites will fade and little boys grow tall, And skyways open down the distant blue; Deep is the smoke that sets a screening wall, And sad is the heart when flying days are
through. Where is the balm to heal a broken wing, Or April wind, for a dream on a white
twine string?
— H. Armstrong Roberts photo
SPRING OUTLOOK
By Maude Rubin
Between crisp curtains looped in fresh de- sign
The house surveys its world, serene, clear- eyed;
Sees winter blankets blowing on the line,
Like flags of spring, while feather dusters glide
Across a polished sky. Each hurrying bird
Now carries straw or string; the fawn-eyed cow
Breakfasts on buttercups, while timothy's word
Promises fragrance heaped in winter's mow;
Above the highest hill, one fragile toy,
A bright blue kite . . . heaven tethered to a boy!
AWAKENING By Marie L. Weaver
Even in the grown-up clothes, Though they fit his slender frame with certain oddness, He is young — So very young.
Strange pain is this that wrings My heart,
Strange because it swiftly moves to pride. And I watch him go\ . . For one short breath of time Tomorrow stands high on a hill, And I ... I catch a flood Of understanding . . . On feathered toes, soft as twilight, My boy is gone — And in his place a man appears.
SONG FOR BEING NEEDED By Elaine V. Emans
Just knowing you are there will help," she wrote, And being here takes on a lovely new Significance. I read the little note Over and over, knowing that too few Times we let others see that we have need Of them: our self-sufficiency appears And hides from view our hearts that often
bleed And teaches us that we must weep few
tears. But learning one is needed is so good A thing, that I shall search for ways of
showing The unsuspecting ones, who never should Have guessed, I need them. And you, al- ready knowing I need you, will henceforth be happier About it, mark my words, than ever you were!
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
Just a Bit of Heaven on Earth
There are few if any things more objectionable in the home than the absence of unity and harmony. On •the other hand, I know that a home in which unity, mutual helpfulness, and love abide is just a bit of heaven on earth. Most gratefully and humbly, I cherish the remembrance that never once as a lad in the home of my youth did I see one instance of discord between Father and Mother and that goodwill and mutual un- derstanding have been the uniting bond that has held together a fortunate group of brothers and sisters. Unity, harmony, and goodwill are virtues to be fostered and cher- ished in every home.
Marriage is a sacred relationship entered into for the purposes that are well recognized — primarily for the rear- ing of a family.
Equal in importance to the high conception of the marriage covenant is the teaching of the Church in re- gard to the responsibility of parenthood.
Parenthood should be held as a sacred obligation. There is something in the depths of the human soul which revolts against neglectful parenthood.
Parents cannot with impunity shirk the responsibility to protect childhood and youth.
I believe you parents generally are teaching your chil- dren the gospel; yet I am convinced that there is still much opportunity for improvement in this regard. I am not thinking of the set hours in which you sit down to teach these doctrines to your children, but of the exam- ple you fathers and mothers give to your children re- garding the faith that is dear to your hearts. Your exam- ples as parents will teach these principles more effectively than what you say. Out of your homes come the future leaders of the Church.
Fathers may and should exercise a helpful, restraining influence, where a mother's tenderness and love might lead children to take advantage of her. In this respect, however, every father should keep in mind that he was
once a mischievous youngster himself and deal with his boys sympathetically.
Every home has both body and spirit. You may have a beautiful house with all the decorations that modern art can give or wealth bestow. You may have all the outward forms that will please the eye and yet not have a home. It is not a home without love. It may be a hovel, a log hut, a tent, a wickiup, if you have the right spirit within, the true love of Christ, and love for one another — fathers and mothers for children, children for parents, husband and wife for each other — you have the true life of the home that loyal members of the Church are striving to establish.
By the art of home building, I mean the inculcating in the lives of children a nobility of soul that leads them instinctively to love the beautiful, the genuine, the virtu- ous, and as instinctively to turn from the ugly, the spurious, and the vile.
If you were to ask me where I first received my un- wavering faith in the existence of God, I would answer you: in the home of my childhood — when Father and Mother invariably called their children around them in the morning and at night and invoked God's blessing upon the household and upon mankind. There was a sincerity in that good patriarch's voice that left an un- dying impression in the children's souls; and Mother's prayers were equally impressive.
The dearest possession a man has is his family. In the divine assurance that family ties can transcend the bounds of death and may continue throughout endless ages of eternity, I find supreme consolation and inspira- tion. When the union of loved ones bears the seal of the Holy Priesthood, it is as eternal as love, as everlast- ing as spirit. Such a union is based on the doctrine of immortality and the eternal progress of man.
This is your heritage as you contemplate your eternal partnership, and I pray that you realize it and find the true joy and happiness of such a cherished ideal.
by President David O. McKay
APRIL 1957
221
liilliiill
by Joseph Fielding Smith
PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL OF THE TWELVE
The Apostle Paul and Genealogical Research
"The Prophet Joseph Smith said, 'The p4P greatest responsibility the Lord has laid upon us is to seek after our dead.'1 The Genealogical Society workers come to us saying that it is our duty to search the records of the dead and obtain all the gene- alogical information that we can, that we may go to the temples and do work for them. Now I would like to know how we can square this with the doctrine of Paul, as found in the epistles to Timothy and Titus, in which he condemns genealogical research. Is it because this work was not for Paul's day?"
Answer:
The counsel given to Timothy and Titus by Paul and the commandment given by the Lord to Joseph Smith appear in conflict only when Paul's remarks are misunderstood. The Lord revealed to Joseph Smith the glorious principles of salva- tion for the dead who died without the opportunity to receive the gospel when they were on the earth. Elijah was sent to restore the sealing power by which families may be united eternally and to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the children to the fathers, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse.2 Because of the restoration, the spirit of research has taken hold of thousands of persons in all parts of the civilized earth, and the Latter-day Saints have been commanded to pre- pare the records of their dead and go to the temples, there to perform vicariously all the ordinances of salvation for them. This promise was made through the prophets an- ciently as well as in this dispensation. The dead who will accept the work done for them shall receive eternal life.3
The Lord inspired people anciently to keep records and histories of their people. If there had been no gene- alogical records kept, we would be without a great fund of knowledge in relation to the nations of the past and their relationship to the people of this generation. Record- keeping of this kind has been a common practice in almost all nations, especially was it so of the Israelites.
teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, page 356.
2See 'D & C 27 9
8D & G 1:1-3; DHC, Vol. 3:280; Isaiah 42:7 and 61:1-2; Malachi 4:5-6.
222
Some of the most interesting and important records on which we rely are found in Genesis and the books of Moses in the Old Testament. The Lord commanded that a census be taken as the Israelites were about to enter the land of their inheritance.4 If these records had not been kept, we would not have the genealogies of our Redeemer in Matthew and Luke. When the Jews re- turned from Babylon, after the captivity, they were judged out of the records, and those with clouded lineage were denied the privileges of the priesthood and the tem- ple.5 The keeping of genealogical records is essential to the accomplishment of the work assigned to the Latter- day Saints that they may become saviors on Mt. Zion by performing the ordinances for their dead. This would be impossible without records of our dead being available.
Many of the sayings of Paul and other prophets have come down to us in imperfect form due to faulty trans- lations and misinterpretations. Perhaps we do not have the full text of Paul's instruction to Timothy and Titus. We may be sure, however, that he would not take a stand in opposition to the teachings of the prophets who went before him. Genealogical research must have been done in the days of Paul which he did not condemn, for salvation for the dead was practised in his day, and he called attention to this fact, using it as an argument in favor of the resurrection.0 However, there was no vicarious work done before the resurrection of our Lord. Paul's reference to "fables and endless genealogies" im- plies that he was condemning a practice that had been perverted, or he would not have called the practice "fables."7 We may conclude, then, that there was a practice among the Jews in which the preparing of genealogies was fraudulently done. Bible commentators declare this to be the fact. Dr. Adam Clark in his Commentary calls attention to this fraudulent practice and gives the reason for it in the following words:
"The Jews had scrupulously preserved their genealog- ical tables, till the advent of Christ; and the evangelists had recourse to them, and appealed to them in reference
<Gen., Chapters 10-11; Numbers, Chapters 1, 2, 3, and 16; I Chron., Chapters 1-8. EEzra and Nehemiah. 61 Cor. 15:29. 'I Tim. 1:4.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
to our Lord's descent from the house of David: Matthew taking this genealogy of the descending, Luke of the ascending line. And whatever difficulties we may now find in these genealogies, they were certainly clear to the Jews; nor did the most determined enemies of the gospel attempt to raise one objection to it from the appeal which the evangelists had made to their own public and accredited tables. All was then certain; but we are told that Herod destroyed the public registers: he, being an Idumean, was jealous of the noble origin of the Jews: and that none might be able to reproach him with his descent, he ordered the genealogical tables, which were kept among the archives in the temple, to be burned. * * *
From this time the Jews could refer to their genealogies only from memory, or from those imperfect tables which had been preserved in private hands; and to make out any regular line from these, must have been endless and uncertain. It is probably to this the apostle refers; I mean the endless and useless labor which the attempt to make out these genealogies must produce; the au- thentic tables being destroyed."8
So we may well conclude that Paul's denunciation was towards doubtful and untruthful genealogies which had been tampered with for improper purposes. Dr. Scott in his Commentary treats this matter in a similar way.
sClark's Commentary, Vol. VI, page 555, on Timothy 1:4.
§
Work — <
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Richard L. Evans
T ast week we talked of the fallacy of being free from work — and of the fact that we can't eat or travel, or use any substance or any service with- out consuming someone's work — no matter how mechanized men's lives become. And further we recalled the fact that the Lord God could have made life free from work if he had thought it were wise — but this he did not do. And so today, we repeat, that work is a principle and a privilege, and not merely a penalty. The philosophy of being free from work is a false philosophy and the fashion of being free from work is a false fashion. And now further on this thought, we should like to talk a moment or two to young people preparing for the future. To them, earnestly and urgently, we would say: Consider carefully the kind of work you want to do, the kind of work you are best adapted to do, and don't make avoiding work your ideal or ob- jective. If you do, you won't develop your talents or your full powers of performance. If you do, you may work harder at wasting time than you would at working. If you do, you'll deteriorate faster than you would with working. If you do, you will have a feeling of frustration and futility and a dis- content inside yourselves — for any day that closes without a sincere sense of accomplishment is an empty and unsatisfying day. Furthermore, there is no real prestige without work. (Anyone who supposes that he can have influence without re- sponsibility, or prestige without paying a price, or a real sense of satisfaction without willing work,
is only seeking to deceive himself.) And now to this witness of our words, we would add the word of other witnesses. First from Emerson: "In every variety of human employment . . . there are [those] who do their task perfunctorily, as we say, or just to pass, and as badly as they dare . . . [and there are] those who love work, and love to see it rightly done, who finish their task . . . and the state and world is happy, that has the most of such finishers. . . . Men talk as if victory were something fortunate. Work is victory."1 And from Carlyle, once more we quote: "Idleness alone is without hope: work earnestly at anything, you will by degrees learn to work at almost all things."2 "For there is a perennial nobleness, and even sacredness, in Work. . . . There is always hope in a man that actually and earnestly works: . . ."3 "For that is the thing a man is born to ... to expend every particle of strength that God Almighty has given him in doing the work he finds he is fit for; to stand up to it to the last breath of life, and to do his best. We are called upon to do that; ... I would bid you stand up to your work, whatever it may be, and not be afraid of it."4
Jhe S^pokt
Wo J"
)poken vi/ora from temple square
PRESENTED OVER KSL AND THE COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM, FEBRUARY 17, 1957
Copyright 1957
aRaIph Waldo Emerson, Worship.
2Thomas Carlyle, Past and Present, Ch. II.
3Ibid., Ch. XI.
4Thomas Carlyle, Inaugural Address, at Edinburgh, 1866.
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APRIL 1957
223
80 Years Service to Our Lord
RESEARCH EDITOR
The Saint George Temple.
It is difficult to believe that the St. George Temple — first of the permanent temples to be con- structed by the Church after the exodus to the Rocky Mountains — has stood in the southwestern part of Utah for only eighty years. To us of this generation, that stately old sandstone building, finished in glis- tening white, has always stood there as a beacon, the fountainhead of spiritual blessings for all those who would prepare themselves to enter its friendly doors.
Families had been called at the October 1861 semi-annual conference of the Church to pioneer the proposed settlement of St. George. Their "mis- sion" was to raise cotton and to con- tribute to the independence and self-sustaining power of the people. By December 1 of that year some of the residents were camped there. There followed a period of struggling pioneering. Canals had to be dug, virgin soil made into farms; and droughts and floods and insect hordes took their share. It seemed that na- ture herself was trying the hardy settlers of St. George. 224
But less than a decade after the settlement's humble beginning, the announcement came that a temple would be built at St. George. Charles L. Walker, writing in his diary for Saturday, April 15, 1871, paints this word picture:
This p. m. I went to the school of the prophets. A letter was read from Brother Brigham stating the time had come that the Saints could build a temple to the Most High in St. George. A thrill of joy seemed to pass over the assembly of Elders present at the announcement. It is to be built of stone, plastered inside and out. The length 190 feet, width 142 feet, and 80 feet high, two stories with a large hall in each story, with rooms on each side, and a baptismal font in the basement. Brother Brigham and George A. Smith will be down next October to commence the work and give directions concerning its erection.
Not only had the President of the Church announced that a temple would be built; he had also sent the general specifications of the building.
A pamphlet distributed at the St. George Temple Bureau of Information gives the dimensions of the temple as "141 feet 8 inches long, 93 feet 4 inches wide, 84 feet high to the
square or parapet, and 175 feet high to the top of the vane on the tower."
On October 14, 1942, one day be- fore his eighty-second birthday, David Henry Cannon, Jr., related that Presi- dent Young had asked the people in St. George to make recommendations for a temple site, and after several places were visited, President Young was informed that the townspeople could not agree upon a site.
Elder Cannon continued:
"President Young, arriving later, somewhat impatiently chided them, and at the same time asked them to get into their wagons, or whatever else they had, and with him find a location [site for the temple] .
"To the south of town they finally stopped.
" 'But, Brother Brigham,' protested the men, 'this land is boggy. After a storm, and for several months of the year, no one can drive across the land without horses and wagons sinking way down. There is no place to build a foundation.'
" 'We will make a foundation,' said President Young."
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
Then Brother Cannon continued:
"Later on, while plowing and scraping where the foundation was to be, my horse's leg broke through the ground into a spring of water. The brethren then wanted to move the foundation line twelve feet to the south, so that the spring of water would be on the outside of the tem- ple.
' 'Not so,' replied President Young. 'We will wall it up and leave it here for some future use. But we cannot move the foundation. This spot was dedicated by the Nephites. They could not build it [the temple], but we can and will build it for them.'
"To this day the water from that very spring is running through a drain properly built."*
Ground was broken for the build- ing on November 9, 1871, after a post- ponement of some seventy-two hours because of inclement weather. As part of these ceremonies, Brigham Young had the people present raise their right hands toward heaven. As they struck their right hand with their left hand, they shouted, "Hosanna! Hosanna! Hosanna! to God and the Lamb; Amen! Amen!"
By three o'clock that afternoon men and teams had commenced excavating. A limestone edge was found on the north, which was suitable for a foundation, but the excavation proved that the rest of the site was swampy indeed. With pioneer ingenuity, they converted a cannon of the Mexican War vintage into a pile driver. A thousand pound lead weight was thus devised and, tied together with cotton- wood bark and steel bands, was actu- ally used to drive volcanic rocks into that foundation site. Only when this hammer would bounce three times before coming to rest were the build- ers satisfied that they had enough rocks pounded into an area. It has been said that there is more stone below the surface than there is in the building above the ground.
John L. Smith, who had been ap- pointed to visit members in the interest of the temple construction, made this summation on December 31, 1875:
Wilford Woodruff served as temple pres- ident, 1877-1884.
first of the LDS temples in the west . . . the stately St. George Temple serves today, as it has for eighty years,
as a refuge of spiritual strength.
Since April 12, we have traveled 3,342 miles, held 161 meetings, and collected over $15,000.00 and offerings for the temple.
Those offerings included flour, po- tatoes, cheese, meat, and other com- modities which would be used to sustain those laboring on the temple. For much of that year, 1875, one hundred men were working at the temple site, one hundred at the stone quarries, and forty were engaged in obtaining lumber.
President Young had promised the faithful "that there would not be any persons who would lose their lives on any of the works of this tem- ple." During the construction period men accidentally fell from scaffold- ing more than eighty feet above the ground, others fell from runaway wagons loaded with rocks, and there were other accidents. Miraculously, all lived to raise their voices in testi- mony and to return to their free-will labor of love upon the temple.
Over a million feet of lumber were used in the building. Some of the beams were twelve inches by twenty- four inches, ranging in length from twenty-six to forty-six feet. Much of the lumber was hauled by ox team from Mt. Trumbull, some eighty miles distant. Other lumber came from Pine Valley Mountain, only thirty miles away, and from the Buckskin Mountains of the Kaibab Forest. Some of the lumber had to be hauled over desert stretches, where it was neces-
*Statement witnessed by E. Ernest and Zilpha H. Bramwell of Salt Lake City and Richard S. McAllister of St. George.
APRIL 1957
Night or day the building is a landmark.
Daniel H. Wells dedicated the com- pleted building, April 6, 1877.
sary to take water in the empty wagons and cache it en route so that the teams might not surfer on the re- turn journey, which took from two to seven days of hard driving.
What a price in love and devotion those settlers of Utah's Dixie willing- ly gave the Church!
The baptismal font, which rests on the back of twelve oxen in the base- ment of the building, weighs nine tons and was the personal gift of President Young. It was made in Salt Lake City and freighted to St. George in three specially-built wag- ons.
President Young had hoped that the temple would be completed by September 1876; it was not finished until that winter. President Wilford Woodruff, then a member of the Council of the Twelve, offered the dedicatory prayer. A final dedica- tion was held April 6, 1877, when the general conference of the Church was held in that building. This dedica- tory prayer was offered by President Daniel H. Wells, a Counselor to President Young.
TT'or eighty years the St. George * Temple has been a blessing to the people of the Church. May it continue to serve many times those eighty years!
Before the other temples of the Church were finished, it was not uncommon for members to spend weeks en route to St. George for the privilege of coming to this House of
(Concluded on page 287)
225
-Photo by Samuel Myslis
TESTIMONY
by Elder Delbert L. Stapley
OF THE COUNCIL OF THE TWELVE
I desire to bear my humble testi- mony that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true, therefore is God's only recognized Church on earth. This truth the Savior declared by revelation through Joseph Smith to the elders of the Church, as found in section one of the Doctrine and Covenants, which con- stitutes the Lord's preface to the doctrines, covenants, and command- ments given in this dispensation. The Lord declared:
And also those to whom these command- ments were given, might have power to lay the foundation of this, church, and to bring it forth out of obscurity and out of dark- ness, the only true and living church upon the face of the whole earth, with which I, the Lord, am well pleased. . . . (D & C 1:30.)
226
This, I acknowledge, is the state- ment of one man, but many who knew him have testified that he was a Prophet of God. His works bespeak that sacred calling. The Holy Ghost has borne that witness to hundreds of thousands today, and they so testify to the world.
I bear witness that God lives and is the Father of our Spirits, in whose image and likeness we are created.
I bear testimony that Jesus is the Christ, the Savior of men, the Only Begotten of the Eternal Father in the flesh, through whose atoning sacrifice on Calvary we can gain redemption, salvation, and exaltation in God's holy presence.
I testify that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God, who stands at the
head of this the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times, in which God is to gather . together all things in Christ before the end shall come.
I testify that no man could ac- complish the work the Prophet Joseph Smith accomplished without God being with him. The Prophet was martyred at thirty-eight, yet he had set up by divine appointment and heavenly power the foundation of a great church, built temples and cities, was a revelator and a translator, giv- ing to the world marvelous truths, principles, and the saving gospel ordinances.
I testify that no man could give to the world the truths, principles, and commandments found in the Book of Mormon and Doctrine and Cove- nants without the inspiration and revelations of Almighty God. No man promoting a spurious book would have the audacity to place in it the promise found in the Book of Mor- mon:
And when ye 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 mani- fest 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. (Mor. 10:4-5.)
What a far-reaching promise! Man has not refuted the claim. Many have received that assurance and witness. Thousands have put the promise to the test; the Holy Ghost has manifested the truth of the Book of Mormon to them. They are now converts and members of the restored Church. With all members, they fervently bear testimony of this truth to all the world.
I promise you, that by doing the will of the Father, and keeping your- selves unspotted from the sins of the world, you too can gain a fervent testimony that these things are true. When such a testimony is obtained, do not do anything that would cause you to lose this witness. It is most precious! Sin and inactivity can drive out the Holy Ghost and callous the soul against the light and truth of the Spirit. You must always remem- ber that God is perfect, and to be like him you, too, must perfect your- selves, resting your faith and works
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
upon God and his Son, Jesus Christ, and not upon man.
But the natural man receiveth not the tilings of the Spirit of God: for they are foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned. (I Cor. 2:14.)
Today there is so much offered by man, the counterfeit as well as the good, it is easy, unless an individual stays close to the Church and its teachings, to get mixed up in his values. In the Doctrine and Cove- nants, we read:
And if your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be fdled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light compre- hended all things. (D & C 88:67.)
You cannot take darkness into a lighted room, nor can doubt be cre- ated where true faith exists. You can, however, take light into a dark- ened room, and it will light the room with radiance, as the darkened soul through repentance and faith can be lighted up and made glorious by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost.
In the Apostle Paul's writings to the Colossian saints he said that all the treasures of wisdom and knowl- edge were hid in the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ. He informs the saints of this lest any man should be- guile them with enticing words, and then he says:
Beware lest any man spoil you through I philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradi- tion of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. (Col. 2:8.)
Paul is warning against man's philosophy, which was after the world, imperfectly developed because they were the thoughts and theories of imperfect men. He also warns against the learned philosophers who, because of their knowledge, are vain, self-important, and teaching false concepts for truth. These teachings have come down to us after the tradi- tion of men, but not after Christ. If after Christ, the teachings could only be perfect truth, because he is God and God is truth. Unfortunately, the philosophies of men handed down through the ages have become ac- cepted traditionally as truth, and thus men so versed esteem highly this knowledge and freely teach it for truth. These teachers of man's philosophy often persuade tender, im-
Elder Delbert L. Stapley
mature minds to accept as basic truths such theories, and thus youth become convinced or confused in their thinking. They lose the faith; then moral principles begin to crumble and choice souls are lost to God.
The Apostle Paul said to a favorite son in Christ —
O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called:
Which some professing have erred con- cerning the faith. (I Tim. 6:20-21.)
Paul desired his beloved Timothy to avoid the common, the worldly, the worthless idle talk, and the opposi- tions of false scientific teachings which had caused some to be led astray.
There is no conflict between true science and true religion. Science is concerned with facts and truths. Scientific men speculate and theorize in research to establish facts and truths but until proven their theories must not be accepted as the ultimate. Unless such teachings harmonize with revealed truth, they could destroy true faith and thus result in unhappy lives.
How well Satan is acquainted with and takes advantage of people to de- ceive the unsuspecting. Jacob, the brother of Nephi, voices this warning:
O that cunning plan of the evil one! O the vainness, and the frailties, and the fool- ishness of men! When they are learned they think they are wise, and they hearken not unto the counsel of God, for they set it aside, supposing they know of themselves, wherefore, their wisdom is foolishness and it profiteth them not. And they shall perish.
But to be learned is good if they hearken unto the counsels of God. (2 Nephi 9:28- 29.)
Why do men think themselves wise in their own vain deceit — what does it profit? Why should men ignore the counsels and revealed truths of God, considering more important the learning and wisdom of men and promoting it contrary to the knowl- edge and wisdom that comes from God?
Should any of you consider your- selves belonging to the intelligentsia, I would advise you to keep humble and to hearken always to the coun- sels of God. We less fortunate stand in awe at your mental powers and capacities. You have the abilities to accomplish great things! Your achieve- ments, however, will bring to you greater renown if humble and sincere faith in God becomes your chief vir- tue and motivating force. According to the Savior's parable of the talents, God gives to men according to their several abilities and requires an ac- counting for their use. Regardless of the many gifts an individual has, there is always someone with more gifts and of greater intelligence. Re- member, God said to Abraham,
These two facts do exist, that there are two spirits, one being more intelligent than the other; there shall be another more in- telligent than they; I am the Lord thy God, I am more intelligent than they all. (Abr. 3:19.)
God then, in whom all knowledge and wisdom centers, is the source to which all should turn for the true way of life.
Joseph Smith, although of a tender age, put this scripture to the test:
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberal'y, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (James 1 :5.)
and was inspired and authorized to organize God's Church on the earth, with all its saving laws and ordi- nances. Prayer and God, then, be- come the true source of all our knowledge, wisdom, and strength.
We should always remember that revealed truth is the measuring rod and the basis of all law and moral behavior among Christian peoples. Therefore, do not accept the teach- ings and philosophies of men con- (Concluded on following page)
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227
Testimony
(Continued from preceding page) trary to the teachings of God through his Son, Jesus Christ, or the prophets. Teachers of the sciences or philosophy do not have the moral right to teach the principles, scientific theories, or philosophies of men contrary to the revealed truths taught by Christ and his prophets in all ages of the world. Such truths are fundamental; they are eternal and never become obsolete or incapable of wise use.
Clifford F. Hood, president of the United States Steel Corporation, re- cently said:
I think no one will seriously challenge me if I say that we have been living in a period of unbelief, a serious unbelief in the fundamental purposes of man and his im- portance and position in the universe. All who have lost the faith, I believe, feel a real void in their lives. With no positive code of values, their lives have lost a feel- ing of significance in this cosmic environ- ment. In all humility and sincerity we shall have to admit a power higher than our- selves, from whom is derived a positive moral code that will give our lives significance. We shall have to make up our minds once and for all that honesty, respect, and honor, as such, are not for sale on the market block, except as they become ingredients that you and I and all Americans put into the products of our daily lives.
There is more virtue and power in the simple teachings of Christ than is contained in all the philosophies of men, and his teachings will do more to produce proper attitudes, build beautiful characters, develop true principles of service, and also give life purpose with a greater measure of joy and happiness to each of us than any other teachings can.
The Prophet Joel declared a most significant bit of information and light on the great knowledge and dis- coveries of our day in this prophecy:
And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, your young men shall see visions. (Joel 2:28.)
This prophecy was to come to pass afterward, or, in the latter days. There are two parts to this prophecy that are very expressive. First, the Lord's Spirit was to be poured out upon all flesh. This is represented by the Spirit that gives light to every man that comes into the world. It is this power that makes possible our
228
modern progress in the fields of sci- ence and invention with the conven- iences and the material and physical blessings we enjoy today. Second is the gift and power of the Holy Ghost which is to manifest its spiritual gifts to men that will cause them to prophesy, to dream dreams, and to see visions.
From the very introduction of the gospel and the establishment of God's work in these the latter days of the world, the Spirit of Christ has been poured out upon all men, for knowl- edge is everywhere present. We can determine the progress of our times from the beginning of his work which ushered in this the Dispensation of the Fulness of Times. Truly, the heavens have been opened and God has poured down knowledge upon men almost without measure.
The discoveries and material in- ventions given us by science are miracles. We stand in amazement at man's accomplishments! It is dif- ficult to understand how he could achieve so much in so short a time compared to the life of man on this earth. But under the influence of the Spirit spoken of by Joel that v75s to be poured out upon all flesh, perhaps we can understand why we are re- ceiving the marvelous blessings of scientific discovery and invention. Men share in the glory of that knowl- edge and all enjoy the blessings of it. Truly, it is as Christ stated in the parable on stewardship, "For the children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." (Luke 16:8.)
When we measure material or temporal things, this appears true, but when we think of the true values of the Spirit that emanate from the Holy Ghost, it is not true. Knowl- edge of physical and temporal things is separate and distinct from the gifts and operations of the Holy, Ghost, the spiritual gifts of prophecy, dreams, visions, revelations, and others. These have to do with the salvation and exaltation of man, his very eternal status in the mansions of God.
It is significant that when God re- leases truth to the earth, it is not confined to one area or nation but is available to all, and discovery is al- most simultaneous in many of the advanced scientific nations of the world. Science and invention have
given so much, the material values seem so important, we may overlook in our scramble for these things the eternal values of life that make for true happiness.
The great discoveries of our age — radio, television, radar, guided mis- siles, and planes — achieved by man are miracles, but God creates worlds, guides and controls them as he does all the works of his hands. He cre- ates life, which phenomena man cannot achieve. We are a part of that life — God's greatest creation, for it is his work and glory to bring to pass the immortality and the eternal life of his children. As children of God, we have the powers within us to upgrade ourselves and become like our Eternal Father. This we can do by perfecting our inherent gifts and endowments of the Spirit and also by sanctifying our souls through righteous pursuits.
Paul made this declaration and ex- planation to the Corinthian saints:
And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.
For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.
That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect. ... (I Cor. 2:1-2, 5-6.)
Here is an important key: Wisdom increases in proportion to our own perfectness. Our greatest teacher of wisdom — Christ, being perfect, had complete access to the wisdom of God — "For it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell." (Col. 1:19.) And, again, in John we read, ". . . for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him." (John 3:34.)
Another declaration by the Apostle Paul to the Corinthian saints:
For what man knoweth the things of man, save the spirit of man which is in him? even so the things of God knoweth no man, but the Spirit of God.
But the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are foolish unto him: neither can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
For who hath known the mind of the Lord, that he may instruct him? But we have the mind of Christ. (I Cor. 2:11, 14, 16.)
(Continued on page 286)
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
In the
HEART
LIES
SPRING
by Elayne T. Anderson
It was a brisk April day which had come to the university campus. Small isolated patches of snow lay here and there. A persistent wind made the buttoned coats, the scarves, and gloves a definite necessity.
In hurrying from one of the build- ings to another, I observed two stu- dents in front of me. One of the fellows was of medium height, with blond hair and average build. The other was also of medium height and had blond hair; there the resem- blance ended. He was a pitiful pat- tern of deformity.
From the waist up, he had the build of an athlete, with broad shoulders, firm, strong chest, and a fine well-set head. His right leg was seemingly normal. The left leg, how- ever, was twisted out of shape and caused contortions of his entire body with every step. The joints, muscles, and the very bones themselves were out of line.
As I passed by, the crippled chap turned to his friend and said, "Yes, spring is definitely my favorite sea- son; in fact, I really look forward to it."
What could spring mean to him? His deformities were an accepted ex- cuse for failure had he wanted to give up.
Give up! Just letting my thoughts idle on this aspect of human behavior seemed to bring several facts forcibly to mind.
How many of the physically per- fect go through life looking for an excuse to give up? So often we slow down with each discouragement, weaken with each challenge, and die a little with each heartache.
Frequently the desire to make a new beginning is killed because the fires of hope cannot be kindled in the cold ashes of despair which fill the
APRIL 1957
heart. If we could only realize that it is the test of our mortal existence to sink and rise again! The impor- tant thing is not how many times we go down, but that we keep getting up again. We must learn not to re- sist life's changes but to develop the strength to live through them.
Earth does not resist the cycle of seasonal changes which the Creator has planned. Earth, too, may slow down with her summer exertions, weaken, let go her fall harvest, and even die a little in winter's confine- ment, all of which may compare with our human reactions. But does she give up? Never! With the flash of the first robin, she labors as one mighty force in the miracle of spring- birth.
Giving up is a deep resolve and not the decision of a moment. It comes from the very heart and mind of our being. It is from here the command to stop or go will come. Physical deformities may well be a contributing factor, but never should they be a deciding factor. Our physi- cal body does not control us. The
— Religious News Service Photo
master-switch is worked from within. This is where lie the new hopes, the new beginning to dispel the clouds of discouragement.
Thus, it is possible to see why the crippled one could be so enthusiastic in his anticipation of spring. He could view its fresh beauty through his spiritual eyes rather than his physical. Though his abilities were in a measure shackled by his physical limitations, his alert mind and cou- rageous spirit were unbound.
There would be no new healing blood coursing through his veins, no regeneration of the crooked limbs, no rebirth of lifeless nerves and mus- cles— that was true. Instead there would always be the healing power of new dreams, the regeneration of new ambitions and desires, and the rebirth of new hopes and aspirations.
Why? Because though summer's sun beats relentlessly; though the leaves fall from the lifeless trees each autumn; and winter brings its chill- ing blasts of sleet and snow, he holds fast to the never-ending miracle of the spring which lies in his heart!
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Ross spent many months in an iron lung. He is shown here with Cali- fornia's Governor Goodwin J. Knight at the world's largest respiratory center, located in Hondo, California.
+ FAITH
<$► WORK
* PATIENCE
The Ross Eagar Story
by Eileen Gibbons
MANUSCRIPT EDITOR
It was Monday, October 17, 1952. A crisply warm Southern Utah morning beckoned Ross Eagar out- side and on his way to classes at Dixie College. He didn't feel much like going. A sore throat had teased at him for days, and he was tired in spite of a week-end of partial rest.
The summer had been a busy, ex- citing one. Ross had worked hard as a superintendent of services at Bryce Canyon, harder than three previous summers there because the new responsibility of supervising
230
twenty-five men and boys weighed heavily on nineteen-year-old shoul- ders. He had come back home to Leeds, Utah, tired, but with a heart and scrapbook full of happy memories. Now another fall term was under- way and there were more drum solos, Dixie College band rehearsals and performances, numerous student ac- tivities, frequent jaunts with Mom, Dad, brothers, and sister when the Eagar family band was asked to play, and of course, no time for rest. Be- sides, Ross Eagar was known for his
enthusiasm and vigor. He drove the few miles into St. George with antici- pation.
That is how the day began. At its end, Ross Eagar lay totally paralyzed, the victim of three types, or manifesta- tions, of infantile paralysis, three hundred miles from home, uncon- scious and helpless in the life-giving caresses of an iron lung. He did not know it, but he had been, was then, and would be many times again in the shadow of death from polio and the almost endless complications to which his weakened body would give way.
Miraculously, Ross lives. But the reason for telling his story does not lie alone in the fact that one so close to death for so long can survive. It has to do with the physical pain and mental perplexity which a young hu- man being with courage and faith is able to endure. It has to do, primar- ily, with the fact that through suffer- ing it is possible to build a sense of values, an overwhelming gratitude, and a testimony of the kindness and wisdom of God. Ross's story has to do not with the return of physical vigor, because it has not returned, but with Ross's own words, which he speaks humbly, with brightness in his blue eyes: "The Lord has given me everything but my health."
l>oss drove back home about 11 •*•*- o'clock that Monday morning in the fall of 1952 with feelings of great weakness and heavy, aching pains in the small of his back. He climbed into bed, sick and tired. When he tried to get out of bed Wednesday morning, his legs collapsed, paralyzed: spinal polio!
Thirty -five miles north of Leeds, as his parents rushed him to Salt Lake City, his breathing stopped: bulbar polio!
The emergency airplane which was provided at the Cedar City airport had an oxygen tank, but it was only partially full. His father adminis- tered its contents sparingly, but forty minutes out of Salt Lake City, it was suddenly empty. As Ross lost con- sciousness, he heard the pilot radio for an ambulance and oxygen tank to meet the plane, and then add, "I think he's going to die."
Ross was unconscious off and on for more than three months with encephalitis, a third manifestation of polio. He did not know that artificial respiration by his father kept some oxygen in his lungs until he reached
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
the airport. Neither does he remem- ber that at the hospital an incision was made in his neck and a tube in- serted into the windpipe to draw off mucus. He did not know that he turned black from lack of oxygen, and that his parents were cautioned not to hope for his life.
When Ross regained consciousness for the first time about a week after entering the hospital, it was a hope- ful sign to his attendants and watch- ful parents. To Ross it brought only a sudden awareness of intense pain. The muscles throughout his body stiffened spasmodically, as if polio were a wrack or wheel tearing; him limb from limb. Day after day, whenever conscious, Ross longed for sleep because it meant relief. Seda- tives were not used because they can be particularly dangerous to bulbar polio patients.
Consciousness brought to Ross not only an awareness of pain but also a gradual realization of his complete dependence on others. In his many hours and days of lying unable to move, he pondered this helplessness. Even his facial muscles were para- lyzed. If his eyes were open, they stayed that way until someone closed them. If they were closed, they stayed closed. He could not swallow, but (Continued on following page)
Ross spends many hours prepar- ing for the Sunday School class which he teaches.
As important to Ross as any of his equipment is the telephone. APRIL 1957
Ross and Zelda on their wedding day, November 23, 1956.
231
11 11
i f! ■<
'■EMM
As a student and insurance agent, Ross finds frequent use for the electric typewriter which he recently learned to operate.
The Ross Eagar Story
(Continued from preceding page) was fed for more than two months through his veins and through a tube in his nose. He could not speak. He could not breathe, and as the realization grew in him that life de- pended on the iron lung into which he had been placed, fear also grew, fear of electrical power failure and of mechanical difficulties. Every morn- ing doctors opened the iron lung to see if his diaphragm could do its job, trying many methods to get it to work and his arms and legs to move. Probably his greatest fear was of their daily visit, and the gasping for air during those few seconds without oxygen.
A third awareness, in addition to pain and helplessness, came with con- sciousness, and this young elder be- gan to ask: Why did this happen to me? In his own words: "I could not understand. I knew God was there. I was sure God knew that I knew it, and that he knew I knew he could heal me." As this six-foot, 160-pound expert drummer, hunter, and fisher- man lay there week after week, his body now helpless, he asked over and over again, Why? Why? Other vic- tims, three of them with wives and children, shared his room and became close friends. When each died, his wonder was intensified, and he be- gan to ask, Why was I spared?
Somewhere along the way, Ross reached into his store of faith and found his own answers, confirmed by
232
that peace which comes only from God. As when Joseph Smith cried out, "Oh, God, where art thou?" the answer came not in enumerated rea- sons for this suffering, but in words of kindness and gentle assurance. Ross does not draw the analogy, but the writer cannot help doing so.
It took Ross six to eight months to find peace in his mind and to begin to build the attitude of calm submis- siveness to the will of God which still accompanies his faith in recovery and
his hard work toward greater physi- cal abilities.
Much of that first year and part of the second, Ross spent in an iron lung. A few months after entering the Salt Lake General Hospital, he began to spend short periods each day on the rocking bed which, by its see- saw motion, increases and decreases the pressure of bodily organs against the diaphragm, thus manipulating the lungs. At first, this separation from the effortless comfort of the iron lung, even for a few moments, brought panic, but fear soon turned to joy at new feelings of independence.
They were not to last. Ross's weakened body, lying immoble for so long, with no moving power of its own, was easy prey to other ills. Kid- ney stones developed, the first of many painful complications which were to leave Ross again near death and halt the physical therapy so im- portant early in polio. Two major and five minor kidney operations each put Ross back into the iron lung for a month and kept him on the critical list. Severe bladder infection also developed. There were twenty-eight blood transfusions. Twice Ross had pneumonia, dreaded in bulbar polio patients. A serious ear infection and removal of several toenails meant more dependence on the iron lung and more pain, since complete anesthesia would have meant danger to his weakened respiratory system. It
(Continued on page 254)
Always nearby to help, or just visit, are Eagar, shown here with Ross and Zelda.
Ross's parents, Brother and Sister Walter C. THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
Neither Children Nor Adults
by Dr. Antone K. Romney
PROFESSOR OF EDUCATIONAL ADMINIS- TRATION, BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY, AND PRESIDENT OF THE BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY STAKE
Young people from the ages of twelve to twenty years are in a period of rapid physical develop- ment. They are neither children nor adults. One noted sociologist has referred to adolescence as the period of "storm and stress" in life, and in our modern society, this growing up period seems to become even more complex.
Although rapid change is also oc- curring emotionally, intellectually, and socially, the attitudes and per- sonalities of our youth are so much affected by the body changes which take place during the adolescent years that recognition by parents of some of the physical characteristics of teen- agers is vital. No parents can afford to ignore them. Their speed and force are often so powerful that they become frightening not only to the adolescent but to the parents as well.
Each teen-ager has his own pattern of physical growth, with the result that there are often wide differences between individuals. A girl may be physically mature at thirteen while her close friends are physically im- mature or she may — suddenly, it seems — find herself the tallest or shortest in the group.
There are also differences in rate of growth between boys and girls of the same age. Girls in adolescence usually achieve full stature earlier than boys. Boys of this age usually develop two or three years later than girls and often find themselves more developed mentally and emotionally than physically.
These differences between individ- uals, and between boys and girls, naturally complicate some of the
APRIL 1957
problems of life. Misunderstood, they can cause much suffering. But even more significant during adolescence than the differences between indi- viduals is the fact that a young per- son may be more physically mature than he is emotionally mature, or he may be more mature intellectually than he is socially or spiritually. Each organ of the body of an individual may grow and develop at a different rate. The glands of the body, which have considerable to do with emo- tional and mental maturity, may grow at different rates and thus have vary- ing effects. The muscular, neural, digestive, circulatory, and respiratory systems may also grow at different rates. Sometimes the bones grow faster than the muscles develop the ability to control them, and awkward- ness results. All of these factors af- fect the emotional, mental, social, and spiritual life of the individual.
Our young people react to the per- plexing changes of adolescence in various ways. A girl may become self-conscious as she grows tall or puts on weight. She may withdraw or she may want to be seen. She may be embarrassed or proud. She may
— Monkmeyer Photo Service
put herself on a rigid diet or refuse to participate in games. She may act quite unlike herself at certain times. Similarly, a boy, when his voice be- gins to drop, may become embar- rassed. He may refuse to speak in public. He may be bewildered by bodily changes. Although his appe- tite seems never to be fully satisfied, he will seem to be giving all of his energy to growing and will some- times be lazy and indifferent to work. What are the responsibilities of parents during these important years? A fundamental responsibility of par- ents during this period is to keep their teen-agers well by seeing that they get the calories and nutrients their rapidly developing bodies need, and that they have adequate relaxation and rest. Outwardly it appears that most adolescents have a good deal of energy and in general are healthy. Only about four percent are sick enough to call a doctor three or more times during any one year, but we know that lack of proper activity and food can prevent one from giving at- tention to other values. Just as im- proper ventilation dulls alertness, a
(Continued on page 261)
233
To Be a KING •
PART III
by Hugh J. Cannon
A FORMER EDITOR OF THE ERA
SYNOPSIS
David, a descendant of John Hyrcanus, the founder of the Jewish monarchy, is a pretender to the throne now held by Herod Antipas. David and his friends attended a party at the palace — a party at which the dancer, Salome, asked for the head of John the Baptist. As the head was brought in, David in anger rebuked Herod and left the palace, taking the girl Ruth with him.
David's favorite residence was not in Jerusalem. A home in Jericho, quite as comfortable and beauti- ful as the more pretentious habitation in the chief city, had been bequeathed to him by his departed parents; and it was to this place he came after the banquet given by Herod. He was dubious as to what course Herod would pursue. So flagrant and pub- lic had been Herod's insulting man- ner, that it could not well be overlooked. Although David's life had been singularly free from dis- turbing influences, his natural dis- position was such that he could not flee from danger or difficulties, but had to face them squarely, whatever the results might be.
In addition to this, the young girl, Ruth, whom he had met for the first time, had made a deep impression on him. As he carried her, fainting, from the room, he felt that she was more to be desired than a kingdom. Her indisposition offered him an excuse for calling the next day to inquire about her health.
For Herod's benefit, he let his in- tention of remaining in Jericho be known, and after waiting sufficiently long to give Herod's officers time to seize him should they desire to do so, he called his servants and left the palace. His greatest anxiety was not what the tetrarch might think or do, for the timid Herod, he was certain, would not take any drastic action against one of great influence — at least not openly.
In what light Ruth would view his conduct troubled him vastly more. Her father, well known to David offi- cially, had maintained a sphinx-like silence on the matter of the young
234
man's ambitions, although ample op- portunity had been given him to speak. She herself had appeared to be an acquaintance of Zebulon's, which made it appear that she, also, was on Herod's side.
But David, looking back on the details of the evening, was unable to see wherein he could have done dif- ferently, offensive though his con- duct may have appeared, without neglecting his obligation to the peo- ple. For in his honest judgment, it was his sacred duty to direct their destinies.
It was with impatience, therefore, on the day following the banquet, that he awaited an hour when he might properly call on the young lady, who had absorbed so much of his thought during the night.
His appearance on the streets at- tracted more than passing attention, and he soon learned that reports of his conduct on the previous evening were already abroad. The rabble, as well as people of note, apparently knew the story. However, the young man was gratified to see that most of those he met, and all for whose opinion he cared, were by no means unfriendly. He was even stopped by two former supporters of Herod and congratulated upon his courage.
Much elated, he approached the house where Ruth lived. It was a beautiful villa near the foothills, on the outskirts of the city. The gardens were among the choicest to be found anywhere in Jericho, which at the time was famed for its flowers.
Ruth was in the garden, and as he approached he was surprised at the rapid beating of his heart. His ob- served evidence of confusion on her part, but her mounting color soon receded, leaving her face pale.
"I have been anxious," he explained after formal greetings were over, "lest the excitement of last evening might have affected you unfavorably, and as I contributed more than one man's share to the tumult, I have come to
inquire about you and apologize for conduct which may have seemed un- pardonable."
She surprised him with the direct question: "Do you think you did the proper thing?"
"Yes, I do," he answered instantly. "In my opinion, a ruler who sheds innocent blood to gratify the whim of a woman, or for any other cause, is a murderer, and those who by their applause or silence condone such an act are also guilty. Still, had I been given time to consider the matter, I might have tempered my words somewhat."
"Do you think I condoned it by applause, or even by my silence?"
"The fact that you were fainting in- dicates that you had no feeling but one of horror at what occurred."
Ruth gave him a look of gratitude. "The truth is, I did not clearly hear Salome's request, and when I did understand it, I thought it merely an ill-advised jest. It was very coura- geous of you to speak so boldly, and I have already heard of more than one influential man who commends your bravery. But was it not rash? Herod has great power here, and his father left him a bloody example. Of course he must view this as a public insult."
"What would you have me do? Remain silent out of personal fear when it was my duty to speak the truth?"
"No, indeed! I believe one should always do the thing one believes to be right regardless of results, and I would have had you say exactly what you said; but that does not lessen my concern for your safety."
The personal danger, great though it might be, was a small price to pay for the girl's interest. David would needlessly have sought danger for such a reward. It was clear, too, that whatever her sympathies were before, they were not now with the tetrarch.
"In what light will Zebulon con- sider the matter?" David watched
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
her narrowly as he asked the ques- tion.
Her frank answer relieved him: "Zebulon, as you must know, is an intimate associate of Herod's and naturally would disapprove what you said, for he himself demanded the exe- cution of that unfortunate man. And Zebulon is, I believe — "
The girl hesitated, then continued, "He is not so conscientious as some men. But I should not be saying such things to one who is almost a stranger to me."
"Please do not view me as a stranger. For some reason I seem long to have known you, and beg for permission to become better ac- quainted."
"I must go into the house now," the girl said simply. "I hope no seri- ous trouble will come to you because of this."
David watched her as she walked up the path, then thoughtfully mounted his camel.
A t the gate of his own garden, ^*- David met Elihu.
"I have just come from Nico- demus," the old man reported, "and he has signified his intention of join- ing us."
Their attention was attracted by the derisive cries of children on the street who were making merry at the
sight of a weather-beaten camel and rider.
"It is Lebanah, prophet of the wilderness," said David.
"I know him well," Elihu an- swered, "and esteem him most highly for his prophetic gift."
The eremite approached with a speed which surprised David, who could hardly believe the ancient camel capable of such rapid strides. Clear- ly the old man was bearer of a mes- sage which demanded haste.
With impatience he accepted the hospitable attentions showered upon him, and even before they were con- cluded he said:
"David, I have important news for thee. And Elihu, too, will be inter- ested. Perhaps thou dost not know that I have two kinsmen working as servants in Herod's palace. This is told thee in strictest confidence, for their lives would be as the grass of the field if it were suspected that they reported to me the hideous actions of their masters. But I know thou art both discreet.
"This morning a private consulta- tion was held in the palace by the tetrarch, pale and hollow-eyed, Herodias in much the same condi- tion, and Zebulon. If one could judge from appearances, two of them at least had spent a tormented and sleepless night. They were discussing
mm
— Religious News Photo
Named after the Inn of the Good Samaritan, these ruins of an inn are found on the road from Jericho to Jerusalem.
APRIL 1957
the events of last evening. Their careful plan for ultimately enthroning Herod over Judea had, they feared, reacted agarut them.
"They said that thy friends, David, instead of being turned against thee, were scarcely civil as they left the palace. But even more disturbing was the fact that some of those counted on to support Herod mani- fested strong disapproval of the im- pious murder. They were even outspoken in praising thee for thy courage in denouncing the crime.
"It seems that among those who thus declared themselves was Nico- demus, the man most desired among all the guests. They feel that be- cause of his important following, his experience, and keen judgment, he must be won. Otherwise, their suc- cess is doubtful. When bidding the tetrarch good night, I understand Nicodemus withdrew a former prom- ise to assist him.
"In the face of these facts, Herod thought to abandon his purposes. He foresaw danger of losing the position he already holds and suggested to Herodias and Zebulon that it might be better to confine their efforts to the labor of strengthening him there- in. But they refused to listen.
"Rest not under that assurance. Coward that he is, these two have unlimited power over him. In the end he will do what they say. As thou mayest well suppose, neither Herod nor Zebulon will do anything themselves. Cowardice is one of the things they have in common. But Zebulon mentioned a man who is in his power and will do his bidding. This man will doubtless be the one through whom they strike."
"Lebanah, I cannot believe per- sonal danger awaits me or my friends, but still your story is disturbing. What can I do to protect those whose peril is due solely to their support of me? Shall I abandon my hopes of ruling over this people?"
"Never!" The old man spoke em- phatically, and Elihu joined him. "If thou choosest wisely thou art to be a great king. That was the voice of the spirit when thou wast a mere babe. Proceed with thy plans. No immediate danger confronts thee, and I shall keep thee informed."
"This is important, David," Elihu added, "and I can believe all that Lebanah says. It confirms a fear which I have today discussed with a number of your friends. We have to
(Continued on page 282)
235
MIA READING COURSE: JESUS THE CHRIST-X
Fishers of Men
by Doyle L. Green
MANAGING EDITOR
The sequence of some of the hap- penings in the ministry of the Savior is difficult to determine with accuracy. None of the four writers of the Gospels made a com- plete record of events, so the story has to be pieced together from the four accounts. But whether Jesus went first to Cana upon his return to Galilee, as recorded by John, or to Nazareth, as related by Luke, is prob- ably of little significance. However, for the purpose of these articles, the sequence of events presented in Presi- dent J. Reuben Clark, Jr.'s "Our Lord
of the Gospels" is being followed. President Clark has made an intensive and devoted study of the life of Christ over a period of many years. His "harmony" of the gospels is a scholar- ly work motivated by a deep and sin- cere love for the Savior of the world.
The fame of the man of Nazareth went before him into Galilee. Even though the miracle of turning water into wine, which he had performed at the marriage feast in Cana some months earlier, might have been dis- credited and perhaps even scoffed at
by those to whom the story was re- lated, still the works of the Savior during the Feast of the Passover, which had recently been held in Jerusalem, could not be ignored.
It is doubtful that there was a house in all the land in which the thrilling story of the cleansing of the temple had not been repeated. Along with this were undoubtedly told ac- counts of the miracles which Jesus
Drawing by Major Benton Fletcher, from Lionel Cust's Jerusalem: a Historical Sketch, published by A. & C. Black, Ltd., London.
Scriptural references in this article are from Matthew 4, 8; Mark 1; Luke 4, 5; John 2, 4.
By the Sea of Galilee, Jesus called Simon Peter, and An- drew, his brother; and James, and John, the sons of Zebe- dee, saying, "Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men."
— Painting by Ernst Zimmerman
236
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
;.::.J ■::.:.■; :-y'-.y-iX-Z-y.->i>^ ?.'■'■;'':'■■.'■: "."'■' ■:
::isffi;.
:;>;!::. ::-'^.;:^l^i::!:!:!:
-Painting by Hcinrich Hofmann
Christ Preaching by the Sea of Galilee.
had performed in the Holy City. Many of the Galileans had been present and actually witnessed some of these remarkable events.
Every town of any size in Pales- tine had a synagogue, where the Jews gathered to worship and to be taught. Jesus, now a recognized teacher, attended the services each Sabbath day, read from the sacred scripture, and explained the gospel.
One of the cities he visited was Cana, situated about five miles north- ward from Nazareth. Not only was Cana the site of the wedding feast where Jesus had turned the water into wine, but also it was the home of one of the early disciples, Nathan- ael, whom Jesus called ". . . an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile."
Some twentv-five miles toward the northeast on the shores of the Sea of Galilee in the city of Capernaum lived a nobleman who may have been one of the officers in the gov- ernment of Herod Antipas. This man's son was seriously ill and very close to death. Learning that Jesus had returned to Galilee, the noble- man hurried to Cana, located Jesus at about one o'clock in the afternoon, or the "seventh hour," as the Jews determined their, time, and begged him to go with haste to Capernaum and heal his son.
Jesus said to the anxious father, "Except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." Some writers have thought that Jesus was reprov- ing the man for his lack of faith, but it is more likely that he was testing him to see how strong his faith really was. In any event the nobleman
APRIL 1957
persisted: "Sir, come down ere my child die."
Evidently the Savior was im- pressed with the sincerity of the man, his great concern for his son, and his belief that the Savior had the power to heal him.
One can picture the compassion and love in the Savior's voice as he said simply, "Go thy way; thy son liveth." This must have greatly sur- prised the man, as he expected that the Lord would have to make the trip to Capernaum to save his boy. What a wonderful lesson the experi- ence was to the nobleman and to all who have since heard or read the story! It showed that the Lord has power over time and space. He does not have to be on the spot to exercise authority. He spoke, and twenty-five miles away a sick boy was healed!
Imagine the joy in the heart of this father, who believed the words that the Lord had spoken. Without a question, he made his way back down the rocky trail toward the Sea of Galilee, his home, and a reunion with his son.
On the trail the following day, he met some of his servants coming to tell him that his son was better. He was not surprised but inquired as to when the crisis had passed. His serv- ants told him that it was the seventh hour of the preceding day, the very time that Jesus had told him that his son would live. Here is indispu- table evidence that Jesus had divine power, and all the nobleman's house- hold believed with him.
The return to Nazareth must have
been a trial for Jesus. He knew he would not be well accepted, but this did not prevent his going. On the Sabbath he went to the little syna- gogue where he had attended church services throughout most of the first thirty years of his life. Undoubtedly some of his own relatives were in the congregation.
The Lord could read the questions in the minds of his townspeople. Was not this the son of Joseph, the carpen- ter? Had he not worked in a shop with his father? Had he not played with the children on the hills around Nazareth? Did he really think that they would believe he was the Son of God? What would he read from the scriptures? What would he say about himself? Would he try to convince them with miracles?
All eyes were upon him as he stood and unrolled the scroll of the Prophet Isaiah which the "minister" handed to him. He chose as his text the first verse and a half from what we know as the sixty-first chapter. The words of the text as recorded by Luke are a little different than the Old Testament version, but the meaning is the same:
"The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the broken- hearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
"To preach the acceptable year of the Lord. . . ."
Returning the scroll to the "min- ister," Jesus sat down, as was the custom of the teachers of the time, and explained: "This day is the scripture fulfilled in your ears."
But this did not satisfy the people. It is one thing to say that you have been called to do a special work and perform remarkable things, but an- other thing to prove it. "Physician, heal thyself," they demanded. "What- soever we have heard done in Caper- naum, do also here in thy country."
The Savior knew, however, that his power was not to be used merely to satisfy the curiosity of the skeptic and the unbeliever. Miracles must follow faith, not precede it. Mary did not say, "Let's see if you have the power to turn water into wine." There was no question in her mind
(Continued on following page)
237
Fishers of Men
(Continued from preceding page) but that Jesus could do it. The nobleman did not say, "Heal my son, and I will believe." The Savior was convinced in advance of his faith.
Among his own people there was no one with faith enough to believe, and because they were his own people they demanded special signs. "No prophet is accepted in his own country," Jesus told them. He then cited examples from the history of the Jews which they knew so well, to show how the righteous men had received blessings, and how the un- righteous had been denied them.
Either the failure of Jesus to re- spond to their wishes or his implica- tion that they were not righteous enough to warrant a show of divine strength, or possibly both, filled the people with anger. Rising up they ". . . thrust him out of the city, and led him unto the brow of the hill whereupon their city was built, that they might cast him down headlong." But Jesus, who had the power to control a whole multitude with a word or a glance, escaped, and ". . . passing through the midst of them went his way," never, so far as we know, to come again to Nazareth.
Returning to the shores of the Sea of Galilee, or the Lake of Gen- nesaret, as this famous body of water was also known, Jesus found four of his early disciples, Simon Peter, and Andrew, his brother; and James, and John, the sons of Zebedee. The time was early morning, and these four fishermen, who had been out on the lake all night, were washing and mending their nets. So great were the crowds following Jesus that he stepped into Peter's boat and asked him to cast it out some distance from shore. Peter responded, and Jesus sat down and talked to the multitude. When he had finished speaking, he told Peter to launch out into the deep water and let down the nets to catch some fish. This seemed use- less to the big, experienced fisher- man. He knew this was not the hour of the day to catch fish. He reminded the Savior that they had worked hard all night and had caught nothing, ". . . nevertheless," he said, showing his complete obedi- ence to the wishes of the Lord, "at thy word I will let down the net."
He did, and greatly to the surprise of Peter and Andrew the net enclosed
238
so many fish that it started to break. James and John were summoned to help. Hurriedly the second boat was put out into the water, and so many fish were caught that both vessels were in danger of sinking.
Recognizing this remarkable hap- pening as an indication of the great power Jesus possessed, Peter ". . . fell down at Jesus' knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord." This was undoubtedly Peter's way of expressing his belief in the Savior and his realization of how little earthly pursuits meant compared with the work of the Lord.
"Follow me," Jesus said to him and the others, "and I will make you fishers of men." The four fishermen of Galilee brought their ships to land, and seemingly without even taking care of the great catch of fish, they left all they had to do the will of the Savior. From that time forward they devoted their full time to promoting the work of the Lord..
On the Sabbath day Jesus taught in the synagogue at Capernaum. The people, not used to the straightfor- ward, clear manner in which Jesus taught the gospel, ". . . were aston- ished at his doctrine:
"For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."
Another lesson was taught that day in the synagogue at Capernaum. This lesson was that the Savior of the world has complete power over the forces of evil. At one of the serv-
I ' MiWlfiMlM
— Photo by Wilde The Calling of the Fishermen.
ices was a man possessed of an evil spirit — one of the followers of Satan who refused the plan of our Heavenly Father and was cast down to earth to live forever without an earthly body. So dire was the punishment which these spirits brought upon themselves, and so anxious are they to have bodies, that they will go to almost any length to enter into the bodies of human beings. Seeing through the eyes of the body he possessed, the evil spirit recognized the Son of God. Rebuking him, Jesus ordered the evil spirit to leave the body of the man, which it promptly did.
Leaving the synagogue, Jesus went with his four disciples to the home of Simon Peter, whose mother-in-law lay ill with a fever. Taking her by the hand, Jesus lifted her up from the bed, and she recovered so quickly and so completely that she arose and ". . . ministered unto them . . . ," probably preparing and serving their evening meal.
The Jewish Sabbath ends with the setting of the sun. All of the numer- ous restrictions observed so carefully by these people on the holy day were lifted in the evening when the new day began, and crowds of people, indeed the entire population of the city, excited by the events of the Sab- bath, flocked around Peter's house to see and be blessed by the Lord. Hav- ing compassion on this faithful and believing people, Jesus laid his hands on them, healing the sick and casting out evil spirits. No one with an ail- ment was denied his blessing. What a contrast to the reception he had received in his home town of Nazareth!
At daylight next morning, Jesus went "into a desert place" to be alone, to meditate and to pray. But the people of Capernaum followed him and tried to influence him to stay with them in their city.
"I must preach the kingdom of God to other cities also," he told them, "for therefore am I sent." So he left Capernaum and went through- out Galilee preaching the gospel, healing the sick, curing disease, and casting out evil spirits. Everywhere he went he was followed by great multitudes of people, not only from Galilee, but also from all of the sur- rounding land.
(To he continued)
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
The MESSAGE of the BOOK of JOB
by Hoyt Palmer;
Perhaps in no place in the scrip- tures is there given more clearly and powerfully the great message of the power of God and the majesty and perfection of his creations than in the book of Job.
In this Old Testament book the great truth is taught that all things are under the direct hand of the Cre- ator: that he can and does direct the causes and effects of all things for the good of all who trust him — for the ultimate good of all his children.
Job was an actual, living man, who dwelt on earth at some time not speci- fied in the book itself. This is true, notwithstanding the professions of so- called Bible scholars and critics that the book of Job is merely a beauti- fully written allegory or parable. We have the direct word of the Lord him- self in modern revelation that Job and the circumstances recorded in the book bearing his name were actuali- ties.
The Prophet Ezekiel helps to add to the authenticity of Job when he says:
The word of the Lord came again to me, saying:
Son of man, when the land sinneth against me by trespassing grievously, then will I stretch out mine hand upon it, and will break the staff of the bread thereof, and will send famine upon it, and will cut off man and beast from it:
Though these three men, Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, they should deliver but their own souls by their righteousness, saith the Lord God.
If I cause noisome beasts to pass through the land, and they spoil it, so that it be desolate, that no man may pass through because of the beasts:
Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall de- liver neither sons nor daughters; they only shall be delivered, but the land shall be desolate.
Or if I bring a sword upon that land, and say, Sword, go through the land; so that I cut off man and beast from it:
Though these three men were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither sons nor daughters, but they only shall be delivered themselves.
Or if I send a pestilence into that land, and pour out my fury upon it in blood, to cut off from it man and beast:
Though Noah, Daniel, and Job, were in it, as I live, saith the Lord God, they shall deliver neither son nor daughter; they shall but deliver their own souls by their righteousness. (Ezekiel 14:12-20.)
In one of his modern-day revela- tions the Lord not only repeats the great truth contained in the book of Job, but refers specifically to Job him- self.
The Prophet Joseph Smith, praying from the depths of a tortured soul for relief, cries out to God, who seems almost to have forgotten his people, and the Lord answers his anguished pleading with a sublime and com- forting assurance that all is well.
My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a moment;
And then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou -shalt triumph over all thy foes.
Thy friends do stand by thee, and they shall hail thee again with warm and friend- ly hands.
Thou are not yet as Job: Thy friends do not contend against thee, neither charge thee with transgression, as they did Job.
The writer of the book of Job is not known. It could have been Job himself, but there seems greater evi- dence that it was a young man by the name of Elihu, one of four friends who came to Job in his great affliction to try to comfort him.
Elihu, who enters the picture late in the story, is the only one of the five principal mortal characters in the book who, in speaking, uses the first person in a manner used by an au- thor, rather than a quote of someone else's speech. He uses the phrase "I said" in this way on three different oc- casions.
The book opens with the words,
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God and eschewed evil. (Job 1:1.)
Then follows an account of two conversations between God and Satan, with Satan belittling Job as no better than anyone else, and who re- mains faithful only because God has favored and blessed him above others.
The Lord, knowing the depth of integrity of the man, gives Satan power to take away all Job's temporal possessions; his flocks and herds, his home, his servants, and finally his children, seven lovely sons and daughters. Job meets this test with an unshaken faith, declaring,
Naked came I out of my mother's womb and naked shall I return thither: the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord. (Ibid., 1:21.)
Satan, having failed to shake the faith of Job by these catastrophies, again belittles him to the Lord and is given permission to torture him physically, but he must not take his life.
So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. (Ibid., 2:7.)
Again Job meets the test with his faith unshaken, exclaiming,
. . . What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall not receive evil? (Ibid., 2:10.)
The major portion of the book is comprised of a series of conversations between Job and three friends who come as would-be comforters during his great afflictions. Their disserta- tions are based on the premise that Job has sinned in some way and his afflictions are punishments for his transgressions. This accusation he resents and will not accept. He main- tains, at times bitterly and with some heat and impatience, that he has not sinned. His extreme suffering causes some confusion in his thinking, and this he admits, and pleads with the Lord to remove his affliction.
(Continued on page 263)
APRIL 1957
239
sr
My Pal J oe y
by Harold Heifer
Joey said he didn't want me to say anything about it, what really happened, but I can't let every- body go on thinking what they do, so I have decided to tell everything. After all, he is my best friend and, well, I just can't let Joey go through life and have people think what they do about him. Maybe Joey wasn't such a hot speller, but still he never was the other thing they thought.
To tell the truth about it, Joey was a pretty awful speller. He was good about a lot of things, playing third base, collecting frogs, walking across Mrs. Foster's fence, and so forth, but he just didn't seem to have much of a knack for spelling, only he prob-
ably would have spelled it nack or even nak. One time he spelled pneumonia newmoanyeah and Eski- mo askamoe.
Still, he was my friend and I al- ways stuck by him. And I must say he did improve after Jenny Winters came to the classroom.
It didn't come natural, you under- stand. His brow would get all fur- rowed up and something like a pain would come into his eyes. Sometimes when he went into one of these trances, I'd get the curious feeling that some of the atoms in Joey's scalp, under all that pressure and concentra- tion, would suddenly go up in little mushroom puffs. But the interesting
thing was that he was beginning to spell more and more of the words right.
Of course, what he did was study real hard at home. I'd come by his house sometimes, and he'd be sitting in the crotch of the elm tree in his front yard, nibbling away on a pear or a banana or an apple, which he once spelled appull, and frowning away at a spelling book.
I really don't know what Joey saw in this Jenny Winters. She was just a girl. Her freckles weren't even on straight. They were every which way.
Still, I guess that's the way things go. Joey combed his hair practically every day, and he generally wore clean shirts, and even if he had only three or four patches in his trousers, he'd want to wear another pair.
But the most amazing thing of all, of course, was the way he began to
240
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
spell pretty good. It reminded me sometimes of a bear I saw at a carni- val on roller skates. You could hardly believe it, and you were sure he'd fall smackdab on what bears fall down on any second, but still, there Joey was getting away with it anyway. He seemed to be dying a thousand deaths, but somehow he did manage to spell quite a few words right, and those he missed he didn't miss by the big country mile and then some, that he used to miss 'em by.
Of course, the whole thing was that this Jenny Winters was quite a spell- ing whiz. In fact, at the spelling bee we had every Friday she nearly al- ways won and usually without too much p-e-r-s-p-i-r-a-t-i-o-n.
I suppose this was sort of unusual, someone being so good all the time with spelling. She didn't wear glasses either or have braces on her teeth, like most girls who are pretty smart. In fact, she swung a bat pretty good, considering she was a girl, and she had pretty good lizard collection, so maybe it was sort of understandable, Joey feeling a little fuzzy-wuzzy about her. Anyhow, you had to say it could be worse.
It was clear, of course, that Joey was just trying to impress Jenny by showing her what a good speller he was. I'll never forget the day he spelled a-n-t-h-r-a-c-i-t-e, just like that, practically without a bobble. Miss Lashley, our teacher, just stared at him as if her mouth had become unhinged and she'd never be quite all right again. Somehow it was kind of touching.
Quite a few of us just couldn't get over it, but Joey even reached the point where he'd stay up in the Fri- day spelling bees right up to the last four or five remaining ones. And when the announcement was made about the big city-wide spelling bee coming up, Joey studied his spelling books more than ever. I'd not only see him with them in the crotch of the elm tree, but I once even saw him hanging from the rail of his veranda by his feet, like a bat, with a spelling book open beneath him for him to look at — right while he was dangling.
Still, nobody figured he had a
chance to get anywhere in this spell- ing bee. The best spellers in all the schools of the city entered it, and everybody always did his very best because there were big prizes for the winner, such as a free season's movie pass and going to camp and all that, and you got your picture in the paper, too, with a great big smile on your face.
Joey still spelled as if he were being tortured to bring the right letters of the alphabet out of him, and his face would get awfully red and sometimes it looked like he was getting apoplexy, which he once spelled applelaxy, but somehow he managed to blurt out the right letters.
It was really kind of fascinating; I don't know why but it made me think of a bull suddenly taking charge of things at a bull ring and waving a red flag at the toreador, and toying with him instead of vice versa. Anyway, the bull sure seemed to be a surprise dark horse, if you know what I mean. He seemed to lose some teeth every time he did it, but he kept getting the right letters of the alphabet out somehow or other.
Anyway, speller after speller went down from one school after another but Joey kept hanging on. You could tell it just meant everything to him, his heart and soul and the rest of his anatomy, which I hate to tell you how he once spelled, was in it. And, believe it or not and strange as
H f^-om
it seems and lo and behold, there he was up there right up to the last, in the finals!
Being as the other one left was Jenny Winters, our school couldn't lose, but somehow it was very dra- matic anyway. I guess I'll never for- get it. Joey standing up there on the platform so stiff and straight and red-faced and Jenny so relaxed with a little smile almost half-hidden among all those freckles of hers. And then the moderator called out the word "conscientious." Joey gulped so many times that it looked like he was going to have an applelaxy as well as an apoplexy, but he finally got it out, c-o-n-s-c-i-e-n-t-i-o-u-s. And since Jenny had already spelled it c-o-n- s-c-i-e-n-t-o-u-s and Joey's way turned out to be right, he was the city- wide spelling champ!
As soon as the judge announced he was the winner, tears burst into his eyes and, of all the luck, the news- paper photographers happened to catch him just then, and his picture came out that way in all the papers with stories telling about the tears of joy in the new spelling champion's eyes at his happiness of winning.
This may sound all right when you read it, even sort of poetic like maybe, but in the set that Joey and I belong to only losers, if anybody, are sup- posed to cry, not winners. Why, you'd have to be practically a sissy to cry when you won something. To tell the truth, I found myself look- ing somewhat doubtfully at my old buddy.
The odd thing was, though, that Joey seemed to look kind of miserable even two or three days after. And that was really carrying things too far. In fact, I told Joey so.
"You dumb cluck!" he cried. "I didn't want to win. I tried to lose. I wanted her to win. I thought I was spelling that word wrong."
I just stared at Joey for a moment and then I said, "Real quick, Joey, spell cluck."
"K-l-u-k," he said.
I realized there and then it was the same old Joey. My heart went out to him. I don't know how I could have ever doubted him.
APRIL 1957
241
"Nephites" found in New Mexico
From a letter by Wilford Woodruff to President John Taylor and Council
— An Improvement Era photograph
Two Zuni women, both members of the Church, Sisters Vivian Peywa and Crystal Sheka, dressed in their ceremonial costumes.
Sunset, Apache Co., Arizona,* Sept. 15th, 1879.
President John Taylor and Council:
Dear Brethren: — I arrived on Saturday night, the 13th, all well and in good spirits and found Brother Lake, of Brigham City,* and Brother Bates, of Pleasant Valley,* very sick. They had been to the Verde, baptizing some and administering to the sick. Brother Lake has been looked upon as dangerous, but was some better yesterday.
In my short communication of the 2nd inst, I prom- ised to give a fuller account of my visit to the Isletas, which I will now endeavor to do. I view my visit among the Nephites one of the most interesting missions of my life, although short. I say Nephites because if there are any Nephites on this continent we have found them among the Zunis, Lagumas [Lagunas], and Isletas, for they are a different race of people altogether from the Lamanites. I class the Navajos, Moquis [Hopis] and Apaches with the Lamanites, although
*Sunset was a settlement about four miles northeast of the present town of Winslow, Navajo County, Arizona; Brigham City was a settlement about three miles north of Winslow; Pleasant Valley was a part of northern Arizona, also. The letter is from the book, Wilford Woodruff, by Matthias F. Cowley.
242
they are in advance of many Indian tribes of America. I class the Zunis, Lagumas [Lagunas], and Isletas among the Nephites. (See D. & C. 3:17.) The Zunis are in ad- vance of the Navajos, Apaches, or of any other Laman- ites. The Lagumas are much above the Zunis, and the Isletas are far above them all in wealth, in beauty, cleanliness, and order of their homes and persons, the adornment of their dwellings, their industry and indefatigable labors, and in their virtue, and in the purity of their national blood. Their bearing and dignity in their intercourse with strangers, and above all else, the expansion of their minds and their capacity to receive any principle of the gospel, such as endow- ments or sealing powers, fully equal the minds of any of the Anglo-Saxon race. While I have been standing in the midst of that noble-minded people, teaching them the gospel, I could not make myself believe I was standing in the presence of American Indians or Laman- ites; neither was I.
The Isletas of which I speak is a village twelve miles below Albuquerque, on the Rio Del Norte, containing 3,000 souls that stand at the head of this class of men that I call the Nephites. They occupy forty villages, containing a population of 32,000, speaking sixteen distinct languages, but nearly all good Spanish scholars. I look upon this as a great field of missionary labor for some forty good, faithful Mormon elders, who should be able to speak the Spanish; and I. hope next confer- ence will call some of them, at least, into the field. I visited this people, located in their homes in company with Brother Amnion M. Tenney, who had visited most of them before, and I think has done much good in opening doors among them. He had baptized 115 of the Zunis on a former mission. My journey and visit with him was a visit of observation, and I was amply rewarded. In what way, I do not know, but in almost every village I visited, they were looking for me. I can only make a brief outline from my journal of our journey. On the 19th of August, we entered the Zuni village, containing about 3,000 souls. The village stood on a piece of elevated ground; many buildings were three stories high; and the upper stories were entered by ladders at the top. * * *
I went all through the village and, for the first time in my life, I had a view of the white Indians called albinos. Their hair, face, and limbs were nearly as white as milk, much whiter than any Americans. I met with many who had been baptized, and they were very glad to see me. They had 2,000 acres of corn, looking well without irrigation. On the day following, we visited their village at their farm called Fish Springs. I was here introduced to Brother Juan Bautista (John Baptist), the first man baptized in the Zuni nation by A. M. Ten- ney. His son's wife was the most handsome woman I ever saw of the Indian race; had a beautiful child, nearly white. I went through their wheat fields, which they were cutting with sickles. We visited several ruins of the ancient inhabitants; some of the outside walls of
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
stone were standing some eight feet high. On Sunday evening, the 25th, we held a meeting in a village of the Lagumas, called Mosita Negra. We had an interesting talk with the Gov- ernor of the place (Jose Carido), and the spiritual adviser (Lorenzo Coreo) and both wanted a meeting. They called the people together, men, women, and children. We opened by singing and prayer, and Brother Tenney spoke to them in Spanish thirty minutes. I spoke a short time. Brother Tenney interpreted and we dismissed, thinking we had kept them long enough. As soon as we dis- missed, a Nephite arose, full of the Spirit of the Lord, and said: "Friends, why do you dismiss us and leave us in this way? This is the first time we have heard of our forefathers and the gospel, and the things we have looked for from the traditions of our fathers. If our wives and children are weary, let them go home; we want to hear more. We want you to talk all night, do not leave us so." This speech raised me to my feet, and the next hour was one of the best meet- ings we had. We all felt inspired: missionaries, Nephite men, women, and children. I spoke, and Brother Tenney interpreted. I never felt the want of tongues more than on this occasion. I taught the things of the kingdom of God and found hearts capable of receiving it. All were deeply interested, and the seeds we had sown in the hearts of that people will bring forth fruit. At the close of the meeting, the man who spoke in the meeting came to me and said, "When you return, drive to my home, and all your wants will be supplied," which we did and held another meet- ing on the Sundav following. We should have baptized him, the Gover- nor, and many others, I think, but the Governor who had followed us, as did
the spiritual adviser, some sixty miles to Isletas, had not returned. The peo- ple did not wish to take any steps until their Governor was with them. On the following morning, my car- riage was surrounded by the Governor and people that we had talked to the night before. Some of them took breakfast with us and I had to talk to them on the principles of the gos- pel and their record and signs of the times, until I left; and the leading men of the village followed us sixty miles to Isletas and stopped with us most of the time we were there.
On the morning of the 26th of August, we drove through Frisco, crossed the Rio Del Norte, which we found very low, and entered Albu- querque, containing about 3,000 in- habitants, Jews, Gentiles, Americans, and Mexicans. I was introduced to Judge Parks, the U S District judge of that district, from Illinois. I went through the city or town. It is quite a place of business. I went through the Catholic cathedral accompanied by an Italian padre, or priest. He took great pains to show us every- thing in it, robes of the priests and deacons, some robes woven from pure gold thread that cost $1,000.00. There was much more wealth than I would have looked for in as obscure a place as Albuquerque. We spent the day in the place and left in the evening and camped five miles below on the banks of the river.
On the 27th of August, we entered the village of Isletas (Ysleta), being the day before the great annual feast of this people. Brother Ammon M. Tenney had visited this people three years ago and had made friends in the place. We called upon an old patriarch that had received him be- fore. His name was Juan Reylocero
(John King). He was glad to receive us. He furnished us with mutton, fruit, and anything we needed. He was one of the leading spirits, was one of the most influential men in the village, and was over eighty years of age; but by his labor and activity he did not appear more than seventy.
* * * The inhabitants of Isletas stand at the head of these 32,000 Nephites; all the other 40 villages come to them for counsel. They have their own laws, police courts, and judgment seat. They are very rich. The man we stopped with possessed 9,000 sheep, 100 brood mares and horses, 100 mules and asses, 500 cows and oxen, a ranch worth $8,000.00 and $25,000.00 of other wealth. He rents many houses in the city, and he is a sample of many of the Isletas nation. They allow no white man or Mexican to mix with them in their blood; all their marriages are in their own tribe. Our friend (Reylocero) said the Americans had called them wild men. If they were wild, they were honest and virtuous. It was very seldom that a case of seduction of a wife or daughter was known in their tribes. Whenever such a case did occur, the penalty of death was executed and had been for centuries.
* * * In fact they were so much afraid of white men coming in con- tact with their women, that Brothers Tenney and Robert H. Smith, of the 15th Ward, Salt Lake City, three years ago, came nearly starving to death before they got thoroughly ac- quainted with them. They were not willing for these brethren to go into the presence of their women; but after the old patriarch had reached full
(Continued on page 267)
APRIL 1957
243
Iiz Bennett woke to the inces- sant whir of the Silver Clipper as it skimmed along the lake's edge not ten yards from the cabin. Be- fore she could shoot her lithe body into position at the small window, the sleek craft was already heading back toward the far side.
Butterflies danced up her spine as she watched the back of Brad Kim- berly's bronze head glimmer in the pale sunshine of early morning. They were bigger, more exciting butter- flies than usual, for it was now, today, that the entire girls' camp was hav- ing its annual picnic at Kimberly Acres, the rolling estate directly across Lake St. Helena. The boys' camp at the far end of the lake had been in- vited, too. This would be the most wonderful day of her life!
Then her heart plunged. She wasn't going! She had made the final decision last night! Stay away, far away, and no one would ever know what a dud she was around boys!
"Have you made up your mind to go?" Syl Walsh, her girl friend, slid alongside her.
"Oh, I didn't know you were awake," she turned quickly so Syl wouldn't suspect she'd been watching Brad so intently.
"Are you going?" Syl prodded in- sistently.
"I— I " she started.
"Oh, Liz, don't start that all over. All last term at high you were too involved with other interests to join the fun at school. I thought coming here had changed you, you seemed so different until this picnic thing came up."
She b^ her lip; quick tears blurred her eyes. "You don't understand," she said aloud, and thought miser- ably: "You're not a foot taller than every boy you meet; even if you were a wallflower no one would see you sticking out like a sore thumb!"
"Liz, in another week camp will be over, and you'll have missed the best part," Syl pleaded.
"Yes, it will be over," she thought, "I could go today, for they'll never see me again — no one but Syl, and she'll be too surrounded with boys to remember I'm alive!" She said slowly, "Guess you're right."
Later as she dressed her mother's words rang through her mind, "Eliza- beth, you'll never have any trouble with boys if you'll forget your height and remember that boys are human
244
Liz and the Picnic
by Verne Owen
beings and they react to any situa- tion very much like a girl. Remember, too, that boys are not out to make fun of a girl but to like her if she'll let them."
"That's not true!" Her own rebel- lious words echoed back at her. "Why did Bill Russell back out of my invi- tation to the sophomore banquet last spring? His so-called sprained ankle healed in time for bowling the next evening! And that's human? No sir, I'll never let myself in for that
agan
The present spiraled back as Syl bounded into the cabin with, "Come on! You're holding up the parade."
She followed Syl into the summer morning, the soft breeze predicting another perfect day. The wedge of silver beach spread smooth and pli-
able before them. Chattering girls were piling into four motorboats lin- ing the pier, and she climbed after Syl into the last one. It swung away from shore, made a wide half circle, and headed for the opposite side. When it jogged to a stop along side the dock, she was immediately thrown into the middle of a noisy crowd of boys and girls plowing toward the lawns before the fieldstone villa that housed the Kimberly family.
Syl was flanked by two tall boys. She hoped one would turn her way. But the dark one just stared after Syl as she drifted away with the red- haired one.
Liz was trying desperately to look gay, to act as if she were having a fine time, when a tall, rather stoop- shouldered boy came face to face
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
with her. She swallowed and smiled at him. He seemed to writhe in an agony of embarrassment before turn- ing and vanishing into the crowd.
Then the crowd began to disperse into smaller groups, and for a horri- ble moment she was alone, turning uncertainly toward a wrought-iron bench against a low, broad hedge.
From behind a feminine voice said, "I'm so glad everyone came. You're Elizabeth Bennett, aren't you? Miss Collins, your counselor, has told me that you were a runner-up in the state amateur archery meet this spring. She also said you are a golfer. There's a short nine back of the house, and if you wish, help yourself to the clubs in the garden house and play the course." Mrs. Kimberly smiled down at her.
"Thank you," she answered, "and I hear you have a fine library."
Mrs. Kimberly looked flattered, "Yes, we think it is rather extensive. If you'd like to see it, you're quite welcome. It's at the end of the front hall. I see it's time for a pow-wow
APRIL 1957
with your counselors but," she pivoted slightly and caught a passing boy by the arm, "here's my nephew, Jimmy Kimberly. He'll see you're enter- tained. Jimmy this is Elizabeth Ben- nett."
He didn't seem enthusiastic as he acknowledged the introduction but gave her a look which spelled ap- praisal and sat down beside her with, "Sure, Aunt Fran, I'll show her around."
He looked the way she pictured Brad would look if she ever got close enough to see him well. "Is Brad Kimberly here?" she said shakily and wished the words back immediately.
"Brad!" his voice had a sharp edge. "All you girls are the same! No one is good enough for you but Brad! He'll be out in a few minutes, you can't miss him if you stay right here. I promised to help some fellows gather firewood. See you later." He scooted off the end of the bench and disap- peared around the hedge.
"He was too short, anyhow," she thought wretchedly.
"Liz Bennett, how funny you should be paired off with Raymond. You're both the best archers."
The next few minutes went by slowly. She kept hoping a boy, any boy, would come along and claim her. "They're afraid of me — . They're afraid to ask me; they think they'll get stuck with me. Oh, I wish I hadn't come!"
More minutes passed.
"Hey, Liz, why are you sitting there? Been looking for you," Syl bounced up. "Here's just the fellow for you. Come on, Raymond, this is Liz." She gave a short, freckled boy at her side a push forward as Liz stood up.
She felt her face redden, but before she had time to say anything, Mr. Kimberly, all six feet of him, got up on one of the picnic tables and started talking. "Since everyone has been practising with bows this sum- mer, it's been decided you'll try out the targets set up at the edge of the woods. The couple with the best (Continued on following page)
245
Liz and the Picnic
(Continued from preceding page), score will be crowned king and queen until the time of the swimming relays this afternoon." He held up a long, unstrung bow. "There'll be prizes. This is the first prize for the girl top- ping the scoreboard, and there is a similar prize for the boy."
A chorus of ah's rippled through the group and was followed by loud applause.
The lean, bronze figure of Brad Kimberly eased up behind the older Kimberly and stood smiling beside the table.
She felt her heart sink with disap- pointment. Brad had looked so tall, so straight sitting at the wheel of his cruiser. He couldn't be! He couldn't be so short! He was not even as tall as her own five seven and a half!
The boys and girls began to drift toward the match area.
"Liz Bennett, how funny you should be paired off with Raymond," a staccato voice chopped out. "You're both the best archers!"
"Come on, let them be first!" A tall boy rushed over and grabbed them by their elbows and shoved them forward.
"Okay, but the rest of you line up before we start. Confusion is not good for an archer," Brad Kimberly said. "Dad, I'll organize the crowd if you want to get these two started."
When the noise settled somewhat, Mr. Kimberly pointed to a bin of neatly stacked bows and arrows, "Take your choice. There's a size for everyone."
Liz slipped on an archer's glove from a box on top of the bin and wished fervently she had her own smooth fitting deerskin. She se- lected a bow that looked right, strung it, and poised it expertly. It pulled back easily. The next bow was bet- ter, it was strong yet flexible. A murmur of admiration came from the crowd as she pulled it back and let it whing. She smiled in acknowledg- ment to their salute of a girl who could handle a forty pound bow as if it were five or even ten pounds light- er. That she and Raymond were a ridiculous couple faded from her thoughts as she tuned her body to the rhythm of the lusty pull. The arrow dropped into place as if this was her own equipment. Her thumb rested on it momentarily, and her
246
eyes fastened on the black bull's-eye fifty yards away. With inborn sure- ness she released the heavy string. The ping that followed seemed simultaneous with the thud in the bull's-eye.
A round of applause rang out, and she nodded and smiled again.
Raymond picked out a forty pounder that outmeasured him a foot but his easy handling of it marked him as an expert immediately.
A high pitched giggle rose above the still crowd, "Mutt and Jeff."
A smattering of laughter flashed through the crowd but ended abrupt- ly on a distinct shhhhhhh from some- one else.
She stiffened. A bitter taste filled her mouth. Anger, wild and furious, fumed inside her. She wanted to spin around and put an arrow right through that giggle!
Raymond missed the bull's-eye but was close. Then it was her turn again. She hardly aimed at all and was surprised when the arrow struck an inner circle. Escaping the amused glances and cruel jokes was more im- portant now than anything in the world. It would have been better not to have a partner at all than this shrimp of a Raymond!
It seemed as if it were hours later when Mr. Kimberly severed their time limit with, "You've done very well — a real challenge to the rest of you."
It was of no consequence whether anyone saw her or not as she flew toward the house. She paused behind a bush and rubbed vigorously at the tears rolling down her cheeks. Then she made her way more slowly to the house.
A uniformed maid opened the door and gave directions to the library.
Her breath came in heavy sighs as she moved down the long, dark hall, but once inside the huge wing, she let out a surprised gasp, "I've never seen so many books!" Then sud- denly her body arched slightly, and her eyes felt as if they were going to pop out of their sockets for Ray- mond was not ten yards away.
He stared at her, alarm and shock in his homely face.
"Raymond," she started, but his stricken eyes wouldn't let her add, "They embarrassed you, too. That's why you came here, isn't it?"
"Y-y-yes, wh-what do you want?" he quavered unsteadily.
A round of thoughts whizzed through her mind and finally came out. "Raymond, there's a golf course just off the woods," she gestured in the general direction. "It belongs to the estate. Let's go try our luck."
"I — I've never played," he stut- tered, "I — I think I'll stay here."
She turned and left him but kept thinking how awful it must have been for him. His score back there had not been as good as hers, and she knew he was an even better bowman than she!
When she reached the mound of sand at the tee-off, she sank down on the bench and covered her face with her hands, "There's never going to be anyone to understand people like Raymond and me, and the sooner we get that through our thick skulls the better!" And with that she flung her head back and pushed her stiff body off the bench. "You're going back and face everyone. Maybe you won't have a good time, but as long as you came to this picnic, you're going to be a good sport about itl" But even the loudness of her voice couldn't hide the trembling of it, and though she was standing very straight her feet were heavy as they carried her toward the sweet smelling pine trees at the edge of the woods skirt- ing the golf course. She couldn't help feeling that the farthest way back would be best, would take up a little more of the long, long day.
A hiss ending on a note of pain brought her to a stop. It came again, and her eyes picked out a sleek brown Doberman dog straining to free his forefoot from under a large log.
"Oh, you poor fellow," she ex- claimed softly. "Here let me help you." She stepped into the woods and kneeling at the huge animal's side said, "No wonder you're stuck. How did you roll that log over like that?"
He whimpered and nuzzled his head against her arm.
"Okay, fellow, I'll get it off, but it will take time, That boulder has slipped against the log. Understand?"
He gazed up, and the intelligent eyes seemed to say, "It's all right; go ahead."
Fifteen minutes later she wiped
perspiration from her forehead with
(Concluded on page 273)
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
A
LOST
GENERATION
by Christine Wach Capener
This article on "The Lost Genera- tion" was inspired by the return of hope in our family after a month of nightmarish upset, born of fear.
The return of hope brought on by the calm, confident words of a lovely elderly lady was such a won- derful gift of peace to our household that I would like to pass it on to other families in an attempt to show that there is and always will be hope, of one kind or another.
— Christine Wach Capener
»»T wish I'd been a girl."
I "So do I, Danny. Ever since
* I was a little boy, I've wished I was a girl so that I'd never have to carry a gun over my shoulder."
I didn't look up from the paper I was reading. I was not surprised to hear Danny say, "I wish I'd been a girl," because the six girls in our neighborhood made things miserable for him at times. They were just enough older than he to be bossy; but I was amazed when I heard Lee say: "I've wished I was a girl so I would never have to carry a gun."
It was about two weeks after the start of the Korean War, and our family life had been tense and ex- pectant. Lee was twenty-one and had been in the National Guard for two years. Bob was going on nine- teen, just about "draft age."
The anxiety in our home had been mounting steadily. Each new set- back our armies suffered brought new fears to all of us. Lee had been a student of world affairs and under- stood that the need for men was im- mediate. He knew these men would be drawn from available troops. Where else could the army get ready help except from the National Guard units? And so we waited, tensely, expectantly, and fearfully.
Lee had recently finished college and was establishing himself in busi- ness. He was just beginning to feel a useful part of this big active world. Bob was beginning to unfold into
APRIL 1957
manhood, embarking on his task of getting a worth-while education via college.
Here were our two young sons for whom the future had looked promis- ing, coming face to face with what? What was there to look forward to except war?
Hope was a thing you read about, not something you had, for it had disappeared with the first war news and had flown farther out of sight with each succeeding day, until now, here in our living room were our two sons, the eldest and the young- est, wishing they were girls.
"I've always wished I was a girl so I'd never have to carry a gun." This was the boy who when he was only four years old had climbed to the top of a high "slippery slide" and come down it standing on his feet. "To show the big boys how to do it," he'd explained. This was the boy who, when he had fallen and cut a gash in his head had cried, "No, don't carry me home; I'll walk." This was the boy who with blood dripping down his face and clothes had walked the two blocks home and said, "Mother, put a bandage on this, please." Not too long ago he'd come home and said, "Mother, what do you suppose is the highest spot in town?"
"Tf you're counting the mountains out, I guess it must be a radio or television tower."
"Yes, it's the television tower on
top of the bank building. Boy, does that baby sway."
My heart practically stood still, for it made me dizzy just to look at the tower rocking to and fro on a windy day. But Lee was unconcerned and thought climbing to the top of it all in a day's experience. This, then, was the son who wished he would never have to carry a gun. Fortitude, daring had been a part of him from early childhood, yet he could not reconcile himself to active war duty.
"I didn't know you felt that way about a gun, Son," I exclaimed when I'd regained my composure.
"I do, though. Have you ever seen me hunting deer or pheasants?"
"No, I haven't, but I didn't know it was because — " just then our son Bob came in from the kitchen.
"Gripes, I can't see what you're making all this fuss about. You won't be the only one in this fight. What about me? I won't be far behind you."
"Sure, I know. But what's the use? What hope is there for us?" and Lee looked just as hopeless as he sounded.
This point of view was not one that had descended on these young men all of a sudden. They remem- bered a world war so fierce that no nation on earth came out of it with- out having felt its imprint. They lived in a time of buzz bombs, of
(Continued on page 258)
Tanks in Korea.
247
ass"
How, When, and Why We Tithed
"by Elder Joseph E. Eohinson
*
iHiLE laboring as a mis- sionary in the "Garden City" of a western state, I was taken by my com- panion to visit a fam- ily of investigators.
In the front part of the building they occupied, I noticed the marble busts of several men of national fame and numberless plaster casts of all kinds. From these I concluded that my friend's investigators were artists of no ordinary ability.
In response to our knock, a bright little girl of five years invited us in and informed us that "Mama will be glad to see you, if you will please sit down a few minutes."
While awaiting the coming of her mother, I noted the contents of the room and mentally made this observa- tion, "This family has been ground by the 'nether wheel' of adversity, and are just beginning to recover from its effects," for tokens of one- time affluence showed side by side with conditions the very reverse.
In the homemade bookcase there were broken sets of the classics along- side school and teachers' textbooks. The chairs were of several different sets, and one appeared to belong to prehistoric times. (Since then I have learned that it was one hundred and forty-five years old.) The bric-a- brac about the room also told of the two extremes referred to. In trying to entertain us, the little girl showed me her purse, and that it contained thirty cents in silver and three copper cent pieces; with considerable pride she informed me that the latter was her "tithing."
I had not time to ask any questions
*Frora The Improvement Era, 4:35. For many years Elder Robinson was president of the California mission.
before her mother, Mrs. C, came in and apologized for her delay, observ- ing that it was wash day. After a short conversation, she escorted us to a building in the rear where she intro- duced her husband, who appeared to me a typical Michelangelo as he worked away with mallet and chisel at an immaculate block of marble, "letting the angel out."
At the close of an interesting con- versation with him, he said to my companion, "I will soon have another ten dollars in tithing for you."
This remark caused me to wonder again, and as soon as opportunity af- forded, I asked Elder S., "How is it that those people talk about tithing to you, and are not Church mem- bers?"
He replied, "Oh, they are con- verted to the principle and have paid ten dollars already." A few days later, I visited the family again, and Mr. C. asked me "whether expenses should be kept out of our wages or returns for investments and the net gains only be tithed." I informed him that we should tithe our wages and investment returns, for if our net gains alone were tithed, many of us would never pay tithing.
"That is just as we view it," both Mr. C. and his wife replied, and he then informed me that he had made
An
Improvement
ERA
EPRINT
248
one hundred dollars "letting the angel out" and gave me ten dollars for his tithing. The little girl then took oc- casion to show me that she now had fifty cents and "five cents for tithing."
Then I asked for an explanation of what seemed so strange to me upon the part of people who were not ap- parently fully converted to the gospel, and not members of any church.
I wish the young people of Zion could have seen the inspiration that lit up the intelligent face of Mrs. C, and the enthusiasm of strong con- viction that shone in her eyes as she related the following on "How, when, and why we tithed":
"I was reared in the orthodox faith, and was a regular attendant upon services and an active worker in the church. Whenever any funds were needed, I noticed that the burden al- ways fell upon a faithful few who struggled night and day with various devices, such as dinners, socials, en- tertainments of any and every descrip- tion, by means of which the dollars could be had. The injustice of this unequal struggle by the few so im- pressed me that I began to seek for the scriptural way.
"I found Abraham giving tithes of all he possessed to Melchizedek. Then Malachi, 3:8-12, speaks so positively and forcibly upon the subject that I studied long and deeply, wondering why people did not tithe now.
"To make these impressions still stronger, Christ's teachings to the Pharisees, in Matthew 23:23 and Luke 1 1 :42, confirmed me in my be- lief that there was only one way to give, and that was God's way; then all these bickerings and petty jealous- ies attending man's way would fee avoided.
"About the year 1895, I began to talk to my husband about this matter and we discussed it with ministers who said 'after all necessary expenses are paid, tithe the income or profit.'
" 'There it is,' I said, 'self first, God next. There will never be any profit at that rate.' Still not satisfied, we continued to discuss this freely be- tween ourselves, for we were having the very worst financial reverses. No matter what we attempted, everything went against us.
(Concluded on page 286)
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
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DESERET BOOK COMPANY
44 East South Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah
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OUTSTANDING BOOKS BY
CLAUDE RICHARDS
1. THE TEMPLE LETTERS
Messages of hope and inspira- tion by great LDS leaders
Here is a book every LDS family will want for daily guidance. It provides a sound education in the history of Temple Work, the reason behind it, the necessity for it, and the joy and per- sonal glory it brings. Included in this book are full-page photographs of the Kirtland Temple, Nauvoo Temple, Los Angeles Temple and architects' drawings of the new British and New Zealand Temples. $2.75
2. J. GOLDEN KIMBALL
iiiiiiiiii
1 in nil 111 1 iiiiiiiiii
DcsecctfesBooh (0.
44 [a>t South Temple Salt Lakf-Ci'v Utah
The Amazing . . . Amusing Biography of a Philosophical Pioneer
Meet one of the greatest pioneers of a century ago — J. Golden Kimball — and read about his colorful life that has now become
legend. He was a true philos- opher, a marvelous speaker, and a great humorist ! His faith was boundless and he gave of him- self to everyone. You will be enthralled by the joys and trage- dies, the drama and conflict in his life and pioneer life about him. You will be truly inspired by the eternal thoughts con- tained in his sermons. $4.00
DESERET BOOK COMPANY
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NOTHING ELSE FITS LIKE
GOLDEN
AN
EDITOR'S NOTE
With the dedication of the Swiss and the Los Angeles temples and the construction of other temples now in progress, the temple-building activity of the Church is news these days. Some of our non-member friends are sometimes confused on our building of temples and chapels. President McKay's office recently sent us this newspaper clipping.
We cannot pass Sixteenth and Harvard streets without looking up at the golden figure on the spire of the . . . Mormon Temple [Wash- ington Chapel] . With what consum- mate skill the artist shows the spirit of the angel who is so boldly pro- claiming his message! In every line and curve of that heroic form, in the poise of the body and tilt of the trumpet, there is a vigor and fear- lessness that arrests attention. No shadow of doubt nor trace of waver- ing weakens the call thus literally proclaimed from the housetop.
This striking conception of the last trump that shall sound is more than a statue or a symbol. It almost seems an impending event and bids us pause for reflection. Were we a member of one of the orthodox churches and had remained, through these changing times, well grounded in the old fundamentals, we might have some apprehensions as to just how soon this golden trumpet may sound.
250
Taken from the Evening Star, Washington, D. C.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
1. Answers To Gospel Questions
Joseph Fielding Smith
President Smith makes careful analyses of many perplexing
questions asked by lay members of the Church and gives
forthright, authoritative answers. These pertinent questions
come from many diverse areas, from young and old alike. The
warmth of President Smith's understanding and his scriptural
knowledge make this book an invaluable addition to every
LDS library. Ready April 3rd.
$2.50
2. Messages Of Inspiration
A collection of addresses by the General Authorities
Choice sermons by the General Authorities, selected by them personally. Subjects discussed include: faith, gratitude, prayer, honesty, chastity, and many others. This is a wonderful book for your LDS family library.
$3.75
Elijah The Prophet And His Mission
Sanation Uniwsal
3. Elijah The Prophet and His Mission and Salvation Universal
Joseph Fielding Smith
These two discourses by President Smith clear up many of the problems and confusions concerning the Prophets Elias and Elijah and their callings. He also speaks forcefully concerning the responsibility of the living for the dead and the vital necessity of Temple Work. $1.50
4. Archaeology And The Book Of Mormon
Milton R. Hunter
President Hunter relates his experiences on a recent tour of "Book of Mormon Lands" in Mexico and Central America. His descriptions read like a fast-paced novel. Numerous photo- graphs, in both color and black and white, pack this book
with timely interest.
$4.50
5. A Look At Mormonism
Benjamin Alward
This handsome volume tells the story of the LDS Church in an unusual graphic way. It contains 380 striking pictures, beautifully reproduced by lithography, that vividly descrihe many Church activities and accomplishments. Meaningful captions highlight each picture. This is a real treas- ure for your family library!
$4.00
JOSEPH SMITH
6. Discourses Of The Prophet Joseph Smith
Alma P. Burton
For many years the Church has needed a book of the Prophet's teachings arranged according to subject matter. This is that book. The first-hand teachings of the Prophet are arranged under such titles as "God and Man," "Priesthood," Revela- tion," and many others. This excellent compilation will lead to a better under- standing of the Prophet. #-3 «n
OFFICIAL PUBLISHERS TO THE LDS CHURCH
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APRIL 1957
251
A
rthur Elijah Morgan, a vener- able eighty-nine-year-old living in the West Virginia hills, sits alone in his cabin, biding out his days in semi-darkness, for he is now almost blind. He has an impressive memory, but the alchemy of time has fused the joys and sorrows of life into a magic mellowness so that he can re- call failure without frustration, ridi- cule without rancor, and success with- out self-aggrandizement.
Here is a man who has found peace!
Anyone familiar with the rugged terrain of West Virginia, the Moun- tain State, knows that it takes courage and hard work, even today, to wrest a living from the soil. (Many farms are located on hills so steep that mechanized farm equipment cannot
Arthur Elijah Morgan
Venerable Man of the Hills
by Lillian Sorensen
m
what
is now
be used.) Here, Wetzel County, the late Honorable Aaron Morgan, of Irish ancestry, early member of the legislature, and his wife Elizabeth Allen Morgan pio- neered in an era when Indians up and down the Ohio River were a very real menace, when wild beasts foraged in the hills and hollows, and when the formidable "shootin' arn" had to be always within reach for protection. Reminiscing, the "Ballad
Into a family of four children, Arthur Elijah was born on March 7, 1868. As a boy he knew hard work. He also learned to hunt and fish, not as a sport, but to supplement the food supply. At the age of nineteen he married Louisa Jane Lemasters, and trjey became the parents of seven chil- dren, four of whom are still living in the vicinity. With a growing family, Elijah turned to railroading on the Baltimore & Ohio, at the same time working his small farm.
Elijah recalls vividly when mission- aries penetrated the Ohio Valley. About a year after he and Louisa were married, two strangers knocked at their door. They explained that they were ciders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and that they were going to hold services in the neighborhood that evening.
of Louis Wetzel," the Davy Crockett They invited Elijah and his wifc tQ of West Virginia, comes to mind: attend. Louisa, who was ill, said she
certainly would not be able to go. Apparently ignoring her remark, one of the elders said, "We shall expect you." Without quite understanding, Elijah watched them go down the road. He became keenly interested when he saw them pause in the shade of a pawpaw* tree. There they knelt,
So still I follow the trail of the braves, And wraith-like still I go stealing Over the lands the Ohio laves From Cincinnati to the Big Wheeling.
And on autumn nights when dark winds
carol And the thunderstorms roll and rally, You can hear me blow through my rifle
barrel The length of the Ohio Valley.
*West Virginia banana
Arthur Elijah Morgan at the venerable age of eighty-nine lives alone in his cabin in the West Virginia hills.
252
and when they arose they returned to the cabin and said, "If you are not at the services this evening, we will know that you don't want to come." As they closed the door be- hind them, the astonished Elijah turned to see Louisa getting out of bed, declaring she felt as well as she ever did. She prepared supper, and they went to the services. Having instructed and preached, the elders gave Elijah some literature and the Book of Mormon. He was asked to study this book, together with the Holy Bible, to corroborate and make plain the truths he may not hereto- fore have understood. Leaving an injunction to search the scriptures, the elders were on their way.
A man with little or no educational advantages, Elijah overcame illiter- acy; the Bible and the Book of Mor- mon became his textbooks; he read aloud, believing that if he could hear the words he would be better able to remember. More than two years passed. Elijah had indeed searched the scriptures, and he prayed that the missionaries might return soon.
Asked for his first impression of Mormonism, Elijah replied, "Made sense."
It is now sixty years since he en- tered the waters of baptism — the first person in this area to do so. This is how he recalls his baptism: One sum- mer day he heard via the mountain grapevine that Mormon missionaries were in the neighborhood. Overjoyed, for it had been a long time since he had seen any, Elijah left a lamp burn- ing in the window when he retired. During the night, however, he became ill, so ill that he feared he would die, and he wanted baptism first. In spite of the pain he was suffering, he walked some distance, he doesn't know how many miles, through the hollows and over the hills in the inky darkness. He has no idea how he found the way, but he finally staggered to the door of the cabin where the elders were. His strength (Continued on page 269) THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
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253
(Continued from page 232) seemed to Ross that not a week went by without bringing some painful complication, besides polio, to fight. His weight dropped from 160 pounds to 79 pounds.
For more than two years these set- backs meant slow, interrupted thera- py, and lessened Ross's chances for life and for reactivated muscles. Mus- cles, too long idle, frequently do not awaken.
In December 1953, fourteen months after becoming ill, Ross was flown to Hondo, California, where the largest respiratory center in the world, Rancho Los Amigos, is located. He still was not free from kidney and other complications, but it was at Hondo that uninterrupted therapy eventually got underway.
So long had the muscles been idle that they seemed to Ross to be locked in their immobility. Every move- ment brought excruciating pain. One of the doctors likened it to the snap- ping of a bone. But the therapists were as persistent as their exercises were painful, and three times a day and at 3 a.m. they exercised his limbs. Other treatments included electro- therapy and hydrotherapy. Progress was so slow it was almost indiscern- ible, but to Ross it was real, and with the passing of time, the pain lessened. Today there is very little pain, al- though daily exercises go on.
It was at Rancho Los Amigos that Ross learned loasto phregno (frog) breathing, a relatively new develop- ment in the rehabilitation of bulbar polio patients. It took him eight months of daily practice to master this process of gulping air and forcing it down, but it was time well spent because it enabled him to spend short periods sitting up in the rocking bed when it was not in motion, and eventually even in a wheel chair. He uses frog breathing more all the time.
In March 1955 Ross was flown home to Leeds; a special room was built onto the family home; and the equipment necessary to keep him alive installed by the Polio Foundation. It was a big event for the small town and for the Dixie College student body. It was an especially happy time for a mother who had spent the first nine months of his illness at his bedside, and for a father who spent those months alone, caring for two youngsters still at home. It was a
254
The Ross Eagar Story
blessing to parents who had made twenty-seven round trips to Cali- fornia within fifteen months.
Since his return, Rqss has con- tinued to improve. He can use his left arm well, and his right arm, so long idle from intravenous feeding, somewhat. He can turn his head and shoulders, hold himself in a sitting position, and feed himself by resting his wrists in suspended loops. He can sit in a wheel chair for several hours at a time. His ability to speak returned after much diligent prac- tice, and he has also learned to swal- low.
But he still does not have health, as we think of health. Much of his body is still immobile, and therefore susceptible to other ills. A common cold can be very dangerous. He can- not move his legs or raise or lower nimself by the strength of his own arms. His breathing apparatus still does not work, and every frog breath, because it is as conscious an act as anything he does, is mentally tiring.
Science has partially compensated for these physical limitations. Many hours a day, the rocking bed breathes for him. He sleeps in an "artificial chest" called a Monahan which is fastened securely over his chest every night and which is electrically run. He still has in his neck the tube which was inserted when he entered the hospital more than four years ago, and it is easily attached to the nearby electric "coughing machine," which clears his throat for him. His father has built a small power plant behind the home, and it is wired to go on automatically in case of power fail- ure. Attached to his bed are three switches, also installed by his father, with which he controls the motion of
APRIL-SONG By Evelyn Tooley Hunt
TThe day the world began to sing
Its April music, every new-returning bird Repeated verses made that first warm spring When only God heard.
The wounds of winter had been long
On hills whose scars were whitely bandaged
still with snow, And yet hills, too, were singing April-song, Soft, and sweet, and slow.
The tune was woven under ice; Its lyrics antedate our spoken word. The world in April sang of paradise. . . . And it was I who heard.
his rocking bed, the radio, and the lights,
Ross does not talk about the things he has learned through this experi- ence, or "school," as he calls it, but they are immediately apparent. In the first place, he now exhausts his abilities. Every muscle of his body which is usable, he uses. He con- stantly works with those which are idle. For more than a year he has taught in his home a Sunday School class of men and women his age, sharing with them the knowledge of the scriptures he has gained while ill. He still studies, and two of the friends he made in the hospital have joined the Church because of his influence. He has learned to use the electric typewriter furnished him, and he con- tinues his Dixie College education at home.
His sincere and vital appreciation for not only scientific helps, but also for the beauties of the world and its people, for every kind act, however small, is there in his sparkling eyes. After four and a half years of great dependence, he still appreciates all that is done for him. After receiv- ing hundreds of visitors over the years, he still greets each one with warmth and thanks. The influence Ross has had on these people would be difficult to measure. Those who call go away with no pity, unless it is for spiritual weakness in them- selves.
Ross has had blessings under the hands of President David O. McKay, Elders Harold B. Lee, Alma Sonne, John Longden, and the late Matthew Cowley of the General Authorities, and from numerous other bearers of the priesthood. He is convinced that these blessings, and the fasting and prayers of his family and friends, have saved his life and made possible his improvement. This conviction has given him a concept of life as some- thing eternal, in which promises to him will eventually be realized if he is obedient, patient, and strong in his faith.
One of the first families to visit Ross after his return to Leeds was the Fish family from nearby Anderson Junction, and a daughter, Zelda, came oftenest of all. A popular high school senior, she had excelled in her FHA work and was a talented vocalist. She
(Concluded on page 257) THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
Standard tries a flood of fire to make worn out oil fields produce again
Fire flooding produces heat and pressure to boil out previously unrecoverable crude oil, driving it underground to nearby producing wells.
MANY INACTIVE WELLS STILL HAVE LOTS OF OIL left underground in spite of the industry's great advances in oil recovery. Our country must have this oil to meet the growing power needs of industry, the Armed Forces and motorists. That's why Standard is trying a new conservation experiment called "fire flooding."
We ignite some of the oil in a pool . . . control burning by regulating the air supply. Heat and pressure drive the oil to surrounding wells for pumping. It will take more than a year's time and a million dollars to see if fire flooding works. It's worth the effort because it could add more to U.S. under- ground oil reserves than the discovery of an entire new oil field.
Helping find new sources of oil to
supply the 13 million barrels per
day the U.S. will need in 1966
1956
8,827,000 barrels per day
1966
1 3,000,000 barrels per day
Standard's petroleum engineers say, "Back in 1925 the industry could predict only about 20 % recovery from a new field. Modern secondary recovery methods, of which fire flooding is one of the latest, could more than double recovery."
>-/ ..A
^ STANDARD OIL COMPANY OF CALIFORNIA
plans ahead to serve you better
APRIL 1957
255
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[" ast week we spoke of unfinished business, of things left ■^ undone that hang over our heads. And one of the very worrisome things that hangs heavily over our heads is a debt that is due — or overdue. Paradoxically, it is a worry if we do worry about debt, and it is another kind of worry if we don't worry about debt. On this question, there are two extremes a man might take: One is living too much for the future — saving everything. The other is living too much "off" the future — living on expected income before it is earned. (A still further extreme is to live off income that likely never will be earned — which is to live off the efforts of others, sometimes even to placing a burden on those yet unborn. Many people, through the uncertainties and un- foreseen shortenings of life, incur obligations which they don't live to pay. But what about deliberately binding the unborn with a burden of debt? What about shifting debts to the shoulders of those who had no voice in the making of them? This is a side of the subject of debt that should always seriously be considered — for a person who is in debt to his grandfather as well as to his grandchildren — a person who is in debt to the past and to the future, is indeed deeply in debt.) So much for the question of binding the unborn. And now a moment on a personal side of the subject: It is true that it has come to be expected that we shall obligate ourselves somewhat for the future. Most of us would never acquire homes or much of what makes them comfortable or convenient, except for the possibility of "paying as we go." But the point at which personal debt would seem to become a matter of very considerable concern is not so much for the things we use as we pay, but the things we have used up before we pay. This puts a mortgage on a future in which we have no equity. And now as to an attitude toward debt: So long as we are acknowledging it and reducing it — keeping it current — there can be soundness and self-respect. But whenever we fail to feel a sense of obligation for what we owe, or whenever we're not paying it off (or never expect to pay it off), then there is a serious deterioration of some- thing inside. And now to repeat in part some sentences from the past: The only way to get a load lifted is to begin to lift it. The only way to get a job done is to begin to do it. The only way to get a debt paid is to begin to pay it. There is no man whose life cannot be improved by repenting — and part of all repentance is to reverse the process — to stop doing what we shouldn't do, and to start doing what we should do — and so it is also in reducing a debt: We have to start to pay; we have to reverse the process.
Uke Spoken lA/ord FROM TEMPLE square
PRESENTED OVER KSL AND THE COLUMBIA BROADCASTING SYSTEM, FEBRUARY 3, 1957
Copyright 1957
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256
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
The Ross Eagar Story
(Concluded from page 254)
remembered well the handsome, dark- haired drummer she had seen years earlier when the Eagar family played for a home-town dance, and she saw in this Ross the same charm she had seen then, plus a depth and beauty of soul that won her heart. (To Ross she soon became a source of inspira- tion and strength, and his love for her grew with each visit.) A year after Ross returned home, they be- came engaged. On November 23, 1956, they were married in the St. George Temple.
They live in a small white frame house on the main highway through Leeds, one block from his parents' home. Zelda has learned to use his equipment and do daily therapy. Ross's main worry now seems to be that between her good cooking, and the best appetite he has ever had, he will gain weight too fast.
Ross and Zelda look ahead guided by the desires of any young LDS couple establishing a home. They want to be active in the Church, and they want economic independence.
Zelda, an individual award winner in Toquerville Ward every year since she entered Bee Hive, continues dili- gently her Church work in Leeds Ward. Ross plans to go on teaching in the Sunday School, and as his health improves, to serve more ac- tively in the Church. This is one of his foremost desires.
Another has to do with making the home where he and Zelda live debt- free. By continuing the business course he began at Dixie College before his illness, and by adding to it work in public speaking, Ross is preparing himself to earn a living. Since his marriage, he has begun to sell life and automobile insurance. Although he now works entirely by telephone, he is sure that eventually personal contacts will be possible. After more college training and experience, Ross and Zelda see widening opportuni- ties.
Together, their faith in a good fu- ture is convincing. They voice it humbly and rarely, but it is in their faces. They recall the blessings prom- ised them, and look to their fulfil- ment. But it is not a boastful faith. For people so young, with years of hard work before them, it is remark- ably tempered with patience, submis- siveness, and understanding.
APRIL 1957
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257
Hans Brinker
and the
( Faultless Version)
On a bright winter morning long ago, Hans Brinker was kneeling on the bank of a frozen canal, putting on his Silver Skates. His mother was in the house . . .
Then one day she heard that hot laundry starch makes iron- ing so much easier — and quicker, too, because hot starch penetrates — goes in, not on the fabric, as cold starch does.
So she lived happily ever after. Her iron glided quickly and smoothly like Hans' silver skates as she happily hummed, "Makes your ironing easy . . . a joy — not a job!"
with a mountain of ironing to do. "Oh," she thought, "if only my iron would glide as quickly and smoothly as Hans' skates do, ironing would be fun stead of work!"
m-
$AVe MINUTES//
"I'll try it!" she cried. "Next washday I'll take 20 extra sec- onds to make hot Faultless Starch and save 20 minutes or more when I iron. That's where time counts!"
If you'd like to save 20 minutes or more of ironing time, use hot Faultless Starch — Blued and Perfumed, or regular white. You'll find hot Faultless Starch is the easiest starch to iron.
P. S. Clothes look "just-ironed" longer, too, when you use hot Faultless Starch. You'll not only feel less tired after ironing with Faultless, but you'll take new pride in your family's appearance, when you switch to hot Faultless Starch. Try it. You'll see.
America's Smoking Habits
{Concluded from page 218)
who are cigaret smokers use over one pack a day, whereas only about one- eighth of the non -whites smoke this much.
Two and a half million men smoke one or more cigars daily; 7,500,000 smoke them occasionally.
Three and a half million men smoke a pipe regularly, 4,500,000 oc- casionally.
An estimated million men and half a million women have stopped cigaret smoking entirely since the fall of 1953. One year earlier, between the fall of 1952 and the fall of 1953, about 600,000 men and women quit smoking. Most of those who gave up cigarets during the past year and a half were under forty-five years old.
Despite the relatively large in- crease in the number who have given up cigaret smoking, about half of the men and a quarter of the women in the country are still smoking cigarets daily.
The findings indicate that there are larger percentages of smokers among those below or above those ages. Greater diversity in smoking practices among women was dis- closed, however, ranging from thirty- five percent of the twenty -five to thirty-four group, to only four percent of those sixty-five and over.
A Lost Generation
{Continued from page 247)
faster-than-sound airplanes, in the time of wage and labor disputes. They were living in the "Atomic Age." Per- haps there was little wonder that they felt there was no hope.
A family unit, a state, a nation, or a world without hope is a dreary thing to contemplate. The place to begin to revive hope must be the family unit. But how? I cast about in my mind trying to find a peg on which to hang a try at reviving hope in my family. How could I best help my sons who were floundering in a world of despair?
Many years ago when Bob was a small boy, he'd come to me saying,
{Continued on page 260) THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
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APRIL 1957
259
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260
A Lost Generation
(Continued from page 258) "Help me, Mother. I need you to help me."
I can remember the situation was one which concerned a psychological problem between him and his teacher. I was reluctant to interfere because I didn't want to weaken the boy by solving his problems for him.
"How can I help you, Bob? Isn't this a problem for you and your teacher to figure out?"
"Yes, Mother, it is, but you can help me by making me strong inside, like you did when I was in the first grade."
So, here again, many years later^ these two young men needed to be made "strong" inside. The starting point to revive hope?
That afternoon during the course of running a few errands, I stopped at the bank. A lovely white-haired woman, who was a neighbor, stopped to chat. I asked her if her young married son, who was in the National Guard, had been called to active duty yet. When she told me he hadn't been called, I said, "It'll go hard on him to leave, won't it? I understand his wife is expecting a baby soon."
This beautiful white-haired woman smiled calmly and answered: "Don understands that he'll be given strength to meet this emergency. The baby will be a comfort to his wife when he leaves."
I marveled at her composure and said: "You seem undisturbed by this crisis."
"Not undisturbed. Let us say that I have hope it will terminate soon."
"Hope? Did you say hope? My sons feel there is no hope. They be- lieve they belong to a lost genera- tion."
"They belong to a difficult genera- tion. One that I believe is to give birth to a bright new world. There's always hope."
rpnEN you believe we are in har- ■*- mony with God?"
"Indeed I do, and I believe we'll always have hope. You see, if you cannot hope for one thing, then you must hope for something else."
In repeating her words to our sons that night I said, "You see, boys, this is the way it works: If we can't hope to stay out of the conflict, we
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
must hope for an early end to it: If we can't hope that we may live a peaceful life, then we must hope that we may return to peace and a better world. I could go on and on just as you can, with a new hope taking the place of each of the old ones you believe to have been destroyed."
These young men in front of me relaxed their grim expressions, and I saw hope born anew out of this courageous woman's words: "There's always hope, if not for one thing, then for another."
Neither Children Nor Adults
(Continued from page 233) cold or hungry youngster is a poor subject for any kind of learning. Wise parents will understand the physical needs of their boys and girls, will recognize the type of behavior which is a symptom of some unmet physical need, and will adjust the home to this need.
Sometimes there exist physical defects, such as infected tonsils, incor- rect posture, nasal difficulties, hear- ing difficulties, defective eyes, heart ailments, malnourishment, or other difficulties which have developed over a long or short period of time. These chronic problems are serious not only because young people so handicapped cannot profit fully from education nor live abundantly, but also because they sometimes come so slowly that they are mistaken for character defects. Consider, for example, the following case history.
Elmer was a large boy, larger for his age than the other children in the family. At school and at home he would often go to sleep. Often at a social or at Church he would drop off to sleep at the strangest times. He tried to stay awake, but he always seemed to fail in his efforts. His par- ents talked to him about it and were worried. Other children make fun of him and call "sleepyhead." His posture became poor and his expression listless. Friends, teachers, and even his par- ents, began to consider him mental- ly deficient. The family doctor finally diagnosed the trouble as a thyroid shortage. Elmer began to take treat- ments, and within six months most of his annoying symptoms had disap- peared.
(Continued on following page)
APRIL 1957
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Neither Children Nor Adults
(Continued from preceding page) It is not always possible for parents to identify or to know exactly what to do in case of physical defect in a child, but a wise parent will be care- ful not to attribute its annoying symp- toms to a character defect.
Equally as important as the actual physical health and rate of develop- ment of our youth are their feelings about their own health, their ability, their stature. An adolescent often needs help in understanding why he feels and acts as he does. It may cause him much anxiety if he feels that he is not developing normally. He may feel that he is not so tall as he would like to be, or he may be afraid that he is going to be too tall. And just as a boy may feel resentful and be concerned about his temporary shortness, a teen-aged girl may worry because she is larger than her friends. Her height makes her feel awkward. She may feel that her neck is too long, or that her hands or feet are too big.
It is not enough for parents to tell their children that their physical de- velopment is normal for their age. It is important that adolescents be reasonably well-satisfied with their physical condition. Wise parents, although they cannot always under- stand the interrelationships of physi- cal changes which occur, can assist the child to develop proper attitudes and to accept these changes as in- evitable and natural growth processes They can develop an understanding sympathetic attitude toward them and refrain from intensifying the natural difficulties which arise. Many ado- lescent fears and worries might thus be eliminated.
The important thing for parents to understand about the physical needs and characteristics of adolescents is that their speed and variations have a direct and indirect effect upon learn- ing, attitudes, and emotional health. So many things depend upon the physical condition of the individual that we as parents must realize and understand how closely the behavior of our children is related to body growth.
Most of our children will come through safely. But all of them need and will appreciate a wholesome understanding of the changes and ef- fects of physical growth. As Latter- day Saint parents let us give patient,
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
help to our teen-agers. Let us give intelligent information and guidance in order that their attitudes and char- acter may develop in a desirable way. Let us help them to avoid unneces- sary suffering.
The Message of the Book of Job
(Continued from page 239)
But throughout, the confidence the Lord expressed in Job from the be- ginning is borne out. God knew his heart and the depth of his integrity. Job declares:
Though he slay me, yet will I trust in him. ... I will maintain my own ways before him.
He also shall be my salvation. . . .
... I know that I shall be justified. (Ibid., 13:15-16, 18.)
It is also in answer to one of his friend's arguments that Job utters his powerful testimony on the resurrec- tion,
For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth:
And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. (Ibid., 19:25-26.)
Beginning with chapter thirty-two the young man Elihu comes onto the scene. In accord with the customs of the time that youth should not speak before age, nor speak at all without permission, Elihu has listened while his three older friends have spoken and has heard Job's rejoinders. As he has listened, he has become more and more out of patience with the accusations that are made, and final- ly, in disregard of custom, his dis- pleasure breaks forth, and he utters his version of the matter.
Elihu begins by denouncing his older companions as not having used wisdom in their arguments. Then he turns to Job and, after quoting some of Job's own words in maintaining his innocence, answers that God is greater than man and need not give an account of his actions unto man, although he can do so if he so desires. He recounts the powers of God in his ability to protect man's soul from the pit or his life from perishing by the sword; how he chas-
(Continued on following page) APRIL 1957
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The Message of the Book of Job
(Continued from preceding page) tens man, yet is gracious unto the sufferer and finds a ransom; how he answers prayers and renders unto man his righteousness and accepts repentance. He recounts God's jus-
tice and wisdom, how he abhors and will punish evil, and considers not man's opinion of himself. The sea- sons and the elements he holds in his hands, and man cannot know God nor all his ways.
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TT* here are many opposing opinions as to what is considered ■*■ to be success. And while some seek to prepare them- selves for maximum service, there are some who seem to dedicate themselves to the idea of being free from work. But even when work seemingly ceases to be a necessity, it never ceases to be a principle and a privilege. Even when we don't have to work, it is good to want to and wonderful to be able to. And there is no way of going through life without con- suming someone's work — our own or others. We can't eat without consuming someone's work. We can't travel without consuming someone's work. We can't use any substance or accept any service without accepting someone's work. No matter what nature provides, or what men are able to make machines do, work is always somehow in the process in bringing the final product to people. And no matter how much life becomes mechanized, men cannot be fully happy or have a satisfying sense of accomplishment — regardless of necessity — without willing work. The Lord God himself so ordered it: Surely he could have made less work for men if he had thought it were wise. Surely he could have put the precious metals of the earth in easy, convenient places. Surely he could so have ordered nature that we could reach out and take our living almost effortlessly. Surely he could so have ordered the elements that we would have little or no physical discomfort to guard against. (Furthermore, he could have given us all the answers and spared us the need for faith as well as work, without so much searching and seeking.) But what would that have done for our development? With- out work to do, without problems to solve, without challeng- ing situations to wrestle with, without the necessity to learn and the need to believe and the willingness to do, what kind of soft and unresourceful creatures would we be? This we recall from Carlyle — this from his words on work: "The most unhappy of all men is the man who cannot tell what he is going to do, who has ... no work cut out for him in the world. . . . For work is the grand cure of all the maladies and miseries that ever beset mankind — honest work, which you intend getting done. . . v"1 "The latest Gospel in this world is Know thy work and do it. . . . Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness."2
Spoken (/l/ofd
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PRESENTED OVER KSL AND THE COLUMBIA BROADCASTING
SYSTEM, FEBRUARY 10, 1957
Copyright 1957
^Thomas Carlyle, Inaugural Address at Edinburgh, 1866. '-Ibid., Past and Present, Gh. XI.
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THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
It seems that the Lord must have inspired Elihu to say these things. They provide the setting for the pow- erful and very humbling message which immediately follows as the Lord speaks directly to Job from a whirlwind.
This answer from the Lord to Job contains some of the most sublime thoughts and expressions to be found in all literature. It should. It is the direct word of the Lord, and who is there who can claim greater perfec- tion and utterance?
The Lord begins wtih his question as to where Job was when the founda- tions of the earth were laid, when all the sons of God shouted for joy, im- plying that Job was somewhere pres- ent. Then he forcefully calls attention to the fact that the details of this creation were minutely worked out
and put into operation by himself in all their parts.
Who shut up the sea with doors. . . .
And said, Hitherto shalt thou come, and no further: and here shall thy proud waves be stayed. (Ibid., 38:8, 11.)
From this beginning the Lord sum- marizes more of his creations, making it clear to Job that an all-wise Creator has made the earth and all things connected with it. With each new piece of evidence he stamps more indelibly the truth that with the power and knowledge thus manifest, he, the Lord, has all things in his power and can control them as he wills. He impresses Job and all who read and understand with the majesty and perfection of his creations.
Man cannot control God's crea- tions.
Hast thou commanded the morning since thy days, and caused the dayspring to know his place . . . ?
Hast thou entered into the springs of the sea or hast thou walked in the search of the depth?
Have the gates of death been opened unto thee, or hast thou seen the shadow of death?
Hast thou perceived the breath of the earth? declare if thou knowest it all.
Where is the way where light dwelleth?
And as for darkness, where is fhe place thereof? (Ibid., 38:12, 16-19.)
Does Job have an understanding of all these things?
The Lord moves into the expanse of space and asks Job if he can bind the sweet influences of Pleiades or loose the bands of Orion. Can Job understand the ordinances of heaven under which these things were created
(Continued on following page)
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Richard L. Evans
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i^kNE of the timeless questions— one seemingly V./ never settled — is: "What makes people do what they do?" Human nature, we sometimes simply say — but human nature is no simple thing to consider, with all the complexities and problems, and all the motives of men. But no matter what other motives there may be, certainly pride is frequently a factor in the actions of people — and is somewhat inherent in us all. All of us like to be well thought of; all of us are somewhat in- fluenced by other peoples' opinions — even those who profess not to care about other peoples' opin- ions. People like to be approved. People like the good opinion of other people. We see it from the earliest years of youth, as youngsters are sensitive to the opinions of playmates. And one of the most important decisions of life is deciding by whom we most want to be approved — and what price we would be willing to pay for approval. Will a boy do anything a crowd dares him to do, just for the sake of pride, just for supposed approval? Will a girl relax her stand- ards, or sacrifice personal purity, for the sake of supposed popularity or approval? Will a man suppress a truth he has found for the sake of professional approval? (We could make a long list of those who have been martyred or mis- understood because they valued some truth, some discovery, above popular or professional ap-
proval.) The disapproval of the crowd, the dis- approval of fashion, the disapproval of prevailing opinion isn't ever easy to take — but it is easier than the kind of conscience that comes with trad- ing principle for pride. Repentance itself is a hard principle for a very proud person because repentance means admitting a mistake. Sometimes a person who has committed himself to a par- ticular position would willingly alter it, would willingly repent, except for pride, except for ap- pearances. And one unfortunate part of sus- taining a false pride or a false position is the effect it has on others also: For all of us (whether we want it so or not), have more influence on others than we sometimes suppose. Our every attitude and utterance, our respect or disrespect, what others, feel from us, affect our families, our friends, and all who publicly or privately observe the living of our lives. And to the young especially — and also even to the old — we would say: Never com- promise principle or high personal standards for a supposed popularity or approval, or for the sup- posed good opinion of any person or crowd or clique— for the kind of pride that is bought with principle comes at too high a price.
Uhe Spoken lAJord FROM TEMPLE SQUARE
PRESENTED OVER KSL AND THE COLUMBIA BROADCASTING
SYSTEM, FEBRUARY 24, 1957
Copyright 1957
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APRIL 1957
265
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The Message of the Book of Job
(Continued from preceding page)
or can he set the dominion of the earth, or lift his voice to the clouds "that abundance of water may cover thee"? (Ibid., 38:34.) Can Job con- trol the clouds in wisdom or stay or bring rain, "when the dust grows hard and the clods cleave together"? (Ibid., 38:38.)
Can Job, by speaking, make any- thing so beautiful as the goodly wings of the peacock or give wings and feathers to the ostrich or create the instinct that makes the ostrich leave her eggs in the warm sand to hatch? Has Job given the horse strength and his usefulness in battle? Does the hawk fly with wisdom given it by Job or the eagle mount up at his command?
Bringing the point more directly to Job, the Lord asks:
Shall he that contendeth with the Al- mighty instruct him? he that reproveth God, let him answer it. (Ibid., 40:2.)
By this time Job is fairly humbled, acknowledging that although he has spoken out against God because of Job's suffering, he will do so no more.
But the Lord is not through. The message that he is teaching is not planted deeply enough, and he con- tinues with some direct instructions on how to be humble.
Gird up thy loins now like a man: I will demand of thee, and declare thou unto me.
Wilt thou also disannul my judgment? wilt thou condemn me that thou mayest be righteous?
Hast thou an arm like God? (Ibid., 40:7-9.)
Job is enjoined to deck himself with majesty and excellency and to array himself with glory and beauty, to cast aside his wrath and his pride;
Then will I also confess unto thee that thine own right hand can save thee. (Ibid., 40:14.)
Job is now filled with the humility that he has lacked and acknowledges the power and right of God to govern all things.
I know that thou canst do every thing and that no thought can be withholden from thee.
Who is he that hideth counsel without knowledge? therefore have I uttered that I understood not, things too wonderful for me, which I knew not. . . .
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear, but now mine eyes seeth thee.
Wherefore I abhor myself, and repent in dust and ashes. (Ibid., 42:2-3, 5-6.)
Job's repentance is accepted, and in spite of and following all his calamities, his integrity is fully re- warded. The power of God to justify his servants and reward their faith and integrity is manifest to him by a restoration of a double portion of all Job had before his testing by Satan began.
So the Lord blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning, for he had four- teen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen and a thousand she asses.
He also had seven sons and three' daugh- ters. . . .
And in all the land were no women found so fair as the daughters of Job.
After this lived Job an hundred and forty years, and saw his sons and his sons' sons, even four generations.
So Job died, being old and full of days. (Ibid., 42:12-13, 15-17.)
"Nephites" Found in New Mexico
(Continued from page 243) confidence in Brother Tenney, he put his granddaughter (a very handsome young woman) in his charge, as he was going away for a season, and a young Mexican wished to court her, and the old gentleman did not wish him to marry her. And as the peo- ple in that village had full confidence in him, on our arrival we were kindly received and entertained by all we called upon.
I look upon the Isletas as the most industrious and hard laboring people of any I ever 'met (the Latter-day Saints not excepted). This Nephite village has a field of corn ten miles in length and one in width. It lies north and south of their village and is irrigated. The corn is quite as good as any I ever saw in Utah, and per- fectly clean; not a weed could be found in a hundred acres. They have also twenty-one vineyards bordering on their city and 1,000 vines to each vineyard, some of them 60 years of age, all kept perfectly clean and loaded with the finest of fruit, and as heavy a crop as I ever saw in St. George. The vines stand from two to four feet in height and, in the fall of the year, each vine has a mound of earth formed around it, until it is covered out of sight. In (Continued on following page) APRIL 1957
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"Nephites" Found in New Mexico
(Continued from preceding page) the spring it is uncovered and the earth leveled. This is an immense work. They have also many apple, pear, and peach orchards, all ripe, as well as grapes. Isletas is occupied only by the Nephites themselves. There are no Mexicans or white men. The houses generally are made of adobe, cement, or concrete, and plas- tered. The outside walls are as white as snow, and the floors are made of mortar or plaster, very smooth and many of them very neatly carpeted. We saw some as handsome women and girls as could be found in Amer- ica, barring their dark complexions. There is one practice that exceeds that of any civilized city on the globe that I ever heard of. No man, woman, or child is allowed to sweep a particle of dirt or dust from the floors into the dooryards or streets, under pen- alty of a fine. It all has to be gath- ered in cloths or baskets and carried to mounds which are located in dif- ferent parts of the city. The room we occupied was in the center of the town, and the mound formed from
the sweepings of the floors in that part of the town measured 150 yards at the base and some thirty feet high, which had probably been 100 years in collecting, for they did not ap- pear to cart it away. I found in the Isletas and in other villages of the Nephites the same kind of crockery and stone was painted in all its brilliant colors that we find in the remains of their ancient cities or in ruins of the ancient inhabitants. All of their water jugs and main crockery are of this material, for they still hold the art of making and painting it.
We visited quite a number of the families in the village and were kind- ly entertained. Among others, we visited Mrs. Pascual Avieta, a Nephite lady, I should judge 50 years of age, a large portly woman, with a large, fine home. Her floors were neatly carpeted, and settees were covered with Navajo blankets, worth $15 each. She was neatly dressed. I was introduced to her by Brother Tenney and to her daughters and sons. She received me and treated me with all the cordiality that any
refined lady could, and presided over her household with all the dignity and grace of a Martha Washington. When her daughters were introduced to me, after bowing and shaking hands, they very reservedly and modestly retired across the room, sat down upon a settee and listened in silence to what was said. The matron sat down be- side me and conversed with great freedom. While the family could speak good Spanish, the son, a fine young man of 20, could speak good English, which was a godsend to me, and I thoroughly improved it by preaching the gospel of Christ and blessings of the kingdom of God to him, which he gladly received and promised to deliver the same to his father and mother. The matron in- vited us into her pear, peach, and apple orchard, and grape vineyard where fruit was ripe. We feasted to our satisfaction, and repeated by in- vitation the same ceremony each day while in Isletas. The feast was on the 27th of August. There were hundreds of Mexicans from all the surrounding country gathered. The Mexican women and girls had their long trains. Most of the drinking,
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THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
gambling, and fighting, which lasted all night, was done by the Mexicans, while the Isletas were in their homes with doors locked at an early hour. The Governor and leading men of Mosita Negra, where we preached, were with us and did not take part in the Mexican carousal.
Thus, dear brethren, I have given you an outline, merely, of the field of labor which I consider the God of Israel has opened up to us and which I consider the revelations of God re- quire us to perform. I think there is element sufficient for forty good, faithful elders. There is need for a goodly number of elders who can speak the Spanish language or who will be able to learn it. I have al- ready sent Brother Taylor a small list of names, including the Indian missionaries that are already in this country, as far as I can remember them, and if there are any in St. George or Southern Utah, northern, who can speak the Spanish, or who will learn it, I would like Brother Taylor to consider them at the Octo- ber conference.
I am happy to be able to state that most of the settlements I have visited of the Saints have been blessed with fair crops of grain, notwithstand- ing the dry season. They were just finishing threshing as I left Snow- flake. They will have over 3,000 bushels of grain, mostly wheat, and I am confident they will have over 4,000 bushels of wheat at Sunset. * * *
Your brother in the gospel,
Wilford Woodruff
Arthur Elijah Morgan
(Continued from page 252)
spent, he recalls barely gasping, "This is the night; I want baptism now, fetch your lantern." When the eld- ers had dressed Elijah felt sufficiently rested to go to the creek where, as the first rays of dawn appeared on July 18, 1896, he was baptized. Elijah was the only Latter-day Saint to be found for miles around.
"Ot" was Elijah's became "Ot, the appellation Elijah great deal of pride tinguished it when, hurled at him, he
(Continued APRIL 1957
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Arthur Elijah Morgan
(Continued from preceding page) bombastic friends out of the gutter on a Saturday night. Their "payday" gone, it was "Ot, the Mormon" who put food in the mouths of their hun- gry children. In moments of sober- ness, even the derelict, ignorant of the Biblical terminology of Peter, realized that "Ot, the Mormon" was indeed a "peculiar" person, doer of good works.
Elijah has the reputation of never having turned a stranger from his door. One incident over which he chuckles occurred after he had given a night's lodging to a bibulous hobo. Elijah saw the ungrateful character snatch a book from the shelf by the door as he was leaving, but let him "get away with it" because he had another Book of Mormon! He wishes he could have observed the culprit's reaction as he settled in the jungle under the B & O trestle to read. Of course Elijah hopes he did read.
One day, Elijah recalls, he was digging a ditch when two men ap- proached on foot and asked if he knew where A. E. Morgan could be found. Elijah, with a frugality of words characteristic of the mountain folk, leaned on his shovel, looked them over, and pointed to a nearby cabin. "Go to that house and wash up. Dinner'll be ready directly." The startled strangers managed to say, "But you don't know who wc are, how can you — ?" "I know who you are," interrupted Elijah, "you're Mor- mon elders, and I'm A. E. Morgan." At the time this incident took place, Elijah had not seen a missionary in seventeen years!
Because of the faith and courage of one man, the mission organized a Sunday School with Elijah as super- intendent. This was a fruitful ven- ture, and many came to a knowledge of the truth as a result thereof, his mother-in-law being his first convert. "Those were the good old days," Elijah sighs, "when folk hereabouts honored the Sabbath." That they did so by attending church is sub- stantiated by two pictures, the only pictures to adorn the walls of his home, showing Sunday School groups: Boys in knee pants, girls with pig- tails, mothers in their Sunday best with leg-o'mutton sleeves, and fathers with derbies and stout boots. In the background stands the mustachioed
Elijah, straight and stalwart, always the leader.
One Sunday morning Elijah was a little late, and decided to save some time by taking the short-cut across the "crick" which was frozen over. Unfortunately, the ice broke and he was plunged into the water up to his armpits. Never one to turn back, a very wet and cold Elijah made it to Sunday School on time. He re- ports this experience didn't even re- sult in a sniffle!
In those days, Elijah says, the mis- sionaries were often without means of support. Sometimes they went two or three days without eating as they tramped through the sparsely -settled country. If they were not received at a farmhouse, they would have to travel on, tired and hungry. When they found a friendly family who of- fered hospitality, they usually re- mained two or three days, preaching and instructing. They helped the farmer with his planting or haying and helped the farm wife split wood, carry water, and do chores in general.
Louisa loved the missionaries and was kind and generous, but unlike her husband and her mother, she nev- er accepted baptism, nor would she allow the children to do so. The very fact that she forbade the children to read their father's books seemed to stimulate that desire. As soon as they were "on their own" they read, and they listened to the counsel of their father. That he built well is indicated by the vast knowledge his sons and daughter have of the gospel despite the fact that they had scant opportunity to attend church and mingle with others of like belief. It must have been a source of great joy to Elijah, when he was appointed superintendent of the first LDS Sun- day School in these parts, to have his two sons function as first and second counselors.
Louisa died in 1924 and the fol- lowing year Elijah married Mrs. Tillie Ingold, a widow. She died ten years later and Elijah subsequently married Mrs. Agnes Dunlap, a widow with seven children. Both of these women accepted the gospel of Jesus Christ. Agnes died on September 30, 1953, and since that time Elijah, by his own preference, has lived alone in his hillside cabin.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
The years took their toll. Many members of the "first" Sunday School died; many moved away; some were weak in the faith and not able to hold fast ynder adversity; the two counselor-sons found it necessary to seek work elsewhere to cope with the depression. The building which had housed the Sunday School was sold; war came; and the missionaries were recalled. These events marked the collapse of the heroic effort begun by one man with vision and courage.
After a period of some ten years of inactivity, the East Central States Mission, then under the direction of the late President Cornelius Zappey, the "Beloved Dutchman," again opened the district and a Sunday School was organized in November 1954.
Although Elijah has been able to attend only once, he is enthusiastic about the progress being made. No longer able to contribute time and talent, he has offered of his substance. He wishes to donate a plot of ground for the erecting of a chapel. Quoting Acts 2:17, "And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh . . . and your young men shall see vi- sions, and your old men shall dream dreams," he adds, "A chapel in New Martinsville is my dream." This project is currently under advisement.
When asked if he still has a testi- mony of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Elijah, sitting erect in his high-backed rocker, struck his fist to his knee and spoke with authority, "I have. I wish I were able to go out and proclaim it. I would like to go to Moundsville to the State Penitentiary and talk to the men there; I will always believe there is hope for mankind. But they tell me I'm too old."
Asked how he felt about Joseph Smith, whom his first wife would not accept as a prophet, Elijah quoted Amos 3:7 verbatim, "'Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets!' Joseph Smith? Of course he was a prophet!"
Today, despite his physical frailty, he stands a bulwark of integrity, re- spected and loved by a community with no penchant for coddling. Truly, Arthur Elijah Morgan, no longer nicknamed "Ot, the Mormon," has earned by precept and example the respect of all who know him.
APRIL 1957
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Melchizedek Priesthood
A RELIGION OF ACTION
Sir Wilford Grenfell once made an appeal for "a religion of ac- tion, not diction." This is a com- mon need. There is a great tendency among us to become what someone has called "Bible Christians." That is where the religion is mostly in the Bible and not enough in us. What we need is to "translate" our creed into deed, our information into know- how, our faith into works. We need to know how to get the religion out of the Bible and into us.
For one who applies himself, it is not difficult to "understand" the prin- ciples of the gospel. But our big problem is that of "translation" and "application." Our works should catch up to our words. We need the ability to live the gospel as well as we understand it. We need to de- velop the power to get our Church work done on our own initiative with- out the necessity of being told or urged by someone else.
A colored farmer was hiring a worker. His one question was, "How many tellings do you take?" When we require too many tellings, our salvation is placed in jeopardy. We need to develop that spiritual initia- tive where we can do "many things of our own free will." In fact, a genius has been described as one who can get the job done without being told more than three times.
The work of the Lord does not con- sist merely of giving out information; it is rather to arouse desire and pro- duce activity. The purpose of the gospel is not merely to discuss re- pentance, but to bring about a refor- mation of life; not merely to teach the meaning of faith, but to produce faith in the lives of people. Those bearing the priesthood are not ex- pected merely to understand the avail- able power of God, but t® manifest that power in their lives by effectively
272
doing the Lord's will and the Lord's work. It may be that we spend too large a part of our time discussing religion and too little time in actual performance. It is our responsibility actually to develop in people's lives the attitudes and activities that will get them into the celestial kingdom.
Sermons should be concerned not only with subjects to be explained, but also with a way of life to be lived. It is so easy to preach about moral courage without making any- one morally courageous. It is easy to deliver a discourse on faith, with- out creating faith in people's lives. We may teach that man has the power to decide his own eternal des- tiny, without getting anyone then and there to make that momentous deci-
sion.
Socrates, the ancient Grecian phi- losopher, is remembered, not because he claimed to be a great teacher but because he tried to get people to do those things which they already knew. The discord between deed and creed is responsible for innumerable wrongs in our civilization. It gives both in- stitutions and men split personalities. It is estimated that there are 999 men who "believe" in honesty for every honest man. Therefore, instead of merely teaching honesty, Socrates tried to get men to be honest. How can one believe in honesty who is not honest? Or how can anyone believe in religion if he fails to manifest it in his life? Only those who are val- iant will inherit the celestial kingdom. That means "a religion of action."
The practical aspects of this situa- tion have been pointed out by one who said that it may not be impor- tant whether or not a man has been through college, provided college has been through the man. Similarly, to get a man into the "kingdom of God" has many benefits, but to get
"the kingdom of God" into the man is when things really begin to hap- pen. This can best be done by the appropriate activity.
Some people ask God to direct their footsteps, and then they fail to move their feet. What good does it do to ask God to direct our efforts if we then turn off our engines? How much is accomplished when we sustain the President of the Church with our up- lifted hands, if we fail to sustain him with our industry and our courage?
History records many periods of "apostasy from the faith," But we should not overlook those tendencies to personal, individual apostasies of works, or apostasies of effort. When we have a period of inactivity, the spirit of accomplishment tends to be- come limp and apathetic. Then, like a weak heart, its beat gets so faint that. its pulse cannot be counted.
Think of the activity the Lord has provided for us. Every boy has the opportunity to hold the priesthood and function therein at age twelve. Beginning with the deacons, each quorum has its own officers and con- ducts its own activities on a scale of its own choice. The Lord has given to each group a certain part of the work of the Church. A deacon has his own responsibilities. When he is ordained a teacher, his field of serv- ice is enlarged. He is then entitled to be a ward teacher, "to watch over the Church," "to strengthen the members," "to see that there is no iniquity in the Church." (See D & C 20:53-54.) When he becomes a priest, his duties are again increased. He may now baptize for the remis- sion of sins in the name of the Lord. He may administer the Sacrament and accept a larger field for preach- ing the gospel. As he grows in faith, other opportunities are given to him. Every worthy man and boy above age twelve may bear the priesthood and share in the divine ministry of activity. Think of our advantage as compared with some other groups where one or two people have most of the activity!
We need to s.tir up our enthusiasm and make sure that we are "doers of
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
the word" in its fullest sense. We need to do more than "believe" in that light "that lighteth every man that cometh into the world." We need to make that light bright by use and thereby make our lives luminous. -
We should have a religion of action, but we should also be men of action. Alexander the Great said, "What Aristotle is in the world of thought, I will be in the world of action," and that formula made him the conqueror of the world by the time he was twenty-six years of age, and it will make us anything we wish to be, in- cluding conquerors of our own weak- nesses and winners of the celestial kingdom.
A violinist of great distinction once acquired a valuable Stradivarius, but this violin had been in the private collection of a wealthy family and for many years had lain unused on a velvet pad. The violinist said, "The violin is asleep, and I must play it until I wake it up and bring it to its proper form. It will have to learn its own power and beauty all over again."
Disuse is harmful to a violin; it is also harmful to a child of God. We should awaken ourselves by use, so that we can get full possession of and full benefit from that great potential
of power and beauty that God has implanted in our lives. This can be done only by proper activity.
Jesus said, "If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them." (John 13:17.) Inactivity is wrong, for "to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin." (James 4:17.) This great sin of "disuse" may cause many to lose their exaltation. Few will lose their blessings because they cannot know. Many will lose their blessings because they will not do.
Even testimony and faith come from works; for Jesus said, "If ye shall do my will, ye shall know of the doc- trine." (See John 7:17.) And if we don't give the gospel message to others, we risk losing it ourselves, for great faith, like great fortune, never lingers in hands with idle fingers. Spiritual powers are like the muscles of the arm; either we use them or lose them. When works dwindle, faith dries up; accomplishment withers; and blessings are lost. People soon begin to suffer from feelings of frus- tration and inferiority when they bury their talents. Such feelings rob us of our strength. They sap our energy and diminish our spiritual values.
How pathetic it is that anyone
should needlessly tolerate this destruc- tive, devastating inactivity which leads us even to doubt ourselves.
To disbelieve in God is tragic, but to have this destructive disbelief in ourselves may be even worse. The moving cause of all action is faith, not only faith in God but also faith in ourselves, neither of which is pos- sible in the absence of works, and both of which must be earned in ad- vance. We get belief by action and disbelief by inaction. When self- doubt and self-distrust get lodged in our minds, they discolor every thought and every activity with a feeling of inadequacy and hopeless- ness. We sometimes use our minds as dumping grounds for doubts, fears, worries, sins, and complexes, causing destructive mental attitudes and fail- ure. Many of these and others of the greatest sins begin as sins of inaction.
Everyone, in a sense, must be his own priest. Everyone must purify his own life. Every man must do his own growing. Everyone must create his 'own desire to serve. Everyone must be responsible for saving his own soul. Everyone must be respon- sible for making the most of every op- portunity. The grand recipe for success is to make our religion "a religion of action, not diction."
Liz and the Picnic
(Concluded from page 246)
the back of her hand, "You're free, big boy! Now let me look at that foot." Deftly her fingers searched the paw and slender leg. "Pretty sore? But there's nothing broken."
"Hey, get away from that dog. He doesn't like strangers. Darbo, come here. How did you get out of the kennel?" Brad Kimberly squeezed in between Liz and the dog. "How did you get so close to him?"
"His foot was caught under this log," she was irked by his tone, "and I've been around dogs before."
"I guess you have," he turned and looked at her. "I've never seen Dar- bo make friends before."
"My dad says I have a way with dogs. We have three." The irked feeling began to disappear as an ap- preciative smile spread across his face. "Darbo is lucky his leg isn't broken."
APRIL 1957
"Darbo is lucky you came along," he said. "Are you with the picnic?" He held out his hand to help her up. "I'm Brad Kimberly."
A picture of him skimming across the lake in his clipper flashed before her, and suddenly her tongue was clinging to the roof of her mouth. At least he didn't remember her and the archery match this morning.
She stared at the hand. Stand up? No! her heart cried out. But he helped her. Up — up — UP she went, a full two inches over him. Her face burned; an urgency to run filled her.
"Your name?" he asked again.
What difference did her name make? All he really wanted now would be to get away as fast as pos- sible before someone saw them to- gether. This bronze boy with the broad shoulders would have the same kind of pride as she!
He cocked his head to one side and grinned amiably, "It makes a
difference?" He touched the top of her head lightly with an index finger, "Somehow I had the feeling you'd measure a fellow's worth by the two feet he has on the ground not the ones above it. But if it helps any, my dad was a REAL runt before he was eighteen. I come from a long line of runts before eighteen!"
She grinned, a sudden warm grin that came all the way from her toes. Here was the friendship she'd been searching for, a friendship with sym- pathy and understanding, and it would never be measured by height or breadth but by the depth of feel- ing.
"My name is Elizabeth Kay Ben- nett, but my friends call me Liz," she said softly and glowed inwardly. Mom had been right! Boys were hu- man beings if you'd give them half a chance!
(The end)
273
m Presiding
Commemoration Program for Restoration of Aaronic Priesthood
Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19, 1957, have been designated by the Presiding Bishopric, with the approval of the First Presidency, as the dates for the Church-wide annual commemoration of the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood.
On May 15, 1829, the resurrected John the Baptist appeared to Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery as they kneeled in prayer on the banks of the Susquehanna River near Harmony, Pennsylvania.
It was a great day and a glorious event. For centuries the world had languished in spiritual darkness. The kingdom of God was not upon the earth. The priesthood with its power to perform the ordinances of the gos- pel of Jesus Christ had been lost to the world for hundreds of years. The two young men, while translating the Book of Mormon, desired clarification on certain passages and so retired to a beautiful, secluded spot on the river bank for meditation and to inquire of the Lord.
The heavenly visitor appeared to them. He laid his hands upon their heads and thus restored the Aaronic Priesthood to the earth.
This great event in the history of the world should be commemorated with sincerity and dignity by all mem- bers of the Church and more particu- larly those who are bearers of the Aaronic Priesthood.
On Saturday, May 18, we suggest an outdoor activity program for all Aaronic Priesthood bearers and their leaders. We suggest, too, that al- though the program may be recrea- tional in nature, a few minutes be set aside for inspiration and reflection. A short talk on the restoration or significance of the priesthood would be well in order. The activities and program should be under close super- vision.
Where a pilgrimage to some point of interest is decided upon, we sug-
274
Presiding Bishop Joseph L. Wirthlin with his counselors Bishop Thorpe B. Isaacson and Bishop Carl W. Buehner watch while Sculptor Avard Fairbanks puts finishing touches on memorial monument prior to having it cast in bronze.
The monument depicting the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood was made possible by the contributions of Aaronic Priesthood bearers throughout the Church. When completed it will stand on Temple Square. The unveil- ing and dedication program will be announced by the Presiding Bishopric at a later time.
gest that travel in caravan style be discouraged because of the added haz- ards it brings to highway travel.
Where it is impractical to hold this outing on a stake basis, we encourage wards to arrange such a program for their own people.
It is our recommendation that the outing be held for both senior mem- bers and Aaronic Priesthood under 21 on a co-operative basis. Where this is done, both stake committees should
counsel together and plan for the in- terests of all.
Where it is desired, however, sep- arate outings for senior members and Aaronic Priesthood under 21 may be
planned.
»
Sacrament Meeting Program May 19, 1957
Theme — My Obligations and Bless- ings as an Aaronic Priesthood Bearer.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
Bishoprics Page
The ward Sacrament meeting pro- gram should be devoted to the com- memoration of the restoration of the Aaronic Priesthood in our dispensa- tion. Where stake quarterly confer- ences are scheduled for May 19, this commemoration program should be held on the preceding or succeeding Sunday.
We urge that, where practical, a chorus of either senior or Aaronic Priesthood members under 21 be or- ganized and prepared to furnish the special musical numbers of the pro- gram. The musical numbers listed are mere suggestions. They may be substituted or adapted to smaller groups if desired.
Interest in the program will be in- creased if Aaronic Priesthood mem- bers are used wherever possible. Where substitutions in songs are made, care should be given to choose music appropriate to the occasion. All assignments should be made to allow time for training and adequate preparation.
The following procedure we sug- gest be followed as closely as possible:
1. Opening song — congregation — "Praise to the Man"
2. Invocation — A senior member
3. Sacrament song
4. Administration of the Sacrament by members of the Aaronic Priesthood
5. Aaronic Priesthood chorus or quartet — "See the Mighty Angel Flying"
6. Talk by a deacon — "Two Young Men Receive the Aaronic Priest- hood Keys from a Heavenly Messenger"
7. Talk by an ordained teacher — "Being Morally Clean is a Re- sponsibility of All Who Hold the Aaronic Priesthood"
8. Talk by a priest— "Aaronic Priesthood Bearers Should Live the Laws of Health"
9. Talk by a senior member — "Priesthood Places upon Each One Who Bears It an Obligation to Serve His Fellow Men"
10. Chorus or quartet — "School Thy Feelings"
APRIL 1957
Study Guide for Ward Teachers April 1957
Your House in Order
We are lwing in a world of uncertainty. What the future holds for any of us we cannot foresee. Life itself is uncertain. How long we are to retain it no one knows. The part of wisdom indicates that we should be prepared at all times as far as we can be for any condition which may con- front us. Our houses should be in order.
Three considerations seem pertinent in this connection:
1. Is your house in order spiritually? Do you and the members of your family observe the spiritual laws of the Church? Do you have family prayer? Is the blessing on the food asked regularly? Do the members of your family attend Sacrament meeting? Do those who hold the priesthood attend quo- rum meetings regularly and discharge their duties? In these and other ways are you growing and developing spiritually and following the command- ments of the Lord?
2. Is your house in order physically? Is your home well-kept? Is it attractive to the members of your family? Is it as comfortable and convenient as your means will reasonably permit? Is it really a home as well as a house? Is it so arranged and maintained that the health of your family is protected? Do the members of your family observe the laws of health and preserve their bodies from avoidable illness or accident? Is the Word of Wisdom respected as the word of the Lord to his people and as a divine law of health?
3. Is your house in-order financially? Are you living within your means? Are you putting yourself in line for the blessings the Lord has promised by the payment of tithing? Are you carefully considering the advice of the General Authorities before going into debt for things not actually necessary? If you are now in debt are you making every possible effort to free yourself of it? Are you sharing with your neighbor, if and when you are able?
Note: It is not intended that these questions should be asked of the families visited with the idea that they should be answered to the teachers. Neither is it intended that the teachers should pry into the private affairs of those visited. The purpose suggested is to call attention to the questions, by reading them if desired, and then leave the suggestion that each family give serious consideration to them in their own way. The principal purpose is to start each family thinking seriously of the question, "Is my house in order?"
INTRODUCTION OF STUDY GUIDE FOR MAY 1957
The Privilege oF Paying Tithing
It is a privilege to pay tithing. Those who pay tithing participate in the build- ing of Zion, the development of the Church, the erection of temples and other Church buildings, and in carrying the gospel message to the ends of the earth. When tithing is paid, all who are involved in the transaction are blessed. Tithing is God's law of revenue for the Church.
11. Talk — General secretary of the senior members of the Aaronic Priesthood— "Those Who Bear
the Aaronic Priesthood should 13. Study the Doctrine and Cove- nants"
12. Talk — general secretary of the 14. Aaronic Priesthood under 21 — "The Aaronic Priesthood Pre- 15.
pares Men for the Responsi- bilities of the Melchizedek Priesthood"
Talk— by the bishop — "The Oath and Covenant of the Priesthood" (D & C 84:32-41.)
Closing song — "Shall the Youth of Zion Falter?"
Benediction — priest under 21
275
Eileen Gibbons
Editor
Be Showin? Wise
When You Buy Egg.
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Grades B and C are also good eggs and have dozens of uses in which ap- pearance and delicate flavor are not so important. In these two qualities the white is thinner, so that the eggs spread over a wide area when broken. The yolk is almost flat and may break easily.
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by Norma Burnbam
When the wise homemaker makes out her weekly shopping list, eggs are always near the top. A good buy at almost any price, this
rpo make your egg dollar go farther, -*- choose eggs of various grades ac- cording to the use you intend to make of them. There is usually a price follow the federal standards closely. difference of several cents a dozen be- Some commercial firms grade on their tween the grades of one size, own standards and identify different If you buy ungraded eggs from bulk
qualities with brand names, rather displays or in cartons carrying such
Egg covers small area; much thick whrte surrounds yolk; has small amount of thin white; yolk round and upstanding.
AA
versatile food is a bargain when you than using letters to show the grades, terms as "select," "best," or "fresh, consider how little you pay for so Grades AA and A are top quality, you must depend entirely on the
much food value. with a large proportion of thick white dealer for assurance of quality. The
Because they contain the same which stands up well around a firm eggs may or may not be the top high-quality, complete protein found high yolk. These eggs are good for quality that these names imply. in lean meats, eggs may be used as all uses, but the upstanding appear- The size of eggs also influences the
a meat substitute. Two large -size eggs furnish about the same amount of protein as an average serving of meat. Iron, phosphorous, and cal- cium, minerals valuable for building and maintaining strong healthy bod- ies, are also present in important amounts. Vitamins A and D, as well as three B vitamins, are other essen- tial nutrients contained in eggs.
Plan a variety of ways for your family to enjoy eggs — in baking, main dishes, salads, and desserts. The egg is equally at home in all these uses.
In some markets there is a wide se- lection of grade, size, and even shell color. Since the egg comes in its own natural package and cannot be ex- amined before purchase, you must rely on other quality guides. The tips that follow will help you get a good buy every time you shop for eggs.
The grade is your best guide to quality. Many states use the four consumer grades for eggs — US Grade AA, US Grade A, US Grade B, and US Grade C. Each grade refers to a specific quality, defined by govern- ment standards.
Some states have set up their own grading systems, and in general they
|
>*■ |
|
|
\^\M\i\\:/::\-:-^>^ |
|
|
-- — ~-~- |
|
|
A Egg covers moderate area; xi. white; medium amount of and upstanding. |
has considerable thick thin white; yolk round |
Egg covers wide area; has small amount of thick white; much thin white; yolk somewhat flattened and enlarged.
B
*Miss Burnham is an agent for Consumer Market- ing Information, Utah State Agricultural College Ex- tension Service.
276
CEgg covers very wide area; has no thick white; large amount of thin white thinly spread; yolk very flat and enlarged.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
JLt last/ JL different, new tuna dish, for Lent
Poached eggs and chicken livers. AA and A grade eggs are ideal for poaching.
price but does not have any relation to the quality. Sometimes large eggs are your best buy — sometimes small or medium ones. Late summer and early fall, when the hens first begin to lay, usually bring large supplies of small sizes. Later on, medium size eggs become plentiful. By December or January and through the spring, large eggs hold the spotlight.
One way to determine which size is a better buy at any particular time is to figure how much you are paying by weight, since the size of eggs is determined by number of ounces a dozen. Minimum weights for the most common sizes are:
|
Size |
Minimum Weight |
|
|
Extra large |
27 Ounces |
|
|
Large |
24 Ounces |
|
|
Medium |
21 Ounces |
|
|
Small |
18 Ounces |
HThe following easy "rule of thumb" -*- can usually be applied in com- paring prices on different size eggs: Medium eggs, in order to be a better buy than large ones, must be at least nine cents a dozen less. Similarly, the price of small eggs must be at least nine cents a dozen less than medium ones to make the small ones the better buy. The table following shows the exact price for a dozen at which small, medium, and large eggs would be equally good buys, and is a more accurate guide. Remember, when comparing prices by size be sure you are also comparing the same grade.
In some areas there is a special
preference for either brown or white
eggs; the ones in least demand are
(Concluded on following page)
APRIL 1957
•HigL Hot TUNA SOUFFLE
Makes 4 servings
Scald V2 cup milk
Stir in 2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon salt 14 cup shortening
Cool to lukewarm.
Measure into bowl . . . Va cup warm (not hot) water
(Cool to lukewarm for compressed yeast.)
Sprinkle or crumble in 1 package
or cake Fleischmann's Yeast, active dry or compressed. Stir until dissolved. Add lukewarm milk mixture Add 2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
1 cup sifted enriched Hour Beat until smooth, about 1 minute.
Cover. Let rise in warm place, free from draft, until doubled in bulk, about 40 minutes.
In 1 -quart casserole,
combine 1 can cream ot
celery soup
1 7-ounce can tuna, drained 1 teaspoon grated onion 1 tablespoon chopped pimiento Beat until stiff but not dry 2 egg whites
Stir batter down and fold in beaten egg whites.
Spoon batter on top of creamed tuna. Bake at 400 degrees (hot oven) 40 to 45 minutes.
Creamy tuna and fluffy topping- with flavor only Yeast can give
"I take my hat off to this Lenten souffle," says Mrs. Kenneth Gardner, prize-winning cook of Clearfield, Utah. "It has a 'company' look, yet High-Hat Souffle is a practical Main Dish— hearty, filling, easy. "Why don't you serve High-Hat Tuna Souffle? A delicious dish for Lenten meals or any spring day. The secret's Fleischmann's Yeast— use the cake yeast or the handy dry kind that keeps for months. It's fast and easy — the choice of prize-winning cooks."
Get the dry
yeast in the new
"Triple -Fresh" pack
Recipes for other main dishes (pizza, too!) on the back of every "Thrifty Three." Look for them when you buy Fleischmann's Active Dry Yeast. Another Fine Product of Standard Brands Inc.
277
UNIVERSAL TRAVEL SERVICE
PRESENTS . . .
* EUROPE— University of Utah conducted tour visiting musical festivals and art centers, conducted by Louis Booth and George Dibble. 73 days. $1285.00.
* SCANDINAVIA— Spring Air Cruise offering a visit to all the Scandinavian Coun- tries and a side trip to the Bern Temple. $700.00.
* NEW YORK— One week Fine Arts tour conducted by Douglas Snow of the U. of U. faculty.
" HAWAII— A great variety of tours by air and ship . . . prices and itineraries to suit your needs.
* SERVICE — For all of your travel needs. Prepaid travel for your re'atives abroad. Travel now and pay later plans.
BRING YOUR TRAVEL PROBLEMS TO
UNIVERSAL TRAVEL SERVICE, INC.
TEMPLE SQUARE HOTEL Salt Lake City, Utah ELgin 5-6552
' VITAMINS MINERALS
Drink them in
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Whatever your age, there are natural nutrients for you in the fresh-made juices of car- rots, celery, apples, cabbage, etc. Enjoy their true natural goodness, delicious flavor with a Sweden Speed Juicer. Fully guaranteed. An ideal gift.
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278
Be Shopping Wise When You Buy Eggs
can
(Concluded from preceding page)
usually the best value. This mean bargains for the careful shopper because she knows that flavor, qual- ity, and nutritive value are not affected by shell color.
Eggs need care if they are to keep their good quality — and this means all the way from the hen to the kitchen. A cool temperature is espe- cially important because an egg will lose as much quality in three days at room temperature as it does in two weeks in a refrigerator. Check the store where you buy eggs and be sure that quality is protected by a cool temperature. Both the eggs on dis- play and behind-the-scenes should be kept refrigerated.
You can maintain egg quality by keeping eggs cool and covered, with the small end down to keep the air space at the top in position and the yolk centered. And remove from the refrigerator only the number of eggs to be used. Eggs should not be washed until you are ready to use them, as washing removes a protective film called "bloom" which is on the egg when it is laid. This film seals the pores and keeps out bacteria and odors.
The best quality egg can be ruined if it is not properly cooked. Whether you like your eggs soft or hard, poached or fried, alone or combined with other foods, remember this firm and fast rule — cook them at a low temperature. Too much heat or too long a cooking time makes them tough and leathery.
High temperatures not only tough- en eggs, but may also cause dishes leavened with eggs to fall, the crust to be thick and tough, and the inside to be heavy and soggy. At high temperatures, egg dishes such as custards and sauces will curdle or water. When cooking eggs in the shell, the water should simmer — but never come to a boil. This keeps the egg tender and prevents formation of
the dark ring that sometimes appears between the yolk and white of a hard cooked egg.
Here are some delicious and easy ways to use eggs after you have bought them. The baked eggs are probably most satisfactory with top grade eggs, but lower grades are perfectly accept- able for making the lemon pudding.
Baked Eggs in Cheese Sauce
2 tablespoons butter or margarine
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk
1 cup American cheese, coarsely grated
6 eggs
Cook onion in butter until softened. Blend in flour and salt, then add milk gradually and stir constantly until sauce is thickened and smooth. Add cheese and stir until melted. Pour sauce into oiled shallow casserole or baking dish. Break eggs carefully into casserole. Place casserole in a shallow pan of water and bake in moderate oven (about 350° F.) for 15 minutes or until eggs are firm.
Lemon Sponge Pudding*
Y4 cup sugar
74 cup flour
!/8 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon melted butter or mar- garine
Y4 cup lemon juice
/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
3 eggs, separated
1/2 cups milk
Mix together sugar and flour. Add salt, melted butter, lemon juice, and lemon rind. Beat egg yolks well and add milk. Combine with sugar mixture. Beat egg whites until stiff but not dry and fold into milk mixture. Pour into oiled custard cups or baking dish. Place in a shallow pan of hot water. Bake in a moderate oven (350° F.) 40 to 45 minutes.
*Recipe from Utah State Agricultural College Ex- tension Service, Bulletin #19l, "Serve Eggs Some Way Every Day" by Elna Miller, nutritionist.
|
What Size Eggs Shall I Buy? |
|||||||
|
Size |
Prices Per Dozen |
||||||
|
Large (24 oz.) |
66 |
62 |
59 |
56 |
52 |
48 |
45 |
|
Medium (21 oz.) |
58 |
54 |
51 |
49 |
46 |
42 |
39 |
|
Small (18 oz.) |
50 |
46 |
44 |
42 |
39 |
36 |
34 |
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
-A Monkmeyer Photo
YOUTH
by Ruth I. J. Devereaux
I
Youth is life! It is spring in all its resplendent glory. It is adven- ture personified — daring, seeking, probing into mysteries.
Youth is tenderness. From its heart springs love and affection. It becomes enraptured with beauty and shuns that which is unsightly.
Youth ascends the summit of en- thusiasm. It is fervent in its en- deavors and earnest in its desires for service.
Yes, youth is a priceless gift — some- thing to guard, to protect, and to cherish. Within its hand lies the hope of today and the dream of to- morrow; the outcome of the present; the design of the future!
Nurtured with care and under- standing, it grows tall and straight as a young tree reaching heavenward; neglected and forgotten, it seeks the lower level for its sustenance, groping in darkness and confusion.
Youth is God-given, and Godlike must it remain! Cherish it above all earthly treasures, and its rewards will open the gates of eternal happi- ness, wherein progression walks hand in hand with youth.
APRIL 1957
\ook\
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65 W. 1st South— 21st So. & 2nd West and Bennett's branches and dealers in the Intermountain area and Southern California
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he's part of the fun of family dinner in the
COFFEE SHOP,
Hotel Utah :
Max Carpenter, Manage.
279
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CLARIN
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Dept. 65, 4640 W. Harrison 'Chicago 44, III.
We also sell:
• Heywood-Wakefield Choir Seating
• Church Pews
• Folding Partitions
• Flannelboards
• Blackboards
• Stage Curtains
• Paper and Janitorial Supplies
• Mimeograph and Ditto Machines
& SUPPLY CDMPANY f SALT LAKE • OGDEN • IDAHO FALLS
^ Toy R and R Hour
by James W. Phillips
♦ ♦
Children's wanton or careless de- struction of playthings can often be curbed through a toy repair and rehabilitation hour that not only serves to restore the usefulness of damaged items but also provides youngsters with instruction in simple mechanics and affords an opportunity for a practical father-child activity.
Twice a month, an hour is set aside for toy repair at our home, and all damaged playthings — plus an oc- casional item or two from Mother's realm — are spread out on the kitchen table for reconditioning. Naturally, some are beyond salvage, but the majority can be restored to some- what near their original purpose and appearance by minor mechanical re- pairs and a touch of imaginative im- provising.
In this age of scientific wonders and complicated gadgets, a child's toy requiring technical skills beyond the "know-how" of the average household handyman will at times make its way into the rehabilita- tion sessions, but it is surprising how a few moments of thought and experi- mentation simplify the workings of
a cowboy cap gun, a wind-up space car, or an electrically agitated marble game. And surprising as it may seem, even the simplest of father's repairs enhances a toy's value and appeal — particularly when the young owner serves as helper during the restora- tion.
Our family's toy R & R efforts be- gan when I awoke to the fact that I was nickel and diming myself into bankruptcy shopping the variety stores in a futile effort to replace toys sacrificed to the tempers or carelessness of our two pre-teen sons. When first broached to them, the boys expressed little interest in either the idea of working together or the possibility of being able again to use broken toys that had once enjoyed their favor. However, during the first session they evidenced great interest in Pop's meager mechanical abilities and showed much surprise and satisfaction over the most amateurish and tem- porary repairs.
For the second session they scoured every nook and corner of the house, yard, and garage and gathered up so many long-forgotten, broken toys
280
Whether it's toy repair, an emergency carpentry job, or a baseball game, it's good for Dad and son to do things together.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
that a portion of them had to be de- ferred to the third session. Now, months later, toys are not only set aside to await the repair and rehabili- tation sessions, but the boys insist on doing minor repairs themselves.
The most important thing about this period of transition from total disinterest and passive co-operation to eager participation was that the boys developed the desire to give the repaired toys proper care and han- dling. This preferential treatment of certain toys — like all good habits — gradually extended to all their play- things. The toy accident rate in our house has dropped sharply, and as fewer broken playthings make their appearance at the fortnightly R & R sessions, more time is spent on gen- eral maintenance and redecorating.
One thing of importance to any repair and rehabilitation kit is plastic cement, which will restore to their original exterior form about sixty per- cent of the toys that reach the hands of youngsters. Fractured and shat- tered toys of non-plastic, non-metal- lic material can be mended by using any one of several all-purpose glues that bind china, wood, leather, and fabrics. Assorted rubber bands make ideal clamps to hold parts tightly to- gether during setting and drying time.
Another must for R & R kits is liquid solder. Not only will this in- sure lasting and easy electrical con- nections for battery or plug-in toys, but it will aid in repairing the broken necks and limbs of lead soldiers; and when carefully "dropped" into place, it will secure small bolts where nuts are missing or threads are stripped. Similarly, plastic wood serves to re- line screw holes in wooden toys and is ideal for filling cracks and gouges and rebuilding missing corners or surfaces.
An assortment of nuts, bolts, wash- ers, wood and metal screws, nails, and brads is needed, as are light gauge wire, heavy thread, and the new plastic electrical tape which with its elasticity serves as the ideal wrapping for split handles, broken wicker doll furniture and other binding jobs re- quiring constant pressure for strength.
As paint covers damaged spots and repairs, fine sandpaper, small paint brushes, paint thinner, wiping rags, and a selection of small jars of enamel are necessary for a finished job. Enamel is recommended for toy re- pair kits as it adheres to plastics as (Concluded on following page) APRIL 1957
Improve fresh spring vegetables with Morning Milk cream sauce
QU»CK -H EASY CREANV SAUCE
1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon flour
% teaspoon salt 1 cup rAorning Milk, und«luted
r, qtii in flour and salt. Let Melt butter in sauc^anj* ^ ^ % of th bubble one ^.^ Md remaimng
ens. Makes 1 cup.
_ no other form of mil* w
EVAPORATED
MILK
281
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• Replaceable rubber feet • Chip resistant baked enamel finish • Bonderized to resist rust • Comfort- curved design • Write us today!
Samsonite all-steel folding chairs in 10 decorator colors
Shwayder Bros.. Inc., Institutional Seating Division, Dept. IE-4, Detroit 29, Michigan. In Canada, Through Samsonite of Canada, Ltd.
Toy R and R Hour
(Concluded from preceding page)
well as to wood and metal, but the more artistic repairman may prefer to use water or oil paints that enable better color matching and finer de- tail work.
The number and type of tools nec- essary for the simple father-offspring mechanical endeavors demanded by toy repair and rehabilitation work will vary, but four basic tools suffice: needle nose pliers, pocket knife, small screw driver, and scissors. Other im- plements that come in handy at times — particularly for work on smaller toys — are a nut pick, needles, finger- nail file, hand drill, and coping saw, while a fine auxiliary supply of mate- rial is found in toothpicks, pins, pipe cleaners, and wheels, springs, and other parts salvaged from the unre-
pairable toys that occassionally crop up.
If the toy repair and rehabilitation hour is to succeed, it must be a co- operative father-child activity. If the father whisks damaged toys to his workshop where he repairs them in leisurely solitude, or if youngsters are forbidden to attempt minor repairs and simple painting because of their messiness or lack of speed and knowl- edge, the R & R sessions will die a sudden death from that old malady "grown-up-itis." However, if the ses- sions are handled as joint ventures in which even Mom is occasionally asked to assist — not take over — Toy R & R Hours can aid in the develop- ment of careful habits, provide prac- tice in basic mechanical skills, and provide father and child common pride in accomplishment.
lo Be a King
(Continued from page 235) deal with unscrupulous people and must take steps to learn of their plans. I shall make an immediate effort to get a man whom I can trust into Zebulon's home as a servant. Leban- ah can keep us informed as to what goes on in the palace, and my friend, if my plan succeeds will render the same service concerning Zebulon's movements."
David expostulated. "I abhor such methods."
"Not more than I do," said Elihu. "But this is a case when the welfare of an entire people is to be main- tained."
David had always cultivated the habit of prompt and decisive action. As he thoughtfully analyzed Ruth's character there appeared a blending of beauty and goodness, a contagious and sprightly joyousness; but this exhuberance of spirit was tempered by exactly the right amount of seri- ousness to make her an engaging and delightful companion. Indeed, in his eyes she was lacking in no desirable quality.
"What a queen she would make!" he often exclaimed to himself. "How dignified and yet how gracious! Her bearing alone would demand homage from the proud and win it from the meek. Ruth, Queen of Judea!" The idea pleased him, and he thought of it often.
282
As a result of these meditations his visit to her home, made on the day after Herod's banquet, was followed in rapid succession by many others.
As he was preparing to say good- bye after one of these visits, Ruth's dearest friend, Martha, came dancing merrily into the garden. She stopped short in some embarrassment upon seeing that she was interrupting a farewell, and was about to withdraw when Ruth called her and presented the young man to her.
Martha was bubbling over with mirth. "Now see what your lack of frankness has done," she said artless- ly to Ruth. "If you had told me when you sent word the reason that you could not make the promised visit this afternoon, I should not have thrust myself into such a — such a — well, to speak plainly, such a de- lightful scene."
"You are very childish, Martha." Ruth was blushing furiously, and David could feel the color rising in his own cheeks.
"Of course I'm childish, and like all children I do love color, and I have not seen such perfect tints in a long time." And her saucy eyes wan- dered from one crimson face to the other.
"Martha is an incessant chatterer," Ruth apologized. "She simply can- not miss an opportunity to tease me.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
And, by the way, she is the niece of
your friend Nicodemus."
"Then I have additional reason for being pleased to meet you," David re- sponded.
Martha became momentarily seri- ous. "You are frequently discussed in our home by my father and uncle."
"In no unfriendly spirit, I hope."
"Oh, no. Not only are they bitter against the tetrarch, but they are also ardent admirers of yours, although in the beginning they were pledged to Herod. But speaking of him," Martha rambled on, "he seems to be losing followers every day since you denounced him so courageously. What will he do? Of course you can- not answer, for he doesn't know him- self, though he can hardly allow such a rebuke to pass unnoticed. Father says if the tetrarch dared he would resort to Herod the Great's favorite tactic, violence, and at once avenge the affront and rid himself of a troublesome opponent."
Ruth was so startled by her friend's suggestion that she did not attempt to conceal her alarm. Martha patted her arm reassuringly. "Don't be dis- turbed. I'm sure Herod will not dare molest your friend."
Then the desire to tease again took possession of her. "But another ad- mirer of yours, Zebulon, is on the side of the tetrarch. Have you cast him off?"
"Martha, you almost offend me. I have not cast Zebulon off, for at no time have I given him the slightest encouragement. You well know I have often been really afraid of him."
The visitor embraced her friend warmly. "Now don't be angry, Ruth. You should have learned long since that I love to see your eyes flash at my senseless teasing."
Ruth was somewhat mollified. "Of course what you say about David's safety surprises and disturbs me."
"Have no fear because of my fool- ish words," said Martha. "There is a vast difference between beheading a poor prisoner whose only followers are among the rabble, and harming one of influence whose friends can- not be awed by anyone less powerful than Caesar."
Martha proceeded to say that the timorous Herod was disturbed because of the execution of John and its effect upon the populace. Also, having heard of some marvelous works done by one who had recently come among them, Herod feared that his victim (Continued on following page) APRIL 1957
our "GOLDEN ANNIVERSARY"
Is Your "GOLDEN" Opportunity
to do something about that new organ you need
in your church (or home).
the HAMMOND ORGAN
The Only ELECTRIC Organ
offers "GOLDEN" savings over a long period of years in first
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replacement of other important furnishings.
Make an unprejudiced investigation of the HAMMOND and know how much more you get for the "GOLD" you spend.
Visit with us during Conference or send to us for full particulars.
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May 18-27 (May 18-31 only $29.95 more)
- ALL THIS INCLUDED -
• United Airlines Round Trip L. A. -Honolulu
• Hotel • Circle Island Tour • Mr. Tanta- lus Tour • Luau-hukilau Festival • Mor- mon Temple • Lei Reception • Special LDS Entertainment • Some Meals • Limousine Service to and from Honolulu Airport.
WRITE FOR BROCHURE
California Intermountain News
1023 N. Western Ave., Los Angeles 29, Calif. Specifically planned for LDS
Whenever you move- Send your old mailing label to- gether with your new address to
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
50 North Main Street
Salt Lake City 16, Utah
283
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(Continued from preceding page) had risen from the dead. Out of curiosity, her father had carefully in- vestigated the matter.
"And what did he learn?" Ruth asked.
"That such a supposition is absurd,
of course. The men are about the same age, and there is, to be sure, a slight resemblance, which is perfectly natural, for they are said to be re- lated. This new man is a carpenter from Nazareth and really has an un- natural power over the people. He
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A ll of us always have unfinished business. Most of us have unfulfilled obligations. Most of us have things piled far before us that always weigh on us and worry us — things we never quite get to, things we never quite catch up with — things we have agreed to do but haven't done. We worry about assignments we have accepted and about prepara- tion postponed — until we find ourselves facing final dead- lines, having to do in a short time what we should have done a little of each day. Some men may have worn themselves away with overwork. But many men have worn themselves away with worry about work they weren't really working at. There is something in us that somehow seems to suggest that what we neglect today will somehow be easier tomorrow. It is true of students at school: If today's assignment seems too heavy, too difficult to do, it may be postponed for something easier — perhaps for some pleasant pastime — on the un- realistic assumption that we can somehow assimilate a double dose tomorrow. (What is it that makes men suppose that they can more easily do twice tomorrow what they didn't do once today!) Anything we have to do — even the simplest assignment — will weigh on us and worry us until we begin to get at it: the problems there are to work, the pages there areto read, the debts there are to pay — (even the dishes there are to do) — the things there are to repent of: all will worry and wear at us until we have made a start — until we have made the assignment one less instead of one longer — until we have actually done something to begin to get done what there is to do — in short: until we have repented and reversed the process — until we have moved one shovelful, even if there is a mountain that must be moved. The only way to get a job done is to begin to do it. The only way to do our duty is to begin to do it. We can't be comfortable if we're drifting in the wrong direction. To have peace and self-respect, and to lift the weight of worry, we have to repent, we have to reverse the process. Indeed, without the principle of repent- ance, life would be fruitless and frustrating for us all — but blessedly there is no man whose life cannot be improved by repenting. And the best evidence of repentance is to stop doing what we shouldn't do, and to start doing what we should do.
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Spoken Word
P°" FROM TEMPLE SQUARE
PRESENTED OVER KSL AND THE COLUMBIA BROADCASTING
SYSTEM, JANUARY 27, 1957
Copyright 1957
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284
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
has won a great following in Galilee, usually from among the poor and ig- norant classes, and even here in Jeri- cho many believe, because of his magic, that he is a prophet."
"This must be the man about whom Lebanah speaks," David suggested.
"Lebanah? I've heard of him," Martha continued. "Perhaps this is the man. He is fearless. Not long since he was warned that Herod would kill him if he remained in these parts, and he showed his utter disdain by openly calling the tetrarch a fox."
"He must be a prophet," David commented.
"But perhaps not, after all," said Ruth; "everybody knows that Herod is a fox or something worse."
Then Martha's love of teasing again became apparent, and David left hurriedly rather than face more of it.
(To be continued)
The Church Moves On
(Concluded from page 216)
ings were made. This part of the project, under the direction of Bisbop Stanley D. Rees and Recording Arts, required fifty 1,200-foot reels of onc- quarter-inch recording tape. The 331/^ r, p. m. records were made from these tape recordings by Allied Record Manu- facturing Company, Los Angeles, which is managed by Elder Daken K. Broad- head, formerly first counselor in the Pasadena (California) Stake presidency, Each side of these records runs about twenty minutes.
3^ President David O. McKay dedi- W cated the new University of Utah Union, a student center on the campus, at Founders' Day rites.
A new natural arch in southeastern Utah, undiscovered until a few weeks ago, was officially named "George Albert Smith Arch" after the late President of the Church. The arch, as yet unvisited by ground parties, is situated about 25 miles northwest of Monticello and 11 miles southeast of the junction of the Green and Colorado rivers. As closely as can be determined from the air it measures about 160 feet wide at its base and is 75 feet high. Accurate measure- ments will be taken and a name plaque placed on the arch in early April when an expedition of Explorer Scouts and leaders plan a trek to the arch on foot.
APRIL 1957
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"And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.
"He is not here: for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay.
"And go quickly, and tell hts disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth be- fore you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: Lo, I have told you."
—St. Matthew 28:5-7.
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286
How, When, and Why We Tithed
(Concluded from page 248) "The spring of 1900, the Lord sent into our pathway Latter-day Saint elders. After a good canvass of this question with them, my husband de- cided to tithe. Our first tithing was done in April. We placed it away, not knowing where to give it, wait- ing for our Father to tell us. We had broken away from the Protestant churches long ere this and were strug- gling with the mighty question, 'Where is God's house?'
"In July, we had our three little children blessed by the Mormon elders and Mr. C. gave his first tithes. Since we began to tithe last April, our finances have begun to improve, and we have not been without plenty in our larder and money in our pockets and more coming in. We have our ups and downs still, but
now we know our Father will keep us and will give us all we need, as fast as we can assimilate his bless- ings.
"Tithing is a blessing, and I do not see how we ever got along before without it. Now there is no worry when things get low. We know, God knows we are trying to do our duty, and he always provides more."
I may state that since hearing the above, Mr. C. and his wife have been baptized, and a letter from her today informs me that if it had not been for adversity overtaking them, they would never have received the won- drous blessing of the gospel, and they can see the hand of God through it all! They are prospering now, and her letter concludes: "Tithing has established our faith as no other way could."
Testimony
(Continued from page 228)
If we possess the mind of Christ, we shall obtain the principles and truths of Christ. Being perfect, Christ had access to all truth. What he taught was truth and the power of God unto salvation. Truth is given to us in proportion to our perfectness. For this reason, we are all counseled to perfect ourselves through the gospel plan of the Redeemer and Savior of the world, that wisdom may always be ours to enjoy.
The wisdom of God — the wisdom of men . . . which transcends the other? Whom should we follow? Which bestows the greatest gifts and blessings?
Paul, the gifted and dynamic serv- ant of Christ, witnessed to the Corinthians:
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God.
For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.
For the Jews require a sign, and the Greeks seek wisdom:
But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness;
Because the foolishness of God is wiser than men; and the weakness of God is stronger than men.
That no flesh should glory in his presence. (I Cor. 1:18, 21-23, 25, 29.)
Now, the created cannot be greater than the Creator! God said, in sub- stance, to Abraham, "I am the greatest of all the intelligences which I have created." Can that fact be questioned or denied?
The Prophet Nephi, the son of Lehi, understood the foolishness of men, for he said:
And wo unto them that seek deep to hide their counsel from the Lord! And their works are in the dark; and they say: Who seeth us, and who knoweth us? And they also say: Surely, your turning of things upside down shall be esteemed as the potter's clay. But behold, I will show unto them, saith the Lord of Hosts, that I know all their works. For shall the work say of him that made it, he made me not? Or shall the thing framed say of him that framed it, he had no understanding? (2 Nephi 27:27.)
The Lord revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith this glorious truth for the enlightenment and understanding of all men:
For the word of the Lord is truth, and whatsoever is truth is light, and whatsoever is light is Spirit, even the Spirit of Jesus Christ.
And the Spirit giveth light to every man . . . through the world, that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit. "
And every one that hearkeneth to the voice of the Spirit cometh unto God, even the Father. (D & C 84:45-47.)
God, then, is the source of all knowledge and wisdom, for the Spirit
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
is to enlighten every man through the world that will hearken to the voice of the Spirit. Such an one comes to God, the very Eternal Father of all. In fulfilling the ideal life for eternal joys you cannot substitute the wis- dom nor the philosophies of men for the gospel and the infinite wisdom of God. The Savior in his glorious Sermon on the Mount called atten- tion to the physical and temporal things sought after by the gentiles, then reminded his disciples that their Heavenly Father knew the things they had need of and counseled:
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you. (Matt. 6:33.)
Eighty Years Service to Our lord
(Concluded from page 225) the Lord. More recently, until the erection of the Los Angeles Temple, it served (with the Arizona Temple at Mesa) the members in California who desired to enter a temple and be blessed thereby. It is also a haven for elderly folk, who desire to do temple work during the mild St. George winters. Yes, the future is bright for this grand old building.
Airline pilots use it as a never- failing landmark. The six-acre tem- ple grounds are a tourist must in southern Utah.
Who would place a price on the original cost of this temple? Those who would, must remember that it was built in a day when a man would work all day for a neighbor to receive a jug of molasses which he could barter for his needs. And much of the labor on the St. George Temple was freely given by individuals and communities. Nevertheless, it is thought that one million dollars is a good construction cost estimate. The building has been renovated several times.
THE AWAKENING
By Beulah Huish Sadleir
What deep desire to clothe the soul
In raiment that is pure! Some truths come late To be appraised —
Like minute diamonds after April rain And late September's wordless eloquence In clouds.
APRIL 1957
mid-term classes
Spring Quarter mid-term enrollment starts Monday, April 22
There's still time to start your training at LDS Business College where individualized instruction, modern office equipment and latest professional methods are combined to give highest market value for business skills.
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Subscribers who wish to bind the 1956
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THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
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Please enclose a three-cent stamp.
287
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YOUR PAGE
Jo Ann Barrett
Marilyn Miller
Dear Editors:
Two young girls from the Malta Ward, Raft River Stake, have achieved five years of perfect attendance at Mutual, Sacrament meeting, and Sunday School.
Marilyn Miller, daughter of President and Mrs. E. S. Miller of Malta, Idaho, is twenty years of age. She has served as Primary organist of the Albion Ward, Raft River Stake; organist of the Sunday School; and secretary of YWMIA of the Malta Ward, Raft River Stake. She has attended one year of school at Ricks College and at present is employed at the LDS Church offices in Salt Lake City.
JoAnn Barrett, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Barrett, of Malta, Idaho, is eighteen years of age. She has been a teacher in Primary and also served as secretary for the YWMIA of the Malta Ward. JoAnn is now attending school at Brigham Young University.
Mrs. Clara Beyler President, YWMIA, Malta Ward, Raft River Stake
FOOTNOTE ON THE SPANISH TRANSLATOR OF THE BOOK OF MORMON
fter the publication of K. E. Duke's story on Meliton Gonzalez Trejo on page 714 of the October 1956 issue of The Improve- ment Era, Mrs. A. L. Reese and Mrs. Garr Hovey of Logan, Utah, of the family of James Z. Stewart, called to our attention informa- tion the Era editors had overlooked, indicating that Elder Stewart worked on the translation of the Book of Mormon into Spanish.
Andrew Jenson, in his Latter-day Saint Biographical Encyclo- pedia, volume 1, page 417, records:
"In the fall of 1883 Apostle Moses Thatcher was instructed to have the Book of Mormon translated into the Spanish language; the responsibility of the work was placed upon Elder Stewart, and he was told by Apostle Thatcher that he would hold him personally responsible for the accuracy and general character of the translation. The translation was made during the winter by him and Elder Meliton G. Trejo."
Daniel W. Jones, in his Forty Years Among the Indians, pages 224-225, quotes a letter he received from Brigham Young, dated June 1, 1875, authorizing Elder Jones to solicit funds to be applied toward the support of Brother Trejo while he was translating the Book of Mormon and other material into the Spanish language; the collected funds would also be used to defray the cost of pub- lishing the works. There follows a long list of persons who con- tributed money to Elder Jones for this purpose. And there is an indication that Elder Jones, working with Elder Trejo, might have done some of the translating himself. The .Brigham Young letter cited concludes that Elder Trejo's translations ". . . are desired to be done by November next [1875]." This was not accomplished.
The title page of the first edition of the Spanish translation of the Book of Mormon which came from the press in 1886 reads: "Translated into Spanish under the direction of Apostle Moses Thatcher by Meliton G. Trejo and James Z. Stewart."
MIAMI SECOND BRANCH PRESENTS PLAY
D
oyle Green's Christmas story in the December Era was such a fresh approach to this often-told episode that we felt you should know how very well received it was by the members and non- members who attended this presentation.
Prepared and co-ordinated by Millie Cheesman with appropriate Christmas music, it was presented with a beautiful tableau by a small branch in the mission field. With branch president Paul R. Cheesman reading Doyle Green's fitting and beautifully direct story of Mary and the birth of Jesus, a twenty-four voice choir sang
in semi-darkness, as soft lights illuminated the scenes depicting Mary's visitation by the angel, Joseph telling of his vision, and last of all the manger scene.
We felt this presentation might be of particular interest because 50 percent of the chorus is made up of LDS Air Force men and their wives stationed in Homestead, Florida. The conductor was Art Peterson, a talented musician who received his master's degree from the University of Utah.
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288
AND OURS
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA
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NUMBER 4 OF A SERIES: "SHARING THE GOOD THINGS OF LIFE'
HAPPY FAMILIES^ DO THINGS TOGETHER
"Now watch the birdie" . . . click . . . and we have a portrait of our happy Beneficial family— we hope! With Jimmy making rabbit ears behind Dad's back, and Susie squirming on his lap, we're not at all sure how this picture will turn out.
But you can be sure how a picture of your fam- ily will turn out ten, twenty, or even thirty years from now. It's bound to be a pleasant picture, free
from financial problems . . . if you have a "Planned Future" for your family. What's a "Planned Future?" Your friendly Beneficial Life agent will be more than happy to explain it to you . . . with no obligation whatever. Why wait longer? Give him- a call soon, or write for free folder, "Planned Futures."
BENEFICIAL LIFE
David O. McKay, Pres.
Salt Lake City, Utah