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OCTOBER, 1941
VOLUME 44 NUMBER 10 RETURN POSTAGE SUMTAJJTEED SALT LAKE CITY, U
I
Picking asparagus is a race with the sun on Jack Klein's ranches. Each field must be picked daily during harvest period because — believe it or not ! — the grass grows as much as 6 inches in 24 hours of warm weather. "What's even more amazing is that stalks keep on growing up to 2 inches more even after they're in crates and on their way to market. As you can see in my photo above, the pickers use a special cutting tool which slices the stalks 3 or 4 inches underground. Asparagus for shipping fresh is cut about 9 inches long; canning asparagus about 7 inches
Why America is eating
more "grass"
TO UTAH FARMERS
A SPARAGUS was "grass" to everyone I met with in x\ the fertile Delta lands of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Rivers. Here in this "land of dikes," near Stockton, Jack Klein started planting asparagus in 1930. Now he operates 3500 acres of asparagus — often ships 5000 35-pound crates of fresh "grass" daily. Mr. Klein is a director of the California Asparagus Asso- ciation, a farm cooperative that acts as a service or- ganization for the industry ; and a farmer-representative on the Asparagus Prorate Board.
"I gambled my future on San Joaquin River grass," Jack Klein told me, "and I started in tough times. By 1932 the price of canning asparagus was V>fai a pound — way under my production cost. Finally we asparagus growers got a State Prorate Law plus a State Market- ing Order which eliminated all #2 asparagus from can- ning. The Prorate provided for the size of the pack of #1 grass. Then in 1939 Safeway began buying direct from the growers here and expanding our distribution.
"The trouble had been that grass was being sent only to the big terminal markets such as San Francisco, New York, Chicago, Boston and Philadelphia. Smaller mar- kets got only small lots by express, and at high cost. Naturally we growers suffered because our fresh grass usually brings a lot more per pound than canning aspar- agus. Safeway shipped the first straight car of asparagus ever shipped from this area to such markets as Dallas and Oklahoma City.
"I've checked market returns carefully and I know the fresh grass market has been increasing every season since 1939. That's due to better distribution through such chain stores as Safeway. Canned asparagus, too, is in better shape today because Safeway has helped us get a bigger market."
YOUR SAFEWAY FARM REPORTER
\\ the packing shed I saw asparagus washed, graded, and packed tightly into crates. "We don't bunch and tie any more," Jack Klein told me. "These operations are expensive and bunching tends to limit consumer buying. When dealers break bunches, as they often do, the cost of bunching is wasted anyway. There's a definite swing on now to what's known as the loose, heavy pack — the kind we're using here. Safeway likes the loose pack as it means a saving for their customers. You see, only 30 pounds of bunched grass are packed in a crate — 12 bunches of iy2 pounds each. The loose pack weighs around 35 pounds and costs no more"
"All during the fresh grass harvest sea- son," Jack Klein told me, "Safeway keeps a buyer right here in the Delta lands. He buys daily in carload lots, and sends the grass off to Safeway stores so customers get it fresh. Last year Safeway bought about 100,000 crates from me. We ship fresh grass as long as the market is good, starting in February. Usually by April first the canning season has started. We keep picking until about the middle of June, when the canneries shut down." About 98% of all the white asparagus canned in this country comes from these Delta lands. Asparagus is green when grown in the open field — white when shut away from the sunlight by mounds of soil
By FRANKLIN S. HARRIS, JR.
Plants recovering from certain virus diseases have been found to have acquired an immunity.
4
V^east cells dying of mechanical in- jury release a substance which helps their surviving neighbors to grow and multiply at a faster rate. 4
At various times and places the foot ** has represented lengths varying from eleven to fourteen inches.
'T'he surface area of the lungs has been estimated to be nearly two thou- sand square feet, that of the intestines fifty square feet and the area of the red corpuscles of the blood to be nearly three-quarters of an acre. >
'^TThen England was expecting inva- vv sion by Spain in the pre-armada years of 1585 and 1586, propagandist poetry was written to combat "fifth- column" activities centering around Mary, Queen of Scots. A series of sixteen-page pamphlets of Latin poetry were issued by the Oxford University Press to sustain national morale by their wide distribution.
4 — —
HThe sea level on the Australian side of the equatorial belt is two feet higher than the American side of the Pacific Ocean. This gives rise to an eastward current along the equator of two knots instead of the seven knots it would go if there were no friction. 4
A ncient and modern solutions to the ** problem of stopping itching insect bites have been found effective. Car- bon tetrachloride, and, even better, chloroform are very effective. The ancient Egyptians found relief with onion juice and salt, or garlic and salt. ^
Tn 1939, over two million Bibles were ■* published in the United States, over a million New Testaments published separately, and over three million ad- ditional volumes consisting of parts of the Bible. The total of all kinds of books published numbered one hun- dred eighty million, of which school text-books contributed seventy-three million, fiction thirteen million, and scientific and technological three and a half-million volumes.
/^ATS and dogs hear best at a higher sound frequency than man, and they can hear higher notes, but a rat can hear higher still.
(Concluded on page 580)
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/MmprouemenMira
"The Glory of God is Intelligence"
OCTOBER, 1941
VOLUME 44
NUMBER 10
"THE VOICE OF THE CHURCH"
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE PRIESTHOOD QUORUMS, MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATIONS, DEPART- MENT OF EDUCATION, MUSIC COMMITTEE, WARD TEACHERS, AND OTHER AGENCIES OF THE CHURCH OF JESUS CHRIST OF LATTER-DAY SAINTS.
Heber J. Grant, John A. Widtsoe,
Editors Richard L. Evans,
Managing Editor Marba C. Josephson,
Associate Editor
George Q. Morris, General Mgr. Lucy G. Cannon, .Associate Mgr. J. K. Orton, Business Mgr.
JobJjL d^ ConismiA.
Response
.Heber J. Grant 585
(fkuAck. JsxrfWlBA,
The Doctrine and Covenants
Mormonism and an Ideal Society
Cycle
Thou Shalt Have Long Life
Evidences and Reconciliations — Religion?
The Salt Lake Tabernacle Choir at the Hollywood Bowl, Verna M. Phillips 581
Brigham Young Said, Compiled By Heber Q. Hale 582
Visit to Mt. Pisgah, Leo J. Muir 597
Brevities, Albert L. Zobell, Jr 600
Church Moves On 602
Regimental Committee, A. H. Lee 606
Priesthood: Melchizedek 616
You Can Say No in Camp, Too.
The Story of the Telescope
Saga of the Handcart Pioneers..
Exploring the Universe, Frank- lin S. Harris, Jr 577
"I Should Worry," Jack Sears..579
Telefacts 580
Cast Not the Old Aside, Pearl Spencer 583
Chiapas Ruins, Charles E. Dib- ble 599
Ten Commandments for Teach- ers, Hector Lee 599
Looking Back at Ancient Amer-
fidtttfriolA,
John W. Fitzgerald 586
Eldin Ricks 588
C. Peacock 590
LeRoi C. Snow 592
XLIL What is a Liberal John A. Widtsoe 609
Aaronic 619
Ward Teaching _..621
No Tobacco-Liquor
591, 616, 620, 621
Genealogy: A Genealogical "Crusade" in the Northern States Mission, Leo J. Muir....622
Music 623
Department of Education 624
Mutual Messages: Executives. 625
M Men-Gleaners 626
Explorers 627
Field Photos 625, 626, 627
...Nettie Allen Thomas 591
Winifred Heath 594
John Sherman Walker 595
ica, William and Dewey
Farnsworth - 600
Peaceful Cumorah 606
On the Book Rack ..607
Homing: "So You're My Son,"
Theodore R. Martin 610
Cooks' Corner, Barbara B.
Burnett 61 1
Handy Hints 612
Gustaf Adolf Male Chorus... 628
Index to Advertisers 636
Your Page and Ours 640
Conference Announcements 608
The Dangerous Slumber of Indifference, Richard L. Evans.... 608
SiOiiSA., (pJDSdAl^, (?A0A&IV(flcL (pjUjjliL
Justice James P. Sharp 589
"The Mother of Grass Valley" Reed Brown 596
Tangible Payment George Petrick 598
Frontispiece: The Sun Leans Desert Graces, Gertrude P.
Southward, Edna S. Dustin....584 Stanton 632
Poetry Page 601 Scriptural Crossword Puzzle 638
J/UL fov&A.
This welcome sign on Temple Square speaks its message to the members of the Church and to the stranger who comes among us — at times of conference, and throughout the year. The photograph is by Jeano Orlando.
578
(bo I^DIL JilWW-
What will help you to achieve suc- cess? 579
What the world's largest airplane weighs? 580
How to determine what sin is? 582
Why we should follow the inspira- tion of our leaders? 585
How the Doctrine and Covenants came to its present form? 586
What draftees think about drink- ing in camps? 591
How President Lorenzo Snow was saved from drowning? 593
Who are conceded to be the most courageous emigrants of all time? 595
Who settled Koosharem? -596
Where Mt. Pisgah is, and for what noted? 597
What new stake was recently cre- ated? 602
When the dates for October con- ference are? 608
Whether or not your religion is liberal? 609
What new chapels have been dedi- cated? 603
EXECUTIVE AND EDITORIAL OFFICES:
50 North Main Street, Salt Lake City, Utah. Copyright 1941, by Mutual Funds. Inc., a Cor- poration of the Young Men's Mutual Improve- ment Association of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. All rights reserved. Sub- scription price, $2.00 a year, in advance: 20c single copy.
Entered at the Post Office, Salt Lake City, Utah, as second-class matter. Acceptance for mailing at special rate of postage provided for in section 1103, Act of October. 1917, authorized July 2, 1918.
The Improvement Era is not responsible for unsolicited manuscripts, but welcomes con- tributions. All manuscripts must be accompanied by sufficient postage for delivery and return.
NATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES
Francis M. Mayo, Salt Lake City Edward S. Townsend, San Francisco
MEMBER OF THE AUDIT BUREAU OF CIRCULATIONS
A MAGAZINE FOR EVERY MEMBER OF THE FAMILY
//,
//
'9 Should Wovuf
By JACK SEARS
A big mercantile house had taken over the stock of a merchant who was quitting business. The man- ager of the firm put two clean, vigorous young men to work taking inventory of the stock before moving it to head- quarters. The manager left these in- structions, "You young men are to work until six p. m., and when you leave, put out the lights, lock the doors, and report at eight a. m. tomorrow morn- ing. When you have finished with the inventory, bring it to me at my office."
At nine o'clock the same evening, the manager, in passing the store of newly - ac- quired stock, saw the lights burn-
THE CITIES ARE FULL OF DISSATIS- FIED MEN.
ing, and investigated. Imagine his surprise when he entered the store to find those two men perched high upon a ladder still taking inventory. "Well, boys," said he, "have you had your dinner? Why are you working so late?"
"Well," answered one of them, "we knew you were very anxious to get this stock away from here as soon as pos- sible; we heard you say that you did not wish to pay another month's rent on this building."
"You boys are made of the right stuff. I am convinced you will develop into splendid and trustworthy business men — the kind of men we are looking for. Your reward for these few freely contributed hours of overtime will be a permanent position at the big store. When you have finished this check-up, go up to the store and tell Mr. Hyrum I said you were to be put on as regular employees in the best positions possible. If you ever wish to consult me in regard to business or personal matters come to my office, for you will always be wel- come and I will take a keen interest in you both! Now come down and let me shake hands with you — let me congratu- late you and wish you success."
Those few hours of overtime put these two young fellows into good positions that became bigger and better as the years rolled by- — positions of dignity and leadership which lasted for nearly half a century.
Just a few days ago I stepped into an elevator in a modern building. The operator was a man of very indifferent attitude. Next to him was a boy about sixteen years old. He was a messenger, boy, clean and cocky, and in his arms was a bundle of neatly addressed en- velopes.
From the messenger boy: "What! me hurry? — I should worry. I can take as long as I want to for this job deliver- ing these envelopes. I am getting paid by the hour, not by the job."
From the elevator chin-chinner : "You're right, kid! Don't ever do any more work than you have to to get by. You will get further that way, I'm tell- ing you, and you will live a lot longer."
W*-' ^^8 cert* a»»8,W ^
„_locfte4. B0 " .very «^case pjAvW"*
Ae same W1!" „eteatt •,WWaSr^^^^eve^d *»* iot *[««H»-***£ to m*e
tfth ousted That's cert* ^ %,1» ^
Co*°C that every *** ^tX«*
quart or h oly.
579
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
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TEIEFACT
DIVISION OF NATIONAL INCOME
EMPLOYEES
I INVESTORS AND OTHER PROPERTY HOLDERS
1920
1929
1933
1940
®®®#®e@*#®####
Each due represent* 5 billion dollars
SCIENCE SERVICE-PUBLIC AFFAIRS COMMITTEE, INC. CHART 8-1?
Exploring the Universe
(Concluded from page 577)
^TPhe world's largest airplane, the A Douglas B-19 which is now making test flights, is so large that it takes eleven thousand gallons of gasoline to fill its tanks, about the amount carried by a standard railway tank car. It took three million rivets and two million man-hours in engineering, research, and shop time, for a period of four years. The total load capacity is twenty-eight tons.
A wingspread of over a foot is at- *r tained by the Thysania moth of Guatemala.
HP he ability of camels to go without water has been much exaggerated. William Beebe tells what camels can do. He says a full-grown camel can drink fifteen gallons to start with and carry, at thirty miles a day for three or four days, a load of four to six hundred pounds. The limit, with lesser speed and distance, is a load of about thirteen
hundred pounds for six to as much as ten waterless days.
4
A man with almost no clothes on and ■** with plenty of water to drink can maintain a normal body temperature in perfectly dry air at a temperature as high as two hundred and fifty degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature is above the boiling point of water and above the point where meat will cook. 4
/^ertain bats, common in France dur- ^ ing the summer, are not to be found in the winter, even in caves. In the cold season they go to Japan.
4 :
T3 ees can carry loads of honey or thick syrup up to one hundred or one hundred and twenty percent of their own weight.
4
At between twenty and thirty thou- ■^ sand feet altitude it becomes im- possible for the average person to whistle due to the decreased density of the air.
TELEFACT
WE LIVE LONGER
EXPECTATION OF LIFE AT BIRTH
1789
1911
1930
1940
62.9 YEARS
SCIENCE SERVICE-PICTOGRAPH CORPORATION 8-21
380
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
JhsL Salt 3kdvL JabsuwadsL QImVl. at ituL 3iollspvDOjcL (BdjluJL
By Vetna M. Phillips, Pomona, California
HThe Hollywood Bowl on the evening of August 20 was indeed a most appropriate setting for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to sing their praises of God.
As we sat there listening under the stars to the beautiful voices of the choir coming up to us from below I couldn't help but feel that He was very near in the heavens above.
I do not know how many of our Southern California Mormons attended, but it seemed they were all there, and many more who listen to the Sunday morning radio program.
Wagner's "Hail Bright Abode" as the opening chorus was most fitting for this particular setting; then as the third num- ber, "Mountains," was sung, the hills surrounding the Bowl seemed to echo their appreciation.
I wish it were possible to express the feeling that came with the rendition of the five Mormon hymns: "Come, Come, Ye Saints," that stirring song of courage that thrills one to the heart when hearing it; "Lord Thou Wilt Hear Me," a song of supplication and prayer so beautiful that I am sure it was heard in the heavens which seemed so near as we sat there; "The Morning Breaks," the glorious Mormon song where our lovely tenor voices come out so sweetly; "Though Deepening Trials," which to all Mormons in their days of tribulations has been such a source of strength that I couldn't help feeling in the days that are ahead of us it will be again a comfort, for it is our songs that carry us through. The last of this group, "Oh My Father," never fails to please.
I am sure that the Saints as they sat listening felt as I did that they could hardly restrain themselves from sing- ing these five songs with the choir. What a chorus that would have been!
Many times have I listened to the singing of those five songs but never have they seemed so beautiful as that evening under the stars in the Holly- wood Bowl.
"The Hallelujah Chorus" from Han- del's Messiah and "The Star Spangled Banner" as the grand finale were re- ceived with great applause.
The peaceful voice of Richard Evans seemed as if it were Sunday morning — ■ then all too soon it was over and we began our descent down the hillside with the crowd that moved as a river, so congested that it seemed for a while it would be impossible to reach our cars.
I am sure everyone there returned to their homes with the truly refreshed spirit that only our Mormon hymns can give.
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581
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
"OnsL'Siudsivd" Classes
ANYWHERE-ANYTIME
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ture, B. Y. U. offers "one- student" classes. These Home Study courses may be undertaken anywhere, at anytime.
More than 160 courses in 30 departments are avail- able. A catalogue will be sent on request.
Extension Division
BRIGHflm vounG UI1IUERSITV
Provo, Utah
Kil Noxious Weeds at the Roots!
[THIS PULLING NOXIOUS WEED TOPS IS DRUDGERY! AND NEVER SEEMSTOGETI ME ANYWHERE. I'VE BEEN DOING IT FOR. YEARS.
77
I HAVE NO NOXIOUS WEEDS NOW, THANKS TO A MACK AHTI- WEEDGUNANDAFEIVGAL10NS OF CARBON BISULPHIDE USED YEARS AGO.THE COST WAS MOD- ERATE AND TH£J08 WAS EASV.
KILLED JHE WEEDS jATTHE ROOTS.
t
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The "Era Master Index" will help all students to find source ma- terials on Church history, doctrine, biography, and general subjects.
Compiled by Heber Q. Hale
(From his public addresses, as recorded in the Journal of Dis~ courses. The volume and page are indicated after each quo- tation; as also the year in which uttered. )
M
an may propose, but God will dispose.— 13:308 (1870).
If each and every one of us would fervently perform his duty, it would not be necessary to talk quite so loud and quite so long as we do now. — 13:274 (1870).
I am prepared to prove from all the facts that have existed or that now exist in all branches of human affairs, that union is strength, and that division is weakness and confusion. — 13:267 (1870).
We are blessed in having the living oracles in our midst, and in having a standard erected around which we can rally. The Bible is good, and we be- lieve in it more than any other people. The Book of Mormon and the book of Doctrine and Covenants are the word of God, and they contain many precious gems; every line is full of knowledge, intelligence, and truth and is calculated to be a benefit to us; but yet above and far beyond all, we have the living or- acles in our midst to tell us what to do today. A great portion of the scripture we have was the living oracles to the people in the day in which it was given, and it has become scripture because it was given by the inspiration of the Almighty. It was applicable to the day in which it was given. We have the living oracles in our midst to give us that which is applicable to our day. — 13:28-9 (1869).
Not only does the religion of Jesus Christ make the people acquainted with the things of God and develop within them moral excellence and purity, but it holds out every encouragement and inducement possible for them to in- crease in knowledge and intelligence, in every branch of mechanism and in the arts and sciences; for all wisdom and all the arts and sciences in the world are from God and are designed for the good of His people.— 1 3 : 147 ( 1 869 ) .
In my youth I was called an infidel, and I was an infidel. What to? This Bible? No, to false creeds, and to pro- fessing without possessing. ... I ask the infidel world what they can give in ex- change for the faith I have in Jesus Christ and the religion I believe in and practice.— 13:215, 219 (1870).
Sin or evil is simply that which in- jures some thing or being/ — 13:249
(1870).
582
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
"CoaL TbtiPuL Old OauHsl'
By Pearl Spencer
Faced with the yearning for books whichennoble goodness rather than make it look stodgy and dull, one dips again into some of the good old books with a deep sense of refresh- ment. One of the best of these is Pil- grim's Progress, which has lost none of its dramatic power since Christian first set out for the Celestial City, and on his way encountered Faithful and Talkative, Piety and Prudence, fell into the Slough of Despond, visited Doubt- ing Castle, and viewed the wares of Vanity Fair — even as you and I. And one is struck anew with the realization that, after all, most of the good thoughts and reflections of the world lie buried in these rich old books, in spite of the great number of earnest contemporary philosophers who belabor their favorite idea in blissful ignorance of its ever having been thought before.
One of the great delights of reading in these good old books, therefore, is the thrill of discovering a "modern" idea in a firm old setting. Often so casually that they seem to be careless with their riches or unconscious of their worth, they toss us priceless bits that we can consider and apply as far as our own capacity will permit. Cer- tainly there is hardly a page of PiU
grim's Progress that could not be ex- panded into an essay by anyone intent on digesting it for himself or predigest- ing it for someone else; for example, has the road to loss of faith ever been more thoughtfully and shrewdly pic- tured than in Hopeful's earnest expla- nation to Christian of "the reason of the sudden backsliding of Temporary and Save-self"?
1. Though the consciences of such men are awakened, yet their minds are not changed; therefore, when the power of guilt weareth away, that which provoke th them to be religious ceaseth. So then it comes to pass, that when their guilt and fear is gone, their desires for heaven and happiness die, and they return to their course again.
2. Another reason is, they have slavish fears that do overmaster them; I speak now of fears that they have of men, ("For the fear of men bringeth a snare" ) . So then, though they seem to be hot for heaven so long as the flames of hell are about their ears, yet when that terror is a little over, they be- take themselves to second thoughts; namely, that 'tis good to be wise, and not run the hazard of losing all; or at least, of bring- ing themselves unto unavoidable and un- necessary troubles; and so they fall in with the world again.
3. The shame that attends religion lies also as a block in their way; they are proud and haughty, and religion in their eye is
low and contemptible; therefore when they have lost their sense of hell and wrath to come, they return again to their former course.
4. Guilt, and to meditate terror, are grievous to them. They like not to see their misery before they come into it; though perhaps the sight of it first, if they loved that sight, might make them fly whither the righteous fly and are safe.
And the manner of their going back, Christian says, is in this manner :
1. They draw off their thoughts, all they may, from the remembrance of God, death, and judgment to come.
2. Then they cast off by degrees private duties, as closet-prayer, curbing their lusts, watching, sorrow for sin and the like.
3. Then they shun the company of lively and warm Christians.
4. After that, they grow cold to public duty, as hearing, reading, godly conference, and the like.
5. Then they begin to pick holes, as we say, in the coats of some of the godly; that they may have a seeming color to throw religion (for the sake of some infirmity they have spied in them) behind their backs.
6. Then they begin to adhere to, and associate themselves with, carnal, loose, and wanton men.
7. Then they give way to wanton dis- courses in secret; and glad are they if they can see such things in any that are counted honest, that they the more boldly do it through their example.
8. After this they begin to play with little sins, openly.
9. And then, being hardened, they show themselves as they are and everlastingly perish in their own deceiving.
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C^FTTIMES OUR BRETHREN IN POSITIONS OF RESPONSI- BILITY RECEIVE INSPIRATION THAT A CERTAIN THING SHOULD BE DONE, AND IT IS A WISE THING, I HAVE DISCOVERED, TO CARRY IT OUT, AND NOT URGE CONTRARY VIEWS TO THE CALLS AND DIRECTIONS THAT COME TO US FROM THOSE IN AUTHORITY
By PRESIDENT HEBER J. GRANT
T had a very great disappointment in my life by not listening to an inspiration that came once to John Henry Smith, my senior by two years in the quorum of the Twelve Apostles. I was appointed by President Lorenzo Snow to go to the City of Mexico and reopen the Mexican Mission, and it was a very great pleasure to me to have that ap- pointment because my cousin, Anthony W. Ivins, was president of the Mexican colonists of the Juarez Stake of Zion. Also, I had never met Diaz. A great many people looked upon President Diaz as one of the greatest rulers in all the world, con- sidering the conditions under which he had to rule, and I had always had a strong desire to meet him.
When this appointment came I was, therefore, very much delighted, and told President Snow that I was very pleased, but, I said, "Brother Snow, my mother, my wife and my daughters, most of them, are at Pacific Grove. I have been in the Council of the Twelve for nearly twenty years, and I have never taken a holiday, and I would very much ap- preciate it if I could have two or three weeks holiday and go down and celebrate my mother's eightieth birthday. I have arranged to be at Pacific Grove for this occasion and when I return, I will go to the City of Mexico."
President Snow replied, "That will be all right, Brother Grant; you are perfectly welcome to that holiday."
After the meeting in the temple, Brother John Henry said, "Heber, I have an impression that you should not go and celebrate your mother's eightieth birthday. He continued, "If you do go to California you will never have the privilege of seeing Diaz, and you will not have the privilege of opening that mis- sion for the preaching of the Gospel to that nation."
I asked, "Why not?" and he replied, "If you go to California, you will not have that privilege."
I said, "Well now, Brother John, if you think
you are going to frighten me from having a pleasant, delightful visit with my mother and the first holiday I have had in nineteen years, you are mistaken."
He said, "All right, you will never see Diaz, and I'll have to go and open the Mexican Mission. Of course, I've seen Diaz two or three times, but I'll be glad to see him again."
The day after I returned home from California I was called to go to Japan to open the mission there, and President Snow said to me, "Now, Brother Grant, you are engaged in many different businesses, and we will give you a whole year to arrange your affairs before you start on this mis- sion, if you need it. If you can get ready in four, five, or six months, do so; but do not hurry; get out of your various business obligations as best you can, without too much sacrifice, and then go on your mission."
In response to these instructions, I said: "The first thing I want to do is to go down to the city of Mexico with my cousin and organize that mission."
President Snow replied, "There is no need of your doing that; there are plenty of men who can do that as well as you, and we will send somebody else.
"But," I said, "I want to do it." And then Pres- ident Snow without hesitation replied, "Oh, that doesn't make any difference; we will appoint some- one else — whom shall we appoint?" He looked around and said, "John Henry, you go and do that." And when John Henry returned from filling my appointment in Mexico, he told me that he had had a very wonderful visit with Diaz.
Ofttimes our brethren in positions of responsi- bility receive inspiration that a certain thing should be done, and it is a wise thing, I have discovered, to carry it out, and not urge contrary views to the calls and directions that come to us from those in authority.
585
jhsL DOCTRINE w COVENANTS
An abbreviated account of its various editions and of the sections which make up the contents of the "Book of Commandments."
By JOHN W. FITZGERALD
Director, L. D. S. Seminary, St. Johns, Arizona
The foundation upon which the Church is built, the rock upon which it stands and the reason for its progress, is discovered in the principle of continuous revelation.
Broadly speaking, this principle is also the basis of science. All men, some unknowingly, live constantly by this everlasting principle. It is the method used by the Lord to en- lighten any person, no matter what field of knowledge he may be un- covering. For that is the meaning of the word: "to uncover that which is hidden."1 Whether it is to re- discover or restore something that was known at some previous time or to bring forth a new truth, the prin- ciple of revelation is the same.
However, nothing is revealed in its perfection or its fulness to man- kind." Even Jesus "received not of the fulness at first, but continued from grace to grace, until he received a fulness."8
The Lord speaks to men in their own language, after the manner of their understanding, and then gives or reveals to them only as much as they can use. To give less would hinder progress, to give more would promote indolence. Hence men re- ceive "here a little and there a little" as their minds are able to grasp and understand the added knowledge. It must also necessarily be true that the greater the effort of men in any field, religious or otherwise, the greater the fund of information they receive over a period of time. This knowledge may be learned from peo- ple; from books, secular and reli- gious; or with the aid of special instruments like the Urim and Thum- mim. It may also come in the form
1Webster's Dictionary.
2Bcigham Young's Discourses, pp. 60-65.
sDoctrine and Covenants, Section 93:13.
586
TITLE PAGE OF THE 1S33 EDITION OF "A BOOK OF COMMANDMENTS."
of open vision wherein heavenly messengers speak to men face to face; by the voice of such mes- sengers without their actually being seen; or by the Spirit of God acting upon the minds of certain men, who through diligence and obe- dience are able to receive such in- spiration. The principle of divine revelation as a growing, developing influence in the Church and in the world is an everyday fact easily observed.
God sometimes revokes certain commandments or revelations that He has given, especially when men do not obey them.4 Changing con- ditions make it necessary to give new, or add to the existing revelations: In a dynamic, moving society God should and does provide for change; revoking some commandments, add- ing to others, giving new ones, yet keeping unchanged the fundamental precepts of His Church as the foundation upon which to build an eternal edifice.
^Doctrine and Covenants, Section 56:5.
Brief History of The Doctrine and Covenants
Joseph Smith the Prophet received numerous revelations from 1820 until his death in June, 1 844. Some of the revelations were given to cer- tain individuals for their benefit and guidance. Others were for the in- formation of the Church as a whole, or for certain groups of men in the Church making known to them their duties and responsibilities in the new Church.6
Revelations were received when the Aaronic and Melchizedek Priesthood was restored and con- ferred, and the members who re- ceived it were told of their respective duties.
Doctrines of the hereafter and vicarious work for the dead are among other items of knowledge which are contained in the revela- tions received by the Prophet. They contain information for the welfare of the Church and for all men every- where.
The Publication of Latter-day Revelation
HpHE revelations that had been re- ceived by the Prophet up to the year 1833, still in manuscript form, were already known as the Book of Commandments.6
At a special conference held No- vember 1, 1831, at Hiram, Ohio, a preliminary decision was made to print ten thousand copies of A Book of Commandments. During the afternoon of the first day of the con- ference the Preface to the Book of Commandments was "received by inspiration."7
The Elders present at the con- ference testified to the fact that the revelations or commandments "were
BSee Sections 15, 16, 17. 18, 20, 107, Doctrine and Covenants, for examples. "Joseph Smith, History of the Church. Vol. I, p. 225. Vbid.. p. 222 (note).
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
EDITOR'S NOTE
THE Doctrine and Covenants has gone through many editions since it first appeared in print more than one hundred years ago as "A Book of Commandments." When these various editions have appeared, and what textual and mechanical changes have occurred is the subject of a Master's thesis by the author, prepared under the direction of Dr. A. C. Lambert, Brigham Young University, from which work this abbreviated statement on this subject has been made.
given by inspiration of God, and are profitable for all men, and are verily true."8
The Prophet closely reviewed the commandments, and in the last of four special conferences held in Hiram, Ohio, in November, 1831, it was decided that "after deliberate consideration, in consequence of the Book of Revelations, now to be printed, being the foundation of the Church in these last days, and a benefit to the world, showing that the keys of the mysteries of the Kingdom of our Savior are again entrusted to man; and the riches of eternity within the compass of those who are willing to live by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God — therefore the conference voted that they prize the revelations to be worth to the Church the riches of the whole earth, speaking tempor- ally."9
The following spring, April 30 and May 1, 1832, it was decided to print three thousand copies of A Book of Commandments instead of ten thousand. William W. Phelps, Oliver Cowdery, and John Whitmer were appointed "to review and prepare such revelations for the press as shall be deemed proper for pub- lication, and print them as soon as possible at Independence, Mis-
• "10
souri.
Oliver Cowdery was chosen to take the revelations, accompanied by John Whitmer, from Hiram, Ohio, to the land of Zion, Missouri.
The revelations were duly re- viewed and prepared and the print- ing of them began, when on the 20th of July, 1 833, a mob destroyed the press, scattering the papers and other supplies, and threw down the printing establishment itself.11
Just how many copies of A Book of Commandments were saved or how many of the revelations that were to be printed, were printed is
mid., p. 226. Vbid.. p. 235. 10Ibid., p. 270. ^■Ibid.. pp. 390, 393.
not known. It is known that sixty- five chapters or revelations were printed and a few copies of that many printed revelations were saved.
It was not intended that the Book of Commandments should contain all the revelations that had been given up to the year 1833, and, when the press was destroyed, it is doubt- ful that all those selected were printed.
The Prophet was receiving and giving revelations to the Church continually, so that to bring them before the Church and the world in printed form, it was determined in a conference held September 24, 1834, in Kirtland, Ohio, that the said conference "appoint a committee to arrange the items of the doctrine of Jesus Christ, for the government of the Church of the Latter-day Saints. These items are to be taken from the Bible, Book of Mormon, and the revelations which have been given to the Church up to this date, or that shall be given until such arrange- ments are made."12 The committee chosen was "President Joseph Smith, Jun., Oliver Cowdery, Sidney Rig- don, and Frederick G. Williams.' u
"The council then decided that said committee, after arranging and publishing said Book of Covenants, have avails of the same."13
This action of the conference re- sulted in the committee's working on the assignment given it until Au- gust 17, 1835, when at the general assembly of the Priesthood and the Church held in Kirtland the book or manuscript of the book of Doctrine and Covenants was presented for approval. It contained seven Lec-
^Ibid., Vol. II, p. 165. 18lbid., p. 165.
tures on Faith which had been given previously to a class of Elders in Kirtland, Ohio. They were placed in the 1835 edition of the Doctrine and Covenants because "they were judiciously arranged and compiled and were profitable for doctrine."14
One hundred two sections, includ- ing an article on "Marriage" and another on "Of Governments and Laws in General," were also included in the book to be printed.
All the members holding the Priesthood and all other members of the Church attending the confer- ence voted unanimously to have these items in the forthcoming book.
Book of Covenants and Doctrine and Covenants
I
T will be noticed that when some of the revelations were first printed in 1833 the resulting volume was called A Book of Command- ments. In September 1834, the reve- lations or the manuscript of them is labeled Book of Covenants, while the 1835 edition of them is printed Doctrine and Covenants.
In the 1835 edition of the book there are no items included from the Bible or the Book of Mormon al- though both these volumes are men- tioned in the minutes of the confer- ence held September 24, 1834, from which it is said the committee should extract information for inclusion in the Doctrine and Covenants. Why items from the Bible and the Book of Mormon were not used is not definitely known to the present writer. His opinion is that the com- mittee thought it would be better to (Continued on page 630)
uIbid.. p. 244.
TITLE PAGE OF THE 1S35 EDI- TION OF THE "DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS."
587
Nineteen hundred years ago, the Son of God of- fered mankind a plan for an ideal society. It has seemed strange to some that though the nation in which He was born was chafing under Roman tyranny He raised no army to throw off the yoke. Though the government under which He lived was rotten with corruption, He ad- vocated no political reforms, as such. Though at the age of thirty-three the masses acclaimed Him their king and their liberator, He accepted no office. Whatever may have been the ex- pected ways of attempting to remake the world, He seemingly did not follow but concerned Himself in- stead with teaching men and women how to live. With profound insight, He recognized what the world yet must learn — that there can never be an ideal society until there is an ideal people.
In an age when the message of Jesus had been discarded and gross darkness covered the earth, a new dispensation was opened, and, once again the plan was restored in all of its fulness and glory. "Mormonism" — so-called — is that message in the world today, and no better indication do we have of its vitality and power than the fruits it has produced.
It long has been the marvel of the world, how the Latter-day Saints have been able to take people of every nationality, creed, and condi- tion of life and mould them into a cooperative, unified society. With converts from Scandinavia, Britain, France, Germany, North and South America, Joseph Smith, in the eight- een thirties, transformed a swamp in western Illinois into the city of Nauvoo, the largest, most thriving metropolis in the state. When, after the death of the Prophet, the Mor- mon people were forced by jealously angry neighbors to leave their beau- tiful city, their farms, and their homes, to seek refuge somewhere in the West, it is an interesting fact of history that a band of French communists, called Icarians, led by 588
MORMONISM
AND AN
IDEAL SOCIETY
By ELDIN RICKS
Principal, L. D. S. Seminary, Overton, Nevada
one Monsieur Cabet, acquired pos- session of their property and at- tempted an experiment in communal living. Under the most desirable circumstances, in a community made to order, and financed, it is said, by a vast sum of money, a few short years saw their system's collapse. In the meantime, the Mormon peo- ple, faced with well-nigh insuperable obstacles, had conquered a desert, laid the foundations for greater cities than Nauvoo, and had begun the building of a great common- wealth in the midst of the Rockies. It is unlikely that history provides a more vivid comparison between a man-made society, motivated by hu- man aspirations, and a society in- spired by the Gospel of Jesus Christ.1
In 1926, President Franklin S. Harris of Brigham Young Uni- versity visited Japan as an American delegate to a scientific congress, when several of the members of the Church there, learning of his pres- ence, sought opportunity to meet and converse with him. At his invitation a small group boarded a train with him one evening, and, as the train rumbled into the night, ten Japanese and one American discussed until the morning hours the glorious pro- gress of the restored Church of Christ. The fact that they repre- sented different nationalities and traditions mattered not at all. They were brothers in a common cause.
'B. H. Roberts, The Life o[ John Taylor, pp. 225.
THIS was one of the winning state- ments delivered at Brigham Young University during the 1940-41 Heber J. Grant contest for which the author received an inscribed copy of the Book of Mormon from President Grant.
Here is a practical political Gospel that arises before a chaotic world neighborhood of today and points forward to a brotherhood of tomor- row.
iM"ot only has Mormonism demon- strated its power to found suc- cessful communities and to erase so- cial and racial barriers from among men; it has also revealed an excep- tional ability to produce outstanding men and women. Horace Have- myer, head of the United States sugar industry, came to Utah a few years ago to find a Latter-day Saint man to fill a certain responsible posi- tion. When asked why he selected a western man to assume an eastern job, he replied, "There is something about those Mormon boys that makes them especially adaptable to positions of trust and responsibility." Despite the humble beginnings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Lat- ter-day Saints, scarcely more than a century ago, it is a significant fact that "Who's Who" today credits it with a larger number of prominent men and women than any community of like size in America. Though this may seem remarkable, actually it is no more nor less so than the Church itself, for its philosophy permeates the home, influences the rearing of (Continued on page 635)
Justice?
A NOTHER STORY OF THE OVERLAND STAGE
and Orrin Porter Rockwell
I
,N the early days of the West there were few men who did not fear the Indians. Jim Bridger and Porter Rockwell were two such men. They had learned to give the red men the benefit of the doubt.
It took the owners of the Over- land Stage a long time to realize the value of "Port," as he was best known. They finally placed him in charge of affairs west from Salt Lake.
At Fish Springs there was a home station. A short distance away was an Indian camp. One of the drivers known only as "Windy Bill" drove the east run. He seemed to have persistently forced his attentions on a young Indian woman, Phoebe, whose husband, "Dawy-Wunce," invariably carrying a heavy bow and a number of short, thick arrows, had many times escorted him out of the camp on a mighty fast walk. Port heard of those visits and warned Windy to expect trouble unless he kept away from that camp.
The eastbound stage pulled into Fish Springs one summer evening. A lone passenger, a woman, got out, ate her supper and climbed up in the boot with Windy. Most of the men knew her by reputation, for she did considerable traveling along the line. Reports had it that she was capable of taking care of herself un- der any, and all, conditions.
At Simpson Springs the men waited. The stage was over one hour late and not in sight. Some- thing must have happened, for Windy often boasted that the only time he would be late was for his own funeral. Presently they saw it coming, leaving a streak of dust be- hind it.
When it arrived there was a woman driving. She threw the lines to one of the hostlers and said, "Get those crow baits off and get some real horses hitched up. We're late."
She climbed down and entered the cabin for breakfast. Many ques- tions those men asked. She an- swered none. As she sat down, Port sat beside her. He told the cook to help hitch his team up, and when they were alone he said, "My name is Porter Rockwell, in charge of law and order along this line. Do your talking."
By JAMES P. SHARP
She did — she talked freely of the wonderful ride until Windy paid more attention to her than to the horses, when she pulled a revolver from inside her dress and com- manded him to stop the horses while she got inside the coach, where she soon fell asleep. When she awoke the horses had stopped. She called the driver and, getting no answer, got out, gathered up the reins, and here she was.
"Your gun. Let me see it."
He examined it. One empty cham- ber. Taking his handkerchief, and a small stick from the wood box he wiped the barrel out. Yes, just as he thought. Fresh powder stains. He gave it back. Plenty of time to pick her up later.
The stage continued east with a relief driver, while Port, after filling his two canteens with water, headed west. He made good time until he came to the place where she said she had driven from. From there on he drove cautiously, scanning every inch of the ground. Halfway up Dugway Mountain he found the ob- ject of his search. He got down, examined the body, scratched his chin, ran his fingers through his long hair, then turned the body over. Not a drop of blood anywhere. When he had searched the body, he stood up, looked to one side of the road, and walked to a large rock some thirty feet away.
Satisfied with what he saw, he returned. He removed Windy' s guns and personal belongings and began the task of loading what re- mained of Windy in a buckboard, a hard job, even for a big man, which Port was not. He drove up the road a short distance, stopped, thought,
PRESENTLY THEY SAW IT COMING, LEAVING A STREAK OF DUST BE- HIND IT. WHEN IT ARRIVED THERE WAS A WOMAN DRIVING.
rubbed his chin, turned the team around. He drove to the old aban- doned station at Dugway, backed the buckboard up to the dry well, and let Windy's mortal remains find a deep grave more than one hundred feet below.
He resumed his journey. The sun was unmercifully hot. At Black Rock point he saw something out in the desert. Heat waves cause strange sights. Sometimes this ob- ject looked like a long, shimmering pole; at others it resembled a squatty tea kettle. Port was used to these strange sights and marked the spot as he drove on with nothing in sight but desert and heat waves.
He stopped the team and shouted, "Davvy-Wunce. Dawy-Wunce." No answer.
Again, "Davvy-Wunce, it's me, Port Rockwell."
As if from nowhere, an Indian ap- peared. He walked over to the road. Port handed him a canteen of water, for well he knew not one drop of water had passed those parched lips during the last thirty hours. One swallow, and only one, the Indian took, after which he climbed in the seat beside Port. That heavy bow and his short, thick arrows he held tightly all the time. Not another word was spoken until they arrived at the Indian camp, when Port said, "Phoebe is making a pair of gloves for me. Bring em down right away."
W,
hen the men at the station saw Windy's guns they be- gan asking all kinds of questions, But apparently Port was deaf, dumb, and blind. Finally one said, "I just knew that woman would settle ac- ( Concluded on page 633 ) 589
Cycle
We have all heard that history repeats itself. And look- ing back over history we see that through each cycle a few more problems have been solved and the heritage handed down from one age to the next a little better than the one the fathers received. In gen- eral it was the great men of each time who made those improvements pos- sible. That's just where we come in:
Remember how Moses took the people out of Egypt? Other than that they were to be the forefathers of a great people, there was little to distinguish them individually from other ignorant slaves. But they were given a moral code known as the Ten Commandments. They wrested themselves a home in a new land and prepared the way for Christ. He brought with Him the way of life: the standards by which man could, if he would abide by them, live the happiest and most fruitful life. He organized his Church and put it in the hands of leaders of men to be perpetuated. Those "pioneers" did their part. They withstood every physical abuse men of that time could devise. They withstood all this and gave to their followers (let us call them their children ) the greatest heritage man had ever had up until that time. But their children abused that her- itage; their standards became warped, and they lost those ideals so that the Church was taken from the earth. How did they lose those ideals? Through a worship of the material things of life, by making compromises of their standards with the standards of their associates. Here baptism is a good example. "It didn't matter so much," they said. Besides, it was the easier road. Then, when the "powers of force without ethics" came upon them, they sank into the centuries of the Dark Ages.
Since history repeats itself, let us follow through another cycle. The Pilgrim Fathers were oppressed, subject to a form of slavery, mental and religious slavery. They crossed their "Red Sea," but this time it was the Atlantic. Again they wrested a home in a new land, had a religious philosophy. Again the way was prepared for the Lord's Church, this time through Joseph Smith. Again it was handed to able leaders, who were the Pioneers we know. Again were the people of this Church subject to great per- 590
secution, and a true heritage was es- tablished. And today, as when the Visigoths sacked Rome, brute force and power without moral Christian ideals are threatening the world.
Then, the Christians forgot that their heritage was not only something to be proud of but that it also carried with it a great responsi- bility. A responsibility which, in my opinion, was one for setting ex- amples and providing leadership rather than meeting sword with sword. Then, they who had re- ceived this heritage failed and the Dark Ages resulted. Today we have reached the point where the people failed before. Now the Lord has prophesied to our Pioneer parents that this time the Church should not fail and be taken from the earth. He has told them that we would be strong enough to over- come personal temptations and be- come leaders of men, that we would become examples to the world so that others "might see our good works and glorify their Father which
By C. PEACOCK
University Ward, Seattle Stake
is in heaven." This was a prophecy to our fathers, the Pioneers, so that it might give them courage to begin the task. Ours is the even greater responsibility of fulfilling that promise.
HPo my mind, fulfilling that promise is a task in which we should spend every minute of our waking time. Think this over carefully: we are to be the leaders of men. We are to set such an example that throughout all the world the people who are watching our every action will be able to find no fault, will marvel, and will strive to follow our example.
People are watching us. Books about Mormons are becoming very popular. Newsreels are made. Stories are told in picture magazines, literary magazines. Eyes are being turned toward us, friendly but crit- ical eyes, and we must set the ex- amples and provide the leadership.
This example-setting is a very real thing. It means for you, the house-builder, for instance, that you must build a little more sturdily, a little more beautifully, must put a little more care and pains into your work than your neighbors do.
It means for you, the mother, not only that you should instil high moral values in your children, but al- so that you should see to it that they are balanced in all other ways, that they excel mentally in their school lessons and that they excel phys- ically in their school sports. They have the best heritage; the raw ma- terials are in your hands.
We must be engaged today in building a generation of leaders, leaders and example-setters, so that the world may know that we truly have the best way of life. We must not speak of this task boastfully, but rather spend our time putting into practice the plan which has already been outlined for us.
Economically: We have, poten- (Conctuded on page 636)
YOU CAN SAY
By NETTIE ALLEN THOMAS
From "The Allied Youth"
NO
g in
:nard
about drinking camp?" I asked Ric on his third week end at home. . . .
"There's lots of it," he said, "not ac- tually in camp, except for beer, but in F , which is wide open."
"Are most of the boys drinking . . . more or less?" I wanted to know.
Richard said he thought not, at least in the part of the great camp that had been his home since February.
"You see," he explained, in the slow, tolerant way that had won popularity in high school for the boy and his high personal standards, "they don't give a fellow much opportunity to make choices in the army. When the bugle sounds in the morning, it's no use say- ing you don't want to get up. You get up. And when the order is to drill, you may not like marching in the hot sun, but you wouldn't try saying "no" more than once. In the mess hall, it's the same thing. You take what is served. But when it comes to drinking . . . well, you can do what you want to about that."
Not all the young men in the camps that are scattered throughout the country will say no to drinking, as Richard does, but nearly all will agree that it's great to be able to make a personal choice in a society that must necessarily be almost wholly regi- mented.
Life without liquor has more advan- tages than the simple novelty of inde- pendent choice, points out this typical one-of-a-million-boys from Uncle Sam's defense army.
"You're free to drink as much as you can afford or carry," Richard said, "while you're out of camp and on your
IN CAMP, TOO
Tn the army, as in industry, the man at the top is con- *- stantly looking for young men who are worthy of promotion. This means a constant training of new ma- terial in higher duties. Any man that demonstrates unusual ability, stamina, or character is at once "spotted" and often given a tryout to determine whether he is worth training. and it is not among the "boozers" that this promising material is sought or found.
Col. GEORGE A. SKINNER, M.D. Medical Corps, U. S. Army, Ret.
(In Signs of the Times.)
own, but you're expected to be in full step with your company next morning, hangover or not . . . and the day's work is apt to be downright torture to the fellow who has had too much the night before."
He mentioned some of the young men he knew who, after one or two experi- ments, found saying no to their asso- ciates less difficult than "taking it" from a top sergeant when the dulled senses of a hangover refused to func- tion smoothly and quickly.
Richard says that one of the most serious drinking problems in his camp is caused by the sale of beer in the cantonments.
"The sort of beer they sell, with low alcohol content," he went on to explain, "is supposed to be non-intoxicating, and I suppose when a fellow drinks one bottle, along with a couple of sub- stantial sandwiches and maybe a slice of pie, there isn't enough alcohol to have any effect. But there are ways of mixing different brands that give them real kick . . . and then, the ca- pacity of some of the men for drinking bottle after bottle seems unlimited."
Young men in camp, says one of them, are very much like young men on a big university campus where there is not the close supervision to which most high school students are accus- tomed.
"The freedom of being on your own, away from the home and family, reacts on lots of boys the way it often does on college freshmen," Richard says. He has had opportunity to judge, for he had just completed his university course when his number in the draft was called.
"There are the same smart-alecks who have to try everything once . . . and some who have to do whatever the crowd does . . . and a good many who have brought drinking habits along with them, and can't perhaps be ex- pected to get rid of these without drastic measures on somebody's part."
HThere are other young men in the A service who have clear-cut ideas about the effects of alcohol.
"Our second lieutenant was a high school football coach," the young man told me, "and he says that if a drinking fellow isn't fit to play on a football team against the team from the next town, ne's even less desirable as a soldier. He can't kick the drinking men out of the company, the way he could drop them from the training squad, but he can and does use his influence toward breaking drinking habits."
The seriousness of training for Amer- ican defense is not lost on the boys from all walks of life who have been called into service, this one young sol- dier believes. News over the radio of military events abroad, as the young defenders of this country get it day after day, is tending to produce a grim- ness that leaves alcoholic beverages among other "foresworn for the dura- tion" products.
The arguments that alcoholic bever- ages makes possible a certain amount of "letting down," or forgetting one's troubles, of catching a moment of false happiness, of feeling like a million, are apt to get increasingly cold reception from young men who are taking their defense duties seriously, and who are beginning to realize to what extent the future of their country depends on their physical fitness and mental alertness.
"Yes," said a tall young soldier on his last evening at home before returning to another period of intensive training in one of the more exacting branches of military service, "you can say no to alcohol in the army . . . and plenty of us are saying it every day. There are lots who drink in the camps . . . just as there are citizens who combine busi- ness with drinking . . . and parents who think abstinence isn't necessary . . . but there's no more pressure on a young fellow to drink at camp than there would be on some university campuses. You can always find plenty who agree with you in leaving liquor alone."
591
THOU SHALT HAVE LONG LIFE
During his long life of nearly eighty-eight years, President Lorenzo Snow narrowly es- caped death many times. From the circumstances surrounding many dramatic narrow escapes it would seem that an evil power was trying to thwart the Patriarch's promises made to Lorenzo Snow when he was but twenty- two years old: "Thou hast a great work to perform in thy day and generation. Thou shalt become a mighty man in the earth. Thou shalt have long life. No power shall be able to take thy life." Surely these were miraculous pre- dictions made to a youth but a few months after his baptism. In the light of subsequent events of his life they could have been given only through divine inspiration.
In this brief article are related, mostly in his own words, two of Lorenzo Snow's experiences — a peri- lous stagecoach trip with a drunken driver through the Sierra Nevada Mountains and his near drowning in the Pacific Ocean.
Tn 1857 [with the coming of Johns- ton's Army to quell the "Utah Re- bellion"] missionaries were called home and the Sandwich Islands mis- sion [now the Hawaiian] was left in charge of a native Elder. During this time, Walter M. Gibson pro- fessed to accept the Gospel, was baptized, and went to the Hawaiian Islands, where he reorganized the Church according to his own scheme; he ordained Apostles, for a stipulated price, and other officers for lesser amounts. When Presi- dent Brigham Young learned of this, it was decided that Apostles Ezra T. Benson and Lorenzo Snow should visit the Islands, and that Elders Joseph F. Smith, Alma Smith, and William W. Guff should accom- pany them.
Lorenzo Snow's journal picks up the narrative:
"We took stage at Salt Lake City March 2, 1864, for San Francisco. Some interesting incidents occurred during our overland trip to California, that seemed to us at the time rather interesting or, at least, a little exciting. .
"At [one] time, having stopped to exchange horses just as night was set- ting in, one of our company remarked that our new driver had quite the air and appearance of an intelligent gen-
592
By LE ROI C. SNOW
LORENZO SNOW AS HE APPEARED IN EARLIER YEARS
a story of two dramatic in- cidents in which a prom- ise was fulfilled in the preservation of the life of Lorenzo Snow.
tleman, and we soon discovered that he possessed a wonderful musical tal- ent, in the exercise of which he elicited our surprise and admiration. It really seemed to me that a sweeter, a more pathetic or melodious voice I had never heard. It is quite possible that the stillness of the night and the wild scenery of nature around us had a ten- dency to enhance the effect and increase our appreciation of melodious accents; whatever it might be, I was charmed, delighted, and felt that I could embrace that man and call him brother.
"Wnether the causes of these varia- tions exist originally in their organiza- tions, or are the result of a life of train- ing, may be a subject for philosophical discussion, but facts definitely prove that some people are made up of op- posite elements, the proof of which one may visibly notice by waiting and ob- serving, as in the case now instanced.
"A sudden lurch of the coach, which was occasioned by a miss-step or awk- ward movement of the horses, wrought a sudden, marvelous change in our entertainer, and instantaneously closed our animated entertainment, while a volley of oaths and the most horrid blasphemies succeeded. As he poured forth his disgusting and heart-sickening profanity, he most furiously lashed the innocent horses.
"At this time we were just com- mencing the descent of a mountain some miles in length; it was quite dark, the road rough and rocky, and it may be readily imagined that our prospects were not the most inviting. Our coach swayed fearfully — the wheels ever and anon striking fire as they whirled over the rocks, with a double span of horses upon a keen run, tossing us up and down, giving us a few hard strokes of the head against the top of the coach.
"At length Elder Benson, in a trem- ulous yet powerful voice, demanded of the driver to moderate his speed, which was responded to by an increased and more furious lashing of the foaming, panting steeds; thus, and more, with a drunken coachman (as we afterwards learned ) , we tore along down the mountain, every moment in jeopardy of being dashed to pieces. At last reaching a station, we were happily relieved from the perilous adventure, On our return we learned that the inebriate had been discharged.
"But one peril over, another comes. The most exciting and dangerous por- tion of our overland route is yet before us, which we encountered in passing over the Sierra Nevada Mountains, Many portions of the road were cov- ered with snow and ice, and ran a long way close beside fearful ravines, hun- dreds of feet in depth. One sitting in the coach, by inclining the head a little to one side, could gaze down into the vast depths below, conscious that the wheels of the vehicle were often within a few inches of the terrible gulf; con- sequently, the slipping of the wheels, the least blunder of a horse, or a strap or buckle giving way, or the least care- lessness of the driver, would plunge the whole outfit over the rocky crags into the abyss below. The danger was in- creased by the ice and snow, and the sudden, abrupt turns in the road. When we approached very slippery places, where the road frequently was barely of a sufficient width for the coach to pass between the high, sharp rocks on one side and the frightful chasm on the other, the driver in guarding against catastrophies, would put his two spans on their utmost speed.
"Hour after hour, as we thus moved on, particular points in the road were pointed out to us, where coaches had whirled down precipices and every occupant had been killed. These nerve- stirring recitals caused us more seri- ously to realize the gravity of our situ- ation and our dependence on God for the preservation of our lives; and we truly felt grateful for our deliverance. and, breathing more freely, felt our pulses restored to their normal state as we dismounted from the coach at the
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
western base of the Sierra Nevada Mountains.
"On our arrival in San Francisco we were kindly entertained by Elder Eveleth, whose hospitable house was our home during our short stay, while making arrangements for our passage by steamer for the point of our destina- tion. Brother Eveleth's kindness and hospitality to the latter-day mission- aries traveling to and from Salt Lake is proverbial; and although called to a higher and broader sphere, he lives in the grateful, affectionate remembrances of those who knew him."
The following is from the nar- rative of Elder W. W. Cluff:
"We arrived in Honolulu, the capital of the islands, about the 27th of March, 1864. On the 29th we sailed for Lahaina, on the schooner Nettie Mer- rill, Captain Fisher, for the island of Maui, a distance of about ninety miles from Honolulu. On the morning of the 31st of March, we came to anchor about one mile from the mouth of the little harbor of Lahaina.
"Apostles Ezra T. Benson and Lorenzo Snow and Brother Alma L. Smith and myself got into the small boat to go on shore. Brother Joseph F. Smith, as he afterwards stated, had some misgivings about going in that boat, but the manifestation was not sufficiently strong to indicate any gen- eral accident. He preferred to remain on board the vessel until the boat re- turned. The boat started for the shore. It contained some barrels and boxes, the captain, a white man, two or three native passengers, and the boat's crew, who were also natives. The entrance to the harbor is a very narrow passage between coral reefs, and when the sea is rough, it is very dangerous, on ac- count of the breakers. Where the ves- sel lay, the sea was not rough, but only presented the appearance of heavy swells rolling to the shore.
"As we approached the reef it was evident to me that the surf was running higher than we anticipated. I called the captain's attention to the fact. We were running quartering across the waves, and I suggested that we change our course so as to run at right angles with them. He replied that he did not think there was any danger, and our course was not changed. We went but a little farther when a heavy swell struck the boat and carried us before it about fifty yards. When the swell passed it left us in a trough between two huge waves. It was too late to retrieve our error, and we must run our chances. When the second swell struck the boat, it raised the stern so high that the steersman's oar was out of the water, and he lost control of the boat. It rode on the swell a short distance and swung around just as the wave began to break up. We were almost instantly capsized into the dash- ing, foaming sea.
"I felt no concern for myself about
drowning, for while on my former mis- sion I had learned to swim and sport in the surf of those shores.
"The last I remember of Brother Snow, as the boat was going over, I saw him seize the upper edge of it with both hands. Fearing that the upper edge of the boat, or the barrels, might hit and injure me as the boat was going over, I plunged head foremost into the water. After swimming a short dis- tance, I came to the surface without being strangled or injured.
"The boat was bottom upwards, and barrels, hats, and umbrellas were float- ing in every direction. I swam to the boat, and as there was nothing to cling to on the bottom, I reached under and seized the edge of it.
"About the same time Brother Ben- son came up near me and readily got hold of the 'boat. Brother Alma L. Smith came up on the opposite side of the boat from Brother Benson and myself. He was considerably strangled, but succeeded in securing a hold on the boat.
"A short time afterwards the cap- tain was discovered, about fifty yards from us. Two sailors, one on each side, succeeded in keeping him on the sur- face, although life was apparently ex- tinct.
"Nothing yet had been seen of Brother Snow, although the natives had been swimming and diving in every direction in search for him. The peo- ple, as soon as they discovered our circumstances, manned a life boat and hurried to the rescue. We were taken into the boat, when the crew wanted to row for the shore, and pick up the captain by the way. We told them that one of our friends was yet missing, and we did not want to leave. We dis- covered that a second boat had left the shore and could reach the captain as soon as the one we were in. Seeing
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DOWN THE SIERRA NEVADAS IN 1865
this, the crew of our boat consented to remain and assist us.
"The captain was taken ashore, and by working over him for some time, was brought to life. Probably his life would not have been much endangered but for a sack of four or five hundred silver dollars which he held in his hand, the weight of which took him at once to the bottom. The natives dived and brought him up, still clinging to the sack. When his vitality was restored, the first thing he enquired about was the money, intimating to the natives, with peculiar emphasis, that it would not have been healthy for them to have lost it.
"Brother Snow had not yet been dis- covered and the anxiety was intense. The natives, evidently, doing all in their power. Finally, one of them, in edging himself around the capsized boat, must have felt Brother Snow with his feet and pulled him, at least partially from under it, and the first I saw of Brother Snow was his hair floating up- on the water around one end of the capsized boat. As soon as we got him into our boat, we told the boatmen to pull for the shore with all possible speed. His body was stiff, and life ap- parently extinct.
"Brother A. L. Smith and I were sit- ting side by side. We laid Brother Snow across our laps and, on the way to shore, we quietly administered to him and asked the Lord to spare his life, that he might return to his family and home.
"On reaching the shore, we carried him a little way to some large empty barrels that were lying on the sandy beach. We laid him face downwards on one of them and rolled him back and forth until we succeeded in getting the water he had swallowed out of him.
"During this time a number of per- sons came down from the town. Among them was Mr. E. P. Adams, a merchant. All were willing to do what they could. We washed Brother Snow's face with camphor, furnished by Mr. Adams. We did not only what was customary in such cases, but also what the Spirit seemed to whisper to us.
"After working over him for some time, without any indications of return- ing life, the bystanders said that nothing more could be done for him. But we did not feel like giving him up, and still prayed and worked over him, with an assurance that the Lord would hear and answer our prayers.
"Finally we were impressed to place our mouth over his and make an effort to inflate his lungs, alternately blowing in and drawing out the air, imitating, as far as possible, the natural process of breathing. We persevered in this until we succeeded in inflating his lungs. After a little, we perceived very faint indications of returning life. . . .
"When this result was reached, it must have been fully one hour after the upsetting of the boat. A Portu- guese man, living in Lahaina, who, from (Concluded on page 630) 593
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PSALM 19, VERSE 1.
PALOMAR OBSERVATORY, HOUSING FOR THE WORLD'S LARGEST TELESCOPE
Ever since the dawn days of man's life on the earth he has scanned the heavens above him and wondered, awed by their beauty, scarcely dreaming of their immeasurable distances and depth. David, dreaming on the hills of Pal- estine, put into wonderful words the things that all humble students of the skies have felt. The story of the telescope is the record of man's unceasing longing to learn more of God's great handiwork in the hea- vens— the sun, the moon, the brightly shining stars. And as with most of man's greatest inventions, the tele- scope had a very humble beginning.
Back in the thirteenth century a gentleman of the fine city of Florence in Italy invented spectacles. They were mentioned in an old manuscript, as follows: "Those glasses they call spectacles, lately invented, to the great advantage of poor old men when their sight grows weak."
It was these spectacles which made the telescope possible. About a century after the invention of glasses a certain young apprentice who worked in the optical shop of the good Dutchman, Jan Lippershey, happened to pick up two lenses in- tended for some "poor old gentleman with weak eyes." For some reason he put one on top of the other, a concave lens over a convex, and the result was so amazing that he nearly dropped them. He could actually see the town church with its steeple, weather-vane, and cock, but they had all moved close to him, and stranger still, they were all upside 594
THE STORY OF THE
TELESCOPE
By
WINIFRED
HEATH
down. The boy was much too busy to hear the door open or see his master.
"So you waste my valuable time, as usual."
But the lad was too excited to be scared.
"Master, Master, a miracle has happened. Please, please look through these two glasses!"
Jan Lippershey looked and was just as startled as his young appren- tice.
"Master, why is everything up- side down?"
Jan got out of that awkward mo- ment by bidding the lad get back to work. But Jan set to work to find out, and he finally succeeded in producing the world's first tele- scope.
He submitted his paper tube with the two lenses to the States Gen- eral, who approved of it highly, for they felt it would help them to keep an eye on the armies of Spain who were trying hard to enslave brave
Holland. Lippershey wanted a patent, but other would-be inven- tors appeared and said they had known about the telescope all along. The authorities compromised by giv- ing Lippershey a good income for life with the strict understanding that the telescope idea was to be kept in Holland. Even when the King of France wanted a telescope, he had to do much persuasive talking and pay a very high price to the Dutch Parliament.
The Dutch government had an- other very good idea — it wanted the same kind of instrument for both eyes, and so the world got the con- venient binoculars.
News of the telescope, however, could not be kept in Holland, and soon they ' were being made in France and in Britain, where they were known by the quaint name of "Dutch Trunks."
The world's first known picture of a man using a telescope appeared in 1609, and the owner was Simon Marius. There were people in those days who regarded the telescope as a sinful thing since it seemed to show a lack of gratitude to God for our own good eyes. Perhaps that is why the artist who painted the picture of Simon Marius gave him a rather sinister, sour expression.
(Continued on page 634)
REVOLVING DOME, PALOMAR OBSERV- ATORY. 1,700,- 000 LBS. OF STEEL WERE USED IN THIS SECTION.
Photos used bg courtesy T. V. Watterson, Jr.
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HANDCART PIONEERS
An Epitome in Bronze by Torleif S. Knaphus
By JOHN SHERMAN WALKER
The handcart companies that braved the dangers of the Mor- mon Trail from 1856 to 1860 are acknowledged to be among the most courageous emigrants of all time. Without even the protection that the covered-wagon trains had, the hardy men, women, and children of these later expeditions pushed and pulled their handcarts, containing all of their earthly possessions, through rivers, over sage flats and moun- tainous trails the full thirteen hun- dred miles from Iowa City to Utah. The suffering and hardships they experienced at times on the trail seem scarcely credible to those who today enjoy the luxury of modern travel facilities. The disasters which over- took certain of their expeditions gives the reader pause, to marvel at the devotion and determination of these Latter-day Saints who braved the wilderness with nothing more than their bare hands and the strength of their muscles and the hope in their hearts to carry them on to their Valley of Promise.
The Willie and Martin companies are notable examples of this humble
heroism. The ranks of those parties, comprised mostly of converts from England and Scandinavia, were piti- fully thinned by the storms of an early western winter and the effects of starvation when their meager sup- plies ran out. Edward Martin's company, following the Willie party, suffered particularly, huddled in the scant protection of a ravine on the bleak western plains, five hun- dred miles from their destination in the Salt Lake Valley.
Many of them perished before supplies could be rushed to them; despair and grief had bowed down those who were still able to continue the trip; yet, the complaints were comparatively few. There was a large purpose behind their journey to the west — the promise of freedom and protection that only the far, looming Rocky Mountains could af- ford them.
It was necessary for a great many of the Mormon Saints from foreign
THE "HANDCART PIONEERS," BY TORLEIF KNAPHUS
A STUDY OF TORLEIF KNAPHUS IN HIS STUDIO
lands and those waiting on the fron- tier who desired to make the journey to Utah and who lacked the funds to outfit wagons, to adopt the handcart mode of travel.
The first handcart companies to cross the plains were led by Edmund Ellsworth and Daniel McArthur re- spectively. A third group of Welsh Saints, under command of Edward Bunker, followed shortly after, in June of 1856. Most of them, too, reached their destination safely, happy to be in their new land of Zion, praising their God that they had been enabled at last to worship as they wished.
It is fitting that this epic of the Mormon handcart pioneers should have inspired sculptor-artist Torleif S. Knaphus, a convert and staunch Latter-day Saint, to perpetuate this theme in the enduring medium of bronze, for many of those who trav- elled thus were Latter-day Saint con- verts, drawn from the same cour- ageous, hardy Norwegian stock as he.
The Scandinavian sagas of old were told no more forcefully than is the history of the handcart pio- neers as epitomized in the Knaphus handcart statue which for so many years has been one of the featured attractions in the Bureau of Informa- tion on Temple Square in Salt Lake City.
Now in the course of completion in the Knaphus studios on Richards Street, just off Salt Lake City's busy Main Street, is an enlarged replica of the famous statue, which represents perhaps the finest conception ever achieved of the Mormon handcart pioneers, in its heroic size attaining {Continued on page 636)
595
\\
Q
NE HUNDRED SEVEN- TEEN years ago in the city of Copen- hagen, a baby girl was born into the Peter Holestie family. Karen was selected as her name by the family and she was christened Karen Holestie. Her childhood was spent in poor living conditions, but she was nevertheless happy. She seemed blessed even then with the good-natured optimism that fol- lowed her throughout life.
Karen was married while still young and the first years of married life with Christian Christensen passed quickly. During that time six children were born: Crasten, the oldest, then Peter, Christian, Stena, Mary, and John.
This young family lived content- edly together on their small farm, each doing his part to help earn a livelihood. It seemed that such hap- piness could not last because soon a disaster came which caused a change in the life of the entire family. Christian, the father, gave the un- usual complaint that he was not feel- ing very well. Karen willingly went to do the chores for the night. To her horror and dismay, her husband was dead when she returned from the corral.
The next few months were spent in terrible bereavement. The com- plete responsibility of making a liv- ing was left to Karen and the chil- dren, but she did not give up. The next spring found her with her fam- ily in the fields plowing and tilling the soil for the summers crops. 596
THE MOTHER OF GRASS VALLEY
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PRIZE WINNING STORY IN THE M. I. A. SCOUT THEME PROJECT CONTEST
//
It was in this field that Christian was injured by a knife-edged flint on which he stepped. Infection set in, and the boy died a few days later — only six months after the death of his father.
This trouble-stricken family was very much consoled when the Lat- ter-day Saint missionaries came to visit them. Crasten became more and more disturbed as his mother grew intent on the idea of going to America. He felt even more dread- ful when the missionaries converted her to the Mormon religion, and she began making plans for a journey to "the new world." When Karen could not convince him that he should go with them, she was forced to go without him. She boarded the ship Stavanger, waved goodbye to her friends, and sailed away.
Although when Karen and her four children walked aboard the ship she was a stranger to everyone, before long nearly everyone knew her because of her undying faith and good will.
The days passed quickly and well. One morning, however, the luck changed. The doctor announced a case of typhoid fever caused by the stagnant water that was being car- ried for drinking. Everyone re- mained isolated, but the dread disease reached little Mary, Two days later she died.
The grief-stricken family and passengers gathered together for a short funeral service, then they placed the little girl in a cloth-lined box and lowered it into the water.
By REED BROWN
Age 14
Scout of Troop 6-19, Koosharem, Utah
Koosharem, Utah December 16, 1940
Mr. Paul P. Ashworth, Richfield, Utah. Dear Sir:
T was selected by the Boy Scouts of *■ troop 6-19 to write an original story of some near relative. I pre- ferred writing a brief sketch of the life of my great-grandmother, Karen Nelson. I have on the following pages attempted to write the life his- tory of a noble and ideal woman, "The Mother of Grass Valley."
Sincerely,
Reed Brown. Age 14.
WH
'hen the Christensens left their home in Copenhagen, their destination was Utah, and Karen was not intending to give up until they got there. So right away they set out westward on foot. Even
though she had to carry John on her back, Karen was always the leader of the company.
A very old man was their only companion, and together they walked day after day. How the people of Chicago laughed when they saw this strange sight. The old man carried a sack of fat pork on his back which the hot sun had melted, and his clothes were completely saturated with grease.
It is almost unbelievable, the en- durance they possessed and the hardships they overcame. It would be impossible to write the many trying experiences they had on that long trip across the plains.
In 1866, Karen and her children arrived in Utah. They had been on the way for two years. She set- tled in Manti. Life was very hard for them all. A few months after arriving in Manti, she married Nels Nelson, Soon after Mr. Nelson took ill and became bed-ridden. Later he
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
died, leaving Karen once more to face life alone with her family.
In 1874, Church authorities called on Karen to settle in Grass Valley. She went willingly even though it was a wild, unsettled land, inhabited by about four hundred Indians.
The party who headed for Grass Valley consisted of Karen, her only unmarried child, John, who was now fifteen years old, and three other families. They soon made a peace- ful settlement which they called "Koosharem" after the Indian clover that grew abundantly on the hillsides.
All the settlers were happy when the first crops matured successfully. Then one morning the people awoke and found the Indians' horses graz- ing peacefully in their grain patch. The young men of the settlement corralled the horses and waited for the Indians to come to claim them. The greeting they got from the In- dian tribe was far from being friendly. They stood with scowling faces and folded arms while the settlers, old and young, filed out of the doorways to hear the message from Chief White Horse. Each warrior clenched a tomahawk, and it was evident that they had planned a massacre of the white settlers.
The other women pleaded with Karen to come and be killed with the rest of them so that she would not be left alone to be tortured to death by the tribe of ruthless killers. But all their pleadings were in vain. Karen declared she didn't have time to be frightened by the Indians, and so stayed home and knitted a pair of socks for John.
After an argument with the In- dians, they grew even angrier at the white settlers, and with a loud war-cry they began their destructive mission. One of the elder men, Massiah Bahannan, was being ap- proached by a warrior when he dropped to his knees and began praying. The Indians were very superstitious, and when they saw this, they thought he was calling to their God "Shenab." They became very frightened and immediately dis- persed, leaving the settlers wide- eyed with amazement.
Karen died in Grass Valley when she was eighty-three years old and was never known to have an enemy, but many were her friends.
Never was a truer sentiment spoken than that of the bishop of Koosharem when he said, "Here lies the most noble character I have ever known, the Mother of Grass Valley."
VISIT TO MT. PISGAH
By LEO J. MUIR
President of the Northern States Mission
MT. Pisgah cemetery memorial- izes one of the most tragic chap- ters in early Mormon history. The Mt. Pisgah settlement was estab- lished by Parley P. Pratt in the early months of 1846. Here several thou- sand acres of land were fenced for cul- tivation— a project similar to that of Garden Grove, which lay approxi- mately twenty-seven miles eastward. Like Garden Grove, Mt. Pisgah served two purposes: a resting place for the exiled emigrants and a source of pro- vision for the companies moving west- ward.
Monday, July 7, following a quar- terly conference in West Iowa District,
MT. PISGAH MONUMENT, WITH WALTER F. WHITEHEAD (STANDING, LEFT), PRESIDENT LEO J. MUIR (STANDING, RIGHT), AND (SEATED, LEFT TO RIGHT), ELDERS JAMES P. HAWKES, FREDERICK K. BALLI, AND LYNN C. NELSON. THE PICTURE WAS TAKEN BY ELDER GERALD E. ALLEY.
it was my privilege to make a second visit to this sacred spot. Walter F. Whitehead, formerly of Provo, Utah, and now of Iowa, took a party of mis- sionaries by automobile from Des Moines to Mt. Pisgah. In addition to Brother Whitehead and myself there were in the party District President Frederick K. Balli and Elders James P. Hawkes, Gerald E. Alley, and Lynn C. Nelson. Mt. Pisgah is approximately forty miles south ( slightly west ) of Des Moines. It is five miles northwest of Thayer, Union County, Iowa.
On the 18th day of May, 1846, Pres- ident Brigham Young and several of the apostles visited this hamlet and effected a temporary Church organiza- tion. Elder William Huntington was appointed president, with Elders Ezra T. Benson and Charles C. Rich as coun- selors.
Because of severe winters, inadequate shelter, and scant food supply, many Saints in this colony died of exposure and privation during the winters of '46, '47, and '48. They lie buried be- neath the quiet turf of Mt. Pisgah.
It is gratifying to note that this heroic experience in Church history has been properly memorialized. By the side of the road — just a weed-bordered lane- — ■ stands a huge, rough stone perhaps forty-five inches high and securely set in the ground. Cemented into the face of this stone is a bronze plaque which bears the following inscription : •
1846
MT. PISGAH
SITE OF THE
FIRST WHITE SETTLEMENT
IN UNION COUNTY
ERECTED BY THE
NANCY McKAY HARSH
CHAPTER
AND THE IOWA
SOCIETY
D. A. R.
1928
Mt. Pisgah consists of a single acre of ground — a perfect square — facing east and sloping gradually toward the west. This acre plot is securely fenced and is covered by a soft carpet of native grass, customarily mowed once each year. Six trees, most of them hickory, stand in irregular order near the east border of the tract. A stately monu- ment, erected in 1888, marks the exact center of this plot. This monument stands upon the mid-point of a pedestal of solid cement and the four faces of the column carry the names of those buried there, in addition to the following in- scription:
This monument — erected A. D. 1888 in memory of those members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who died in 1846-1847, and 1848 during their exodus to seek a home beyond the Rocky Mountains.
Vandals or souvenir seekers have chiseled from the face of the stone a fragment two inches by six inches in size which takes the capital "H" off the name of William Huntington. The monument is not otherwise damaged or defaced.
Editor's Note: An "Improvement Era" article on Mount Pisgah appear- ing in volume 40, pages 20 to 21 (Jan- uary, 1937) gives further details on Mount Pisgah, including a complete list of those who were buried there, whose names are inscribed upon the faces of the monument.
597
TANGIBLE PAYMENT
'he story of two who found something that mattered more.
H,
,erb Kolton looked for some time across his desk toward Alice Weil, who pecked at a type- writer modestly and most efficiently, before he grasped her chair and swung her around:
"Do you realize I've been trying to enter into a conversation with you?" he said, perching himself on the litter of papers.
Alice waved him off: "I haven't time to talk with you."
"What's so frightfully impor- tant?"
"A little girl wants a doll," her eyes becoming earnest, "and a new dress. A little boy with hair like — well," with a quick glance at him, "like yours, needs a new pair of trousers for the ones he tore while playing baseball. And both of them — and dozens of others — need a lot of other things."
He stared his curiosity.
"Have you ever had the feeling of not belonging to anyone?" asked Alice.
His lips tightened. Yes, he had. After his father's death in the ex- plosion at work, his mother struggled to rear the little boy. And when she died. ... It was all something that Herb had shunted into the back of his mind, content to let it remain a dim anguish. Now Alice's question tore it back out of the years he wanted to forget.
All this he tried to explain and in some measure his fumbling words did convey what an orphanage had meant to him — the cold, forbidding regulations; the iron shell of system and order; the stern, unloving at- tendants, blind to the timid wistful- ness of the children around them. 598
By GEORGE PETRICK
"But this is different," insisted Alice, her brown eyes soft with a kindness that made Herb gulp. "This is a place where people make a 'home' for children until they find them a real 'home.' "
"It is?"
"Oh, it is. Why not come with me the next time I go out for a visit?"
Had anyone but Alice asked this, he would have refused immediately. But he could not deny her.
Herb was doubtful about any pos- sible value to be gained from the trip. His whole life had trained him to distrust, for his experience had shown him that people were selfish and hard and false, all for them- selves and themselves only, with no consideration for those around them. Then Alice came to work at the next desk and her curious mixture of competence and naiveness drew his interest. Her work so completely absorbed her that the office noise and action swirled around her with- out penetrating the shell of isola- tion. Particularly was this true when, after her regular tasks were completed, she entered into her church activities.
Herb smiled down at her now as they stopped before the Children's Home, although he still harbored a twinge of resentment and doubt.
"Well," with anticipation lilting in her voice, "here we are." Herb nodded gloomily. "Oh, come on," seizing his arm as he hesitated, "you'll love some of these young- sters." He shrugged his shoulders.
Pausing only to fling a brief greet- ing to the capable woman at the door,
Alice swept in, saying quietly: "These are my special darlings." The children greeted her with such an uproar of glee that Herb decided she was also their darling.
"Aunt Alice," cried a little girl, her face shining with a happiness al- most too much for such a small per- son to hold. She tugged at Alice's dress.
"What is it, Doris?" dropping to her knees so that her lips were close to the beaming child. Other chil- dren flocked around, until Alice was engulfed in a clamor of laughter and calls. From the side, Herb watched and marvelled.
After Alice had distributed her gifts and kissed the last wriggling bundle of joyous excitement, she turned to Herb. "This, children, is Mr. Kolton, a friend of mine."
They were shy, afraid of his stern face, but willing to welcome him be- cause he was a friend of Aunt Alice. Herb returned their greetings with a grimness made worse by his own uneasiness.
"Weren't they marvelous, Herb?" she glowed, on the way home.
He smiled wistfully, longing to capture the same exaltation that she had. But he could not. To him, the youngsters remained only noisy children, clamoring for attention and favor. Certainly they were to be pitied. But that was all.
"That first little one was sort of cute," he admitted.
"Doris? Oh, she's such a sweet little thing. And so excited about the party we're planning."
In the days that followed, Herb found the time after regular
{ Continued on page 614)
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
CHIAPAS RUINS
By Charles E. Dibble
Mexico's southernmost state, Chia- pas, is dotted with ruins, most of them well covered with vege- tation and as yet unstudied. These ruins belong to the ancient culture of the Maya. Excavation and research in the region of the Maya has established with reasonable certainty a number of facts regarding these monticulos or "little mountains":
First: The mountain of earth represents the last structure and usually covers two or three earlier structures.
Second: The pyramid-shaped structure represents only the foundation or base of a building. The summit was never pointed but leveled off, and over a small square was erected a small temple with walls of wood, adobe or stone. The rooms were small and few in number, sometimes only one or two. Windows or openings for light were not very common, and when they did occur they were very small and usually in the form of a T .
Third: These ruins do not represent the inhabited part of the ancient cities but rather the civic and religious centers of the people. The Maya of a thousand years ago lived and built their homes much as do the pres- ent-day natives. A framework of slender poles securely bound together is covered with palm leaves. The palm leaves are so placed that the smoke from the fire within filters through the roof, but the rain torrents from without seldom enter.
A NATIVE VILLAGE OF TODAY, OR OF 1000 A. D.
A MOUND STILL COVERED WITH VEGETATION IN HUIXTLA, CHIAPAS.
J Jin. QommondmsmiA.
FOR
TEACHERS
By HECTOR LEE
There are "first-nighters" in Church classes as there are in the courses offered in secular edu- cation— "first-nighters" who feel the need for further advancement in un- derstanding the Gospel or for en- lightenment in any form, but who quickly lose interest for one cause or another and simply don't bother to come again. There are always the faithful, who "endure to the end," but the greater number are not so determined. Skillful teaching can win and keep these "first-nighters." Here is a decalogue which may re- mind a people who are primarily a teaching people to cross the "t" and dot the "i" in "teaching."
1 . Be interested in your students — sin- cerely, not superficially; individually, not collectively. Be alert to their ambitions, desires, and tastes; be sympathetic when they are in distress. Be their friend, and they will be yours.
2. Be interested in their course. Pre- pare your lessons. Know your material so well that your students will respect you for your knowledge and have con- fidence in you as a teacher. The student who is able to see the bottom of a teacher's knowledge soon loses interest.
3. Be patient. Never forget that learning is elaborate and painful toil for some people and that you are their mas- ter in knowledge only, their servant in all else.
4. Be honest. If you don't know the answer, don't try to bluff. . . . Another kind of honesty is keeping promises; don't forget to bring those pictures or that chart you promised last week. And don't fail to attend your own class regularly and punctually.
5. Be cheerful. If the teacher is long- faced, the class will be dull; and no
matter how packed with information it is, the course will bog down. Learn to see the humor of your subject and your students will enjoy you.
6. Be yourself. Affectations of dress, speech, or manner arouse disgust, not admiration. If necessary, seek out that rare friend who will tell you the truth, take him to visit your class; get him to describe honestly your teaching person- ality, and then believe everything bad he tells you. And remember that af- fectations of thought, poses in attitude and opinion, are to the man of sense just as nauseating as any other form of in- sincerity.
7. Be sensible. Look in the mirror occasionally and see. Listen to your voice occasionally and hear. One can be neat even if he is not handsome; one can show good taste even if he is very poor.
8. Be loyal to your superiors and to the other teachers. People do not re- spect a person who criticizes his su- periors. If you do not agree with a policy or method, the best you can do is keep your mouth shut when around your students. There will be other — proper — times and places for you to assert your dissatisfaction.
9. Be progressive. Try to keep up with the world and always keep ahead of your students — in your own field, anyway.
10. Be optimistic. "There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it so." (Adult Education Bulletin, April, 1941.)
599
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
LOOKING BACK AT
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By WILLIAM and DEWEY FARNSWORTH
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By Albert L. Zobell, Jr.
1
CEMENT BLOCKS IN MUSEUM AT SAN JUAN TEOTIHUACAN Throughout Mexico and especially in San Juan Teotihuacan which is twenty- eight miles northeast of Mexico City, are found evidences of cement of superior quality. While the modern grades are composed chiefly of coarse gravel with a topping of cement, the ancients used fine sand for their base, effecting a product which has endured for hundreds of years. Added to this, these ancient builders seemed to have perfected also the art of coloring cement, remnants of which are found in numerous places. These huge blocks of cement in the museum at Teotihuacan are covered with hieroglyphics and pictures depicting the art of writing in its primitive form.
PYRAMIDS AT TOLUCA (Above and Below) Near Mexico City is situated the picturesque little village of Toluca whose archaeological zone of about eleven pyramids has recently been uncovered. Only three mounds have been entirely excavated, "Calmecatl' or priests college on trie lower level, "Quetzalcoatl" pyramid higher up, and above this the "Temple of Tlaloc" and "Tzompantli" or house of skulls, on the outer wall of which may be seen ten sculptured skulls in stone, likewise protruding from the same walls 250 "pegs" of stone four inches in diameter to which it is thought were hung the heads of sacrificed prisoners. These pyramids are formed of uncut stones and cement and the round structure shown in the picture is the only one of its kind to be found on the American continent. The round open excavations in the foreground have been a source of dispute to archaeologists as to their use. They may have been cisterns for the storage of water, or grain bins. Some have even ventured the opinion that because of their blackened interiors they were used as fire boxes for the melting of ores.
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aCTUALLY there is a difference of only seven hundred ninety-three words between the number of words attributed to Jesus of Nazareth, as recorded by Matthew, whose ac- count of the Savior's career is more complete than any other of the New Testament authors, and the number of words uttered by the resurrected Christ during His ministry on the American continent, as recorded in the Book of Mormon in Third Nephi. St. Matthew gives 14,148 words and Third Nephi 13,355 words as spoken by the Re- deemer.
But Nephi, referring to the instruc- tions the assembled throngs received from Christ, freely admitted: "And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach the people." (3 Nephi 26:6.)
We may contrast the comparative scarcity of direct information in these two books with the mass of knowledge that daily comes within our grasp: a metropolitan newspaper could print the 27,503 words quoted by both Matthew and Nephi in less than four and one- half pages of newsprint, while a radio station could easily broadcast the same information in four hours and forty-five minutes. The news editor figures that eight hundred words fill a column, eight columns make a page, and a radio announcer averages one hundred words a minute.
Sixty-one men have become members of the Quorum of the Twelve during the past one hundred and six years. Their average age upon appointment has been forty and three-fourths years. They have served for an average of twenty years each. The youngest Apostle to be ordained was George A. Smith, who was twenty-two years of age; the oldest to be appointed was Charles W. Penrose, at seventy-two. Alonzo A. Hinckley had the shortest career as an active member of the Coun- cil of the twelve: two years and two months. Franklin D. Richards was a quorum member for the longest period : fifty years and ten months.
Six of the original Apostles, chosen in 1835, lost the faith and were excom- municated. Eleven of the sixty-one Apostles were excommunicated; two of these returned to the Church. Two Apostles suffered martyrdom for their belief.
Twenty Apostles attained office before the Saints settled Utah; one of these, Willard Richards, was or- dained while on a mission in England.
600
STRENGTH
By Mabel Jones
f LOVE the temple on a stormy day;
It stands so tall and firm, so soundly made It matches graying skies with deeper gray, And meets the tempest boldly, unafraid. The wind and rain beat at its walls as though A thousand furies charged with wrath un- curbed Would force an entrance with each pelting
blow. The temple stands serene and unperturbed.
I would that I might build a stronghold thus, That when the winds of life should blow
my way I'd meet them without fear or doubt or fuss But wisely, sanely, calmly live each day; And stand aloof when trouble or despair Would storm my faith and lay my ideals
bare.
THE BAD LANDS By Cristel Hastings
Sun's a-sinkin' in the skyline Makin' all the country gold; Purple mountains rim a valley Where thar's gold, so I've been told; Tumbleweeds go racin' madly With the winds that never cease, An' at dusk a starved coyote Wails until thar is no peace.
These are bad lands, dry an' wicked. Man an' cayuse have died here While the water-hole they thirsted Was mirage — now far, now near. Little winds keep flyin', cryin' In this desert hole o' sand Till it seems, to stay here longer Is jus' more than I can stand.
These are bad lands, full o' mis'ry, Rattlesnakes, an' all the rest — But the winds keep blowin', knowin' I am part o' this old West. So I'm prospectin' around here — Must be gold in them thar hills — Mine's the hope o' gold eternal An a water-hole that fills.
■ i^ ■
LET ME GRIEVE
Genneva Dickey Watson
[ never see the dropping leaves
But something in me stops and grieves, Though I know well the parent tree Each spring will bud forth cheerily; And dropping leaves have rightful place — They net the ground with gypsy lace, And pouring life-strength in the earth, They help the rootlets starting birth.
Yet, ordered seasons all must pass, From tender green to frozen grass, Yet, for one moment I must share This grief of lost leaves in the air.
LIBERTY PARK By Rose Thomas Graham
The old park was not like it is today; Around its edges it was woody-wild, With trees so thick that only little folks Could wind between. The trunks were not
so big, But some would hide us, if we pulled our
skirts In tight, and tried to stretch as tall as they. We played at hide-and-seek, and peek-a- boo; Then when our tired legs would run no more, We'd hunt a little clearing in the shade To eat the lunch that mother had prepared, And listen to the birds, for it was spring.
The old park was not like it is today: The driveway was a circle then, as now, But not so wide and it was deep in dust; Or if, by chance, it rained, the mud would
fly. Old Mat, the horse, would jog at steady
pace, He knew the way, and at the middle road Would turn in where the horses liked to
drink. We did not like, but patiently we'd wait Till he had had enough; then we would
coax To go around again. 'Twas summer now.
The old park was not like it is today: Dead twigs and brush are raked up clean
and burned: The lawn kept newly mowed. In spraying
hose The rain-bow colors dance in water drops. 'Tis very beautiful, but in my youth We'd wade through leaves knee-high and
love the swish And crackle as we walked, or ran, or
jumped, Or tumbled down, then up to try again. The air, less balmy now, the day-time short, So home we'd race to kitchen fire and
warmth : With arms we'd hug ourselves, for it was
fall.
The old park was not like it is today: The few remaining trees of other years, Are, even now, brought low for newer
green. Do patterned flower beds have more appeal Than did my crooked paths and unkempt
trees? Do children, with their modern slides, feel
joy Beyond my own in dried up leaves? Per- haps. But often when I'm dreaming quite alone And visions of the past come back to me — With all the simple freedom that it brought, I like God's park just as it used to be.
Photograph by Gladys Mildred Relyea
DEDICATION By Dott Sartori
MY memories are like a coverlet Laid gently on his past, Laid tenderly upon his every word, The first, the last.
As light as eiderdown, impervious
To cold forgetfulness, Protecting for those left the sacred years,
The joyousness.
This winter weeping nourishes the roots
Of all his little deeds, Restores again to fadeless blossoming
His boyish needs,
And I lament no single tear of these
That watered leaf and stem Preserving like a full and sweet bouquet
His life and them.
From a heart's long harvesting and things he left,
I built and dedicate This printed monument where he may be
Articulate,
Though his leaping pulse is stilled like fountains
At the park in fall, I lift this leaf, and he is there as if
He heard my call.
CHOOSE WELL YOUR WORDS
By Harry Elmore Huvd
HpHE word is life and laughter, uncon- ■*■ fined- — ■
It bleeds and weeps and seizes on the mind With swift insistence. Write the word with
care, Lest fluid joy be tinctured with despair, And all the days remaining to a man Be dark with imminent grief. Let poets plan And fit the patterned words with due regard For men who bear their burdens up the hard Steep slope of time— ^remembering that
death And life are separated by a breath, Both brief and final. Ponder well and long Before selecting symbols for your song Since men will memorize the wondrous
word. If it has power to heal when it is heard.
» ♦ «
WEATHERVANE
By Ernestine Mercer
"\17hat fun to be a weathervane
And pose against the sky, To mark the destination of Each wind that dances by,
To be so useful and so gay, By all the world looked up to;
Though leading such a fickle life Remaining incorrupt, too.
Now such a combination of Extremes is most disarming — ■
Why, bless my heart, there's one thing that's Dependable and charming!
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B. Cecil Gates Passes
T3 Cecil Gates, 54, former assistant *^* director of the Tabernacle Choir, and nationally known composer, died August 29, at his home in Salt Lake City.
In his lifetime he was the director of the Lucy Gates Grand Opera Company — named for his sister, now Mrs. A. E. Bowen — which played many operas in the old Salt Lake Theater, supple- menting local musical talent with guest stars from the Metropolitan Opera Company, and other eastern musical organizations; director of the Salt Lake .Oratorio Society; and head of the music departments of the L. D. S. University and the Utah State Agricultural Col- lege. He was an organizer of the Mc- Cune School of Music.
His best-known musical arrangements and compositions include: "The Lord's Prayer," "My Redeemer Lives,"
"Cornfield Melodies, Neath Your
Window," and the choral works "Restoration," "Eternal Life," and "Resurrection Morning."
Although ill health had required his retirement years ago, he continued ar- ranging musical compositions, putting the last touches on the second of two volumes of Gates Anthems only a day before his death.
He is survived by his wife, Gweneth Gibbs Gates; four daughters, Gweneth G. Mulder, Emma Lou G. Ashton, Helen and Ruth Gates; his father, Jacob F. Gates; Harvey and Frank Gates, brothers; Leah D. Widtsoe and Emma Lucy Gates Bowen, sisters, and two grandchildren.
Funeral services conducted Septem- ber 2 in the Assembly Hall were at- tended by all the First Presidency and many other of the General Authorities. The Tabernacle Choir sang music written by the late composer.
7 Point Welfare Program Outlined
/^alling upon the Church member- ^-> ship to intensify production to take care of needs for as many as five years, Elder Harold B. Lee of the Council of the Twelve and managing director of the Church Welfare Plan advised wel- fare workers of Salt Lake Region on August 12 to adopt the following:
1. Intensify production with no let up.
2. Provide fully for needs of worthy members.
3. Urge all families in the region to store food for at least one year. The Wel- fare officers should give aid and instruc- tions in storing non-perishable foods.
4. Do not wait for an emergency but plan Welfare projects for the future which could provide work for all members, even those who may be prosperous today.
602
BRIGHAM CECIL GATES
5. The adoption of a project by every Priesthood quorum in the region.
6. Develop a greater spirit of fraternal- ism.
7. Improve the crafts and skills of all Church members and make a careful analysis of working power.
Last of 1847 Pioneers Dies
'T'he last personal tie with the first year of Utah's pioneer history was severed August 18, with the death of Mrs. Mary Ann Park Brockbank, who was the sole surviving pioneer of 1847. She was 98.
She was four years old when she entered Salt Lake Valley with her three sisters and parents in September, 1847, all members of the Edward Hunt- er and John Taylor wagon trains from Winter Quarters.
MARY ANN PARK BROCKBANK
Two years later her family was called to what is now Provo. There she lived until she was eighteen when her family again came to the Salt Lake Valley.
She married Isaac Brockbank in the Endowment House December 31, 1864. and moved to Holladay, where they lived for more than sixty years in the same house. Twelve children were born to the couple. Mr. Brockbank died in 1927.
Presidents Clark, McKay, Have Birthdays
HHwo members of the First Presidency marked birthdays during the month of September.
President J. Reuben Clark, Jr., quiet- ly celebrated his seventieth birthday- September 1, by visiting his birthplace in Grantsville, Utah, and attending an outdoor family dinner at his Salt Lake City home.
President David O. McKay, who was born in Huntsville, Utah, sixty- eight years ago September 8, marked the date with a half day's work and by visiting in Ogden. In the evening he was honored by a family dinner in Salt Lake.
South Salt Lake Stake Created
Organization of the South Salt Lake ^■^ Stake, the one hundred thirty- eighth in the Church, was effected August 31, by a division of the Wells and Grant Stakes. Axel J. Andresen was sustained as stake president, with Hubert E. Record and S. Ross Fox as first and second counselors.
The Burton and Columbus Wards were taken from the Wells Stake, and the Southgate, Central Park, and Miller Wards were taken from Grant Stake to form the new unit. The Miller Ward was then divided, creating the Eldredge Ward, giving the new stake six wards, three of them with new bishops: Her- bert W. Urry, of the Eldredge Ward: Niels H. Hansen, of the Miller Ward, succeeding Edward J. Solomon, and Jacob P. Burton, of the Burton Ward, succeeding President Andresen.
The stake was created under the di- rection of Elders Joseph Fielding Smith and Harold B. Lee of the Council of the Twelve.
Joseph E. Robinson Dies
Joseph E. Robinson, 73, president of the California Mission from 1901 to 1919, died at his Los Angeles home. August 7. His long, active career in the Church and state included member- ship in the Utah constitutional conven- tion in 1895.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
Tabernacle Choir Sings on Coast
The three powerful tenets of the church — an ideal, a prayer and a song — were exemplified in this program . . . the pro- gram was varied but the ideal was apparent in the words of all, a religious idealism, a challenge to modernists and an exhortation to the faithful. Prayers were offered in the music. . . . The choir . . . has an un- usual balance and blend . . . maintains a smooth symphonic quality.
Such was the praise written by Isabel Morse Jones, music editor of the Los Angeles Times after hearing the Salt Lake Tabernacle Choir sing the tradi- tional Mormon hymns and songs loved wherever music is heard, in their ap- pearance at the famed Hollywood Bowl on August 20, before an audience of fifteen thousand.
The next night, August 21, the Tab- ernacle Choir received the highest praise in San Francisco, where they were presented by the San Francisco Opera Association in the Civic Audi- torium to an audience of some five thousand persons.
Both cities had proclaimed special days in honor of the choir.
The choir left Salt Lake City for Los Angeles on Sunday, August 17, following the regular broadcast, and traveled by a special train of eighteen cars, with more than four hundred forty people on board, more than three hun- dred of whom were choir members, and returned via San Francisco a week later, August 23, after a trip of more than two thousand miles. Lester F. Hewlett, president of the choir, made the tour with W. J. Thomas as tour manager, J. Spencer Cornwall, con- ductor; Richard L. Evans, commen- tator; Richard P. Condie, tenor soloist and assistant conductor, and Alexander Schreiner and Dr. Frank W. Asper, accompanists. Bishop Marvin O. Ash- ton met the choir in Los Angeles and returned with them. (See also page 581.)
J. Karl Wood Becomes Seminary Aide
Appointment of J. Karl Wood, *"* formerly principal of the Hyrum, Utah, seminary, to become a seminary supervisor in the Church School system,
has been announced by Dr. Franklin L. West, Church Commissioner of Education.
In his new capacity Elder Wood will assist in directing work in . the one hundred eight seminaries which provide week-day religious instruction and other activities for twenty-two thou- sand students of high school age in the intermountain area.
Ten Seminary Teachers Named
"P\r. Franklin L. West, Church Commissioner of Education, an- nounces the following new appoint- ments as seminary instructors : J. Wal- lace Johnson teaching at Lyman, Wyo- ming; S. George Ellsworth teaching at Bunkerville, Nevada; Eldin Ricks teaching at Overton, Nevada; Ellis H. Rasmussen teaching at Weston, Idaho; George T. Boyd teaching at Mesa, and at Phoenix, Arizona, as principal; An- thony I. Bentley teaching at Afton, Wyoming; Jay Christensen teaching at Manassa, and Sanford, Colorado; Cal- vin Bartholomew teaching at Esca- lante, Utah; Harold L. Dean, Menan, Idaho; Jack Cherrington, Grace, Idaho.
Elder Brown Speaks
At Fort Lewis, Washington
"Plder Hugh B. Brown, the Church- -L ' Army Coordinator, was the speaker at the Sunday evening serv- ices in the United States Army Chapel at Fort Lewis, Washington. In his address he called for righteousness, strength to withstand temptation, and faith. He cited cases in the lives of Washington and Lincoln where prayer played a very important part in guiding the leadership of the nation. The meet- ing was well attended by both the men in uniform and the members of the near- by branches of the Church.
British Mission Sets Apart Home Missionaries
/^\ne hundred home missionaries were ^-^ set apart in the British mission be- tween June 1, and July 10, wrote Elder
LEFT, VIEW OF THE TABERNACLE CHOIR IN HOLLYWOOD BOWL, AND RIGHT, A PART OF THE VAST AUDIENCE THAT CAME TO HEAR THEM.
Photos courtesy Deseret News.
A. K. Anastasiou, acting president of the British Mission in the Millennial Star. In the same issue, July 10, it was reported that since all the American missionaries were withdrawn two years ago, thirteen British missionaries have served six months apiece and now have returned to their homes, while twenty- seven others are now in the field.
New B. Y. U. Building Installs Chimes
A SET of chimes is being installed in "** the tower of the new Joseph Smith Building at Brigham Young Univer- sity. The chimes, a gift from the 1940 graduating class, will be connected to a public address system with a loud speaker in the tower that will magnify the notes electrically so that the chimes may be heard over the campus.
B. Y. U. Plans Founder's Day
President Franklin S. Harris has announced October 1 1 as the annual Founder's Day at Brigham Young University. The exercises, to be held in the new Joseph Smith Building, will be built around the life and teachings of the man after whom the building was named. An important part of the program, this year, will be the dedica- tion of this building.
Relief Society Board Adds New Member
"r\R. Florence Jepperson Madsen, professor of music at Brigham Young University has been appointed to the General Board of the Relief So- ciety. She was also made chairman of the Relief Society music committee which is planning special musical events of the 1942 centennial year.
Two Chapels Dedicated
T^he Elmhurst Ward Chapel of the •*■ Oakland Stake was dedicated Au- gust 31, by Elder Charles A. Callis of the Council of the Twelve.
The Mt. Pleasant South Ward, North Sanpete Stake, was dedicated September 14, by President J. Reuben Clark, Jr.
(Continued on page 604)
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
President McKay, Bishop Wirthlin Return
Dresident David O. McKay returned to Salt Lake City September 1 , af- ter dedicating the new Oahu Stake Tab- ernacle August 17, and making a tour of the Hawaiian and the Japanese Mis- sions there in the islands. President McKay was accompanied by Bishop Joseph L. Wirthlin and Sisters McKay and Wirthlin. (See also page 640.)
New Grant Stake Ward Formed
Cpringview Ward, Grant Stake, was created August 31, by a division of the Wandamere Ward. Iris B. Mor- gan was sustained as bishop of the new ward.
Visitors To Temple Square Gain
■\7isitors registering at the Temple v Square Mission in Salt Lake City from January 1, through August 3, 1941 numbered 390,876, compared with 286,- 644 for the same period last year, ac- cording to a report of John H. Taylor, mission president. In each case the visitors came from all parts of the globe.
William H. Pettigrew Dies
^7illiam H. Pettigrew, 81, head of vv the Salt Lake Temple proof read- ing department, and former mayor of Nephi, died in his Salt Lake City home, September 4. He was the father of Alma H. Pettigrew of the Y. M. M. I. A. General Board.
His life of activity for the Church and civic groups included a mission to the Southern States, 1891-93, a term as bishop of the Nephi First Ward, and membership in the commission which erected the Mormon Battalion monu- ment on the Utah State Capitol grounds. 604
THE NEW OAHU STAKE TABERNACLE
Priesthood Pageant Planned For October 1-3
P*ighteen Stakes of the Salt Lake ■^ region will join in presenting the Aaronic Priesthood pageant, "Prepare Ye the Way," October 1 to 3, in the Salt Lake Tabernacle under the direc- tion of the Presiding Bishopric. The pageant, written by Evelyn N. Wood, will have over one thousand persons in the cast, including a chorus of four hundred fifty voices under the direc- tion of N. Lorenzo Mitchell.
Wyoming Preserves Old Pioneer Road
"Cencing of a strip of land, two hun- •*■ dred feet wide and a half mile long, by the Wyoming State highway de- partment has preserved a section of a near-century old highway across the nation. Located twenty-two miles east of Farson, and but a short distance from historic Pacific Springs, the fenced portion is partly on a hill top where it cannot wash in with the storms. This road was used by Oregon-bound set- tlers, Mormon Pioneers, and California gold-rushers. At the height of its career, the trail was beaten "ten wag- ons wide" with ruts as much as three feet deep. The intervening decades of storm and trampling by sheep and cat- tle have failed to fill in the path west- ward.
Church Musicians Attend Institute
"\\7ith leading musicians as consult- ants, music teachers who direct classes for choristers and organists throughout the Church participated
August 28, in their annual Teachers' Institute at the McCune School of Music and Art in Salt Lake City.
More than five thousand students have enrolled in classes conducted in the past six years as a result of this institute, which is under the direction of the Church Music Committee.
Hawaii Honors L. D. S. People
Preceding the dedication of the Oahu * Stake tabernacle, The Honolulu Star-Bulletin, "Hawaii's greatest news- paper," ran four pages of illustrated material pertaining to the new building. About twenty-four articles of wide in- terest pertaining to the Mormon Church were printed along with many beau- tiful pictures.
Editor Riley H. Allen's leading edi- torial congratulates the L. D. S. people and he remarks:
This tabernacle is more than a remark- ably beautiful building from which all the people of Hawaii may benefit and of which this city may very well be proud. It is more than an outward symbol of a par- ticular religious sect. It is a monument to the remarkably fine record of substantial, upright citizenship which the members of the Mormon faith have established in Ha- waii as well as elsewhere.
The Mormons have been in these islands now nearly a century. . . . They have con- tributed largely to the growth meanwhile of Hawaii to its present cultural, industrial, and religious dimensions.
Arizona Pioneer Descendants Observe Historic Fete
Tn the shadow of Graham Peak where the historic Jacob Hamblin family paused in its wanderings, the descendants of that family and of other hardbitten pioneers gathered at Thatcher, Arizona, on July 24, 1941, in commemoration of the 94th anni- versary of the arrival in Salt Lake Valley of Brigham Young and his band of Mormon pioneers, July 24, 1847.
The Graham County Mormons, some 3,000 strong, count among their number many of those same pioneers whose faces are etched with the lines of early day hardships in Arizona. These watched in a silence pregnant with memories while a pageant by the members of the St. Joseph Stake de- picted the trek of the Mormon column from Nauvoo, Illinois, to Salt Lake City, thence to Arizona. Scenes of tragedy and despair encountered on every hand by those early day Mor- mons moved impressively toward the climax, wherein the choir from the Pima Ward sang "Come, Come Ye Saints" Other scenes depicted the trials of the Jacob Hamblin family.
J. M. Smith of the presidency of the St. Joseph Stake, Thatcher, Arizona, urged that the day be considered not a holiday, but a holy day in the history of the Church. — Reported by I. Thom- asson Naumann.
Triplets Enter Missionfield
"Plders William A., Willis A., and Willard A. Jensen, triplet sons of Mr. and Mrs. Hyrum A. Jensen of Marion, Summit County, Utah, left Salt Lake City, September 18, to labor in the Spanish American Mission.
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
Mural of First Primary Dedicated
A mural depicting the organization "^^ of the first Primary of the Church was unveiled and dedicated amid im- pressive services on Sunday, August 24, in the Farmington Ward Chapel, scene of the organization.
The first meeting of the Primary, held August 25, 1878, under the direction of Aurelia S. Rogers, a Pioneer mother, was attended by two hundred fifteen of the two hundred twenty-four chil- dren of the ward.
The eight by twenty-five foot paint- ing by Lynn Fausett and Gordon Cope, Utah artists, hangs behind the chapel's pulpit. They finished it after studying old photographs of those who attended the meeting. It was unveiled by Anne and Fisher Squires, great- great-grandchildren of Mrs. Rogers, and dedicated by Elder Charles A. Callis of the Council of the Twelve.
Music for the program was furnished by the Farmington Primary Children's Chorus. Six hundred were in attend- ance at the meeting.
Barracks, Smelter Monument Dedicated
A monument was dedicated August "^ 20, two miles south of Stockton on the Rush Valley road in Tooele County, marking the site of the first army bar- racks in Utah. Here in September, 1854, a detachment of the United States Army from Fort Leavenworth, Kansas, the first to enter the Rocky Mountain region, erected quarters, stables, and corrals under the command of Colonel E. J. Steptoe.
The marker, which is the ninety- seventh erected by the Utah Pioneer Trails and Landmarks association, also
commemorates the first Utah smelter, erected by W. S. Godbe, of Chicago, in 1871.
Missionaries Released In July* 1941
Argentine: Asael D. Palmer, Lethbridge, Alberta.
Brazilian: Ferrel W. Bybee, Smithfleld, Utah; George J. Angerbauer, Salt Lake.
California: Eldon C. Morgan, Lorenzo, Idaho; Sherman Parker, Richfield, Utah; Angela A. Smurthwaite, Baker, Oregon; Kay Poulson, Richfield, Utah; Chester G. Wakefield, Winslow, Arizona; Veda Steele, Iona, Idaho; Howard L. Randall, Ogden, Utah; Elaine A. Jensen, Marion, Utah; Nel- son L. Jack, Chin Lee, Arizona.
Canadian Mission: Lillis L. Widdison, Rexburg, Idaho; Charles W. Romney, Salt Lake; Richard D. Poll, Ft. Worth, Texas; A. Boyd Ostler, Salt Lake; Basil W. Fife, Brigham, Utah; Warren F. Carr, Berkley, California; Samuel W. Clark, Tooele, Utah; Hibbert N. Beesley, Pocatello, Idaho; EI- wood K. Whitehead, Twin Falls, Idaho.
Central States: Milton L. Weilenmann, Salt Lake; Walter B. Welti, Salt Lake; Floyd L. Thompson, Elfrida, Arizona; Alvin C. Soderborg, Salt Lake; Newel S. McKee, Tridell, Utah; George E. Lyon, Vernal, Utah; Robert C. Joyce, Salt Lake; Ethan Echols, Pima, Arizona; Edwin C. Cox, Cedar City, Utah.
East Central States: Lois Nichols, Mur- ray, Utah; Charles I. Worthing ton, Grants- (Concluded on page 629)
%X:
MISSIONARIES LEAVING FOR THE FIELD FROM THE SALT LAKE MISSIONARY HOME ARRIVED SEPTEMBER S, 1941— DEPARTED SEPTEMBER 17, 1941
Left to right, first row: Kenneth Ralph Tobler, June Cragun, Ha Westover, Leida Atwood, Don B. Colton, Vivian Poole, Eileen Felix, Irma Webster, Wanda Gibbons.
Second row: George E. Watkins, Myreel Smith, Mignon England, Lillian White, Marjorie McBride, Elizabeth Divett, Sarah Low, Jeana Russell.
Third row: Jesse Davidson, Maurice Dwane Dalton, lola E. Sorensen, Elsie McGinty, Ruth Pearson, Carma Peterson, Dorothy Goates, LaMar Sainsbury.
Fourth row: Eldon L. Wlton, George L. Sevy, Eugene Ellsworth, Lelie Webb, Lloyd W. Gensen, Albeit L. Payne, David Grant Skinner, John George Cannon, Wm. E. Berrett.
Fifth row: Keith Pendleton, Harold A. Tate, Lloyd Peterson, Frank R. Christiansen, Ferris E. Hillyard, Hyrum W. Loutensock, Jr., Keith Nelson, Dean Barms.
Sixth row: Reid E. Bankhead, Von R. Nielsen, Mart J. Petersen, Dean Bruce, Dee H. Barker, Howard J. Thayne, Floyd M. Carlson, Terry L. Hansen.
Seventh row: Rodney Petersen, Willard A, Jensen, William A. Jensen, Willis A. Jensen, Ray E. Foulger, Alma J. Pate, L. Marsden Durham, Rex K. Thompson.
Eighth row: K. G. Ashcroft, Jr., L. R. Walker, J. Robert Anderson, Vergil C. Fewkes, Blaine M. Jackson, Dick Moffat, Ken Homer, Dean Flanders, Vee J. Koyle, Pres. Thomas E. McKay.
Ninth row: Richard A. Allphin, Bobby K. Taylor, Lowell M. Bleazard, Curzon W. Hailes, Frank D. Day, Grange C. Goff, Loren LaSelle Taylor, Ursel Ralph Embry.
PRIMARY ORGANIZATION MURAL IN FARMINGTON WARD. (See story, this page.)
Bishops, Presiding Elders Appointed
Recently appointed bishops and presid- ing elders in the Church include:
University Ward, Chicago Stake, Henry A. Mattis succeeds George Harris.
Whitney Ward, Franklin Stake, Melvin G. Larsen succeeds Orval D. Benson.
Redondo Ward, Inglewood Stake, Joseph L. Rencher succeeds Abel J. Flint.
Ninth Ward, Liberty Stake, George F. Robison succeeds Ralph T. Cannon.
Logan Twelfth Ward, Logan Stake, J. A. Meservy succeeds Parley A. Hill.
Bellflower Branch, Long Beach Stake, Ernest W. Harper succeeds Henry Visser.
Compton Ward, Long Beach Stake, Walter R. Sant succeeds Willard E. Tyler.
Milton Ward, Morgan Stake, Robert H. Giles succeeds Herbert J. Whittier.
North Morgan Ward, Morgan Stake, Joseph E. Rees succeeds Horace Heiner.
Brooklyn Ward, New York Stake, Fried- rich Radichel succeeds F. Artell Smith.
Marsh Center Ward, Portneuf Stake, James Capell succeeds Wilford H. Sor- enson.
Archer Ward, Rexburg Stake, Sterling H. Magleby succeeds J. Ray Smith.
Leota Ward, Roosevelt Stake, Austin Wardle succeeds Imanuel S. Eksund.
Twenty-second Ward, Salt Lake Stake, Roy M. Hill succeeds George D. Jorgensen,
Goshen Ward, Santaquin-Tintic Stake, Evelyn Kirk succeeds W. W. Thomas.
Maywood Ward, South Los Angeles Stake, N. Ursel Anderson succeeds John W. Willes.
Lindon Ward, Timpanogos Stake, Jesse K. Thorne succeeds Leonard S. Walker. ^ Pendleton Branch, Union Stake, Lorin G. Folland, Jr., succeeds Calvin E. Cald- well.
Wells Ward, Wells Stake, Lon W. Reese succeeds James F. Sheffield.
Herriman Ward, West Jordan Stake, Darrel Crane succeeds Milton Bodell, de- ceased.
L. D. S. Boys in Northern California Camps Invited To Affiliate With Bay Region Church Activities
T^he M. I. A. of the Oakland and San Francisco Stakes are very anxious to reach the Latter-day Saint boys in training camps in and around San Fran- cisco Bay District. Both stakes have planned many special activities for en- tertaining our young men and hope also to have them feel at home and partici- pate in our Sunday Schools, M. I. A., and other activities.
However, many do not know that
(Concluded on page 628)
605
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
(p£jaa$uL Qum&vnk.
Courtesy 40th Division
CHURCH ACTIVITY COMMITTEE, 115TH COMBAT ENGINEERS, CAMP SAN LUIS OBISPO, CALIFORNIA Left to Right: Major Theo. E. Curtis, Jr., Regimental Chaplain; Corporal L Don Carney, Secretary to the Chaplain; Corporal Karl Manwaring, B Co. (L. D. S.); Sergeant Dean Snow, C. Co. (L. D. S.) ; Private First Class Claude G. Wisler, D. Co., Chairman, of Protestant Section. Private First Class Roscoe Maalehy, H. and S. Co. (L. D. S.); Sergeant Emmett Gahbet, F Co., Chairman of Catholic Section; Sergeant Charles Zimmer, E Co. (Protestant); Corporal Ray Watters, Medical Detachment (L. D. S-); Technical Sergeant Frank Goodrich, H. and S. Co., General Chairman of Committee (L. D. S.); Sergeant Maoc Alleman, A. Co. (L. D. S.); Private First Class Cat-ling Allen, Band (L. D. S.); Private Mahin Bensman, A. Co., Jewish Section Chairman; Private First Class Ballard J. Christiansen, Band (L. D. S.), Organist; Private First Class Dennis, Medical Detachment (L. D. S.); Warrant Officer Milton L. Perkins, Band Director, and Director of church musical activities (L. D. S.). Note: Private Hideo Asai, chairman of the Buddhist section was not present when picture was taken.
dfagjun&ntaL fojnmiJtJbiB,
By Technical Sergeant A. H. Lee, Medical Detachment, 1 1 5th Engineers ( C )
<<*T?HERE ^ J.Q bg n(;) fggj. jjjgf, any
A young man will suffer spiritual loss during the period of his military service. We believe that the young soldier will return to his home with a keener understanding of the sacred ideals for which our churches stand." This statement, made by General George C. Marshall, Chief of Staff of the U. S. Army, was not uttered in a moment of idle chatter, nor was it made merely to quell the perturbed feeling that lies in the strong sincere hearts of the parents, wives, and friends.
The writer is convinced that the above statement was made only after careful consideration, and the activities being carried out in the many army camps prove beyond a doubt that it is a goal towards which the army is marching. The army offers a fertile field for such teaching. Men have been thrown together from all parts of the country and from all types of homes. This group is representative of many different races and religious beliefs, as well as all standards of moral and social viewpoints. With such a heterogeneous group one would think that little could be accomplished, but we have leaders who are tilling the soil in such a way that it cannot help but produce results that will startle the most skeptical.
Here in our own regiment, the 115th Engineers Combat, a twenty-three thousand dollar chapel will soon be available for all religious and cultural activities. While the chapel is being completed, religious services are being conducted, interestingly, invitingly, and educationally in the Recreation Build- ing. Every man is being given a chance to express himself spiritually no matter what his faith, creed, or belief might be. A member of the L. D. S. Church may attend Priesthood and Sacrament Meetings. A member of the Catholic Church has the opportunity to attend Mass. In addition to denominational meetings, an undenominational, but
606
ATTENDANCE REPORT
Melchizedek Priesthood Meeting,
115th Engineers (C)
July 27, 1941, 8:00 a. m.
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H. 6 S. Company.... 19 10 7 2
A Company 25 22 3 0
B Company 11 5 3 3
C Company 20 9 5 6
Medical
Detachment 6 3 3 0
Band 10 5 2 3
115th Medical
Regt 12 8 4 0
Total Elders 103 62 27 14
Others Present 8
Percentage of Ordained Elders present..60% Percentage present of those who were able to attend 82%
(Total enrollment less those who were excused ) Men were excused only for the following reasons :
1. Absent from camp on furlough.
2. Illness.
3. Absent from camp, attending army schools.
4. On military duty during hour of serv- ice: guard duty, K. P., etc.
THEO. E. CURTIS, Jr.
Major, 115th Engineers (C) Regimental Chaplain
worshipful service is held each Sunday morning for the entire regiment.
There is one thing, however, that has impressed the writer: a committee un- der the direction of the Regimental Chaplain, Major Theo. E. Curtis, Jr. This committee is unique so far as this, the 40th Division is concerned. It is being watched with interest to see how it is going to work. As young as it is, it is producing and will continue to produce some startling results.
The committee is composed of fifteen
Under the caption "Peaceful Cumorah, Cradle of the Mormon Faith," an article from the pen of Ruby Price Weeks appeared in the July Ford News, along with three illustrative pictures.
A few paragraphs are quoted from the article.
if
Nighttime motorists unfa- miliar with the interesting spots of central New York, wonder at the shaft of light atop a hill just outside the Village of Palmyra, New York, on Route 21. They may have heard of the 'village with four churches on four corners' . . . history may have taught them that Spanish-war-veteran Rear Admiral Sampson was born here . . . recent biographies on Winston Church- ill may have informed them that his mother was born thereabouts. But they probably do not know that this little settlement lays claim to being the cradle of Mormonism.
"That is why the arresting shaft of light holds forth; it illuminates the Angel Moroni Monument ... a true symbol of the constant faith of the Mormon people. . . .
"But in peaceful, obscure Cumorah, the belief and sincerity is just as strong and constant. During the last thirteen years, 400 acres of land have been purchased; the memorial to the Angel Moroni has been erected and the once bald hill transformed into a veritable beauty spot. Every summer an im- pressive pageant is presented — a pageant which draws thousands of spectators and grows more dramatic year by year. It is given at night and covers the complete history of the Mor- mon people.
"Pageant-loving motorists thorough- ly enjoy this dramatic spectacle from the seats constructed — for the event — at the base of the hill. New York State Police guard the twenty-acre parking place reserved for cars. ... A gather- ing of 43,000 spectators was reported for 1940."
members and represents five different religious divisions or philosophies — Mormon, Catholic, Protestant, Budd- hist, and Jewish. The committee meets at least once each week to discuss ways and means of making interesting, worth- while services and to promote attend- ance and increase participation.
The attendance and interest in reli- gious services is steadily growing in this regiment. This committee, a brain- child of our Chaplain, Major Theo. E. Curtis, Jr., is not only directly respons- ible for much of this, but is proving an old saying of one of my former in- structors, Professor Guy C. Wilson,- — "The color of a man's skin is not the index to his soul."
fRfBoofHacR
WEST OF THE RIVER
(Dorothy Gardiner. Thomas Y. Crowell Co., 1941.)
THE stirring romance of the conquest of the West, a most important chapter in the building of America, is not well known. Therefore this book should be welcomed. It recites informally the early history of "that part of the North American continent lying west of the Missouri River and north of the Santa Fe Trail." First, the western country as a whole and the several early westward routes are described. Then fol- lows the story of the development of the West, from the coming of the first white men and the fur traders to the days of permanent settlement. The early means of transportation, with pack animals, oxen, horses, even camels, are described. The stage coach and the Pony Express appear in review. Indians and adventurers mingle with home hunters and gold seekers. The narrative is fascinating, brimful of human interest. Once begun, the reading of the book will be finished. There are eighteen full-page rare illustrations.
It is unfortunate that in dealing with Utah and the Mormons Miss Gardiner has followed unreliable sources. Nephi did not present the plates to Joseph Smith; polyg- amy was never mandatory upon members of the Church; the Danites were not formed within the Church; the Church did not at any time engage in blood purging and heretic hunting; the Mormons in '57 did not consider Utah a state independent of the United States; etc., etc. — /. A. W.
WHAT ARE THE VITAMINS?
(Walter H. Eddy, Ph. D. Reinhold Publishing Corp., New York, 1941. 225 pages.)
P\r. Eddy, who is professor of Physiolog- "-*' ical Chemistry at Teachers College, Columbia University, is eminently qualified to write this book on the all-important subject of vitamins — their source, their na- ture, their purpose, their effects. Dr. Eddy has explained scientifically the chemical nature of each vitamin (so far as is known up to date) as well as indicating how much of each one is needed by the normal indi- vidual, and where and how they may be obtained.
The book is timely, gives the most per- tinent scientific data on the subject gleaned from the author's own personal investigation as well as a review of the most recent scientific literature on the subject. It should be studied by every teacher of nutrition, by dieticians, physicians, and will be appre- ciated by intelligent, well-read laymen who should be interested in this important sub- ject.—L. D. W.
THE EATER'S DIGEST
(Asa C. Chandler. Farrar and Rinehart, New York, 1941.)
'"Phis is the day of "Digests" on every -*- conceivable subject. However, the present volume instead of being a handy- size pamphlet is a book of 330 pages written by a man who is professor of biology at Rice Institute in Houston, Texas.
The whole field of proper nutrition is covered in this book, which is written in a
simple "chatty" manner understood and enjoyed by everyone. Yet it is thoroughly scientific and includes the latest knowledge on the subject. And this information is so very necessary today. Much is heard on every side about "Food will win the war and make the peace," and unquestionably food is the most important factor in human well-being; yet, as Dr. Chandler says, "The average mother and housewife is as ig- norant of calories and vitamins as she is of the gold standard or how her refrigerator works." He makes a plea that these truths be taught in the grade schools and especially in high schools, for the youth so
taught may take an invaluable part in the general welfare of the family and community as well.
Parents of today who have not had this opportunity will find the book invaluable. Exception must be taken to certain state- ments, especially those regarding alcohol as a food; yet on the whole the book is sound.
Charming illustrations add interest to the text, which deals in its table of contents with feeding problems from "calories and vitamins to bellyaches"! — L. D. W.
(Continued on page 612.)
Announcing a new book to be ready for October Conference
J Jul (p/isidjudjwtdu o^ jthiL gAwuck
By PRESTON NIBLEY
300 pages, printed in large 14 pt. readable type. Beautifully illustrated with large pictures of the seven presidents of the Church. Written in a pop- ular style which will make very interesting reading for children as well as adults. Contains a brief biographical account of the life, accomplishments and missionary labors of the seven great men who have served as leaders of the Mormon people. An ideal book for teachers of Priesthood Quorums and Auxiliary organizations.
ON SALE OCTOBER 1ST
$2.50
M. I. A. READING COURSE BOOKS,
1941 -'42 Season
EXECUTIVES— "Lincoln, Man of God," John Wesley Hill, Special ..$1.75
SPECIAL INTEREST—
"Healthful Living," Harold S. Diehl _____ 2.75
"For This My Glory," Paul Bailey 2.50
"Cumorah's Gold Bible," E. Cecil McGavin. 2.25
"Brigham Young, the Colonizer," Dr. Milton R. Hunter 3.00
M MEN-GLEANER— "The Improvement Era"
EXPLORER— "The Latter-day Prophet," George Q. Cannon .50
JUNIOR— "This Is Freedom," R. L. Nelson 2.00
SCOUT— "Pioneer Stories," Preston Nibley..... 1.00
BEE HIVE—
Builders, "The Blue Willow," Doris Gates _ 2.00
Gatherers, "All The Days Were Antonia's" Gretchen McKown and
Florence Stebbins Gleeson _ .„__ ____ 2.00
Guardians, "The Yearling." Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings 1.29
Bee-Keepers Reference Book. "Pioneer Stories," Preston Nibley 1.00
HEADQUARTERS FOR BOOKS, GIFTS AND GREETING CARDS FOR EVERY OCCASION
DESERET BOOK COMPANY
44 EAST SOUTH TEMPLE
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH
607
fcdfafuaL
THE GENERAL CONFERENCE
HThe One Hundred and Twelfth Semi-annual Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will convene in the Tab- nacle, Salt Lake City, Utah, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, October 3, 4, and 5, with general sessions each day at 10 a. m. and 2 p. m. The general Priesthood meeting will be held in the Tabernacle on Saturday, October 4, at 7 p. m.
The First Presidency.
STAKE MISSION PRESIDENTS' CONFERENCE, OCTOBER 2
Ctake Mission Presidents from throughout the Church have been invited to partici- pate in a special conference in Salt Lake City, Thursday, October 2nd, under the direction of the First Council of the Seventy. Sessions will be held at 10 a. m. and 2 p. m. in the as- sembly room on the fourth floor of the Church Office Building, 47 East South Temple Street. The day will be devoted to discussion by the Stake Mission Presidents and assigned speak- ers of problems pertaining to the Stake Mis- sions.
The regular semi-annual Seventies' Confer- ence will convene as usual in Barratt Hall, 4:15 p. m.( Saturday, October 4.
BISHOPS* CONFERENCE OCTOBER 2
"Dishops of the Church have been invited to participate in a special conference in Salt Lake, Thursday, October 2. Important phases of the work of the Church entrusted to bishops will be discussed in all-day sessions. The Aaronic Priesthood Pageant, "Prepare Ye the Way," will furnish the program for the evening.
JhsL (DajnxpJwjuLA, Shumb&A,
Tf we were called upon to make a list of the evils of our day, the evil of indifference would be well up toward the top. Collectively, men appear to be grossly indifferent toward most things which do not immediately and definitely affect their own lives and comfort. A calamity a thousand miles away has a passing effect on us as we read about it or hear about it, but it is largely an intellectual matter. Comparatively few men are stirred to action by a calamity a thousand miles away. In- deed, it is difficult to stir some from the complacency of indifference toward what goes on even in their own town or in the next street, for that matter, so long as it doesn't contribute to their personal discomfort, or injury, or inconvenience.
Men are a good deal that way about their eternal future, also. Why should they disturb themselves about that which now seems to be a remote here- after, so long as the day passes pleasantly, so long as no one disturbs their tranquility or challenges their beliefs, or shakes their confidence in the sooth- ing thought that all is well, and always will be, with them. There are ways to quiet the over- zealous — there are ways to deal with an active opponent — but how to stir an indifferent man out of his self-complacency is a question that has often begged for an answer.
This thought carries with it a refrain that goes back to the words of St. John who addressed himself thus to the Laodiceans:
I know thy works, that thou art neither cold nor hot: I would thou wert cold or hot. So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth. Because thou sayest, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and knowest not that thou art wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked: I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that thou mayest be rich; and white raiment that thou mayest be clothed ... be zealous therefore, and repent. (Revelation 3:1549.)
This ancient indictment of an indifferent people has another refrain in the words of a later utterance, which says: "Men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will." (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27.) No man can afford to be indifferent to the issues of the day in which he lives, or to the issues which con- cern that eternal journey which we are all traveling together. Would that there could be found some quick and sure way to wake all men from the dan- gerous slumber of indifference. — R. L. E.
608
EVIDENCES AND RECONCILIATIONS
xlii. What Ia. cl 3tibsUiaL dfarfjuyhtL?
HThe word liberal, correctly used, has a noble meaning. The true liberal hates slavery of every kind. He battles for human freedom. He wants liberty in thought and action. He is tolerant, free from bigotry, and generous in all his deeds. He places truth above all else and hungers for full truth. He welcomes all new improvements and calls for more — the telegraph, electric light, tele- phone, printing press, typewriter, railroad, airship, radio. He insists that every new invention must be used for human welfare, with full respect to civil and moral law. In short, the liberal seeks to make better the day in which he lives, and he becomes therefore a crusader for the betterment of the hu- man race.
Such a liberal, to accomplish his purpose, holds fast, without the least concession, to the convictions of his soul. He is anchored to the rock of truth, as he may see it. He never wavers from the basic, underlying principles of the cause, whether of church or state, to which he is committed. All the world knows how and where he stands.
His liberalism lies in his constant attempt to make the underlying unchanging principles of the cause he represents serve the changing conditions of the day. He may differ with the superficial con- ventions of the past, but not with its established truths. He may refuse to continue the church archi- tecture of the past but will insist that the ancient truths of the Gospel be taught in every building dedicated to worship. He may be forever seeking, under changing conditions, to make the doctrine of human brotherhood more effective in behalf of the needy. He is a believer who seeks to use his beliefs in every concern of his life.
Unfortunately, the word liberal is not now al- ways properly used. It has been used, or misused, for so many purposes that its original meaning has largely vanished. Word-juggling, making a good word cover a doubtful or an ugly cause, is an age- old pastime. Words are too often used as shields to hide or disguise truth. Many men are inclined to hide their true motives behind a word.
The self-called liberal is usually one who has broken with the fundamental principles or guiding philosophy of the group to which he belongs. He is an unbeliever. He claims membership in an organ- ization but does not believe in its basic concepts; and sets out to reform it by changing its founda- tions. He is forever entangling his unbelief with his membership. He wants the protection of the organization, therefore refuses to admit frankly that he rejects the fundamental beliefs of the cause and seeks truth elsewhere. It is a species of cowardice. In the United States, communists, nazis, or fascists would probably insist that they are liberals. In a church, the liberal refuses to accept the doctrine of the church or the way of life that it enjoins upon its members. It is an undeserved compliment to designate such men by the noble word liberal; they
are apostates from a cause, engaged in building their own cause under false colors, whether in the state or the church. They ar-e often without basic convictions, rudderless mariners, victims of every passing wave. Such men, whatever they may call themselves, are dangerous to human happiness. Certainly, they are not entitled to be called liberals within the organization of which they are members. Their chief pastime is to sow the seeds of anarchy in the hearts of others.
It is folly to speak of a liberal religion, if that re- ligion claims that it rests upon unchanging truth. Neither can one be a liberal in religion except in the application of the underlying doctrine to human needs. It would be as preposterous as speaking of a liberal science, since science rests upon truthful observations of nature. It is only in the use of scientific discoveries that the word liberal may be used. One either accepts or rejects truth. There is no middle course.
Proponents of a liberal religion are probably not certain of the foundations of their own faith and characterize their distrust by the world liberal. They are doubters. For example, a Catholic or Protestant Christian who denies the literal resur- rection of Jesus Christ has no right to claim the title liberal. He is an agnostic to, or unbeliever in, a fundamental, necessary doctrine of the church.
It is well to beware of people who go about proclaiming that they or their churches are liberal. The probabilities are that the structure of their faith is built on sand and will not withstand the storms of truth. Usually, if they try to define their liberal- ism, the teeth of the wolf appear under the sheep's clothing.
Under the definition of true liberalism, the Church of Jesus Christ is preeminently liberal. First, it makes truth and love of truth its founda- tion. The whole latter-day work was initiated by Joseph Smith's search for truth. "In the midst of this war of words and tumult of opinions, I often said to myself: What is to be done? Who of all these parties are right . . .?" Thus came the first great vision of Joseph Smith; and as a consequence of his search for truth came the other revelations, and the enduring light-giving structure of the Church. In his differences with the beliefs of the churches of his day, he did not seek cover under the name of an existing church. Instead he frankly formed another Church and fought out the issue on the basis of his own fundamental doctrine. It is understood that every worthy member of the Church must likewise seek and find truth for him- self. Then, the Church recognizes that there is constant change on earth but insists that every change must respect and use the basic doctrine of the Church, and must be for human good. It de- clares that men "live and move and have their being" under the law of progress. Change steps upon the heels of change in the unfolding of a progressive universe. The simple eternal truths of existence are combined and combined again, in different ways, but progressively, to serve man on his never-ending journey. It is much as the endless combination of the few numerical digits from simple to increasingly larger numbers. Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints do not need to look elsewhere for a liberal Church.
— /. A. W.
609
CONDUCTED BY MARBA C. JOSEPHSON
"SO YOU'RE MY SON" By Dr. Theodore R. Martin
How many times have you emptied your son's pockets and been amazed at the conglomeration of things you have found there? Un- questionably you have discovered such important things as marbles, tops, stones for his sling-shot, possibly the
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sling-shot itself, nails, pocket-knife, chalk, a chewed-off pencil, eraser, fish- line, and even had your fingers pricked by one of his best bait-hooks. Yes, you have been astonished and some- times amused, that all these things should come out of two front pockets, two back pockets, and a small watch pocket of one pair of trousers.
Mother, you have been patching the pockets of these trousers or possibly putting in a new seat while the boy is sound asleep in bed after a hard day at play and while Dad sits comfortably reading the evening paper. Sometimes you have bothered Dad with the de- tails and have asked him to speak to the boy about such steam-shovel loads in his pockets, but by morning Dad has forgotten all about it while wondering if he has the proper necessities in his own pockets before starting for the office. Except for the slight expense of a new pair of trousers or the trouble of patching, it is such a trivial matter, anyway, because if he takes these things out he will find so many, many other things to take their place. Hence, we know you have returned these most precious possessions to the pockets, the
ones from which you thought they came — but if you could see them again the next day you would find them re- arranged to the exact position of the night before. As you gaze at the boy in his bed you couldn't possibly scold him, and still you feel that the things you have found there in his pockets have given you a better insight to the activities of your boy throughout the day.
But — have you ever stopped to ex- amine the mind of the boy and the nu- merous things that clutter it? Have you ever stopped to patch up the many loop-holes there — to weed out the per- nicious and detrimental and transplant there some of the most lovely and worthwhile experiences of your own life? Have you tried to understand more thoroughly the thoughts of your boy by exploring his brain during his waking hours as you have done his pockets during his sleep?
You will be filled with awe at his intellectual prowess and astonished at his capacity to wiggle and worm his way out and around things that make him wary of your inquisitiveness. Gradually you will find the bonds of
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understanding strengthening and your son will find that you, too, faced many of the perplexing problems that now confront him. Your successes will be relived in memory and honest effort made to develop them in actuality, and your possible failures, too, will serve as bridges over the gaping crevasses of would-be disappointments in his own life.
Prepare your own mind for the op- portunities that will come to share a few waking hours with the toys in the pockets of your son's brain. He is part of you — for he is your son.
By Barbara Badger Burnett
Tomato Steak
3 pounds round steak (cut 2 inches thick)
2 cups tomato juice
2 carrots
1 large onion
2 cloves
2 teaspoons salt
}/% teaspoon pepper
2 tablespoons flour
2 tablespoons water
Score the meat by slashing with a sharp knife. Place it in a casserole and sear at 500 degrees for 20 minutes. Put the carrots through the coarse knife of the food chop- per. Add the carrots and the seasonings to the meat. Pour the tomato juice over the meat. Cover and bake at 275 degrees for 3 hours. Remove from the oven. Add the 2 tablespoons of flour mixed with 2 tablespoons of water. Boil together over a surface burner for a few minutes until thickened enough for gravy.
American Chop Suey With Noodles
1 pound fresh lean pork 4 onions
Yl tablespoon fat
3 cups celery
2 green peppers 1^2 cups mushrooms 1J/2 teaspoons salt
2 cans consomme
Cut the pork into small pieces and slice the onions very thin. Brown in a pan with the fat. Place in a baking dish and add the celery, peppers, and mushrooms cut in small pieces. Add the salt and consomme. Cover and bake for 3 hours at 275 degrees. Serve with noodles.
Hallowe'en Fruit Salad
2 packages orange gelatin 2 cups hot water 2 cups cold water 2 cups diced pineapple 2 cups diced peaches 1 cup diced pears 1 cup seedless grapes 16 canned peach halves lettuce
Dissolve the gelatin in hot water. Add
the cold water and chill until it begins to
thicken, then add all the fruit except the
peach halves. Put the peach halves in
(Concluded on page 612)
IF !T7S BORDEN'S IT'S GOT TO BE GOOD
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
§ LAST MINUTE MOOS
Says Elsie, the famous Borden cow:
Utah? Why that's where many of my Borden friends live and work. That's where (in Logan) rich, pure milk from Utah cows is evaporated by Borden's, irradiated with Sunshine Vitamin D. No wonder Utah gro- cers are proud to offer their custom- ers this fine Utah product. Are you enjoying it? Do.
A Utah Product
Get Those 3 Pottery Bowls!
For cereals . . . and a host of other uses
They're a cheery canary yellow, 2y8 inches high and 55/8 inches across and made of the finest pottery. Every housewife will find many uses for them. You'll surely want three to start with, espe- cially when it's so easy to get them at less than half what you'd expect to pay.
Send these 2 BOX TOPS and
Go to your grocer. Get a box oi C* ^^ POLKA DOT. the modern bluing, and a J I If*
REGULAR SIZE box of PAR SOAP. Send %^ ^ ^ us the tops of these boxes, with 50c and three bowls of gleaming California table pottery will be sent you post paid. POLKA DOT is the modern bluing you use with soap ... in the washer or tub . . . while you wash. Cuts washing time and is mighty economical, too. Try POLKA DOT next time, with PAR. Enjoy a better, easier washing. And, for the pottery, send 50c and the two box tops to —
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THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
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rows hollow side up in a shallow pan. Pour the fruit mixture over the peaches and chill until firm. Turn upside down to unmold. Cut in squares around each peach. Place on lettuce loaf and make a face on the peach with raisins and mara- schino cherry.
Raisin Pudding Cake
1 cup sugar
J/2 cup shortening
2 eggs
% cup diluted evaporated milk
1 cup finely rolled graham cracker crumbs
1 cup flour
3 teaspoons baking powder 34 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla Yl CUP chopped nuts 1 cup seedless raisins
Cream the sugar and shortening together. Add the well-beaten eggs, milk, and graham cracker crumbs. Add the flour, baking powder, and salt sifted together. Add the vanilla, nuts, and raisins. Pour into two greased layer cake tins and bake about 40 minutes in a moderate oven (375 de- grees). Cool and put together with cream filling. Cover top with seven minute frost- ing.
For the cream filling, add 2 cups of milk to one package of vanilla pudding. Stir until the boiling point is reached. Cool.
Bread and Butter Pickles
20 medium size cucumbers cut % inch thick 5 cups water 3 cups cider vinegar
1 teaspoon alum
2 teaspoons salt
Mix thoroughly; allow to come to a boil, remove from the fire and let stand 30 min- utes. Drain and pack into sterilized jars. Add to the top of each jar 2 tablespoons minced onion. Pour over the pickles the following solution which has been brought to a boil:
Yi gallon cider vinegar
1 pint water
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons celery seed
2 teaspoons mustard seed 2 teaspoons tumeric Seal jars.
Peach and Cantaloupe Conserve 1 pint diced peaches
1 pint diced cantaloupe
2 lemons, juice and grated rind
3 cups sugar
2/3 cup walnuts, blanched and chopped
Combine ingredients, with exception of nuts. Cook mixture until thick and clear, add nuts and pour into sterilized jars and seal.
dicmdsf diinidu
Payment for Handy Hints used will be one dollar upon publication. In the event that two with the same idea are submitted, the one postmarked earlier will receive the dollar. None of the ideas can be returned, but each will receive careful consideration.
If buns, sweet rolls, or raisin bread are * brushed with a cloth dipped in a mixture, one part molasses, one part water, while they are still hot, they will have a delicious flavor. — Miss M. T., Rockville, Utah.
Put a couple of small pieces of charcoal in your refrigerator to absorb odors. — Mrs. G. C, Monte Vista, Colo.
To wash crystal— extra care should be exerted to avoid breakage, especially the fine stemware. Line the dishpan with a thick turkish towel and wash only one glass at a time. A fine brush is handy for scrubbing cut ware. — Mrs. C. W. B., Taber, Alta, Canada.
A delicious whipped cream substitute is easily made by adding a mashed banana to the white of one egg. Beat until stiff. The banana will almost dissolve, but it should be used immediately after prepar- ing.^— Mrs. T. F., Shelley, Idaho.
Spinach will retain its bright green color if cooked with one-fourth to one-half teaspoon of baking soda in boiling water. —Mrs. L. F., Olympia, Wash.
To hang skirts on an ordinary wire hanger, catch the band or top of skirt with spring type clothespins which have been hooked over the rod on the hanger. — -Mrs. A. E. P., Tucson, Arizona.
Defrost an electric refrigerator unit in a minimum of time by this method. Turn off the refrigerator, empty the ice- cube trays and fill them with very hot water. Replace them in the freezing unit and the box will defrost in a very few minutes with- out lowering the overall temperature of the refrigerator appreciably. — E. C. S., Phila- delphia, Pa.
. » .
On the Book Rack
(Concluded from page 607)
THE SECRETARY'S HANDBOOK— A MANUAL OF CORRECT USAGE (Sarah Augusta Tain tor and Kate M. Munro. Macmillan, New York, 1941. 540 pages. $2.50.)
This complete revision of a handbook which has proved successful from its initial publication in 1929 will prove of great worth to all who need to write. The authors state that they have studied carefully the various manuals of style and have pointed out, where there is a great difference of method in them. Part I deals with capital- ization, punctuation, hyphenation and di- vision of syllables, use of italics, figures, spelling, diction, abbreviations, and points of grammar. Part II includes letter-writing; correct usage in letters; invitations; business announcements; telegrams, cablegrams, and radiograms; the framing of petitions; the writing of minutes; the framing of resolu- tions; the framing of constitutions; the writ- ing of reports; preparation of manuscript; compiling a bibliography; proofreading; making an index; rules for alphabetical fil- ing; sources of information useful to secre- taries; citations; and inscriptions.
This should be a must book for secre- taries.— M. C. /.
NOT BY STRANGE GODS
( Elizabeth Madox Roberts. The Viking Press, New York, 1941. 244 pages. $2.50.)
TO most readers this book will have a . nostalgic flavor, for they will know that this gifted writer will write no more. Her death is a distinct loss to the literary world. Not by Strange Gods is a collection of six of Miss Roberts' short stories written during the past eight years.
In these stories, as in all her previous work, Miss Roberts proves her ability to portray the humanity that she knows so well— M. C. /.
612
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
On the Book Rack
RESTLESS ARE THE SAILS (Evelyn Eaton. Harper and Brothers, New York, 1941. 348 pages. $2.50.)
This novel dealing with the New France in the American hemisphere is refresh- ing and stirring. Treating old material in a new way, this book deals with Paul de Morpain, a prisoner of war in New England, who contrived to convey news to his coun- trymen of the attack planned by the colonists on Louisburg. Of more impelling interest, however, than this historical material, is his own personal life in which he met with all kinds of unusual experiences, which threatened to ruin his life, but in the end worked to his betterment.
The author's ability to recreate the at- mosphere of the period with which she deals is nowhere more marked than in this, her latest book. — M. C. /.
NO LIFE FOR A LADY (Agnes Morley Cleaveland. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, 1941. 356 pages. $3.00.)
This autobiography introduces its readers to the New Mexico of cowboy fame. The author, who belies the title of the book, still thinks of the northwestern section of New Mexico as "home." She was born there in 1874, daughter of the chief con- struction engineer of the young Santa Fe railroad and his gentie wife. Two other children were also born to them. Then the father was killed at the unready age of thirty-eight, after which his young widow tried desperately to manage his farm, until the time when Agnes and her brother Ray took it over. Raymond Morley became in his own right a famous cattle man, with holdings of nearly a half a million acres. The negative feeling that may be aroused when looking at the artist's end papers and finding Utah misnamed Idaho vanishes as the reader gets into the story, for it is redolent with the flavor of the old West, and rings true. Filled with rare good humor, the book moves to a satisfactory conclusion, revivifying this important pe- riod of our westward expansion. — M. C. J.
WHERE STANDS A WINGED SENTRY
(Margaret Kennedy. Yale University Press, New Haven, 1941. 251 pages. $2.00.)
Beautifully written by a competent author, this book bares the souls of some English folk — and makes them beau- tiful and courageous and much to be emu- lated.
In the beginning section, she states: "All my life I have had a great curiosity to know what it felt like to live through history," and then she relates the historic period be- tween May and September of 1940. Per- haps the wisest test of the merit of a people is their ability to "take it." Miss Kennedy proves in this book that Englishmen cannot only take it, they can take it smiling!
In addition to the chronicle of the time which the author depicts so tellingly, she analyzes the characteristics of the English, the Americans, and the French in such a manner that all of her readers will be grate- ful for her analysis.
But more than all else, the book reveals the hopes and fears and courage of a people, fighting for its very life and its ideals. This book is a first-hand account of a genial English family's response to the hardships and horrors of the war. — M. C. J.
GRANDMA LEARNS ABOUT SOUP
OUT HERE IN THE WEST
f. You should have seen
Grandma's eyes bulge when she discovered that I was buy- ing soup instead of making it— and after all the training she had given mc at home, Down East.
2. But she was amazed to sec how
the children loved their Rancho Soup, so completely amazed that she broke down and tried some herself. "Why this is wonderful," she cried. "Imagine soup as delicious as this coming out of a can. I never dreamed of such a thing."
3* "No wonder the children arc so
healthy," she beamed. "Why that Rancho Soup is simply bursting with good, sub- stantial food. And it tastes bome-made-as if it had been simmered for hours, just as I taught you back home. I've made a great discovery," she added proudly.
RANCHO SOUPS
Vegetable
Mushroom
Chicken Noodle
Pea
Asparagus
Tomato
4r, "Simmering is only half the story," I told her. "Rancho Soups are made from top quality vegetables grown right around the Rancho kitchen, and from poultry and pastes produced nearby. That's why Rancho Soups are so good - and inexpensive!" P. S. Grandma took a case of Rancho Soup home with her.
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(Continued from page 598)
office hours more and more full of activity, a bustling and ado that he formerly had not known.
Of course, Herb had no illusions about this work. Occasionally, however, he thought of little Doris and her anticipation. With this on his mind, he dismissed his earlier aversion to such activity. The eve- nings sped.
"Don't you love to do these things?" asked Alice one night.
Herb shook his head. "It's such a waste of time," sharply. "These children will grow up and forget all about you and all you've done for them or tried to do."
"Isn't the sheer pleasure of doing good enough payment?"
He was unable to understand the logic of such thought. When people gave something, they ex- pected to be repaid. It had always been so in his experience. There- fore he had a right to demand a tangible reward for his efforts.
"Why have you helped me with this work, then?" her eyes growing cold. "I can't repay you."
"I like being with you."
With a little smile, Alice shrug- ged her shoulders and the work con- tinued. A few more nights and the end was in sight. Herb greeted this with a sigh, not so much because these pleasant evenings with Alice were soon to be over — for he hoped to spend others with her — but be- cause this business had become strangely enjoyable.
With only a few more items to be arranged, Herb suggested a trip to the "home" to see that all was prepared out there. No dark-eyed little Doris skipped to greet them.
"She's in the hospital," came the answer. "Nothing serious," calmly. "She was running down the steps, stumbled, and broke a leg."
"But she had her heart set on this party!" Alice cried, turning to Herb, appeal darkening her eyes.
"Let's drive in to the hospital," he said at last.
After seeing that Doris was com- fortable and worrying only about the coming party, Herb vanished, leav- ing Alice to soothe the child. In a few minutes he reappeared, how- ever, with smug satisfaction lighting his face.
"Don't worry too much about the party," he told Doris when he and Alice left.
Outside, he turned to Alice. "Why can't we have the party right here?"
THE IMPROVEMENT ERA, OCTOBER, 1941
TANGIBLE PAYMENT
"Do you suppose the hospital would allow it?"
"Certainly. That's why I ducked out of the room before. I went to the superintendent. He agreed."
"Oh, but how could we have it here. The children and the decora- tions and all of that. Oh, and the food. It's impossible!"
Herb laughed. "I'll talk the boss into letting me use his big car, then we can drive the young ones here. We won't need any better decora- tions than the children and their fun."
The next morning Herb appealed to his employer, Mr. Mattingly. "I have only a coupe, that's why we need a bigger car. Otherwise we'd have to make so many trips that the last children would just arrive when the first ones would have to leave."
Consent came readily, to his sur- prise, and perhaps the assistance from Mr. Mattingly lent a greater shade of importance to the work. In any case, a glow warmed Herb and heightened his enjoyment as the last package was wrapped on the Saturday of the party.
"Now don't get into a fret over anything," Herb cautioned as Alice began to fuss and worry. They were speeding out to the hospital in Mr. Mattingly's big sedan.
"I can't help it. I'm sure we've forgotten something. Did you put in that extra jar of pickles?"
He groaned. "Yes, I did. Also the bread and the butter and the ham. Everything! Quit fluttering around. Be calm and nicely effi- cient, like me," his grin belying his own pulse rate.
.tYlice subsided at last, only to revive when, all the supplies having been deposited at the hos- pital, they drove over to get the chil- dren.
"We'll take half of them now," Herb said as the children wriggled with impatience. "Then you can stay with them at the hospital while I come back alone for the second half." The lucky first group piled into the car and jeered at those left behind.
"Please be careful," pleaded Alice as he departed for the second trip, "ltd be terrible if you had an ac- cident." He patted her hand and roared away.
After a while Herb realized that he had forgotten temporarily his
earlier qualms about driving the car full of squalling children.
"You're a swell driver, aren't you?" suddenly mumbled the boy beside him. "I wish I could learn to drive like you."
Herb laughed. "Wait until you get a little bigger," he said. "Then I'll teach you."
"Would you really?" gasped the boy. He sat straighter. "Oh, Uncle Herb! Next week, huh?"
The car pulled up before the hos- pital and Alice shepherded her charges along the white corridor and into a bright, airy room, filled with the gaiety of the other children, who billowed around the bed where lay Doris, her eyes sparkling in an- ticipation.
Then followed what seemed to Herb at times a holocaust of sound, a swelling babble that threatened to overwhelm him. Alice was sure and deft, and he scurried around at her commands. Soon the hubbub be- came less confusing. The children were really quite obedient.
The afternoon faded through the procession of games until the time for refreshments came. These were handed out on paper dishes, and the children sat before the bed of little Doris, whose eyes shone as she said a grave blessing on the food.
In the momentary hush while hungry jaws were munching, Herb was astonished to see Mr. Mattingly stroll into the room.
"I just dropped in to see how everything was getting along," he announced, and before leaving, dropped a roll of dimes into Alice's hand. "Give these to the children later."
Then the party was at an end, miraculously and successfully. Herb struggled to fill the car with the first youngsters, delivered them, and re- turned for the last bunch. After they too were off his hands, with a chorus of "Thanks, Uncle Herb!" ringing in his ears, he sped back to the hospital, where Alice had re- mained to help bring order to the bedside of Doris.
"Do you still believe a person must have a tangible payment for his efforts?" asked Alice when the two were away from the hospital.
Herb grimaced. "No," at last. "But I still like doing this because I'm with you."
She did not move. "That's why I enjoyed it, too," simply. But that was enough.
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CONDUCTED BY THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD COMMITTEE OF THE COUNCIL OF THE TWELVE — JOSEPH FIELDING SMITH, CHAIRMAN; JOHN A. WIDTSOE, JOSEPH F. MERRILL, CHARLES A. CALLIS, SYLVESTER Q. CANNON, AND HAROLD B. LEE
TWO LETTERS FROM THE FIRST PRESIDENCY
Concerning Temple Recommends
August 23, 1941 Presidents of Stakes Bishops of Wards Presidents of Missions Presidents of Branches
Dear Brethren:
/^\N July 1, 1941, all temple recom- ^^ mends expired, and it is now neces- sary to issue new ones. As we indi- cated when we sent out the new form of temple recommends at the beginning of the year, the issuing of temple recom- mends is not a perfunctory matter. Recommends are to be given only to those who are worthy to go through the temple, and the worthiness of the individual is to be attested to by the individual's own examination, which is on the back of the temple recommend, plus what the bishop or president of stake, or president of mission or pres- ident of branch, may know about the applicant.
We refer you, with a request that it be carefully reread,