---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 1
number: 2
published: 1897-12
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Our Work: Age of Membership," *Improvement Era* 1, no. 2 (December 1897): 137.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera12unse
  transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers.
  identifier: improvementera12unse
start_page: 137
end_page: 137
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1897-12)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera12unse
  publication_year: 1897
  note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1897, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Our Work: Age of Membership

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EDITOR'S TABLE. 137

latter class are by far the more numerous. Indeed it is difficult to name an author who has written on the life of Jesus, whose writings are not burdened with error; and therefore we commend to the members of our associations a careful study of these four gospels as the very best books to consult on the life of Jesus; and indeed the only ones that can be recommended without reservation. They, with the Jewish prophecies in the Old Testament, and the Nephite prophecies and the history of the ministry of Jesus on the western hemisphere, contained in the Book of Mormon, are the original sources of information concerning the earthly career of the Son of God. From them may be learned the incidents that make up the blameless life of Jesus of Nazareth — a life intended to instruct all future ages and races of men. From them may be learned the attributes of that perfect character which was intended to be, and which is, the manifestation of God to man. From them may be learned that plan of redemption designed before the foundations of the earth were laid for the salvation of man. And hence in the Manual course of study on the life of Jesus, we have sought to lead our students to those very fountains of knowledge concerning the career and doctrines of the Son of God, rather than to any streams flowing from those sources; for as streams of water take on the hue and flavor of the soils through which they cut their way, so lives of Jesus written by others than those named above, while containing much that may be good, are nevertheless liable to reflect the sectarian prejudices or religious bias peculiar to each writer. Hence our advice is, study the life of Jesus from the original sources of information.

AGE OF MEMBERSHIP.

In the instructions of the general superintendency, given in October, 1880, occurs the following passage: "The associations should be composed of young men, running to neither extreme as to their age. " That instruction in making up the membership of our improvement societies should be strictly adhered to. We say this because in some associations there is a disposition to admit very young boys as members, and when this is objected to a strong plea is made to retain them and encourage others to come, until there is great danger, if this is not checked, of making our societies children's rather than young men 's associations. There would be some excuse for admitting very young members into our organizations if the young men's associations were the only organizations in the church for the improvement of the young. But that is not the case. With the Sunday schools in existence, and the primary associations running, young boys will find in them ample opportunities for spiritual and moral education; and to take them into the young men's associations is apt to result in failure to do that grade of work it is intended our associations shall do; and will very likely result in driving away from us the very class of young men the improvement societies are intended especially to benefit. To superintendents of stakes and presidents of associations, therefore, we say, keep up the grade of your membership as to age.