Our Work

OUR WORK.

M. I. A. MANUAL WORK. Before another number of the Era is published the season's work of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Associations, for 1897-8, will have very nearly drawn to its close. Spring will be here and with it the com- mencement of another busy year's work by our agricultural community. With the greater part of the membership of our associations toil must take the place of study, and tools largely the place of books. There may be a few favored places where the societies will not be under the necessity of ad- journing as soon as this, and it may be that they could continue to run far into the summer months, but such cases will be exceptionable, most of the associations have found it necessary, to adjourn with the opening of spring. We call attention to this fact that we may urge upon the associations the necessity of crowding the work on the Manual course during the few weeks that remain of the working season. Long delay on unprofitable ques- tions is at all times unnecessary and to be avoided, but doubly so when time is as precious as it is now that the season is drawing to its close and so much yet remains to do. most of the associations will fail to It is safe to say that

complete the Manual course of study and perhaps all will fail to this year, do so; but an effort should be made to cover as much of the ground as possi- ble. But we think in nearly every association considerable ground of the course will be untouched. In that event the members should be urged to continue their study of the great subject after the associations have discon- tinued their meetings. This will not be difiScult to do, for all members have the New Testament and the Book of Mormon in their homes; and these and the Manual will be sufficient reference books on the subject; and while we know that the young men of a farming community have but little time dur- ing the summer months for reading, yet they will have some time and op- portunity if they will but avail themselves of it; and no day need be so busy with them but what a few minutes could be devoted to reading, and very much of it could be devoted to thought, as the pursuits of the farmer are of such a nature that they do not necessarily absorb his whole mental atten- tion. He can, if he will, while he drives the plow, or the seeder; feeds the stock, or mows the hay, or harvests the golden grain— let his mind rest upon things more intellectually up-lifting than these. It would be an easy and

an agreeable exercise for our young men while following the occupations enumerated to call up for consideration the various incidents in the life of Messiah learned through the exercises of the associations during the winter, and to be learned through the occasional reading on the subject through the summer months, until Messiah became to them a personal friend and companion. This we think could be done, and to assist them in further study upon the subject, we shall publish through the summer months a num- ber of papers in the Era treating more especially of the great events of "Passion Week," that is, the last week of Messiah's life previous to his death, "TheCharacterof the Savior," his "Personal Appearance," etc. etc.; and we hope thus not only to continue the interest in the subject of this winter's Manual course, but also retain a universal interest in the general work of Mutual Improvement. We are thus urgent that an effort be made to complete the Manual course during the season the associations are in session if possible, and if not then by the members individually 'uy private study through the summer months; be' cause it is the intention of the General Superintendency and Board of Aids to get out a new Manual for the season of 1898-g. What the new course of study will be is not yet determined; but a committee has been appointed to take the matter in hand, and in a few weeks will doubtless make its report to the General Superintendency and Board of Aids, and a course of study will have been outlined by the time the general annual conference meets in J une. Mean- time we extend an invitation to all the officers and members of the associations to send inany suggestionS'they may have itf relation to the course of study for next season's work, and we assure them that their suggestions will receive the careful consideration of the committee. It is our desire to make this work

*ruly "mutual," and as far as possible it is desired that we receive and in- clude within our plan of work as many suggestions of those interested in the associations as may be possible and at the same time be consistent with simplicity and practicability. Come on then, brethren, with your suggestionsi and by united efforts let us get out a Manual for our next season's work that will be a worthy successor to the excellent one we have used for the season of 1897-8. Address your communications on this subject to B. H. Roberts, Era office. Salt Lake City.

THE M. I. A GENERAL CONFERENCE FOR 1898. At the regular meeting of the General Board of the Young Men's Im- provement Associations, held on the second of February, it was decided that the Annual Conference of the associations should be held on the 'gth, 30th, and 31st of May. That will be on Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday. It is always the aim of the General Board to make these Annual Conferences in- clude the first day of June, when convenient, that the young men who make up the membership of these societies may honor in this way the anniversary of the birth of the late President Brigham Young, who was born on the first of June, 1801; and who may properly be regarded as the founder of the

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Young Men's Associations. But this year the first of June falls upon Wednes- day, and as it is desirable to have one of the conference days the Sabbath, and it is not wise to attempt to hold more than a three days' conference, we shall not be able to include the first of June in the conference days. We call attention thus early to the coming Annual Conference that the officers of the associations, and especially the secrataries, may be reminded that they will soon becalled upon to make their annual reports; they ought even now to be collecting the information, put it in shape as soon as the associations adjourn in the spring, that their reports may be ready when called for. Last year a report was received from every stake of Zion, and this year the report should be no less complete. In fact in some respects it should be more complete, especially in.the matter of stating the number of young men who are indifferent to Mutual Improvement work. We would also call the attention of the stake superintendents to the importance of being present themselves at the annual conference, and as many other of the stake officers as can find it convenient to attend should be encouraged to come, that as many of the geheral officers as possible may catch the spirit of the next season's work at first hand and disseminate that spirit throughout all the stakes of Zion. Certainly no stake should be with- out representation in the Annual Conference. If it should transpire that the Superintendent cannot be present, then he should by all means see to it that one or more of his assistants or aids should be appointed to attend the conference and represent the associations over which he presides.

THE QUESTION OF ENROLLMENT. We have learned with some surprise that in some of the associations the enrollment of members is not regarded as permanent. That is, the young men who have become members of the associations this season will not be re- garded as members next year unless they present themselves for new en- rollment. This idea should not prevail. When a young man is once en- rolled in the membership of an association he should always be regarded as a member unless he withdraws from that membership, or renders himsel unworthy to retain it. By all means let membership be regarded as per- manent. By taking this course the officers of the associations will always have a basis from which to work. And if the young men of a ward or set- tlement should become careless in relation to improvement work, if the membership is regarded as permanent, the officers of the organization would have the right to investigate the cause of the difference and labor to- gether with the other members of the association to reawaken an interest among such delinquents. Whereas if membership is regarded only as an annual affair no such sense of moral obligation to continue active in mutual improvement work would be felt by the members on the one hand, and no such right to inquire into the cause of neglect of improvement work by officers of the association as above referred to on the other. Moreover, if membership in the associations is not regarded as perma-

nent, and the association itself as a standing institution that is never to die, the idea will prevail that it is to be organized annually, and that would in- volve immense labor, and leave the associations constantly in the throes of dissolution and reorganization that would be unfavorable to progress. The General Board at its regular meeting on the evening of the i6th of February had this matter of permanent enrollment and permanancy of the as- sociations under consideration and it was unanimously decided that the as- sociations must be regarded as standing institutions that are always organized, and the membership therein permanent, until cancelled by removal, formal withdrawal, or expulsion for cause. The stake superintendents and ward presidents should take notice of this action, and where views of a contrary character have prevailed they should be corrected, and the secretaries in- structed to make the enrollment of members permanent, and in every way prepare to act in accordance with this decision of the General Board. * * * * Apropos this matter of enrollment we would call attention to the fact that the membership has now b&come so great in some of the associations that calling the roll has become very tedious work and occupies too much time. Where this is the case some new mode of taking the number of those in attendance should be adopted either by appointing tellers to quietly take the number of those who are present by counting them before the meeting is dismissed, or by giving each member a permanent number to which he answers when present. This latter method would enable the secretary to call the roll in about one-tenth of the time that it takes to call the names, and the former one would relieve the meeting from the monotony of it alto- gether. This is a matter, however, that is left for the present to each associa- tion to arrange according to the local circumstances that prevail in each association, only suggesting that some arrangement be made that one-fifth or sixth of the time of the meeting be not taken up by the formality of call- ing the roll.