---
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: 12
published: 1898-10
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Editor’s Table: A Tribute from the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations of Zion", *Improvement Era* 1, no. 12 (October 1898): 938–939.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera112unse
  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: improvementera112unse
start_page: 938
end_page: 939
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1898-10)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera112unse
  publication_year: 1898
  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 1898, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Editor’s Table: A Tribute from the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations of Zion

<!-- page:938 -->

A TRIBUTE FROM       THE YOUNG MEN'S
              MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIA-
                           TIONS OF ZION.

      TO WILFORD WOODRUFF, GENERAL SUPERINTENDENT OF
              THE ASSOCIATIONS FROM APRIL 6tH, i88o, TO
                 THE TIME OF HIS DEATH, SEPT. 2, 1 898.

          The young men of Zion feel that from them is due a            tribute

      of love and gratitude to the memory of their revered Superinten-

      dent,   Wilford "Woodruff, who    felt   it   a privilege to stand at the
      head of this great organization and       who filled the position with
      honor, in the face of advancing years.        He was peculiarly fitted,
      even in his old age, to lead the Young Men's Mutual Improvement
      work, because in mind and soul he was always young and full of
      active zeal, a true exemplar of the activity of youth,        as well as

      the ripe wisdom of age.

           The life of every good man preaches a sermon; and of the
      many truths taught by the life-sermon of Wilford Woodruff we
      shall name but a few, that seem to us he would most desire should

      find a lodgement in the hearts of the youth of Israel:

          He was a pioneer,        not only in the wilderness of rugged
      nature, but pre-eminently in the     more stubborn and intractable
      wilderness   of human nature.     A world of humanity, unbelieving
      and unloving, lay before him, which it was his mission        to convert

      and bring    into harmony with God's will.        As Elijah drew from
      heaven rain to moisten the parched earth, so he from heaven's
      fountain of grace drew down distilling dews of repentance, which
      softened the hearts of    men and made them prolific soil for the
      seeds of faith and virtue.

<!-- page:939 -->

EDITOR'S TABLE.                                          939

     He was a missionary, and to carry to the world God's message of love, he traveled more than seven times the circumference
of   the globe.   Courageous,       persistent   and undaunted, he delivered that message to the world; and though          it   requited his love
with scorn, yet like Paul of old he could say, "Necessity             is   laid
upon me; yea, woe is unto me if I preach not the Gospel."                  And
as sheaves gathered by him into his Father's garner, multitudes

of Saints on Mount Zion arise and call him blessed.

     He was a man of peace; and labored in all the conditions of
his life to uproot hate    and plant love in its place.          And as one
who stands where the       waters divide, and streams change their
courses,    he stood and    said,    "Henceforth Zion shall be in the
lead. "    As he spake   the streams of prejudice turned from his

people, and there came a multitude of voices from those laboring

in all the nations of the earth, saying:         "The tide of prejudice is
receding,   and we reach the hearts of the people.      '

     He was a man who lived in closest communion with nature.
Simple and natural in all his ways, he endeared himself to all who
love nature for herself and the natural in man.         He was the friend
of humanity, and never separated himself from them, even though

he was the associate of princes and leaders of men.
     His life, so richly filled with lessons, preaches above all the
eloquent sermon of sublime devotion to duty,                and Christ-like
humility.

     His life's epitome is this:

     "Greatness and goodness are not means, but ends!
      Hath he not always treasures, always friends.
     The great, good man? Three treasures, love and light,
     And calm thoughts, regular as infant's breath:
     And three firm friends, more sure than day and night,
     Himself, his Maker, and the angel death!"