--- 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: 2 number: 12 published: 1899-10 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: Talks to the Young Men; The Tendency to Deify Evil," *Improvement Era* 2, no. 12 (October 1899): 944–947.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera212unse 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: improvementera212unse start_page: 944 end_page: 947 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1899-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera212unse publication_year: 1899 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 1899, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Editor’s Table: Talks to the Young Men; The Tendency to Deify Evil EDITOR'S TABLE. TALKS TO THE YOUNG MEN —THE TENDENCY TO DEIFY EVIL. BY THE SENIOR EDITOR. In late years a disposition has developed among certain young men to choose a course leading to speedy destruction. A young man of excellent standing was asked, some days ago, "What are your younger brothers doing?" He made this terrible reply: "They are going to hell as fast as they can." Startling as the answer is, it is even more shocking that it is true of a class of young men growing up in the cities. They have broken loose from all healthy restraint; they do as they please; they incline to deviltry and rowdyism; love fast living; visit the restaurants for their meals; rent quarters in the business part of the city, so that they can come and go at all hours of the day and night with- out being disturbed or questioned, and have abandoned home liv- ing and influence because it abridges them in their revelries. No common pleasures satisfy them; each day must see new sensa- tions to thrill the passions and appetites. To mention the society of the Saints, Sunday schools, meetings, improvement associations, as places where true happiness may be enjoyed, is to them like bidding a king to feed on husks. They despise these institutions and the society therein as simple, fit for children, old folks and fools, not for "bloods" and their style of citizen. Their false system of living leads to high expenses, and to EDITOR'S TABLE. 945 meet these, gambling is resorted to, to say nothing of other dis- honorable and demoralizing methods of obtaining money. Some of this class have been cursed with the possession of money, which is then lavishly spent to gratify their lusts and evil passions. The hollow gospel of ease and comfort is their creed; they hold up to ridicule honorable men and sacred things. Men devoted to their homes and families, who do not dine at the restaurants, are considered by them superannuated moss-backs, and are held up to derision. In giving scope and full sway to passions, lusts and base sentiments, they seek to form a feeling against every noble thing and in favor of the abandonment of all principle, until at length respect, honor, virtue, are swallowed up in darkness and death. A recent voting contest for a prize offered by the manage- ment of one of the pleasure resorts, for the most popular lady in Salt Lake City, illustrates to what extremes this class of charac- ters will go in their desire and determination to boost vice and hold it up as being popular. Notorious characters are exalted and made falsely to appear popular. In their debased condition, they see no difference between popularity and notoriety. And yet this class are able to create a sentiment that inspires respect in some of our young people. Actually, sons of leading men, even returned missionaries, for shame be it said, have turned to this condition, in preference to the better life where the highest nature of man may be disciplined and developed. They hold in contempt the religious environments and simpler ways of the Saints whose lives St. Paul well describes — "as chastened, and not killed; as sorrow- ful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as hav- ing nothing, and yet possessing all things." It may be argued that this condition applies only to Salt Lake City, Ogden, Logan, Provo; but that is not true, for the same spirit is manifest, perhaps in a modified degree, in many other leading cities and settlements of the State. It takes on different forms of expression. Instead of restaurants as meeting places, there is the corner grocery, the post-office, the town loafing place. There is the same feeling of rebellion to wiser counsel, however, and the same sentiment that religious duties are only for the old and the crippled. The same disinclination to attend to meetings, 946 IMPROVEMENT ERA. and to build character by doing one's commonplace duty, crops forth light-mindedness and indifference and a love of pleasure pre- ; dominate. Such is the condition, and the dreadfulness of the results is enough to arouse apprehension in every soul who has the welfare of Zion at heart. It tends to the demoralization of society. It will end in a complete loss of faith. Worst of all, if possible, it will destroy moral character, and leave the person poor indeed, to end in wreck and ruin. What shall be done? In the first place, it is the plain duty of every young man to question himself as to his own course, as to his own standing. If he finds himself loving and pursuing the evil way, it is his plain duty to call a halt in his career. It is his duty by the energy of his own will, which is the soul of character, to train himself to look in a different direction, and to pursue a life-saving policy. Restrain, should be his watch-word. He should revere high objects, pure thoughts, noble aims, good men, and love God, and make a confidant and friend of Him through prayer. Parents have a great responsibility resting upon them in this matter. Every tendency to ways and thoughts should early evil be stopped in the children. and mother's duty to It is father's live and to teach right in the home. They should resolutely deter- mine to do their part in checking evil propensities in their children. It is the little evils that show themselves early, that grow, and be- come formidable in later years. These should be smothered. "In these days," quoting from John Ploughman, "children have a deal too much of their own way, and often make their mothers and fathers their slaves. It has come to a fine pass when the goslings teach the geese, and the kittens rule the cat: it is the upsetting of every- thing, and no parent ought to put up with it. It is as bad for the boys and the girls as it is for the grown folks, and brings out the worst side of their characters. I would sooner be a cat on hot bricks, or a toad under a harrow, than let my children be my masters. No, the head must be the head, or it will hurt the whole body." Every organization of the Church, also, must take part in this needed reform among our young people: the quorums of Elders, Seventies, High Priests, Teachers and the Improvement organiza- EDITOR'S TABLE. 947 tions, must labor to create a healthier sentiment, to turn the misled from their path of destruction and death, and to rebuke the grow, ing tendency to deify evil.