--- 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: 3 number: 12 published: 1900-10 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: Local Missionary Work," *Improvement Era* 3, no. 12 (October 1900): 952–956.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera312unse 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: improvementera312unse start_page: 952 end_page: 956 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1900-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera312unse publication_year: 1900 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 1900, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Our Work: Local Missionary Work OUR WORK. LOCAL MISSIONARY WORK. At the late convention of the General Board and stake officers in Salt Lake City, excellent instructions were given upon missionary work, one of the most important and prominent factors of the labors of the Young Men's Associations for this season. From remarks there made, the following points are culled, which will prove of great value in guiding presidents of wards in the selection and instruction of their missionaries. It should be remembered, in the first place, that this local missionary work is permanent — that is, it is to continue as a factor in the labors of the associations. Men may change, missionaries may change, but this work is to remain permanent. New men are to be added to fill vacancies that may be created for cause. Those men who were selected last year for this purpose, providing they are competent, and as good as can be obtained, are to continue their labors this year; but if for some cause they cannot continue, then their places are to be filled by other competent brethren, to be selected by the president of the association in consultation with the bishop of the ward. Special care should be exercised in the selection of these missionaries, so that men may be chosen who are able and competent to do the work assigned to them — men with judgment and experience. The object of this work is to convert to the Gospel and to Church duties such young people as are indifferent to counsel in this regard. It is to be a labor of conversion, just such work as the missionaries are performing among the people in the nations of the earth. It was found last season that the effects of the missionary labors were most excellent, and there are many examples where young men were converted from the error of their ways to a better life and to an interest in the work of God. Instances are on record where boys were converted from secret gambling, from swearing, and other evil habits, to- OUR WORK. 953 join the associations and become faithful members therein. In the world, we spend much money to convert a soul. The average number of converts for each missionary sent out by The Church is less than three per annum. We have a better field at home, which can be reached in comparative ease; and the object of this labor is to open this field among the young people in Zion. Great mistakes have been made by those who are called upon to perform this labor among the young people. It is an error to try to convert young men in bunches upon the street corners, or in the saloons. Individual work is absolutely necessary, for in this way the hearts of the young men may be reached, and you may get near to them and bring them to a sense of their condition. Love and kindness are the means to be employed. The missionary must love the souls of men. His leading characteristics should be sociability, friendship, and the knack of ingratiating himself into the confidence and favor of men who are in darkness. This cannot be done off-hand. The missionary must become acquainted with the man, learn his traits, his desires, gain his confidence, and make him understand and know that the only desire is to do him good and to bless him. When this condition exists, the missionary message may be given, and its good things presented in a loving and kind way. Therefore, in selecting missionaries, men should be chosen who have sociability and friendship, and who are without enmity towards men. If there are none such in your ward, some young men should be called and trained and qualified for this work. There are a certain class of men whose characters are such that you never can make good missionaries of them. They are too high-strung, not humble enough, they cannot get down in humility, but they feel themselves above their fellows. You should not select such men. In the very first place, the missionary should have in himself a testimony of the Spirit of God, and the witness of the Holy Ghost. If he has not this, he has nothing to give. Men are not converted by eloquence or oratory, but on the contrary, are converted when they are satisfied that you have the truth and the Spirit of God. The cause of failure in missionary work is frequently the halfheartedness in which the missionary goes about it. It must be done with your whole heart. The faithful man, who is constant, will succeed. Missionaries should have frequent consultation with the presiding officers, and should keep in touch with the bishops of their wards, making them feel well towards the work, keeping in mind constantly that love and kindness are the means to be employed. Compulsion and a haughty spirit should be far from the missionary sent out to convert souls. Now as to the methods of missionary work; the president of the Y. -954 IMPROVEMENT ERA. M. M. I. A. shculd divide the ward into, say, three divisions; one to be presided over by the president, and each of the other by one of his counselors. The presidency should make a list of the names of all who need laboring with, and should consult the bishop and then select one missionary to labor with each of the names on the list previously mentioned. The bishop should then call the young men so selected, as missionaries, to a meeting without publicly stating the object of said meeting. When they are brought together, the object of their call should be presented, and the work expected of them fully explained. It should be especially stated that they are called by the bishop by authority of President Lorenzo Snow. Then they should be asked if they are willing to accept the mission, and all who are willing to do so should be set apart thereto. The presidency should then divide the missionary corps into three parts, assigning them to the three districts before mentioned, calling the president and his counselors to take charge of them and the work in the districts over which each has been appointed to preside, directing their labors and receiving their reports at least once each month. The work should be entirely private and should not be published before the ward. The M. I. A. ofiicer appointed to preside over the district should give to the missionary, privately, the name of a younng man with whom he is to labor, and no one need know that name excepting the presidency and the missionary. The work of a missionary need not interfere with any other duty, there being a life-time in which to accomplish the conversion of the young man with whom the missionary labors; therefore, a Sunday School teacher, a ward teacher, and all other workers, may be selected for this labor without interfering with their regular Church duties. The work should be begun immediately and all vacancies should be filled in the missionary corps without delay. Y. M. M. I. A CONVENTION. On September 9th, a convention of the General Board with the superintendencies of eleven stakes was held in the temporary home of the Latter-day Saints' College in the Lion House, Salt Lake City. President Joseph F. Smith presided. The stakes were represented as follows: Box Elder, 3; Davis, 10; Granite, 5; Jordan, 7; Juab, 1; Morgan,!; Salt Lake, 6; Summit, 1; Utah, 3; Wasatch, 4; and Weber, 5. There were 18 members of the General Board present. The object of the meeting was to OUR WORK. 955 treat upon the topics to be discussed in the stake conventions which were held generally in all the stakes of Zion on the 16th. The stakes represented at this meeting conducted their own, while other stakes were assisted in their conventions by members of the Board or by their aids. Every topic named in the call published in the September Era was discussed with much zeal and profit, under a great outpouring of the Spirit of God. A fire of enthusiasm was kindled which was spread over the whole Church, in the conventions held on Sunday, the 16th of September, and which it is hoped will find fuel in every ward society. The subjects treated and the speakers were as follows: Missionary TForit;— Elders J. Golden Kimball, Frank Y. Taylor, M, F. Cowley and President Joseph F. Smith. Improvement £'ra;— Elders Heber J. Grant and Edward H. Anderson. General Improvement Fu?i(Z;— President Joseph F. Smith and Elder Rudger Clawson. Preparations for Opening the Season:— Elder Junius F. Wells. Grading of the Associations:— EMer Rodney C. Badger. Class TForfc;— Elders George H. Brimhall and Briant S. Hinckley. Secretaries: — Elder Thomas Hull. Miscellaneous topics, with questions and discussion, were also fully treated, many present taking part. The instructions given were of special value to the workers in the cause, and as a reminder to all ofilcers, the Era will present choice extracts from the remarks of the various speakers, as the season's work progresses.. CLOSE OF THE THIRD VOLUME. This number closes the third volume of the Improvement Era. We are gratified with the success that has been achieved. We ask all our subscribers to renew their subscriptions immediately for Volume IV, upon the blanks that will be sent them.and to use energetic efforts to obtain new subscribers, because every member of the associations is an agent, and is interested in the welfare of the magazine. We call attention to the prospectus which is found in this number, and which gives in detail some of the special features that will be presented in Volume IV. We ask all to read this prospectus, being confident that by so doing they will be inspired with a desire not only to continue their own subscriptions, but to obtain other subscribers to help the good work along. 956 IMPROVEMENT ERA. It will be the aim of the General Board to make the !Era a suitable exponent of the mutual improvement cause, and to provide reading matter that will instruct and inspire, as well as entertain both old and young. We congratulate the young men upon the aid which they have given to this enterprise, and trust that they will rally to the assistance of Volume IV. with such spontaneous effort as will insure the continued improvement and success of their magazine. We repeat that the Era is not a private enterprise, but belongs entirely to the young men; every cent which is made will be used for the spread of truth and for the benefit of the youth of Zion. Let there be a unanimous response to this call for subscribers, without further invitation. CAN A TEACHER ORDAIN A TEACHER? "Can a teacher ordain another teacher or a deacon?" is a question that has been submitted to the Era. The general reply may be made that what power or authority a man has in the Priesthood, he can confer upon others. What a man has he can give, but it must be under proper conditions. Such conditions do not exist in organized wards, and hence, while a teacher can ordain another teacher or deacon, it would be highly improper in organized wards, stakes, or missions, presided over by authorities holding the Melchizedek Priesthood. THE ERA FREE. We desire to call attention again to the fact that the Era is supplied to missionaries in the field, free, and that the price of subscription to their friends, outside of the organized stakes of Zion, is $1.00 We will be pleased to receive subscriptions from any source to be sent as above.