--- 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: 5 number: 2 published: 1901-12 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "General Improvement Fund," *Improvement Era* 5, no. 2 (December 1901): 154.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0502unse 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: improvementera0502unse start_page: 154 end_page: 154 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1901-12) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0502unse publication_year: 1901 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 1901, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # General Improvement Fund 154 IMPROVEMENT ERA. times that it is because they have not been taught, because men have not reached out after them, and found their hearts, have not aroused their sympathy, nor lighted that spirit of repentance within them that may cause them to turn away from their sins. This great missionary work must be accomplished among this people. While it is true that we need strong men to send into the world, it is also a fact that it is not nearly as difficult to work abroad as it is to labor among our own young people. We do not meet with persecution in this home work, but we meet with indifference; and we meet with questions that are unanswer- able unless a man is inspired of God. Consequently,we need mission- aries and officers of wisdom and ability, men that are full of faith, men who by precept and example can awaken in the hearts of our young peo- ple a desire to serve the Lord. We do not need orators, we do not need preachers, we do not need exhorters; we have enough of them; but we need men who can go to their homes, who can sit down in their offices, and can convert them to this work, convert them to reading our litera- ture, to the study of the Manual, and to the desires of the General Board and their labors. GENERAL LMPROVEMENT FUND. Officers of the Improvement Associations should remember that the •date for the collection of the Improvement Fund is the first week in De- cember. This subject should be taken up promptly in every association so that the result may be satisfactory to all concerned. It is the advice of the general board that the treasurer, or one of the aids in the stake board, specially adapted to this work, should be appointed to give his direct attention to the fund and all matters pertaining thereto. In each association, it would also be well to appoint one of the officers specially to superintend the collection of this fund. Several suggestions have been made as to how this may be best accomplished. Envelopes have been sent out by the general Secretary, which should be distributed to every member of the association, whether in attendance on the evening of distribution, or whether absent. In case of absence, the person spe- cially appointed to look after the fund, should see to it that the envelope