Answers to Questions: Why Children Are Baptized When Eight Years Old

EDITOR'S TABLE. 551

were called upon by the prophet of God who had been instructed of the Lord, and also because these men held the necessary authority of the Priesthood, which authority was exercised, in this case as it should be in all cases, upon proper calling. The Doctrine and Cove- nants makes it very clear that while each officer in the Church has a right to officiate in his own standing, "The Melchizedek Priesthood holds the right of Presidency, and has power and authority over all the offices in the Church in all ages of the world to administer in spiritual things." (Doctrine and Covenants section 107:8). Further, in the same revelation, verses 65 and 66, we are told: "Wherefore it must needs be that one be appointed of the High Priesthood to preside over the Priesthood, and he shall be called President of the High Priesthood of the Church; Or, in other words, the Presiding High Priest over the High Priesthood of the Church." It is well to remember that the term "High Priesthood," as frequently used, has reference to the Melchizedek Priesthood, in contradistinction to the "Lesser," or Aaronic Priesthood. Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, Anthon H. Lund.

B. H. ROBERTS.

We present an excellent portrait of Elder B. H. Roberts in this number of the Improvement Era. Elder Roberts, who is second assistant in the General Superintendency of the Y. M. M. L A., and an enthusiastic advocate of education and advancement for the young people, was born in Warington, Lancashire, England, March 13, 1857. He is the son of Benjamin and Ann Roberts. In 1866, he emigrated to Utah with his eldest sister, and settled with his mother in Bountiful, Davis County, whither she had preceded him four years, and had established a home. At the age of seventeen, he was apprenticed to a blacksmith in the settlement, and made his home there for a number of years.

He was connected with the early movements of the Improvement

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Associations, which were first organized in 1875, and for two years was the Superintendent of the associations of the Davis stake of Zion, which position he quit when called on his first mission to the Northern States, in 1880. Nine months after arriving in that field, he was transferred to the South, where he served for two years, at the close of which time, he was called to assist in the presidency of the Southern States mission, over which he afterwards had direct charge for three years. In 1886, he was temporarily released and became the associate editor of the Salt Lake Herald. While acting in this capacity, he was arrested, dur- ing 'the raid," on the then prevailing charge. He avoided having his case brought to trial at that time, and with the consent of his bondsmen and the advice of his brethren, went to Great Britain, where he served in the mission field two years, chiefly engaged in editing the Millennial Star. He returned in the fall of 1888, and at the October conference was appointed a member of the First Council of Seventy, being ordained under the hands of the late President Lorenzo Snow, in which capacity he has continued to faithfully serve up to the present time. Following this ordination, he visited, during the ensuing years, all parts of the Church, preaching to the people generally and assisting in the building up of the Stakes of Zion. He filled several brief missions in the mean- time —one to the Eastern States, with Elder John Morgan, the purpose of which was to stem the tide of misrepresentation which was then running against the Latter-day Saints. Subsequently he filled a call to Mexico and California. In a later or second mission to the Coast with Apostle Francis M. Lyman, he assisted in opening the California mission, which was established in 1893. In July, 1896, he was appointed a second time to go to the East- ern States, in company with Elders George D. Pyper, Melville Ballard and Edward Midgley. During this trip, he visited Kansas City, St. Louis, (where he organized a branch of the Church) Cincinnati, Pittsburg, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, New York and Chicago, speaking in all these large cities; the special purpose of their visit being to allay prejudice against the Latter-day Saints, and open missions in these cities. Prior to his departure upon this latter journey, he outlined a