--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Tanner, J. M. collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 5 number: 12 published: 1902-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Dr. J. M. Tanner, "Some Leading Events in the Current Story of the World," *Improvement Era* 5, no. 12 (October 1902): 984–986.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0512unse 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: improvementera0512unse start_page: 984 end_page: 986 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1902-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0512unse publication_year: 1902 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 1902, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # Some Leading Events in the Current Story of the World into the mists of obscurity, and whose discovery was finally made possible and permitted for religious rather than secular purposes, is of course; yet should it be remembered that there are different ways of accomplishing great purposes; that whenever it is neces- sary that information relating to man's past and present status on the earth be made general, and placed within the reach of all, the processes of distribution may involve means of which we previously were not aware, and cannot all at once comprehend. "God moves in a mysterious way." The Sphinx still raises its ungainly head above the shifting sands of the ages which have buried it to the shoulders, and pokes its battered nose into the twentieth century with as much 'frozen effrontery" as when the Egyptians gave it the last blow of the chisel, and then stood away to marvel at and admire the labor of their hands. It also bears a message from the ages of the hidden past, but what it is no man knoweth, and itself gives forth no sign or sound; neither did the stately ruins, the imposing piles, the carved walls, the massive columns nor the mummified remains of the Aztecs, or whatever else the ancient Americans may be called, send along any message to succeeding ages that could be understood, until the man, the times, and the means, arrived. And then the message was pub- from a segment thereof, lished that all might understand it; and, was taken the principal incidents which form the basic principle of the play "Corianton." Those who are disposed to cavil at this, or to maintain incredulity regarding the divine authenticity of the book itself, should consider the case in all its bearings. They would then see a free and rational people suffering all manner of violent treatment, and, finally, expulsion from their homes because of their firm and unyielding faith in the tenets laid down in, and history unfolded by, the book; furthermore, sustained by the same faith and the hope of what it will bring as a reward, the bridging of the vast desert expanse which yawned between the Missouri, and the bringing together of the selvages of Eastern and Western civili- zation fifty years earlier than it would have been accomplished but for the pioneering work of those people, in the very midst of the otherwise unsettled, dreary waste. Such faith, accompanied by such works, tell us more plainly than words can do it that more than a belief— a knowledge— of the sanctity and truthful- THE PLAY "CORIANTON." 983 ness of the message, from a people who long antedated the advent of the Redeemer, inspired, upheld and directed the settlers of Utah, bringing first rude dwellings, then comfortable and finally elegant ones, constituting cities, towns and villages, in nearly all of which there is a temple of the drama, and in two of which has been produced the play which portrays some portions of the sacred writings constituting the corner stone of their religion. That the book is not followed strictly; that some things in the sections used have been omitted,and other things which it does not contain are inserted; that the plot as a whole may be some- what of a departure frjoi the series of events to which the play relates; that characters in the book do not figure in the drama, and vice versa — all these are of course Exactness to history in making up dramatic representations is quite out of the question it is not even thought of. Much as we owe to and respect recorded events of great moment, in the affairs- of peoples, and, notwithstanding our proneness to select some of them now and then to weave a story, a poem or a play, we cannot "tell it all," because we also owe something to conventionality, and must keep in view the accepted methods which 'control in such cases —using only such features as are of general interest, and enlarging or diminishing so much as may be necessary without losing or even obscuring the central idea. So it is with "Corianton." In the play we have with reasonable fidelity the chief circumstances to which it relates, as narrated in the Book of Mormon — the right- eous father Alma, the wayward and the upright son, the former's yielding to temptation through vicious associations, the terrible punishment of the scoffer and blasphemer, the wicked rule of the Zoramite, the justice and uprightness of the secular judge, the cunning, scheming and vile conspiracies of the enemies of the godly — these are all limned with as much accuracy as is possible in a dramatic representation. But those who regard it as in any sense a proselyting medium are astray in their reckoning; but it may be the means of arousing curiosity, this leading to interest in, and consequent investigation of, the subject to which it relates, and thus be the means of accomplishing other good than merely affording an evening's entertainment. Certainly we can all indulge in the hope that it will be so. SOME LEADING EVENTS IN THE CURRENT STORY OF THE WORLD, BY DR. J. M. TANNER, SUPERINTENDENT OF CHURCH SCHOOLS. Aguinaldo's Proposed Visit to America. Report has it that Aguinaldo, the celebrated Filipino leader, is about to visit the United States. Under the amnesty proclamation of President Roosevelt, issued July 4, last, Aguinaldo received Ms] full liberty, and may now enjoy all the privileges of travel about his new country that his heart desires. It seems a very natural thing that he should desire to come to this country. He has evidently read much about the United States, and then he would like to know something of this strange, far-distant land. He may think he has many sympathizers here who would be glad to see him, and extend a friendly hand of greet- ing. At any rate, it is reasonably sure that a visit now to this country would be a very remunerative undertaking. Curiosity, if not sympathy, would secure large audiences; and the people would like to know some- thing, from his own words, of the man that has given them so much trouble in the Philippines. It is interesting to observe the different opinions and estimations that exist respecting the character and ability of Aguinaldo. They are governed somewhat, of course, by the division, in this country, of public sentiment on questions of what should be done with the Philippines. Still, there are various estimates of the man, both here and in Europe, which are the results of conflicting information that comes to us about him. In the first place, his birth cannot be fixed with anything like cer- tainty, and there is even a dispute as to whether he is the son of a Span- ish genera) or of a dissolute but learned Jesuit priest. He received a good education for a boy of his birth and nationality. He is first known as a house boy. Fortunately, his master was kind, and gave him oppor- tunities to learn and get on in the world. It is said that he was an apt