---
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: 6
number: 1
published: 1902-11
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "Opportunity," *Improvement Era* 6, no. 1 (November 1902): 24.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0601unse
  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: improvementera0601unse
start_page: 24
end_page: 24
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1902-11)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0601unse
  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.
---

# Opportunity
<!-- page:24 -->

will be a righteous boldness in proclaiming truth, a fearlessness of

what men can do, a tremendous and overmastering earnestness
that cannot but produce conviction, and, better than all else, an
elevation of character that will sweep before                    it    every objection
against the truth.
     I,   perhaps, ought to add that in what               I   have said, the prep-
aration of       the missionary from a            human viewpoint,         is   empha-
sized almost         exclusively.      Not that       I   have overlooked       in   my
                                          —
mind the heavenly preparation I should be loath to do this.
Without the power of the Spirit, all human preparation would
be vain. Still, we have this matter of human training to look
after, and we should do our best, in the spirit of humility,
faith, and devotion, to fit ourselves for the greatest mission ever
given to man.

                                  OPPORTUNITY.

             Master of human destinies am I;
                 Fame, love and fortune on my footsteps wait,
                 Cities and fields I walk;    I   penetrate
             Deserts and seas remote and passing by
                  Hovel and mart and palace, soon or late
                 I   knock unbidden once at every gate.
             If sleeping, wake; if feasting, rise before

                 I   turn away.     It is the hour of fate.

                 And they who follow me reach every state
                 Mortals desire, and conquer every foe
                 Save death; but those who doubt or hesitate.
                 Condemned to failure, penury and woe.
             Seek me in vain and uselessly implore,
             I   answer not and I return no more.
                                                           Selected.