---
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: 11
published: 1903-09
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "A Moral Wrong. A Poem", *Improvement Era* 6, no. 11 (September 1903): 850.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0611unse
  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: improvementera0611unse
start_page: 850
end_page: 850
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1903-09)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0611unse
  publication_year: 1903
  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 1903, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# A Moral Wrong. A Poem

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848                          IMPROVEMENT ERA.

base,    were his simplicity and serenity.         He was always natural;
you could understand him; he did not say one thing and mean an-
other.  His conversation was yea, yea, nay, nay. His disciples
did not have to watch for any duplicity in his nature.   Every-
where he was the same simple, true, transparent, strong soul; no
cunning, no double-dealing, no iniquity and crookedness. In all his
wonderful life, there was nothing to hide.

      Being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our
Lord Jesus Christ.       —Acts   5: 1.

      He was sure of his way, because he knew his footsteps were
guided by the Father; he was strong in his orders to men, because
he received his orders from God, and this made him serene in the
midst of all the unrest that surged about him.             Just contrast the
quiet of Christ and the feverishness of Pilate, of the High Priests,
of the shouting rabble.          What was Pilate's fear but that he might
lose his position? the priests', but        that Christ might live, and so
they might lose their offices?           But the shouting rabble were car-
ried about by any passing emotion of the hour, by which they
were ready to crown him yesterday, and today to nail him to the
cross.  But in the quiet, strong and serene figure of our Savior
shone forth the spirit that        is    unperturbed by passing whims and
ephemeral position, lighted by the inspiration that sees the end
from the beginning. The spirit of Jesus is the spirit of peace
              —
and power a basic principle of character.

      To be patient is sometimes better than       to   have much wealth.   —
The Talmud.       .




      It is   in length oj patience, and endurance, and forbearance, that
so much oj what is good in         mankind and womankind is shown.          —
Helps.

      Again,    we notice the patience of        Christ.   How he accomo-
dated his speech and         illustrations to the capacity, ignorance, im-
patience, and often selfishness of his disciples, and to that of the
people whom           he came to save.      How, notwithstanding he ex-
claimed, "0 fools, and slow of heart to believe," he yet waited on
them, and bore patiently with their lack of love, devotion and
