--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Grace Frost collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 6 number: 12 published: 1903-10 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Grace Frost, "The Thought of Self", *Improvement Era* 6, no. 12 (October 1903): 912–913.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0612unse 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: improvementera0612unse start_page: 912 end_page: 913 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1903-10) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0612unse 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. --- # The Thought of Self 906 IMPROVEMENT ERA. was born May 7, 1833, at Tiffin, Seneca County, Ohio. He was of a studious disposition, and graduated from several institutions, includiDg a medical college of New York. After practicing med- some time, he turned to teaching, for which calling he icine for seemed eminently gifted. Having a desire to go to the Pacific coast, he set out for the west, and, in the fall of 1861, reached Salt Lake City. It being late when he arrived, and storms having set in,he decided to postpone the remainder of his journey until the following spring. He secured employment as a teacher in a coun- try school. Being kindly received by the people, he soon found himself being drawn towards them in his sympathies. He investi- gated the doctrines of the Church and accepted them. Not being fully satisfied in abandoning entirely his anticipated visit to the coast, he left Utah and journeyed on towards the setting sun. He remained on the coast for some time, but could not content him- self there. By some undefined power, he was impelled to return to the vales of Utah. Though he knew it not at the time, there was his field of activity; there the stage on which his part in the world's great drama should be played. He obeyed the prompting, and retraced his steps to the city of the Saints. The remainder of his story is well known. He was called to take charge of the University, which for years had had but a nominal existence; but through his ceaseless efforts, it was brought up to a high standard as an educational institution, and a foundation was established for its continued growth. At the close of the War of the Rebellion, there came to Utah a young man who had served in the Union army with courage and distinction, having participated in several of the most important battles. He was a'native of Indiana, in which state he was born, August 8, 1842.' On his arrival in Salt Lake City, he engaged as a teacher in the Deseret University, and afterwards established a commercial college, which he conducted for a number of years. The person I refer to is the late Elder John Morgan, and the col- lege he opened was known as the Morgan College. While he attained success as an educator, Elder Morgan gained greater dis- tinction as a missionary. He is regarded as the father of the Southern States mission — one of the most important in the Church. In this mission he spent some fourteen years, during THE "DIVINITY THAT SHAPES OUR ENDS." 907 some of the most trying periods; and much of the success that has been attained in that field of labor is due to his unceasing energies. The last two years of his life, he was one of the first seven presidents of seventies, and also one of the general super- intendents of the Deseret Sunday School Union, and in this dual capacity, he traveled much among the stakes of Zion, preaching to the people, organizing quorums, and attending to such labors as devolved upon him in the callings he filled. It was said of Brother Morgan at his funeral that he was one of the most successful mis- sionaries the Church had ever had; and yet he was a compara- tively young man at the time of his death, which occurred a few days after he had turned fifty-two years of age. The energy and ability he displayed, and the success he gained as a missionary, cannot but lead one to the conclusion that by divine selection he was called to the positions he so ably filled. Whatever might have been the immediate cause of his coming to Utah, back of it all was the promptings from a divine source. Like other men who have lived to a purpose, he filled a marked*out destiny. That women as well as men have been raised up to perform certain labors for the accomplishment of God's purposes is evi- dent; and that their early environments and training have tended to fit them for the positions they have filled is also apparent. Out of the many examples that might well serve the purpose, I select that furnished by the life of one of Utah's pioneer women. In an obscure village of far-off Norway was born, in 1824, a child who became known as Ellen Saunders. She was the daugh- ter of a prosperous farmer, and one of a family of seven children. Until she was thirteen years old, her life was spent in her native land and about her rural home. In the year 1837, her father sold the farm and emigrated to America with others of his country- men. He went with his family to Indiana, where he took up land. Being a generous-hearted man, he loaned or gave away much of the proceeds from the sale of his home in Norway; and in a little more than a year from the time he came to America, he and his wife died, leaving the children to become scattered, for in two years all their property was gone, and they sought employment wherever it was to be found. They first went to La Salle, Illinois,