--- 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: 7 number: 1 published: 1903-11 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "The October General Conference", *Improvement Era* 7, no. 1 (November 1903): 56–57.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0701unse 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: improvementera0701unse start_page: 56 end_page: 57 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1903-11) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0701unse 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 October General Conference 56 IMPROVEMENT ERA. ness and mercy of the Lord. Each individual must learn this lesson, itmust be impressed upon his soul, so deep, and be so well-founded that nothing can separate him from a knowledge of the love of God, though death and hell stand in the way. It was thus that Joshua impressed ancient gathered Israel, her elders and her officers: "Now therefore fear the Lord, and serve him in sincerity and in truth: * * * and if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve, * * * but as for me and my house we will serve the Lord." That was Joshua's declaration. It is that of every true Latter-day Saint who is able with Job to de- clare: "I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another, though my reins be consumed within me." God is good; his promises never fail; to implicity trust his goodness and mercy, is a correct principle. Let us, therefore, put our trust in Him. Joseph F. Smith. THE OCTOBER CONFERENCE OF THE CHURCH. The seventy-fourth semi-annual conference of the Church con- vened on the fourth, fifth, and sixth, and was largely attended. The great Tabernacle was filled on Sunday morning at 10 o'clock, and in the afternoon large meetings were held besides, in the As- sembly Hall and upon the Tabernacle grounds. The evening meet- ing of the Sunday School Union was largely attended and well con- ducted. The audiences on Monday and Tuesday continued large. President Smith's opening address reiterated the cautions ut- tered by him six months ago in regard to debt and the industrial training of the young; "get out of debt and keep out of debt;" "young men, learn to become skillful in the arts, and in mechanics, and in doing something that will be materially useful in building up the commonwealth where we live and where our interests are centered," were his counsels to the people. In a striking synopsis EDITOR'S TABLE. 57 of the progress of the Church in the past six months, he referred to the building of mission houses in Copenhagen and Christiania, and to the satisfactory growth of the foreign missions, as well as the home colonies. The earnestness and devotion of the people was all that could be expected. He advised against the people leaving their present homes to scatter abroad, except in cases of actual need. When they do go to the new settlements or places, however, it should be done, "under the direction and counsel of those who have these matters in charge, that instead of scattering abroad you may gather abroad, and establish yourselves in com- munities where you can have the advantages of schools, of meet- ings, of Mutual Improvement associations, and of all the other auxiliary organizations of the Church, and where you will be able to associate together in a community for self-protection, and for self-culture and advancement, in all that is good." Six elders had lately died in the mission field, and he cautioned the missionaries to take proper care of themselves, and do all in their power to protect and preserve their health. He referred feelingly to the death of President Brigham Young, and welcomed Apostle Heber J. Grant home from his mission to Japan. He counseled the Saints to look after their children, "that they may grow up with proper habits, keeping the Word of Wisdom, keeping themselves morally clean and pure, avoiding the temptations and the allurements that beset them on every hand, that they may grow up to be men and women without spot and without blemish. This is the great desid- eratum of life, for me at least. For me to see my children follow- ing in the ways of sin, departing from the ways of uprightness, would be the most grievous affliction that could befall me. Death itself would be more desirable to me in preference to that." A very interesting report of the Japan mission was given by Apostle Grant. So far they had succeeded in baptizing only three, and two of these were inclined to be unfaithful. But he had hopes that in the future a great work would be done by the elders, who are now presided over by Elder H. S. Ensign. One lesson he had learned is that we here in Utah and the west are not making the best use of our lands. We have such great opportunities that young men need not look for new countries, but rather learn how best to make use of the advantages around us. Economy is a great