---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Smith, Joseph F.
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 7
number: 3
published: 1904-01
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Joseph F. Smith, "Editor’s Table—The Law of Recompense," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 3 (January 1904): 225–228.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0703unse
  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: improvementera0703unse
start_page: 225
end_page: 228
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1904-01)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0703unse
  publication_year: 1904
  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 1904, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright.
---

# Editor’s Table—The Law of Recompense

<!-- page:225 -->

EDITOR'S   
        TABLE.
THE 
        LAW 
        OF 
        RECOMPENSE.
For 
        the 
        wages 
        of 
        sin 
        is 
        death; 
        but 
        the 
        gift 
        of 
        God 
        is 
        eternal 
        life
through 
        Jesus 
        Christ 
        our 
        Lord.
        —
        Rom. 
        vi: 
        28.
Young 
        people 
        naturally 
        seek 
        pleasure 
        and 
        amusement, 
        and 
        it
is 
        right 
        that 
        they 
        should 
        have 
        them. 
        But 
        their 
        recreation 
        should
not 
        overstep 
        the 
        bounds 
        of 
        propriety, 
        nor 
        partake 
        of 
        the 
        riotous.
Neither 
        should 
        they 
        permit 
        it 
        to 
        go 
        to 
        such 
        extremes 
        that 
        the 
        end
thereof 
        is 
        sin 
        or 
        sorrow. 
        In 
        the 
        eternal 
        adjustment 
        of 
        affairs,
there 
        will 
        be 
        a 
        day 
        of 
        reckoning 
        when 
        the 
        uttermost 
        farthing 
        will
be 
        required
        —
        when 
        the 
        awards 
        will 
        be 
        distributed, 
        and 
        each 
        man
will 
        receive 
        his 
        earnings, 
        according 
        as 
        he 
        has 
        acted 
        in 
        the 
        right 
        or
the 
        wrong, 
        and 
        when 
        his 
        just 
        dues 
        will 
        be 
        meted 
        out 
        to 
        him.
It 
        is 
        not 
        good 
        reason 
        for 
        young 
        men 
        to 
        argue 
        that 
        a 
        riotous
life 
        will 
        be 
        rewarded 
        in 
        the 
        end, 
        when 
        repentance 
        comes, 
        with 
        the
same 
        rich 
        blessings 
        that 
        a 
        prudent 
        course 
        will 
        insure. 
        Such 
        argu-
ment is 
        based 
        on 
        a 
        false 
        conception 
        of 
        the 
        laws 
        of 
        God. 
        "There
is 
        a 
        law, 
        irrevocably 
        decreed 
        in 
        heaven 
        before 
        the 
        foundations 
        of
this 
        world, 
        upon 
        which 
        all 
        blessings 
        are 
        predicated; 
        and 
        when 
        we
obtain 
        any 
        blessing 
        from 
        God, 
        it 
        is 
        by 
        obedience 
        to 
        that 
        law 
        upon
which 
        it 
        is 
        predicated." 
        So 
        declares 
        the 
        prophet, 
        and 
        his 
        words
are 
        true. 
        The 
        principle 
        may 
        be 
        reversed, 
        I 
        think, 
        and 
        it 
        may 
        be
safely 
        said 
        that 
        if 
        the 
        obtaining 
        of 
        blessings 
        is 
        based 
        upon 
        law,
there 
        is 
        also 
        law 
        that 
        governs 
        the 
        reception 
        of 
        condemnation. 
        And
as 
        God 
        has 
        given 
        man 
        his 
        free 
        agency, 
        it 
        is 
        left 
        with 
        him 
        to 
        make
a 
        selection 
        of 
        the 
        laws 
        which 
        he 
        chooses 
        to 
        obey. 
        As 
        long, 
        then,
as 
        the 
        drunkard, 
        the 
        gambler 
        and 
        card-player, 
        the 
        evil-doer, 
        the
reveler 
        in 
        vice, 
        chooses 
        to 
        continue 
        in 
        his 
        course, 
        he 
        will 
        reap 
        the
eondemnation 
        that 
        is 
        the 
        inevitable 
        result 
        of 
        these 
        evils; 
        and 
        only

<!-- page:226 -->

226 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
when 
        he 
        repents, 
        and 
        sets 
        his 
        heart 
        on 
        better 
        laws 
        will 
        the 
        rewards
of 
        such 
        better 
        laws 
        begin 
        to 
        reach 
        him. 
        But 
        his 
        repentance 
        will
only 
        save 
        him 
        as 
        far 
        as 
        the 
        future 
        is 
        concerned. 
        He 
        has 
        had 
        to
suffer 
        for 
        his 
        past 
        misdeeds 
        in 
        full 
        measure
        —
        and 
        will 
        have 
        to 
        suf-
fer for 
        them 
        until 
        the 
        law 
        is 
        satisfied, 
        be 
        the 
        period 
        of 
        long 
        or
short 
        duration. 
        Much 
        of 
        what 
        is 
        called 
        amusement 
        and 
        pleasure
in 
        this 
        life 
        is 
        simply 
        a 
        prodigal 
        waste 
        of 
        time 
        and 
        means, 
        resulting
in 
        the 
        formation 
        of 
        dangerous 
        and 
        expensive 
        habits, 
        or 
        evil 
        and
injurious 
        tastes, 
        which 
        are 
        apt 
        to 
        leave 
        a 
        mark 
        upon 
        the 
        character
forever. 
        Whatever 
        may 
        be 
        said 
        of 
        the 
        value 
        of 
        a 
        repentant 
        sin-
ner as 
        an 
        example 
        or 
        pattern, 
        it 
        is 
        still 
        more 
        blessed 
        to 
        have 
        lived
so 
        that 
        one 
        has 
        no 
        serious 
        evils 
        to 
        repent 
        of. 
        I 
        always 
        think 
        the
boy 
        who 
        sows 
        no 
        wild 
        oats, 
        is 
        just 
        a 
        little 
        better 
        than 
        one 
        who 
        has
a 
        large 
        field 
        of 
        them 
        to 
        harvest, 
        even 
        if 
        the 
        latter 
        does 
        it 
        with 
        a
repentant 
        heart 
        in 
        the 
        sweat 
        of 
        his 
        sober 
        brow.
The 
        holy 
        book 
        gives 
        us 
        to 
        understand 
        that 
        Jesus 
        declared 
        that
there 
        is 
        more 
        joy 
        in 
        heaven 
        over 
        one 
        sinner 
        that 
        repenteth 
        than
over 
        ninety 
        and 
        nine 
        just 
        persons 
        which 
        need 
        no 
        repentance; 
        but
that 
        does 
        not 
        intimate 
        that 
        the 
        sinner 
        has 
        more 
        joy 
        than 
        the 
        ninety
and 
        nine 
        who 
        were 
        just, 
        and 
        hence 
        needed 
        not 
        to 
        repent. 
        Some 
        liave
an 
        idea 
        that 
        the 
        greater 
        their 
        sins, 
        the 
        greater 
        the 
        manifest 
        mercy
of 
        God 
        in 
        their 
        forgiveness, 
        when 
        they 
        do 
        turn 
        to 
        him. 
        This
thought, 
        based 
        on 
        the 
        scriptures, 
        was 
        not 
        given 
        to 
        encourage 
        sin-
fulness, but 
        rather 
        to 
        encourage 
        hope 
        to 
        turn 
        from 
        sin. 
        "What
shall 
        we 
        say 
        then?" 
        says 
        Paul, 
        "Shall 
        we 
        continue 
        in 
        sin, 
        that
grace 
        may 
        abound? 
        God 
        forbid." 
        Certainly, 
        the 
        transgressor's
reward 
        will 
        not 
        be 
        as 
        great 
        nor 
        as 
        sure, 
        nor 
        can 
        it 
        be 
        the 
        same, 
        as
theirs 
        who 
        have 
        not 
        so 
        seriously 
        broken 
        the 
        law.
Let 
        me 
        impress 
        it 
        upon 
        you 
        that 
        one 
        never 
        can 
        hold 
        quite 
        the
same 
        relation 
        to 
        a 
        law 
        of 
        God 
        which 
        one 
        has 
        transgressed, 
        as 
        if
one 
        had 
        lived 
        in 
        conformity 
        with 
        its 
        requirements. 
        It 
        is 
        unreason-
able to 
        expect 
        it; 
        and 
        contrary 
        to 
        the 
        laws 
        of 
        nature 
        to 
        conclude
that 
        you 
        can. 
        If 
        a 
        person 
        has 
        determined 
        that 
        sin 
        can 
        easily 
        be
wiped 
        out, 
        and 
        hence, 
        that 
        he 
        will 
        enjoy 
        unlawful 
        pleasures 
        in
youth, 
        repenting 
        in 
        later 
        life 
        with 
        an 
        idea 
        in 
        his 
        mind 
        that 
        repent-
ance will 
        blot 
        out 
        completely 
        the 
        results 
        of 
        his 
        sin 
        and 
        debauch-
ery, and 
        place 
        him 
        on 
        a 
        level 
        with 
        his 
        fellow 
        who 
        has 
        kept 
        in
virtue 
        the 
        commandments, 
        from 
        the 
        beginning
        —
        time 
        will 
        wake

<!-- page:227 -->

EDITOR'S 
        TABLE. 
        227
liim 
        up 
        to 
        his 
        serious 
        and 
        great 
        mistake. 
        He 
        may 
        and 
        will 
        be 
        for-
given, if 
        he 
        repent; 
        the 
        blood 
        of 
        Christ 
        will 
        make 
        him 
        free, 
        and
will 
        wash 
        him 
        clean, 
        thoagh 
        his 
        sins 
        be 
        as 
        scarlet; 
        but 
        all 
        this 
        will
not 
        return 
        to 
        him 
        any 
        loss 
        sustained, 
        nor 
        place 
        him 
        on 
        an 
        equal
footing 
        with 
        his 
        neighbor 
        who 
        has 
        kept 
        the 
        commandments 
        of 
        the
better 
        law. 
        Nor 
        will 
        it 
        place 
        him 
        in 
        the 
        position 
        where 
        he 
        would
have 
        been, 
        had 
        he 
        not 
        committed 
        wrong. 
        He 
        has 
        lost 
        something
which 
        can 
        never 
        be 
        regained, 
        notwithstanding 
        the 
        perfection, 
        the
loving 
        mercy, 
        the 
        kindness 
        and 
        forgiveness, 
        of 
        the 
        Lord 
        God.
Have 
        we 
        not 
        a 
        striking 
        example 
        in 
        the 
        prodigal 
        son? 
        Here
was 
        a 
        young 
        man 
        who 
        tired 
        of 
        the 
        conventional, 
        the 
        hum-drum 
        of
the 
        farm 
        apd 
        home, 
        and 
        who 
        demanded 
        his 
        portion 
        of 
        his 
        father's
goods. 
        When 
        he 
        received 
        it, 
        he 
        took 
        his 
        journey 
        into 
        a 
        far 
        coun-
try, and 
        there 
        wasted 
        his 
        substance 
        in 
        riotous 
        living. 
        Having 
        spent
it 
        all, 
        a 
        famine 
        arose 
        in 
        the 
        land, 
        and 
        he 
        began 
        to 
        be 
        in 
        want. 
        He
then 
        joined 
        himself 
        to 
        a 
        citizen 
        who 
        sent 
        him 
        into 
        the 
        fields 
        to 
        feed
swine. 
        "And 
        he 
        would 
        fain 
        have 
        filled 
        his 
        belly 
        with 
        the 
        husks
that 
        the 
        swine 
        did 
        eat; 
        and 
        no 
        man 
        gave 
        unto 
        him." 
        It 
        was 
        then
he 
        bethought 
        him.self 
        of 
        his 
        condition; 
        of 
        his 
        father's 
        servants 
        who
had 
        bread 
        to 
        spare, 
        while 
        he 
        was 
        about 
        to 
        perish 
        v/ith 
        hunger.
Then 
        it 
        was 
        that 
        he 
        came 
        to 
        himself, 
        repented, 
        and 
        said,
        '1 
        will
arise 
        and 
        go 
        to 
        my 
        father, 
        and 
        will 
        say 
        unto 
        him. 
        Father 
        I 
        have
sinned 
        against 
        heaven, 
        and 
        before 
        thee, 
        and 
        am 
        no 
        more 
        worthy 
        to
be 
        called 
        thy 
        son: 
        make 
        me 
        as 
        one 
        of 
        thy 
        hand 
        servants." 
        Then
he 
        came 
        to 
        his 
        father. 
        But 
        when 
        he 
        was 
        yet 
        a 
        great 
        way 
        off, 
        his
father, 
        filled 
        with 
        parental 
        love, 
        saw 
        him, 
        and 
        had 
        compassion, 
        and
ran 
        and 
        fell 
        on 
        his 
        neck, 
        and 
        kissed 
        him. 
        Then 
        again 
        the 
        son, 
        full
of 
        repentance, 
        declared 
        his 
        unworthiness, 
        and 
        his 
        sin. 
        Still, 
        the
father, 
        full 
        of 
        love, 
        mercy 
        and 
        parental 
        feeling, 
        ordered 
        the 
        best
robe 
        and 
        put 
        it 
        on 
        him; 
        and 
        put 
        a 
        ring 
        on 
        his 
        hand, 
        and 
        shoes 
        on
his 
        feet; 
        "and," 
        said 
        he 
        to 
        the 
        servants, 
        "bring 
        hither 
        the 
        fatted
calf 
        and 
        kill 
        it; 
        and 
        let 
        us 
        eat 
        and 
        be 
        merry: 
        for 
        this 
        my 
        son 
        was
dead 
        and 
        is 
        alive 
        again: 
        he 
        was 
        lost 
        and 
        is 
        found."
There 
        was 
        merry-making 
        to 
        such 
        an 
        extent, 
        that 
        the 
        elder
son, 
        the 
        boy 
        who 
        had 
        never 
        broken 
        his 
        father's 
        commandments,
who 
        was 
        in 
        the 
        field, 
        heard 
        it, 
        with 
        the 
        music 
        and 
        the 
        dancing, 
        as
he 
        approached, 
        and 
        called 
        a 
        servant 
        to 
        know 
        what 
        these 
        things
meant.    
        He 
        was 
        told 
        that 
        his 
        brother 
        had 
        returned, 
        and 
        that 
        be-

<!-- page:228 -->

228 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
cause 
        father 
        had 
        received 
        him 
        safe 
        and 
        sound, 
        the 
        fatted 
        calf
had 
        been 
        killed 
        in 
        his 
        honor. 
        This 
        so 
        angered 
        him, 
        that 
        he 
        would
not 
        go 
        in, 
        and 
        so 
        his 
        father 
        came 
        out 
        and 
        entreated 
        him. 
        "And 
        he
answering, 
        said 
        to 
        his 
        father, 
        Lo, 
        these 
        many 
        years 
        do 
        I 
        serve 
        thee,
neither 
        transgressed 
        I 
        at 
        any 
        time 
        thy 
        commandment: 
        and 
        yet
thou 
        never 
        gavest 
        me 
        a 
        kid, 
        that 
        I 
        might 
        make 
        merry 
        with 
        my
friends: 
        but 
        as 
        soon 
        as 
        this 
        thy 
        son 
        was 
        come, 
        which 
        hath 
        devoured
thy 
        living 
        with 
        harlots, 
        thou 
        hast 
        killed 
        for 
        him 
        the 
        fatted 
        calf."
It 
        was 
        then 
        that 
        the 
        father 
        gave 
        answer 
        in 
        words 
        that 
        have
come 
        down 
        as 
        a 
        comfort 
        to 
        the 
        faithful 
        for 
        all 
        time: 
        "Son, 
        thou
art 
        ever 
        with 
        me, 
        and 
        all 
        that 
        I 
        have 
        is 
        thine. 
        It 
        was 
        meet
that 
        we 
        should 
        make 
        merry, 
        and 
        be 
        glad: 
        for 
        this 
        thy 
        brother 
        was
dead, 
        and 
        is 
        alive 
        again; 
        and 
        was 
        lost, 
        and 
        is 
        found."
The 
        prodigal 
        was 
        forgiven, 
        was 
        received 
        with 
        joy 
        and 
        merry-
making, but 
        that 
        was 
        all, 
        and 
        the 
        whole 
        of 
        it. 
        He 
        had 
        no 
        portion
in 
        the 
        estate; 
        while 
        the 
        boy 
        who 
        had 
        ever 
        remained 
        faithful 
        was
equal 
        with 
        his 
        father 
        in 
        all 
        that 
        they 
        possessed, 
        and 
        he 
        was 
        ever
with 
        the 
        father.
And, 
        while 
        there 
        were 
        tears 
        of 
        joy 
        at 
        the 
        prodigal's 
        return,
while 
        there 
        were 
        feasting 
        and 
        merry-making, 
        while 
        a 
        loving 
        father
fell 
        upon 
        his 
        neck 
        and 
        kissed 
        him, 
        and 
        he 
        was 
        given 
        a 
        reception
in 
        their 
        hearts 
        and 
        home, 
        there 
        was 
        no 
        thought 
        of 
        restoring 
        that
which 
        was 
        lost. 
        He 
        must 
        begin 
        over 
        again, 
        and, 
        if 
        his 
        repentance
were 
        sincere, 
        labor 
        for 
        years 
        to 
        regain 
        his 
        former 
        place, 
        and
means, 
        and 
        standing. 
        And 
        there 
        is 
        a 
        question 
        whether 
        it 
        could
ever 
        be 
        said 
        to 
        him, 
        by 
        his 
        merciful, 
        kind, 
        loving, 
        forgiving 
        father,
as 
        was 
        said 
        to 
        the 
        faithful 
        boy: 
        "All 
        that 
        I 
        have 
        is 
        thine."
Joseph 
        F. 
        Smith.
Employes 
        of 
        railroads 
        are 
        more 
        and 
        more 
        required 
        to 
        be 
        rigidly
temperate, 
        and 
        it 
        is 
        only 
        a 
        matter 
        of 
        time 
        when 
        no 
        person 
        who 
        drinks
liquor 
        will 
        be 
        given 
        employment 
        thereon. 
        New 
        rule 
        books 
        of 
        the 
        roads
entering 
        Chicago, 
        without 
        a 
        single 
        exception, 
        contain 
        this 
        statement:
"The 
        use 
        of 
        intoxicants 
        by 
        employes 
        while 
        on 
        duty 
        is 
        prohibited. 
        Their
habitual 
        use, 
        or 
        the 
        frequenting 
        of 
        places 
        where 
        they 
        are 
        sold, 
        is 
        suffi-
cient cause 
        for 
        dismissal." 
        The 
        first 
        part 
        is 
        old, 
        the 
        second 
        new. 
        It 
        is
not 
        now 
        regarded 
        as 
        enough 
        that 
        a 
        railroad 
        man 
        refrain 
        from 
        drink
while 
        on 
        duty; 
        he 
        must 
        also 
        keep 
        out 
        of 
        temptation 
        when 
        off 
        duty.