---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Lyman, Francis M.
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: 'Francis M. Lyman, "Manhood," *Improvement Era* 7, no. 3 (January 1904): 175–178.'
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: 175
end_page: 178
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.
---

# Manhood

<!-- page:175 -->

MANHOOD.
BY  
        ELDER 
        FRANCIS   
        M.   
        LYMAN,   
        PRESIDENT   
        OF   
        THE   
        QUORUM   
        OF
TWELVE 
        APOSTLES.
The 
        conceptions 
        of 
        manhood 
        differ 
        among 
        different 
        people.
With 
        our 
        Indians, 
        the 
        brave 
        who 
        was 
        the 
        most 
        skillful 
        in 
        hunting,
and 
        the 
        fiercest 
        in 
        war, 
        who 
        could 
        endure 
        hardship, 
        and 
        even 
        tor-
ture, without 
        flinching, 
        and 
        who 
        knew 
        and 
        observed 
        the 
        traditions
of 
        the 
        tribe, 
        was 
        looked 
        upon 
        as 
        the 
        best 
        type 
        of 
        manhood. 
        In
civilized 
        communities, 
        higher 
        qualities 
        are 
        deemed 
        necessary. 
        The
Saints 
        have 
        the 
        opportunity 
        of 
        forming 
        the 
        best 
        standard, 
        for 
        they
are 
        striving 
        to 
        come 
        unto 
        "a 
        perfect 
        man, 
        unto 
        the 
        measure 
        of 
        the
stature 
        of 
        the 
        fullness 
        of 
        Christ." 
        They 
        are 
        able 
        to 
        become 
        more
intimately 
        acquainted 
        with 
        the 
        Lord 
        than 
        can 
        others, 
        for 
        modern
scriptures 
        teach 
        much 
        concerning 
        him 
        that 
        is 
        lacking 
        in 
        the 
        Bible,
and 
        the 
        Saints, 
        having 
        the 
        Spirit 
        of 
        Christ, 
        can 
        appreciate 
        his 
        per-
fect character. 
        Moreover, 
        the 
        prophets 
        whom 
        the 
        Lord 
        has 
        chosen
to 
        lead 
        his 
        people 
        are 
        well 
        known 
        to-
        us. 
        Joseph 
        Smith, 
        for 
        exam-
ple, next 
        to 
        the 
        Savior 
        the 
        greatest 
        prophet 
        ever 
        sent 
        to 
        earth, 
        is
misunderstood 
        and 
        hated 
        by 
        the 
        world, 
        but 
        we 
        know 
        and 
        love 
        him,
and 
        his 
        virtues 
        and 
        manhood 
        are 
        an 
        inspiration 
        to 
        us.
A 
        life 
        of 
        struggle 
        is 
        necessary 
        before 
        we 
        can 
        come 
        unto 
        "a 
        per-
fect man;" 
        but 
        the 
        outlook 
        is 
        not 
        gloomy 
        and 
        forbidding, 
        for
•every 
        day 
        of 
        effort 
        and 
        self-control 
        brings 
        at 
        the 
        time 
        its 
        own 
        re-
ward. On 
        the 
        way 
        to 
        the 
        perfection 
        of 
        manhood, 
        we 
        will 
        make
mistakes 
        that 
        will 
        cause 
        ourselves 
        and 
        others 
        sorrow. 
        Though 
        sin
is 
        inexcusable 
        and 
        always 
        grievous 
        to 
        the 
        Lord, 
        yet 
        we 
        sometimes
fall 
        into 
        transgression. 
        In 
        such 
        conditions 
        the 
        consequences 
        are
diminished, 
        if 
        we 
        discover 
        our 
        errors 
        and 
        correct 
        them 
        before 
        they
have 
        become 
        known 
        abroad. 
        We 
        should 
        have 
        a 
        proper 
        pride 
        in 
        ad-

<!-- page:176 -->

176 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
justing 
        all 
        our 
        difficulties 
        before 
        the 
        teachers 
        or 
        bishop 
        have 
        even
heard 
        of 
        them.
If 
        a 
        man 
        has 
        evil 
        tendencies 
        in 
        any 
        particular 
        direction, 
        he 
        can
conquer 
        them 
        by 
        self-control, 
        prayer, 
        and 
        striving 
        to 
        help 
        others
who 
        are 
        similarly 
        tempted. 
        Whenever 
        we 
        inspire 
        another 
        to
reform 
        his 
        life, 
        we 
        [do 
        ourselves 
        a 
        greater 
        service. 
        Young 
        men,
seek 
        to 
        be 
        leaders 
        and 
        teachers 
        of 
        morality 
        and 
        earnest 
        thought,
instead 
        of 
        dullards, 
        who 
        need 
        to 
        be 
        labored 
        with 
        continually. 
        In
years 
        to 
        come, 
        if 
        you 
        have 
        used 
        your 
        talents 
        wisely, 
        you 
        can 
        look
back 
        upon 
        a 
        world 
        of 
        good 
        accomplished 
        by 
        friendly 
        counsel 
        and
kind 
        acts; 
        for 
        the 
        effect 
        of 
        good 
        work 
        grows 
        with 
        time. 
        One
man 
        reformed 
        becomes 
        a 
        reformer, 
        his 
        family 
        is 
        benefitted, 
        and 
        the
influence 
        goes 
        out 
        silently 
        in 
        many 
        directions. 
        And 
        in 
        all 
        our
efforts 
        to 
        benefit 
        others, 
        we 
        must 
        be 
        watchful 
        of 
        ourselves. 
        Eternal
vigilance 
        is 
        the 
        price 
        of 
        the 
        freedom 
        of 
        the 
        soul 
        as 
        well 
        as 
        of
the 
        state.
Some 
        are 
        better 
        able 
        to 
        lead 
        out 
        in 
        lines 
        of 
        progress 
        than 
        are
others, 
        being 
        natuarlly 
        more 
        courageous, 
        but 
        courage 
        can 
        be 
        culti-
vated. A 
        true 
        man 
        does 
        not 
        sink 
        his 
        colors 
        at 
        the 
        first 
        onslaught,
and 
        after 
        a 
        time, 
        he 
        grows 
        used 
        to 
        the 
        battle, 
        and 
        becomes 
        a 
        vet-
eran. Elders 
        laboring 
        in 
        the 
        ministry 
        are 
        generally 
        timid 
        to 
        be-
gin with, 
        and 
        on 
        the 
        streets 
        and 
        in 
        their 
        tracting 
        from 
        door 
        to
door, 
        they 
        meet 
        rebuffs 
        that 
        make 
        them 
        sick 
        at 
        heart. 
        Still 
        they
do 
        not 
        often 
        apply 
        for 
        a 
        release, 
        but 
        go 
        at 
        the 
        work 
        again 
        and
again 
        until 
        they 
        relish 
        it, 
        and 
        are 
        stirred 
        by 
        the 
        opposition 
        to
better 
        efforts. 
        When 
        the 
        Lord, 
        through 
        his 
        Spirit 
        or 
        his 
        servants,
directs 
        us 
        to 
        do 
        something, 
        we 
        should 
        not 
        be 
        daunted 
        by 
        any 
        diffi-
culty. We 
        may 
        need 
        to 
        plant 
        our 
        faith 
        against 
        what 
        seems 
        to 
        be
fate 
        itself. 
        Defeat, 
        which 
        may 
        only 
        be 
        temporary, 
        should 
        not
make 
        us 
        hopeless. 
        Courage, 
        moral 
        and 
        physical, 
        is 
        an 
        attribute 
        of
the 
        highest 
        manhood. 
        No 
        rewards 
        of 
        any 
        value 
        come 
        to 
        faint
hearts 
        or 
        to 
        triflers.
Courage 
        has 
        its 
        root 
        in 
        cheerfulness, 
        and 
        cheerfulness 
        becomes
rich 
        and 
        deep 
        in 
        a 
        mind 
        busy 
        with 
        earnest 
        work. 
        Doing 
        good 
        to
others 
        is 
        a 
        complete 
        cure 
        for 
        the 
        blues. 
        Let 
        the 
        heart 
        be 
        warmed
by 
        love, 
        and 
        the 
        mind, 
        too 
        much 
        concerned 
        in 
        the 
        failings 
        and 
        fail-
ures of 
        self, 
        begin 
        to 
        make 
        plans 
        for 
        the 
        happiness 
        of 
        others, 
        and
we 
        will 
        feel 
        gladness 
        coming 
        into 
        our 
        own 
        souls. 
        It 
        is 
        a 
        duty 
        to 
        be

<!-- page:177 -->

MANHOOD. 
        177
cheerful 
        as 
        well 
        as 
        courageous, 
        for 
        a 
        happy 
        man 
        is 
        of 
        more 
        value
to 
        the 
        world 
        than 
        is 
        a 
        melancholy 
        one. 
        A 
        buoyant 
        spirit 
        that 
        fathers
pleasant 
        smiles 
        and 
        cheerful 
        words 
        helps 
        the 
        world 
        forward, 
        for 
        joy
is 
        a 
        tonic, 
        it 
        gives 
        more 
        energy 
        than 
        does 
        hate, 
        and 
        directs 
        its 
        use
in 
        a 
        wholesome 
        way. 
        But 
        if 
        a 
        man 
        would 
        be 
        cheerful, 
        he 
        must 
        live
at 
        peace 
        with 
        his 
        neighbors, 
        and 
        be 
        ready 
        to 
        do 
        more 
        than 
        his
share 
        of 
        their 
        common 
        labors. 
        He 
        must 
        be 
        prepared 
        to 
        endure
criticism, 
        just 
        and 
        unjust, 
        and 
        invariably 
        do 
        good 
        for 
        evil.
There 
        were 
        various 
        reasons 
        why 
        the 
        Lord 
        stopped 
        the 
        march
of 
        the 
        pioneers 
        on 
        the 
        barren 
        valley 
        of 
        the 
        Great 
        Salt 
        Lake, 
        instead
of 
        letting 
        them 
        proceed 
        to 
        the 
        well-watered 
        country 
        of 
        Oregon, 
        or
the 
        garden 
        lands 
        of 
        California. 
        One 
        was 
        that 
        Utah 
        offered 
        un-
rivaled opportunities 
        for 
        determined, 
        intelligent 
        work, 
        and 
        it 
        was
necessary 
        that 
        the 
        Saints 
        should 
        be 
        workers. 
        Appreciating 
        this,
they 
        named 
        the 
        new 
        country 
        Deseret, 
        and 
        set 
        to, 
        like 
        honeybees, 
        to
provide 
        for 
        themselves 
        and 
        others. 
        The 
        general 
        industry 
        of 
        the
people 
        is 
        recognized; 
        they 
        did 
        not 
        perish 
        under 
        the 
        new 
        conditions*
but 
        have 
        grown 
        strong 
        and 
        become 
        established.
In 
        every 
        hive 
        of 
        bees 
        there 
        are 
        drones, 
        but 
        these 
        are 
        driven
out 
        when 
        their 
        usfulness 
        ends. 
        There 
        should 
        be 
        no 
        drones 
        in 
        Des-
eret. No 
        one 
        possessing 
        true 
        manhood 
        will 
        shirk 
        his 
        share 
        of 
        re-
sponsibility and 
        toil. 
        To 
        provide 
        for 
        himself 
        and 
        family 
        is 
        nearly
the 
        first 
        duty 
        of 
        man. 
        Through 
        honesty 
        and 
        diligence 
        the 
        youth
should 
        make 
        himself 
        a 
        necessity 
        in 
        his 
        place. 
        Busy 
        men 
        usually
have 
        more 
        than 
        they 
        can 
        do. 
        Work 
        begets 
        work, 
        and 
        those 
        who
do 
        things 
        well, 
        in 
        due 
        time 
        are 
        sought 
        after. 
        Honorable 
        success
wins 
        confidence, 
        and 
        to 
        the 
        progressive, 
        reliable 
        worker, 
        new 
        and
larger 
        fields 
        are 
        continually 
        opening.
In 
        our 
        cities 
        especially, 
        false 
        standards 
        are 
        creeping 
        into 
        the
lives 
        of 
        many 
        young 
        men. 
        In 
        their 
        own 
        homes, 
        possibly, 
        they 
        have
tasted 
        luxury, 
        or 
        they 
        see 
        others 
        about 
        them 
        enjoying 
        the 
        good
things 
        of 
        life. 
        Foolishly, 
        they 
        begin 
        to 
        spend 
        everything 
        available,
in 
        their 
        eifort 
        to 
        live 
        on 
        a 
        higher 
        plane 
        than 
        they 
        belong. 
        The
productive 
        power 
        of 
        young 
        men 
        is 
        usually 
        not 
        large. 
        If 
        they 
        marry,
as 
        they 
        should, 
        they 
        have 
        more 
        demand 
        for 
        what 
        they 
        earn. 
        They
should 
        live 
        simply, 
        always 
        bringing 
        their 
        expenditures 
        well 
        inside
their 
        income, 
        and 
        investing 
        the 
        margin 
        or 
        surplus 
        in 
        some 
        profitable
business 
        that 
        will 
        yield 
        a 
        regular 
        income.   
        While 
        the 
        family 
        is

<!-- page:178 -->

178 
        IMPROVEMENT 
        ERA.
small, 
        and 
        youth 
        and 
        health 
        and 
        love 
        make 
        hardships 
        easy 
        to 
        bear,
the 
        prudent 
        man 
        will 
        labor 
        early 
        and 
        late, 
        and 
        lay 
        up 
        a 
        store 
        for
future 
        days. 
        He 
        will 
        spend 
        little 
        on 
        pleasure; 
        his 
        joy 
        will 
        be 
        in
his 
        work 
        and 
        his 
        family.
All 
        young 
        men 
        in 
        the 
        Church 
        who 
        have 
        the 
        spirit 
        of 
        the 
        gos-
pel desire 
        to 
        stand 
        at 
        the 
        head 
        of 
        a 
        family, 
        and 
        are 
        willing 
        to 
        bear
whatever 
        burdens 
        this 
        may 
        bring. 
        There 
        is 
        certainly 
        weakness
somewhere 
        when 
        a 
        man 
        goes 
        through 
        life 
        unmarried. 
        To 
        be 
        a
husband 
        and 
        a 
        father 
        adds 
        to 
        the 
        worth 
        of 
        a 
        man; 
        and 
        when 
        wife
and 
        children 
        are 
        bound 
        to 
        him 
        for 
        time 
        and 
        eternity, 
        he 
        stands 
        as
a 
        power 
        in 
        the 
        universe; 
        for 
        if 
        all 
        goes 
        well, 
        his 
        family 
        will 
        exist
and 
        increase 
        forever. 
        The 
        man 
        has 
        the 
        privilege 
        and 
        responsibility
of 
        choosing 
        his 
        wife. 
        His 
        suit 
        may 
        be 
        rejected 
        or 
        accepted, 
        but
the 
        initiative 
        is 
        with 
        him. 
        It 
        behooves 
        him 
        to 
        choose 
        well. 
        The
love 
        of 
        the 
        world 
        may 
        be 
        blind, 
        but 
        proper 
        love, 
        associated 
        with
fervent 
        prayer 
        and 
        earnest 
        desire 
        for 
        the 
        welfare 
        of 
        both 
        parties
and 
        of 
        spirits 
        yet 
        unborn, 
        is 
        not 
        blind. 
        Indeed, 
        a 
        higher 
        sight 
        than
human 
        vision 
        accompanies 
        such 
        love.
And 
        among 
        the 
        attributes 
        of 
        the 
        highest 
        manhood 
        we 
        must 
        in-
clude faith 
        in 
        the 
        Lord 
        and 
        devotion 
        to 
        him 
        and 
        his 
        work, 
        such 
        de-
votion that 
        we 
        can 
        say 
        in 
        the 
        midst 
        of 
        affliction, 
        "Though 
        he 
        slay
me, 
        yet 
        will 
        I 
        trust 
        in 
        him." 
        The 
        gospel 
        trains 
        us 
        in 
        obedience 
        and 
        in-
tegrity, purity 
        and 
        continence; 
        it 
        brings 
        us 
        into 
        harmony 
        with
the 
        Lord, 
        and 
        if 
        we 
        obey 
        it 
        with 
        full 
        purpose 
        of 
        heart, 
        never 
        fal-
tering or 
        backsliding, 
        it 
        will 
        make 
        each 
        of 
        us, 
        like 
        the 
        Author 
        of
our 
        salvation, 
        a 
        perfect 
        man.