Notes

224 IMPROVEMENT ERA. ing cities and villages, or wherever the wonderful instrument reaches. There are eight wards, that will accommodate six persons each, making the hospital accommodations, without crowding, one hundred and six patients. Different charitably disposed citizens have already furnished a number of the rooms, $5,000 having recently been donated for this purpose. Every room is equipped with electric lights, steam heaters, telephones, as above mentioned, and every modern convenience for ventilation and light. The metal steps of the stairways are laid with interlocking rubber tiles. The automatic elevator carries the attendants from floor to floor, without an operator, responding to the beck and call of the person who desires to be accommodated; he need only touch a button to be taken up or down at pleasure. The doors respond only when the passenger is present, and can only be closed when the, persons riding are safely in the carriage. The laundry is complete in every detail, with electric power, and every modern appliance for the rapid and perfect handling and cleansing of the wash goods of the institution. There is a reception room, a dining room, a kitchen, supplied with modern ranges, closets for fruit, storage of supplies, refrigerators, cold storage, and every other needed equipment for the perfect preparation and care of food. The three operating rooms, in the upper story, finished in white tile and white enamel paint, are supplied with doctor's closets for instruments and clothing, and every known improvement for perfect water supply, sanitation and sterilization of materials and instruments. The doors are furnished with glass knobs, and the water faucets are provided with devices that enable them to be operated with the knee. Arrangements have been made so that the roof of the building, overlooking the beautiful valley,may be used by the convalescent who may thus have the benefit and additional advantage of inhaling the ozone of the mountain breezes, or of lounging in the refreshing rays of the sun, drinking in the pure, light air of the mountains. The building completed, aside from the donations for the furnishing of the various rooms, has cost in the neighborhood of $175,000. The balance, outside of the Groves bequest, and the

EDITORS TABLE. 225 gift of the 15th Ward, having been furnished by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The medical board, as already stated, is controlled by Dr. Joseph S.Richards,who is medical director,and, is composedin addition, of Dr. Samuel H. Allen, Dr. Stephen L. Richards, Dr. Charles F. Wilcox, Dr. Ralph T. Richards, at present practicing in the Bellevue Hospital, New York, Dr. Fred Stauffer, Dr. William C.Baldwin,and Dr. Creighton C. Snyder. Miss Dora A. Walls, formerly of Columbus, Ohio, is engaged as chief nurse, and Martha Shields, as Matron. The institution will be conducted strictly upon business principles, and whatever charity cases are received will be treated only upon the responsibility of some individual or organization; but it is hoped that, as time advances and the immense benefit and value of such an institution to the people will be fully realized, many endowments will be granted, so that help for the needy sick may not be withheld, and that thus the institution may grow and flourish. The Era presents, in this number, an excellent portrait of the stately edifice, which will give the reader some idea of its beauty and magnitude. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. Time of Christ's Visit to the Nephites. When did Christ visit the Nephites? Was it during the forty days, or after his final ascension from the Mount of Olives? (See John 20: 17; IIINephi 11: 12; Acts 1:3.) While there is room for question, so far as the account given in the Book of Mormon is concerned, whether Messiah's appearance to the Nephites occurred before or after his ascension from the Mount of Olives, the consensus of opinion of Book of Mormon students is, that it occurred after the ascension, and not during the forty days. The only difficulty in the way of accepting this interpretation is the length of time the people were gathered near the temple in Bountiful discussing the strange events; but it must be remembered that the people doubtless came from remote parts

226 IMPR0VEMEN1 ERA. to that central place, impelled by a great desire to be near the sacred center of their land, in their great affliction. This travel would require considerable time, and with fresh additions to the crowd, the subject of the great changes of the land would come up for renewed discussion. Add to this, the fact that these people were of Israelitish descent, and, therefore, given to long periods of mourning over great calamities, and the difficulty is entirely overcome. Furthermore, it was doubtless the design of Messiah that people from all parts of the various Nephite lands would be witnesses of his appearance. Therefore, an impelling desire and a considerable length of time would be absolutely necessary to bring about this great assemblage. Meaning of Prison in III Nephi 12: 25, 26. What are we to understand by the prison spoken of in III Nephi 12: 26? The prison referred to in Messiah's instructions, as .recorded in III Nephi 12: 25, 26, may be a real or a figurative one, according to the interpretation placed upon the passage. In either case, the meaning is, that it is better to settle difficulties with the one concerned, than to allow the law to intervene. Luke 22: 35-38 Explained. What is the meaning of the passage in Luke 22: 35-38? The incident related by Luke occurred just before Christ's crucifixion. It will be remembered that in the early part of his ministry he had instructed his servants to go out without purse or scrip or change of clothing. That was when his ministry was to be accomplished, and the test was to be put to the Jews peacefully whether or not they would accept the Savior through his own preaching and that of his disciples, but they rejected him. He saw the war, bloodshed and misery that would follow this rejection. Therefore, he warned them to expect the old regime to continue no longer, but be prepared for war and hardship. A similar warning is given in Matthew 24: 16-20. Reference is doubtless made to the siege and suffering endured by the Jews soon after Christ's crucifixion, ending in the destruction of Jerusalem, in 70

EDITOR'S TABLE. 227 A. D. Some have thought that in telling the disciples to procure swords that he intended that they should defend him from the Jews who were seeking his life. This is disproved by the fact that when they said they had two swords, he answered, "It is enough;" and further, when Peter attempted to defend him when he was arrested, he rebuked Peter and healed the man whom he had wounded. A Question of Presiding. If the president of the Young Men's association is not present at the opening exercises and during the preliminary program, and his counselors are there, who should preside, the counselors or the president of the Young Ladies' association? When the president of the Young Men's association is not at his post, but his counselors are there, they act for him, and one •of them should take his place and preside, as far as the Young Ladies' officers are concerned, in the same manner as the president would if he were there. Church Government. In the absence of the president of the Young Men's association, and his counselors, and the secretary, the bishop called on a member—a high priest—to preside. Was the bishop justified in so doing, when the president of the Young Ladies' association was present? In answer, the questioner is referred to an article in the IM- PROVEMENT Era, by President Joseph F. Smith, entitled "Church Government," volume 6, page 704. This article answers the question completely. See also Era, volume 6, page 717, a reply given by President Smith to a similar question. The Secretary and his Minutes. Should the secretary of the M. I. A., under any conditions, insert in the minutes any more than the subject of a sermon? This is a matter of choice. A secretary may reord an entire .sermon, but there is no necessity for it, and it is not advisable. It is usual only to refer to the subject.

NOTES. Take every chance you can get to be kind to your mother and father,. because some day there may be no more chances. Three things to admire: Intellect, dignity and gratefulness. Three things to hate: Cruelty, arrogance and ingratitude. We do not get many sunshiny reflections from the old frog pond*. Gloomy faces are like muddy pools. Smile into them and they give nothing back. Keep a cheery countenance. Cut loose from every mistake made last year and say "Good-by" toregret. Too late to feel sorry when you are slipping half-way down the barn roof. Dig in the fingers and toes and let every thing else wait. Sloth makes all things difficult, but industry all things easy, and he that riseth late must trot all day, and scarce shall overtake his business at night; while laziness travels so slowly that poverty soon overtakes him.—Franklin. Little self denials, little honesties, little passing words of sympathy, little nameless acts of kindness, little silent victories over favorite temptations,—these are the silent threads of gold which, when woven together, gleam out so brightly in the pattern of life that God approves.—F.. W. Farrar, D. D. Men may not know how fruits grow, but they know that they can not grow in five minutes. Some lives have not even a stock on which fruits could hang, even if they did grow in five minutes. Some have never planted one sound seed of Joy in all their lives; and others who have planted a germ or two have lived so little in sunshine that they never could come to maturity.—Henry Drummond. We must often suffer before we can understand. "There are certain advantages," writes a great German musician, "in choirs composed entirely of boys; but many hymns and anthems, expressive of the highest worship, they cannot sing properly, because they have never suffered enough to understand them." Wonderful things in nature are done in silence; and much of thegood and enduring work of man is unheralded until itself speaks for its creator: The trees grow silently, and God alone Can hear the sap rise to the budding shoot;