The Holy Scriptures, the Inspirer of Youth and Refiner of Character

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES-THE INSPIRER OF YOUTH AND REFINER OF CHARACTER. BY ANNIE G. LAURITZEN. But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of,knowing of whom thou hast learned them;and that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. (II Timothy 3: 14-17.) My mother could not govern me by scolding; whipping only made me the harder to manage. I saw no real object in my having been born, and lamented the fact daily. I wondered what there was to live for, seeing that life did not last more than a hundred years, at best, and that there was more misery than happiness, more fear of death and sickness than hope of life or joy in living. But when she placed within my reach the books of the holy scripture, then, and not till then, did she turn the key to my reformation, education, and eternal happiness. I discovered the truth, as asserted by Saint Paul,that they could make me wise unto salvation, and were indeed inspired of God. With great interest, I read the account of God's glorious labors in making this beautiful world, in which mortal man might dwell—a preparatory stage in the school of experience, where he was to have the esteemed honor and privilege to be born, to exercise his free agency, to subdue the evil,

290 IMPROVEMENT ERA. and to develop the God-like attributes of a soul immortal; that "God made man that he might have joy," and that without having known sorrow and suffering, none could appreciate the deep, true happiness to be gained along with the gift of eternal life. For this is eternal life, to know God and Jesus Christ whom he has sent; therefore, he has commanded us to "search the scriptures, for they truly testify of me." And truly the Savior's was a beautiful mission—a life of love devoted to humanity, to instruct, to uplift, to inspire, and to bless; to comfort, to teach, and to save. What a wonderful example! a true type of perfection, a life without guile, a pattern that all may safely and surely copy; our teacher. Savior and King, the Creator and Redeemer of our race. If one so guileless and so perfect required such deep and severe schooling, in order to prepare him for our future king and ruler, then what kind of schooling would you and I require, who are born with less divine attributes? Then it is, we need to study the holy scriptures to learn of that one faultless life, of that great sympathizer of human woe that grand self-sacrificing, unselfish one, who died that we might live. A daily study of the holy scriptures cannot fail to bring us nearer to God; they cannot fail to uplift, to instruct, to inspire within the soul the love of truth, honesty, integrity, sobriety, purity, light, intelligence, holiness and godliness, and they never fail to inspire the reader with faith in God—if read by the spirit of inspiration. No young man who has a true and living faith in God will be found smoking cigars, or drinking strong drink, or profaning the name of Deity, or in any way defiling the body—which is the templeshrine of his immortal soul—or committing sins against his own being that will destroy both body and soul in hell. A knowledge of God, as revealed in the holy scriptures, cannot fail to refine the character, and to enlighten and inspire the mind to higher and loftier aims, to purer and truer motives, to nobler and better lives, and to greater wisdom, intelligence and virtue; and to point the way to eternal life, happiness, and love; to fill the mind with more sympathy with his fellowmen and greater love for God. It fills the mind with sympathy for the human race, and

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 291 makes us long to be good for goodness' sake, to improve our lives daily; it makes us long to extend our sphere, to broaden our views, to progress, to advance in the scale of intelligence. It fills us with a desire to uplift, to bless, and to save the fallen and lost of our race. It teaches us patience; for, when a person determines to do right, there is nothing that he will not suffer in the accomplishment of God's work. Thus he becomes valiant, brave, dauntless—three essential elements in the structure of a perfect character; while it is the lack of a knowledge of God that degrades, defiles and degenerates man and makes him a barbarian of the lowest type. It is a lack of the knowledge of God which brings about the conditions spoken of by St. Paul as being characteristic of the youth of Zion in the latter days, as heady, highminded, proud, blasphemous, disobedient to parents, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God. It is human nature to love that with which we become best acquainted; therefore, let our youth who would become "wise unto salvation" seek God while he may yet be found, and ^'remember their Creator in the days of their youth." In the great code of laws that govern the universe there is no law of inactivity. So with the human mind; it must either be progressing, advancing, aspiring heavenward, or retrograding, degenerating, running to evil, for if we "sow to the flesh, we reap corruption, but if we sow to the spirit,we reap life everlasting." The holy scriptures are a never-failing source of comfort to the afflicted, of consolation for the downcast and sorrowful, of enlightenment to those in darkness, and of inspiration to the faithful; their authorship was directed of God, and he it is who stands at the back of every promise made therein, as a source of eternal inspiration and light. Thus it proved when the boy-prophet, Joseph Smith, put to test just one of the many promises made therein. He was rewarded by having the heavens opened, and receiving a visit from God the Father and the Son, and by ministering angels restoring the gospel with all its gifts, privileges, powers and blessings. A religious influence directed by the proper power has a most refining effect upon the character; it makes people more loving, and more loveable. It kindles a desire to become acquainted with God,

292 IMPROVEMENT ERA. for God himself is love, and it was his great and mighty love for man that caused him to build the universe; we cannot become acquainted with him and his glorious labors and heavenly attributes without a desire to become like him. Satan teaches man that we can sin and not be discovered, but the word of God teaches us that "he searcheth the hearts and discerneth the thoughts" of men, and when our race learns this truth we will cease to sin; for, however much man may love sin, he can never learn to love to be found out; and thus will truth win the victory over sin. • When we learn to know God and his divine attributes, we will seek to become like him, and thus we are building the structure of a noble character. "Lives of great men all remind us We can make our lives sublime." And what greater, more sublime,God-like example could our race ask for than for God to manifest himself in the flesh, and thus reveal ta us the highest type of perfection? Besides him, we have many notable characters in holy writ—such as Adam, Enoch, Noah, Abraham,, and mighty men of God in every age and clime; Lehi, Nephi, Moroni,. Ether and Mormon. Who could read the account of these noble,, valiant. God-fearing men, and the story of their achievements, without a prayerful longing to become like them, to copy their example, to work righteousness in the earth, aud leave the world better for our having lived? Who could read the story of Joseph who was sold into Egypt without becoming inspired to exercise faith in God, to extol virtue, and to sustain unsullied chastity, to return good for evil, and to love those who hate us, and to bless those who curse us, and do good to those who despitefully use us? Such a man was Joseph, and such a man was Nephi—both destined to gain the experience needed in order to qualify them to be rulers of God's chosen people. To my mind these two men are the most influential of any scriptural personages, other than Christ; and they gained their influence, their wisdom and intelligence, their power and authority, through obedience to the laws of the gospel of Christ. All the world's great poets, painters, musicians, and writers> have drawn much of their inspiration from the Bible.

THE HOLY SCRIPTURES. 293 Who has read in fiction or in profane history of greater characters than those whose lives are recorded in holy writ? Who could conceive of a greater leader, or a more beloved man, than Enoch, a more zealous man than Noah, a more faithful man than Abraham, a more devoted lover than Jacob, a more virtuous man than Joseph, a greater law-giver than Moses, a more valiant man than Joshua, a more devout man than Daniel, a wiser man than Solomon, a more patient man than Job, a more poetic man than Isaiah, a more musical man than David, a greater logician than St. Paul, a more perfect man than Christ? Then we have recorded in the Book of Mormon many lives that could be studied with equal profit; and as was said of Enoch, Noah and Abraham, who "by their counsels and by their knowledge of learnin g, were wise and eloquent in their instructions; such as found out musical tones and recited verses in writing; rich men, furnished with ability, living peaceably in their habitations." Ail these men were honored in their generation and were the glory of their time. These were merciful men, whose righteousness hath not been forgotten; their seed remaineth forever more, and their glory shall not be blotted out; their bodies are buried in peace, but their names remain forever more. Here we have characters—not fictitious, not imaginary, not productions of fancy, but real, true, genuine characters—who have lived, and who shall live again, and live forever; whose lives shining down through the dim, distant ages of the past, will continue to shine with increasing brilliancy throughout the vast eternities to come, and whose words and deeds will continue to live as long as time shall last. Note the words of King David to his son—words full of inspiration and not to be misunderstood: ''My son, God hath chosen thee to build a temple. Be thou strong,*and do it!" These words went straight to the mark and left no room for excuses, hesitancy, or doubt, but sternly: "Be thou strong and doit;" and the work was done. And God raised up men to assist in that work, and he endowed them with "wisdom, with knowledge, and with skill in cunning work, and all manner of carving of wood and stone." And so it is: when God inspires a person,he becomes skilled in whatever work he undertakes.

294 ' IMPROVEMENT ERA. Thus, there is no problem of life but can be wrought out by the help of God; no gift, attainment, or attribute, but can be perfected through the exercise of faith in him. Thus, we are told to "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all things else will be added unto you"—all heights and depths; all gifts, powers and blessings; all talents, titles, honors, riches, influence and power will be added to those who seek first his glorious kingdom. Thus, as a builder of character, no book ever written can compare with the holy scriptares, for in it we find recorded not alone the gospel of life and salvation, not alone the plan of redemption, not alone the testimony of the witnesses of the life of Christ, and his matchless ministry, but also a history of the lives of the noblest, the bravest, the wisest, the purest, the truest, and the best men and women who have lived upon earth, and whose noble characters shine out to us as a witness that God ever inspires and blesses the lives devoted to his service, in whatever day, age, land or clime they may chance to dwell. "He is the same yesterday»- today, and forever, and his course is one eternal round;" he is ever ready to help those who seek him, to bless and enlighten those who serve him, and to endow with his Holy Spirit, which inspires With light and joy and truth and love, With comfort, life and peace, And leads us to that home above. Where blessings never cease. Richfield, Utah.