Notes

EDITOR'S TABLE. 467 seen before Joseph's martyrdom. This falsehood turned me against the Reorganized Church. Elder John M. McFarlane baptized me into the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints last summer, in the Hudson River, and I now bear testimony to the world that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that Brigham Young was his true successor. We declare that the above is a true report. Fred J. Pack, Sadie Grant Pack. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. Further Explanation of Luke 22: 35-38. Elder Carl A. Krantz, writing from Copenhagen, Denmark, says: In the answer, in the late January number, given to the scripture in Luke 22: 35-3S, it seems tome that a great opportunity is missed. I mean the opportunity to forcibly bring out a principle that is of immeasurable importance in our Church. The Lord has at times chosen to try the faith, obedience and courage of his servants, and that he has done in a very forcible manner by apparently contradicting himself. The Lord's command to Abraham about the sacrificing of his only son, after that son was given him in fulfilment of the promise that through him the seed of Abraham should be multiplied indefinitely, is certainly a climax, or an extreme point of trial, that only a true servant of the Lord could withstand. And so in the case referred to above. After having been taught to "love their enemies," and to turn the other cheek, when assailed, it must certainly have been a terrible shock to hear that they should provide themselves with swords. But in neither of these cases did the Lord intend that his servants should use the murderous implements; it was only a supreme trial of their faith. And it was no doubt a character-building ordeal that the Lord knew would be of immense value to them in after life. Now in our days we have had the "Zion's camp" movement, which I claim was an undertaking exactly on a par with that peculiar command

468 IMPROVEMENT ERA. of Jesus. Just imagine an armed expedition, consisting of representatives of the meek and lowly Jesus, under leadership of the Lord's prophet, marching out to use force against their fellow- men I That was certainly a paradox that would try the faith of any man. But those who went through it used no force, and became experienced and qualified for greater labors in the Lord's service. But the greatest value, in a correct explanation of that saying of Jesus, lies, I think, in the help it gives us to understand the meaning and purport of other tests, or extreme points of trial, sometimes seemingly entirely out of keeping with the spirit of the gospel, administered to the Saints in other ways, to impress the solemnity of the covenants which they have entered into. Their proper comparison to these similar cases out of the Bible is, in my estimation of incalculable value, especially for the young people to understand. Confer, Ordain, Set Apart. A boy who is a deacon, is to be ordained a priest. In the ordination, is it proper to say, We set you apart as a priest? Should not the words, We ordain you, be used? Yes; ordain should be used. In this connection it is well to remember that in the matter of the bestowal of the priesthood, there is no set or prescribed form; but it is proper and fitting to confer the priesthood; so also, to ordain to one of the offices of the priesthood; and to set apart, in appointing or assigning a person to fill a temporary place or position; as, for instance, to be a home or foreign missionary, to be a president or counselor of an auxiliary organization, etc. In other words, confer the priesthood, ordain to an office in the priesthood, and set apart to a temporary position in the Church. 'MAN PROPOSES." Replying to the request to give the moral of the story bearing the above title, in the March Era, a large number of young

NOTES. ' 469 men have forwarded their answers. Out of the number, we have selected the following, which are samples of the best received: As the stars differ from each other in size and brilliancy, so differ people from each other in temperament, fancies and tastes. All people cannot be taught and led in the same way. Some are strong willed, others mild. In governing them, we must deal accordingly.—Syl- VANUSIVERSON. Solve your own problems, rather than copy entirely from the slate of your neighbor.—Edmund W. Carbine. Some girls have to have their minds made up for them; some don't. —Erin Quist. NOTES. Let no man talk of freedom until he is sure he can govern himself. —Goethe. Every kindness done to others in our daily walk, every attempt to make others happy, every prejudice overcome, is a step nearer the life of Christ.—Dean Stanley. There is no duty so much underrated as the duty of being happy. By being happy we sow anonymous benefits upon the world, which remain unknown even to ourselves, or, when they are disclosed, surprise nobody so much as the benefactor. The giraffe once had a short neck,—that was all he had expressed of himself,—but his pasture ran short and he began to reach up for the pakn leaves. He reached and looked, and reached again. This exercise stretched his neck, until it is now long enough to reach the palm tops, so it has ceased to grow longer. As long as he kept reaching out, his neck kept growing. As long as we aspire, look up and not down, as long as we keep stretching our minds over great problems, we shall continue to grow. Some guilty people might be taken for innocent, if they were not, like the Scotchman, too anxious to have people believe a lie. It is told of a certain prominent Englishman, that while, on one occasion, he was