--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Susa Young Gates collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 8 number: 7 published: 1905-05 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Susa Young Gates, "A Mother’s Letters to Her Missionary Son. IV," *Improvement Era* 8, no. 7 (May 1905): 501–505.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0807unse 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: improvementera0807unse start_page: 501 end_page: 505 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1905-05) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0807unse publication_year: 1905 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 1905, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # A Mother’s Letters to Her Missionary Son. IV A MOTHER'S LETTERS TO HER MISSIONARY SON. EDITED BY SUSA YOUNG GATES. IV.— ARRIVAL IN LIVERPOOL. Daniel, my Son. — I can't tell you how happy I am this day; your first letter has reached us, and it is so full of love for us all, so interesting, and withal breathes so manly and dignified a spirit, that my cup of love and joy is full. I am glad you enjoyed the visit to Chicago and Niagara. You are having wonderful opportunities. There was an undercurrent of something in your letter, however, which troubled me a little. It is perfectly natural that you should be homesick, but —my son— don't allow that feeling to stay with you. I can see, from what you say, that you miss the home comforts and the home liberties. Well, I am glad you do, for that shows that you appreciate what we do for you. But this must not go too far. When you receive this, you will be in the headquarters of the European Mission — Historic old 42, Islington. Thousands of willing, eager feet have mounted those shabby steps, and thousands of lonely eyes have looked around those stained and shabby walls. You are on sacred ground, my son; in the long future years, all that has been associated with that auaint old place, will be history of the rarest and most sacred character. Even now the old Millennial Star and Journal of Discourses bear, in your eyes, a far-away, misty past that is akin to the events and places associated with the ancient apostles. This atmosphere will grow rapidly, stronger to each generation in turn, so be glad that you can form 502 IMPROVEMEN1 ERA. one small link in the chain of history which binds the glorious and fruitful past to our people, in their missionary labors. Open your eyes and your mind; observe the details about you; make a photograph of the house and each of its rooms on your innermost memory: the size, slope and height of the rooms, the furniture, pictures on the walls, the arrangement within and without. Do this, indeed, wherever you go. Do you remember the game that Hermann, the great magician, used to play with his son, to prepare him for his future career? He would pile every possible thing on a table, let his son get one glimpse, then take him out and test his memory and accuracy by telling the boy to name over everything he saw upon the table. The same plan would be followed on passing a shop window, and the results were surprising. When you have nothing better to do, practice observation, as it will always be useful and valuable. In Liverpool you will meet the honored head of the mission. This is the first time you have had the privilege of coming in direct contact with one of the Twelve Apostles, and I know how much you will appreciate it. Don't expect him, however, to select you out for special recognition, for as yet, you are but one of a party to him. However, it will not be long before you will begin to assume an individuality in his eyes, through your work in the field over which he presides. Throw away your natural shyness sufficiently to enable you to answer calmly and manfully any questions that may be put to you. There will be a meeting of your party to enable the president of the mission to give you your instructions. Listen carefully to these; there are always certain general instructions which are given by every president of a mission; but there are also always some one or more special topics or subjects touched upon which form the keynote of the special line of work or procedure which isto be followed. This keynote may be the result of conditions and circumstances, and it may partake of the natural predilections and peculiarities of the one who gives the instructions; but, in any case, you will do well to give strict heed to that keynote. Let me illustrate further: if you are in a testimony meeting, watch for the prevailing sentiment. Sometimes the Word of Wisdom will dominate, sometimes it will be loyalty to our covenants A MOTHER'S LETTERS TO HER MISSIONARY SON. 503 and friends; again, it may be the gifts of the gospel, cases of healing may be cited; or gratitude may be the prevailing sentiment Whatever it is, try to catch that central sound, and even if you do not care to sound the same note, never give forth an inharmonious tone. This is true wisdom; the Spirit of the Lord is always harmony, peace and perfect love. Contention, opposition, friction,, argument, all these belong to the opposite power. A meeting is presided over by one who has authority, and think not there is anything brave nor smart in opposing or seeking to introduce foreign elements into that service. Liberty is not license. Never be subservient nor sycophantic, but be in harmony with God, if you desire his Spirit to guide you. If the instructions given do not seem to fit you or your case, never mind, othere are thers who need them, and your turn will come later. Above all things, do not criticise either the speaker or the things he has said. Let me give you the advice Aunt Zina used to give the youth of Israel: if there is anything you don't understand, lay it on the shelf. Don't combat a new thought or truth, but you do not understand it, pray earnestly for light, if and sometimes you can ask an older, wiser person to make the matter clear to you. Never argue; that is, don't discuss any religious matter in an argumentative spirit. You may reason with one another, bringing forth causes and results; but the moment you begin to argue, reason leaves you, and feeling or prejudice steps in and breeds dissension and strife. In referring to the matter of criticising a speaker or his words, there is a wide field of thought herein. Only one point now, however, will I bring to your mind. Sometimes, and maybe often, in your missionary life, the presiding authority may find it necessary to rebuke an elder for unwise conduct. This may be done privately, or even in your public priesthood meetings; your sensitive spirit will recoil at this, and your heart will, no doubt, ache for the one who is thus chastised; but, oh, be careful how you show your sympathy. There are many homes broken up, friends parted, and even apostates made, by unwise sympathy. A tender pressure of the hand, a whispered "God bless you, brother," or a word of encouragement, such as "We all have to have this trial, brother," these and similar words may per- haps do no harm. But to insinuate that the rebuke was undeserved, or that the one in authority was too severe, and did wrong, this will do positive injury all around. It is none of your business whether the rebuke was fully deserved or not; if it is given by the Spirit of the Lord, and taken in that spirit, great good will be accomplished, if sympathizers and meddlers will mind their own business. We are so apt to misuse that beautiful trait, sympathy and mercy. And this brings me to the fact that even when you wrote from Niagara, you were getting homesick. Put this resolutely behind you; first, don't sympathize with yourself, nor allow those deadly sympathetic feelings to come over you; don't pity yourself. Men are not often given to this over-sensitiveness, as their lives and occupations take them out of themselves, as a rule. But given a sensitive and generous nature, surrounded by those circumstances which bring a man in personal, intimate contact with other personalities, and behold the ground is fallow for the growth of all sorts of self-conceit and self-pity. Don't pity yourself because your bed is hard, your food poor, or your physical surroundings unpleasant. Forget yourself and rejoice, and be exceeding glad that you are chosen a weak instrument to do and suffer a little of what your Savior suffered so much. You may not mind these, and yet be home- sick for the comradeship and affection or your loved ones at home. Put us out of your mind. No; do not say this is impossible; it is very possible and even easy, if you go about it in the right way. Bring your will in to help, exercise strong faith inGod, and then don't think about us. The modern Christian Science, called now the "New Thought," has for its sole religious structure the exercise of the will in bringing about peaceful conditions of both mind and body. They teach you to say, "I am love, I am peace, I am health," until the actual condition, more or less, surrounds vou. They have one end of a great truth; but the other end rests in the mists of spiritualism and mysticism, and the soul who follows this ignis fatuus will find itself some day wandering alone and desolate crying peace, peace, when there is no peace. But the central truth, that of faith, hope and trust, that abides. Put your faith in God, and in the name of his Son invite into your soul the spirits of love, hope — A MOTHER'S LETTERS TO HER MISSIONARY SON. 505 and charity. Read, walk out of doors, write, work, anything that will divert your mind when you are inclined to be lonely or sad. Work, either mental or physical, is the best of all cures for blues and despondency. And now a word about your baggage; you are in a country where there are no checks, no baggage masters, and no means of identification; you will why you elders are told see, therefore, only to take a valise, and, too, why your father had your initials printed on your bag. Take extra care of umbrella and bag, although you will find all the Europeans are more honest in small things, because more careful, than our own Americans. But don't strew your things from Chicago to Liverpool, but carefully pack away anything you may have had out. Father wrote you yesterday, and sent the home news. I will just say no one loves you as does Your Mother. Salt Lake City, Utah. SOMEWHERE. Improvement Era. —The enclosed verses were written by my sister, Annie Pack Roberts, Bountiful, Utah. Some may remember that i» October last a heartless wretch entered her home and, in an attempt t» steal money that had been saved for her son's mission, he awakened Mrs. Roberts, and then brutally beat her into insensibility, and left her all but dead upon the floor. Through an effort of friends, more money was raised, and Ler son left within a week for a mission to England.She had not recovered when her infant babe fell a victim to thai dread disease diphtheria. In the state of mind that only they who have gone through similar experiences can realize, Sister Roberts gave expression to the enclosed verses. Fred J. Pack. New York City, N. Y. Somewhere, safe in a beautiful home, Is the baby who left us here,