---
title: Improvement Era
description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930.
authors:
  - Frank H. Snow
collections:
  - periodicals
tags:
  - magazine
  - improvement-era
periodical: Improvement Era
volume: 8
number: 8
published: 1905-06
publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations
publisher_place: Salt Lake City
language: en
type: magazine
reference: 'Frank H. Snow, "A Young Lady’s Reply to Missionaries—Appreciation—Questions and Answers—Defends the Truth," *Improvement Era* 8, no. 8 (June 1905): 629.'
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0808unse
  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: improvementera0808unse
start_page: 629
end_page: 629
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1905-06)
  source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0808unse
  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 Young Lady’s Reply to Missionaries—Appreciation—Questions and Answers—Defends the Truth

<!-- page:629 -->

EDITORS TABLE.                                    629
request of the president, whether the latter be present or whether
he be absent.
        Should our young people be encouraged to hold and attend "Character balls?"     Are they beneficial to the young in any way? Are thej
calculated to cultivate and encourage spiritual growth?
        (1)   If    the balls are high class, and well conducted, and the
characters selected are of the good and noble order, there can
be no more harm in a ''character ball," than in any other ball.                    It
can be made very detrimental, however; so can any dance, or
ball.
        (2)   Character balls, like other amusements, may be beneficial,   because they provide diversion which, if healthy, is very necessary to the young.           Character balls may be made valuable in the
study of historical characters.
        (3)   No; dances, or amusements of a physical nature, are
not calculated to cultivate or encourage spiritual growth, only as
they may aid in providing a good body which is very necessary for
spiritual and intellectual growth.
      The above applies to "character balls," not to "masquerade
balls," which are bad under any conditions, and should be shunned
entirely.
                           DEFENDS THE TRUTH.
        From       Cardston,   Alta,   Canada,   comes the following, dated
April 14, 1905.         There are thousands who can bear similar testimonies:
Editor Improvement Era:
                          —
    Dear Brother: It is very seldom that               I    care to have     my name
before the public, but there are times when        I       think   it   a duty to give
one's thoughts to defend the truth.       When I hear and read of evildesigning persons speaking   disrespectfully of President Smith, I feel
                                                      father, for I have
that they are casting reflections upon my deceased
                                                       that there was not
often heard my father state, in private conversation,
                               man  upon the earth  than Joseph F. Smith,
a more honorable, God-fearing
                     Smich  would  give his  life and all he possessed for
and that President