--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Smith, George Albert collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 9 number: 1 published: 1905-11 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'George Albert Smith, "Obstacles," *Improvement Era* 9, no. 1 (November 1905): 72–73.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0901unse 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: improvementera0901unse start_page: 72 end_page: 73 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1905-11) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0901unse 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. --- # Obstacles OBSTACLES. Elder George Albert Smith addressed the late Y. M. M. I. A. conference on the subject of: "Obstacles in the Way of Mutual Improvement: (a) In our Country Wards; Qa) ' In our City Wards. Elder Smith among other things enumerated a number of obstacles, some be- ing in the country wards : first, lack of interest in sacred things among the boys many feeling it is not popular to be religious ; second, the many chores required to be done late in the evening; third, lack of reference books. In the city wards many young men are engaged in business which ties them up until late in the first, evening; second, school work— many of our young men being students; third, the constant round of amusements which attracts so many; fourth, the great amount of light and trashy literature; fifth, lack of interest on acount of the multitude of meetings. In a general way, obstacles were enumerated as follows: first, the in- difference of parents to Mutual Improvement work ; most of the obstacles would be removed, if parents were converted; second, failure of regular attendance by officers; third, unpunctuality, unsociability, of the officers; they should get down among the boys and be on a level with them; fourth, lack of initiative on the part of the officers. Officers should seek the inspiration of the Lord to inspire and guide them in their work. , Superintendent .John L. Herrick, of Weber stake, stated that one of the OUR WORK. 73 greatest obstacles encountered in Improvement work in his stake, was that the officers are too much engaged in other auxiliary organizations. Elder Holden, of Cache stake, stated that one of the greatest obstacles was failure to choose capable class leaders. Elder D. H. Kimball, of Granite stake, suggested as a means of overcoming some of the obstacles, the selection of a leader in social and athletic affairs, one that would attract the boys and lead out in those affairs and who was an enthusi- astic Mutual Improvement man ; also to get the parents to assist in all the social affairs of the association, and thus get them interested. Elder Randall L. Jones, of Parowan stake, stated that the chief obstacle they had to contend with, was indifference, to overcome which, he suggested the empha- sizing of social features, the establishing of libraries and reading rooms. Elder T. J. Bennett, of Blackfoot stake, stated that great good had resulted in his stake andmany obstacles had been overcome, by changing the night of meeting from Tuesday to Sunday, and Brother Fletcher B. Hammond, of San -luan stake, bore similar testimony.