Editor's Table

EDITOR'S TABLE. GREETINGS FROM THE FIRST PRESIDENCY, From the Christmas Deseret News. We hail with pleasure the advent of another Christmas day, celebrated throughout Christendom as the anniversary cf the birth into this life of the world's Redeemer. We regard and venerate him as the Christ, the veritable Son of the Eternal Father. To the Latter-day Saints we extend cordial greeting at this festive season, and congratulate them on the condition of the Church and its pleasing prospects. In temporal things, our people in these valleys of the mountains have been greatly blessed. Bountiful harvests have been reaped on field and farm, in orchard and garden and vineyard. The flocks and herds upon the hills and the ranges have been multiplied; most of the industries that have been established have flourished; comfortable homes greet the eye in every direction, and want and penury are little known among the Saints. For these favors of divine providence we ought to be truly grateful; but in addition to these good things which are material, there has been an increase of spiritual life and unity, resulting from an increased faith in God and confidence in his servants. It is delightful to behold the peace and joy and contentment to be found throughout Zion, and the determination exhibited to hold fast to the truths which our heavenly Father has revealed in the latter days, and to the spiritual kingdom he has set up ''to be thrown down no more forever. ' ' In all the quorums of the holy priesthood and in the auxiliary organizations there is a marked increase of interest, intelligent inquiry and intense satisfaction. The efficiency displayed by the presid-

EDITOR'S TABLE. 247 ing officers among them is evident to all observers. The influence of education is also apparent; the Church academies, colleges and universities show marked improvement, being aided far more liberally than ever before from Church funds; musical culture is progressing; order is maintained in public gatherings, and advancement is seen on both intelletual and spiritual lines. One striking evidence of the faith of the Saints is their fidelity in the payment of tithes, and the offerings for the poor, in the erection of substantial and elegant houses of worship, in the maintenance of missions, and the support given generally to all measures for the spread of the work of the Lord. Our people are gradually following the advice given to "get out of debt." It is confidently hoped that the Church itself will, before long, be free from the bonded indebtedness which has been a burden upon it for some time. It will be glad tidings to us' all, if by the next Christmas day we can declare truthfully that * Ve owe no man anything, but to love one another." Tho Church abroad is strengthening its hold upon the thinking portion of mankind, prejudice is being removed from the minds of good people. Substantial meeting houses have been erected at several points, and the way is opening up for the promulgation of the gospel in many lands, some of which have been barred against our elders. There are openings for our missionaries too numerous to fill at present. The cry is repeated, as of old, ' 'The harvest is great, but the laborers are few. ' ' The unveiling of the monument to the Prophet Joseph Smith, at Sharon, Windsor county, Vermont, on December 23 — the one hundredth anniversary of his birth — is a cause of great congratulation to all who., believe in his divise mission. Slander, false witness and the shafts of malice are arrayed against the Church and its authorities, as may be expected until Satan is bound and falsehood is conquered by divine truth. It is our duty to bear such things with patience, and not permit ourselves to be aroused to anger or retaliation. We should stand up for the right, and as far as possible ignore the wrong-doers. The knowledge that God is with us, and that his work will , prevail, should buoy us up under every difficulty and every trial, having the conviction that the Lord will cause even ' 'the wrath of man to praise him. ' ' The very efforts

248 IMPROVEMENT ERA. of the enemies of his Church to hedge up its way will be overruled by him to accelerate its advancement. We advise the Saints to enjoy as far as is possible and consistent the pleasures of Christmas time, with that temperance and regard for others which should be observed at this sacred anniversary. Bless the children; provide for the poor; comfort the distressed; visit the widow and the fatherless; forgive those who may be regarded as enemies; be filled with the spirit of blessing; have charity for all; promote peace and good will, and spread abroad the light and intelligence which flow down from heaven in the gospel of the Son of God; recognize his divine hand in all that is good and useful and that promotes the welfare of humanity. All truth, from whatever source it seems to emanate, in science, in art, in philosophy, in theology, in discovery or invention, which promotes happiness and elevates mankind, is from the Father of light who sent his Son Jesus Christ of Nazareth, into the world to uplift his sons and daughters and bring them out of darkness, ignorance and sin into communion with him and obedience to his laws. Glory and praise be unto him for this great and crowning mercy! Let all nations join in the glad refrain which was sung by the angels at the Savior's birth. We extend greeting and blessing and earnest desire for the favor of heaven to rest upon all the human family, with the fervent hope that the time is not far distant when they will bow the knee to Kinglmmanuel and sing with united voice, Glory to God and the Lamb for ever and ever. Amen. Joseph F. Smith, John R. Winder, Anthon H. Lund, First Presidency. NOT UNDERSTOOD. President Joseph F. Smith, Editor Improvement Era. My Dear Sir: — I enclose a favorite poem of mine, entitled, ''Not Understood.'" I have recited it many times during the past

EDITORS TABLE. 249 five years, especially so during my recent trips in the East. It is very applicable to the question of Utah and the ''Mormons," and the ignorance prevailing amongst the eastern people, concerning them. I have had many requests for the poem from all classes of people, especially from the "Mormon" missionaries. Being unable to furnish a copy to each applicant, I thought best to send it to you, as editor of the Improvement Era, and would respectfully suggest its publication in your valuable magazine. The many friends who have requested, and thousands of others, will then secure it, and in so doing some of the mists that befog the minds of the people concerning Utah may be rolled away: NOT UNDERSTOOD. Not understood. We move along asunder, Our paths grow wider as the seasons creep Along the years ; we marvel, and we wonder Why life is life, and then we fall asleep; Not understood. Not understood. We gather'falsejimpressions And hug them closer as the years go by, Till virtues often seem to us transgressions ; And thus men rise and fall and live anddie ; Not understood. Not understood. Poor souls with stunted vision Oft measure giants by their narrow gauge. The poisoned shafts of falsehood and derision Are oft impelled 'gainst those who mold the age. Not understood. Not understood. The secret springs of action, Which lie beneath the surface and the snow, Are disregarded; with self-satisfaction We judge our neighbors as theyof ten go ; Not understood. Not understood. How trifles often change us. The thoughtless sentence or the f ancied'slight Destroy long years of friendship, and estrange us, And on our souls there falls a freezing blight; Not understood.

50 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Not understood. How many breasts are aching, For lack of sympathy? Ah, day by day, How many cheerless, lonely hearts are breaking, • How many noble spirits pass away? Not understood. 0, God, that men would see a little clearer, Or judge less harshly where they cannot see ; 0, God, that men would draw a little nearer To one another, they'd be nearer thee; And understood. I am very respectfully, John P. Meakin. P. S. — I know not the author of this poem. Salt Lake City, Nov. 25, 1905. BEHAVIOR— A SUBJECT FOR THE NEW YEAR. Now and then complaints are heard from the Sabbath schools, the Improvement associations, and the Saints generally, that there is serious want of reverence on the part of some of the children. Complaint is made that there are boys, and also girls, who appear to have no conception of what is considered honorable conduct, nor a clear understanding or regard for that which is sacred. Teachers complain that these children disturb meetings, and detract attention from the consideration of the studies in hand. They not only annoy the teachers, disturb classmates and meetings, and tumble over benches, but, by other rude ways, give evidence that they have not that training and good breeding that should characterize the children of the Latter-day Saints. This applies especially to certain classes in the Sunday schools and Improvement associations; and teachers complain that it is almost impossible to control the boys, in a number of instances. They appear to let themselves loose to mischief and rude conduct, and pay little attion to the wishes or desires of the teachers and others in charge. They disregard all rules and regulations.

EDITORS TABLE. 251 A question was asked of a mother, by her little girl, the other day: "Why is it that there is not as good order in our Church association meetings, as in the day schools?" To which the mother replied: "Because, in the day schools the children are compelled to abide by the strict rules and regulations of the schools, or swift punishment, appropriate to the offense, is inflicted while in our Church organizations and meetings, only love and reverence govern and control." That is true; and the result is that those children who are indifferent and ill-bred, give vent to their rowdyism, knowing that they are secure from punishment. They resent correction, and are often sustained in their actions by their parents. As a result, the workers in our organizations avoid being as firm as they should be, for fear of driving the children away. There is a feeling in their hearts that it is better to have them present, even if disorderly, and in a measure incorrigible, than not to have them present at all; hence, good order, discipline, strict obedience, and good conduct are absent from some of our classes and associations. The parents, too, in some cases, seem to think that it is a favor to the workers of our organizations, to have their children attend, or have them perform any service required of them; and this same notion extends also to attendants at sacrament meetings, and Church gatherings in general. People who attend seem easily hurt, and it happens that if they do not have their own way, they are injured in feeling, and refuse to come to meeting or to take part in religious affairs. They seem to think they are favoring some worker when they perform the religious obligations required of them, when the truth is just the opposite. No person can afford to neglect his religious duties; and rather than doing the workers and leaders a favor by attending to his duties, the neglectful person himself is seriously injured by not heeding them. The right way to look at it is for every person to say: I cannot afford to ignore Church labors and requirements. There is often too much begging people to have them do their duties; and it were better if the feeling could be changed, so that the begging would be on the other side. Our organizations are made too cheap, and are too easy of access. There appears to be too much done by the interested workers, and too little by those who should be interested,

252 IMPROVEMENT ERA. and for whom the organizations are especially established — the young men and women — the boys and girls of Zion. A serious trouble, also, is that parents are too apt to justify and excuse their children as against the just complaint of teachers and workers. In this lies the origin of the evil. Then there is not always the control in the home that there should be. There is lack of reverence for sacred things, for holy places, for right living, and for the principles of the gospel. All these are practically learned, and founded in the children's hearts, in the home. When there is want of appreciation as well as discipline, on the part of parents, and where they fail to impress the children with the sacredness and value of religious work, we may scarcely look for these qualities in the children. On the other hand, if parents were more careful, more earnest, more determined, these same characteristics would be implanted in the hearts of the children, and there would soon be manifest a love for sacred things, proper regard and respect for religious places of worship, as well as for the workers, and those who preside in the organizations of the Church. Where does the responsibility for the indifference and carelessness, lack of appreciation, and training, of the children, lie? Not only with every father and mother in the land, but with every stake president, every high councillor, every bishop, and every leading teacher. These must necessarily bear each his portion of the responsibility for these conditions. As a slogan for the New Year, it is good for the Priesthood of the Church to consider this subject, and to labor with fathers and mothers for the betterment of the conduct of our children. But where shall we begin? Parents may begin by seconding the efforts of the children in that which is good and right and by firmly decrying that which is incorrect and wrong. Parents may accompany their children to sacrament meetings, to Sabbath schools, to improvement meetings; and, above all, they may teach their children by word and act proper regard for authority, for teachers and for sacred things. This must begin in the home. Here no child should be permitted to disregard the rights of his elders, his brothers, his sisters, or his playmates. Parents who learn to take an interest with their children in

EDITOR'S TABLE. 253 that which is noble and good, and who lead, teach, and train them in a practical way, will soon see beneficial results. If a child, as he grows up, is taught to strictly respect and regard the rights of others in the home, and to be amenable to authority, he will naturally continue in that course. This class of teaching is quite as necessary as doctrinal knowledge; and is far more needful than business training. We can not go on neglecting it, and still hope to make the children of Zion strong and worthy leaders in the world; for no person who fails to respect others can have proper respect for himself. I wish fathers and mothers would take this matter up in their home teaching and conduct; I wish stake presidents would speak of it in their priesthood meetings; and that ward bishops would consider it in their meetings with their ward workers. Finally, let us all work unitedly together for better conduct, -for more regard for each other, and for improvement in all good works. As parents, we must begin the work, otherwise, the generation that follows will be worse than the present; even if we are not perfect, there is a chance that by teaching correct principles to our children and practicing them as far as we can, they may become better than we are. The present generation will pass away, but as each succeeding generation enters the stage of action, there must be an improvement in every good word and work. Joseph F. Smith. QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS. On Blessing Children at Home. Have members holding the priesthood the right to bless their children at home, and hand the record of such blessing to the ward clerk; or is it their duty to take the children to the Fast-meeting to be blessed, and the record taken there? It is perfectly proper and right for members to bless their children at home, and keep a record of such blessing; but it is a requirement of the Church, that the child should also be taken before the ward authorities to be blessed. We call special attention to section 20, paragraph 70, of the Doctrine and Covenants: Every member of the Church of Jesus Christ, having children, is to bring

254 IMPROVEMENT ERA. them unto the elders before the Church, who are to lay there hands upon them in the name of Jesus Christ, and bless them in his name. The bishop of the ward is, therefore, perfectly justified in requiring that children shall be brought before the ward in Fastmeeting to be blessed. This, however, does not prevent parents from having their children blessed at home; in fact, such blessing is commendable, and we think should be given by every parent in Zion, and a record thereof kept in the family. The wisdom of having the blessing done before the Church, is apparent when one thinks of the value of having a public record thereof. THE MEMORIAL NUMBER OF THE ERA. Dr. John A. Widtsoe writes of the December Era: ''In truth I can say that, with the exception of one article, of which, of course, I am not competent to speak, the contents forms the finest tribute published by the Church to the memory of the Prophet. I am reading it carefully, page by page, and I am enjoying every paragraph." A subscriber of Heber, writes: "I think the December number of the Era one of the finest you have ever issued; it is highly commendable." We have received hundreds of similar compliments from our readers. We have a few extra copies left, and can fill orders at 25 cents each as long as they last. MINUTE BOOK. At the last general M. I. A. conference, it was decided to print a minutebook form. This minute-book is now ready, and is just what the secretaries of the ward organizations need for their work. It will save them time, is very handy, and convenient. It will be mailed to any address for 25 cents. The attention of officers is called to this book. The General Secretary, 214 Templeton Building, Salt Lake City, will fill any order sent in. To save time and bookkeeping, the cash should accompany the order. NEW BOOKS. One Hundred Years of Mormonism. The most pretentious literary work celebrating the one-hundredth anniversary . of the Prophet Joseph Smith's birth, is the recently published 500-page History of the Church, by John Henry Evans, Ph. B., instructor in Church History at the L.

EDITOR'S TABLE. 255 D. S. University, Salt Lake City. The time and care expended in its preparation (the author has been engaged in its construction for more than five years) is in itself a guarantee of its value. The long experience of the author in teaching has enabled him to select essentials wisely, and to place prominently in the foreground of the narrative, the main facts and the vital points; and, more important than all, to present them in charming style and captivating manner. It is a book to be read, rather than to be referred to, though this is no reflection either upon its accuracy, or the value and volume of its information. Its grouping of historical facts is inviting, and the simplicity of the language makes it attractive reading for young people for whom the book was primarily prepared. It must also be stated that the spirit of the book, from cover to cover, is in strict harmony with the noble souls who sacrificed their lives and labors to found ths Church and to make the history which the author has so pleasingly related. Blood Atonement and the Origin of Plural Marriage. This is the title of a book of 112 pages issued recently from the Deseret News publishing house. It is a discussion, by correspondence, between Elder Joseph F. Smith, Jr., and Mr. Richard C. Evans, second counselor in the Presidency of the ' 'Reorganized Church. ' ' The work is valuable as clearly and strongly setting forth the belief of the Latter-day Saints upon these doctrines. It establishes, also, the fraudulent origin of the Reorganized Church, and explains some facts regarding its history that clearly prove its spurious origin. It is a most valuable work for missionaries and others who desire information that will enable them to reply effectively to misrepresentations of enemies of the Church on these subjects. MESSAGES FROM THE MISSIONS. [Under this heading the Era will devote this page to short, pithy paragraphs from the mission fields. We invite contributions from the elders in all the world. This is a good place to record important events, and we trust the missionaries will make this department very interesting. — Editors.] The Elders' Journal gives particulars of the building of a meeting-house in Jacksonville. Florida, bv the missionaries and saints of that conference. The movement began in the fall of 1904, and a finely finished meeting-house, with a handsome tower and vestibule, is the result. Excepting the mason work, the building has been constructed bv Elders Elmer B. Mecham, Wilford Whittaker, A. M. Palmer, A. G. Burton, G. A. Phippen, and a brother Adams. "They pulled off their preachers' clothes, put on overalls and jumpers, and did every bit of the carpenter work, even to building the pulpit and painting the building, inside and out. It was a sermon to the people of Jacksonville, that many of them never tire of talking about, — to see the preachers of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ

256 IMPROVEMENT ERA. handle the saw and the hammer, and build a church from the ground to the steeple, — it was something that opened their eyes. The house as completed cost a little over $2,000. It is insured for $1,000." In this connection, it is interesting to note that a new house was recently built in like manner at Loma, Colorado, and the West Colorado Conference was held in it November 18, and 19, 1905. Elder George M. Jorgenson, the secretary of the Danish-Norwegian Mission relates in a recent report that there are M. I. A. organizations in six conferences in Norway and Denmark. Mission President Christensen has lately visited the conferences and found the associations in full working order. About 290 souls were baptized in the mission from January to November, 1905. Elder Wilford J. Knudsen, of Provo, died in St. Joseph's hospital, Copenhagen, Friday, November 3, 1905, from tuberculosis, and his body was shipped home November 8, in charge of Elder Nephi Jensen, who arrived in Utah, December 2. Elder Knudsen left Utah for his mission, April 19, 1904, having been set apart by Elder J. Golden Kimball, the' day previous, and he labored in Trondhjem, Norway, until he took sick, and was sent to the hospital in Copenhagen, March 16, 1905. He was the son of Herman and Amanda Everet Knudsen of Provo, and was born in Provo, January 7, 1883. He was an attendant at the B. Y. U. missionary course in 1901-3, and both at home and abroad showed much devotion to the cause of God. For many years there have been only four conferences in Sweden — Stock, holm, Goteborg, Sundsvall and Malmo. On October 24, 1905, a new conference — Norrkoping — was formed by Mission-President P. Matson, in the central part of the country, including the branches, Norrkoping, Vingakar, Vestervick and Kalmar, the first-named being the headquarters, with Elder Carl P. Anderson, the first conference president. There are 61 elders laboring in Sweden, and during October, there were eight baptisms, and 256 meetings held. On Wednesday, November 25, the Circuit Court grand jury, of Greenville, Tenn., refused to indict the leaders of a mob who brutally assaulted Elders F. J. Sorenson and Olaf Jensen, in May, 1905, stating that they ' 'recognized no law for 'Mormons. ' ' ' The prosecuting attorney was indignant, as his evidence was conclusive. Elder Charles M. Bell of the Norwich conference writes to the Millennial Star of a case of healing which occurred recently at North Walsham. He states that a lady who had been investigating the gospel was taken seriously ill, suffering from pleurisy and inflammation of the lungs. She had been given up by the doctor, but she asked the elders to administer to her, which they did. She immediately began to improve, and was soon able to be about again — much to the astonishment of the doctor and the nurse. Elder Martin I. Bushman, Ipswich, England, writes: "The Improvement Era is a most welcome visitor to all the elders, and we use it in spreading the gospel. Our investigators say, it is edited in a most readable manner, and they enjoy reading it. God bless you in your efforts."