--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 9 number: 5 published: 1906-03 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations, "In Lighter Mood," *Improvement Era* 9, no. 5 (March 1906): 416.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0905unse 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: improvementera0905unse start_page: 416 end_page: 416 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1906-03) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera0905unse publication_year: 1906 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 1906, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # In Lighter Mood 416 IMPROVEMENT ERA. Virginia conference: "On November 25 Elders John H. Gibbs and W. Aird Macdonald were laboring in Jackson, Va., when they were sent for to go and administer to the six-year-old son of Mr. and Mrs. J. W. Harris, who was suffering terribly with neuralgia of the stomach, being paralyzed on one side, and speechless. He had been sick in bed two weeks, and had been receiving the best medical attendance. Upon the occasion referred to he went off as though dead. The elders administered to him, and he opened his eyes. The next morning he was able to move his body, and he is now almost well. ' ' From the 1905 official report of the Swedish Mission, in Nordstjarnan, it appears that there are 2,412 members of the Church in its five conferences composed of 28 branches. There are three High Priests, 21 Seventies and 40 Elders, laboring as missionaries, and there were 110 baptisms. From the official report of the Scandinavian Mission, in Skandinaviens Stjerne, it is learned that there are 69 Elders laboring in Denmark and 61 in Norway; 1436 members in Denmark and 1540 in Norway. There have been 173 baptisms in Denmark and 132 in Norway, a total of 305 in the two countries. There were 111 children blessed. There are 35 branches in the mission. From the official report of the Netherlands-Belgian Mission, in De Ster, we learn that there are five conferences, 48 missionaries, 2, 121 members, and that there have been 184 baptisms during the year 1905. IN LIGHTER MOOD. An amusing incident occurred while the late Joseph Smith Memorial party were in Boston; the company, who started down to the afternoon service in Deacon street, were short of several Utah visitors, by some misunderstanding. Of those left behind, a well known Utah editor decided to tread the merry maze of Boston streets, and himself be his lone guide to an unknown hall, in an unknown street. But after an hour's swift walking, he began to despair, and at the same time to ask questions. Did any policeman, here or there, know where the Latterday Saints or "Mormons" held their services? Alas, No! Not one grandly bluecoated, brass-buttoned individual had as much as heard of meetings and Latterday Saints. At last, after another weary hour's search, the gentleman espied a daintily clad, demurely-stepping Miss, tripping along, evidently bound for church, for she carried in her hand a small book that looked for all the world like a "Mormon" Hymn Book. With a hopeful heart, and a brightened countenance, the Utah man advanced to the charming young lady, and courteously asked if she could direct him to the "Mormon" headquarters. With a frozen, Bostonian stare, the vision opened her pearly lips to reply : "You can search me!" Think of that, in aesthetic Boston, where one expects only the language of , Emerson and Alcott! The startled gentleman fell back, and the vision passed on for alas, he had no desire to put her adjuration into effect.